What COVID-19 teaches us about climate action – Part 1: Individuals must be mindful and vigilant.

There are few things scarier than COVID-19 right now. With the potential to bring about human extinction, climate change is definitely a contender. Can we draw from this pandemic to strengthen our battle against climate change? 

This is the first article in a three-part series that discusses what COVID-19 teaches us about tackling climate change, and how to use these lessons to better our impact on the earth.

Lesson #1: Our impact on the earth is larger than we think. 

Many agree that human action is the significant instigator of climate change. It was remarkable to see that China saw a 25% decrease in CO2 emissions in the two weeks following Chinese New Year due to lockdown measures. With human activity slowed down, China experienced a drastic fall in industrial capacity utilisation indicators, from demand for oil and metals to operating rates at coal power plants and refineries. Compared to 2019, its 337 cities saw an average increase of 11.4% in the proportion of days with “good quality air”. Further north, satellite images show nitrogen emissions fading away over northern Italy, Spain and the UK. Over in New York, carbon monoxide emissions from traffic have been reduced by 50% due to stay-home measures. In Venice, the usually murky waterways have turned clear.

Photos from NASA’s Earth Observatory pollution satellites showing how much air pollution has decreased in the skies over China since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Photo credit: NASA / CNBC

Our impact on the earth manifests incrementally and is easily overlooked as we grow used to the situation. The recent images of what the planet can be like without our pollution and consumption is a striking reminder that our environmental impact is larger than we think. The importance of acting to help heal the earth cannot be overestimated.

Takeaway: We should be more mindful of how our actions impact the earth.

Being confronted with the damaging impact of our actions may be scary. No one finds it easy to acknowledge that they are part of the reason why polar bears are struggling to survive or why air pollution has become a leading cause of death. As we make the choice to drive because it is “too hot to walk” or dispose of our waste because “the recycling bin is too far away”, it is easy to dismiss these choices as one-offs that do little to harm the earth in the bigger scheme of things. It is easier yet to pin the blame on big corporations that run industrial facilities. However, these companies are only responding to our demand (e.g. for packaging, oil, and other fossil fuels). 

Our choices influence others around us. It is interesting to see how our habits influence others and vice versa. When we let ourselves become lax in practicing compassion for the earth, that mindset may influence those around us. Just as setting fitness goals with friends and signing up for F45 classes together helps keep us motivated, cultivating and sustaining environmentally friendly habits is easier when we have people around us who are also mindful about their environmental impact. Being mindful about the impact your actions have on the earth may have a bigger impact than you think on how those around you treat the earth.

Can we continue keeping the waterways in Venice clear? Photo credits: Manuel Silvestri, Reuters / CNBC

It is important to see the connection between the suffering that we see, and the choices and actions that have caused it. Being able to sit with this discomfort and acknowledge how much harm we cause is essential to practicing compassion for the earth.  By doing so, we can fully realise the urgency of climate action and take essential steps to alleviate the earth’s suffering. We can motivate ourselves and others by linking our actions to concrete environmental impact, providing a strong rationale and motivation for our actions.

Lesson #2: Do not count our chickens before they hatch!

Responses to COVID-19 may have brought an immediate benefit to the earth, but this could be short-lived and offset by other responses to the pandemic. For example, eateries are promoting takeaway options and food brought to those in quarantine is often packaged in disposables. Online shopping has generated higher levels of packaging waste. These increase waste pollution. As for those cancelled flights, some are predicting a rise in air travel when this pandemic is over. 

A typical meal for those under quarantine, and typical packaging too. Photo credits: Ms Qu Haiyan / TodayOnline

Takeaway: Always be vigilant and make balanced choices in consideration of the environment.

Vigilance is not a ‘sometimes’ thing. Aside from being aware of the suffering we cause and mindful of such impacts, we must be constantly vigilant. Even now, when it is safer to shop from our homes, we can still try to minimise pollution by opting out of disposable cutlery when ordering food deliveries, or choosing eco-friendly brands that use biodegradable packaging when shopping online.

There are so many things to consider. Sometimes, environmental goals seem to conflict with other important considerations. Some may feel that taking a taxi or Uber when commuting is safer than public transportation. And that is fine! It is up to each of us to look at the suffering around us and make balanced choices regarding the causes we support. What is important is constant vigilance; always keeping in mind the impact we have on the earth and weighing that against other considerations to make the most socially conscious decision we can. “Heal ourselves, heal the earth” – if we cause ourselves negativity and stress by being overly focused on environmentalism at the expense of all else, it will be hard for us to practice compassion for the earth in the long run. Finding a happy balance is what makes an eco-friendly lifestyle sustainable!