Soleman Uddin :
It was unimaginable to most of us weeks ago that an unprecedented situation would change the course of human life. Illness and death sweeping everywhere, business and boarder have been closed and people stay at home practicing social distance. But something else is afoot. As human activities decrease, carbon emissions fall, seems like nature is taking a breath while we are holding ours.
Coronavirus pandemic has led more than 165,000 people to death so far and shutdown economic activity all over the word drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels which significantly causes a drop in carbon emissions and as the days go by, rapid mobility has been noticed in biodiversity. So, is the pandemic turning the ecosystem upside down or is it just a consequence of human single domination in the planet?
While over one and a half billion people around the world have gone into quarantines and lockdowns, wild animals are coming out to find their way into human habitation in search of food or perhaps a bit of adventure, which seems they are doing comedy in our tragedy. But their presence acquaints that the cities and towns we call home and frequently visit are also home to wild animals.
“Nature is sending us a message with the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing climate crisis,” says Inger Andersen, the UN’s environment chief. “Humanity was placing too many pressures on the natural world with damaging consequences, and failing to take care of the planet meant not taking care of ourselves.”
In China, the biggest source of carbon in the world, emissions were down about 25% between early February and mid-March – a cut of 250m tons. Europe is forecast to see a reduction of around 390m tons. Significant falls can also be expected in the US, where passenger vehicle traffic – its major source of CO2 – has fallen by nearly 50%. The planet is expected to see its biggest fall in carbon emissions since World War Two.
Along with other countries, Bangladesh is experiencing temporary falls in carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide since the lockdown begun. Air Quality in Dhaka is greatly improving with AQI scores around 80 to 100 respectively which used to be more than 200 AQI a few weeks ago, according to IQ Air, though experts are expecting more reduction in air and water pollution as the lockdown continues.
The first Coronavirus case confirmed in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province on November 17, According to Chinese government data reported by South China Morning.
Experts says, COVID-19 is likely a zoonotic disease, meaning it was probably transferred from wild animals, possibly bat to humans and these type of diseases are emerging constantly.
According to WHO, 75% or so of new infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature. SARS, MERS, Zika, and Ebola are all zoonotic diseases.
Some experts think this increase may have connection with deforestation and the subsequent increase in contact between humans and animal species. One study of Ebola found that the disease was more prevalent in areas that had recently been deforested.
In 2018, a feature-length documentary named ‘Dominion’ shows, how brutally animals are used and abused by humans which questions the morality and validity of humankind’s domination over the animal kingdom.
When we encroach on nature to prolong our lavish substance unnecessarily, when we destroy forest having no concern about eco-system, when we degrade the environment for our enjoyment, then we are disturbing what is supposed to be left undisturbed.
Now, what we need to understand this is the planet we share with other creatures, not own it. They have the same right that we have and being the best intelligent creature on earth, we have to ensure a favorable environment to save their entity.
The coronavirus pandemic is undoubtedly a tragedy in human life and shouldn’t be a way to fixed climate change. Hospitals are overloaded and unemployment rate is at the top, barreling toward a horizon darkened by economic disaster and crowded with portents of suffering to come. It is high time we took climate change into serious consideration. Global challenges require systematic and behavioral changes otherwise nature will find its own way which might not be a good sign for human existence.
(Soleman Uddin, Student, Department of Social Work, Siddheswari College)
