On the intersection of…a global pandemic and our environment.
The Covid-19 crisis swept in and changed how we live. Quarantines, social distancing, and face masks now play a role in our daily lives. It’s now common to see people sprint to the other side of the street when someone is walking towards them; that might have been considered rude once upon a time, but it’s now universally accepted as a sign of the times. While these public health measures are absolutely necessary to help stop the spread of this disease, they affect more than just us – they also affect the planet. I want to examine those practices which benefit both us and the planet, those that benefit only us and how can change them, and those that benefit neither, and why we should stop them.
Just look at the pictures of North India, with the Himalayan peaks shining in the clear blue sky. Some of the residents Jalandar, India, never knew the mountains were visible from their homes because a dense cloud of smog had become their norm. With India on lockdown, the air pollution fell exponentially and the glorious spires returned to full view. In the same vein, many animals have ventured from their hiding places and are now roaming freely on empty streets. No longer shuttered in by the din of human activity, they enjoy nature as they were meant to, uncaged and carefree. These are examples of how our changes have benefited the planet, and powerful proof that we still can make rapid, drastic shifts if we want to solve a problem.
But not all of our COVID-19 changes have served our environment. Grocery store bulk bins, once the sweetheart of every zero-waste household, are now yielding to plastic bags of grains and other goods. That plastic adds to the mountains of unhealthy waste, polluting water sources, choking marine life, and ending up in the animal based products people consume. Mass transit, which decreases the greenhouse gas emitting vehicles on the road, is now viewed as a source of possible infection due to the crowed trains cars and buses. So instead, those who can afford to drive are doing so, while the buses and trains also continue to operate – but with limited passengers. We are burning the candle – or the fuel – at both ends, making short term decisions that have long term consequences. This was unavoidable early in the pandemic, but now that we are several months in, we must seek better, cleaner, more eco-friendly solutions are needed.
That doesn’t even account for the antibacterial wipes and disposable gloves and masks now littering our streets or even being flushed down toilets. Every time I walk into my office or a grocery store, I see masks and gloves carelessly discarded after a single use. With the rise of cloth masks and proper hand washing techniques, there are better, friendlier options to keep us safe and our streets clean. As for those wipes – yes, sanitizing is important, but the same can be achieved with washable rags and disinfectant. Disposable wipes should be reserved for extenuating circumstances when we must leave the house and come in contact with other surfaces. My grocery stores clean each cart as they are being allotted, so I thankfully don’t need to use them there. We only buy fresh produce, so this just needs to be washed thoroughly once home. If you buy boxed or packaged goods, those same washable rags can be used to disinfect once you are home. The same goes for packages that are delivered. We wipe them down outside or leave them untouched for 24-48 hours. Above all, we wash our hands frequently and avoid touching our faces unless we have just washed our hands.
Some changes we make during this time – for medical procedures, especially – will negatively impact the environment but are necessary in the short term. However, I ask that you examine your daily routine and response to the pandemic and determine if there are better, eco-friendly ways to be doing them. We all want to stay healthy through this crisis, but it’s the health of both us and our planet that we have to keep in mind for the long term.