As COVID-19 rages across the globe, many countries in Europe and South America, as well as New Zealand, are under lockdown, human activity has decreased significantly and economic activity has slowed.
However, the pandemic has given the planet some much-needed respite.
According to a recent article on the NASA Earth Observatory Web site, which publishes satellite images, the spread of COVID-19 has brought the Chinese economy to a halt, and NASA’s and the European Space Agency’s satellites have recorded a significant and unprecedented reduction in air pollution across China.
Moreover, there have been reports in international media that the lockdown in Italy also has led to less water pollution. As the coronavirus keeps visitors and canal boats away, the water in Venice’s canals is much cleaner and clearer, with fish visible in the water.
In France, air pollution has dropped by 20 to 30 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 60 percent as the lockdown has resulted in innumerable vehicles having stopped and the number of flights at two airports having been reduced dramatically.
In just a few months, the pandemic has had a remarkable effect on Earth. This is not so difficult to understand. Modern economic development is built on consumerism, which creates economic cycles by encouraging and expanding consumption. This used to work well, and has greatly improved the material life of all human beings.
However, the infinite expansion of human desire has created problems as mass production uses up massive resources, and manufacturing creates massive amounts of waste and pollution.
Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic is providing strong evidence to support this view.
It is time that people become more aware and vigilant. They should declare war on ever-present consumerism and teach the younger generation that “thrift is virtue,” and raise their awareness of consumerism’s effect on the ecology and the human living environment, such as worsening environmental pollution, the depletion of natural resources and the loss of biodiversity.
Hopefully, the pandemic will inspire everyone to think and act, and to find a balance between economic development and ecological and environmental protection for the sake of Taiwan’s future.
Wei Shih-chang is a software engineer.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
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