The environment and the coronavirus: what consequences does confinement have for nature?
Half of humanity is in isolation due to COVID-19 and the other half may be found soon but, what's going on out there? It seems that nature has entered a forced rehabilitation phase due to the quarantine break. That the jungles expand and the skies are cleared, the highways are emptied, the wild boars take the streets of Barcelona and the bears those of Asturias... The spread of the coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the economy but, how does it affect the environment? Is there a revenge of nature against the human being?
We talked to experts to answer our questions and discover some places where nature is taking over.
ASPHALT IN REHABILITATION
The closed industries, the desert highways and the empty streets. “ The most visible effects in the short term can be seen in the quality of air and water in cities ”, explains Sergio Sastre, consultant and researcher at ENT environment and management.
The sudden stop of human activities , the decrease in the displacement of motor vehicles, the industrial production and consumption have caused the cities to go getting rid of bad smoke.
New data taken by the satellite Copernicus Sentinel-5P show the strong reduction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in China and different places in Europe, such as Rome and northern Italy, Paris and several cities in Spain coinciding with the quarantine measures.
Reduced energy consumption has also caused carbon dioxide emissions to slow down. In Barcelona, specifically, according to the Environment Department of the Generalitat de Catalunya, CO₂ levels have been reduced by up to 75% last month , Y in Madrid municipal authorities have reported that greenhouse gases have decreased by 57% since the state of alarm . Asphalt breathes purer air. Everything seems to be going well so far.
GOOD NEWS?
"The drastic decline in economic activity takes pressure off ecosystems , the longer this reduction in activity lasts, the more relief they will have, ”explains Sastre, ensuring that the effects on nature can only be seen after a year, at least. "Nevertheless, we will have to wait to see if there is a 'rebound effect' and this pressure on ecosystems to reactivate the economic system is not accelerated, ”he concludes.
Experts from organizations like Ecologists in Action they do not believe that it is possible to speak of “good news” for the environment. "What this situation reveals is the incompatibility of the economic system with nature," he says. louis rich ,** general coordinator of Ecologists in Action**, in this regard. "It is true that when the economic system stops, aspects such as the reduction of the greenhouse effect improve, but this whole situation is artificial," explains Rico. “To address environmental problems profound economic changes would have to be achieved . It is not real because it is something transitory”, he concludes. Even so, we are looking for examples where the natural environment has taken action on the matter.
WATERFALLS IN SILENCE
Imagine the Iguazu waterfalls Empty of both water and people. On the border between Argentina and Brazil a deep jungle ( 67,620 hectares ) discovers 275 waterfalls, magnificently noisy, where a million and a half visitors come every year eager to contemplate one of the natural wonders of the world. It is surprising that, in an environment as wild and exotic as this, where they live 2,000 species of plants, 160 mammals and 530 different types of birds , there are queues to take the little train or crowds to take a picture at the Garganta del Diablo viewpoint.
From March 14 , the entire park has closed its doors to tourism. The jungle also breathes . According to the rangers, the vegetation is beginning to occupy the footbridges, to close trails and spaces where until recently tourists circulated. The coatis (raccoons) and caí monkeys were also around, accustomed to receiving cookies, soft drinks and even hamburgers like so many other gifts from visitors that harm their health (diabetes and premature death) and their behavior (aggressiveness). They have returned to the forest in search of fruits, worms and insects.
Even the roar of the falls has been silenced "due to the closure of dams and the lack of rain," he says. Leopoldo Lucas, President of the Iguazú Tourism Entity . Its flow, which averages 1,500 cubic meters of water per second, has been reduced to 280. Climate change issues. "This closure is an opportunity to reflect on the care of these resources and the alterations caused by human presence, to build new ways of connecting with natural environments from respect and sustainability," concludes Lucas.
Whether in Iguazú, in the Serengeti or in the Arctic . Even in the most remote and virgin places on the planet, the human being invades the territory of other beings who now have free rein.
ANIMAL REBELLION
Before the confinement wildlife is gaining ground . In natural spaces there are no longer any climbers or hikers, there are no paragliding, balloon or helicopter flights and hardly any planes or motorized vehicles pass by. much less hunters . Experts from some organizations wildlife protection they consider that what is happening has a healing effect for many endangered species within our geography , As the bearded vulture, eagles, brown bear, wild cat or Iberian wolf.
In recent days we have seen on social networks dolphins on the Levante coast, a brown bear walking through the streets of Ventanueva in Asturias and a wild boar through those of Barcelona, peacocks in Madrid, galloping mountain goats in Chinchillas (Albacete) and even a seal on the shore of San Sebastián.
“I am sure that sightings of species that were previously almost invisible, such as the wild dog, or the black rhinoceros in Africa, and some types of whales in Galapagos ", it states Jordi Serrallonga, archaeologist, naturalist and professor at the Open University of Catalonia. “Confinement has led to rebellion or animal freedom”.
THE MESSAGE OF NATURE
"Life makes its way" not just saying John Hammond from Jurassic Park . Serrallonga explains that this** invasion of the vital space of other living beings** has led to interaction with wild animals and even their consumption, whether out of necessity, fashion or superstition. An example? Illegal trade in exotic species , a breeding ground for deadly diseases from wildlife. We are playing with fire.
“We are no longer biologically adapted to this interaction”, clarifies the archaeologist, “now the viruses and other microorganisms that live in animals from forests, jungles and savannahs feed on us. It is the example of how the coronavirus has made its way.” The Covid-19 pandemic is nature's revenge on humans. Or is it just a warning?bushfires in australia , pests, heat records or the current health crisis. Inger Andersen , executive director of UN Environment Program , affirms that the natural environment is sending a message to humanity, according to the newspaper Guardian . “The immediate priority is to protect people from the coronavirus and prevent its spread. But our long-term response must address habitat and biodiversity loss.” And she concludes, “ if we don't take care of nature, we can't take care of ourselves”.