Climate Change: a ‘lockdown’ approach could save us

Articles & Reviews

Jun 21

Now that we’ve been in lockdown for a while, we’re all aware of the pandemic’s immediate impact on our lives, and all the challenges we endure. We stopped moving around, stopped consuming more than we needed, stopped seeing our friends, stopped going to work, and started doing it from home (which before it wouldn’t be possible). There’s nothing to do: no shopping centers, no pubs/restaurants, no clubs, no events. We stopped everything and focused on ourselves more than ever. But how about the environment?

From less polluted air to the return of animals to places that humans have abandoned, the lockdown seems to bring with it a few positive effects on our planet.

According to Eco-Business, no single event of the last 50 years has had a bigger impact on our world than the ongoing pandemic. By closing the airports, factories, stopping the traffic, and cutting the burning of fossil fuel, we managed to obtain an impressive decline in air pollution. The most surprising change comes from India, where now people can see the Himalaya mountains for the first time in 30 years.

In Venice, the clarity of the water has improved drastically due to the closure of all forms of transport. Dolphins, swans, and fish are coming back, which is purely beautiful. But lockdown isn’t good for all wildlife, because a significant part of the animals relies on humans for survival. In Turkey, for example, the authorities have prepared resources to feed the street animals that were starving during the quarantine.

Although certain environmental effects did arise, the reality is far more complex. There’re concerns that coronavirus has brought with it an increase in plastic pollution, as beaches, forests, and waterways become filled with discarded face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer bottles.

Across the world, the lockdown proved that nature can revive rapidly in our absence when given the chance. Obviously, depopulation is not the answer that leads to beneficial outcomes. When long-established ways of living and connecting with ecosystems are breached, chaos will unleash.

Human actions impact the environment negatively, but I believe we can also do it positively. We should stop thinking about nature being separated from humanity because we are nature, and we should take care of our home. We used to go far beyond essentials before lockdown, but now it’s time to realise that we need less to live a decent, happy life. We don’t need to return to our previous behaviour. I believe we all can make a small effort to reduce our impact on the environment just by cutting back the things we really need, what makes us happy: seeing our families and friends, having a laugh together, smiling, hugging each other, and being free again. Just take the time to reflect on this experience and adjust your approach to fighting climate change.

Is there anything we can learn from this pandemic? How do we imagine ourselves after everything is over?

Here’s a list of some of my favourite artworks created to raise awareness about pollution and climate change.

1. John Gerrard - Western Flag (2017)