Jan. 1-20, 2020


Feb. 10-25, 2020


Stevens, J. NASA Earth Observatory (2020, January/February) Airborne Nitrogen Dioxide Plummets Over China


March 2015-19 Avg.


March 2020


Schindler, T. L. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (2015-2020, March)


pollutant in March of this year were about 30 percent lower on average across the region of the I-95 corridor from Washing- ton, D.C., to Boston than the mean of the previous fi ve years. Another immediate benefi t of the


reduction in pollutants is their eff ect on the pandemic itself. Public health experts agree people that have higher long-term exposure to fi ne particulate pollution have a 15 percent greater likelihood of dying from COVID-19. T ey attribute this to the lung damage caused over time by air pollution, combined with the fact that the virus targets the lungs and increases the risk of pneumonia. Experts warn, however, that the cleaner


air is likely to be temporary if we return to pre-COVID-19 levels of travel and industry. Although we have seen a dramatic reduc- tion in greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2


) levels—another important


contributor to global warming—have con- tinued to rise. “T e crisis has slowed emis- sions, but not enough to show up percep- tibly [in CO2


coming out of this situation,” geochemist Ralph Keeling, who directs the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s CO2


moni-


toring program at UC San Diego, told T e Washington Post. But it’s possible that if people start expecting and demanding the cleaner air we have been enjoying during the pandemic, the coronavirus shutdowns could lead us to embrace new ways of living and working. Scientists worldwide have empha-


sized that most of the air quality improve- ment is due to a reduction in traffi c. Ed Avol, a professor of clinical preventive medicine at the University of Southern California, told Forbes that telecommut- ing is here to stay. “Telecommuting from home for those who can, even just for a couple of days a week, can have a marked reduction in terms of emissions.”


levels everywhere]. What will matter much more is the trajectory we take


Kimberly B. Whittle is the founder and CEO of KnoWEwell.com, a community and marketplace platform committed to rigorous, evidenced-based research that empowers healthier living. To learn more, visit KnoWEwell.com or see ad on back cover.


August 2020 21


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