VENICE, ITALY
In normal times, Venice’s famous canals are teeming with activity. Millions visit each year to explore the city and take a romantic trip on its world-famous gondolas. Now, like so many cities around the world thanks to COVID-19, Venice has gone quiet, its streets and canals empty.
Yet there is an unexpected flipside of this lack of human activity: one that benefits the whole planet.
Thanks to a lack of pollution usually caused by boat traffic, Venice’s normally cloudy canals have turned crystal clear. They are now clean enough that you can see the fish below. Swans have also been seen in the water, while dolphins have been reported swimming in the port.
In fact, the drop of activity all over the planet – from the fall in cars on the road to the decline in pollution from industrial activity – will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and do everything from clean our water and air to slow carbon emissions.
The change is already taking place. Satellite imagery over China’s major cities shows a huge reduction in emissions. The usual visible cloud hanging over its cities has given way to blue skies. Satellite photos also show a decline in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Italy.
Meanwhile, over in New York, as citizens avoid the streets and drivers shun the road, researchers from Columbia University have found that the level of carbon monoxide has fallen by nearly 50 per cent year on year.
Perhaps this is a good chance for the planet to heal and recover.