Quarantine is a gift in disguise for wildlife

There’s a hushed silence on the streets. Cars on the busiest streets of cities don’t sound their horns anymore and their partners-in-crime, the on-the-go, chattering pedestrians, are no longer seen on the sidewalks. The bright, radiant yellow of school buses and tiny backpacked figures stalling and waiting for them have disappeared all together. The sun outside seems brighter nowadays and the sounds of crows flapping their wings is more audible now than ever. What has happened?

Quarantine, or a restraint upon the activities or communication of persons or the transport of goods designed to prevent the spread of disease or pests, as defined by Merriam-Webster is now having the most beneficial, unintended impacts to the planet. These impacts are working better than any plan that humans could have come up with ourselves. The earth has begun to naturally heal itself. Now don’t get me wrong, the recent news of the coronavirus is horrible in so many ways-the economy is being affected in countless ways, people are unable to work at their usual jobs, and schools are shut down-but the way I see this virus, is one that is enabling humans to see the toll of their actions on the surrounding environments and the planet knowingly or unknowingly.

As humans are being increasingly confined to their homes, carbon emissions are reducing in areas where air pollution was initially a major issue. In highly industrial areas, such as China and Italy, nitrogen dioxide levels have heavily reduced as a result of less manufacturing, air-borne traffic, and vehicular traffic. In Venice, the once polluted canals filled with trash, have begun to clear up where now even wildlife is visible from the docks. This has also led to an improvement in water quality. As for wildlife, animals have begun to come outside of their natural habitats. Also, many animals that were once nocturnal have begun to roam the streets in the daytime in the absence of humans from the streets.

One of the main goals of veganism is to preserve wildlife and help the animals around us. But above being vegan, I see it important for humans to observe their daily actions and determine whether they are helping the environment or not. For some people, being vegan is a good method to ensure that they are conserving the planet every time they put food in their mouths. For others, they may donate to wildlife preservation centers. And still other people may find their own ways to help save the planet around us. In all cases, the ultimate conclusion that humans have come to is that whatever actions we take, it must be for the benefit of the entire planet or else we will end up hurting ourselves. In that sense, the effects of the coronavirus, from an environmental perspective, have benefitted the natural state of the planet. As I said earlier, if we leave mother nature by herself for a while, she will heal herself and make this world, and leave it an even more beautiful place than before. 

Thank you for joining me today! If you want to learn more about the coronavirus and any updates you can do so by visiting this link: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/2020-04-13-coronavirus-news-n118276

Sources: https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-major-impact-environment-co2-air-quality-animals-1493812