COVID 19 AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The current worldwide crisis humans have faced, over the last year, is both unprecedented and historic. No one could ever imagine that we would be obliged to stay home, without any physical interaction with other people. No one could ever believe that schools, shops, retail centers or airports would be closed for a whole year and still counting. Unfortunately, millions of people have died and lost their jobs. World economies have come to a halt and stock markets around the globe have taken a dive.

On the bright side, one of the few advantages of this global pandemic concerns climate change and the environment. More specifically, the restrictions in transportation have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions coming from different means of transport. The fact that various factories and industries have stopped their production has led to fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, citizens have been prohibited from circulating freely and thus, the environment has not been polluted by human activities to a great extent. It could be argued that lockdowns have enabled scientists to reach valuable conclusions regarding climate change in the future.

The present reality has made us more aware of the problems the world faces. I realised that the crisis is an opportunity to restart, to reflect upon rescheduling our new reality. I became more informed about the scourges of humanity and understood that people are a part of a global community, contributing with their actions to building common values. I was mobilized to be a global citizen by finding ways how the world will get back in track and become more resilient. The health crisis revealed that the great problems of the world have been unsolved; inequality, hunger, lack of education in developing countries, protection of the environment.

Moreover, the health crisis has provided me with the opportunity to reflect on my life, my priorities, the role of the environment and come up with ways to help. I understood the value of being healthy and the importance of human lives, as well as the immense role that the environment plays. The pandemic proved to be food for thought regarding our role in the global arena. People realised for the first time that their future and prosperity are inextricably bound to the ones of their fellow citizens. Countries appreciated concepts such as team spirit and collaboration, as they had to employ them in order to fight this common enemy successfully. Designing a vaccine for this virus was a very difficult task and wouldn’t be achieved if countries didn’t cooperate. Also, fighting climate change requires the same kind of cooperation among countries on a global basis.

As a result of the above, humans had to be more resourceful to combat all emergent problems. I personally realized, as a school student and as a member of the global community, that the role of the environment is crucial. The current situation has made me more knowledgeable and more aware of my duties and responsibilities. Climate change is happening and if human beings do not take immediate action, they will suffer from the unprecedented ramifications of mother nature in the long-run. The rising maximum temperatures and sea levels, the extreme weather phenomena, the shrinking glaciers, the economic implications of dealing with secondary damage related to climate change and the loss of biodiversity are only a few of the matters that humanity must address. In order to create a more sustainable and promising future, people should think and act green and invest in renewable sources. And we have to start from the base and concentrate on the new generation in order to protect and defend our future.