Fact-Checked Source:
Fariss Samarrai, "Climate researcher on promise amidst the pandemic"

Looking Deeper: Five Facts Checked

Greenhouse gases are plummeting...

What is true for the virus is true for climate. The sooner we act, the sooner we can flatten the climate curve.

This claim can be confirmed by an article by David Herring called "Can we slow or even reverse global warming?" In other words Herring says we can slow or even reverse the effects of climate change by slowing the rate at which carbon emissions are put into the atmosphere https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/can-we-slow-or-even-reverse-global-warming. I think this is really important and gives us hope for the future of the planet as well as the pandemic.

Fact #3

Global warming is a global disaster. Like the pandemic, it will affect us all.

It is true that global warming will affect us all in the future, and we are already seeing those effects in the present day. An article called "How Will Climate Change Affect the United States in Decades to Come?" https://eos.org/features/how-will-climate-change-affect-the-united-states-in-decades-to-come from American Geophysical Union verifies this fact saying that sea levels will continue to rise, as well as temperature of the Earth's surface, and we will face more intense weather patterns and events, such as long-lasting droughts, heatwaves and precipitation. I wanted to dig deeper on this claim because of the bold aspects of it affecting us all in the present time and the future. It is important for individuals to realize that global warming is just as destructive as the pandemic occurring if not more destructive.

Fact #4

The situation we find ourselves in, quite suddenly, is exactly what early, aggressive climate action is meant to avoid: catastrophic damage to our economy.

I was interested in looking into this claim, more specifically the claim about the damage to our economy since the coronavirus and to what extent the damage is. An article named "An Early View of the Economic Impact of the Pandemic in 5 Charts" from the International Monetary Fund explains the impacts of the coronavirus on the economy. The article states "For 2020 it will be worse than the global financial crisis. The economic damage is mounting across all countries, tracking the sharp rise in new infections and containment measures put in place by governments" https://blogs.imf.org/2020/04/06/an-early-view-of-the-economic-impact-of-the-pandemic-in-5-charts/. The coronavirus is causing an economical decline in all countries around the world and there is not anything we can do. Like Deborah Lawerence said, climate action is not supposed to be at the expense of the global economy.

Fact #5

Climate scientists know that more CO₂ means more global warming, and they know we humans have never seen anything like it and that it will seriously harm our economy and our wellbeing.

While we have seen the Earth go through climate cycles, scientists have said that global warming to this extent is beyond that cycle. An article written by Isobel Whitcomb called "Has the Earth Ever Been This Hot Before?" comments on the seriousness of the climate change happening in present day, "Even so, today's climate change is a different beast, and it's clearly not just part of some larger natural cycle..." https://www.livescience.com/65927-has-earth-been-this-hot-before.html. The article mentions while there has been a period of time where temperatures rose by eighteen degrees Fahrenheit, humans were not around to see the effects on the human species. Modern day climate change is the first time humans are witnessing the effects a rising global temperature, and the effects are catastrophic.

Analytic Essay:

Will the Coronavirus be the Step in the Right Direction for Climate Change?

With the coronavirus spreading like wildfire throughout the world, causing lockdowns for the majority of countries around the globe, people worry about what the future holds for society as we know it. While the virus has been damaging to many, there is one good thing to come out of the chaos, changes in the environment. Data shows that the environmental issues present in today’s society seem to be looking up. After reading about the effects the coronavirus is having on the environment, I was interested in seeing the perspective climate researchers and scientists have about the whole pandemic and what the future might hold regarding the environmental changes, since climate scientists’ values include that of the environment. After doing a bit of research, I came to the conclusion that the majority of climate scientists believe that these environmental changes are good to an extent, but they are reluctant to agree on how society is going to come back from this pandemic.

Since the start of the quarantine, carbon emissions from China have dropped 25% compared to last year's emissions from around the same time; while the pollution in Wuhan, China dropped almost 50% due to that area of China being hit the hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. Along with carbon emissions, animal life has returned to abandoned places. The Venice canals, for example, have seen remarkable results with crystal clear water due to less motor traffic and water pollution (McFarlane, S, 2020).

A University of Virginia environmental science professor, Deborah Lawrence, who examines climate change states she is glad to see such drastic drops in greenhouse gas emissions but it all comes at a price. In an article she responds to the question “Is there possibly a silver lining, as has been suggested, to this reduced use of resources and activities, such as less flying?” by saying that she does not really see a silver lining because this improvement in the environment is at the expense of the economy. She mentions that “The situation we find ourselves in, quite suddenly, is exactly what early, aggressive climate action is meant to avoid: catastrophic damage to our economy” (Samarrai, F, 2020). While she does like the changes she is seeing, she did not expect or want it to happen this way. 

The International Energy Agency’s Mr. Birol agrees with Lawrence, saying “‘I am expecting a big decline of carbon emissions, but it is not for the right reasons because the economy is melting down…’” (McFarlane, S, 2020).

It’s when we talk about the future after this pandemic that the opinions change between climate researchers and scientists. Deborah Lawerence has hope, and thinks people will be inspired by the data and they will want to change. “As we rebuild the economy, I hope we listen to the experts who say our health and safety are at risk due to global warming” (Samarrai, F, 2020). Glen Peters, author and researcher, agrees hesitantly with Lawrence. He hopes this is the year carbon emissions peak but is very reluctant saying so, seemings how scientists said the same thing after the Global Financial Crisis in the late 2000’s. “There is an opportunity to invest the stimulus money in structural changes leading to reduced emissions after economic growth returns, such as further development of clean technologies” (Peters, G, 2020). He hopes people will continue with the habits created by quarantine, such as walking, biking, and reducing air travel. 

Others take a different look at it and believe the climate changing could be causing these world issues. A chapter in the biological book BioScience: A Forum for Integrating the Life Sciences named “Climate change, pathogens, and people: The challenges of monitoring a moving target” thinks there could be correlation between infectious diseases and the rising temperatures, saying “The biggest burden of such diseases falls on tropical and subtropical regions…” and with the Earth’s surface temperatures rising, diseases could be equally prevalent in the northernmost and southernmost regions (Ogden, L. E, 2018, p. 733).

While the coronavirus has caused a lot of damage, it seems like the environment and wildlife have received a much needed break from the devastating effects of humanity. Some are still unsure how we will bounce back from this pandemic, but all climate scientists and researchers are in agreement that there is still a little bit of good to come out of it.

References

Samarrai, F. (2020, April 1). Climate researcher on promise amidst the pandemic. Science X Network. https://phys.org/news/2020-04-climate-pandemic.html

This is a primary source from an interviewed climate researcher. The source's purpose is to offer a different perspective on the coronavirus and explain how climate researchers feel with the environmental changes occurring. The main idea present in the source is that if as a society we act fast, there is still hope, for both climate change and the coronavirus. The scientist in the source elaborates on how she thinks people will change their behaviors and actions after this is all over as a response to the pandemic. Although she mentions that after this pandemic it is going to be difficult to convince people of a greener lifestyle because of the hardships our economy is going through. This source provides information directly from a climate researcher in an easy to understand format and can be used to understand what a climate researcher is thinking about the pandemic.

McFarlane, S. (2020, April 6). How Environmental Movement Plans to Leverage the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-environmental-movement-plans-to-leverage-the-coronavirus-pandemic-11586164191?st=hzcx8ffcm6844ib&mod=openfreereg

This journalistic source provides statistics about what is happening to the environment since quarantine was put into place in most countries. The purpose is to bring to light the changes across the globe in environmental problems that have been seen since the pandemic started. The key idea is that the environment has changed for the better since the start of the pandemic. Air pollution in places like China and India, the most polluted countries, has decreased an astronomical rate since being put on lockdown. It also mentions the canals in Venice, Italy are unbelievably clear due to no boats going through them. It provides good evidence that the environment has improved since lockdown began.

Peters, G. (2020, March 17). How changes brought on by coronavirus could help tackle climate change. Center for International Climate Research. https://cicero.oslo.no/en/posts/news/how-changes-brought-on-by-coronavirus-could-help-tackle-climate-change

This source is a journalistic source about the effects of the virus on the climate and economy. It  highlights that the coronavirus has taken a step forward in the fight against climate change by decreasing carbon emissions by substantial amounts. Along with that, the article also talks about the economical impacts and what they think the future will look like after the pandemic is over. It’s important to understand the economic impacts that the virus has caused before we will be able to move forward once this is all over, so this source is very important in that regard.

Ogden, L. E. (2018, October 18). Climate change, pathogens, and people: The challenges of monitoring a moving target . BioScience: A Forum for Integrating the Life Sciences. 68 (10), 733-739. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy101

This scholarly source shows how infectious diseases may have some correlation with rising global temperatures. It argues that the rise in global temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns are affecting the way vector-borne illnesses are transmitted to humans and the frequency of the transmission. It is important because it explains how climate change is influencing the spread of viruses and is also affecting the organisms that these viruses and bacteria live in. The article dives into how scientists can predict outbreaks in the future and what they can do to prepare for it.