A Positive Environmental View of COVID-19
It has been a while since our last Student’s Corner post, but I am glad to be back! Our daily lives are surely not the same as they used to be, but hopefully these weekly posts will brighten your Fridays once again.
As a reminder, this post is simply an opinion piece and does not necessarily represent the opinions of University Facilities and Services. Now, onto this week’s discussion topic: environmental effects of COVID-19.
The past few months have been a mixture of good and bad news in terms of sustainability. At a quick glance, it may seem like the pandemic may be stalling our sustainability efforts and even reversing our progress. A lot of waste has been produced due to sanitary and personal protection requirements. However, I personally think this is a specific instance where our increase of waste is somewhat understandable. Afterall, safety is always a first priority. Nonetheless, we cannot turn a blind eye to the current situation our planet is in. There is always room for improvement, pandemic or not.
Let’s not get discouraged, though! Viewing the current situation from a more positive perspective can help motivate ourselves to return to our sustainable habits one at a time.
Did you know:
- Global Coronavirus lockdowns have contributed to a 5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
- About 130 scientists, doctors, and academic experts, along with Greenspace USA, and UPSTREAM collaborated to release a statement regarding the safety of reusables during the pandemic
- View the document here
- Employees were producing less paper waste while they were working from home
Please feel free to comment with encouraging messages as we work together to make our planet a better place for everyone while promoting sustainability.
Written by Emily Su, Class of 2022.
Photo Credits: https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/news/sustainability-time-covid-19