#coronavirus #COVID19 #FlattenTheCurve #AirPollution
Air pollution makes the novel coronavirus more lethal.
So says a study by Harvard University.
Long-term exposure to polluted air makes the virus more deadly because pollution worsens complications of respiratory illness, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes the study. The newspaper published an explainer on this April 18, 2020.
But here’s the irony: because the virus has kept many people in their homes, thereby minimizing human activity, many cities around the world are reporting cleaner air, the article says. By not driving much, and with businesses not churning as much pollution into the air, one can actually see mountains in the distance from some cityscapes that were clouded with smog prior to the outbreak.
U.S. Environmental Protection chief Andrew R. Wheeler said the agency would not tighten controls on particle pollution, known as PM2.5, because of insufficient scientific evidence, the article says. The PM2.5 standards were enacted in 2012.
In fact, the article says, PM2.5 – small lung-damaging particles generated by power plants, cars, airplanes and burning – levels have dropped by 39 percent between 2000 and 2018. However, data has shown an uptick in some regions since 2016, according to the article.
Americans now see less pollution and have gained 1.5 years of life expectancy since 1970, the article says.
This information puts our lives into perspective. We need economic activity to live. But economic activity means pollution. It’s up to us as humans to try to maximize – we can’t really eliminate all pollution – our air quality.
This viral outbreak has taught us a lot about how to do things differently. Something as simple as minimizing trips to the grocery store can put savings back in our pocket, and minimize the particles we put into the air.
Though it would be impractical over time to live lives secluded at home, perhaps this stay-at-home life can teach us to value things we had put little value on before.
Meanwhile, stay-at-home orders also mean no income coming in for many people. What if you could make money by staying home? There are many vehicles out there that allow you to use technology to help you generate income while you, and everyone else, is staying home. To learn about one of the best such vehicles, message me.
As progress is made on alternative energy sources, we will see less pollution over time.
Decades ago, the hum of engines and factory machines meant industrial progress. They were the sounds of money being made.
As we continued to make progress, we, in turn, made our air quality worse. As we look forward to a cleaner, perhaps quieter, world, it will mean some jobs could disappear.
If you are among those for whom the sound of internal combustion engines or factory machinery means money, you may eventually have to rethink how you earn a living.
Peter