Lock-down For Us, Level-Up For The Environment

 LOCK-DOWN FOR US, LEVEL-UP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

 

Remember when the first ever plague began? Of course, it was in the 6th century, in Egypt. It spread to Constantinople which was the then capital of Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire. It is now the current state of Instanbul, Turkey. Another strain of the same Yersinia pestis strain caused the infamous “Black Death” of the 14th century. With the former taking around 50 million lives and the latter at a zenith of 200 million people. People took quarantining as a method to prevent the spread of the virus in the 14th century.  

Although the disease is no longer a major health problem in Europe, it still exists in some parts of the world. And there are fears that climate change and increasing globalization could see a re-emergence of the disease in the developed world. The Black Death originated in China (please refrain from racism) and traveled along the trade routes to Europe.  

During their quarantine, people took to improve their personal hygiene. This was one of the biggest outcomes of the Bubonic Plague. 

Now, let me use this opportunity to say that ‘History Repeats’.  

 

I hope that you are all safe and hopefully, trying to be productive during the lock-down, which is thanks to the COVID-19 virus.  

For sure, I am actually using this time for personal care and to be as productive as possible. One of the many things I noticed is that, after about a decade, I am able to wake up to the sound of the chirping birds. When I peep out from my balcony, I see the crystal blue sky, sometimes ornamented with silver clouds. The wind seems lighter on my skin and I’m able to hear the swaying leaves whisper to one another. This is the impact that 25 days of lockdown has shown. The empty roads are the new elephant corridors, the de-cluttered sky is again owned by the birds and not the airplanes, the seas have marine creatures swimming around with no fear of being caught. 

 

But these are just my personal sightings. Moving in deeper to the environmental and ecological impacts the lockdown has granted, NASA satellite images show that there was a decrease in the Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) level in the atmosphere and is due to the economic slowdown which the world is facing. 

The canals of Venice, in Italy have now become crystal clear due to a sudden halt in tourism. 

One must remember that climate change, global warming and pollution is taking away more lives and will continue to do so, more than any pandemic outbreak. There are even estimated calculations which state that the reductions in harmful emissions could potentially contribute to saving the lives of 77,000 Chinese residents from premature mortality. Even though it took a pandemic to make us perceive this view, it is foolhardy to even consider saying that a disease which is life-threatening, as a good way to control pollution. 

Today I interviewed Mr. David Raju, Naturalist Manager at Red Earth Resort, Taboda, Maharastra.  

He was able to observe 4 different types of langurs in the road and what was uncommon was the fact that they were all relaxing. He added that locals have also sighted bears on the road.  

Mr David states that it is impossible to notice the changes which the lock-down has imposed on the insect world, but a generalized view can be seen on the bigger animals, however, from just a month of lock-down, not many drastic changes can be observed. There however, quick and frequent rainfall but it may be due to the climatic changes. 

The impact of the lock-down has led to a reduction in tourism, which has been a factor on the environmental health. Mr. David said that “the lock-down’s impact on tourism depends upon where you are. It has taken a toll on our economy, especially on the daily wagers.” 

He further quotes “We are the virus and Corona is the cure”.  

Coming back to the statement I made earlier, “History repeats, but it’s so that we can learn from it.” this is the time to learn from the past experiences of our ancestors and find answers from them.