- Coronavirus countertops have dramatically lowered NO2 levels in different parts of the world, but the pandemic has another side of the coin, and EE.UU. proves: Trump has suspended many environmental measures taking advantage of the first signs of the economic crisis.
Cities' air is constantly being said to be cleaner because there are fewer cars circulating through us calles.Ecologistas in Acción has carried out a study (pdf) in the Spanish State, and as far as Basque capitals are concerned they are also enlightening data: In Vitoria-Gasteiz nitrogen dioxide has fallen by 54%, in Pamplona by 49%, in Donostia-San Sebastián by 41% and in Bilbao by 40%. This group has explained that this demonstrates that reducing traffic is "the best tool to stop air pollution in cities," thus causing many health problems.
However, experts warn that this decrease in pollution is temporary, as NO2 figures are very variable in the atmosphere and further studies are needed to draw a clear conclusion. Moreover, they fear that, following the pandemic, human activity is aimed at doing more damage to the climate, with more CO2 emissions, as was the case with the 2008 crisis.
In this regard, the scientific community considers it "bad news" that the COP26 summit in Glasgow is delayed to 2021 because the agreements reached in Paris will not be complied with and the UN agenda to reduce pollution will also be delayed. It is clear that the United Kingdom has been very well hit by this delay: on the one hand, because the political debate in that country had already called the summit into question; on the other hand, because the change of attitude of Prime Minister Boris Johnson has always been suspicious of the climate, which wants to turn his country into the champion of decarbonisation.
Trump has suspended law enforcement to prevent pollution, which has already begun to apply. That is to say, in practice, companies that emit toxic substances in rivers or at sea will not be penalised for this, nor will they be penalised for issuing more CO2 in the air.
The coronavirus is already causing economic crisis, the unemployment data we have known in recent days are very worrying: The worst month of March of all time in Euskal Herria has left over 14,000 people without work in the CAV and Navarra. But in other places the same also happens, as in EE.UU, where ten million people have applied for unemployment benefit. And those early signs of the crisis are being used in some places to make environmental protection standards and measures more flexible.
Trump does not miss the opportunity
U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended law enforcement to prevent water and air pollution in the world’s leading economic power. That is to say, in practice, companies that emit toxic substances in rivers or at sea will not be penalised for this, nor will they be penalised for issuing more CO2 in the air.
In addition, in the former Executive, fuel efficiency standards for vehicles driven by the Obama administration have also been suspended. The automotive sector will therefore also be able to pollute more.
"Fundamentally, they have left the industry the way to do and undo whatever it wants during the Covid-19 crisis, which results in an increase in pollution," explained the correspondent of El Periódico de Cantalcataluña, Ricardo Protection Agency.
The United States is the second most polluting country in the world, the first being China. The latter has already announced the construction of new coal-fired power plants to break the economic stagnation caused by the coronavirus. Between them, they emit 40% of the global CO2.