Cimate Change

At the beginning of the year, environmentalists from around the world were hopeful that the lockdown would help to mitigate the effects of climate change. As the quarantine continued, wildlife roamed in places it hadn’t for years and air quality improved.  Unfortunately, however, it was short-lived. 

With the surge in single-use plastic due to fears over the spread of COVID-19, conservationists rightfully expect an increase in aquatic pollution. An article by The Guardian, “More Masks than Jellyfish,” features an interview with a member of France’s nonprofit Opération Mer Propre, Joffrey Peltier. The group works to conserve our oceans and wildlife by picking up litter along the coastline. They are now finding face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer containers, along with the usual cans and bottles, in coastal areas. In a letter to France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Peltier states that “with a lifespan of 450 years, these masks are an ecological timebomb.”

A more immediate climate fear comes from the wildfires destroying the west coast. These lethal fires have a tendency to demolish everything in their path, devastating people’s livelihoods.

Perhaps the silver lining is that many Americans are now coming to understand the effects of climate change. Nevertheless, as the situation continues to grow more complicated, it’s clear that combating climate change will take more than mere understanding.  The smoke content from the western fires in the air put seven states—Washington, Utah, Oregon, Arizona, California, Idaho, and Nevada—at an elevated risk of fire weather.