In March, the world locked down seemingly overnight. Images circulated of newly clear skies and lowered pollution in every city. Often, I caught myself wondering if this temporarily quieter, cleaner earth might be our silver lining.

Though carbon emissions are projected to decrease by 5% this year, COVID-19 and its economic fallout are unlikely to solve climate change. After the 2008 recession, temporarily suppressed carbon emissions quickly bounced back. Climate scientists predict that in order to avoid the worst impacts of warming, we must decrease global emissions by 7.5% annually. Like COVID-19, most of the issues contributing to climate change are caused by systemic forces beyond any individual’s control. But even though one person wearing a mask or living sustainably will not solve either problem, it is useful to think about which changes we can keep from this awful period in history, and which ones to leave behind.

Though single-use plastics and personal vehicles are temporary necessities for avoiding infection, these habits can and should be left behind post-pandemic. Conversely, as meat supply-chain issues occurred a few months ago, people temporarily turned to plant-based alternatives. Large-scale, long-term changes like plant-based options in restaurants, cafeterias, and grocery stores and lowered government meat subsidies would reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time, as livestock farming is a major contributor. Similarly, as packages are delayed, we can consider when we need two-day shipping and when we can wait longer for products to be delivered more slowly and sustainably.

While consumer demand is not everything, it is one piece of the puzzle. In a normal year, the airline industry produces 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, between that of Germany and Japan. Pre-pandemic, that number was set to triple by 2050, but travel has changed in the last few months.Meetings that previously required international travel are now happening over Zoom, and Americans are taking more local road trips for leisure travel. Now that we have shown that we can do things differently, it is time to make low-carbon transportation options widely available.  Amy Crawford’s recent HuffPost article makes an argument that, rather than bailing out airlines, now is the time to focus on improving rail transport.

Finally, the lockdowns forced many companies to implement remote work for the first time, and they have realized that there has not been a corresponding drop in efficiency. Sometimes, face-to-face interactions are irreplaceable. Still, when we return to the office, we can keep remote work as an option for more people, and continue to reap the benefits of reduced transportation and office building emissions.

It will be impossible to truly understand the implications of the pandemic for years to come. Eventually, our silver lining may be the reminder of how connected we are, and the opportunity to build a more sustainable world for the future.

Bio: Priyanka is a 2015 graduate of Tufts University and holds a Master's in Medical Sciences from Boston University. She is currently a second-year medical student at Lincoln Memorial University. Priya co-founded Medical Students for COVID-19 Support- Tennessee and serves as the Tennessee State Coordinator for the National Student Response Network. She is an aspiring pediatrician interested in the link between environment and human health.

Thank you so much Priya for educating us, and we look forward to creating a more sustainable future. We are excited to have you in our empowered women’s network.

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