While the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for people, it’s actually been pretty good to the planet we live on, experts say.
In 2020, greenhouse gas emissions in the United States dropped by 10.3 percent, marking their lowest level since World War II, according to a report issued by the Rhodium Group. The report attributes the drop to a “historic shock to economic activity,” which led to less driving and traveling.
The dip means the country is living up to its 2009 U.N. agreement in which lawmakers promised to reduce emissions at least 17 percent below 2005’s levels. Thanks to the pandemic, the levels have fallen 21.5 percent, per the Rhodium Group.
In #SLC we saw visible emissions reductions as residents and businesses shifted to working from home last spring. We need to build on these gains as a state and nation by implementing structural changes so they are ongoing, not just a one-time fluke #utpol https://t.co/p1eZ6SeXto
— SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) January 12, 2021
Do you think it will take a while for gas emissions to return to their previous levels, or will people immediately return to ravaging the environment once the pandemic is over?
