2020 was indeed a year of change for the world, and this was mainly made possible by the Coronavirus. Researchers and scientists have long feared that we were due for another global pandemic since the last one was in the early part of the 20th century. The 1918 influenza pandemic killed at least 50 million people worldwide, and many countries had to rely on public health management to control it.
But 1918 was a different world than 2020. Back then, most countries were largely agricultural, and only a few had transport systems that relied on coal energy. There were still parts of the world that were still unknown and unblemished by humans. Now, ships crisscross the oceans of the world regularly; hundreds of planes fly the skies, and people crowd urban areas to make a living.
Human Activity and the Planet
The last few decades have revealed how human activities have affected not only the environment but also the survival of other animals. Carbon emissions have accelerated climate change, while urban creep and habitat destruction have pushed many wild animals to the brink of extinction.
But 2020 put a stop to much of the movement of people and goods. Ships stopped traversing the oceans of the world, while many planes were grounded as all non-essential tourism and travel were put to a halt. Many people were forced to stay where they were, and this meant a lot for many animals on land and sea.
The Pandemic Shuts Down Pollution
Many animals enjoyed the quiet of the lockdown. More birds and animals were seen in public parks, while dolphins and fish were more visible in rivers, bays and seaside areas. Many of these animals often avoided human contact, but the quietness emboldened many creatures to explore areas they might not often visit, such as city streets and busy waterways.
The limits on transport and movement also affected the air quality of many cities. Images taken from outer space revealed a great reduction in emissions, largely from the closure of factories and manufacturing plants, but also from a drop in vehicle use. In many industrial cities in China, the images from NASA and the European Space Agency revealed that the smog and smog that usually covered these areas disappeared.
The Pandemic Revelation
The worldwide halt was a revelation for many governments and confirmed what many scientists and researchers had been telling everyone: human activity is the culprit for much of the environmental damage we see. But now, there are questions on how we could approach sustainability and ecology without necessarily sacrificing the world economy.
Researchers now know that the pandemic was the result of humans taking over areas where wild animals might harbor viruses that could be deadly to us. Sustainability, population control, and habitat protection are all needed to prevent such encounters, but in many areas where the trade in wildlife is an economic need, it could be an uphill battle.
Transitioning to a Digital Economy
For many businesses, the pandemic revealed the flaws and weaknesses of their strategies. A reliance on face to face meetings and exchanges affected many in the service and travel industry. The pandemic forced many companies to explore alternatives that they had relegated as unnecessary in the past: work from home schemes, e-commerce, and social media.
E-commerce became the savior for many businesses, with the internet providing the means to contact and serve customers in the era of physical distancing and lockdowns. Though delivery systems were expanded to include quarantine periods and transport limitations, e-commerce still grew to a rate that reached billions in sales worldwide.
More people relied on websites and apps that provided services and products. For many industry observers, this was an indication that e-commerce was here to stay, even after the pandemic. Businesses now see the potential of digital marketing and how it could provide another avenue to increase their sales. Many also see it as a sustainable marketing strategy, as advertising campaigns do not have to rely on traditional marketing methods.
Many companies now rely on social media to create a marketing buzz. There is now more demand for online content because a single post, blog or tweet could reach millions of people in a second without adding to your carbon footprint or stressing the environment. The immediacy and the reach have changed the minds of many businesses, but the challenge remains: how could other industries transition to a digital economy so they could be more ecologically sustainable?
The Search Continues
The pandemic might have made many governments and companies realize their impact on the world, but the economic realizations are still hard to accept. We still have to find an acceptable solution that will protect our world but also provide us with the comforts we have come to expect in a modern world. For now, the pandemic has given the world a momentary lull. The pandemic might have slowed carbon emissions, but it is not enough to slow down climate change. If we want to save the planet, it takes more than a pandemic to do it.
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