Note- This article was first published on Linkedin.com by me on 7th June 2020. The second wave had been much deadlier for many countries including India. We are already witnessing impact of many of the fears like impact of climate change, PPE waste coming true presently.
The new (ab)normal
As I am writing this article, number of corona cases in world have already crossed 66.6 Lacs (6.66 Million) mark and is inching towards 70 Lacs (7.00 Million) cases. Though the positive news is that rate of recovery has been good and death related cases are less. There is lot of emphasis being put on social distancing as new normal but if not implemented judiciously, it will cause more harm to the environment and mankind as whole. Here are few reasons :-
1)Rise in Air pollution and carbon emission- We may witness increased number of two wheeler and cars as substantial chunk of population may shun the public transportation system. Consumer finance companies along with automobile manufacturers may push for attractive financial loans for consumers to push for automobile sales , majority of which will be using petrol and diesel. Use of electric vehicles is yet to gain traction and lack of infrastructure for charging facilities will also act as dampener. This scenario will definitely going to increase the carbon emission across the globe than precovid era.
2) Pollution due to increased usage of throw away cutlery - As consumer choices will be more inclined towards hygiene and safety, restaurants and cafes will have to turn to single use cutlery and plate sets, instead of traditional steel and washable material . Commonly used plastic, Styrofoam plates and cutlery may further increase the pollution level in sea and water bodies as majority of them may not go for recycle.
3)Pollution due to inadequate disposal of PPEs- Personal Protective Equipment or PPE consist of hand gloves , masks , face shield and overall body suit. Baring face masks where one has option of using mask made from clothes , rest of the equipments are made up of plastic or complex polymers which will require adequate disposal system, preferably incineration. This disposal method may not be followed religiously in developing countries or to some extent in developed countries as well.
4)Climate care may take a back seat as economics take the driver seat- Covid -19 ,has pushed the world into near recession situation. The unemployment rates across the world are on rise as with the number of covid cases. Lockdowns have impacted global economies negatively and has made a dent in government's earning through taxes. Governments may become soft in their approach towards climate change and emission norms as main focus will be on revival of economies and generation of jobs. Capital Expenditure on major clean infrastructure projects may get delayed too.
5)Mental Health and Anxiety- Many psychologists have indicated the ill effects of prolonged lock down on mental health of people and we may witness more rise in these effects as elderly persons and young children are still being asked to remain indoors (atleast in India). Prolonged disconnect with society may set in a differential mind set and reduced social skills of kids . It may also increase insecurity and anxiety among senior citizens.
All I can say , that the new (ab) normal due to covid 19 is here to stay with us for a long time and it will require both public and political will to align the new normal to normal our planet deserve.
Source:- for covid 19 data - WHO Coronavirus disease dashboard (6th June 2020) https://covid19.who.int/
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Note - The views presented over here are my personal view and are not directed towards a particular society or government bodies.
