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Description:

 

This past year -- with the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine, life being flipped upside down-- has really highlighted our relationship with the environment, or at least has made us think about nature in a new way. How we as humans find joy from being in nature. How human activity changes our ecosystems in rippling effects. How we still have a long way to go in dealing with the climate crisis. 

This episode we’ll be taking a look at how the media portrays climate and human impact, especially in this era of COVID. Then, we’ll look at how COVID has shown us how vulnerable we are in the face of natural disasters. Finally, we’ll investigate how much we as humans need nature and green space.

 

Credits:

 

Writers: 

Natasha Von Seelen ‘21, Katherine Li ‘22, Olivia Fox ‘24, Jessie Goldblatt ‘24, Emily Nagamoto ‘24, Rachel Qu ‘24, Faraan Rahim ‘24

 

Voice Work: 

Katherine Li ‘22, Jessie Goldblatt ‘24, Natasha Von Seelen ‘21, Faraan Rahim ‘24

 

Audio Editors: 

Emily Nagamoto ‘24, Katherine Li ‘22

 

Music:

• reCreation by airtone

• Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3918-inspired

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 

Transcript:

 

KATHERINE: What do you think of when you think COVID? As a college student, maybe you're thinking about your unwanted admission to Zoom university, or the endless nose swabbing for COVID tests, or how stressful online midterms can be. Hopefully, though, when you look up from your screen, you’ll start to think about the world beyond your bubble. How has COVID affected the environment? How has COVID changed the lives of people who aren’t on a confined, safe, privileged college campus?      

If you didn’t live under a rock, you’ll probably remember those viral social media posts at the beginning of quarantine about “nature returning,” like clearer waters in the Venice Canals (1). But were those actually true? Did COVID turn back decades of pollution and emissions? If you’re thinking no, you are definitely correct, but why did the media portray it that way? 

Another thing that became very clear very early on in quarantine: being cooped up inside can be horrible for your mental health. Maybe you thought about how you would feel so much better if you could go into nature instead of being stuck at home. If you did have safe access to the outdoors, did you ever think about those who didn’t?

And of course, while COVID seemed to have stopped all of life, it did nothing to stop the natural disasters that peppered the US, like the fires on the West Coast or the hurricanes here along the Atlantic. This past year -- with the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine, life being flipped upside down-- has really highlighted our relationship with the environment, or at least has made us think about nature in a new way. How we as humans find joy from being in nature. How human activity changes our ecosystems in rippling effects. How we still have a long way to go in dealing with the climate crisis.

 

Welcome to Operation Climate, the one-stop-shop for environmental issues that matter to Duke and Durham community members. We’re a podcast run by Duke University students, aiming to inform and empower Duke-at-large to create lasting change in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. This season, we’re focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the climate. 

Today, we’ll be taking a look at how the media portrays climate and human impact, especially in this era of COVID. Then, we’ll look at how COVID has shown us how vulnerable we are in the face of natural disasters. Finally, we’ll investigate how much we as humans need nature and green space. Thank you for joining us today, and we can’t wait to get started.

 

These past few months, the coronavirus has had relentless news coverage - with information about anything from methods to reduce its spread to concert closings to record toilet paper sales (2). Have people also discussed the intersection of COVID and the environment? How has the media portrayed nature during COVID-19? 

 

JESSIE: In the early stages of COVID way back in March, reports showed areas like Mumbai and New Delhi and how they had visibly improved air quality (3). There were incredible before and after photos with hazy skylines becoming sharp, gray skies turning bright blue (4). The differences invoked a similar awe as before and after weight loss images; they were like night and day. 

 

KATHERINE: I think I’ve seen some of those pictures - they are insane! Are these accurate though? What’s really going on regarding the pandemic and its effect on the environment? 

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JESSIE: I would say there is definitely some truth to what we’ve been seeing. Stay at home orders have in fact reduced industrial activity, vehicle usage, air travel - all culminating in decreased greenhouse gas production (5). But these improvements are only part of the story - their impacts are fairly miniscule, temporary at that (6). What’s more, COVID has had pronounced negative environmental effects . [Uh] For example, there’s been an increase in waste from single-use medical products like gloves and test kits and from single-use grocery bags. Also, once effective recycling efforts have come to a halt to reduce human contact (7). 

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KATHERINE: That’s unfortunate but does make a lot of sense. So are you suggesting that the positive effects we’ve seen are only temporary? 

 

JESSIE: Exactly- while COVID has had positive effects, as seen in mainstream media, these are a temporary fix and partly counteracted with negative effects (8). Once the economy opens back up, so does consumption, and harmful environmental effects are soon to follow. And even if the pandemic were to last past 2020 (and it’s looking like it will), its positive environmental effects won’t do a thing without long-term climate-friendly policies (9). [0:30]

 

KATHERINE: I see. Would you mind sharing what long-term policy would look like? What are some approaches you had in mind?

 

JESSIE: Yes - generally speaking, this would mean systemic change that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, so transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar and wind power (10). Also, holding polluting industries accountable with taxes to encourage limited emission (11). 

 

KATHERINE: In the past month, you may have seen striking images from the wildfires ravaging the west coast of the United States. The hazy red skies created scenes that were described as “apocalyptic”, drawing comparisons to the planet Mars, the sci-fi film Blade Runner, and the TV series Stranger Things. Needless to say, this is horrifying. Or as Bill Nye would put it: “THE PLANETS ON FUCKING FIRE”. Could you break down what we’ve been seeing-- what’s happening and who has been affected by these wildfires?
 

NATASHA: Yeah, These wildfires on the west coast are serious. Scientists are saying that these are the region’s worst fires in 18 years (12). This year, so far, the wildfires have burnt millions of hectares, destroyed hundreds of homes, displaced thousands of people, claimed more than 30 lives, and created severe air pollution that’s endangering the health of millions (13). 

 

KATHERINE: That does sound serious. Can you explain how climate change affects orrr exacerbates these wildfires? I imagine it plays a role in their severity.

 

NATASHA: That’s right, experts agree that the effects of climate change are making for longer and more severe wildfire seasons (14). What happens is that rising global temperatures evaporate moisture from the ground, and this arid soil creates drier, more flammable vegetation. Additionally, the rising temperatures make snow melt earlier, yielding a longer dry season. Scientists have even discovered that climate change is altering weather patterns; rainfall has actually shifted away from the more wildfire-prone areas that need it the most (15).

 

KATHERINE: Now, it is known now that COVID is a disease that targets the lungs. I know that smoke particles from fires also target the lungs. So does  both of these happening at the same time make COVID-19 more deadly? 

 

NATASHA: Effects from the wildfires can worsen the symptoms of COVID, especially for firefighters and other emergency responders (16). Whether exposure to heavier air pollution means a higher rate of COVID deaths is yet to be confirmed, but there are already scientific studies that seem to show this correlation between disease and air quality (17). Also, fire conditions change quickly, meaning it’s difficult for emergency responders to follow all of the COVID-19 safety protocols, like social distancing. There’s reasonable concern that COVID is putting a strain on the number of firefighters able to fight the wildfires.

 

KATHERINE: I think it’s safe to say having COVID and wildfires coincide is unfortunate and far from ideal, especially for our frontline responders. I'd like to shift from wildfires to another crisis that I think everyone is becoming more concerned about: hurricanes and severe weather. There’ve been a lot of claims that climate change has had an effect on hurricane season, and the topic even came up in the vice presidential debate, VP Pence had assured everyone that there were no more hurricanes now than there were 100 years ago. If that’s true, why are there still concerns about climate change and hurricanes??

 

NATASHA: Of course! First of all, VP Pence is correct in his claim that there are no more hurricanes now than decades ago, but that’s not the whole story. There is no evidence suggesting that climate change has increased the frequency of hurricanes, BUT, there is evidence suggesting that climate change increases the intensity of hurricanes.

 

KATHERINE: So more intensity, no conclusive finding on frequency. And how does this manifest itself in nature?

 

NATASHA: Climate-change induced hurricanes have caused sea levels to rise, increasing flooding and coastal damage (read slowly). Also, climate change means warmer and more moist air, resulting in more rainfall. These factors - rising seas and increased rainfall - worsen storm intensity, and so there are more frequent category 4 and 5 storms which, unlike AP scores, are bad in the sense that they are very damaging and very intense (18). 

 

KATHERINE: (Hah standardized testing - what a time.) I can see (though) why it’s felt like this hurricane season has been so extreme. I know 2020 has actually been rapidly approaching the record for the most named storms in a year; it would be replacing 2005’s record when Katrina, Wilma, and others raged through the Atlantic. I can only imagine that dealing with these storms is probably even more difficult in the middle of a pandemic. What are the ways hurricanes and COVID-19 have impacted each other?

 

NATASHA: Well, It’s easy to see that safe hurricane evacuation practices contradict with COVID-19 safety precautions: for example, when transporting or sheltering people who are being evacuated, it’s nearly impossible to follow social distancing guidelines. This often forces people to choose between risking their lives with a deadly virus or with a deadly hurricane, which is not a choice anyone really wants to make. But beyond evacuation issues, hurricanes also disrupt health services and health infrastructure that’s crucial to treating COVID patients. There are power outages, reduced access to clean water, and damaged hospitals - and these are just the tip of the iceberg (19)! 

 

KATHERINE: These devastating wildfires and hurricanes have shown us that environmental crises don’t stop during a pandemic. If anything, COVID has shown us that we’re not fully prepared to deal with them, especially as climate change and global warming is making these disasters worse. We still have a long way to go.

 

KATHERINE: So this sounds like a pretty dark prognosis for our planet’s health. That’s not to say there’s no progress being made, right? I’d say environmental awareness has increased a lot in the past few years, especially since quarantine has turned our attention to outdoor spaces. These parks and green spaces count for something, right?

 

FARAAN: That’s true! Green spaces actually provide something called “ecosystem services”. That  basically means that they act as our frontline fighters against human emissions. Have you ever heard of the “urban heat island effect”?

 

KATHERINE: Isn’t that where cities and densely populated areas are hotter than rural ones?

 

FARAAN:  Yes! Parks, backyards, and green rooftops all help curb the urban heat island effect  by absorbing carbon, which in turn reduces those emissions and balances temperature levels (20). 

 

KATHERINE: I think another benefit of green space is that it’s aesthetically pleasing, since people like living in well-kept, manicured areas. 

 

FARAAN:  Right, and because of this, green spaces actually add significant property value. With increased value comes more funding for the city - and likewise funding for more green-thinking projects in the future.

 

KATHERINE: Wow, greenspaces really do have quite an impact, then. I think with the pandemic, we’ve all seen a push to go outdoors- but to do so in a private or “socially distant” space. Do you think this mindset and what we’ve seen from Covid has helped or hindered putting green spaces into our communities?

 

FARAAN: With everyone staying home because of the pandemic, a lot of people have found that they need green space! When places began to slowly reopen with the social distancing precautions, many areas realized they simply did not have enough green space to accommodate everyone. While some of these places decided to settle on restricted access, others worked to establish new outdoor spaces. So overall, appreciation for nature in industrial settings has actually grown more than ever before.

 

KATHERINE: That’s great to hear! I think the outdoors have been everyone’s escape from quarantine. These days, especially as a Zoom University student, I could be staring at my computer ALL DAY. Sometimes I don’t even leave my house for weeks! So I think that going outside into nature would do my mental health a favor. 

 

FARAAN: That’s definitely true. Exposure to nature or green spaces in general does wonders for mental and physical health (21), especially now. People can use green spaces for physical activity, which of course protects against risk factors for severe COVID infection. Green spaces are also therapeutic for most people, counteracting the poor mental health outcomes associated with being quarantined for months on  end. 

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KATHERINE: I see. You mentioned earlier that some places didn’t have enough outdoor space to accommodate everyone safely, or at all - where exactly are these imbalances? Do they impact any people in particular?

 

FARAAN: The lack of green space is especially prominent in lower-income areas, where maintenance of outdoor spaces is harder financially to implement. This is called “green poverty.” These communities need green spaces the most - but their overall lower economic status has limited their ability to build and maintain outdoor spaces. These areas also tend to be composed of people of color (22).

 

KATHERINE: So have these populations faced greater threats to their overall health?

 

FARAAN: Definitely. Limited access to green space worsens physical and mental health for many people living in lower income communities, and this includes worse outcomes for COVID patients. This is actually part of why racial minorities like African Americans and latinos have been more affected by the pandemic: their generally limited access to resources - like outdoor spaces for exercise - puts green poverty populations at a higher risk of contracting and even dying from Covid19 (23).

 

KATHERINE: That’s a serious inequality. It goes to show just how important green spaces are to everyone. If we continue to make efforts in bringing greenspaces to all communities, we can help improve the standard of life for people who currently are disadvantaged. In fact, expanding nature’s place in our communities will have improvements everywhere, giving us a better shot at reducing harmful emissions. Green spaces are places that deserve our dedication and attention, now and especially into the future.

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