Although many may agree that the numerous lockdowns in England were undesirable, a few positives have also arisen. One positive is the significant effect lockdown has had on air pollution and vehicle usage - contributing to improving our living environment. However, the level of pollution is slowly rising as we exit this pandemic.
Statistics from ‘centreforcities.org' suggest that NO2 concentration levels decreased by more than a half in cities and large towns such as Glasgow, Oxford and Warrington. This means that the air in these places became much more breathable and less harmful to living organisms in the area. This was inevitable, as less people used their cars and many worked from home, although England cannot stay in lockdown forever, which begs the question - was this a short-term fix?
The answer to this question, is yes. Staying at home is not a long-term solution to improving air quality, and as ever positive results have begun to show, we must not neglect looking after the environment now. Although the pandemic has improved pollution, it does not lessen the need for action in this area.
The pollution levels in the air are steadily rising post-lockdown, as more people start to use their cars again to commute to work. A more long-term solution to this problem would be to disincentivize the usage of polluting vehicles and promote the use of electric vehicles. This could also mean implementing more ‘Clean Air Zones’ more quickly.
However, lockdown has changed the way many people commute to their workplaces or their schools, as many may have taken up cycling to work. By promoting these eco-friendly practices, a great change could be made, and slowly but surely, the pollution levels in the air can decrease. This is a project that must be acted fast on, as research suggests that air pollution takes approximately 40 000 lives a year. Therefore it is necessary that we are conscious in working towards a better environment, for ourselves and generations to come.
