The Coronavirus Pandemic Isn’t Slowing Climate Change
With the coronavirus pandemic shutting down most global activity, a consequent crash in global carbon emissions has been widely reported. While analysts agree the historic lockdowns will significantly lower emissions, some environmentalists argue the drop is nowhere near enough.
The current drop in emissions is also not yet detectable in total carbon dioxide concentrations, according to Benjamin Houlton, a professor of environmental science at University of California, Davis. “The challenge is that carbon dioxide has an average lifespan of around 100 years in the atmosphere,” he told USA TODAY.