It is no secret that we as a global community are facing two major unpredictable set of events Covid-19 and Climate Change. As of now there is no scientific evidence to prove that climate change caused Covid-19. Though there is suggestions of the cause and effect of climate change on Covid-19.
I have read Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard Chun C-Change conversation on Coronavirus, Climate Change and the Environment to better understand her insight of how climate change actions affect the spread of viruses in particularly Covid-19.
As a global community we demand so much from the planet. We seek new places to live more spaces to grow our crops to fulfill the amount of food for such a large population. We clear up lands to make them suitable for farming and living. What is not remembered is that these lands are home to many species. We are able to travel with ease by plane, car, ship ..etc. giving us easy access to the habitats that are know being disturbed due to tourism. It only takes to come in contact with germs for ether specie to become sick and specie extinction can occur.
Climate change also causes the planet to heat up habitats which are no longer habitable and causes migration which was previously migration not necessary. Migration of different species causes who have never encountered each other to be in contact with one another allowing for a possibility for the spread of germs. Also overpopulated farms can easily allow for the transition of germs between animals and people. If there was a lower consumption of animal products there would be a lower demand to produce as much allowing for the animal population of farms to be lower.
Air quality is a major contribution to the spread of coronavirus hence those with unfavorable economic conditions are at higher risk to Covid-19. The homeless live with too many people in one concentrated location and most likely have poor air filtration access.
As there is no scientific relationship of both COVID-19 and climate change we can suggest that there are strong factors that may contribute to the spread of Covid-19. “The recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa probably occurred in part because bats, which carried the disease, had been forced to move into new habitats because the forests they used to live in had been cut down to grow palm oil trees.” As a global community we must put a stop to cutting down forests and respect each other’s borders. We can protect and slow down the high rate of specie extension and prevent further viruses in our population.
Works Cited “Coronavirus and Climate Change.” C-CHANGE | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 6 July 2020, www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/subtopics/coronavirus-and-climate-change/.
