[Quarantine] In just 2 weeks, here's how the planet is breathing freely
Since the isolation there have been many changes in nature, but in spite of the seriousness of the situation, we want to tell you something positive.
Let me sum it up for you; the waters become clearer, the air becomes cleaner. Nature is regaining ground on what we humans have put on hold due to the isolation caused by Covid-19, better known as the coronavirus.
The last few days have been producing some of the most extraordinary images around the world and many of them have ended up feeding the networks.
In Venice we can see how the waters have finally become clear in the absence of so much traffic moving back and forth, allowing the sediment to settle to the bottom; and hundreds of small fish roam the city at ease now that everyone is confined to their homes.
According to La Vanguardia, "the reduction in tourist, commercial and industrial activities as a result of the pandemic containment measures means that the canals receive fewer pollutants these days".
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In Venice, too, dolphins have been seen approaching the harbour when large vessels are not present. This is unthinkable and unprecedented.
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The stoppage has not only affected the water, but also the air. According to Público, all the limits imposed by the state of emergency have led to a large reduction in traffic.
In the case of large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, it has been reduced by around 60% according to data collected by Greenpeace.
You know what that means? Yes, goodbye brown hat, hello clean lungs. We can be the generation that reverses climate change with a pandemic.
A similar precedent was set in China, whose state of isolation began earlier. According to satellite imagery, the current crisis has reduced the country's CO2 emissions by 25 per cent.
Images taken by the European Space Agency show that now Italy, too, is following the same path of regaining clean air.
This is not only limited to the big cities but can also be felt in the Canary Islands. According to the Canary Islands Air Quality Control and Monitoring Network, the vast majority of stations record what is classified as "good air quality", meaning below 50 µg/m³ for both sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
"Even in the worst stages there are reasons to be positive, and once we get through them together, we can decide on the world we want to have".
Tackling pollution at home too
Did you know that the air inside your home can be just as harmful as the air outside if you don't take care of it?
It won't be worth it that conditions outside are much better thanks to all the changes that quarantine has indirectly imposed if inside your house you feel the same as you do next to an exhaust pipe.
Spend a few minutes a day airing out the house. Yes, it is necessary. If you think you don't, it's because your nose is so stuffy from being indoors that the smells have already disappeared from your sensor.
Give it at least five or ten minutes minimum, take advantage of the times when it's not raining, as we've already seen the weather forecast these days. You can do this from room to room if, unlike the ice queen, the cold bothers you.
In addition to your home, it wouldn't hurt to refresh yourself with a few minutes of vitamin D. So many days indoors can make us forget our body's need to steal a few rays of sunshine.
Take advantage of those moments in the sun, if you can find them, to read a book, listen to music or exercise. It's a guaranteed win-to-win.
If the weather doesn't quite work out, you can also do a Singing in the rain on your balcony, you'll be a trending topic.
