Green Transportation After the Pandemic: Will Environmental Relief from COVID-19 be Temporary or Long-Lasting?
The leading story of the novel coronavirus is a tragic and gripping tale about the disruption of life as we know it. Most of the world has been affected, billions of people have been ordered to stay home, and as a result the global economy is suffering. While so many people have been impacted personally, financially, and socially, another important story is making headlines: the impact that COVID-19 is having on the environment—or rather the temporary lull of environmental impacts.
When the stories of crystal clear water in the canals of Venice and smog-free air in China’s megacities came out in mid-March, I will admit that my first reaction was rather pessimistic: this won’t last. Of course, drastically reducing pollution so quickly is a welcome respite for nature, but I was having a hard time enjoying it when logic and reason would suggest that emissions will climb back up again as soon as economies begin to reopen.
If anything, it seems more likely that the post-pandemic world will produce more waste, pollution and emissions, at least in the near future. In order to maintain social distancing people will be opting for single-occupancy vehicles and using more single-use plastics that can be thrown away, which means more fuel burned and waste produced.
However, with billions of humans staying inside there seemed to be a new environmental success story every day. While we are being challenged by self-quarantines and sheltering in place, we should do our best to enjoy what we can during this time, namely the temporary plunge in emissions and clear views of nature around us. And if there is only one positive—and lasting—outcome from all of this, it is the fact that we now have more evidence that human activity causes harm to the environment.
Since the first reports of nature “bouncing back” due to millions of people in quarantine, so many more stories have surfaced. Children in India are seeing the mountains in the distance for the first time, sea turtles are reproducing with ease in tourist-free beach environments, global carbon dioxide emissions have plunged by 17%, and the list is growing. The more I read about this trend, the more optimistic I become that this pandemic is exposing just how much human civilization affects the health of the natural environment.
Even if the current situation is temporary, we now have more concrete evidence—visual, quantifiable, empirical evidence—that human activity is directly responsible for some significant changes to our natural environment. Each and every story about the resilience and return of nature during this period of diminished human activity weakens the arguments of climate deniers and disbelievers and bolsters the case for climate action. Albeit temporary, these stories are indications of what is possible, validating the need for climate action and reminding us that a sustainable future is attainable.
As we are bound for the “new normal” and a post-pandemic world in late 2020 and beyond, we must keep in mind that clean, green, and sustainable options are already available. Particularly in the transportation sector—which has contributed to reducing smog and CO2 emissions because millions of people are not commuting to work during the pandemic—shifting back to single-occupancy transit can be carbon-neutral.
To prevent emissions from soaring back above pre-COVID-19 levels and stay on course for climate targets, the transportation sector is capable of incorporating a number of sustainable options in lieu of mass transit:
Electric Vehicles: In its response to the impact of the coronavirus, China has extended electric vehicle (EV) subsidies through 2022 and committed 2.7 billion yuan to expand charging infrastructure. While electric buses were poised to play a central role in the future growth of the commercial EV market, the next couple years are more likely to show growth in single-occupancy vehicles. The Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for EVs—which is good news for polluted megacities—which will likely contributed to the momentum of the EV industry in North America. As demand for advanced technology and reducing carbon emissions grows, there are more all-electric car models available than ever before.
Electric Personal Mobility Devices: The Segway never quite took off despite all the hype about it garnered about the future of personal transportation. Almost two decades later, a number of personal electric transportation options have now hit the market and offer more exciting options to a wider audience than ever before. In the category of self-balancing transport, there is the skateboard-like One Wheel that is a top pick for commuters as well as adventure seekers, and the more practical Electric Unicycle which has been around for nearly a decade. Of course, the Segway E+ is still possibly the most well-known and safest option. One thing all of these products share in common is they are driven by electric motors that produce zero emissions and do not contribute to noise pollution. As a growing number of companies join in the completion, we are likely to see more and more clean and efficient modes of transportation that can help us ween off of our dependence on single-occupancy gas-driven vehicles.
(E-)Bicycles: In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, bicycles are flying off the shelves faster than they have been since the 1970s when environmental concerns and healthy living trends led to a four-year boom. With gyms closed, millions of people sheltering in place are eager for the opportunity to get outside for some exercise, and looking towards the re-opening of the economy many are considering alternatives to crowded public transit systems. As a result, bicycles sales in the United States are at an all time high, and this includes electric bicycles that are powered by on-board battery packs. While it is unlikely that the US will become as bike-friendly as the Denmark and the Netherlands, we are certain to see a significant rise in commuting and shopping via bicycle.
As with any climate-related solution there is no silver bullet, but there are a growing number of options that are making it easier to be green. Although the infrastructure we depend on is driven by fossil fuel energy and designed to fuel up gas-powered vehicles, the tides are turning towards EV infrastructure and renewable energy. The United States is installing more and more electric vehicle charing ports each year, car manufacturers are announcing better EV ranges, and renewable energy is expected to out-perform coal by 2021.
The cost of electrically-powered technology is decreasing, lowering the barrier of entry for consumers, and the energy sector is slowly-but-surely tipping the scale towards renewable energy. It may be some time until we reach a 100% electric transportation sector, but the road ahead is increasingly green.
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