In response to battling the virus, almost all the world’s governments have issued strict lockdown policies stating that people can only leave their homes for essential shopping and going to work – but only for key workers. This has led to a dramatic reduction in travel, with local nonessential businesses being asked to close their doors temporarily and public gatherings being postponed.
The harmful emissions that usually permeate the atmosphere above busy cities are now drastically clearing as a consequence of these closures. Although COVID-19 is a negative situation as a whole, the side effects it’s having on the planet’s atmosphere and the environment are a minor positive. Calls for a large-scale reduction of fossilfuel burning and other means of harmful emission production have intensified over the last few years, and in the midst of this pandemic satellites in lowEarth orbit have been able to see what fossil-fuel abstinence can do for our planet.
This story is from the Issue 104 edition of All About Space.
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This story is from the Issue 104 edition of All About Space.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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