The Virus and the Environment: The Problem of Sustaining Unexpected Gains

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Cardiff University, UK

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has had some unexpected benign effects (including a large drop in air pollution and levels of nitrogen oxides in UK and elsewhere, and a smaller drop in global carbon emissions), which raises the problem of how to sustain and build on these unexpected gains. These gains could easily be lost when economies and road transport return to something like their previous condition. But if governments and industries are inspired to reduce automobile emissions to match the levels of the spring of 2020, gains such as these could become recurrent, and many more lives could be saved. Further, if (with greater effort) carbon emissions could remain reduced, then future generations could be saved from sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and even from the spread of tropical diseases. Such a prevention of disease would be an ironic but welcome gain from a pandemic.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 14, Issue 32 - Serial Number 32
Articles
December 2020
Pages 48-54

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