We might be facing a terrible crisis due to the coronavirus outbreak, but as Monty Pythons once said, Always look on the bright side of life.
The percentage of pollution worldwide has gone down. To reduce the virus's transmission, governments worldwide have decided to impose extreme measures such as lockdowns etc., that, as a result, reduce the amount of travel and industrial activities. This reduction has led to lower air and water pollution.
The recent days images of Venice's canals are spreading around the globe, showing the once muddy, polluted water crystal clear full of life.
Although a lockdown is an unpleasant experience, especially when you're afraid of your life, it might have a positive outcome for the environment.
At the same time that the COVID-19 pandemic is at its peak, it also brought some surprisingly positive side effects. Venice—one of the most touristy cities in Italy—differs from its ordinary image, full of tourists and noise. After the lockdown, the city is empty, and the only noise you will hear is coming from the pigeons and, lately, the swans that have returned in the once upon a while, overcrowded canals and squares.
Because of how clear the water has become, the fish that live there are now seen.
Venice has an unexpected opportunity to overcome all the unpleasant side effects of mass tourism, such as pollution, floods, etc. Researchers have noticed that pollution levels have dropped worldwide citing Venice canal waterways which were once filthy, and now have people swimming in them, amongst other examples.
People are capturing photos of the more transparent waters and sharing it on social media
On the other hand, the Venice mayor's office had a different response stating that, "The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic on the canals, allowing the sediment to stay at the bottom," a spokesman told CNN news. "It's because there is less boat traffic that usually brings sediment to the top of the water's surface."
While there were always fish living there, they could not be seen previously due to the heavy traffic in the canals
Irrespective, in actuality the view has become more appealing, and it is just one of many examples about why we should consider re-evaluating our values and mindless consumerism finally. "Maybe there needs to be a yearly month-long lockdown every year, so nature gets a break," one woman comments on Facebook. "Above the worries of everybody, there's always a positive impact that people don't usually notice," an optimist comments.
Boars in the middle of my hometown, dolphins in the port of Cagliari, ducks in the fountains in Rome, Venice canals have now clear water full of fishes. Air pollution dropped. Nature is reclaiming its spaces during quarantine in Italy. #COVID19 #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/dr6QILfF9V
— Francesco Delrio (@Cosodelirante) March 15, 2020
Here's an unexpected side effect of the pandemic - the water's flowing through the canals of Venice is clear for the first time in forever. The fish are visible, the swans returned. pic.twitter.com/2egMGhJs7f
— Kaveri 🇮🇳 (@ikaveri) March 16, 2020
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