Coronavirus lockdowns have led to an unprecedented fall in air pollution for these major cities

CNBC ^ | April 22, 2020 | Sam Meredith

[C19fan]

Confinement measures imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented fall of deadly air pollutants around the world, according to new research. IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology company, compared measurements of the world’s deadliest air pollutant — “fine particulate matter” known as PM2.5 — before and during the Covid-19 outbreak in 10 major cities across the globe.

The findings, published Wednesday, revealed a “drastic drop” in air pollution for almost all of the cities under lockdown when compared to the same period a year earlier. India’s New Delhi recorded a 60% fall of PM2.5 compared to 2019 levels, South Korea’s Seoul registered a 54% drop over the same period, while the fall in China’s Wuhan came in at 44%.

[C19fan]

I think for the first time in my life I have seen a photo of New Delhi with clear blue skies. Has LA Freepers been able to see clearly the San Gabriel Mountains?

[P-Marlowe]

A neutron bomb could have done the same only quicker.

[Sacajaweau]

There’s a reason for wind and rain and hot and cold.

[P-Marlowe]

There’s a lot of fresh air outside, but you are prohibited from going out and breathing it.

Put your mask on peasant!!!

[HighSierra5]

This shutdown is proof that the Earth would repair itself in no time if everything stopped. It kills the all the climate change conspiracy theories.

[BBQToadRibs]

A good college friend of mine lives in LA and as an “essential” worker still goes to work. He says the traffic has been absolutely amazing. You not only can actually drive the speed limit, you can speed!

[sheana]

I just got back from 4 days on my boat in Ventura. Everywhere, everyone, just out walking had masks on. I just shake my head. They act like it’s just floating around in the air.

[Demiurge2]

we’re seeing a scary number of comments of this sort from the liberal side of the global spectrum — “Imagine how good it would be for the environment if we humans would just die out.”

[SoCal Pubbie]

I live in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. I work and am out virtually every day, albeit driving mostly within the local area, though I did drive an hour each way on Easter Sunday. I would say the biggest difference is that there’s no rush hour traffic. In other words, no periods of clogged freeways and six or seven cars deep at red lights along major thoroughfares.

Drive through local streets and you see the same amount, or more, of people out walking or riding bikes. Kids are on bikes in twos or threes where they’d be in school normally. Strip mall parking is packed in front of grocery stores, pharmacies, and hardware stores. The spots by the rest of the centers are vacant.

And yes, the air quality is better.

[iontheball]

Last evening I was sitting in my garage looking out the open door at the Appalachian Mt. sky. Puffy clouds overhead were floating by and the pristine blue contrast of the sky was striking enough to lead me to ask myself if it was due to reduced pollution.

[SmokingJoe]

I think for the first time in my life I have seen a photo of New Delhi with clear blue skies.

That is significant how?

[CTyank]

I was looking for CO2 numbers from the last 3 months - if it is stable or rising - sorta shoots down the “manmade” Co2 theory.

[MisterEd37]

“Imagine how good it would be for the environment if we humans would just die out.”

To which, my answer is “You first.”

[CJ Wolf]

I also noticed the vultures seem to be starving, much less road kill. The wildlife is also getting to be a bit more frisky but that could be because I am home so much now and I have time to observe.