Organic Lifestyle Magazine

Our Drastic Decrease in CO2 Emissions is Not Enough

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Last updated on: May 12, 2020

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Many people have celebrated the fact that in the midst of the global lockdown air quality has improved and emissions have dropped by 5.5%, a decrease greater than the time of the Great Recession, or the drop after WW2. However, an article by grist brings up an important point – 5.5% is not a lot and not enough. Where is the other 95% coming from?

Massive amounts of transportation overall has been cut out and we’re still only expected to see a 5.5% drop, so how are we on an individual level supposed to fix the climate crisis when radically reducing our carbon footprint didn’t make that big a difference? Transportation makes up around 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions (closer to 30% in America) so even if we went completely green without transportation, there’s still a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

“I think the main issue is that people focus way, way too much on people’s personal footprints, and whether they fly or not, without really dealing with the structural things that really cause carbon dioxide levels to go up,”

-Climatologist at NASA, Gavin Schmidt
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Electricity and heating make up for 40% of global emissions, while 60% of electricity is still generated from coal, oil, or natural gas. The last 20% of CO2 emissions come from manufacturing industries. Neither manufacturing industries or electricity have seen a significant decrease in emissions during the pandemic.

To combat global warming, emissions need to be cut by 7.6% every year, and we’re not even there with an economic shutdown. Despite clear skies in LA and clear water in Venice, CO2 emissions are invisible and still very much present. This lockdown is proof that humans on an individual level are not responsible for combating climate change alone. In order for significant changes to be made, corporations have to be held accountable for their actions.

Related: Coronavirus Has Saved Millions Of Lives
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Sage Edwards

Sage Edwards

Sage is a writer and photographer for Organic Lifestyle Magazine. At 18 years old Sage weighed more than 320 pounds. After years of being in persistent pain at such a young age, she decided it was time for a change. She started cranberry lemonade, a salad a day, cut out refined sugar and processed foods, Sage lost 100 pounds in less than a year. Today she likes to start her mornings with a run and weight lifting, and a big salad. She enjoys cooking, working out, and learning about health and the way of the Organic Lifestyle.

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