The drop in greenhouse emissions because of Coronavirus pandemic was only a “short term good news” according to the UN’s weather agency.
The drop in six per cent of the green house emission is a good thing but only a short one, said World Meteorological Organization Secretary General Professor Petteri Taalas. “In the 50 years since the first #EarthDay, #climatechange has accelerated, reaching a new peak in the past 5 years, which were the hottest on record. That trend is expected to continue. We need to show the same solidarity and science for #ClimateAction as against #COVID19,” the WMO said in a tweet
The WMO experts said that the world emissions will return once economy begins to recover from the novel Covid 19 pandemic.
The latest WMO data said that carbon dioxide levels and other greenhouse gases rose to new records in 2019. The data showed that the carbon dioxide levels were 18 per cent higher from 2015 to 2019 than the previous five years. The report notes that the gas remained in the atmosphere and oceans for centuries. This meant that the world is under the threat of continued climate change despite temporary fall in emissions because of Corona lock down.
WMO Secretary General said that unless the world mitigates climate change, it will lead to “persistent health problems, especially hunger and inability to feed the growing population of the world and there would be also more massive impact on economics”.
The report said that carbon dioxide levels have gone up 26 per cent since the first Earth Day in 1970. It said that the world’s average temperature increased by 0.86 degrees Celsius. It also mentioned that the globe was 1.1C warmer than the pre-industrial era.
The UN agency report said that the last five years were the hottest. Europe saw the highest change and South America saw the lowest change.
