COVID & the CLIMATE

    On Thursday, April 22, 2021, Dr. Paul Wennberg, director of the Linde Center for Global Environment Science at Caltech, gave an impactful presentation about the effects of the pandemic on climate change and the environment. Although it was assumed that the pandemic would initially decrease carbon emissions due to less commute and pollution on the freeways as people stayed in during wuarantine, but Dr. Wennburg clarified that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise exponentially. The pandemic came by surprise and although scientists do not have a clear solution yet, Dr. Wennburg continued to share some of his predictions and ways that we could combat global warming during the pandemic. 

    Converting to solar energy is not the only solution, but it is a large leap towards less carbon emissions. Although it is not possible to completely switch our energy to solar, the costs of solar energy have dropped by a factor of 5 since 2010, which is making it increasingly more cost effective. Large states like California and Texas are turning towards solar energy as a more efficient energy source to decrease carbon emissions. I thought it was fascinating how much of an impact the economy has on combatting global warming rather than environmental or ethical reasons, but it should not have been too surprising. Economics has been driving the environmental industry for years with solar panels, solar cars, etc. One of the most important takeaways I had from this presentation was that a clean and stable environment will arise from ivnentions, engineering, and policy support for low carbon technologies, but this can only be possible if the government starts treating climate change policies as mandatory rather than optional. Ultimately, we all can play a part by using fewer resources and managing our waste, but most importantly, the fight of global warming is in the younger generation's hands. Not only can we get involved by advocating for more severe climate policies to be enforced, but we can also use our creativity and leadership to develop new technologies in various fields that can help combat the imminent threat of climate change in the future.