Water: in times of coronavirus, even more essential
The world faces a silent enemy: “coronavirus” and Covid-19, the disease caused by it, has spread to all continents. For a few weeks now, all the news and all the informal conversations have been talking about it.
The world faces a silent enemy: “coronavirus” and Covid-19, the disease caused by it, has spread to all continents. For a few weeks now, all the news and all the informal conversations have been talking about it.
Because of this pandemic, water is still present in the news, but this time, demoted as an extra next to alcohol gel. One of the recommendations to protect yourself from the new coronavirus is to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds every 3 hours or use gel alcohol, in the absence of a faucet nearby. This tip ended up opening up a sad reality for all Brazilians, after all, who are the people who have access to treated water in the country? And how many people cannot protect themselves from this virus and other diseases due to shortages or poor water quality?
Several reports aired by the mainstream media point to this problem, still unresolved. Others, more optimistic, show how the forced quarantine of millions of people around the world, in a few days, already manages to minimize the pollution of the atmosphere and rivers. In China, the first epicenter of the epidemic, measurements of carbon emissions dropped by 150 million metric tons compared to the same period last year, and that during the three-week quarantine period. The information was released by the Center for Research in Energy and Clean Air - CREA, based in the United States from satellite images produced by NASA and the European Space Agency - ESA.
Italy, considered one of the epicenters of the coronavirus, also has a significant reduction during this period of quarantine. According to information collected by ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite, the country has recorded a 20-30% reduction in emissions of nitrogen dioxide and other greenhouse gases, considerably improving air quality. What's more, Venice's famous canals seem to have come back to life after the ban on tourist activity and the isolation of residents. The turbid water became crystal clear again - due to the sedimentation of the residues due to the lack of movement of boats and gondolas and not due to the improvement in quality - even so, schools of fish were again seen in the channels and even swans and ducks dared to swim for there.
By no means do these changes mean that the coronavirus pandemic is in any way beneficial to the planet. But it can and should make us question many things about the way we live today, which is completely predatory and unsustainable. So that this type of forced and complete isolation does not happen again in the future, for environmental reasons, what changes can we implement from now on in our work relationships and daily habits? What measures should we take to preserve our natural resources and improve the quality of air, water, land and life on the planet?
Acquabios wants you to be safe, with access to clean water and to adopt preventive measures to stop mass contamination. Take care of yourself, take care of your family, your physical and mental health, but be sure to look at the world and the lessons it offers us in this very troubled time.
