If the cause of the coronavirus is illegal markets of pangolins, if we’re seeing the spread of Covid 19 from Wuhan to a car factory in Bavaria, we’re experiencing the “butterfly theory” of how mass consumption might have influenced the spread of Covid 19. If we’re not getting deliveries of medicine and PPE, it’s because we only stock just in time.
If everyone feels vulnerable, people won’t snack as much, they’ll treasure food, they may not buy new things, they might repair them. If people can’t use transport as much, are they walking or cycling more?
Cities are giving up space used for cars for people to walk & cycle to help people stay active while physically distancing. Bogotá has ambitiously replaced 35km of traffic lanes with new emergency bike lanes using temporary cones. Budapest has even planned a cycling network on main roads. These could also help key workers travel quicker. Others are making pedestrian crossings automatic so people don’t have to press a button. The reduction of traffic is helping reduce air pollution which is a good thing for the environment, but it’s also good to tackle Covid 19 as evidence suggests air pollution, including from exhaust fumes, significantly harms the survival chances of those with Covid-19. France is investing in cycling to encourage people to use the car less as they emerge from lockdown. Could the long term future look brighter with better more walkable cities? Could we have more localised supply chains of production & distribution to help local areas be more resilient and be more environmentally sustainable?
The The Guardian recommends actions that cities can take to use the recovery to drive a greener renewal:
- Remove through motor traffic from residential streets and extend pavements near shops, schools and parks to make walking safe and enjoyable for transport and exercise.
- Introduce safe access routes on foot, bike and scooter from homes to parks and green spaces and introduce automatic pedestrian lights at crossings so people do not have to push buttons and risk infection.
- Establish safe cycle routes to and from work for key workers, especially hospital staff, by closing roads and carriageways where necessary so people have a safe alternative to private cars and public transport.
- Create safe walking and cycling routes to and from schools, and close down streets around schools to motor vehicles at drop-off and pickup times.
- Use libraries, schools and sports stadiums to distribute nutritious, sustainably produced food to communities that need it most, and scale up food waste collection and treatment, including distributing household composting kits and guidance.
- Retrofit all public buildings, many of which are empty now, drastically improving energy efficiency and creating thousands of green jobs.
- Work with other cities to invest the billions tied up in city funds and pensions in climate solutions to drive green job creation and create a more resilient and sustainable economy.
How do you think Covid 19 will impact the environment? What environmental behaviours will we stop, sustain or reinvent? How will businesses rethink their supply chains?
