Teens4Green

  The Pandemic and a “Restoring Ecosystem” The global outbreak of COVID-19 has  affected every part of human life. The measures taken to control the spread of the virus and the slowdown of economic activities have significant effects on the environment. The pandemic situation has significantly improved air quality in cities across the world, has lessened water and noise pollution, and reduced the pressure on the tourist destinations, which has majorly assisted with the restoration of the ecological system, which is fittingly the theme for this years World Environment Day, “Ecosystem Restoration”. Water pollution is a common phenomenon in developing countries like India, and Bangladesh, where domestic and industrial wastes are dumped into rivers without treatment. During the lockdown period, the major industrial sources of pollution have shrunk or completely stopped, which has helped to reduce the pollution load. For instance, the rivers Ganga and Yamuna have reached a significant level

  The Economy vs the Environment     The links between the economy and the environment are copious : the environment provides resources to the economy, and acts as a sink for emissions and waste. Natural resources are essential raw materials for production in many sectors, while production and consumption also lead to pollution and other pressures on the environment. Countries have been forced to make a tough choice between Economic development and the Environment. On paper, about 197 countries have made the decision to go clean and carbon neutral by signing the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, b ut prominent action based on the agreement is yet to be seen.   China suffers from horrifically bad air pollution and its carbon-intensive industries have caused additional environmental challenges. In response, the Government implemented policies to curb emissions. However, following through won’t be easy, as the government struggles to ma