How coronavirus completely transformed the natural world around us – and could change the way we live forever
THE coronavirus pandemic is already having a huge impact on global pollution levels - whether it stays that way is now down to us all.
That is the message from UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres who believes the recovery from the outbreak must be turned into an opportunity to change our environment forever.
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He said while the impact of COVID-19 was both "immediate and dreadful" there was "another, even deeper emergency - the planet's unfolding environmental crisis".
"Biodiversity is in steep decline. Climate disruption is approaching a point of no return," he warned.
"We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption."
He spoke out as online events were being held to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day which included video messages from both Pope Francis and Zac Efron.
Startling statistics and photographs show the benefits global lockdowns have had on the natural world as commuters ditch trains, buses and cars to work from home.
Smog has stopped choking New Delhi - one of the most polluted cities in the world - and locals are getting views of sights not seen for years.
Nitrogen dioxide levels in parts of the US are down 30 per cent and Rome's air pollution levels from mid-March to mid-April were down nearly 50 per cent on last year.
Compared to the previous five years, air pollution for March was down 46 per cent in Paris, 35 per cent in Bengaluru, India, 38 per cent in Sydney, 29 per cent in Los Angeles, and 26 per cent in Rio, Nasa revealed.
Before and after photos taken around the world also reveal the true effect virus clampdown measures are having on pollution levels.
With factory closed, less planes in the air and cars on the road cities once plagued by smog now have vastly impoved air quality levels.
Venice's skyline is clearer than it has been in decades thanks to extremely strict clampdowns across Italy.
Even its famous waterways are clearer than ever as tourist-packed gondolas are no longer churning up the waves.
Indonesia - another one of the world's most polluted countries - has also seen its skylines dramatically change.
Lions now lounge on roads usually frequented by safari-goers in South Africa and bears wander around empty accommodation in California's Yosemite national park.
Wild deer have been spotted prowling around a petrol station in Poland and boars are hunting for food in the deserted streets of Israel.
The Sun Online has already reported how satellite images have shown how lockdowns are hugely improving the world's air quality.
And Nasa revealed how pollution levels had plummeted in China as a result of factory shutdowns in the wake of the outbreak.
It released a graphic showing the difference in concentrations of nitrogen dioxide over China over the space of just a few weeks.
And just last month research revealed how tens of thousands of lives have been saved due to reduced air pollution.
Air quality expert Marshall Burke estimated in China alone, dwindling harmful emissions "have saved the lives of 4,000 kids under five, and 73,000 adults over 70."
A green recovery from the pandemic has been backed by the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) whose members include major medical organisations and associations.
Jeni Miller, GCHA executive director, said: "We won't get another shot at this: only a global green recovery can sustain a safe and healthy future for all.
";Our health is a truly global issue: we must choose a sustainable path for our planet, to prevent further crises and protect lives."
Other say the coronavirus pandemic should, if nothing else, teach us how things can change.
“This isn’t the way we would’ve wanted things to happen,” said Gina McCarthy, former head of the US Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration.
“This is just a disaster that pointed out the underlying challenges we face. It’s not something to celebrate.”
Reports released to mark Earth Day warn the last five years were the hottest on record globally.
Polling of 28,000 people from 14 countries suggests nearly two-thirds support prioritising climate change in the wake of the pandemic.
The survey also revealed that globally seven in 10 people think climate change is as serious a crisis in the long term as Covid-19t.
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Global average temperatures have increased by 1.1C since pre-industrial times, and levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are at record highs, the state of the climate 2015-2019 report found.
Sea level rises are accelerating, Arctic sea ice, glaciers and ice sheets continue to decline and more heat is being trapped in the oceans, harming life there, while heatwaves and wildfires are becoming an ever greater risk.