PLEA Network

9 November 2021, NASA, Emission Reductions From Pandemic Had Unexpected Effects on Atmosphere. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting limitations on travel and other economic sectors by countries around the globe drastically decreased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions within just a few weeks. That sudden change gave scientists an unprecedented view of results that would take regulations years to achieve… The most surprising result, the authors noted, is that while carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions fell by 5.4% in 2020, the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere continued to grow at about the same rate as in preceding years… First, while the 5.4% drop in emissions was significant, the growth in atmospheric concentrations was within the normal range of year-to-year variation caused by natural processes. Also, the ocean didn’t absorb as much CO₂ from the atmosphere as it has in recent years – probably in an unexpectedly rapid response to the reduced pressure of CO₂ in the air at the ocean’s surface. Read more here