What Coronavirus Has to Do With Earth Day
Celebrating Earth Day doesn’t have to be divorced from the pressing global crisis we face. In fact, the two are uniquely intertwined.
Welcome to Earth Week on Nightingale! In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we are publishing Earth-related data visualization content all week. Dataviz can enhance our appreciation of the planet, illuminate our relationship to it, and call us to action to preserve it. After all, we only have one and it means the world to us. You can keep up with all of our Earth Week articles here.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Due to the global pandemic, that is most likely at the bottom of the list of priorities for people (including myself) for many valid reasons. For those of us deemed non-essential workers, or not working on the front lines, it may feel like we’re forced to sit back and watch tragedy ensue. But after thinking more about it, I realize it’s a prime time for us to consider what our possible contributions can be. Celebrating Earth Day doesn’t have to be divorced from taking into account the pressing global issues we’re facing today. In fact, they are uniquely intertwined. And information design can make a difference in both worlds.
One reason it feels weird to celebrate Earth Day is because it’s normally a day we come together — whether through marches or school activities — to reaffirm our commitment to taking better care of the planet. This is difficult to do when the entire world, it seems, is sheltering in place. But environmental activists aren’t letting that stop them from making change. Many have helped organize Earth Day events online, and are shifting the conversation to include the question of how to face the pandemic responsibly (which falls under the ultimate goal of taking care of our planet). In a way, by forcing us to isolate, coronavirus has shown us exactly how connected we are, given that this type of digital rallying would not have been possible only a few decades ago. I see this as a reminder of our relationship to the Earth. It is impossible to separate our behaviors from the state of the planet. Data viz provides one lens for us to see how the two are related.
How Are Coronavirus and Earth Day Related?
The Earth Has Gotten Quieter
One interesting consequence of the global movement to self-isolate is how much quieter the Earth has gotten, and not just on your own block. Research is showing that due to the dramatic decrease of human activity (such as traffic, flights, and even walking) there are actually less vibrations in the ground.
That might sound a little abstract, but according to seismologists there are many areas of study that could result from this. For example, it could be easier to study certain natural activities, like earlier detection of earthquakes and better monitoring of volcanic eruptions. Another possible research area is the movement of river water, whose frequency normally falls into that of human activity and gets lost in the mix. Finally, fiber optic networks have been used to study traffic movement with extreme precision, which could help us manage such movement during future crises. This visualization shows the noise reduction in Brussels before and after the lockdown.
Air Quality Has Improved
Another obvious outcome of reduced movement is improved air quality. According to U.S. data gathered by NASA, air pollution has dropped by 30% in Northeastern cities. And not just in the Northeast; Los Angeles experienced its longest ‘good air’ streak since 1995. Since California began the shelter in place, traffic across the state decreased by 80%, which is probably the main contributor to the increased quality of air. Although these numbers have come at a cost (and the effects are temporary), they show us that we have the power to take action and reduce air pollution. This is an even more critical data point during the pandemic considering the fact that poor air quality is linked with higher death rates due to coronavirus complications. Check out these maps to see air quality before and after, across the U.S.
Ecosystems’ Wellbeing
Another way they may be related is by cause and effect; not the way the virus has affected the planet, but the way that humans’ treatment of the planet may be leading to a rise in animal-borne illnesses. Although this is only a theory, research points to the ways that humans’ destruction of biodiversity can create ideal conditions for diseases to more easily cross over from animals to humans. This idea has led to a new area of study known as “planetary health” which emphasizes the connections between the wellbeing of humans and whole ecosystems. Human activities such as logging, mining, and road building in remote places disrupt forests and bring us in closer contact to species. When contact with such species wasn’t previously commonplace, the effects can be devastating to animals and humans alike.
How Do These Intersections Relate to Data Visualization?
Well, one way to celebrate Earth Day is stated by “promoting understanding of important environmental issues so that more people are aware of the critical actions we need to take to protect our environment.” This for me is a direct call to our community. It’s more important than ever to use our superpowers to communicate urgent and accurate information to the public. However, we must have caution in this regard. Much like a flood of human movement can cause us to miss subtler seismic activity, trying to make a dashboard of all the coronavirus cases in the world might be risky. There are a few points we should ask ourselves before proceeding. For example, is the data accurate enough? Right now, a shortage of testing is resulting in an undercount of cases, and we have to consider that when creating graphics. If we are aware our data is incomplete, but we can still draw meaning from it, are we being transparent about that in our visuals? Many articles have pointed out the spread of misinformation about nature and animals returning to their original state now that humans are out of the way. Fact checking must be at the top of our checklist, and this may be more achievable by visualizing smaller data sets.
If tackling visualizing a global pandemic seems a little overwhelming, pick an Earth Day related topic and have at it. This is a perfect excuse for you to try out that new viz tool you’ve been considering, or make your first infographic, or create a physical visualization (check out Mona Chalabi’s most recent one). There are so many ways we can experiment with visualization while relating it to our most pressing environmental issues. (Looking for data? Here’s a link to poll data related to Americans’ view on climate change and other relevant topics.)
The second way to celebrate Earth Day has traditionally been to complete an act of service in your local community. In terms of doing work like picking up trash or planting trees, this may not be possible in these times. But in terms of data visualization, I see many opportunities for local work to be done. The creation of Earth Day led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. What is your local government doing to combat climate change? What policies have been easy or hard to enact? How can you visualize these initiatives and use them as tools to push for more change? Finally, how are these policies impacting (or are they impacting) the spread of coronavirus in the community?
Data visualization is a tool that embraces connectivity and complexity, two aspects that have driven the spread of the novel coronavirus. That shouldn’t make us feel powerless, it should be a challenge for us. With that backdrop, it can be hard to think about Earth Day, but for me, Earth day is a perfect example of how small efforts can unify to become a larger cause. The first Earth Day was organized by a staff of only 85 people, but drew rallies of 20 million. I challenge us to think about how we can carry that energy forward, on this 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day.
