Videos and photos have gone viral showing the drastic change in air pollution across the globe since the rise of COVID-19. Hugh Willoughby, a distinguished research professor in the Department of Earth and Environment, explains how less nitrogen dioxide in the air not only helps the climate but helps our respiratory system.
Fewer gas emissions from transportation systems and factories are results of the cleaner air. In March 2020, gases such as nitrogen dioxide were about 30 percent lower on average across cities in the northeast U.S., according to the Ozone Monitoring Instrument.
Known for flying head-first into the eyes of hurricanes, Willoughby knows a thing or two about extreme weather events and their human impacts. He believes we’ll get a better picture on how the global temperatures have changed once the pandemic is over.
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