Healthier Planet – level 3
06-04-2020 07:00
The environmental impact of global lockdown measures is now visible from space. Pollution levels have dropped sharply in countries that have been hit by coronavirus.
Satellite images show the fluctuations in nitrogen dioxide levels across China. A European Space Agency official said that it was certainly due to the fact that all industrial activities were reduced dramatically.
The satellite recorded the same pattern across Italy, the new epicenter of the pandemic. However, changes are not visible only from space. In Venice, with less traffic, the quiet canals are now clear enough to see groups of fish.
India is one of the latest nations to impose strict lockdown measures, and the effect has already become apparent. The country was home to 21 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities in 2019; however, the air quality has improved dramatically.
Difficult words: lockdown (an emergency measure in which people are not allowed to enter or leave certain buildings or places), fluctuation (irregular rising and falling), nitrogen dioxide (a poisonous gas that is produced by burning fossil fuels).
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