The coronavirus problem has an upside.

The Washington Post

Greenhouse gases saw a dramatic 17 percent plunge due to coronavirus lockdowns, a sudden decline likely without precedent

May 19, 2020

A study of the pandemic’s effects on the global energy system finds that lockdowns, reduced driving and flying, and industrial cutbacks earlier this year drove emissions down to 2006 levels. The plunge is equivalent to more than a billion tons of carbon dioxide that never made its way into the atmosphere.

But the drop in emissions, which reached its lowest level in early April, is believed to be temporary. Experts see greenhouse gas levels bouncing back later this year as the world gradually reopens.