Large cities in the US such as Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York have all seen a decrease of nitrogen dioxide, a gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels in cars and trucks. The lack of traffic is mostly caused by the social distancing rules that prohibit people from going to work and other businesses that are deemed “unnecessary.” It is important to note that although this may look good right now and may even have short term beneficial effects for people who suffer from respiratory issues, this is not a long term solution to combating air pollution. Simply not using cars is an unsustainable way to decrease the amount of air pollution because as soon as the social distancing ends things will return to the way they were before.
