COVID-19’s Effects on the Environment

 Dr. Paul Wennberg began his talk by emphasized that it is imperative for modern societies to adapt to a low carbon economy by using low carbon energy. He provided thought-provoking insight into the idea of not using less power, but rather, cleaner power. This is a somewhat contradictory statement because using less energy definitely conserves energy, but the idea of cleaner power (Rather than simply less power) is rarely pointed discussed. He presented information that evidences that we are also undergoing this transition in our energy production to cleaner energy sources much faster than the majority of people realize. The main corroboration for this point is the development of surprisingly economical green energy sources. I personally was not aware of the extent of these improvements which were extremely motivating. Dr. Wennberg confidently asserted that it truly has become a viable decision to switch completely to solar from an economic perspective even if morals are completely removed from the conversation. Although the morality of green energy sources should be a primary motivator in this conversation, it is simply unreasonable to expect massive corporations to switch without a monetary incentive. If this threshold can be maintained, the growth of a green energy industry will be exponential. Overall, this presentation left me inspired and simultaneously hopeful for a more environmentally conscientious future.