COVID-19 & the Environment | Media Coverage

Woods-affiliated researchers have provided perspectives on various dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic ranging from transmission pathways to the impact of quarantines on carbon emissions and air quality. Journalists seeking experts on disease dynamics, ecology, transmission, and other public health factors can download our COVID-19 expert tipsheet or contact the central university communications office for a broader overview of scholars.

October 20, 2020 | Coronavirus: ‘India Must Cut Pollution to Avoid COVID Disaster’ | BBC | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 23, 2020 | Coronavirus in Context: How Are Wildfires Impacting the Pandemic | WebMD | Mary Prunicki is interviewed.

September 20, 2020 | New Study Links Pollution to COVID-19 Deaths | WBGZ Radio/Alton Daily News | Mary Prunicki is interviewed.

August 17, 2020 | Characteristics that Give Viruses Pandemic Potential | The Scientist | Steve Luby (Stanford Medicine) is quoted.

July 17, 2020 | Resuable Bags are Allowed Again. Here's Where | The Mercury News | Steve Luby is quoted.

May 28, 2020 | California's Cap-and-Trade Program Generates Severely Reduced Revenue | KQED Science | Chris Field is quoted.

In a new study by the Global Carbon Project, Jackson and his co-authors find a 17% decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to the global shelter-in-place orders tied to the coronavirus pandemic. The study pinpoints where energy demand has dropped the most, estimates the impact on annual emissions and points the way to a less polluted future. In a Q&A, Jackson discusses what the current pandemic can teach us about behavior change, kickstarting a recovery and more. Read the full Q&A, the study and related media coverage below.

September 20, 2020 | Environmental Gains During Pandemic Prove Short-Lived | The Hill

September 19, 2020 | The Flight Goes Nowhere . And It's Sold Out. | The New York Times

August 5, 2020 | COVID-19 Gave the Planet a Break. Now’s the Time to Keep Up the Momentum | Digital Market News

July 28, 2020 | Corona Capital: Baseball, Gas Cloud, Luxary Goods | Reuters

July 9, 2020 | 2020 is Our Last, Best Chance to Save the Environment | TIME

July 9, 2020 | Covid-19's Environmental Benefits Evaporate as World Repopens | The Wall Street Journal

June 22, 2020 | Meet the Press | NBC

June 21, 2020 | Recession Likely to Hinder Rebounding Emissions Levels | The Hill

June 18, 2020 | Fossil Fuel Emissions Are Surging Back Afer Coronavirus Lows| LX NBC

June 18, 2020 | After a Recent Drop, CO2 Emissions are Surgung Back as Countries and States Reopen |Background Briefing | KPFX

June 17, 2020 | Emissions are Surging Back as Counties and States Reopen | The New York Times

Jun 16, 2020 | Carbon Levels Fell with the Virus. Now They're Surging Back.  | E&E News | Re-printed in Scientific American

June 15, 2020 | What Lockdown? Traffic Returns and so do Carbon Emissions | Grist

June 15, 2020 | Environmental Leadership Will Be More in Demand Than Ever After COVID-19 | World Economic Forum 

JUne 15, 2020 | COVID-19 May Have Temporarily Lessened Our Carbon Foodtprint | wuwf88.1 (NPR)

June 5, 2020 | Aviation Sees the Highest Drop in CO2 Emissions Due to Pandemic | Business Traveller

June 4, 2020 | Earth's Carbon Dioxide Levels Hit Record High, Despite Coronavirus-Related Emissions Drop | The Washington Post | Also included in Energy 202.

June 4, 2020 | CDC Wants People to Drive Solo to Avoid Coronavirus, Sparking Fear Over More Congestion adn Emissions | CNBC | Also picked up by BestLife

June 3, 2020 | Data Find Rainforests Lost 14,000 Square Miles in 2019 | EcoWatch

June 3, 2020 | Rainforest Losses 'Stubbornly' Unabated | DW

May 31, 2020 | Global Emissions Have Dropped 17 Percent During Coronavirus Pandemic | Grit Daily 

May 29, 2020 | Report: COVID-19 Crisis Causes 17 Percent Drop in Global Carbon Emissions | Tunis Daily News (Tunisia)

May 25, 2020 | Global Carbon Emissions Drop by 17% amid COVID-19 Pandemic | Meet the Press | MSNBC

May 25, 2020 | Carbon Dioxide Emissions Fall — But by Accident | Climate News Network

May 24, 2020 | Lockdowns Cut Daily Carbon Emissions in April to 17% Below Last Year's Average - But That Only Gets Us Back to 2006 Levels | Business Insider

May 22, 2020 | Turning COVID-related Drop in CO2 Emissions into a Plan to Fight Climate Change | Quirks & Quarks | CBC Radio

May 21, 2020 | Can Covid Help Flatten the Climate Curve? | The Economist 

May 21, 2020 | COVID-19 Offers Lesson on Risk of Ignorning Climate Change | Editorial | The Mercury News

May 21, 2020 | Daily Carbon Dioxide Emissions Have Dropped Since Shelter in Place, Bay Area Researcher Says | KRON 4

May 21, 2020 | Study Envisions Changing Energy Scenario in Post-Pandemic World | The Week

May 21, 2020 | CO2 Emissions Have Declined Sharply During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Chemical & Engineering News

May 20, 2020 | Carbon Emissions Fall 17% Worldwide Under Coronavirus Lockdowns, Study Finds | CBS News

May 20, 2020 | Will Our Climate Bounce Back as a Result of the COVID-19 Lockdown? | Laboratory News

May 19, 2020 | COVID-19 Could Permanently Transform Transportation | Opinion | Scientific American 

May 19, 2020 | Biggest Fall in Global Emissions Shows the Limits of Individual Action | Bloomberg

May 19, 2020 | Global Emissions Plunged an Unprecedented 17 Percent During the Coronavirus Pandemic | The Washington Post

May 19, 2020 | Coronavirus Has Altered the Global Warming Trajectory. But For How Long? | The San Francisco Chronicle 

May 19, 2020 | Global Emissions Dropped 'Shocking' 17% During Lockdown | E&E News | Reprinted in Scientific American

May 19, 2020 | COVID-19 Lockdown Could Drop Carbon Emissions to their Lowest Level Since World War II. But the Change may be Temporary | CNN

May 19, 2020 | Here's How Coronavirus Affected Carbon Emissions in Every State | Grist 

May 19, 2020 | COVID-19 Lockdowns Have Led to a 17% Drop in Daily CO2 Emissions | Fast Company

May 19, 2020 | Coronavirus Lockdowns Have Caused a Whopping 17% Drop in Global Carbon Emissions | USA Today

May 19, 2020 | Study: COVID-19 Shutdowns Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 17% | VOA News

May 19, 2020 | Breathe, Pause and Reset | Engineering & Technology Magazine 

May 19, 2020 | Daily Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Fell by 17 Percent at Peak of COVID-19 Confinement Measures in April | Newsweek

May 17, 2020 | Coal Industry Will Never Recover After Coronavirus Pandemic, Experts Say | The Guardian | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

May 16, 2020 | Scientists Hope Bats May Hold Clues to Fighting COVID-19 | Eyewitness News ABC 7 | Professor David Schneider (Stanford Microbiology & Immunology) is quoted.

May 14, 2020 | Opinion | Will the Pandemic Make the West More Vulnerable to Wildfires? | New York Times | Op-ed by Chris Field (Stanford Woods Institute) and Eric Appel (Stanford Engineering).

May 14, 2020 | Emissions Drop During Pandemic Creates Unexpected Challenge | The Hill | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

May 11, 2020 | Fact Check: The Coronavirus Pandemic Isn't Slowing Climate Change | USA Today | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

May 6, 2020 | From Poverty to Pandemic | Who.What.Why | Professor Eric Lambin (Stanford Earth) is quoted.

May 6, 2020 | Beaches Turning Turquoise and Other Incredible Ways Nature Shows Healing During COVID-19 Pandemic | Latin Post | Research by Professor Rob Jackson is quoted

May 4, 2020 | California Today | The New York Times | Dr. Mary Prunicki (Stanford Medicine) is quoted.

May 3, 2020 | Coronavirus Lockdown: Can Nature Help Improve Our Mood? | BBC | Professor Gretchen Daily (Stanford Biology) is quoted.

May 1, 2020 | This Interactive Tool Shows You How the Coronavirus Pandemic Is – and Is Not – Affecting Climate Change | CNBC | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

May 1, 2020 | The Deciving Thing About the Big, Historic Drop in CO2 Emissions | Mashable | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

May 1, 2020 | Newshour @ 9: Coronavirus Update | Times Now News (India) | Professor Steve Luby is interviewed.

May 1, 2020 | Report: Outbreak Triggers Drop in Climate-changing Emissions | Black Hills Pioneer | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 30, 2020 | Emissions Declines Will Set Records This Year. But It's Not Good News. | The New York Times | Professor Rob Jackson  is quoted, which was picked up by other outlets including EcoWatch.

April 29, 2020 | Give $1trn for Green Recovery : Prakash Javadekar to Developed Countries | Hindustan Times | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 24, 2020 | Why CO2 Isn't Falling More During a Global Lockdown | E&E News | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted. The story was also reprinted in Scientific American.

April 24, 2020 | The Air is Clear. So is the Reality that Economic Shutdown Won't Save the Climate | The Globe and Mail | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 22, 2020 | As People Stay Home, Earth Turns Wilder and Cleaner | Associated Press | Professor Chris Field is quoted in a story that has been reprinted in multiple outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News and Los Angeles Times.

April 22, 2020 | Coronavirus Lockdowns Show the Urgency of Reining in Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Slow Climate Change | CBS News | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 22, 2020 | How Coronavirus Lockdown Has Actually Affected the Environment | VICE | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 22, 2020 | Los Angeles Air Quality Improves in Lockdown | CBS This Morning | Professor Rob Jackson is interviewed.

April 22, 2020 | Earth Day in the Bay | NBC Bay Area | Professor Rob Jackson is interviewed.

April 22, 2020 | Earth Day Challenge: The Pandemic Proves We Can Change Our Habits | Santa Barbara Independent | Research by Professor Rob Jackson is cited.

April 22, 2020 | Earth Day: Our Planet is Detoxing as Humans Stay in Lockdown | The Economic Times | Research by Professor Rob Jackson is cited.

April 22, 2020 | Air Pollution Down In Major Cities Amid Coronavirus Lockdowns | The Hill | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 22, 2020 | Commentary: Shutdown Won't Save the Planet; Here's What Can | HeraldNet | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 22, 2020 | Carbon Emissions Dip with Coronavirus but Climate Change Isn't Going Away | Balkan Green Energy News | Research by Professor Rob Jackson is cited.

April 17, 2020 | Coronavirus is Reducing CO2. Why That's Worrisome | E&E News | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 15, 2020 | Emissions Fall, Air Quality Rises Amid Orders to Stay Home | RTE News | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 14, 2020 | Carbon Emissions Are Falling, But Still Not Enough, Scientists Say | National Public Radio | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 14, 2020 | CO2 Emissions Are Falling. That Doesn’t Mean Virus Will Slow Warming | Bloomberg | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 14, 2020 | Opinion: Coronavirus Shutdowns Can’t Save the Planet from Climate Change. Here’s What Could | Los Angeles Times | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 13, 2020 | COVID-19 Update: The Latest Developments in the Fight Against Coronavirus | Council on Foreign Relations | Record of conference call that includes Professor Michele Barry (Stanford Medicine).

April 11, 2020 | Coronavirus Has Me Thinking Way Too Hard About My Bar Soap | Gizomod Australia | Postdoc Marlene Wolfe (Stanford Water, Health and Development) is quoted.

April 9, 2020 | Climate Crisis: In Coronavirus Lockdown, Nature Bounces Back – But for How Long? | The Guardian | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 8, 2020 | Race, Pollution adn the Coronavirus | The New York Times | Dr. Mary Prunicki (Stanford Medicine) is quoted.

April 8, 2020 | Grocers Seek Veto of Plastic Bag Tax, Saying Reusable Bags Pose Coronavirus Risk | The Washington Post | Professor Steve Luby  is quoted.

April 8, 2020 | Report: Outbreak Triggers Drop in Climate-Changing Emissions | Associated Press | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

How Forest Loss Leads to the Spread of Disease

In Uganda, loss of forested habitat increases the likelihood of interactions between disease-carrying wild primates and humans. The findings by Stanford Medicine and E-IPER student Laura Bloomfield with Earth System Sciences professor Eric Lambin and alumnus Tyler McIntosh suggest the emergence and spread of viruses, such as the one that causes COVID-19, will become more common as the conversion of natural habitats into farmland continues worldwide. Read the original story, study and see related media coverage below.

August 13, 2020 | Stop the Next Pandemic: Conservation as a Public Health Policy | Harvard Public Review

May 1, 2020 | What if Preserving Ecosystems Could Prevent Future Pandemics? | The Irish Times

April 9, 2020 | Animal Viruses Are Jumping to Humans. Forest Loss Makes It Easier. | The New York Times

April 8, 2020 | Research: Forest Destruction Accelerates Disease Spread | Free News

April 8, 2020 | Researchers Show How Forest Loss Leads to the Spread of Diseases (German) | Tekk

April 8, 2020 | Depressing Nature Will Increase the Spread of Pandemics (Italian) | La Voce d'Italia 

April 8, 2020 | The Loss of Forests Would be one of the Causes of Transmission of Viruses to Humans (Italian) | Tio

April 8, 2020 | How the Loss of Forests Leads to the Spread of Zoonoses like COVID-19 (Italian) | Green Report

April 8, 2020 | Link between Transmission of Viruses, Endangered Wildlife and the Environment (German) | VRT

April 7, 2020 | Coronavirus Could Cause the First Big Emissions Drop in a Decade | Grist | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 7, 2020 | A Fast Moving Virus, a Slow Changing Climate | The Tyee | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 6, 2020 | COIVD-19 Could Cause the Greatest Emissions Dive the World Has Seen Since World War II | GreenMatters | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 5, 2020 | Coronavirus Lockdowns Clear the Air, but the Green Effect Could Be Fleeting | The Wall Street Journal | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 4, 2020 | 5% Drop in Emissions May Not Have Permanent Impact | Hindustan Times | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 3, 2020 | Coronavirus Could Trigger Biggest Fall in Global Carbon Dioxide Since Second World War, Scientists Say | Independent | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

April 3, 2020 | Pandemic Hurts Ability of Nations to Face Natural Disasters | AP News | Michael Wara is quoted.

April 3, 2020 | Coronavirus: Do Reusable Grocery Bags Spread the Virus? An Are They Banned? | San Jose Mercury News | Professor Steve Luby is quoted, which has been picked up by various other outlets including Elle UK.

April 2, 2020 | Coronavirus Could Trigger Biggest Fall in Carbon Emissions since World War Two | Reuters | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted. 

April 2, 2020 | The Coronavirus Will Change Our Lives, but the Environment Could See Benefits | San Francisco Chronicle | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted. 

April 2, 2020 | Strong Economies Provide Better Environmental Conditions | Tulsa Beacon | Research by Professor Marshall Burke (Stanford Earth) is mentioned.

March 31, 2020 | COVID-19 and the Nature Trade-off Paradigm | UN Environment | Research by Professor Marshall Burke is mentioned.

Modeling Social Distancing's Impact

Stanford Biologist Erin Mordecai discusses different social distancing strategies, how long we may need to maintain them and the risk of a disease resurgence if precautions are lifted too early. Read the original story and see releated media coverage below.

April 3, 2020 | Coronavirus: Shelter in Place for Another 5 Months? Here's What Stanford Researchers are Projecting and Why | ABC 7 News 

April 3, 2020 | Experts Consider How Long the Coronavirus Crisis Will Last - And How We'll Get Out Of It | Palo Alto Online

April 2, 2020 | Interactive Stanford Website Models Various COVID-10 Containment Methods | New Atlas

April 1, 2020 | Stanford Launches Data-Driven Model Evaluating COVID-19 Interventions | Health IT Analytics

March 31, 2020 | New Interactive Model Explores How Various Interventions Would Alter the Spread of Coronavirus | San Jose Inside

March 28, 2020 | In the Coronavirus Pandemic, Carbon Emissions have Fallen, But Climate Change Remains an Existential Threat | Yahoo News | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 27, 2020 | What the Coronavirus Means for Climate Change | The New York Times | Research from Professor Marshall Burke is mentioned.

Understanding COVID-19 Transmission

Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering,  Alexandria Boehm and Krista Wigginton, the Shimizu Visiting Professor in Stanford’s department of civil and environmental engineering discuss knowledge gaps, potential implications for safe water, promising research pathways and other issues related to the control of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Read the original story and see related media coverage below.

May 4 , 2020 | The Rachel Maddow Show | 40:50 mark

May 1 , 2020 | Is It Safe to Come Out of Lockdown? Check the Sewer | New York Times

April 7, 2020 | One Way to Potentially Track COVID-19? Sewage Surveillance | WIRED

April 4, 2020 | Spread of COVID-19: What's the Loo Got to Do With It | Bangalore Mirror 

March 31, 2020 | How to Identify Factors Affecting COVID-10 Transmission | Global Health News Wire

March 30, 2020 | UM, Stanford Study Early Warning System for Coronavirus through Sewage | Detroit News

March 28, 2020 | These Factors Affect COVID-19 Transmission | Orissa Post

March 27, 2020 | U-M Researchers Study Whether Wastewater Can Give Early Warning of COVID-19 Spread | dbusiness 

March 27, 2020 | Stanford Researchers Dig Into Community Spread of COVID-19 | Clinical OMICS

March 26, 2020 | A Sewage Surveillance Effort to Track COVID-19 | University of Michigan News

March 26, 2020 | Researchers Warn Coronavirus Might Deteriorate Climate Change Action and Strike Clean Energy Investment | Daily Veterans | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 24, 2020 | Will a Coronavirus Mirage of Clean Air, Water Insptire Climate Action — or Make Things Worse? | The Philadelphia Inquirer | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 24, 2020 | As Coronavirus Forces Workplace Changes, Environment May Be Catching Its Breath | Karma | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 23, 2020 | Flattening the Curve: Stanford Researchers Create Model to Show Long-term COVID-19 Interventions | KRON 4 | Research by Professor Erin Mordecai (Stanford Biology) is featured.

March 22, 2020 | Air Pollution Falls as Coronavirus Slows Travel, But Scientists Warn of Longer-term Threat to Climate Change Progress | CNBC | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 21, 2020 | Environmentalists Should Hope for Quick Economic Rebound | Canada Free Press | A tweet by Professor Marshall Burke is highlighted.

March 21, 2020 | Turning the Virus into a Virtue — for the Planet | The Hill | An opinion piece by Dan Reicher (Stanford Law), which was citied by other outlets including Vox.

March 20, 2020 | Doctor: As Coronavirus Cases Spike Worldwide, We Need Global Cooperation to Halt Spread | Democracy Now! | An interview with Professor Michele Barry, which was cited by other outlets including The Vashon Loop and 48hills.

March 19, 2020 | Coronavirus Offers Reprieve from Air Pollution | The Hill | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 19, 2020 | Coronavirus Shutdowns are Lowering Greenhouse Gas Emissions; History Shows They'll Roar Back | Los Angeles Times |  Professor Rob Jackson is quoted and one of his quotes was cited in other outlets including Motor1 and LiveKindly. 

March 18, 2020 | The Side Effects of Social Distancing | Freakonomics | Professor Marshall Burke is interviewed on this epsiode of the Freakonomics podcast.

March 17, 2020 | Coronavirus Could Weaken Climate Change Action and Hit Clean Energy Funding Researchers Warn | Gruntstuff | Professor Rob Jackson is quoted.

March 16, 2020 | Study: Coronavirus Lockdown Likely Saved 77,000 Lives in China Just By Reducing Air Pollution | Forbes | Research by Professor Marshall Burke is featured.

March 14, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic Response Temporarily Combating CO2 Emissions, by Systemic Change Needed, Experts Urge | CBC Radio | Professor Rob Jackson is  quoted.

March 10, 2020 | Coronavirus could cause fall in global CO2 emissions | The Guardian | Professor Rob Jackson  is quoted.