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Abstract: Abstract. Following the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan (China) and its spread to the rest of the world, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in March 2020. Without effective treatment in the initial pandemic phase, social distancing and mandatory quarantines were introduced as the only available preventative measure. In contrast to the detrimental societal impacts, air quality improved in all countries in which strict lockdowns were applied, due to lower pollutant emissions. Here we investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe on ambient black carbon (BC), which affects climate and damages health, using in situ observations from 17 European stations in a Bayesian inversion framework. BC emissions declined by 23 kt in Europe (20 % in Italy, 40 % in Germany, 34 % in Spain, 22 % in France) during lockdowns compared to the same period in the previous 5 years, which is partially attributed to COVID-19 measures. BC temporal variation in the countries enduring the most drastic restrictions showed the most distinct lockdown impacts. Increased particle light absorption in the beginning of the lockdown, confirmed by assimilated satellite and remote sensing data, suggests residential combustion was the dominant BC source. Accordingly, in central and Eastern Europe, which experienced lower than average temperatures, BC was elevated compared to the previous 5 years. Nevertheless, an average decrease of 11 % was seen for the whole of Europe compared to the start of the lockdown period, with the highest peaks in France (42 %), Germany (21 %), UK (13 %), Spain (11 %) and Italy (8 %). Such a decrease was not seen in the previous years, which also confirms the impact of COVID-19 on the European emissions of BC.
Keywords: black carbon, covid-19, emissions, Europe
Published in RUNG: 13.05.2024; Views: 2720; Downloads: 6
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Abstract: COVID-19 is evolving into one of the worst pandemics in recent history, claiming a death toll of over 1.5 million as of December 2020. In an attempt to limit the expansion of the pandemic in its initial phase, nearly all countries imposed restriction measures, which resulted in an unprecedented reduction of air pollution. This study aims to assess the impact of the lockdown effects due to COVID-19 on in situ measured aerosol properties, namely spectral-scattering (bsca) and absorption (babs) coefficients, black carbon (BC) concentrations, single-scattering albedo (SSA), scattering and absorption Ångström exponents (SAE, AAE) in Athens, Greece. Moreover, a comparison is performed with the regional background site of Finokalia, Crete, for a better assessment of the urban impact on observed differences. The study examines pre-lockdown (1–22 March 2020), lockdown (23 March–3 May 2020) and post-lockdown (4–31 May 2020) periods, while the aerosol properties are also compared with a 3–4 year preceding period (2016/2017–2019). Comparison of meteorological parameters in Athens, between the lockdown period and respective days in previous years, showed only marginal variation, which is not deemed sufficient in order to justify the notable changes in aerosol concentrations and optical properties. The largest reduction during the lockdown period was observed for babs compared to the pre-lockdown (−39%) and to the same period in previous years (−36%). This was intensified during the morning traffic hours (−60%), reflecting the large decrease in vehicular emissions. Furthermore, AAE increased during the lockdown period due to reduced emissions from fossil-fuel combustion, while a smaller (−21%) decrease was observed for bsca along with slight increases (6%) in SAE and SSA values, indicating that scattering aerosol properties were less affected by the decrease in vehicular emissions, as they are more dependent on regional sources and atmospheric processing. Nighttime BC emissions related to residential wood-burning were slightly increased during the lockdown period, with respect to previous-year means. On the contrary, aerosol and pollution changes during the lockdown period at Finokalia were low and highly sensitive to natural sources and processes.
Keywords: COVID-19, traffic, aerosol scattering, absorption, SSA, Greece
Published in RUNG: 10.05.2024; Views: 1425; Downloads: 9
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Abstract: Closures of cultural institutions as a result of the Corona pandemic, right-wing populist cultural agendas (and even policies!) that work against independent media and cultural workers, and then the Russian attacks on Ukrainian cultural institutions, attempting to erase a country's cultural identity, and artistic vitality. And then there's an obviously more and more fragile nature -- the waters below and the atmospheres above us in chaos. In times of multiple, overlapping crises, cultural institutions and festivals face the challenge of addressing these grievances through glocal processes of adaptation and learning, to become RESILIENT = prepared for change and emergencies, mastering them as robustly and creatively as possible. What resilience strategies are needed at the regional and global level to enable sustainable (international) cultural production and to establish solidarity-based forms of partnership? What are the most interesting examples -- from here, and there, and beyond? With Serge Klymko (Kyiv Biennale),Ukraine, Mei Shimada (CCBT Tokyo), Japan, Birte Sonnenberg (HELLERAU / Hybrid Biennale), Germany, Moderated by: pETER Purg (Univ. of Nova Gorica / Go!2025), Slovenia Schließungen von Kultureinrichtungen infolge der Corona-Pandemie, rechtspopulistische Kulturpolitik gegen unabhängige Medien und Kulturschaffende und die russischen Angriffe auf ukrainische Kulturinstitutionen, die die kulturelle Identität des Landes auslöschen sollen. In Zeiten multipler, sich überlagernder Krisen haben Kulturinstitutionen und Festivals die Herausforderung, diesen Missständen über glokale Anpassungs- und Lernprozesse zu begegnen. Immer mit dem Ziel, auf Veränderungen und Notfälle eingestellt zu sein und diese möglichst robust und kreativ zu meistern. Welche Resilienzstrategien auf regionaler und globaler Ebene braucht es, um nachhaltig (internationale) Kulturproduktion zu ermöglichen und solidarische Formen der Partnerschaften zu etablieren? Mit Serge Klymko (Kyiv Biennale), Mei Shimada (CCBT Tokyo) und Birte Sonnenberg (HELLERAU / Hybrid Biennale), moderiert von Peter Purg (Universität Nova Gorica)
Keywords: resistance, resilience, fragility, war, post-war, post-covid
Published in RUNG: 11.10.2023; Views: 3149; Downloads: 5
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Keywords: supply chains, marketing chains, natural disasters, covid-19, globalization
Published in RUNG: 12.07.2022; Views: 2729; Downloads: 58
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Abstract: Epidemija covida-19 je ustavila javno življenje v Sloveniji, s tem pa prizadela področje kulture. Na vratih gledališč, kinodvoran in knjigarn so viseli napisi "Zaprto", kulturno življenje se je zasilno preselilo na splet, kar pa ustvarjalcev ne prepriča.
Keywords: umetnost, kultura, epidemija, Covid-19, gledališče, film, založništvo
Published in RUNG: 05.11.2021; Views: 2768; Downloads: 17
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