COVID-19 May Help Hudson River Valley Fight Another Threat

Americans continue to stay isolated in their homes due to COVID-19, decreasing travel, nights out, and other activities. This change provides temporary relief for the environment in the Hudson River Valley. 

Harmful human activities over the centuries have yielded catastrophic impacts on the environment. Deforestation, overexploitation, and reproduction are just a few sources of detrimental consequences, like the emission of carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere. This contributes to a warmer climate. Though the “greenhouse effect” can account for naturally fluctuating temperatures, human activity has certainly accelerated the warming process and contributed to a deteriorating environment.

Humans are constantly on the move, producing faster and more advanced technology. As a result, the vast amount of emissions suffocate the Earth. For over 60 years, the Hudson Valley has become warmer, causing a decrease in fish populations. The decline has been seen particularly in species like the tomcod and rainbow smelt.

Future impacts of climate change in the Hudson Valley region could include a rise in sea level, erosion along the river shoreline, flooding, and more erratic storm patterns. However, gas emissions have recently decreased and given areas like the Hudson Valley an opportunity to recover. 

Without this recovery or any future change, climate change could continue to wreak havoc on the region. According to The Other Hudson Valley, “Heavier rain will result in increased erosion and agricultural run-off, which could affect drinking water ... a real problem for the Catskills, where New York City gets most of its drinking water.”

In addition to heavier rain, increasing sea levels pose potential threats to homes in the Hudson Valley. The Atlantic Ocean flows into the Hudson River at sea level, but glaciers continue to melt and elevate waters. Combined with heavier rain, this becomes increasingly problematic. There will likely be flooding of residential homes along the river and as well as agricultural land.

This threat to agriculture means crops could be damaged, impacting the economy. Investors could be hesitant to invest in acres of land that may fail to provide profit. 

Dating back to Industrialization, the river has endured many harmful practices. At one point, it was known as an “industrial sewer,” said Greg Williams, a leader at Clearwater, the Beacon-based environmental advocacy organization. For decades, organizations like Clearwater, Scenic Hudson, and Riverkeeper have worked to improve the river’s lifeforce. The river’s sewage issues have drastically improved and generated a more vibrant habitat for species. The health and diversity of species are strong indicators of the river’s revival. 

While COVID-19 did not positively impact the Hudson River Valley directly, the resulting decrease in emissions has temporarily stymied rising temperatures. But once shelter-in-place directions are lifted, a huge boom in travel and human activity could threaten the environmental progress made. The situation could be even more deadly for the environment than it was before the pandemic. 

Although there is less travel because of COVID-19, the environmental toll of human activity continues with more home energy usage, increased waste in landfills, and decreased environmental investments. Stores such as Stop & Shop reverted back to plastic bags due to their low cost and the fear of the virus spreading more on reusable bags. According to The New York Post, New York officials have postponed the bag ban in general.

That said, the recent pause may have saved as many lives in polluted areas as were lost due to COVID-19, according to Katherine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Center at Texas Tech University. 

“We also know that our carbon emissions have dropped as the economy has been shuttered around the world. But we know that those reductions were achieved through unsustainable methods,” Hayhoe said. “We can't have everybody staying in their homes. We can't have people thrown out of work. But what it showed us is that we do have the power to act and we can effect incredible change when we do.”