As the coronavirus pandemic continues to plague the nation and Marion County, a couple of surprising jewels have come about from it.
While we may not see it as much here, but especially in larger cities there has been a significant drop in air pollution. According to an article in Newsweek, both Italy and China have had a large reduction in the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere.
Closer to home, a USA Today story talked about as much as a 30% drop in air pollution in the northeast part of the country. It stated March 2020 had the lowest monthly atmospheric nitrogen dioxide levels of any March on record.
Not only has the air quality improved, but there is also proof of less pollution in water. In fact in Venice, which is known for its waterways, the canals have been clearing up because of the drop in pollution. In some places you can even see deeply into the water, according to a Fox News story.
It appears thanks to COVID-19, Mother Nature is getting a chance to clean up. Of course with that said, I wished she would have withheld the storms on Easter that did so much damage and affected so many people.
The pandemic has made a non-stop moving world slow down and I for one greatly appreciate it. Yes it is a struggle coming up with story ideas, but it has made us at The Columbian-Progress think outside the box so we can continue to give you the best coverage possible. But yes, I have appreciated going a few weeks where most nights I can leave at 5 p.m. and being able to sleep in on the weekends. At my house, Jeff and I have been playing cards games with our teenagers, and we have been talking more as a family and not each go in our own direction. Soon that will change and the world will be roaring again, but the quiet, simple pace has been very nice.
If you follow me on social media you already know I sometimes post a lot, albeit a little too much. However, I have tried my best to keep offering positive and funny posts to do what I can to help people’s morale. For Easter I made the suggestion for people to get dressed up. Yes, I did and I made my family do so too even though we sat on the side porch at the house and watched the Easter service online. Point was we were doing it and doing it together.
And the recipes, you need to keep them coming. I am now looking for some great recipes for the grill. It can be healthy like grilled chicken or it can be good and Southern like barbeque ribs. I would love to see them both. The recipes are great things we can do at home, and yes I really did make bread from one of the bread recipes and a cake from one of the recipes. I was even blessed to try a slice of another cake where that recipe was in the paper. Thank you, Wendy Bracey; the orange cake was amazing.
Actually if you think about it, this virus has made a lot of people think outside the box. With graduation, something parents and seniors are rightfully concerned with, I know something great will happen that will give these seniors something special to remember. Do I know what it is? No, but I just know a lot of the parents, teachers, administrators, board members and superintendents. I feel certain before all of this is over with, seniors are going to have something special.
I do believe the coronavirus showed us something the schools need to bring back: home cconomics. A lot of people have been used to being able to grab a meal on the go or if a shirt had a button missing just go buy a new one. These last few weeks have shown it is not always that easy. It is a class that may not seem important, but it did teach some valuable skills, including some we are needing right now.
Susan Amundson is managing editor of The Columbian-Progress. She may be reached at (601) 736-2611 or samundson@columbianprogress.com.
