Finding the silver lining in Covid-19 cloud

THE novel coronavirus pandemic has claimed many lives and is exacting a harsh toll on the global economy. Our compassion goes out to all those who have lost a loved one or suffered hardship of one form or another due to the outbreak. May everyone find peace.

Yet some good has also come out of this outbreak. For one, the lockdowns around the world to contain the spread of the virus have resulted in a significant reduction in pollution - of the air, the water, and even noise pollution - as most factories and offices were shut and travel restrictions imposed.

The earth, which has been choking from the rise in pollution over two centuries, has enjoyed a breather in the past month or so. Air quality and visibility in most cities improved amid the lockdown. This would never have been possible in the past. What are the chances that all countries could issue a joint declaration like: "Let's close all our factories and offices for the next one month, make people stay at home, keep the roads free to bring down pollution levels and halt global warming"?