A food safety factory shutdown has Americans hunting for baby formula. Readying themselves for a covid-19 lockdown, Chinese in Beijing emptied store shelves. Emerging from lockdown, some in Shanghai are visiting well-provisioned markets. U.S.-China agricultural trade is booming, but many are still being left hungry. Food security, sustainability and safety remain issues.
COVID-19 is changing the environment
A drop in travel and shuttered businesses has resulted in noticeably cleaner air: China's CO2 emissions are down 25% and satellite images show drops in pollution worldwide.

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In order to combat COVID-19 through social distancing, governments all over the world have mandated lockdowns for huge portions of their citizens. Entire sectors of the economy have disappeared virtually overnight as restaurants, gyms, retailers, and other "non-essential" businesses have been forced to close. With no where to go, people are doing just that: going nowhere.
The four biggest U.S. airlines have cut flights by more than 40%. Los Angeles' notoriously packed highways are mostly empty. NYC's subway ridership has dropped 87%. But the drop in travel and shuttered businesses has resulted in noticeably cleaner air: China's CO2 emissions are down 25% and satellite images show drops in pollution worldwide.
Although China and the U.S. are both planning economic stimulus packages to combat the financial harm of the pandemic, China’s plan may include building more coal power plants—even while other countries are phasing them out. Since China’s air pollution causes many respiratory problems and kills thousands prematurely, the government will have to weigh if the need for cheap energy exceeds the need for clean air.
- California and China collaborate against climate change
- China's urban development impacts local and global environmental challenges
- The transformation of China's underground recycling industry
- China's censorship of environmental discussion
Featured Articles
European views toward China are not uniform. Europeans recognize China's economic prowess and clearly favor continued ties, but majorities in much of Europe now have a negative view towards China.
Events
Tensions evident in the recent European Union-China virtual summit reflect the increasing skepticism in Europe toward China and the worries over Ukraine and economic ties as well as human rights and environmental issues.