Þorsteinn talked about the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and health in the news RÚV programme Heimskviður on Friday.

Air pollution in Reykjavík reduced by 40 percent

Þorsteinn said that it was possible to jump to the conclusion that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the atmosphere in a positive way. But that is not the whole story. Air pollution has reduced before but not as much as now. Efla Consulting Engineers measured the traffic for the Environment Agency. “The traffic was 23 percent less the first week but after the ban on public gathering it was 38 percent less compared to how it is on a normal day in Reykjavík. So this is a lot, and also in air transport. We have not measured it but air transport has collapsed since the pandemic and only one or two planes arrive in Iceland per day at the moment, which is not much. This of course reduces air pollution, that is for sure.“

If there is almost 40 percent less traffic on the roads it can be assumed that there is almost 40 percent less air pollution and and that pollution because of air traffic has reduced about 90 percent.

“This has not happed before in this magnitude. We have seen less air pollution during the summer compared to the winter days and less pollution in the countryside than in Reykjavík. But not like this before.“

Those who die because of air pollution have no names

Þorsteinn says that about 300 thousand people die prematurely because of air pollution in Europe every year. And now because of reduced air pollution fewer people will get sick or will die because of it.

On the other hand casualities because of COVID-19 are very different. “Those who die because of air pollution have no face. They are statistics, a number in a data bank. You cannot name those who die because of air pollution. It is clear who dies in the pandemic, they have names and faces.

When there is a lot of air pollution more people die because of a stroke or heart attack than when there is not much pollution in the air. “You cannot say who died of pollution and who would have died anyway that day.“

Air pollution will increase again

Þorsteinn expects that air pollution will increase again when the pandemic is over. “I think that traffic on the roads will quite quickly be the same as before. The air traffic will take longer time to increase again but in the end will be the same as before. This pandemic will probably change the way people think about shopping online, get food sent to their houses and go to conferences online. There will probably be more international conferences online and hopefully less air traffic because of that. But overall I think it will be the same as before because some people are waiting now and will need to travel again when this is over.“

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