As Dallas County now nears 80,000 COVID-19 cases, many Coppell High School students are starting to question whether the virus will ever disappear. The virus has taken the lives of more than a thousand individuals in Dallas County, has imposed drastic restrictions on going out in public and has temporarily shut down numerous Coppell businesses. 

The detrimental impacts of COVID-19 on Coppell are well recognized. However, these impacts have also posed as a major benefit to an essential part of our lives: the environment. 

With excursions now at a minimum, fewer cars on Coppell streets and facilities consuming less energy,  air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have reduced, restoring the health and beauty of Mother Nature. 

Unfortunately, these benefits we are seeing in Coppell are only temporary. 

Eventually, citizens will start commuting more and facilities will open up to consume extensive amounts of energy, both of which will contribute to the rise of air pollution again. For example, Coppell High School has started in-person learning which means greater air pollution will result from the increase of students commuting to school. Coppell High School will also be using greater amounts of energy such as increased light use, which further contributes to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. 

All of these factors will, essentially, reverse the environmental benefits COVID-19 has helped create.

Despite these bleak impending developments, all hope is not lost. COVID-19 has shown us that human activity causes these negative environmental consequences because we have seen how the environment has benefited from a reduction of human activity, such as a decline in air pollution.

Although we cannot put a pause on our lives, we do have the potential to protect and preserve the purity of the environment through other means that we can control. 

First off, Coppell students should consider carpooling or riding the bus. Any action that would reduce driving would pose as a benefit to the environment because emissions and pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, from cars would significantly reduce. 

In addition to the reduction of driving, Coppell students, mainly directed toward juniors and seniors who drive to school, can maintain their vehicles. If students simply keep their vehicle tires properly inflated, it could save gallons upon gallons of gas.

Water waste is another big contributor to poor environmental health. Shorter showers and turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth significantly decreases water waste and will save a tremendous amount of energy and reduce carbon pollution. 

However, we cannot expect any of these eco-friendly strategies to work if we as a generation do not speak up. We must rise to the occasion and spread awareness about the environment. We must encourage others to take action and dedicate more time and effort to contributing in the fight to protect Coppell’s environment.

Through these actions and dedication, we can ensure that the environmental benefits we are seeing in Coppell will continue and flourish throughout future years.