As the coronavirus spreads rapidly across the world, China—where the outbreak began—is gradually shuddering back to life. After weeks of lockdowns, travel restrictions and manufacturing delays, some signs of normalcy are returning.
Although China’s measures to minimize the spread of the virus dramatically cut carbon emissions and air pollution, the silver lining is temporary. “The Chinese government’s coming stimulus measures in response to the disruption could outweigh these shorter-term impacts on energy and emissions,” Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, wrote recently in an article.
