December 1, 2023

Greenhouse gas emissions decreased a little during the first year of COVID, but not enough to make a lasting impact.

Less travel and cars on the road meant improved air quality. But greenhouse gases that cause climate change only decreased a little because we were still heating and cooling our homes, so these gases continued to build up in our atmosphere. NASA climate change scientist Lesley Ott tells us more about what scientists discovered.

Explore more about the unexpected effects the pandemic had on our atmosphere: https://go.nasa.gov/3D1MoO5

Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessica Wilde
Editor: Daniel Salazar
Credit: NASA