Why is your video conferencing in the COVID-19 crisis still polluting the environment? The answer lies in mining cobalt

Citation

Park H (2020) Why is your video conferencing in the COVID-19 crisis still polluting the environment? The answer lies in mining cobalt. [Blog Post] 01.07.2020. https://sustainability.colostate.edu/blog/humannature/hyeyoon-park/

Abstract
First paragraph: In some respects, ironically, COVID-19 is making our earth clean. Drastically reduced air pollutants from factories and transportation, which have been put on pause by the coronavirus, returned blue sky in many regions. Many airlines have drastically reduced their flights as more and more countries around the world impose travel bans. School and university classes moved to online platforms. International conferences are canceled or replaced by virtual meetings. The online G20 summit coping with the global pandemic in March is one of the most recent examples indicating how our world can be shifting toward virtual social connections. A recent NY Times article suggests that the coronavirus outbreak is teaching us how to live online. This unexpected social phenomenon might give you a rosy picture of a better future global environment. For instance, someone might say, “If we keep this behavioral pattern, we are able to make our nature cleaner.” Is this assumption correct? Unfortunately, my answer is ‘no’ because of ‘dirty minerals’ causing conflicts, environmental, and social problems. (I apologize that I cannot give you a cheerful vibe in this depressing season.)