May 10, 2021 10:52 PM EDT
Forty Second Street stands mostly empty as as much of the city is void of cars and pedestrians over fears of spreading the coronavirus on March 22, 2020 in New York City. Across the country schools, businesses and places of work have either been shut down or are restricting hours of operation as health officials try to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(Photo : Getty images )
Despite the sudden and substantial shifts in consumption habits seen during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese households continued to emit the same amount of greenhouse gases as before. Last summer, the term "anthropause" was coined to describe the decline of human activity caused by the pandemic. Still, plant closures and disrupted global supply chains did not translate into the embrace of eco-friendly lifestyles by the typical household.