The global environmental problems represent a danger to the Earth if it wants to remain a habitable habitat for humans and other species.
With so many natural disasters, global warming, cooling periods and changing weather patterns, people should be more aware of the kind of environmental problems the planet is facing.
He global warming has become an indisputable fact; our planet is warming up and humans have been the cause of that.
However, this is not the only environmental problem that should be of concern to people. Throughout the world, people face a lot of environmental problems every day.
Some of these are small and only affect a few ecosystem s, but others are drastically changing the landscape of the environments we already know.
Today's environmental problems make us more vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the future. Current environmental problems require urgent attention.
List of the 10 most serious environmental problems on the planet
1- Global warming
Climate change such as global warming is the result of human practices such as the emission of greenhouse gases.
Global warming leads to higher temperatures in the oceans and on the Earth's surface, causing melting of polar ice sheets, rising sea levels, and unnatural precipitation patterns such as flooding, excessive snow and desertification.
2 - Deforestation
Species-rich forests are being destroyed, especially in the tropics, often to make room for livestock rearing, palm oil plantations, soy plantations and other agricultural monocultures.
Today, about 30% of the planet's surface is covered by forests, and about 18 million hectares are destroyed each year. Almost all of this deforestation comes from logging and burning.
Natural forests not only act as biodiversity reserves, they also help keep coal out of the atmosphere and oceans.
3- Pollution
Air, water, and soil pollution require millions of years to clean. Industries and motor vehicles are the main source of pollutants on the planet. Heavy metals, nitrates and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution.
The water contamination is caused by oil spills, acid rain, and urban waste.
The air pollution is caused by the various gases and toxins released by the industries and by the combustion of fuels.
Finally, soil pollution is caused by industrial waste
4- Acidification of the ocean
This is a direct impact of the excessive production of carbon dioxide; 25% of carbon dioxide is produced by humans.
The acidity of the ocean has increased over the last 250 years but by 2,100 this amount can be increased to 150%.
The main impact can be found in mollusks and plankton in the same way as osteoporosis in humans.
5- Extinction of the species
On the ground, wild animals are hunted to extinction to obtain their meat, ivory, or 'medicinal products'. At sea, large industrial ships eliminate entire populations of fish.
Species not only deserve to exist intrinsically, they also provide essential products and services to humans. For example, bees and pollination are necessary for crops.
Habitat loss and destruction are also major contributing factors to extinction waves, unprecedented since this is caused by humans. The list of endangered species continues to grow at an alarming rate.
6- Acid rain
The acid rain occurs due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. It can be caused due to the combustion of fuels, volcanoes, or rotting vegetation.
It is an environmental problem that can have a serious effect on human health, wildlife and aquatic species.
7- Water pollution
Drinking clean water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political problem as the human population fights for this resource.
Industrial development is filling rivers, seas, and oceans with toxic pollutants that are a major threat to human health. One of the suggested options to avoid this problem is to use a desalination process.
8- Public health problems
Current environmental problems pose a great risk to the health of humans and animals. Dirty water is the greatest global health risk and a major threat to the quality of life and public health.
River runoff has many toxins, chemicals and organisms that cause disease.
Contaminants cause respiratory problems such as asthma and cardiovascular problems. High temperatures increase the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue.
9- Soil degradation
Excessive grazing, monoculture plantations, erosion, soil compaction, overexposure to pollutants, and conversion of land use are just some of the ways soil is being damaged.
According to official estimates, about 12 million hectares of farms are seriously degraded each year.
Since food safety depends on keeping the soil in good condition, you need to find appropriate solutions to this problem.
To address this problem there are programs of soil conservation and restoration techniques, although they are not enough to eliminate the problem for the moment.
10- Waste disposal
Over-consumption of resources and creation of plastics are creating a global waste disposal crisis. Developed countries are famous for producing an excessive amount of litter and releasing these wastes into the oceans.
Waste of nuclear waste poses major health risks. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic waste threaten the well-being of humans.
Waste disposal is one of the most urgent environmental problems today.
References
- Environmental problem. Retrieved from conserve-energy-future.com
- Five of the worlds biggest environmental problems (2016). Retrieved from dw.com
- The top five environmental issues humanity should be thinking about in 2013. Retrieved from inhabitat.com
- Top 10 environmental issues. Retrieved from planetearthherald.com.