5/29/2017 15CurrentEnvironmentalProblemsThatOurWorldisFacingConserveEnergyFuture

EnvironmentalProblems
Ourenvironmentisconstantlychanging.Thereisnodenyingthat.However,asourenvironmentchanges,
sodoestheneedtobecomeincreasinglyawareoftheproblemsthatsurroundit.Withamassiveinfluxof
naturaldisasters,warmingandcoolingperiods,differenttypesofweatherpatternsandmuchmore,people
needtobeawareofwhattypesofenvironmentalproblemsourplanetisfacing.

Globalwarminghasbecomeanundisputedfactaboutourcurrentlivelihoodsourplanetiswarmingup
andwearedefinitelypartoftheproblem.However,thisisnttheonlyenvironmentalproblemthatwe
shouldbeconcernedabout.Allacrosstheworld,peoplearefacingawealthofnewandchallenging
environmentalproblemseveryday.Someofthemaresmallandonlyaffectafewecosystems,butothers
aredrasticallychangingthelandscapeofwhatwealreadyknow.

Ourplanetispoisedatthebrinkofasevereenvironmentalcrisis.Currentenvironmentalproblemsmake
usvulnerabletodisastersandtragedies,nowandinthefuture.Weareinastateofplanetaryemergency,
withenvironmentalproblemspilinguphigharoundus.Unlessweaddressthevariousissuesprudently
andseriouslywearesurelydoomedfordisaster.Currentenvironmentalproblemsrequireurgentattention.

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5/29/2017 15CurrentEnvironmentalProblemsThatOurWorldisFacingConserveEnergyFuture

15MajorCurrentEnvironmentalProblems
1.Pollution:Pollutionofair,waterandsoilrequiremillionsofyearstorecoup.Industryandmotor
vehicleexhaustarethenumberonepollutants.Heavymetals,nitratesandplasticaretoxinsresponsible
forpollution.Whilewaterpollutioniscausedbyoilspill,acidrain,urbanrunoffairpollutioniscaused
byvariousgasesandtoxinsreleasedbyindustriesandfactoriesandcombustionoffossilfuelssoil
pollutionismajorlycausedbyindustrialwastethatdeprivessoilfromessentialnutrients.

2.GlobalWarming:Climatechangeslikeglobalwarmingistheresultofhumanpracticeslikeemission
ofGreenhousegases.Globalwarmingleadstorisingtemperaturesoftheoceansandtheearthsurface
causingmeltingofpolaricecaps,riseinsealevelsandalsounnaturalpatternsofprecipitationsuchas
flashfloods,excessivesnowordesertification.

3.Overpopulation:Thepopulationoftheplanetisreachingunsustainablelevelsasitfacesshortageof
resourceslikewater,fuelandfood.Populationexplosioninlessdevelopedanddevelopingcountriesis
strainingthealreadyscarceresources.Intensiveagriculturepracticedtoproducefooddamagesthe
environmentthroughuseofchemicalfertilizer,pesticidesandinsecticides.Overpopulationisoneofthe
crucialcurrentenvironmentalproblem.

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5/29/2017 15CurrentEnvironmentalProblemsThatOurWorldisFacingConserveEnergyFuture

4.NaturalResourceDepletion:Naturalresourcedepletionisanothercrucialcurrentenvironmental
problems.FossilfuelconsumptionresultsinemissionofGreenhousegases,whichisresponsiblefor
globalwarmingandclimatechange.Globally,peoplearetakingeffortstoshifttorenewablesourcesof
energylikesolar,wind,biogasandgeothermalenergy.Thecostofinstallingtheinfrastructureand
maintainingthesesourceshasplummetedintherecentyears.

5.WasteDisposal:Theoverconsumptionofresourcesandcreationofplasticsarecreatingaglobalcrisis
ofwastedisposal.Developedcountriesarenotoriousforproducinganexcessiveamountofwasteor
garbageanddumpingtheirwasteintheoceansand,lessdevelopedcountries.Nuclearwastedisposalhas
tremendoushealthhazardsassociatedwithit.Plastic,fastfood,packagingandcheapelectronicwastes
threatenthewellbeingofhumans.Wastedisposalisoneofurgentcurrentenvironmentalproblem.

6.ClimateChange:Climatechangeisyetanotherenvironmentalproblemthathassurfacedinlast
coupleofdecades.Itoccursduetoriseinglobalwarmingwhichoccursduetoincreaseintemperatureof
atmospherebyburningoffossilfuelsandreleaseofharmfulgasesbyindustries.Climatechangehas
variousharmfuleffectsbutnotlimitedtomeltingofpolarice,changeinseasons,occurrenceofnew
diseases,frequentoccurrenceoffloodsandchangeinoverallweatherscenario.

7.LossofBiodiversity:Humanactivityisleadingtotheextinctionofspeciesandhabitatsandandloss
ofbiodiversity.Ecosystems,whichtookmillionsofyearstoperfect,areindangerwhenanyspecies
populationisdecimating.Balanceofnaturalprocesseslikepollinationiscrucialtothesurvivaloftheeco
systemandhumanactivitythreatensthesame.Anotherexampleisthedestructionofcoralreefsinthe
variousoceans,whichsupporttherichmarinelife.

8.Deforestation:Ourforestsarenaturalsinksofcarbondioxideandproducefreshoxygenaswellas
helpsinregulatingtemperatureandrainfall.Atpresentforestscover30%ofthelandbuteveryyeartree
coverislostamountingtothecountryofPanamaduetogrowingpopulationdemandformorefood,
shelterandcloth.Deforestationsimplymeansclearingofgreencoverandmakethatlandavailablefor
residential,industrialorcommercialpurpose.

9.OceanAcidification:ItisadirectimpactofexcessiveproductionofCO2.25%ofCO2producedby
humans.Theoceanacidityhasincreasedbythelast250yearsbutby2100,itmayshootupby150%.The
mainimpactisonshellfishandplanktoninthesamewayashumanosteoporosis.
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5/29/2017 15CurrentEnvironmentalProblemsThatOurWorldisFacingConserveEnergyFuture

10.OzoneLayerDepletion:Theozonelayerisaninvisiblelayerofprotectionaroundtheplanetthat
protectsusfromthesunsharmfulrays.DepletionofthecrucialOzonelayeroftheatmosphereis
attributedtopollutioncausedbyChlorineandBromidefoundinChloroflorocarbons(CFCs).Once
thesetoxicgasesreachtheupperatmosphere,theycauseaholeintheozonelayer,thebiggestofwhichis
abovetheAntarctic.TheCFCsarebannedinmanyindustriesandconsumerproducts.Ozonelayeris
valuablebecauseitpreventsharmfulUVradiationfromreachingtheearth.Thisisoneofthemost
importantcurrentenvironmentalproblem.

11.AcidRain:Acidrainoccursduetothepresenceofcertainpollutantsintheatmosphere.Acidraincan
becausedduetocombustionoffossilfuelsoreruptingvolcanoesorrottingvegetationwhich

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5/29/2017 15CurrentEnvironmentalProblemsThatOurWorldisFacingConserveEnergyFuture

releasesulfurdioxideandnitrogenoxidesintotheatmosphere.Acidrainisaknownenvironmental
problemthatcanhaveseriouseffectonhumanhealth,wildlifeandaquaticspecies.

12.WaterPollution:Cleandrinkingwaterisbecomingararecommodity.Waterisbecomingan
economicandpoliticalissueasthehumanpopulationfightsforthisresource.Oneoftheoptions
suggestedisusingtheprocessofdesalinization.Industrialdevelopmentisfillingourriversseasand
oceanswithtoxicpollutantswhichareamajorthreattohumanhealth.

13.UrbanSprawl:Urbansprawlreferstomigrationofpopulationfromhighdensityurbanareastolow
densityruralareaswhichresultsinspreadingofcityovermoreandmoreruralland.Urbansprawlresults
inlanddegradation,increasedtraffic,environmentalissuesandhealthissues.Theevergrowingdemand
oflanddisplacesnaturalenvironmentconsistingoffloraandfaunainsteadofbeingreplaced.

14:PublicHealthIssues:Thecurrentenvironmentalproblemsposealotofrisktohealthofhumans,and
animals.Dirtywateristhebiggesthealthriskoftheworldandposesthreattothequalityoflifeand
publichealth.Runofftoriverscarriesalongtoxins,chemicalsanddiseasecarryingorganisms.Pollutants
causerespiratorydiseaselikeAsthmaandcardiacvascularproblems.Hightemperaturesencouragethe
spreadofinfectiousdiseaseslikeDengue.

15.GeneticEngineering:Geneticmodificationoffoodusingbiotechnologyiscalledgenetic
engineering.Geneticmodificationoffoodresultsinincreasedtoxinsanddiseasesasgenesfroman
allergicplantcantransfertotargetplant.Geneticallymodifiedcropscancauseseriousenvironmental
problemsasanengineeredgenemayprovetoxictowildlife.Anotherdrawbackisthatincreaseduseof
toxinstomakeinsectresistantplantcancauseresultantorganismstobecomeresistanttoantibiotics.

Theneedforchangeinourdailylivesandthemovementsofourgovernmentisgrowing.Becauseso
manydifferentfactorscomeintoplayvoting,governmentalissues,thedesiretosticktoroutine,many
peopledontconsiderthatwhattheydowillaffectfuturegenerations.Ifhumanscontinuemoving

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5/29/2017 15CurrentEnvironmentalProblemsThatOurWorldisFacingConserveEnergyFuture

forwardinsuchaharmfulwaytowardsthefuture,thentherewillbenofuturetoconsider.Althoughits
truethatwecannotphysicallystopourozonelayerfromthinning(andscientistsarestillhavingtrouble
figuringoutwhatiscausingitexactly,)therearestillsomanythingswecandototryandputadentin
whatwealreadyknow.Byraisingawarenessinyourlocalcommunityandwithinyourfamiliesabout
theseissues,youcanhelpcontributetoamoreenvironmentallyconsciousandfriendlyplaceforyouto
live.

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