Environment

The most important environmental problems

Most people consider climate change and pollution the most serious problems nowadays. People are
increasingly aware that they are influencing climate change with the production of greenhouse gases. The
melting polar ice caps and catastrophic weather conditions have made people realise what a great and real
problem global warming is. Polluting industries, vehicular traffic, and residential buildings pollute the
environment to such an extent that the ozone layer is getting depleted and the reserves of potable water are
becoming scarce.

Other environmental concerns

Due to overconsumption and overpopulation, natural resources are rapidly diminishing, so oil and natural gas,
timber, minerals, and water resources are disappearing. A great number of plant and animal species are
becoming extinct or losing their natural habitats because of irresponsible human activities. The industrial world
is characterised by a throwaway lifestyle that is not sustainable in the long run. The amount of waste that the
developed world generates is really shocking, so we should reduce consumption and shift to smart consumption
and recycling.

How can we conserve the environment

Conserving the environment has become a major social and political issue, and it has become obvious that the
whole world has to participate and cooperate to find a permanent solution. First of all, energy consumption and
pollution should be drastically reduced, and the most polluting industries should be closed down. People should
be encouraged to shift to environmentally friendly and renewable sources of energy, and use reclaimed,
recycled and biodegradable materials. To help endangered species, sanctuaries for wildlife should be
established and its natural habitats should be restored, for example, with planting trees and draining swamps
caused by human activity. In order to solve the problem of overpopulation, governments should develop
feasible family planning programmes.

Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect means the rise in temperature on Earth caused by water vapour, clouds, and gases, such
as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide which trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would
escape back into space and the Earth would not be warm enough for humans to live on. Greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere behave like the glass panes in a greenhouse letting in light and keeping heat from escaping.
Although the greenhouse effect is essential for life on earth, when it becomes too strong, it increases the
temperature on Earth causing global warming.

The Kyoto Protocol

It is an international agreement that aims at reducing the emissions of certain greenhouse gases, mainly carbon
dioxide. The Kyoto Protocol determines to what extent the participating countries have to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions during a specific period. It allows countries to trade with so-called Carbon Credits,
which are units that can be bought and sold, that is, countries that produce more pollution than allowed can buy
these credits from less polluting countries with excess allowances.

How getting rid of rubbish contribute to pollution

Since most of our domestic waste is either dumped or incinerated, it pollutes the environment by contaminating
the soil, the air, and the water. When the waste buried with earth in landfills decomposes, it forms poisonous
substances which seep into the soil, and the rotting of organic matter also produces methane, a powerful
greenhouse gas. Another big problem is that chemicals from batteries, oil and detergents get washed into rivers,
lakes and oceans. Incinerating rubbish is also harmful to the environment because hazardous emissions are
produced in the process.
Recycling household rubbish

Though recycling is not the best solution to environmental problems, we can protect our environment by
ensuring that as much of our rubbish as possible gets recycled by placing it in the appropriate containers.
Stationery, packaging, books, toilet paper, and kitchen towels can be made from used paper and cardboard.
Glass can be melted down to make bottles, windowpanes and glassware, and metal can also be smelted for
reuse. Recycled plastic can be found in bottles, bin bags, and insulation, for example. Old clothes and textiles
can also be made into new yarn or fabric, and even waste oil from car oil changes can be processed into
lubricating and heating oil. Biodegradable organic waste can, of course, be composted to become natural
fertilizer for plants.

Shop in an eco-friendly way

We can choose green products instead of products made by firms that pollute the environment. In Europe, we
can look for the Eco-label that recognizes green technology, or products with three arrows in a triangle, which
means that the product is either recyclable or that some of its contents are recycled. We should also refrain from
buying over-packaged goods and using plastic carrier bags that are not biodegradable. We can buy drinks in
glass bottles instead of plastic ones, or cartons. Using recycled paper and phosphate-free detergents is also
environmentally friendly.

Deforestation

The rates of the destruction of forests are particularly high in the tropics, deforestation is a major problem all
over the world. The causes of deforestation vary from place to place but the most frequent cases are logging,
agricultural expansion, and mining.

Endangered species

Vitally important is to regulate hunting animals and those who don't obey the rules and regulations must be
severely penalised. The trade of products prepared from endangered animals must be banned. In addition, the
natural habitat of endangered species must be protected. Native species must be reintroduced to their natural
habitats, and rubbish must be removed to provide a safe environment.

Energy production

There are two main types of energy sources: renewable and non-renewable energy sources. The main renewable
energy sources are biomass, ethanol, biodiesel, hydropower, geothermal energy, wind, and solar power. The
most used forms of non-renewable energy are oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.

Geothermal energy is obtained from the internal heat of the Earth. This can be recovered as steam or hot water
and then used to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings. The direct use of this kind of energy has
almost no environmental impact.

Today's wind turbines use blades to collect the wind's kinetic energy. They don't stand alone but form wind
farms where a number of wind machines are scattered over a large area. These wind farms, some say, create
noise and ruin the landscape.

The use of solar energy depends on the location, time of day, time of year, and weather conditions. On the other
hand it doesn't produce any air or water pollution or greenhouse gases. The panels are quiet and almost
maintenance free.