19 Contemporary environmental issues and debates

Ajeet Jaiswal

epgp books

 

 

 

Contents:

 

1.      Introduction:

2.      Environmental Problems

3.      Human ecology

4.      Global Environmental Issues

5.    Important Global Environmental Issues: Pollution, Global Warming, Overpopulation, Natural Resource Depletion, Waste Disposal, Climate Change, Loss of Biodiversity, Deforestation, Ocean Acidification, Ozone Layer Depletion, Acid Rain, Water Pollution, Urban Sprawl, Public Health Issues, Genetic Engineering, Industrial and Household Waste.

6.    Debate on Global Environmental Issues: Contamination of Drinking Water, Water Pollution, Air Pollution, Wildlife Conservation and Species Extinction, Loss of Tropical Rainforests, Climate Change/Global Warming, The other debatable environment issues are: Biological pollutants, Carbon footprint, Consumerism, Dams and their impact on the environment, Ecosystem destruction, Energy conservation, Fishing and its effect on marine ecosystems, Food safety, Genetic engineering, Intensive farming, Land degradation, Land use, Deforestation, Mining, Nanotechnology and future effects of nanopollution/nanotoxicology, Natural disasters, Nuclear issues, Other pollution issues, Overpopulation, Resource depletion, Soil contamination, Sustainable communities, Toxins, Waste,

7.      Need for change and awareness,

Summary

    Learning objectives:

  • This module examines interactions that occur between people and their environments. You will assess how development and human processes combine to affect environmental change, and adopt a focus topic approach to examine several critical environmental issues.
  • The study of this module enables the students at postgraduate level to investigate current examples of global environmental change to analyse how biophysical systems operate and how they are impacted upon by human.

    1. Introduction

 

It is high time for human beings to take the ‘right’ action towards saving the earth from major environmental issues. If ignored today, these ill effects are sure to curb human existence in the near future. Our planet earth has a natural environment, known as ‘Ecosystem’ which includes all humans, plant life, mountains, glaciers, atmosphere, rocks, galaxy, massive oceans and seas. It also includes natural resources such as water, electric charge, fire, magnetism, air and climate. (Smith, 1984).

 

Technological developments are resulting in resource depletion and environmental destruction. Modern technologies used in the engineering and manufacturing industry have a major impact on our life in past few years. Due to the rapid changes in the engineering and manufacturing industry have been drastic changes in the environment (Harris, 2017). Engineering and manufacturing industry have increased the use of materials like metals, plastic, oil and rubber. These are used in the production of numerous end products which can be associated with different industries such as Car production units, shipping industries, Cotton mills, plastics industries, Coal mining, heavy machineries and etc which are causing numerous arduous effects and are considered to be non-environment friendly.

 

Crucial environmental issues are no more a blame game. While most of us crib about dirty air, smelly garbage or polluted water, least do we know it is “us” who is responsible for this unfavorable circumstances leading to cautionary environmental issues.

 

2. Environmental Problems

 

Our environment is constantly changing. There is no denying that. However, as our environment changes, so does the need to become increasingly aware of the problems that surround it. With a massive influx of natural disasters, warming and cooling periods, different types of weather patterns and much more, people need to be aware of what types of environmental problems our planet is facing. Global warming has become an undisputed fact about our current livelihoods; our planet is warming up and we are definitely part of the problem. However, this isn’t the only environmental problem that we should be concerned about. All across the world, people are facing a wealth of new and challenging environmental problems every day. Some of them are small and only affect a few ecosystems, but others are drastically changing the landscape of what we already know.

 

Our planet is poised at the brink of a severe environmental crisis. Current environmental problems make us vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the future. We are in a state of planetary emergency, with environmental problems piling up high around us. Unless we address the various issues prudently and seriously we are surely doomed for disaster. Current environmental problems require urgent attention.

 

3. Human ecology

 

Human ecology is the study of the interactions of humans with their environments, or the study of the distribution and abundance of humans. This definition is based directlyon conventional definitions of biological ecology. Ecology is usually defined as the study of interactions of organisms with their environments and each other. More pointedly, it can be defined as the study of the distribution and abundance of organisms. This definition is deceptive. It implies much more than it says explicitly because virtually everything that humans are or do (and the same goes for any species) affects their distribution and abundance. Thus, using the term “human ecology” actually expresses a broad ambition to understand human behavior (Odum, 1968; Odum, and Barrett, 2005).

 

4. Global Environmental Issues

 

There is much to celebrate and appreciate about the world we live in. It includes our environment. However, mostly due to our actions we are altering the very environment, which sustains us. It would be very difficult for us to live in an unfriendly environment. This module exposes you to the various global environmental issues or concerns and possible strategies to cope with them.

 

Increased human activity, urbanization, industrialization have led to rapid deterioration of the environment. This has severely affected the life supporting system. The developmental discrepancies in different regions of the world pose a serious threat to our common global environment. Consequently, we are confronted with complex environmental issues deserving attention.

 

5. Important Global Environmental Issues:

The important global environmental issues are:

 

i)   Pollution: Pollution of air, water and soil require millions of years to recoup. Industry and motor vehicle exhaust are the number one pollutants. Heavy metals, nitrates and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution. While water pollution is caused by oil spill, acid rain, urban runoff; air pollution is caused by various gases and toxins released by industries and factories and combustion of fossil fuels; soil pollution is majorly caused by industrial waste that deprives soil from essential nutrients (Callenbach, 1999).

 

ii)     Global Warming: Climate changes like global warming is  the result of human practices like emission of Greenhouse gases. Global warming leads to rising temperatures of the oceans and the earth’ surface causing melting of polar ice caps, rise in sea levels and also unnatural patterns of precipitation such as flash floods, excessive snow or desertification (Bharucha, 2013)

Figure 1. Global Warming

(Source: Bharucha, 2013)

 

iii)   Overpopulation: The population of the planet is reaching unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of resources like water, fuel and food. Population explosion in less developed and developing countries is straining the already scarce resources. Intensive agriculture practiced to produce food damages the environment through use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides. Overpopulation is one of the crucial current environmental problem (Gadgil, 2010).

 

iv)   Natural Resource Depletion: Natural resource depletion is another crucial current environmental problem. Fossil fuel consumption results in emission of Greenhouse gases, which is responsible for global warming and climate change. Globally, people are taking efforts to shift to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, biogas and geothermal energy. The cost of installing the infrastructure and maintaining these sources has plummeted in the recent years (Miller, 1997).

 

v)   Waste Disposal: The over consumption of resources and creation of plastics are creating a global crisis of waste disposal. Developed countries are notorious for producing an excessive amount of waste or garbage and dumping their waste in the oceans and, less developed countries. Nuclear waste disposal has tremendous health hazards associated with it. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes threaten the well being of humans. Waste disposal is one of urgent current environmental problem (Shukla et al., 2013).

 

vi)   Climate Change: Climate change is yet another environmental problem that has surfaced in last couple of decades. It occurs due to rise in global warming which occurs due to increase in temperature of atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels and release of harmful gases by industries. Climate change has various harmful effects but not limited to melting of polar ice, change in seasons, occurrence of new diseases, frequent occurrence of floods and change in overall weather scenario (Callenbach, 1999).

 

vii)   Loss of Biodiversity: Human activity is leading to the extinction of species and habitats and and loss of bio-diversity. Eco systems, which took millions of years to perfect, are in danger when any species population is decimating. Balance of natural processes like pollination is crucial to the survival of the eco-system and human activity threatens the same. Another example is the destruction of coral reefs in the various oceans, which support the rich marine life (Golley, 2000).

 

viii)   Deforestation: Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating temperature and rainfall. At present forests cover 30% of the land but every year tree cover is lost amounting to the country of Panama due to growing population demand for more food, shelter and cloth. Deforestation simply means clearing of green cover and make that land available for residential, industrial or commercial purpose (Callenbach, 1999).

 

ix)   Ocean Acidification: It is a direct impact of excessive production of CO2. 25% of CO2 produced by humans. The ocean acidity has increased by the last 250 years but by 2100, it may shoot up by 150%. The main impact is on shellfish and plankton in the same way as human osteoporosis (De, 2000).

 

x)   Ozone Layer Depletion: Ozone layer is a layer of gas that sits 25-30 km above earth’s surface. It mainly contains contain ozone which is a naturally occurring molecule containing three oxygen atoms. This layer is present in the stratosphere and prevents too many harmful UV (ultra violet) radiations from entering the earth. Ozone layer is capable of absorbing 97-99% of the harmful ultraviolet radiations that are emitted by sun (Gadgil, 2001).

 

However, during last several decades, human and industrial activity has contributed a lot which has resulted in considerable reduction in the ozone layer of the atmosphere. The main cause of depletion of ozone layer is determined as excessive release of chlorine and bromine from man-made compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), halons, CH3CCl3 (Methyl chloroform), CCl4 (Carbon tetrachloride), HCFCs (hydro-chlorofluorocarbons), hydro bromo fluoro carbons and methyl bromide are found to have direct impact on the depletion of the ozone layer.

 

xi)  Acid Rain: Acid rain simply means rain that is acidic in nature due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. These pollutants come in the atmosphere due to car or industrial processes. Acid rain can occur in form of rain, snow, fog or dry material that settle to earth. Acid rain may cause due to erupting volcanoes, rotting vegetation and sea sprays that produce sulfur dioxide and fires, bacterial decomposition and lightening generate nitrogen dioxide.

 

Acid rain can also be caused due to man-made sources which include combustion of fossil fuels which release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Acid rain can have devastating effects on aquatic life, forests, public health and architecture and buildings. (Bharucha, 2013)

Figure 2. Acid Rain

(Source: Bharucha, 2013)

 

xii)    Water Pollution: Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political issue as the human population fights for this resource. One of the options suggested is using the process of desalinization. Industrial development is filling our rivers seas and oceans with toxic pollutants which are a major threat to human health (Bharucha, 2013).

 

xiii)   Urban Sprawl: Urban sprawl refers to migration of population from high density urban areas to low density rural areas which results in spreading of city over more and more rural land. Urban sprawl results in land degradation, increased traffic, environmental issues and health issues. The ever growing demand of land displaces natural environment consisting of flora and fauna instead of being replaced. Not only India and China are classic examples of over population and urban sprawl leading to land degradation. Today almost all countries are using the land irresponsibly to meet the ever-growing demand of the greedy human wishes. The expansion of industrial areas has not only led to land degradation and soil pollution, but the habitat destruction is a terrible misery. Natural environment consisting of flora and fauna is indiscriminately destructed and lost completely instead of being replaced. This in the long run has harmful impact for human survival and cause serious environmental issue (Lewis, 2003).

 

xiv)  Public Health Issues: The current environmental problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans, and animals. Dirty water is the biggest health risk of the world and poses threat to the quality of life and public health. Run-off to rivers carries along toxins, chemicals and disease carrying organisms. Pollutants cause respiratory disease like Asthma and cardiac-vascular problems. High temperatures encourage the spread of infectious diseases like Dengue (Lewis, 2003).

 

xv)      Genetic Engineering: Genetic modification of food using biotechnology is called genetic engineering. Genetic modification of food results in increased toxins and diseases as genes from an allergic plant can transfer to target plant. Genetically modified crops can cause serious environmental problems as an engineered gene may prove toxic to wildlife. Another drawback is that increased use of toxins to make insect resistant plant can cause resultant organisms to become resistant to antibiotics (Jaiswal, 2013).

 

xvi)   Industrial and Household Waste: At present, tons of garbage is produced by each household each year. Items that can be recycled are sent to local recycling unit while other items become a part of the landfills or sent to third world countries. Due to increase in demand for food, shelter and house, more goods are produced. This resulted in creation of more waste that needs to be disposed of. Most waste is buried underground in landfill sites. The presence of huge landfills sites across the city pose serious environmental concerns. It affects human health, degrades soil quality, effects wildlife, cause air pollution and results in climate change (Jaiswal, 2013).

 

6. Debate on Global Environmental Issues

 

According to Gallup polls conducted in 2016, Americans are most concerned about six issues (Gallup’s annual Environment survey).

 

(i) Contamination of Drinking Water

 

Contamination of fresh water used for household needs, including pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, ranks top on the list of environmental concerns for 61% of Americans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2016) has set standards to ensure quality of drinking water to protect public health by limiting levels of various contaminants like microorganisms, disinfectants and their byproducts, inorganic compounds, organic compounds and radionuclides. However, levels of toxic fluoridated compounds are above minimum levels prescribed by EPA in 33 states across the U.S. (Havard Gazette, 2016).

 

(ii) Water Pollution

 

General worry over water pollution and associated environmental issues greatly concerns more than half of all Americans who participated in the 2016 poll. Many water sources like streams, rivers and oceans are getting polluted. Related issues include acid rain, nutrient pollution, ocean dumping, urban runoff, oil spills, ocean acidification, and wastewater. A 2016 Guardian report says half the rivers in Asia, Africa and South American are polluted. In the U.S. there are 12 to 18 million water borne diseases reported in a year, half of which are spread through rains. Globally, “certain food borne disease outbreaks” are linked to water pollution (Kate, 2015).

 

(iii) Air Pollution

 

Concerns over air pollution (Jared, 2014) have remained steady over the last decade, with more than 40 percent of Americans worried about indoor and outdoor air quality, carbon emissions, and pollutants like particulate matter, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, radon and refrigerants. Ninety two percent of the world population lives in places with polluted air (World Health Organization report, 2016). Each year, three million deaths occur due to outdoor air pollution. Though the situation is better in the U.S., there were still approximately 200,000 premature deaths due to air pollution mainly caused by car emissions (Massachusetts Institute of Technology report, 2013).

 

(iv) Wildlife Conservation and Species Extinction

 

More than 40 percent of Americans expressed concern about wildlife conservation and associated environmental issues, such as endangered species, animal and plant extinction, coral bleaching, introduction of invasive species, poaching, and loss of natural animal habitats. The world is currently experiencing its sixth extinction event driven by human activities (World Wildlife Fund report, 2015). It is estimated to be 1000-10,000 times faster than natural extinction rates and each year 200-2000 species go extinct. Mother Nature Network (MNN) reports that 38% of all land animals and 81% of fresh water vertebrates went extinct between 1970 to 2012, due to habitat loss and land degradation.

 

(v) Loss of Tropical Rainforests

 

Nearly 40% of Americans are worried about distant problems like loss of tropical forests. Rain forests cover only 2% of land but support 50% of its species (Rhett , 2012). Yet among tropical forests the area of rainforests cleared is the maximum, and most of it is export driven. “Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed,” (Rhett , 2012).

 

(vi) Climate Change/Global Warming

 

Climate change and issues related to global warming, was a concern for 37% of the Americans in 2016. This includes tropospheric ozone depletion caused by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). Increases in levels of emissions of greenhouse gases by people trap heat and have resulted in global warming. NASA records that temperatures are 1.70F more since 1880, a decrease of 13% per decade in Arctic ice cover and about a 7-inch increase in sea levels over the last 100 years. Moreover, warmer oceans, glaciers melting on mountain tops, and extreme events increasing in U.S. are presented as evidence of climate change by NASA.

 

The other debatable environment issues are:

 

(vii) Biological pollutants:

 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2016) says that “biological contaminants are, or are produced by, living things.” These include bacteria, viruses, molds, mildew, dander, dust, mites, and pollen, as indoor pollutants. They are found in places where there is food and moisture available. They can cause allergic reactions or infectious diseases, to which children and elderly people are more susceptible.

 

(viii) Carbon footprint:

 

A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon emissions each person creates. Individuals can reduce this footprint and their effect on the environment, through use of renewable energy sources (solar power, geothermal heat pumps), recycling, and sustainable living (Jared, 2014).

 

(ix) Consumerism:

 

Over-consumption affects the planet. Natural resources are finite and are being destroyed by current consumption patterns. A 2017 scientific study says (Baiocchi, et.al, 2010) global supply chains are threatening species in many biodiversity hotspots. Moreover 50-80% of resource use is dictated by household consumption, according to another 2015 study (Stadler et.al, 2015).

 

(x) Dams and their impact on the environment:

 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports there are 48,000 dams in the world, built to provide water for drinking and irrigation, and energy. However, they lead to habitat destruction, species loss, and displacing millions of people (World Wildlife Fund report, 2015).

 

(xi) Ecosystem destruction:

 

Shrinking habitats such as aquaculture, estuaries, shellfish protection, landscaping, and wetlands are responsible for species loss, and can be protected through ecological restoration. Though global initiatives, like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that was signed by nearly 200 countries, increasingly protect ecosystems a scientific review in 2016 found nearly half of habitats are still severely threatened (scientific review, 2016).

 

(xii) Energy conservation:

 

Use of renewable energy for home and business, effecting energy efficiency, and avoiding fossil fuel use to mitigate climate change and protect the environment (Kinhal, 2016).

 

(xiii) Fishing and its effect on marine ecosystems:

 

Many forms of fishing like blast fishing, cyanide fishing, bottom trawling, whaling, and over-fishing have had an adverse effect on aquatic life. According to MNN, there has been a decrease in populations of 36% of species, from sardines to baleen whales, due to over-harvesting Mother Nature Network, 2016).

 

(xiv) Food safety:

 

The effects that additives like hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, and toxic contamination, or that lack of quality control can have on health. “Each year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from eating contaminated food,” reports Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015).

 

(xv) Genetic engineering:

 

People are concerned about genetically modified foods (GMOs) and genetic pollution. Nearly 85% of food in U.S. had GMOs in 2015, and were difficult to identify as they are not required to be labeled, points out National Geographic (Worrall, 2015).

 

(xvi) Intensive farming:

 

Monoculture, irrigation, and excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides leads to loss of soil fertility and increase in carbon emissions according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Similarly, cattle rearing in industrial farming relies on antibiotics that pose a health risk for people. Moreover, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Prevention of Climate Change (IPPC) points out in many parts of the world, cattle rearing causes overgrazing, forest destruction and degradation, and methane emissions.

 

(xvii) Land degradation:

 

Land degradation affects 1.5 billion people around the world according to the United Nations (UN). It is brought about by farming, grazing, clearing of forests, and logging. Extreme degradation leads to desertification due to which 12 million hectares become unproductive annually.

 

(xviii) Land use:

 

Changes that result in replacing natural vegetation with urban sprawl and farms leads to habitat destruction, fragmentation, lack of free space for people and more carbon emissions, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

 

(xix) Deforestation:

 

Logging and clear-cutting destroy wildlife habitats and are among the leading causes of species extinction. Moreover this also contributes to global warming as trees trap greenhouse gas emissions, and in their absence these emissions increase, according to National Geographic.

 

(xx) Mining:

 

Mining has negatively impacted natural forests and wildlife, hurt living environment for people, leads to leaching of toxic pollutants and heavy metals that pollute water, land, and air, points out Patagonia Alliance, and therefore recommends responsible mining practices. Acid mine drainage also threaten water resources reports Encyclopedia.com.

 

(xxi) Nanotechnology and future effects of nanopollution/nanotoxicology:

 

Nano particles could pollute soil and groundwater, and eventually get into the food chain, where they can be a health risk. However, the health risks they pose are unknown since research in this area has been deemed irresponsible and therefore unfeasible, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers.

 

(xxii) Natural disasters:

 

Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, avalanches, landslides and forest fires are natural disasters that people and environment are threatened by says BBC. As the UCS report on global warming points out that, there has been an increase in extreme weather events like snow fall, storms and floods in U.S. linked to climate change. Statista reports that besides the U.S., China and the Philippines are the worst affected, with total fatalities amounting to several hundred thousands.

 

(xxiii) Nuclear issues:

 

Concern over impacts of the populations’ reliance on nuclear power such as nuclear fallout, nuclear meltdown, and production of long lasting radioactive waste trouble many Americans. Greenpeace, (2016) considers nuclear energy slow and expensive, concluding that the risks far outweigh its benefits.

 

(xxiv) Other pollution issues:

 

Light pollution and noise pollution can affect the quality of residential life, human health and behavior. About 100 million Americans are affected by noise pollution according to Mercola. The New York Times outlines the effect light pollution has on plants and animals by upsetting their natural biological clocks, affecting migratory birds, insects, and even aquatic life (Fleur, 2016).

 

(xxv) Overpopulation:

 

Overpopulation may seem to impact the environment by straining resources, but as Population Reference Bureau, 2015 points out, this is complicated by consumption patterns, government policy, availability of technologies, and regions where the population rise occurs.

 

(xxvi) Resource depletion:

 

Finite natural resources are being over-exploited. Ecowatch reports that resources extraction has tripled in the last 40 years driven by a “growing middle class.” Besides causing climate change, there is a danger that the world can run out of necessary materials and affect the economy and human’s well-being (Kirby, 2016).

 

(xxvii) Soil contamination:

 

Soil erosion, soil salinization, and soil contamination by waste, pesticides, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants worries Americans. Soil is necessary for supporting life and economy.

 

(xxviii) Sustainable communities:

 

Development of sustainable communities depends on reducing reliance on fossil fuels, supporting local farmers and merchants, encouraging green practices and building, consideration of native wildlife, adoption of mass transportation and cleaner methods of commuting. Sustainable development is necessary to ensure human needs like housing are met, to protect resources and biodiversity, to control climate change, and for a stable economy (Ketcham, 2015).

 

(xxix) Toxins:

 

Toxic chemicals are used in industry, agriculture, laboratories, hospitals, waste management systems and even residential homes, and include chlorofluorocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, toxic waste, PCB, DDT, bioaccumulation, endocrine disruptors, asbestos. These can also arise from poorly implemented hazardous waste management. These can be solid, liquid or gaseous and can pollute air, water and soil. When they enter the food-chain, they pose a health risk especially for children and elderly people according to National Geographic.

 

(xxx) Waste:

 

Waste generation and management create a slew of environmental issues, such as litter, landfills, incineration, marine debris, e-waste, and contamination of water and soil caused by improper disposal and leaching toxins, according to Encyclopedia.com.

 

7. Need for change and awareness:

 

The need for change in our daily lives and the movements of our government is growing. Because so many different factors come into play; voting, governmental issues, the desire to stick to routine, many people don’t consider that what they do will affect future generations. If humans continue moving forward in such a harmful way towards the future, then there will be no future to consider. Although it’s true that we cannot physically stop our ozone layer from thinning (and scientists are still having trouble figuring out what is causing it exactly,) there are still so many things we can do to try and put a dent in what we already know. By raising awareness in your local community and within your families about these issues, you can help contribute to a more environmentally conscious and friendly place for you to live. As Environmental protection and preservation of the planet is the responsibility of every individual and community on Earth. Identify a concern of interest from the above list to take action on a personal and household level to have an impact on the planet and to educate other members of in the community on environmental issues.

 

Summary

  • It is high time for human beings to take the ‘right’ action towards saving the earth from major environmental issues.
  • Due to the rapid changes in the engineering and manufacturing industry have been drastic changes in the environment
  • Crucial environmental issues are no more a blame game.
  • Our environment is constantly changing. There is no denying that.
  • Global warming has become an undisputed fact about our current livelihoods; Our planet is poised at the brink of a severe environmental crisis.
  • Human ecology is the study of the interactions of humans with their environments, or the study of the distribution and abundance of humans.
  • There is much to celebrate and appreciate about the world we live in. It includes our environment.
  • Increased human activity, urbanization, industrialization have led to rapid deterioration of the environment.
  • Pollution of air, water and soil require millions of years to recoup. Industry and motor vehicle exhaust are the number one pollutants.
  • Climate changes like global warming is the result of human practices like emission of Greenhouse gases.
  • The population of the planet is reaching unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of resources like water, fuel and food. Population explosion in less developed and developing countries is straining the already scarce resources.
  • Natural resource depletion is another crucial current environmental problem.
  • The over consumption of resources and creation of plastics are creating a global crisis of waste disposal.
  • Climate change is yet another environmental problem that has surfaced in last couple of decades. Human activity is leading to the extinction of species and habitats and and loss of bio-diversity. Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating temperature and rainfall.
  • Ocean Acidification is a direct impact of excessive production of CO2. 25% of CO2 produced by humans.
  • Ozone layer is a layer of gas that sits 25-30 km above earth’s surface.
  • However, during last several decades, human and industrial activity has contributed a lot which has resulted in considerable reduction in the ozone layer of the atmosphere.
  • Acid rain simply means rain that is acidic in nature due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere.
  • Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity.
  • Urban sprawl refers to migration of population from high density urban areas to low density rural areas which results in spreading of city over more and more rural land.
  • The current environmental problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans, and animals.
  • Genetic modification of food using biotechnology is called genetic engineering. At present, tons of garbage is produced by each household each year.
  • According to Gallup polls conducted in 2016, Americans are most concerned about six issues. The need for change in our daily lives and the movements of our government is growing.
  • By raising awareness in your local community and within your families about these issues, you can help contribute to a more environmentally conscious and friendly place for you to live.
you can view video on Contemporary environmental issues and debates

 

Glossary

 

1.   Pollution: Pollution of air, water and soil require millions of years to recoup. Industry and motor vehicle exhaust are the number one pollutants. Heavy metals, nitrates and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution. While water pollution is caused by oil spill, acid rain, urban runoff; air pollution is caused by various gases and toxins released by industries and factories and combustion of fossil fuels; soil pollution is majorly caused by industrial waste that deprives soil from essential nutrients.

  

2.  Global Warming: Climate changes like global warming is the result of human practices like emission of Greenhouse gases. Global warming leads to rising temperatures of the oceans and the earth’ surface causing melting of polar ice caps, rise in sea levels and also unnatural patterns of precipitation such as flash floods, excessive snow or desertification

 

3.   Overpopulation: The population of the planet is reaching unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of resources like water, fuel and food. Population explosion in less developed and developing countries is straining the already scarce resources. Intensive agriculture practiced to produce food damages the environment through use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides. Overpopulation is one of the crucial current environmental problem.

  

4.  Natural Resource Depletion: Natural resource depletion is another crucial current environmental problem. Fossil fuel consumption results in emission of Greenhouse gases, which is responsible for global warming and climate change. Globally, people are taking efforts to shift to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, biogas and geothermal energy. The cost of installing the infrastructure and maintaining these sources has plummeted in the recent years.

 

5.   Waste Disposal: The over consumption of resources and creation of plastics are creating a global crisis of waste disposal. Developed countries are notorious for producing an excessive amount of waste or garbage and dumping their waste in the oceans and, less developed countries. Nuclear waste disposal has tremendous health hazards associated with it. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes threaten the well being of humans. Waste disposal is one of urgent current environmental problem.

   6.   Climate Change: Climate change is yet another environmental problem that has surfaced in last couple of decades. It occurs due to rise in global warming which occurs due to increase in temperature of atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels and release of harmful gases by industries. Climate change has various harmful effects but not limited to melting of polar ice, change in seasons, occurrence of new diseases, frequent occurrence of floods and change in overall weather scenario.

 

 7.  Loss of Biodiversity: Human activity is leading to the extinction of species and habitats and and loss of bio-diversity. Eco systems, which took millions of years to perfect, are in danger when any species population is decimating. Balance of natural processes like pollination is crucial to the survival of the eco-system and human activity threatens the same. Another example is the destruction of coral reefs in the various oceans, which support the rich marine life.

  

8.   Deforestation: Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating temperature and rainfall. At present forests cover 30% of the land but every year tree cover is lost amounting to the country of Panama due to growing population demand for more food, shelter and cloth. Deforestation simply means clearing of green cover and make that land available for residential, industrial or commercial purpose.

 

9. Ocean Acidification: It is a direct impact of excessive production of CO2. 25% of CO2 produced by humans. The ocean acidity has increased by the last 250 years but by 2100, it may shoot up by 150%. The main impact is on shellfish and plankton in the same way as human osteoporosis.

   10.    Ozone Layer Depletion: Ozone layer is a layer of gas that sits 25-30 km above earth’s surface. It mainly contains contain ozone which is a naturally occurring molecule containing three oxygen atoms. This layer is present in the stratosphere and prevents too many harmful UV (ultra violet) radiations from entering the earth. Ozone layer is capable of absorbing 97-99% of the harmful ultraviolet radiations that are emitted by sun.

 

11.    Acid Rain: Acid rain simply means rain that is acidic in nature due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. These pollutants come in the atmosphere due to car or industrial processes. Acid rain can occur in form of rain, snow, fog or dry material that settle to earth. Acid rain may cause due to erupting volcanoes, rotting vegetation and sea sprays that produce sulfur dioxide and fires, bacterial decomposition and lightening generate nitrogen dioxide.

  

12.   Water Pollution: Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political issue as the human population fights for this resource. One of the options suggested is using the process of desalinization. Industrial development is filling our rivers seas and oceans with toxic pollutants which are a major threat to human health.

  

13.   Urban Sprawl: Urban sprawl refers to migration of population from high density urban areas to low density rural areas which results in spreading of city over more and more rural land. Urban sprawl results in land degradation, increased traffic, environmental issues and health issues. The ever growing demand of land displaces natural environment consisting of flora and fauna instead of being replaced.

 

14:   Public Health Issues: The current environmental problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans, and animals. Dirty water is the biggest health risk of the world and poses threat to the quality of life and public health. Run-off to rivers carries along toxins, chemicals and disease carrying organisms. Pollutants cause respiratory disease like Asthma and cardiac-vascular problems. High temperatures encourage the spread of infectious diseases like Dengue

 

15.   Genetic Engineering: Genetic modification of food using biotechnology is called genetic engineering. Genetic modification of food results in increased toxins and diseases as genes from an allergic plant can transfer to target plant. Genetically modified crops can cause serious environmental problems as an engineered gene may prove toxic to wildlife. Another drawback is that increased use of toxins to make insect resistant plant can cause resultant organisms to become resistant to antibiotics.

 

16.     Industrial and Household Waste: At present, tons of garbage is produced by each household each year. Items that can be recycled are sent to local recycling unit while other items become a part of the landfills or sent to third world countries. Due to increase in demand for food, shelter and house, more goods are produced. This resulted in creation of more waste that needs to be disposed of. Most waste is buried underground in landfill sites. The presence of huge landfills sites across the city pose serious environmental concerns. It affects human health, degrades soil quality, effects wildlife, cause air pollution and results in climate change.

 

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