Environmental problems can be found all
over the world, and they affect land, water and air.
These problems include deforestation, soil erosion, damage to ecosystems and reductions in biodiversity. Other
problems are climate change, damage to the ozone layer, urban
pollution, and acid rain.
Deforestation
One of the biggest enviromental problem
is deforestation. In the Amazon forest in particular, trees are cut to provide more land for agriculture. This is threatening the
survival of many animal species, for example the jaguar. In Borneo
and Sumatra the orang-utan is under threat for the same reason.
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| Deforestation in Amazon forest |
Deforestation can also lead to soil
erosion, infact trees stabilize the soil with their roots, reduce the
intensity of rainfall that hits the ground, and help soils retain
moisture. Deforestation on hill and mountain sides can lead to
flooding, as water is then able to run unimpeded down the slopes, and
can also result in disastrous mudslides.
Air Pollution
Air pollution affects the atmosphere,
oceans, lakes, rivers, and also land. Many human activities release
toxic chemicals substances into the air or into water, which can go
on to damage the environment or cause ill health in people.
A very important problem is depletion
of the ozone layer: this layer absorbs ultraviolet light, but the
release of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons, used in aerosol
sprays, damages this layer, and potentially increasing exposure of
humans, animals and plants to dangerous levels of ultraviolet light.
These chemicals have been banned in the USA and Canada, but many
other countries are still using them.
Air pollution can also take the form of
tiny particles. Many combustion processes, such as wood and coal
fires, wood stoves, and the burning of fuel in cars produce minute
particles of carbon, in the form of soot and smoke. These may affect
climate, by reducing the transparency of the atmosphere, and may
contribute to respiratory problems in people.
Water Pollution
Water pollution occur through the
release of industrial waste, for example from mining and metal
refining activities, into streams and rivers. A variety of toxic
metals can affect aquatic and marine life and may accumulate in the
food chain, becoming a threat to humans. Another major source of
water pollution is fertilizers, which can be washed into rivers and
lakes from farmland.
Nitrates and phosphates, present in
fertilizers, and essential for plant growth, can also promote
uncontrolled multiplication of algae in lakes. This reduces water
quality and oxygen levels, and may kill fish.
Climate change
One of the biggest environmental
problems is due to carbon dioxide (CO2) which is produced in huge
quantities by the burning of fossil fuels, for example by cars,
industrial processes, and airplanes. It traps heat in the Earth’s
atmosphere, and is the most important “greenhouse” gas. Increased
levels resulting from human activities are thought to be raising air
and ocean temperatures across the planet, a phenomenon known as
“global warming” or “climate change.”
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| Climate change consequences |
Climate change may also have a drastic
effect on agriculture due to changes in temperature and rainfall.
Many crop plants may be unable to adapt to drier or wetter
conditions. It may also be that warming of the oceans will lead to
more frequent, and more severe, hurricanes.
Possible solutions
Solutions to many of these problems
would require action by governments across the globe, for example, to
reduce burning of fossil fuels and develop renewable energy
resources. Ordinary people, however, can make their own
contributions; for example, cutting down on car journeys helps reduce
levels of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and soot.
Companies can play a role by using
teleconferencing facilities so that employees do not have to travel
to meetings, and allowing staff to work online from home.
People can also help in many small
ways, such as minimizing their use of garden fertilizers, not using
them when rain is forecast, picking up litter and rubbish that might
harm wildlife, and properly disposing of harmful chemicals.
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