Solutions to global environmental issues

Our planet is plagued by environmental problems that deplete natural resources and strain livelihoods, many of which are exacerbated by poor industrial practices, the major environmental problems that face our planet did not appear overnight. They are the result of several forces working together: our technological innovation, our consumptive habits, and our pursuit of wealth, along with the exponential rise in the human population over the last 200 years.

These forces have worked together to transform the face of Earth to create economic opportunities and increase the standard of living for many people throughout the world.  If left unchecked, environmental problems will negatively impact businesses both directly, as in supply chain disruptions, and indirectly, as in health hazards that lead to loss of man-hours and efficiency.

As time has passed, however, scientists have discovered that if population growth and the ravenous consumption of the planet’s natural resources continue unabated, they would pose serious threats to the survival of our species, as well as to the survival of millions of others. Look deeper into the underlying causes of Earth’s environmental problems and consider how each one contributed to create the challenges of global warming, pollution, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.

Our current lifestyle will have to change if we want to stop further environmental destruction. We must find solutions that would enable maintenance of our current lifestyle without further destruction of our environment, and the key for this lies in sustainability. Sustainability, however, requires completely different way of thinking and installment of new values into our society in order to encourage people to improve the environmental conditions in their communities

Outlined are some of the issues affecting our environments;

Environmental Accidents

Some man-made accidents threaten wildlife and the ecosystem. Although these accidents are relatively rare because of increased safety procedures, accidents still occur, sometimes with devastating effects. Examples include oil spills, radioactive leaks, tanker spills, pipeline bursts and drilling accidents. The best solution for accidental spills and leaks is to create additional safety protocol using both computerized and human detection systems.

Water Pollution

Water pollution is a growing problem globally; large industries including those that make chemicals and plastics dump a large amount of waste into the water. Human waste and rubbish also ends up in the oceans and lakes. Governments should enforce restrictions on those who dump trash and waste. To address the problem, individuals can improve recycling and waste disposal, and they can volunteer to clean up shorelines and nearby public locations. Businesses should develop ongoing protocols to reduce the amount of chemicals and other waste they put into the water supply.

Hazardous Waste

The mishandling of hazardous waste materials poses immediate and long-term risks to plants, animals, humans and the environment. Hazardous waste is any liquid or solid that contains carcinogenic or teratogenic compounds, including pesticides, paint strippers, solvents, paint, gasoline, bleach, ammonia, industrial cleaning agents and drain cleaners. Individuals and businesses should make sure that hazardous-waste disposal experts handle all hazardous waste, and should never dump hazardous waste with regular trash or into rivers or ditches.

Ozone Depletion

There are several airborne materials that can lead to ozone pollution. Ground-level ozone, particulate matter, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide are all dangerous when released into the air. These pollutants can cause human health problems and damage to plants and animals. Governments should enforce laws controlling the release of these substances into the atmosphere. Controlled air quality leads to less stress on the outer ozone layer of the planet that helps protect us from the sun.

Soil Contamination

Man-made chemicals released into the dirt either by accident or through poor disposal techniques cause soil contamination. Rupture of underground storage tanks, acid rain, leaching of hazardous waste from a landfill, pesticides and herbicides, and discharge from industrial chemical wastes all can contaminate the soil in which farmers grow crops or graze livestock that people eventually eat. Laws against such contamination need to be stringent, and the appropriate agencies have to be tough in the enforcement of those laws to help keep soil safer for humans and animals.

Education is also one of the keys in solving environmental issues. Better education and improved literacy rates should be a main foundation to create the adequate level of environmental conscience in many countries of the developing world.

The world also needs to find a way to alleviate poverty because poor people think only how to survive. To more than one billion hungry people in the world environmental issues mean very little and we must show more care for this people.

Going green is not a choice anymore, it is a responsibility. That is why it is so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet. In fact, many of the things we can do, we actually already do! Just a little thing such as sorting our garbage into what can be recycled, or using less water, and generally consuming fewer resources does not require much effort on our part.

The challenges posed by these environmental problems and the forces that drive them seem insurmountable. The effects of these problems have shown up at regional and global scales, and the prospect of overcoming the differences between countries, between factions within countries, and even between individuals seems insurmountable at times.

Environmental problems make it apparent that solving complex issues requires the cooperation of all sectors. Environmental issues affect every individual, organization, community and country, and by becoming environmental stewards, it keeps the economy moving, which is necessary for growth and long-term viability.

Political leaders, policymakers, businesses, and everyone else must come together to protect environmental resources such as air and water quality, natural habitat, preserving forestry and building a sustainable future for all of us. If we do not take action, the quality of our ecosystem, environment, and the habitat of aquatic and wildlife will continue to deteriorate.

The human race has achieved distinction in fields of culture, traditions, beliefs and inventions, but has grossly failed to secure their future or even plan for it by ignoring the signs nature has been throwing at them. We know how to build, use electricity, run huge machines and even go to space, but we fail to instill small measures like turning off lights when not in use or even throwing paper in the bins.

There is plenty we can do to reduce the negative impacts on the globe. We can all reduce our dependency on carbon based fossil fuels to reduce emission. Use of clean reusable energy sources is already gaining popularity around the globe. Using clean energy would significantly reduce carbon emissions and air pollution, improving our health and environment. Air quality and human health are closely related, and so reducing air pollution can lead to a healthier sustainable human race.

Finally, we’re not struggling to find ideas to solve problems either globally or locally. It’s action we’re lacking, in government and beyond, as individuals and together as a species. If we act now we may be surprised at how these seemingly vast problems diminish quicker than we imagine. #Environment #SDG15 #SDGS #Sustainability #Ecosystems #Biodiversity