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
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