Environmental problems.
A variety of environmental problems now affect our entire world. As globalization continues and the earth’s natural processes transform local problems into international issues, few societies are being left untouched by major environmental problems. Some of the largest problems now affecting the world are Acid Rain, Air Pollution, Global Warming, Hazardous Waste, Ozone Depletion, Smog, Water Pollution, Overpopulation, and Rain Forest Destruction. Every environmental problem has causes, numerous effects, and most importantly, a solution. Our climate is changing. How we respond to the issue of climate change now will determine the shape of our future – our economy, environment, and communities. The debate is no longer about whether climate change is happening, but on what we do about it.
Natural events and human activities are believed to be contributing to global warming and climate change, which refers to an increase in average global temperatures. This is caused primarily by increases in “greenhouse” gases such as Carbon Dioxide. For decades, greenhouse gases have been increasing in the atmosphere. But why does that matter? Won’t warmer weather be nicer for everyone? According to the World Meteorological Organization, the 1990s was the warmest decade during the last 1,000 years. Most scientists believe that the warming of the climate will lead to more extreme weather patterns such as: more hurricanes and drought, longer spells of dry heat or intense rain, melting of world’s glaciers and etcetera. Well, it will at least reduce the heating bills in some places of the world. With global warming on the increase and species’ habitats on the decrease, the chances for various ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing.
Many studies have pointed out that the rates of extinction of animal and plant species, and the temperature changes around the world since the industrial revolution, have been significantly different to normal expectations. An analysis of population trends, climate change, increasing pollution and emerging diseases found that 40 percent of deaths in the world could be attributed to environmental factors. Sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change too. Rising sea levels will also result as the polar caps begin to melt, it will also impact many coastlines, and a large mass of humanity lives near the coasts or by major rivers. Leading climate scientists now agree that human pollution, mainly from fossil fuels, has added substantially to global warming in the past 50 years. A 1000-page document from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reveals far bleaker predictions that the Earth will get far hotter than predicted.