Current Pressing Environmental Issues that Threaten the Earth
From climate change advocates to regular individuals, everyone can notice the changes that the environment is experiencing. Climate change, deforestation and loss of biodiversity are events that can no longer be ignored and that need to be addressed at a global scale. They are the push people need to focus their efforts in taking the needed actions to improve the situation. Statistics show that human kind should pay more attention to certain issues, because they need to be rectified before the damage is too significant. People from all around the world noticed changes in weather patterns and an increase in temperatures. Moreover, experts state that the loss of biodiversity is a threat to numerous species. Current studies show that global warming has reached a point when there are great chances it to surpass the 2 degrees limit, and if it reaches this point, it will be difficult for humankind to protect the planet. In order for people to know what they have to change in their lifestyle, they need to know the most pressing issues the Earth is experiencing.
Climate change
Global warming is the result of gases emission. Greenhouse gases are released daily, and they lead to climate changes. The atmosphere and ocean waters are overloaded with carbon, and the result is that infrared-wavelength radiation is facilitated. There is so much carbon in the air, the Earth faces an unprecedented rise in climate temperatures. Climate disruption is one of the subjects that generates worries. Extreme weather is the immediate effect climate change has, it comes under the form of flooding, heat waves, wildfires and droughts. The polar ice is melting, and the sea levels are rising at levels the world had never experienced before. Both humans and animals are affected by climate change, because excessive snow, desertification and flash floods cannot bring something good with them.
What solutions can people find?
The first thing they can do is to replace the fossil fuels with renewable energy. The transportation and homes are the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. People should replace the standard vehicles with electric and hybrid ones. Reforestation is also a great solution, because plants can absorb the harmful gases. Renewable energy is the future, and technology can be used to harvest it.
Deforestation
Forests are being cut down daily, to make way for other cultures. Deforestation does not only destroy forests, but also animals. Numerous species are extinct because they do not have the ecosystems required to live. Forests are crucial in fighting climate change, because they can absorb the carbon and prevent global warming. The destruction of the tropical forest has as result the extinct of around 80% of the species that reside there. Today only 30% of the land is covered with forests, but before the human kind started to use the land for agriculture, the percentage was around 60%. Every year around 18 million acres are destroyed, and the land remains destroyed and degraded, because there are not planted new trees. The forests act as biodiversity reserves, and they keep the Earth clean from carbon.
What solutions can people find?
You can become partner with alliances that support reforestation. Also, people should use fewer paper towels, and paper shopping bags. It is important to buy products only from companies that are FSC-certified. In addition, it is crucial to conserve the last natural forests and replant trees in the degraded areas. State organizations and governments are the ones that can make a difference when it comes to deforestation.
Waste disposal
The world is facing a crisis of waste disposal. The causes are the manufacturing of plastic and the consumption of limited resources. Some may be surprised to find out that developed countries are the ones that produce the largest quantities of waste. Their waste is dumped in oceans, and considering that some of them even dispose of nuclear waste, it is not wrong to state that this action is associated with huge health hazards. The wellbeing of the Earth is threatened by plastic, food waste and electronics disposed in the oceans and on the soil. Waste disposal threatens species because some of them may consider it food and they get killed because of its consumption.
What solutions can people find?
The first thing they can do is to reduce the usage of plastic products, because in this way there are no resources to be disposed of in the ocean. Companies should be more careful with disposing of their garbage, they should use containers specially designed for the waste they produce and imply themselves in recycling programs because recycling helps everyone. There are multiple programs that promote world conservation, and they teach people about how they can restore the oceans and land to its healthy state.
Species extinction
People are hunting from the oldest times, but some of them hunt species for obtaining profit, for selling their skins, furs, and for so-called medicinal purposes. Both on land and on the sea, species are being hunted. When their habitat is destroyed they have difficulties in adapting, and in the majority of cases the result is that they go extinct. The Earth is facing a wave of species extinction unprecedented in the human history. The loss of biodiversity is caused by the destruction of the wildlife territories. In a short period of time humans destroy eco-systems that needed millions of years to become perfect for being the home for wildlife. The extinct species not only that have an inherent right to exist, but they also have an essential role in the human survival.
What solutions can people find?
It is important for everyone to understand how important a species is for the existence of the other. If the humans prevent the loss of biodiversity in the future, they can prevent extinction. Also, it is important to restore the damaged habitats of species and to protect the existing ones. In addition, it is important to ban the wildlife trade and to protect the endangered species from poaching. Local organizations that have as purpose wildlife conservation should be supported by everyone, not only by locals. People can start by checking if the products they buy are manufactured by harming the environment or not. It is important to buy only from companies that have eco-labels on their products, because they invest in recycling and biodiversity protection.
Please share your thoughts and opinions on these issues in the comment section!
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Great article. It’s frustrating to live in the U.S., where the President and in Florida where the Governor are both climate change deniers. Obviously there are millions of people here that support agendas which help with environmental issues but it is certainly more challenging to institute change when the government agencies which are suppose to protect the environment do just the opposite.
Hi Nancy,
I am glad you like my article. There sure are a lot of problems in our country that are very complicated. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Have a healthy, happy & blessed day!