Our planet is continually facing various environmental problems. Most of them come from the overexploitation of natural resources at such an accelerated rate that it cannot be regenerated at the same speed. All this entails a degradation of the environment as a result of abusive consumption by human beings. Human consumption is based on the acquisition of products beyond our regeneration capacities.
In this article we are going to tell you about the various environmental problems our planet faces and what their serious consequences are.
Environmental problems
Climate change and air pollution
The earth is facing climate change because the temperature is getting higher and higher, and this is accelerated due to human activities, that is, we have driven humans and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Facing it requires a global commitment, in which all countries must reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. For this, it is necessary to bet on renewable energy, public transport and cars that use clean energy, and pass laws that regulate emissions from the industry.
Air pollution, that is, the presence of pollutants in the air, has both natural and man-made causes. The biggest factors that cause air pollution are: mining for the use of chemical products and the heavy machinery necessary for its development, deforestation, increased transportation related to the burning of fossil fuels, fires and the use of pesticides in agriculture.
To reduce it, measures such as promoting public transport, consuming fossil fuels responsibly, building more green areas or reducing consumption can be taken to reduce the generation of waste.
Acid rain and deforestation
Acid rain is a precipitation composed of water and toxic waste, especially acid from vehicles, industries or other types of machinery. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to control polluting emissions, shut down non-compliant industries and reduce the sulfur content of fuels or promote and invest in renewable energy.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) determines which countries in South America and Africa they are most affected by deforestation due to unsustainable agriculture and overexploitation of wood. Although the proportion of forest fires is relatively low, they are also the cause of the loss of thousands of trees in different parts of the world each year.
Soil degradation and contamination
When soil degrades, it loses its physical and chemical properties, so it can no longer provide services such as agriculture or ecosystem services. The reasons for soil degradation are caused by different factors: intensive logging, extensive agriculture, overgrazing, forest fires, construction of water resources or overexploitation.
The solution to avoid or minimize this problem is to implement environmental policies that regulate land use. The use of harmful agricultural technologies (use of pesticides, pesticides and fertilizers or sewage or polluting rivers), improper disposal of urban garbage, infrastructure construction, mining, industry, livestock and sewage are the most common causes. common soil contamination.
The use of harmful agricultural technologies (the use of pesticides, pesticides and fertilizers or sewage or polluted rivers), improper disposal of urban waste, infrastructure construction, mining, industry, livestock and sewage are the causes most common types of soil contamination.
This contamination can be reduced through solutions such as good urban planning, recycling and not discarding waste into the environment, the prohibition of illegal sanitary landfills and the standardization of mining and industrial waste management.
Environmental problems in urban environments
Waste management and lack of recycling
Overcrowding and the lifestyles of implanted consumers are causing an increase in the production of waste and, therefore, an increase in the exploitation of natural resources threatened by depletion. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to educate and emphasize the circular economy through activities such as reduction, recycling or reuse.
Although in many countries, especially in developed countries, if waste management is carried out and there are entities for its elimination. There are also many countries that do not recycle. In addition to increased extraction of new natural resources, the lack of recycling results in the accumulation of large amounts of waste in landfills. Regarding the lack of recycling, it is important to raise awareness and educate the public, but the government must also commit itself so that good waste management is achieved.
Use of plastics and ecological footprint
They have established a disposable culture for us and provide us with a more comfortable lifestyle, which is particularly prominent in plastic products. The ocean is the most affected by plastic production, because this waste will eventually reach the ocean, affecting the health of marine species and later the health of terrestrial species, including us. The solution should be to reduce the use of plastics and find other types of packaging that are more environmentally friendly.
The ecological footprint is an environmental indicator, which refers to the impact of a person on the environment, indicating how much production territory they need to produce the resources used and obtain the waste generated. Irresponsible consumption and globalization mean that the global and individual ecological footprint is increasing.
Environmental problems at the biological level
The ecosystem has deteriorated due to the transformations it has undergone, whether for agriculture, livestock, the expansion of urban centers, industrial implantation, overexploitation of the natural environment, or acts such as the introduction of non-native species, hunting illegal. Pollution and other human activities are the main environmental problems of biodiversity loss. To find a solution, in addition to educating people to respect the natural environment, the natural space must also be protected by law.
There are markets for illegally traded species that capture and trade organisms from their homeland, eventually reaching other areas where the species is considered invasive. Due to competition for territory and food, and the spread of new diseases in the area, invasive species may eventually replace native species.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the various environmental problems facing our planet.