Environmental Issues

Our environment is continuously changing as time passes by and as human population grows.
Sadly, most of these changes are classified as negative ones, thus different environmental issues arises.
These issues are mostly caused by human activities such as invention of machines that emit green house
gases. Trees are also reduced to give way to constructions of buildings and houses to satisfy humans
needs such as shelters and livelihood. Another is that resources such as minerals are also abused and
are illegally collected to be sold for a much greater price. These human activities greatly impacted the
condition of our environment today and if these concerns are not solved, we might completely
jeopardize our environment and completely lose everything.

One of the most tackled environmental issue is the climate change or global warming that is
caused by excessive emission of green house gases that causes the rise of temperature leading to rising
sea levels, melting of polar ice caps, flash floods and desertification. These green house gases are mostly
emitted by burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum. According to the World
Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Risks Report, the failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change will be
“the most impactful risk” facing communities worldwide in the coming decade—ahead even of weapons
of mass destruction and water crises. Blame its cascading effects: As climate change transforms global
ecosystems, it affects everything from the places we live to the water we drink to the air we breathe.

Another environmental issue that we are facing today is the pollution. Pollution of the air, water
and soil caused by toxins such as plastics, heavy metals, and nitrates released by factories, combustion
of fossil fuels, acid rain, oil spill and industrial waste. Based on research, the world produces more than 2
million tons of plastic per year and by 2015, the annual production has risen up to 419 million tons and
worsening plastic waste in the environment. A report by science journal, Nature, determined that
currently, roughly 11 million tons of plastic make its way into the oceans every year, harming wildlife
habitats and the animals that live in them. The research found that if no action is taken, the plastic crisis
will grow to 29 million metric tons per year by 2040. If we include microplastics into this, the cumulative
amount of plastic in the ocean could reach 600 million tons by 2040. In addition, harmful substances and
makes its way to river, ponds, and lakes from industrial factories that then changes the chemical,
physical, and biological condition of the waters. With this, water results to lack of oxygen which kills
organisms living in it. We must remember that water is the main source of life, therefore it is our main
duty to keep it clean and safe for our needs.

Additionally, air population is another thing that we should be concerned about when it comes
to environmental issues. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution kills about an
estimate of 4.2 to 7 million people worldwide every year. It shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air
that exceeds WHO guideline limits containing high levels of pollutants with low- and middle-income
countries suffering from the highest exposures. From smog hanging over cities to smoke inside the
home, air pollution poses a major threat to health and climate. The combined effects of outdoor and
household air pollution cause about seven million premature deaths every year, largely as a result of
increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and
acute respiratory infections. There are many sources of air pollution and these includes residential
energy for cooking and heating, vehicles, power generation, agriculture/waste incineration, and
industry.

Adding to the environmental issues is deforestation. Deforestation is the depletion of trees and
forests at an alarming rate. Every minute, forests the size of 20 football fields are cut down. By the year
2030, the planet might have only 10% of its forests; if deforestation isn’t stopped, they could all be gone
in less than 100 years. These trees provide us oxygen for breathing and also maintain the temperature
of the earth. It also provides several raw materials that are used for our livelihood. To add more, these
trees prevent flashfloods, landslides and soil erosion since trees’ roots suck water deep from under the
ground and they help in holding the soil together. The loss of trees in order to make space for
residential, industrial or commercial projects means that less oxygen is produced, temperature and
rainfall are affected, and flooding and erosions are bound to take place.

Given all the environmental issues above, we should all be alarmed and make ways to save our
environment before its too late. One way of saving it is to replace disposal items with reusable items
since plastics take about 400 years to decompose. By doing this, less plastic will end up on bodies of
water and it will reduce land and water pollution. Another way of saving our environment is to plant
more trees. If it is possible, when constructing establishments, leave spaces for trees to grow on. We all
need clean air to breathe so plant more trees. Moreover, we should conserve water and electricity.
Lastly, we should be able to educate everyone and volunteer on clean up drives to help save our
environment. These are the little steps we could do to save our environment and it will mostly likely
have a great impact to our environment in the long run. We must make an action now before its too late
since our lives are also at stake. Environmental issues are a warning of the upcoming disaster. If these
issues are not controlled, there will soon be no life on earth.