Top Environmental Issues That Needs to Be Addressed Now

Our planet is currently facing a lot of environmental concerns. The environmental problems like global warming, acid rain, air pollution, urban sprawl, waste disposal, ozone layer depletion, water pollution, climate change and many more affect every human, animal, and nation on this planet.

Not to mention differently: the current ongoing Pandemic!

Over the last few decades, the exploitation of our planet and the degradation of our environment has gone up at an alarming rate. As our actions have been not in favour of protecting this planet, we have seen natural disasters striking us more often in the form of flash floods, earthquakes, blizzards, tsunamis, and cyclones.

Not much can be done about the disasters which are naturally occurring but the most critical and ‘urgent to deal with’ environmental crisis right now- most of them are influenced by human actions. That is both a sad and happy part of this. Happy because we can do something about it from going to absolute worst; sad because there has been next to none action taken by the human beings to attend to these critical issues.

Listed down here, are some of the intense problems the environment is facing today:

Public Health

Many of the issues we face all tie back into one central concern – public health. Pollution, water scarcity and overpopulation all present a clear threat to public health. Nearly one out of every four deaths each year are directly caused by unhealthy environments, according to the WHO.

Even in developed countries, the growing anti-vaccination movement threatens public health, causing a resurgence in diseases like measles that were almost completely obliterated.

The health and wellness of human beings is an important issue to watch. What people eat, drink and breathe in plays a significant role in their wellness. Polluted air and water are a mounting crisis we need to address.

Without water, humans won’t survive long. Polluted water poses threats through airborne water diseases and chemicals or toxins contaminating the water. Without clean water, people’s health declines substantially.

One way to bring clean water to people is through digging wells. Another way is through water filters. There are people willing to take the initiative to bring clean water to those who need it.

Land Management & Urban Sprawl

Urban sprawl, or the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas, is a modern problem but one that threatens the environment. Moving to a new location isn’t hard these days. Contractors keep building developments in record time, and undeveloped land is becoming scarce. Covering the landscape with concrete interrupts the natural water cycle, preventing rainwater from soaking into the ground. This was evident during the catastrophic floods in Houston during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Studies have found that this sprawl is increasing exponentially on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, with cities slowly creeping outward and negatively affecting the land around them.

With less natural land, the environment takes a hit.

More houses lead to more pollution. Buildings emit their gasses into the air, which affects the health of the environment. It’s time to put habitats of the environment first. We need to preserve land, stop building, and start restoring.

Waste Disposal

It’s easy to throw something in a trash can. We don’t usually think about our local landfills unless complaining about the smell when we drive by them, but the average person generates 4.6 pounds of trash per day.

This trash ends up in two places.  It’s in landfills or it ends up in environmental habitats and the ocean. Waste disposal poses a threat to not only the Earth and its environment but humans as well.

When waste is in the ocean, the ocean dwellers mistake it for food or get tangled up in it. When waste is disposed of via burning or nuclear, it emits hazardous toxins in the air, which people breathe in.

People can limit this crisis by reducing the amount of waste. By choosing to use products that can be recycled or placed in a compost pile, every household can reduce their waste.

Overpopulation

We have more than seven billion people on the planet right now and that number is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and 11.2 billion by 2100. While that might not sound like a bad thing, we live on a planet that can only support roughly 10 billion souls, which means we’re less than a century away from overpopulation becoming a serious and even life-threatening problem.

As the world’s population rises, the amount of resources available for survival decreases. In fact, the population has grown to an unsustainable level.

The more people there are on the planet, the more they release carbon dioxide and other gasses into the air. The growing population comes with the cost of greenhouse gasses and climate change. Until people realize that they have a direct impact on these pressing environmental issues, their behaviour won’t change. Resources aren’t always sustainably sourced, but without those resources, the population won’t survive.

Fortunately, renewable energy sources are a great way to combat carbon emissions. By raising the amount of sustainable energy such as wind power and solar power, the resources needed can be sustainably sourced, reducing carbon emissions. You can’t change the population, but you can change what the population emits into the environment.

Loss of Biodiversity

Biodiversity, or the variety of life in the world or a particular ecosystem, is declining.  The levels of biodiversity across the board have significantly lowered to a dangerous amount. According to the World Wildlife Federation, biodiversity has declined 30 per cent since 1970. Biodiversity is in critical condition due to various threats including urban sprawl, deforestation and climate change.

The lack of biodiversity puts the food chain, water sources and other resources at risk. Without enough biodiversity, ecosystems deteriorate until they no longer exist. The world just can’t afford the cost of biodiversity loss.

Education and protection are the keys to conserve biodiversity. Think with a sustainable mind. Make green choices. Spread the word.

Water Scarcity & Water Pollution

A major issue happening now is water scarcity. There is a difference between water and fresh, clean water. Saltwater, freshwater, groundwater and surface water are the essential sources of water. There are two ways water can be scarce: the lack of water and the lack of drinkable water.

We often take the water coming out of the tap for granted- we turn the handle and water flows – but that’s not the case in many places around the world. Cape Town, South Africa, might be the first city to run out of water.

Potable water can become contaminated with things such as airborne diseases, toxins, and hazardous chemicals. An estimated 780 million people have no access to clean water at all. This isn’t just a problem in undeveloped countries though.

The 2017 drought in California, and the fact that Flint, Michigan hasn’t had clean water in nearly four years, serves as the perfect example to show us that water scarcity and pollution isn’t just a problem everywhere else- it’s a problem here at home too. Like the Earth, your body is made up of a lot of water, too. Both land and your body need clean water to survive.

You can take action to reduce water scarcity. First people must admit this is a problem; then they have to do something about it. Start by turning the water off while brushing your teeth or while soaping up in the shower. You’re not just saving the fish- you’re saving the population.

Pollution

Pollution comes in many forms. Air, soil, and water all have the capability to be polluted. Pollution poses a current and future threat to people and the environment. Contaminated waters are undrinkable. Polluted air weakens the ozone layer and causes health problems. Contaminated soil destroys habitats and irrigation.

As a human, your body is majorly affected by pollution if it’s in the air you breathe or the water you drink. Pollution puts animals and the environment in critical condition that only humans can restore. It is one of the biggest killers on the planet, and it takes more than 100 million lives every single year and that’s just human lives. People who live in areas with high levels of air pollution are 20 per cent more likely to die of lung cancer — even if they’ve never picked up a cigarette in their lives. We dump millions of pounds of garbage and trillions of gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater into the oceans and rivers every single year.

In order to see restored air, water, and soil, it’s essential to recover from pollution. By caring for the ecosystems, making sustainable choices and limiting the number of resources used, there is potential for recovery from pollution.

Deforestation

At least 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions don’t come from cars or factories — they come from deforestation. By 2030, we may only have 10 per cent of the rainforests left – the rest have been cut down for wood or wood pulp products or cleared for agricultural uses.

In addition to this, more than 70 per cent of the planet’s plant and animal species live in forests. Species lose their habitat. Ecosystems die out. Climate change continues. There are fewer trees to produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. It’s all due to deforestation. Lumber and land are leading reasons people cut down forests, but no idea is good enough if it means someday there won’t be any forests left. Deforestation has many side effects people don’t realize.

To preserve the remaining forests, humans should simply stop cutting down trees. Forests are in major need of preservation. For every tree that’s cut down, a new one needs to be planted in its place.

Ecosystems & Endangered Species

Due to the list of environmental issues happening on this planet, both ecosystems and species are affected. In fact, one out of every 10 plants and animal species is expected to go extinct by 2050.

The endangered species list continues to grow as ecosystems continue to decrease. Lost habitats mean losing the species that live there. While some may be able to migrate elsewhere, others are not so lucky.

With the rising temperatures of the Arctic, sea ice melts, which eliminates the habitat of polar bears. The list of endangered species includes other animals as well.

The best way to save species is to support organizations dedicated to fighting species extinction. By supporting the cause, you’re helping to combat the issue. You can also find laws and government acts available to sign that protect ecosystems and endangered species.

Climate Change

Unfortunately, the climate change debate continues despite decades of research on the subject. Climate change is here, and it is happening.

Ninety-seven per cent of scientists who study the climate agree that greenhouse gasses, both natural and those created by humans, are the main cause. Global temperatures are climbing, ice caps are melting, and droughts, wildfires, and super hurricanes are tearing their way across the landscape.

While the truth is plain to see, the inaction of deniers in power positions will only make matters worse. Not only does the Earth’s temperature continue to rise, but the sea levels are rising, too.

Both the ocean and the Earth are growing warmer!

Greenhouse gasses are a leading cause of climate change, specifically those emitted from the human population. This has an impact on habitats, agriculture, the ocean and natural disasters.

The best way to reduce climate change is to build sustainably. Using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power will assist the fight against climate change. Limiting waste and pollution will help preserve the environment.

This June, the world celebrated World Environment Day with the theme of the year:

‘Celebrate Biodiversity’

The United Nations Environment Programme shared an important reminder on the need to protect "our natural world".

They said: “Today is #WorldEnvironmentDayWe may be apart, but our voices will join as one. It’s time to appreciate the benefits that nature provides. It’s time to take action to protect & restore our natural world. It’s time #ForNature”.

Making the announcement on the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain, Ricardo Lozano, Colombia’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Jochen Flasbarth, Germany’s State Secretary for Environment, and Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, stressed that with one million plant and animal species facing extinction, there has never been a more important time to focus on the issue of biodiversity.

2020 is a critical year for nations’ commitments to preserving and restoring biodiversity, with China scheduled to host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming.

Next year also provides an opportunity to ramp up to the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), intended to massively scale up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems to fight the climate crisis and enhance food security, water supply and biodiversity.

Ricardo Lozano, Colombia’s Environment Minister said:

“In Colombia, we will face an important challenge in 2020, and it is to host the 3rd and last OEWG [open-ended working group] meeting of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework before the COP in China. In Colombia, we are willing to work together to reach an agreement that allows us to move forward positively towards ambitious results in the COP that will meet us in China; we welcome Germany’s gesture of support in this global effort and look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Listed as one of the world’s ‘megadiverse’ countries and sustaining close to 10 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity, Colombia ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies, freshwater fish and amphibians.

The country has several areas of high biological diversity in Andean ecosystems, with a significant variety of endemic species. It also has part of the Amazon rainforest and the humid ecosystems of the Chocó biogeographical area.

According to a landmark report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems are projected to undermine progress towards 80 per cent of the assessed targets of the Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty, hunger, health, sustainable consumption and production, water, cities, climate, oceans and land.

While 97 per cent of climate scientists agree that climate change is occurring and greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause, political will has not been strong enough so far to initiate a massive policy shift away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable forms of energy.

There is an emergency to act urgently to curb carbon emissions and address these issues before it’s too late.

The Only Mantra must be: Act Now!