WHAT WE CAN DO NOW TO SOLVE FIVE MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
We're all so overwhelmed by the environmental crisis. It seems like every day there's a new warning, or animals gone extinct, or emissions targets missed. Perhaps, in order to really make change, we need to break it down. Keep it simple. Choose five easy ways we can make changes.
There are various factors and types of environmental problems, and it is no exaggeration to say that most of them come at the cost of our pursuit of convenience.
GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming is a phenomenon in which the temperature of the entire earth rises due to the effects of greenhouse gases that have increased too much during human activities.
In the first place, the greenhouse gas itself, which is the cause of global warming, exists on the earth from the beginning. And it is indispensable to maintain the temperature for the living things on the earth to carry out life activities.
However, since the Industrial Revolution of the 20th century, as a result of developed countries investing large amounts of fossil fuels in their economic activities in order to realize a more convenient society, more greenhouse gases have been emitted than necessary and resulting in numerous climate changes and extreme weather.
Even in recent years, the effects of global warming have caused the Antarctic ice sheet to melt and threaten the lives of Antarctic creatures. It is no exaggeration to say that global warming is the most widespread and most serious of the many environmental problems.
Photo information:
"Artist's depiction of the plight of polar bears, showing a lone bear on their shrinking ice cap floating in a sea of trash" Representational image. (Photo: Getty Images)
Marine pollution
Marine pollution is the second most serious environmental problem in the world as is global warming.
Marine pollution is a phenomenon in substances such as oil, garbage, and domestic wastewater that is discarded into the sea by humans. And those pollute the sea area and circulate around it, threatening the balance of the ecosystem of marine organisms.
When waste substances accumulate in the sea, organisms such as fish lose their spawning grounds, and if they accidentally drink garbage or oil, they may die. As a result, marine life will decrease, and the fishing industry will continue to decline, resulting in extensive and enormous damage to both humans and the environment.
And now, the problematic issue in marine pollution is the "microplastic problem."
Microplastics are mainly plastic bottle lids, straws, and plastic bags. Unfortunately, there is shocking news such as that debris coming out of the stomachs of debilitated marine life.
According to the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), if no measures are taken against marine pollution as it is, it is likely that there will be more garbage than marine life in 2050.
Photo information:
Water Pollution Pollutants are dumped into the ocean. This waste affects the daily life of fish and other marine creatures. (STOCK PHOTO-GRAF/SHUTTERSTOCK)
WATER POLLUTION
When domestic wastewater or garbage flows into rivers, lakes, ponds, groundwater, etc. In places other than the sea causing harmful effects, called water pollution.
It is known that 70% of the causes of water pollution are domestic wastewater, and seasonings, cooking oil, and rice broth that flow out of the kitchen have a large effect. Furthermore, if groundwater or the like penetrates into the ground may cause secondary pollution in the form of “soil pollution”.
Also, in countries with poor water infrastructure, such as Africa, many people say that they have no choice but to drink contaminated water. But, since contaminated water contains many bacteria, some people die from the water they should have drunk to survive.
UNICEF has been carrying out activities to improve the water infrastructure in Africa, but about 700 million people around the world are still forced to drink contaminated water.
Photo information:
A man sits on a riverbank in the Creek area of Karachi in July 2018. A World Bank report has warned of the ripple effects of water pollution on the health, economies, education, and agriculture of rich and poor countries alike. (Photo by: BLOOMBERG THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION)
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is a phenomenon in which the air is polluted by harmful substances such as exhaust gas from cars and smoke emitted from factories. In rare cases, natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and sandstorms generate harmful substances in the atmosphere, but most of them are caused by human activities.
When harmful substances flow out into the air, they not only damage the global environment but also have a great adverse effect on the human body. Especially in the midst of the period of the industrial revolution, when factories were being built one after another, "Photochemical Smog" was generated by a chemical reaction between harmful substances that flowed out into the air and ultraviolet rays contained in sunlight. It is said that many people at that time complained of poor physical conditions such as eye pain and dyspnea.
In recent years, photochemical smog has rarely occurred, but instead, "PM2.5" is often a problem. PM2.5 refers to a small particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, and it is said that if a person inhales it, it may cause diseases of the lungs and trachea system.
Photo information:
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health. (Copyright AP Photo)
DEFORESTATION
Deforestation is the deterioration and shrinkage of forests caused by artificial deforestation or burning for the purpose of land development or commercial use of timber. According to the United Nations, the world now loses about the same area of forest as Tokyo every week.
The first thing that can be caused by deforestation is the "decrease or extinction of wildlife." Many rare creatures coexist in the forest in an exquisite balance, so if even one species becomes extinct because of deforestation, there is a risk that other species will also become extinct.
And one another problem is the "impact on climate change." The trees that make up a forest have the property of taking in and storing carbon dioxide in the air during the process of photosynthesis. In other words, forests have the power to stop the progress of global warming. Nevertheless, if forests are lost due to logging or burning, not only will carbon dioxide in the air not be absorbed, but carbon dioxide inside the trees will be released into the atmosphere, resulting in global warming.
To prevent this from happening, 424 million hectares of forest are now designated to protect biodiversity.
Photo information:
Deforestation: Trees are cut down for timber, waiting to be transported and sold. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ESEMELWE)
This time, I have introduced five environmental problems that are the main problems in the world, but some readers were more or less shocked that "this happened in the world ..." However, the first thing we can do to solve environmental problems is to "know". It is most important to know the facts that are happening all over the world, take them firmly, and think "what can I do now?"
If you say, “I can't stay even if I'm standing! I want to do something right now for the global environment!” Pay attention to your casual actions in your daily life.
- For global warming, you can stop using air-conditioning. It might be hard to stop using 100% so think about when you are not in that room or set up the timer when you are sleeping.
- For marine and water pollution, think about whether you are bothered and throw away the garbage without sorting it, or whether you throw away the oil used for cooking in the sink.
- For air pollution, I think it is good to walk or use public transportation. Try to not use or lessen the use of golf carts or cars.
- For deforestation, use the products made by recycling. Recycle paper, clothes, pencils, etc.
You should be able to contribute greatly to solving environmental problems just by paying attention to daily life.
Work Citation:
- https://www.thestatesman.com/supplements/science_supplements/measuring-global-warming-1502748561.html
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/marine-pollution/
- https://libguides.cccneb.edu/oceanpollution
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/21/world/water-pollution-invisible-threat-global-development-goals-economists-warn/
- https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/09/24/who-air-pollution-is-worse-than-we-thought-but-there-s-hope-we-can-fix-it
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/deforestation/
- https://www.eesc.europa.eu/et/news-media/news/earth-day-2021-three-days-climate-action
- https://byjus.com/biology/environmental-issues-solutions/