Humans have been poisoning and abusing the ecosystem that supports them for decades. However, the magnitude of environmental concerns can leave individuals feeling helpless and unsure of how to make a difference.
There is a long list of problems plaguing our planet, but three dominate: climate change and global warming; water pollution and ocean acidification; and biodiversity loss. To protect the only planet we know where life can thrive, we must address these three concerns immediately and proactively. Plus, concentrating on these three key areas will have a trickle-down effect on other environmental concerns, such as ineffective recycling systems and food waste.
Let’s take a look at three pressing ecological problems and the approaches that can be taken to address them.
Global warming and climate change are a worldwide threat that are largely caused by human activity.An increase in global average temperatures, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and other negative changes have been attributed to the increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. All forms of life are being affected by these shifts. One of the leading causes of these environmental problems is pollution of air, land, and water caused by excessive deforestation, industrialization, and overfilling of landfills, all of which release CO2 and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Some good ways to deal with these issues are listed below.
Some of the leading causes of water pollution include rapid urbanization, improper sewage disposal by industries, oil spills, the disposal of chemical or radioactive wastes, and plastic pollution. Many countries around the world are currently facing a serious threat to human survival due to water scarcity and pollution.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 percent of all atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions are taken up by the world’s oceans. When seawater absorbs CO2, it undergoes a series of chemical reactions that increase the concentration of hydrogen ions, making the seawater more acidic and contributing to ocean acidification. As a result, it becomes more challenging for mollusks, deep-sea corals, oysters, and other marine organisms to produce and maintain their shells and other calcium carbonate structures because there are fewer carbonate ions in the seawater.