Global Environmental Issues

Global warming, nuclear waste, pollution, extinction of species… the list of global environmental issues, which is already quite a long one, continues to grow in length. Most of us seem to have become quite involved in our personal lives, and hence, are not at all aware about the current environmental issues, while others know about them, but prefer to carry on with their it-won't-affect-us attitude. The end result, the list is just growing longer and longer, while we run out of time to solve these global environmental problems.

Global Environmental Issues List

If asked what are the global environmental issues that the planet faces today, most people out there wouldn't be able to go beyond global warming and energy crisis. These people are not aware of the fact that there are several other issues of global concern, each of which is equally hazardous. More importantly, all these issues are related with each other by some or the other way, and hence, tackling them one by one has just become difficult.

Climate Change: Climate change has become more than obvious over the past decade, with nine years of the decade making it to the list of hottest years the planet has ever witnessed. The rise in temperature has also ensured that the equations on the planet have gone for a toss. Some of the most obvious signs of this include irregularities in weather, frequent storms, melting glaciers, rising levels of sea etc. Going by the prevailing conditions, it is not difficult to anticipate that the planet is heading for a dramatic climate change, somewhere in near future. Read more on global warming effects on Earth.

Conservation of Species: Yet another global environmental issue, species conservation basically deals with conservation of flora and fauna, in order to curb the extinction of species. Extinction of a single species of plant or animal results in a dramatic imbalance in the ecosystem, as a number of other species dependent on it directly or indirectly are also affected. Over the last century or so, several plants and animal species have become extinct thus resulting in a major loss for the biodiversity of the planet.

More information on extinct animals:

• Extinct Animals in The Last 100 Years
• Extinct Birds in the Last 100 Years

Energy Crisis: The fact that we are largely dependent on fossil fuels for our energy requirements has made us significantly vulnerable to severe energy crisis. Though, quite a few renewable energy sources have been identified, none of them have been promising enough when it comes to replacement of fossil fuels as the major source of energy for mankind. Attempts to tap the full potential of these sources are in progress, and our future by and large depends on these attempts, as fossil fuels are on the verge of exhaustion. Read more on alternative energy sources.

Exploitation of Natural Resources: Our greed for more has left us empty handed in terms of natural resources in several parts of the world. Several human activities, including the likes of mining, agriculture, fishing etc., has resulted in drastic degradation of our natural resources. While mining and agriculture have triggered large scale deforestation, over fishing has only resulted in the reduction of population of marine creatures inhabiting the planet. If the trends continue, we are bound to exhaust those natural resources on which we are dependent, and thus dig our own graves.

Land Degradation: Land pollution, owing to human activities, and desertification, due to loss of vegetation has left the surface of the planet unsuitable for human use. Land degradation can be attributed to the fact that we have become too laid-back in terms preservation of the nature. Improper soil use, haphazard waste disposal, large scale deforestation and other such human activities harmful for nature are on the rise, something which is invariably taking a toll on our natural surroundings.

Land Use: Global environmental problems pertaining to the land are not just restricted to haphazard waste disposal or large scale deforestation, but also to improper use of land. Natural environment is being destructed to make way for urban sprawl, which is indirectly resulting in loss of habitat for several species. Fragmentation of land owing to construction is also a major factor when it comes to improper land use. All these factors together result in several problems, including soil erosion, degradation of land and desertification.

Nuclear Issues: Nuclear power does have high potential, but the problems associated with it are no less. Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is one of the major problems we are likely to face, especially if safety regulations are not followed properly. Chernobyl tragedy has set an example of how nuclear waste can lead to disaster for mankind, and no one would like to see another Chernobyl happening. It doesn't end here as the threat of some nation diverting its nuclear power to produce nuclear arsenal is always looming over the mankind. And it won't take an Einstein to imagine the amount of damage these nuclear weapons would cause.

Overpopulation: Yet another major global environmental issue is overpopulation. As the population of world continues to soar at an alarming rate, the pressure on the resources of the planet is increasing. These problems associated with overpopulation range from food and water crisis to lack of space for natural burial. Overpopulation also results in various other demographic hazards. Incessant population growth will not just result in depletion of natural resources, but will also put more pressure on the economy. After all sustaining a huge population requires quite a mammoth effort for a nation, as far as finance is concerned. More information on overpopulation:

• Causes of Overpopulation
• Overpopulation Effects

Pollution: This is perhaps the most obvious, yet most ignored global environmental issue in this list of environmental problems. The term 'population' in itself have several other aspects, prominent ones among which include air pollution, water pollution and land pollution. On one hand air pollution can be attributed to the large amount of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere by industries and vehicles, water pollution and land pollution is caused as a result of waste disposal from from factories, oil-carrying vessels etc. Basically, mankind is to be blamed for this issue as our activities tend to hamper the environment at an alarming rate. If this trend continues, we will be very soon left without any fresh air to breath, and clean water to drink.

Waste Management: As population increases, human activities increase, which eventually increases the amount of waste produced. This waste doesn't just include those harmful gases let out in the atmosphere or toxic waste released in water bodies, but also includes nuclear waste, e-waste, medical waste and even the waste from our homes. With limited area available on the planet, and most of it being inhabited by us, we are left with no space to dispose this waste. The rate at which this waste is produced is far more than the rate at which it is being treated, and this just results in piling up of waste, which eventually pollutes the environment.

These were some of the major global environmental issues and problems which have been threatening the planet for quite sometime now. However, the environmental issues the planet faces today are not just restricted to the list given above. Several issues, including problems due to construction of dams, genetic pollution, nanotoxicology, etc., are surfacing every other day, thus making the list of global environmental issues longer with time. If we don't start attending to these issues one by one, the moment is not far when we will have no option left but to surrender to these environmental issues.