Current environmental issues pdf

If we include microplastics into this, the cumulative amount of plastic in the ocean could reach million tons by Considering that plastic takes years to decompose, it will be many generations until it ceases to exist. Every minute, forests the size of 20 football fields are cut down. Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, another one of the biggest environmental problems appearing on this list. Land is cleared to raise livestock or to plant other crops that are sold, such as sugar cane and palm oil.

Besides for carbon sequestration, forests help to prevent soil erosion, because the tree roots bind the soil and prevent it from washing away, which also prevents landslides.

The three countries experiencing the highest levels of deforestation are Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia, however Indonesia is tackling deforestation , now seeing the lowest rates since the beginning of the century. Causes of air pollution mostly comes from industrial sources and motor vehicles, as well as emissions from burning biomass and poor air quality due to dust storms. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, attention has been put on the role that air pollution gases has in transporting the virus molecules.

Preliminary studies have identified a positive correlation between COVIDrelated mortalities and air pollution and there is also a plausible association of airborne particles assisting the viral spread. This could have contributed to the high death toll in China, where air quality is notoriously poo r, although more definitive studies must be conducted before such a conclusion can be drawn. The climate crisis is causing tropical storms and other weather events such as hurricanes, heat waves and flooding to be more intense and frequent than seen before.

However, a study has found that even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted in , global warming would only be halted by around It is absolutely imperative that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions; thankfully, this year is set to see the highest uptake of renewable energy projects around the world. The climate crisis is warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet.

Seas are now rising an average of 3. In the Arctic, the Greenland Ice Sheet poses the greatest risk for sea levels because melting land ice is the main cause of rising sea levels. According to satellite data, the Greenland ice sheet lost a record amount of ice in an average of a million tons per minute throughout the year, one of the biggest environmental problems that has cascading effects.

If the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, sea level would rise by six metres. Meanwhile, the Antarctic continent contributes about 1 millimeter per year to sea level rise, which is a third of the annual global increase. The sea level rise will have a devastating impact on those living in coastal regions: according to research and advocacy group Climate Central, sea level rise this century could flood coastal areas that are now home to million to million people , forcing them to migrate to safer areas and contributing to overpopulation and strain of resources in the areas they migrate to.

As the fourth most populous city in the world, the flood risk in the area is high due to its geographical position. Any flooding caused by a higher rainfall can potentially be catastrophic in relation to evacuation, water management and property damage.

Global temperature rise has not only affected the surface, but it is the main cause of ocean acidification. As higher concentrations of carbon emissions are released thanks to human activities such as burning fossil fuels as well as effects of global climate change such as increased rates of wildfires, so do the amount of carbon dioxide that is absorbed back into the sea.

The smallest change in the pH scale can have a significant impact on the acidity of the ocean. Ocean acidification can have a ripple effect across marine ecosystems and species, its food webs, and provoked changes in habitat quality.

Once pH levels reach too low, marine organisms such as oysters, their shells and skeleton could even start to dissolve. However, one of the biggest ocean acidification effects can be seen with coral bleaching and subsequent coral reef loss. This is a phenomenon that occurs when rising ocean temperatures disrupt the symbiotic relationship between the reefs and algae that lives within it, driving away the algae and causing coral reefs to lose their natural vibrant colours.

Some scientists have estimated coral reefs are at risk of being completely wiped by Some studies have also found that ocean acidification can be linked as one of the effects of plastic pollution in the ocean. The accumulating bacteria and microorganisms derived from plastic garbage dumped in the ocean to damage marine ecosystems and contribute towards coral bleaching.

Crop production releases greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide through the use of fertilisers. Agriculture not only covers a vast amount of land, but it also consumes a vast amount of freshwater, another one of the biggest environmental problems on this list. Scientists and environmentalists have continuously warned that we need to rethink our current food system; switching to a more plant-based diet would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the conventional agriculture industry. Rising temperatures and unsustainable farming practices has resulted in the increasing threat of water and food insecurity.

Globally, more than 68 billion tonnes of top-soil is eroded every year at a rate times faster than it can naturally be replenished. Laden with biocides and fertiliser, the soil ends up in waterways where it contaminates drinking water and protected areas downstream. Furthermore, exposed and lifeless soil is more vulnerable to wind and water erosion due to lack of root and mycelium systems that hold it together.

A key contributor to soil erosion is over-tilling: although it increases productivity in the short-term by mixing in surface nutrients e. Keywords: Environmentalism , Ethics , Food choices, Vegetarianism.

Environment ethics: Environment ethics is the discipline in Philosophy that studies moral relationship of human to environment. Environment ethics deals with issues related to right of individuals that are fundamentals to life and well beings. It deals with next generations and other living creatures that inhabit the earth.

Importance of Environmental Ethics: It makes us aware of indiscriminate and destructive human activities. Inculcate moral values toward nature and learn to respect various life forms through environmental ethics. Concerned with issues of responsible personal conduct with respect to natural landscape, resources, species and non human organism.

Conduct with respect to person is, of course, the direct concern of modern philosophy. To know about:- Why care about nature? Should trees have standing? Major Environmental Issues : Use of resources: Developed countries use a major part of natural resources. The developing countries like china and India , also overuse their natural resources for their large population.

Minerals are formed over a period of millions of years in the earth crust. Urban issues- Horizontal expansion of urban areas creates many problems to environment. Urbanisation has influenced the atmosphere in different ways , such as growth of vehicles ,sanitation, multiplying industrialization , power consumption etc. By this type of expansion of agriculture land, forests , grasslands reduces and on it the pressure on agriculture land increases.

Solid waste and sewage waste management is also another problem of big cities. Vegetations- The number of plants species are declining.

The number of threatened plants species is Animals and birds- Biodiversity is essential for survival of life on earth. India is rich in biological heritage of world. But deforestation and mining activities ,threat to this priceless biodiversity. Air pollution means the presence of pollutants such as dust , smoke ,fog and foul smell which are unimportant and even harmful for plants and other living being.

Noise pollution means the unwanted sound dumped in the atmosphere leading to health hazards. Rapid industrial growth, heavy traffic , urban crowed and electric equipments like loud speaker ,DJ, religious and social functions increase noise pollution.

Some important health hazards are as follow: Noise Intensity db Health Hazards 80 Annoyance 90 Gearing damage 95 Very annoying Stimulation of reception in skin Pain threshold Naisea ,vomiting ,dizziness Pain in ear Burning in skin Rupture of tymphanic membrane Major permanent damage in short time Water pollution- Water pollution simply means contamination of water due to any external material , or in other words introduction of something to natural water which make it unsuitable for human consumption.

Soil pollution- Soil pollution refers to any physical or chemical change in soil conditions that may adversely affect the growth of plants and other organisms. Solid Waste- Solid waste is most of visible form of pollution. Solid waste includes glass containers as bottles , crokeries , plastic containers ,polythene and packing material that are used and then thrown as garbage.

Most of methods disposing of solid waste pose serious damage to environment. More urbanization and industrialization the problem of waste disposal increased.

Population- Rapid growth of population has led to a number of environmental issues. Population growth and industrial development determine the total impact on environment. The major issue is population growth in India. Population of India is India with 1,,, people is second largest country in the world. It has greatly increased the pressure on natural resources. Forestation : Forests play an important role in carbon cycle.

Main greenhouse gas CO2 , is absorbed by the forests. Forests can absorb many toxic gases and can help in keeping air cool. There is a need to grow more trees. The natural forests must be protected as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries where all the plants and animals can be protected.

Conservation of biodiversity : It is matter of prime concern that biodiversity should be conserved. Once a species is lost , it is gone forever and it will not come into existence again. There is a moral justification for conservation of existing of biodiversity. There are protected areas including national parks , wild life sanctuaries , 47 conservation reserve and 4 community reserve in India.

In addition there are 47 tiger reserves , 18 biospheres reserves , elephant reserves and wetland sites in India. Pollution control- Forests cover should be protected. Trees are best controller of air pollution ,noise pollution and soil pollution and soil erosion. Keeping the ill effects of noise pollution in mind it should be checked. Population control- Increasing population should be checked. It is our duty. One child concept should be adopted. Value leadership- Leader can play an important role in establishing a climate regarding ethics.

Leader can convey the importance of ethical values to public easily. They can become a role model in youth by using eco friendly goods and mode of transportation. In this context our Honourable prime Minister Sh.