Major Causes of Environmental Problems
Population growth, air and water pollution from industrial activities, conversion of forest land for agriculture, settlements and industry and unsustainable development are some of the major causes of the environmental problems we face today. Here are a few web sites that discuss some of these problems in detail.
Population growth
The pressure of population on both renewable and non-renewable resources has brought irreversible damage to the environment. With population growth the demand for more land, water and more consumption has increased so much that there is not enough resources to go around.
According to a report, most replacement of eroded agricultural land is now coming from marginal and forest land. The pressure for agricultural land accounts for 60 to 80 % of the world's deforestation. Competition for water resources among individuals, regions, and countries and associated human activities is already occurring with the current world population. For details visit this website.
Unsustainable development
At the same time, it is not only population or poverty that is causing the problem. A key issue is how we use the resources that we have. Our choice of how to use those resources (i.e. our economic policies) and for what purposes (i.e. our political directions and policies) are critical issues as well on the resulting impact on the environment to meet those uses and purposes.
Visit this website for a look at how consumption patterns have an impact on the environment. As the report says, inequality in wealth and consumption is a key issue. According to the report "Globally, the 20% of the world's people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditures - the poorest 20% a minuscule 1.3%".
This means richer nations consume more energy, use more communication and technology devices like telephones and computers, use more paper and more polluting vehicles.
Industries: Fishing
Fishing is one of the oldest industries that man has known and various fishing practices are followed in different parts of the world. The global fishing fleet is estimated to be 250% larger than needed to catch what the ocean can produce. It is only now that people are waking up to the environmental impact of fishing and how it affects the ecosystem of the oceans. Visit this website for a detailed discussion and more links. You can also visit this page for details about the conservation issues facing the seas.
Industries: Tourism
Another growing industry is tourism. One of the largest issues about tourism is the pollution it causes; air emissions, solid waste, litter, noise, oil and chemical, and the release of sewage. Tourism now accounts for more than 60% of air travel, and thus contributes more to air emissions.
It is only recently that the environmental impacts of tourism had been studied. Visit this website for a short summary of the main impacts of tourism. The page is not easy on the eye because of the background it uses but the content is good.
Industries: Coal
Coal is still one of the major sources of energy in the developing and developed world. The coalmines not only cause environmental damage but also have adverse effect on the health of the workers. Burning coal also releases tons of pollutants like carbon dioxide (a major cause of global warming) and sulphur dioxide (a cause of acid rain) into the atmosphere.
Coal is the most carbon-rich of all fossil fuels. Burning it generates 70% more of the most important greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), for every unit of energy produced than natural gas. From 1971 to 1995 there was an eightfold increase in coal burning for electricity generation in the industrializing countries of Asia.
The trend continues, and India and China will be responsible for 75% of the increased global coal consumption. By 2025, nearly 60% of all coal will be burned in Asia-Pacific. As a consequence, the region's CO2 emissions are predicted to double.
For a look at how the coal industry contributes to environmental problems, visit this website.
Air pollution
Air pollution is identified as one of main causes of environmental and health problems in the world today. Many air pollutants, such as those that form urban smog and toxic compounds, remain in the environment for long periods of time and are carried by the winds hundreds of miles from their origin.
This increases the damage they can cause. To know more visit this website. If you are interested in knowing about the 6 main air pollutants, click on the links on the page.
