FIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Air Pollution
Combustion, mining, factories, power plants, farming, fires and automobiles - what do these have in common?
They all pose threats as potential air pollutants that could endanger our health and ecosystem. Air pollution is
not a new problem, with the Dust Storm of Kansas in 1937 and the factory smoke covered Chicago in 1950.
Currently Beijing, China is struggling to deal with smog over the entire city. This smog is hazardous and could
produce chronic illness in the Beijing inhabitants who leave their homes. While the government is attempting to
put green energy programs in place and lower their carbon emissions, is it too late for Beijing to clean up?
Could this be the fate of every major city as more cars are on the road and factories continue at alarming rates
to keep up with the demand of the consumers? It is a valuable question that our society should be concerned
about. Carbon monoxide, a deadly gas, comprises roughly 65% of the air pollutants, while nitrogen oxides take
second at 15%. Carbon monoxide is scentless and with just minutes results in death. Yes, these gases are
dispersed throughout the atmosphere and more likely then not people will not drop dead when stepping
outside. However, a lot of these gases can cause chronic issues such as lung disease, asthma and heart
disease, resulting in an estimated 200,000 premature deaths per year. The main pollutants include on-road
vehicles, fossil fuel combustion and off-road equipment (such as construction). Car sales do not seem to be
slowing down, even with the elevated gas prices, it may be time to reconsider that luxury car or mini-van in the
garage and opt for a hybrid or electric car. These cars will not only save you money in gas mileage, they will
also conserve energy and produce less carbon emissions.
Marine Pollution
The main contributor of ocean pollution begins on land, namely non-point pollution. Septic tanks, sewage
sludge, car oil leaks, boats and farm chemicals are all included in this category. These pollutants eventually
make their way to the sea. Pesticides and toxins can also get into our drinking supply. Take West Virginia's
current situation, A chemical spill has damaged their current municipal water supply, rendering them helpless.
While water constitutes three-quarters of the world, only 1% is safe to drink. If what happened to West Virginia
were to happen on a global scale, what would be the result? It's frightening to think that we may run out of
water and even more frightening to think that we may be poisoning the water that we do have. Not only this,
but some boats and even countries deposit their trash directly into the ocean. Water covers approximately 70%
of our globe, it would seem that it is an abundant resource. A few pieces of trash won't cause that much harm
in something that large, right? Wrong, this trash makes its way into the food chain of marine life, small marine
animals ingest these plastics, sometimes causing fatality. Plastic bags and nets are also cause for concern, as
marine animals sometimes get entangled in these man-made products. This trash can clump together, the
Pacific Trash Vortex, is a swirling mass of trash in the Pacific Ocean the size of Texas. Slowly, humans are
destroying the homes of millions of aquatic creatures, some of which we know little to nothing about. Ocean
pollution is not only devastating for the sea creatures, it can also be devastating for humans as well. As we
ingest these fish, we can succumb to illness as a result of our pollutants. Everyone is warned about the
mercury levels in fish, this is not a mystery or a secret. Not only this, but the plastics can wash up on land,
destroying beaches. As we continue to consume, we also continue to dump waste, most of which ends up in
the ocean. We must make strides in recycling and reusable plastics while fighting to prevent ocean dumping
and further pollution.
Climate Change

What exactly is climate change? Is this another conspiracy theory? The unfortunate fact is this is happening.
Climate change is the rise in temperatures and changes in weather patterns on a global scale as a result of
carbon emissions and the combustion of fossil fuels. The evidence is in the warming of the earth. Over the past
100 year the average temperature has risen 1.4C, a number which may seem small, but is actually significant
and telling. If the temperature continues to rise, as is expected over the next 100 years, there could be
dangerous effects. Changes in climate patterns could produce unexpected weather phenomena and natural
disaster. Droughts, forest fires, hurricanes, tycoons, heat waves, devastating snow storms and tornadoes are
just examples of occurrences which could increase in unexpected places in the next few years. These could
threaten the agriculture, fishing and tourism industries. For the most part, this has been a result of the increase
in carbon emissions and greenhouses gases on part of humans. These gases act as a blanket, covering the
earth and trapping in heat, in a sort of convection process known as the greenhouse effect. As the ice caps
melt and sea level rises, the potential of dangerous coastal floods increase. Similar to other environmental
concerns, our actions can reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enabling us to slow down global warming. If
we continue on this trajectory weather patterns will change drastically, causing economic failure for many as
the industries they once based their livelihoods on shift.
Reliance on Fossil Fuels
What does your sweater, computers, sneakers, telephones, erasers, puzzles, cameras, band aids, aspirin,
lipstick, trash bags, alarm clock, wallpaper and clothes hangers all have in common? They are all made from
crude oil. This is just a fraction of the items in your everyday life that require this fossil fuels. Other fossil fuels,
including coal and natural gas, are non-renewable resources. Once we run out, that's it. Our lives revolve
around fossil fuels, we harness this energy for nearly everything we do. The US is especially a concern, as
they import most of their oil. The competition for these resources is only going to grow as the resources
themselves deplete. This will result in alarmingly high prices of fuel - something we've only glimpsed with the
economic crisis of 2008 where gas prices rose above $4.00 per gallon. The fact of the matter is, gas prices will
continue to rise, reaching $7, $10, maybe even $20 per gallon. Eventually, and quite frighteningly enough,
however, we will run out of fossil fuels. We must strive to produce alternate forms of energy - solar, wind, water
- even if these prices are drastically higher than that of fossil fuels. Green energy is the future and it is up to us
to make that future happen.
Growing population
Currently, the world population lies around 7 billion people. In 1999, the world population reached 6 billion.
That's an increase of a billion people in just 15 years alone. By 2024, the UN estimates a population of 8 billion
people. As innovations in medicine results in both a lower infant mortality rate and a longer life span, the
population continues to grow at an alarming rate. As population increases many changes must be made to
accommodate more people. This alone can result in the following effects: Deforestation: This would further
propel climate change as greenhouse gases would increase. Extinction of endangered species: Not only
would deforestation contribute to this, humans would be taking over the homes of many animal species.
Decrease in standard of living: The standard of living may decrease as cities grow and the struggle to
provide more housing increases.
Faster depletion of resources: Resources - such as water, food and fossil fuels - will also have to be expanded
to provide for a larger population. The world would run out of these resources in a quicker time span with a
larger population. Increase in carbon emissions: As more people need more energy, greenhouses gases will
continue to rise and global warming will not cease to exist. At the same time, more cars will be on the roads,
resulting in more air pollution. More trash: The more people the more trash. The question of where to dump
trash looms over society. We run out of places to out it. Burning is hazardous to the air quality, as well as land
fills. Ocean dumping will only increase as humans must get rid of their waste. This could result in the fatal
destruction of marine life and loss of biodiversity.
Unfortunately, this an issue you can't do much about. Eventually the population will have to plateau as we
begin to face environmental, economic and social issues as a result of this population boom.
(source:http://alyssagoesgreen.hubpages.com/hub/The-Top-10-Environmental-Concerns-Facing-Todays-Society)