Global environmental problems on planet Earth are inextricably linked to human activity and its impact on the environment. Even several thousands of years ago, humans were excessively active, changing the landscape in some parts of the continents beyond recognition. For example, in the ancient world, the area of the Sahara Desert was covered with dense vegetation.

Content of the article

1. Human impact on the environment as a global problem
2. Pollution as the main environmental problem in the world
3. Greenhouse effect
   1. Greenhouse effect and global warming
4. Global Ocean Pollution and Reduction of Biodiversity
   1. Water pollution
5. Air pollution
6. Depletion of the ozone layer and ozone holes
7. Desertification and land degradation
8. Freshwater Problem
9. Deforestation
10. Environmental waste problems
11. Ways to solve the world’s environmental problems

Human impact on the environment as a global problem

Already in ancient Egypt, Babylon, India, China, Rome, and Greece, people thought about the efficient and respectful treatment of the environment. Natural and ecological cataclysms of that time caused migrations of peoples, weakening, conquest, and disappearance of powerful empires.

For example, the movement of the Huns to Europe was caused by climatic changes, when part of the Hunnu people inhabiting the lands north of China was forced to migrate in different directions. Some of them occupied the territories of the Jin state, the others headed west. They invaded Eastern Europe in 370, defining with their influence the policy of Rome and other states for a century.

In today’s world, human activity has a strong impact on the environment. For example, due to the negligent attitude to the problem of waste disposal in many Third World countries, an entire continent of garbage is already growing in the Pacific Ocean. After decades of accumulation, garbage destroys all living organisms that used to live there in the natural environment.

Other inventions can act faster and more dramatically. For example, the destructive effects of atomic energy can change the planet overnight, wiping out key species.

If global environmental problems are not solved, they will first and foremost directly affect humans. According to international organizations, by 2020, more than half of the world’s population does not have access to quality water. That means their health is at risk. But mankind has the power to put modern technological advances into service to change the situation.

Pollution as the main environmental problem in the world

Pollution is one of the world’s biggest environmental problems because it is a typical byproduct of modern life. For example, air pollution is the result of the burning of fossil fuels, as well as various gases and toxins emitted by industrial plants and factories.

Pollution causes all the other environmental problems in the modern world, whether it be the greenhouse effect, global warming, or pollution of the world’s oceans.

Below are the most common air pollutants today, as well as their health effects:

1. Ozone is a colorless, odorless gas formed when sunlight affects nitrogen oxides (found in cars and industrial equipment) and volatile organic compounds (found in gasoline, paints, inks, and solvents). Inhaling ozone can cause health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation and congestion, bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema;
2. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. When inhaled, carbon monoxide reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide can lead to death. In addition to being highly toxic, carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, so it is often called the “silent killer.”
3. Nitrogen dioxide is a highly reactive gas produced when fuel is burned at high temperatures (e.g., in car exhausts, electric utilities, and industrial boilers). Nitrogen dioxide reacts with water and oxygen to form nitric acid, one of the main components of acid rain. Nitrogen dioxide can irritate the lungs and increase susceptibility to respiratory disease;
4. Particulate matter – very small solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air. Short-term exposure to particulate matter can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as the heart and lungs. Prolonged exposure can lead to hospitalization and premature death due to cardiovascular and respiratory disease;
5. Sulfur dioxide is a highly reactive and caustic gas produced when fossil fuels are burned in industrial facilities such as power plants. Other processes that generate sulfur dioxide are marine debris and the decomposition of organic matter. Inhaling sulfur dioxide can cause shortness of breath, chest tightness and shortness of breath, as well as heart and lung disease;
6. Lead is a common ingredient in many industrial products. Gasoline and paint are major sources of lead emissions. Exposure to lead can cause kidney disease, nervous system disorders, mental retardation, learning disabilities, miscarriage, stillbirths, premature births, and death.

Pollution and modern life seem to go hand in hand, but the costs and consequences due to air pollution can no longer be ignored. According to a 2012 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, air pollution cost the Chinese economy $112 billion in 2005. In Hong Kong, medical bills and lost productivity due to air pollution totaled HK$39.4 billion in 2013.

Pollution costs are already being borne by industrial plants, and their productivity is declining. Severely polluted areas make it difficult to hire and retain staff there, forcing them to pay higher wages to attract and retain workers. 

Uncontrolled pollution can reduce investor interest. Companies in heavily polluted areas may need to close up stores and move their operations to less polluted locations to produce their products safely. In addition, pollution causes other destructive processes, including the greenhouse effect or climate warming, causing major environmental problems of our time.

Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in the Earth’s atmosphere trap heat from the Sun. This process makes the Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is what makes the Earth a comfortable place to live. Gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat just like the glass roof of a greenhouse. They are called greenhouse gases.

The whole process takes place as follows:

1. During the day, the sun shines through the atmosphere;
2. The Earth’s surface is heated by the sun;
3. At night, the Earth’s surface cools, releasing heat back into the air;
4. Part of the heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Human activity is changing the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect. Burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil increases the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

NASA has seen an increase in carbon dioxide and some other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Too many of these greenhouse gases can cause the planet’s atmosphere to trap more and more heat. This causes the Earth to heat up.

As a result, climate zones can shift, leading to many natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. At the same time, drought can occur in areas far from bodies of water. Many plant and animal species are threatened with extinction because of their inability to adapt to new conditions. The greenhouse effect is also a real threat to humanity. Such actions such as separating waste, using recyclable materials, and reducing logging would, according to experts, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

The greenhouse effect and global warming

So, the energy of solar radiation is converted into thermal energy when it reaches the Earth. The Earth absorbs heat and then releases it through the atmosphere, clouds, and its surface. Long-wave radiation is produced, which occurs both in the direction of space and toward the Earth. Waves of radiation are absorbed by components of the atmosphere and then re-radiated in all directions.

The Earth warms up again because a really small amount of radiation enters space. This process provides the desired temperature on the planet, as stated above. 

The problem arises when human activity accumulates more radiation in the atmosphere than it should. This is due to an increase in the number of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. These are greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, freons, ozone, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides. They trap radiation and retain heat, which is useful and necessary for life on Earth. 

But if there are too many greenhouse gases, thermal radiation accumulates in it and causes the temperature to rise. 

The phenomenon of global warming occurs, which harms climate formation. But there is another problem because of the greenhouse effect, which affects the world’s oceans.

Pollution of the world’s oceans and the reduction of biodiversity

Humanity affects the world’s oceans in many ways. For example, through the dumping of waste that forms a new continent, as mentioned above. But a more devastating effect on it is the greenhouse effect.

Planet Earth, like a glass greenhouse, is also full of plants! Plants can help balance the greenhouse effect on Earth. All plants, from giant trees to tiny phytoplankton in the ocean, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

The ocean also absorbs a lot of extra carbon dioxide in the air. Unfortunately, increasing the carbon dioxide in the ocean changes the water, making it more acidic. This is called ocean acidification. To understand how marine ecosystems are affected, you can look at commensalism examples in the ocean.

More acidic water can be harmful to many marine creatures, such as some mollusks and corals, and plankton, which are food for other ocean creatures. Warming oceans from too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can also be harmful to these organisms. Warm waters, for example, are a major cause of coral bleaching.

Water pollution

Growing industry is also affecting water quality. Through unsuitable wastewater treatment methods, all kinds of substances that are not naturally aquatic are sent to reservoirs. Reduced water quality is caused by, among other things, the use of too much fertilizer by the agricultural industry and the emission of exhaust gases by land and water transport.

For reference. This problem is as relevant to seawater and the ocean as it is to inland freshwater sources.

To eliminate this problem, first of all, is necessary to increase the efficiency of wastewater treatment, which, unfortunately, is associated with high costs. As demand grows, new facilities of this type should be built and existing ones should be modernized. Monitoring water quality and continually striving to improve the solutions already implemented in the future can lead to systematic improvement.

Air Pollution

As a result of the industrial revolution, large amounts of unwanted substances such as gases and vapors of carbon oxides, nitrogen, sulfur, ash, dust, soot, and heavy metal compounds have begun to enter the atmosphere. Large agglomerations that accumulate harmful substances from the chemical industry and car exhaust face this problem.

This leads to respiratory and heart disease, as well as a decrease in the quality of crops and yields. Because of this, the governments of developing and developed countries are taking measures to prevent this environmental problem. Restrictions are imposed on emissions of harmful gases and dust to limit the impact of air pollution.

Ozone depletion and ozone holes

For almost half a century there has been a significant decrease in atmospheric ozone in the South Pole region. This phenomenon is called the ozone hole. Excessive ultraviolet radiation results from a lack of ozone, which can lead to ecosystem imbalances.

Ultraviolet solid radiation also negatively affects the human immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to infections and diseases. Currently, Russia and many other countries prohibit the manufacture and import of products with ozone-damaging substances.

Desertification and land degradation

Soil degradation is directly affected by air pollution, acid rain, and the use of artificial fertilizers. Plants grown on polluted soils often contain toxic substances that can cause food poisoning if ingested. 

To improve the condition of soils, they must be restored to their former usefulness and biological function and thus fertilized to make up for the lack of important elements.

Such a shortage of water has a detrimental effect on agriculture. Farms depend on water for irrigation, so a reduced water supply will dramatically affect their productivity. Farms will have lower yields, which means that producers will also have fewer raw materials to produce products and services. 

If the water supply in a certain area becomes critically low, businesses in that area may be forced to move their production facilities to where there is an adequate water supply. Water is needed in almost every aspect of business operations, from running machines to keeping office space clean. Relocation forces businesses to spend money on new facilities and equipment, as well as hiring and training new personnel.

The freshwater problem

The world’s water supply is becoming increasingly scarce. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), 2.5 billion people (about 36% of the global population) still do not have access to improved sanitation. In 2012, 748 million people continued to receive drinking water from unsafe sources. The World Wildlife Fund warns that by 2025 about two-thirds of the world’s population will be affected by water shortages.

Some of these shortages may be related to climate change. For example, the drought that has plagued farms in the United States for 5 years is caused by rising temperatures and changing atmospheric conditions that contribute to less rainfall. The same California climate is typically characterized by a concentrated rainy season followed by a long and moderate dry period. But from 2011 to 2018, there was a drought here for 376 weeks: no rain, and precipitation levels were only 5 percent of the historical average.

Deforestation

Deforestation occurs for several reasons:

1. Agriculture;
2. Livestock production, especially because of cattle; 
3. Logging for lumber and industrial production.

Loss of trees and other vegetation can lead to climate change, desertification, soil erosion, reduced crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous peoples.

One of the most dangerous and disturbing consequences of deforestation is the loss of animal and plant species due to habitat loss; we are losing not only those we know but those we do not know, and potentially even more.

For reference! Up to 70% of the planet’s terrestrial animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive deforestation, which destroys their natural habitat.

The effects of deforestation include soil erosion and coastal flooding. Trees also retain water and topsoil, which provides rich nutrients to sustain forest dwellers.

Environmental Waste Issues

As populations and industries grow, the problem of proper waste disposal grows. Communities are accumulating so much trash that it is becoming increasingly difficult to dispose of it properly. For example, solid trash is usually buried in landfills or incinerated, which is extremely bad for the environment. Decomposing trash can attract vermin, cause a foul odor, or leach into the groundwater. Smoke from trash incineration contributes to air pollution.

Some byproducts of the manufacturing process that are hazardous and toxic to humans and the environment reinforce the need for improved waste management. Efficiency is sometimes achieved at the expense of environmental sustainability.  Waste is used to produce secondary raw materials, because of this the need for a large amount of harmful production is reduced, and the final products are cheaper.

Ways to solve the world’s environmental problems

To reduce the negative effects on the environment, a series of actions were taken at the international level that outlined ways of solving environmental problems.

The turning point was the day of May 26, 1969, when the first global report on the state of the natural environment was prepared.  The report contained a presentation of major international environmental problems. The report concluded that wherever man does business, there is a negative impact on the environment.

Further legislative initiatives at the international level:

1. In 1972, the UN conference in Stockholm adopted a declaration obliging individual countries to act in a way that would not harm the environment of other nations;
2. The authors of the Rome report in 1972 read out the concept of zero growth, in which they proposed reducing industry, especially in less developed countries;
3. In 1979, at the ministerial conference of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (EEC), 34 countries signed a declaration (which went into effect in 1983) to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions;
4. In 1983, it was proposed that EEC countries reduce sulfur emissions by at least 30 percent by 1993 compared to 1980. In 1985, the environmental ministers of 21 countries signed such a document.

In 1986, the EEC set up a working group to develop a protocol for nitrogen oxides. No reduction in emissions of this type of pollutant could be agreed upon, but most countries declared that they would maintain emissions through 1994 at 1987 levels. This declaration was signed by 25 countries at a meeting in Bulgaria in 1988, while 12 countries committed to reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides by 30 percent by 1998, compared with emissions in the eighties.

In 1992, a conference in Rio de Janeiro called the “Earth Summit” set the stage for international cooperation in environmental protection. The conference in Rio de Janeiro ended with the signing of the Rio Declaration, which laid down the rules for the treatment of the natural environment. It adopted, among others, the following documents:

1. The Convention on Climate Change to prevent the greenhouse effect;
2. Convention on Biological Diversity to protect flora;
3. The Declaration of Cooperation for the Protection of All Forests;

In addition, one of the most important acts, Agenda 21, dealing with all spheres of the environment and the sphere of cooperation, was adopted. This document introduces the idea of sustainable environmental development.

In 1997, the so-called Kyoto Protocol was adopted, under which the countries that ratified it undertook to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. The Kyoto Protocol was signed by most countries of the world.

Sustainable development, i.e. development based on the least possible transformation of the natural environment, is now a new concept in nature conservation. The idea of ecological development was the main theme of the Johannesburg conference in 2002.

Solving environmental problems depends on the will and intentions of the governments of different countries. Without this, it is impossible to change anything globally. No matter how much the population tries to separate garbage, if there is no proper recycling, from different containers all waste will end up in the same landfill. In addition, industrial production is the main source of pollution. This means that we need better technology to prevent pollution in the environment.

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