Study Skills - Environmental Issues

Environmental problems are defined as a process of resource consumption that has negative effects on the sustainability and quality of the environment (businessdictionary.com, 2013). Human life support is entirely dependent on the well-being of the environment – being a part of the biosphere. When one aspect of the biosphere is thrown off balance, it will affect the rest of the system as well. (ODonell, L., 2006)

There are several types of environmental issues that affect the environment, and this includes: air pollution, water pollution, global warming, deforestation, land pollution, radioactive pollution, noise pollution, visual pollution, soil erosion and thinning of the ozone layer, among others. These are mostly caused by human activity and is damaging to the environment.

Air pollution is a contamination of the atmosphere, disrupting the composition of chemicals in the air. They can come in the form of dust or excess harmful gases such as carbon dioxide or other gases that cannot be removed completely through natural cycles such as the nitrogen cycle or the carbon cycle. Air pollution is caused by exhaust from vehicles or manufacturing plants, open burning, or building construction. Effects include the increase of smog and haze, higher acidity in rain, and increase in the rate of pulmonary diseases such as asthma.

Water pollution is the contamination of water, from chemical, particulate or bacterial matter that decreases the quality and purity of water. Causes include sediment from soil erosion, improper waste disposal, and decaying of organic material in water supplies. This will decrease the quantity of drinkable water, as well as impacting marine life.

Radioactive pollution is rare, but very dangerous, even deadly, when it occurs. Because of the intensity of the damage that can be caused, there are strict government regulations to control radioactive pollution. Sources include leakage or accidents in nuclear power plants, improper nuclear waste disposal, and uranium mining operations. Radioactive pollution may cause birth defects, cancer, and is overall harmful to both human and wildlife.

Global warming, or climate change, is a significant change in the global climate for an extended amount of time (Kim, Y et al., 2010). It is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mostly induced by human activities. This in turns affect sea levels due to the melting of polar ice caps, unpredictable weather, and increase in global temperature (Vickiilene, 2006). Perhaps one of global warming’s most dire effect is the melting of polar ice caps, as this will have a number of negative effects. Firstly, it endangers arctic wildlife such as polar bears, as they depend on the polar caps as their habitat. Secondly, since the ice caps are made of fresh water, its melting can throw off the saline balance in oceans causing changes in the ocean currents. Thirdly, the polar ice caps serve as reflectors of light, therefore if polar ice caps melt, the Earth will grow darker and absorb more heat (ODonell, L., 2006).

Land pollution refers to the contamination of soil, preventing natural growth and disrupts the balance of the land. Activities such as land filling and deforestation deliberately harm the environment, while others are accidental, such as non-sustainable farming, dumping of waste and erosion from acid rain. This can lead to desertification, soil erosion, reduced crop yields and water pollution due to the erosion of soil (Mayntz, M., 2006).

It is essential that people should take care of the environment as it is an essential part of life.

Bibliography

ODonell, L. (2006). Why Is Our Environment Important?. Available: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Why_is_Our_Environment_Important. Last accessed 11 June 2013.

Mayntz, M. (2006). Types of Pollution. Available: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Types_of_Pollution. Last accessed 11 June 2013.

Vickiilene. (2006). Definition for Global Warming. Available: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Definition_for_Global_Warming. Last accessed 11 June 2013.

Kim, Y.S., Granger. E et al. (2010). Global Warming Definition. Available: http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2010/finalwebsite/background/globalwarming/definition.html. Last accessed 11 June 2013.

WebFinance. Inc, . (2013).  Available: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/environmental-problem.html. Last accessed 11 June 2013.