Some Environmental Problems

I am giving some information on environmental problems:-

1. Population Explosion

2. Pollution

3. Acid Rain

4. Global Warming

5. Ozone Hole

6. Extinction of Species

7. Destruction of Wetlands

8. Desertification

9. Destruction of Habitats

The growing human population has adversely affected the environment in various different ways. The demand for resources increases with the growth in population. To meet those demands, human beings never hesitate to exploit the environment.

Trees are cut to make way for the towns and cities. Plants and trees are usually the first link in all food chains. Felling trees disturbs food chains and affect ecosystems. Population explosion is really a threat to the environment.

Pollution is defined as the contamination of land, air or water. The invention of advanced vehicles and automobiles has led to air pollution. Fumes from traffic are responsible for releasing over 225,000 tones of lead into the atmosphere every year.

Lead is harmful for humans and animals. Harmful factory wastes dumped in the water bodies pollute water, and kill the first level organisms in food chains, thereby putting the lives of other animals in peril.

Acid rain is yet another outcome of pollution. Poisonous gases from power stations and vehicles merge with moisture present in the air. This ultimately falls as acid rain.

Acid rain damages plant, animals, buildings and some acid rain flows into rivers, lakes and seas. When mixed with water bodies acid becomes a part of the water cycle. Gases are often carried to long distances by the wind. Hence, the pollution produced in one country can fall as acid rain in another.

Global warming is the result of burning fuels. When we burn oil, coal or wood, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, are released into the atmosphere, which rise upwards and create a blanket around the Earth.

Short-wave radiation from the Sun can pass through the blanket. But the long-wave radiations from the Earth cannot go through it. This makes the earth get hotter and hotter. This is called the “greenhouse effect” and causes global warming.

The ozone layer exists about 15-50 kilometers above the Earth. It shields the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiation of the Sun. ultraviolet rays have the capacity of altering the genetic structures of plants and animals.

They can also cause skin diseases. Because of the fumes produced by the factories and automobiles, holes have been formed in the ozone layer allowing more and more ultraviolet rays enter the Earth. One such hole has been noticed just above Antarctica which has adversely affected the growth of plankton in that area. Experts believe that gases used in refrigerators, air conditioners and aerosols are destroying the ozone layer. These gases are called (CFCs) Chlorofluorocarbons.

Species of plants and animals are becoming extinct at a much faster rate today than they did perhaps a couple of centuries ago. Some of the reasons are destruction of their habitats, pollution, poaching and illegal collection of rare species.

Making an estimate of how fast the species are dying out is slightly difficult but a research suggests that about 100 species disappear in one day. In the next 20 years, more than a million species are expected to vanish from the face of the planet. The extinction of species has disturbed food chains and hence affecting the ecosystem.

As discussed earlier, wetlands are some of the richest ecosystem of the world. But at the same time, they are the most endangered ecosystem too. More than half of the wetlands have already been destroyed. There are various natural processes like rise in sea level, drought and violent storms which are responsible for their destruction.

A part from that, many have been destroyed by human beings. The drainage of wetlands undoubtedly offers a good control over floods and insects which makes the place safer for human beings. But this practice destroys the natural habitat of the plants and animals that thrive in the region.

Desertification is defined as the spread of deserts all over. It is one of the major threats of the environment. It is the outcome of the activities of the people living on the outskirts of deserts. These activities include grazing of animals and cutting down of trees for building.

Desertification is particularly a big problem in the area which receives very less rainfall. Such areas have very few nutrients which in turn take a very long time to cycle through the ecosystem.

Human beings are very selfish. They never hesitate to damage the ecosystems for serving their own purposes. Various evil human practices have resulted in the destruction of the natural habitats of wildlife.

Construction of dams across the rivers changes the nature of the river which makes it difficult for some species of plants and animals to adapt so they die.

Cutting down of trees for timber and using the lands for cattle ranches and farms, or to mine for oil and metals also snatch the natural homes from various different species of plants and animals.