Env

ironment
alI
ssues

Env
ironment
ali
ssues

Whent
heenv
ironmenti
sn’
theal
thy
,ev
eryl
i
vingt
hingsuf
fer
[Link]
ort
unat
ely
,
t
hingsl
i
ket
heI
ndust
ri
alRev
olut
ion,capi
tal
i
sm,andadependenceonf
ossi
l
f
uel
shav
esev
erel
yhar
medt
heear
[Link]
gentact
ioni
sneeded,andwhi
l
e
t
heSust
ainabl
e Dev
elopmentGoal
sincl
ude pr
ior
it
ies l
i
ke cl
i
mat
e act
ion,
muchoft
hewor
ldi
sn’
tmov
ingf
[Link]
l
emanypeopl
ear
eawar
eof
cl
i
mat
echange,
they
’rel
essf
ami
l
iarwi
tht
hespeci
fi
ccausesandi
mpact
s.

Fol
l
owi
ngar
esomeofmaj
orenv
ironment
ali
ssues
1. Ri
singgl
obal
temper
atur
es
2. Bi
odi
ver
sit
yloss
3. Ai
rpol
l
uti
on
4. Wat
erpol
l
uti
on
5. Wat
erscar
cit
y
6. Soi
ldegr
adat
ion
7. Def
orest
ati
on
8. Dr
ought
9. Wast
edi
sposal

[Link]
singgl
obal
temper
atur
es

Accor
dingt
oNASA,
theear
th’
sav
eragegl
obalt
emper
atur
ehasgoneupbyat
l
east1.
9°Fahr
enhei
tsi
nce1880.2022t
iedf
ort
hef
if
thwar
mesty
earon
r
ecor
d,whi
l
ethel
astni
ney
ear
shav
ebeent
hehot
testy
ear
ssi
ncemoder
n

I
ntr
oduct
iont
oEnv
ironment
alSci
ence
Env
ironment
alI
ssues

r
ecor
d-keepi
ngi
n1880.A f
ew degr
eesmaynotseem l
i
keabi
gdeal
,but
i
ncr
easesi
ntheav
eragegl
obalt
emper
atur
esar
edi
ff
erentf
rom y
ourl
ocal
t
emper
atur
efl
uct
uat
[Link]
ains,i
ttakesamassi
veamountof
heatt
owar
mtheent
ir
ewor
ld(
whi
chi
ncl
udesal
ltheoceans,
theat
mospher
e,
andal
lthel
andmasses)byev
enj
ustonedegr
[Link]
mergl
obemeans
wor
sest
orms,heatwav
es,dr
ought
s,andf
[Link]
easgetwet
terand
dr
ierar
easgetdr
yer
.Thi
str
ansl
atesi
ntomor
edi
sast
ers,
mor
eenv
ironment
al
dest
ruct
ion,
andmor
edeat
h.

Theseahasbeenr
isi
ngov
ert
hel
ast100y
ear
s,andi
nrecenty
ear
s,t
her
ate
hasi
ncr
easedt
oabout⅛-
inchpery
ear
.Ar
isi
ngseal
evelmat
ter
sbecause
st
ormscanpushf
urt
heri
nlandandcausewor
sef
loodi
[Link]
sput
shuman
andwi
l
dli
fel
i
featr
isk,aswel
lascoast
ali
nfr
ast
ruct
urel
i
ker
oads,br
idges,
wat
ersuppl
i
es,
landf
il
ls,
andmor
[Link]
evelr
isei
spr
imar
il
ycausedbyocean
war
mingandt
hemel
ti
ngofgl
aci
ersandi
cesheet
s.
We’
vedi
scussedsomeheal
thef
fect
scausedbyt
hingsl
i
keai
randwat
er
pol
l
uti
on,butt
her
e’sanot
herbi
gri
skt
oknow about
:pandemi
[Link]
ch
showsa“
clearl
i
nk”bet
weent
hecl
i
mat
ecr
isi
sandgl
obalheal
thpandemi
cs.
Ar
epor
tfr
om I
PBESf
ound t
hathuman act
ivi
ti
es wer
ethe cause ofal
l
pr
evi
ous gl
obal heal
th pandemi
cs. Expandi
ng agr
icul
tur
e, di
srupt
ing
ecosy
stems,
andnar
rowi
ngt
hespacebet
weenani
mal
sandhumansi
ncr
ease
ourexposur
etopat
[Link]
essact
ioni
staken,pandemi
cswi
l
lbecome
muchmor
ecommon.

[Link]
odi
ver
sit
yloss

I
ntheWor
ldEconomi
cFor
um’
sGl
obalRi
sksRepor
t2022,bi
odi
ver
sit
yloss
wasr
ankedast
het
hir
dmostsev
eret
hreatf
aci
ngt
hewor
ldov
ert
henext
[Link]
ngasuper
comput
ermodel
,onest
udycr
eat
eda“
middl
eoft
he
r
oademi
ssi
onsscenar
io,
”whi
chwar
nedwecoul
dlose6%ofal
lear
th’
spl
ant
s
andani
mal
[Link]
siti
mpor
tantt
ohav
eadi
ver
ser
angeofspeci
esi
n
ecosy
stemsl
i
kef
orest
sandoceans?Ther
ear
emanyr
easons,i
ncl
udi
ngt
he
f
actt
hatdi
ver
seecosy
stemsar
emor
eresi
l
ientagai
nstt
hreat
sli
kepest
s,
di
sease,and weat
[Link]
odi
ver
sit
yisal
so l
i
nkedt
o bet
terf
ood

I
ntr
oduct
iont
oEnv
ironment
alSci
ence
Env
ironment
alI
ssues

secur
it
y,l
esssoi
ler
osi
on,andbet
tercar
bonsequest
rat
ion,whi
chi
swhen
t
her
e’sl
otsofv
eget
ati
ont
oabsor
bC02.

[Link]
rpol
l
uti
on

Ai
rpol
l
uti
on,whi
choccur
swhenchemi
cal
sorhar
mfulpar
ti
clesent
ert
heai
r,
i
scausedbyt
hingsl
i
kecarandpl
aneemi
ssi
ons,ci
gar
ett
esmoke,wi
l
dfi
re
smoke,
andsoon.I
thasser
iousef
fect
sonani
mal
s,pl
ant
s,andpeopl
e.I
t’
sso
ser
ious,
indoorandout
doorpol
l
uti
oncont
ri
but
edt
o11.
6% ofgl
obaldeat
hsi
n
[Link]
dingt
oresear
ch,
low-
to-
middl
e-i
ncomecount
ri
esendur
ethemost
deat
hsf
rom ai
rpol
l
uti
on,
sot
hisi
sanar
eat
hatneedsaddr
essi
ng.

[Link]
erpol
l
uti
on

Whenwat
erhar
mfulsubst
ances(
li
kechemi
cal
s,t
rash,
par
asi
tes,
etc)geti
nto
wat
er,
thewat
erbecomespol
l
utedanddanger
[Link]
otofpol
l
uti
oni
scaused
byunt
reat
edwast
ewat
er,
whi
chi
sful
lofsoaps,
humanwast
e,chemi
cal
s,oi
l
s,
and mor
[Link]
ding t
otheUNEP,about80% ofgl
obalwast
ewat
eri
s
unt
reat
[Link]
ami
nat
ing t
he wat
erpeopl
e use f
ordr
inki
ng,washi
ng,
swi
mmi
ng,andcooki
ng,unt
reat
edwast
ewat
ercanl
eadt
oli
fe-
thr
eat
eni
ng
di
seasesl
i
kechol
era,
dysent
ery
,ty
phoi
d,andev
encancer
.

[Link]
erscar
cit
y

Onl
y3%oft
hewor
ld’
swat
eri
sfr
eshwat
er,butj
ust⅓ oft
hati
sav
ail
abl
eto
[Link]
dingt
oaUNr
epor
t,2bi
l
li
onpeopl
edon’
thav
eaccesst
ocl
ean,
saf
edr
inki
ngwat
er,
whi
l
e3.
6bi
l
li
ondon’
thav
eaccesst
oadequat
esani
tat
ion.
Thi
ngsl
i
kedr
ought
,pooragr
icul
tur
almanagement
,and pol
l
uti
on wor
sen
wat
erscar
cit
[Link]
nsecur
it
yandwat
erbor
nedi
seasesar
ejustt
wooft
he
i
mpact
s.

[Link]
ldegr
adat
ion

Soi
ldegr
adat
ionoccur
swhensoi
llosesi
tsqual
i
tyandcan’
tsuppor
tpl
ant
gr
owt
[Link]
ngsl
i
keer
osi
on(
dri
venbywat
erand/
orwi
nd)
,thel
ossofor
gani
c
mat
ter
,and cont
ami
nat
ion cont
ri
but
eto soi
ldegr
adat
[Link]
thysoi
lis
necessar
yforsuppor
ti
ngl
i
vel
i
hoodsandgr
owi
ngf
ood,butsoi
lser
vesmany

I
ntr
oduct
iont
oEnv
ironment
alSci
ence
Env
ironment
alI
ssues

pur
poses.I
tfi
l
ter
swat
er,hel
pspr
eventf
loods,cont
ainsor
gani
smsusedi
n
medi
cine(
li
kepeni
ci
ll
i
n),andsuppor
tst
hebi
odi
ver
sit
yofpl
ant
sandani
mal
s.
Accor
dingt
odat
afr
om 2015,l
anddegr
adat
ioni
mpact
sar
ound1.
5bi
l
li
on
peopl
e.

[Link]
orest
ati
on

I
nthel
ast10,
000y
ear
s,⅓ oft
hewor
ld’
sfor
est
shav
evani
[Link]
soundsobad,buthal
foft
hatl
osshappenedi
njustt
hel
ast100y
ear
[Link]
e
ar
eaf
ew r
easonsf
ordef
orest
ati
on,i
ncl
udi
ngwoodext
ract
ion,agr
icul
tur
al
expansi
on, and ur
bani
zat
ion. Cl
i
mat
e change, soi
l er
osi
on, f
loodi
ng,
bi
odi
ver
sit
yloss,andhar
mtopeopl
ewhodependonf
orest
sar
ejustaf
ew
consequencesofdef
orest
ati
[Link]
dingt
otheFAO’
s2022f
orestr
epor
t,
st
epsl
i
kesust
ainabl
efor
estmanagement
,empower
ing l
ocalact
ors,and
f
undi
ngr
ecov
eryar
eessent
ial
tost
oppi
ngdef
orest
ati
on.

[Link]
ought

Dr
ought
s occurwhen an ar
ea hasn’
thad enough r
ainf
ora l
ong t
ime.
I
nSomal
i
a,wher
erai
nshav
efai
l
edf
orsev
eralseasons,dr
oughtcont
ri
but
ed
t
othe deat
hs of43,
000 peopl
ein 2022.A“
megadr
ought
”af
fect
ing t
he
West
ernUni
tedSt
ateshascausedt
hear
ea’
sdr
iest20y
ear
sint
hel
ast1,
200
y
ear
[Link]
fect
swi
l
llastf
ory
ear
[Link]
i
mat
echangei
sabi
gdr
iverof
dr
ought
,soascl
i
mat
echangewor
sens,
sowi
l
l

[Link]
edi
sposal

Humanspr
oduceal
otofwast
[Link]
tendsupi
nlandf
il
[Link]
ding
t
oTheWor
ldBank,ar
ound2.
01bi
l
li
ont
onnesofmuni
cipalsol
i
dwast
eget
s
t
hrown away ev
eryy
ear
.Atl
east33% oft
hati
sn’
tmanaged wi
tht
he
env
ironmenti
nmi
[Link]
tsi
tsi
nlandf
il
lswi
thoutgascol
l
ect
ionsy
stems,
wast
ecancr
eat
ear
ound1.
6bi
l
li
ont
onnesofcar
bondi
oxi
[Link]
l
dingl
andf
il
ls
hasanenv
ironment
alcost
,too;
theav
eragel
andf
il
ltakesup600acr
esofl
and.
Ast
hepopul
ati
ongr
ows,
managi
ngwast
eresponsi
blywi
l
lbecomeev
enmor
e
i
mpor
tant
.

I
ntr
oduct
iont
oEnv
ironment
alSci
ence
 Env
ironment
alI
ssues

KeyDr
iver
sandI
mpact
s:
 Ov
erpopul
ati
on:
Incr
easeddemandf
orf
ood,
wat
er,
andnat
ural
resour
ces
st
rai
nst
hepl
anet
.

 Fossi
lFuel
Dependence:
Highemi
ssi
onsf
rom ener
gypr
oduct
ionand
t
ranspor
tat
ionaccel
erat
ecl
i
mat
echange.

 HumanHeal
thHazar
ds:
Poorai
rqual
i
tyandcont
ami
nat
edwat
erl
eadt
o
di
seases,
whi
l
eext
remeweat
hercausesdi
spl
acement
s.

I
ntr
oduct
iont
oEnv
ironment
alSci
ence