The environmental problems faced by mankind

The environmental problems faced by mankind

First, the soil is damaged.

According to the reference report, the fertility of arable land is decreasing in 110 countries (a total of 1 billion people). Soil erosion is severe in Africa, Asia and Latin America due to the loss of forest cover, overexploitation of arable land and overgrazing of pastures. The bare ground became fragile and could not withstand the erosion of wind and rain for long. In some places, the annual loss of soil can reach 100 tons per hectare. The overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, the fall of toxic dust associated with air pollution, the widespread spraying of mud, and the widespread abandonment of hazardous wastes all contribute to the generally irreversible pollution of the land.

Soil refers to the loose surface of the land surface that has fertility and can grow plants, and its thickness is generally about 2 m. Soil not only provides mechanical support for plant growth, but also provides fertility elements such as water, fertilizer, gas and heat required for plant growth and development. Due to the rapid growth of population and the rapid development of industry, solid waste continues to pile up and dump on the surface of the soil, harmful waste water continues to penetrate into the soil, and harmful gases and drifting dust in the atmosphere continue to fall in the soil with rain, resulting in soil pollution. All substances that hinder the normal function of soil, reduce crop yield and quality, and indirectly affect human health through food, vegetables, fruits, etc., are called soil pollutants.

Climate change and energy waste greenhouse effect.

According to a representative group of 2,500 experts, sea levels will rise and many densely populated areas, such as Bangladesh, coastal areas of China and most islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, will be under water. Rising temperatures will also have serious impacts on agriculture and ecosystems. Energy consumption in Asia and the Pacific is expected to double between 1990 and 2010, and that in Latin America is expected to increase by 50-70 per cent. Therefore, the transfer process of energy saving technologies between the West and developing countries should be strengthened. In particular, economic incentives should be used to enable industrialists to develop processes that improve the efficiency of the use of industrial resources. Greenhouse effect diagram

3. The diversity of life is decreasing.

Due to urbanization, agricultural development, forest loss and environmental pollution, natural areas have become smaller and smaller, which has led to the extinction of thousands of species. Because the extinction of some species can lead to the disappearance of many molecules that can be used to make new medicines. It can also lead to the disappearance of many genes that help crops survive bad weather. It can even cause plague.

Fourth, the reduction of forest area.

The loss of forest area in tropical countries is also very serious. In 1980-90, 150 million hectares of the world's forests were lost. At this rate of forest loss, some Southeast Asian countries will not see a single tree in 40 years.

5. Fresh water resources are threatened.

Experts estimate that from the beginning of the next century, a quarter of the world will be chronically short of water. Remember, we can't make water, we can only try to protect it.

6. Chemical pollution.

Millions of chemical compounds from industry are present in the air, soil, water, plants, animals, and human bodies. Even the ice sheets, the last great natural ecosystems on Earth, are polluted. Those organic compounds, those heavy metals, those toxic products, are concentrated throughout the food chain and will eventually threaten the health of plants and animals, cause cancer, and lead to reduced soil fertility.

7. Chaotic urbanization.

By the end of the century, there will be 21 large cities in the world, and living conditions in them will deteriorate further: crowding, polluted water, poor sanitation, insecurity - and the disorderly expansion of these megacities will also damage natural areas. Unlimited urbanization should therefore be seen as the new downside of civilization.

Overexploitation of the sea and pollution of coastal zones.

Due to overfishing, the ocean's fish stocks are declining at a frightening rate. As a result, many poor people who depend on seafood for protein are at risk of starvation. Substances such as heavy metals and organophosphorus compounds concentrated in fish may cause serious health problems for fish eaters. The coastal areas are under enormous population pressure. With 60 per cent of the world's population crammed within 100 kilometres of the sea, this overcrowding has thrown often fragile places out of balance.

9. Air pollution.

The air in most big cities contains many pollutants from heating, transportation and factory production. These pollutants threaten the health of tens of millions of citizens, causing many to lose their lives. The toxic gases are mainly carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and inhalable particles.

The polar ozone hole.

Despite the signing of the Montreal Protocol, holes in the ozone layer continue to form over the Earth's two polar regions every spring, with the Arctic losing 20 to 30 percent of its ozone layer and the Antarctic losing more than 51 percent.