THE TOP 10 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WORLDWIDE - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The global environmental problems pose a danger to Earth if he wants to remain a living habitat for humans and other species. Among them are atmospheric and sea pollution, desertification and the extinction of species.

With the myriad of natural disasters, global warming, cooling spells and changing weather patterns, people should be more aware of the kinds of environmental problems the planet is facing.

Global warming has become an indisputable fact; our planet is warming and humans have been the cause of that.

However, this is not the only environmental problem that people should be concerned about. Throughout the world, people face a myriad of environmental problems every day.

Some of these are small and only affect a few ecosystems, but others are dramatically changing the landscape of environments we already know.

Today's environmental problems make us more vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the future. Today's environmental problems require urgent attention.

List of the most serious environmental problems on the planet

1- Global warming

In the last four decades climate changes have been drastic. Source: pixabay.com

Climate changes such as global warming are the result of human practices such as the emission of greenhouse gases.

Global warming leads to higher temperatures in the oceans and on the land surface, causing the melting of polar ice sheets, rising sea levels, and unnatural precipitation patterns such as floods, excessive snow and desertification.

2- Deforestation

Species-rich forests are being destroyed, especially in the tropics, often to make room for cattle ranching, palm oil plantations, soybean plantations, and other agricultural monocultures.

Today, about 30% of the planet's surface is covered by forests, and about 18 million hectares are destroyed every year. Almost all of this deforestation comes from logging and burning.

Natural forests not only act as reservoirs of biodiversity, they also help keep carbon out of the atmosphere and out of the oceans.

3- Pollution

Pollution in Mexico City (Mexico). Source: Lidia Lopez

Air, water, and soil pollution take millions of years to clean up. Industries and motor vehicles are the main source of pollutants on the planet. Heavy metals, nitrates, and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution.

Water pollution is caused by oil spills, acid rain, and urban waste.

Air pollution is caused by the various gases and toxins released by industries and by the combustion of fuels.

Finally, soil contamination is caused by industrial waste

4- Ocean acidification

This is a direct impact of excessive carbon dioxide production; 25% of carbon dioxide is produced by humans.

The acidity of the ocean has increased in the last 250 years but by 2,100 this amount may increase to 150%.

The main impact can be found in mollusks and plankton in the same way as osteoporosis in humans.

5- Extinction of species

On land, wild animals are hunted to extinction for their meat, ivory, or 'medicinal products'. At sea, large industrial ships eliminate entire fish populations.

Species not only intrinsically deserve to exist, they also provide essential products and services for humans. For example, bees and pollination are necessary for crops.

Habitat loss and destruction are also major contributors to unprecedented extinction waves, as it is caused by humans. The list of endangered species continues to grow at an alarming rate.

6- Acid rain

Forest damaged by acid rain in the Czech Republic. Lovecz. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Acid rain occurs due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. It can be caused by burning fuels, volcanoes, or rotting vegetation.

It is an environmental problem that can have a serious effect on human health, wildlife, and aquatic species.

7- Water pollution

Drinking clean water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political problem as the human population fights for this resource.

Industrial development is filling rivers, seas, and oceans with toxic pollutants that are a great threat to human health. One of the suggested options to avoid this problem is to use a desalination process.

8- Public health problems

Today's environmental problems pose a great risk to human and animal health. Dirty water is the world's greatest health risk and is a great threat to quality of life and public health.

River runoff has many toxins, chemicals, and disease-causing organisms.

Pollutants cause respiratory problems like asthma and cardiovascular problems. High temperatures increase the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue.

9- Soil degradation

Overgrazing, monoculture plantations, erosion, soil compaction, overexposure to pollutants, and land use conversion are just some of the ways that the soil is being damaged.

According to official estimates, about 12 million hectares of farms are seriously degraded each year.

Since food safety depends on keeping the soil in good condition, adequate solutions to this problem need to be found.

Soil conservation programs and restoration techniques exist to address this problem, although these are not enough to eliminate the problem for the time being.

10- Waste disposal

The overconsumption of resources and the creation of plastics are creating a global waste disposal crisis. Developed countries are famous for producing excessive amounts of garbage and releasing this waste into the oceans.

The waste of nuclear waste poses great risks to health. Plastic, fast food, packaging, and cheap electronics waste threaten human well-being.

Waste disposal is one of the most pressing environmental problems today.

References

1. Environmental problem. Recovered from conserve-energy-future.com
2. Five of the worlds biggest environmental problems (2016). Recovered from dw.com
3. The top five environmental issues humanity should be thinking about in 2013. Recovered from inhabitat.com
4. Top 10 environmental issues. Recovered from planetearthherald.com.