The world has evolved into a global village where problems like diseases, disasters and pollution have enveloped the entire planet. These detrimental occurrences are now a global concern, and in this type of chaos, it has become increasingly crucial to preserve the Earth and protect its inhabitants- from human beings to plants and animals, from soil to sea, and from air to rocks.
More and more individuals and businesses are now focusing on becoming eco-friendly. Why?
Here are a few pressing threats to our environment in the 21st century:
More and more individuals and businesses are now focusing on becoming eco-friendly. Why?
Here are a few pressing threats to our environment in the 21st century:
- Climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural events like droughts, wildfires, heat waves, rainstorms, tropical cyclone, and hurricanes. Extreme events could disrupt food production and cause famines. NASA confirms that the amount of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased "from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years", due to burning fossil fuels, intensive agriculture, and other human activities. This has resulted in an increase of global temperatures by one degree Celsius over pre-industrial levels. Besides increasing extreme weather, this rise in temperature also has raised sea levels by 1-4 feet since 2010, caused Arctic ice caps to shrink, and increased growing season adds NASA.
- Biodiversity loss due to species extinction is considered a risk not just for the environment but also the global economy. Intensive agriculture, unsustainable fishing, wildlife poaching, habitat degradation and destruction, acid rain, and climate change are threatening thousands of species. All causes are created by consumer demands as people branch out into areas that were once home to various species.
- Water crisis. Though the earth's surface is covered 70% by water, only 2.5% is fresh water that people, plants and animals can use to survive. Water shortage occurs due to physical lack of water, but in most cases it is due to careless overuse.
- Deforestation disrupts the natural balance of ecological systems in the area where the trees have been harvested and far beyond. Food production can be impacted due to drought and erosion is directly linked to the loss of forests.
- Natural Resources Drain. Consumers place more demands on the earth's natural resources as the population increases year after year.
