THE WORLD AROUND US

Our environment is constantly changing. However, as the environment changes, we need to be

aware of the problems and challenges that our planet is facing

Human culture has the power to inflict damage on the environment, on life-sustaining systems
and on resources. Results of this damage are shown in the air, water and soil, our climate and
animal and plant species.
Globally, the environment has continued to deteriorate during the past decade and important
environmental problems are still related to the socio-economic make-up of nations in all regions.
The world’s most serious environmental problems are without doubt problems connected to
poverty in developing nations.

The degradation of dry lands, or desertification, persists and threatens many livelihoods.
Humans depend on ecosystems for food, but they also have a negative impact on the
ecosystems..Soil is absolutely vital for food production, but there has been degradation of soil in
Europe, for example, by pollution and overuse.
Regarding World Fisheries, many fish stocks have been over-exploited, and as the resources are
of international nature, they are difficult to manage. As a result, there may be a certain danger
to future food supply.

The world around us 1

The increase in the production of plastic globally has given rise to an increase in plastic waste
and much of this waste finds its way into the oceans
Water is absolutely essential for our survival and important in many areas of the economy.
However, resources are not evenly distributed and they are constantly under pressure from
human activity.
The environmental problems are so many that it is hard not to think that all are to be considered
principal.
Pollution
Pollution of air, water and soil will take millions of years to recuperate. The car industry and
vehicle exhaust are the chief pollutants. Heavy metals, nitrates and plastic are all toxins that
cause pollution. Water pollution is caused by oil spills and acid rain; air pollution by various
gases, and soil pollution is mostly caused by industrial waste.
Global warming
Climate change is due to Greenhouse gases. This leads to rising temperatures of the seas and the
earth’s surface, causing the polar ice-caps to melt, the sea levels to rise and also unnatural
situations to occur, like flash floods, excess snow and desertification.
Overpopulation
This is one of the most important environmental problems in developing and less-developed
countries. It strains the already scarce resources causing intensive agriculture practices to
produce food and it damages the environment due to the use of fertilizer and pesticides.
Depletion of natural resources
The consumption of fossil fuels results in emission of Greenhouse gases which has led to global
warming and climate change. Globally there are efforts to change to renewable resources of
energy, like solar and biogas, but on the downside, installation costs are extremely high.
Waste disposal
There is a global crisis of waste disposal due to over-consumption of resources and production of
plastics. Developed countries produce an excessive amount of waste and dump it in the oceans
or in less developed countries. Nuclear waste is extremely dangerous to health and plastic fast-
food packaging and cheap electronic waste are a threat to humans.

The world around us 2

Climate change
This problem has appeared in the past two decades. It exists due to a rise in global warming
which happens because of increase in temperature of atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels.
Climate change melts polar ice, creates changes in the seasons, causes new diseases and
frequent floods to appear, and changes the weather in general.
Loss of biodiversity
Human activity has led to extinction of species and habitats and a loss of biodiversity. Many
ecosystems are now in great danger.
Deforestation
Deforestation, which is the cutting down of trees and making that land available for industrial,
commercial or residential purposes. This is due to a growing population demand for food and
shelter.
Ocean acidification
This is an impact of excess production of carbon dioxide produced by humans. It has most
impact on shellfish and plancton.

Ozone layer depletion

The ozone layer around our planet protects us from the sun’s harmful rays, but has become
thinner and this has been caused bytoxic gases found in CFCs. However, CFCs are now banned in
many countries and products.

The world around us 3

Acid rain
This is due to pollutants in the atmosphere. It can be caused by erupting volcanoes, combustion
of fossil fuels or even rotting vegetation that releases sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere Acid
rain can have extremely serious effects on wildlife and on human health.
Water pollution
Clean drinking water has become a political and economic issue as the human population fights
for the resource. The rivers and seas are filled with toxic pollutants from industrial development.
The situation is a major threat to human health.
Genetic engineering
This is genetic modification of food using biotechnology. However, this results in increased toxins
and diseases, and genetically modified crops can prove toxic to wildlife.

Regarding the biggest threats to the environment, and the chief ways to preserve the
environment, let us first consider climate change.
This has shown itself in the form of heat waves and freakish weather conditions.
On a small scale, we can be careful how we use electricity, by turning off lights when we don’t
need them, for example; use economic light bulbs and try to consume less meat.
On a global scale, political leaders have agreed on ways to reduce the Greenhouse gases
produced by each nation and there have been steps to plant more forests. However, each nation
needs to commit to agreements and work much harder towards a greener planet.
Although more forests are being planted, an immense number of trees are being cut down at a
terrific rate, Africa, Central and South America. Although this means fewer trees, less oxygen and
the loss of habitat for wildlife, deforestation means a huge decrease in a natural obstacle to
global warming -the biggest threat to our planet.
About 50% of our tropical forests have already been cut down, and their destruction does not
seem to be slowing down. So why are these essential rainforests being destroyed so carelessly?
Governments that cannot visualize the effects and multinational companies that see the forests
as a way of making money don’t consider the long term effects.
We can fight this by using recycled paper by buying things made by FSC-certified wood. And, of
course, we can plant a tree now and then. It all helps!

The world around us 4

There are of course, many forms of pollution. We can see rubbish thrown into the streets, smoke
coming out of factory chimneys and plastic and other waste washed up on beaches. Why
pollution has got so out of control is that as we acquire new things our old things get thrown
away. As more manufactured objects are needed, this leads to air and water pollution from
factories. In many countries regulations are few and in many cases big companies and their
careless industrial practices have made the pollution problem worse.
The two things we can do to help reduce the amount of pollution in the streets, air and water is
to buy only what we really need, and to buy second-hand when possible. Also, we should all get
into the habit of recycling if we haven’t already done so.
When a species, plant or animal, dies out it can have a disastrous effect on us humans. The
decline of populations can cause major problems. At the moment many animals are in danger of
becoming extinct, either due to direct actions of man or by climate change.
A good way to combat this loss of biodiversity is by way of education. Knowing the facts and
making a donation to the World Wildlife Fund will contribute to the preservation of animals in
danger of extinction. Climate change, again, contributes to melting polar ice caps which, of
course, causes rising sea-levels. And the melting ice goes straight into the oceans. If this trend
continues, some major world cities could eventually be under water.
We must get to the root of the problem and do what we can to stop global warming from
continuing to injure our planet.
And There are a. It fights areas along the coasts of heavily populated communities where
depleted oxygen levels cannot support sea-life. These areas are called oceanic dead zones. Fish
and shellfish are unable to reproduce and the quality of air is very poor. Fortunately this
situation can be reversed, however difficult.
The human population of the planet is growing at such a
rate that society and systems cannot handle it.
Unfortunately there are many people who do not realize that our
limited resources must be shared. According to statistics, we
have enough food for everyone, but so much food is wasted,
especially in the most developed countries, that others go
without. What we can do is to educate people, adults
and children, to make more responsible choices and to

The world around us 5

consume sensibly.
There are many authorities and organizations connected to preservation of the environment.
These that follow are perhaps some of the most important.
Sierra Club
This is one of the oldest conservation organizations. It fights for the preservation of land and
forest, clean air and water, and other issues.
World Wildlife Fund or WWF, is a wildlife defense organization that works to preserve nature and
its creatures.
Greenpeace
This is an entity that began as a group of activists. to protest against nuclear testing in Alaska. It
has helped to stop whaling, nuclear testing, as well as making great efforts to protect Antarctica.
National Resources Defense Council
This works to protect wildlife and wild places, and to ensure a healthy environment for all on
earth. The organization has hundreds of lawyers working to make direct changes and changes in
legislation.
The Nature Conservancy
This is a very successful green organization that works to save lands and waters. There is a huge
number of sustained lands, clean rivers and there have been many marine conservation projects.
Friends of the Earth
This is an organization focused mainly on the US. It supports a number of causes and its general
aim is healthy people, animals and plants, land, water and air. Friends of the Earth focus on
political and economic decisions
affecting public health and conservation.
Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change
This is an independent non-governmental organization that consists of leading scientists that
provide people, who make decisions, interested in climate change, with information about
climate change.
Wildlife Conservation Society
The aim of this organization, devoted to saving wildlife, is to connect humans to wildlife, hoping
that it will inspire the preservation of endangered species.
National Geographic Society
This prominent environmental organization focuses on scientific-based research and

The world around us 6

conservation efforts. Nat Geo’s programmes support important expeditions and scientific
fieldwork, encourages geography education and promotes natural and cultural conservation.

Natural resources are those that exist in our environment in their original form, untouched by
humans. The following natural resources are all in danger due to their use and misuse.
Making better resource management plans and using alternate
resources will help preserve the resources for the future.
Water
Only a very small percentage of the world’s water- about 2.5%- is
fresh water, and even less is considered drinkable. Water
treatment plants are being set up in many countries but
because of climate change, there is less rain and less ice in
water so that reserve supplies of fresh water have become far
less and there is less to be treated. There are many initiatives to educate and teach people how
to regulate the use of water as well as water farming in dry countries.
Air
Clean air is essential to life, for plant, animals and wildlife. Air pollution must be reduced as the
environment I s degraded and the polluted air can enter our bodies and create health problems.
We can help to keep the air clean, at least by using public transport instead of using our own
cars.
Coal
It seems we will have coal for about another 200 years. One of the problems is that newly
industrialized countries, like China, are using more and more coal. It is supposed to be the
biggest source of air pollution, but regulation of usage is problematic because coal is a relatively
cheap source of fuel for industry.
Oil
Oil supplies are estimated to last 30-40 more years. Many oil industrialists want to drill for oil in
protected land, but little has been done to study the effect of the large empty ‘holes’ under the
ground when the oil fields are empty.

Forest and timber

As population increases there is more demand for housing and therefore construction. This

The world around us 7

means fewer green spaces. We need forests to preserve the ecology of the world that supports
natural resources and life. Forest s are also essential for providing clean air and the wood which
is needed for building purposes.
Soil
A very important natural resource, composed of many different particles and nutrients., I helps
plants grow.
Apart from these above listed resources, there are also rocks, rivers and lakes, mountains,
wetlands sea shores and sand, also natural resources.
To partly solve the problem of depleting natural resources, alternative forms of energy must be
found and are put into practice as soon as possible.
Solar energy is the first energy source in the world. Plants, aquatic life and animals are
dependent on it. However, it is mostly used in generating light and heat. Passive solar energy
uses the sun-s rays in the heating of a particular area, but active solar energy uses electric and
mechanical technology, like collection panels, to catch and store the energy for future use.
The advantages of solar energy are great. It creates no pollution and it is widely used in many
countries. It is a renewable source of energy, the solar panels needed to catch the energy can be
used for a long time, but it cannot be used at night and not all the light from the sun can be
caught. However, the advantages of solar energy are more than the disadvantages which makes
it a very reliable source of alternate energy.
Wind energy is a source of energy used for centuries, originally to give power to sailing ships.
Power from one windmill can deal with crop irrigation and energy needs for a family. Wind
turbines can capture a lot of power before sending it to the power grid. These wind farms have
been in use and exist around the world.
These wind farms have been in use for some years and exist around the world.
Wind power is a renewable source of energy and having wind farms means we don-t rely on
foreign countries for gas and oil. Although the cost for setting up -wind power- is high, new
technologies have brought down the price considerably. Wind energy can only be used in areas
of strong winds and they sometimes create noise problems, so cannot be used near residential
areas.

Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is energy taken from under the earth’s surface. It is completely clean and has

The world around us 8

been in use for several years. Geothermal energy can be found anywhere, but especially in
countries of earthquakes and volcanoes. Geothermal energy is renewable, produces no
pollution, reduces our dependence on fossil fuels and reduces costs as no fuel is needed t to
extract this energy from beneath the earth. However the disadvantages are that it cannot work
everywhere, only in particular regions and some harmful gases may be released while extracting
the heat. Also in regions of volcanoes and earthquakes there is a certain danger, and the cost of
geothermal power is still high.
In spite of the disadvantages, the advantages show that geothermal energy is one of the best
alternative energy sources.
Hydroelectric energy
Hydroelectric power stations capture the energy of moving water which then goes to turbines
that convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy by way of generators. There are dams
worldwide built for this purpose. Hydro power is the biggest producer of alternate energy in the
world.
Hydro power is renewable, constant and controllable, greenhouse gases are not emitted and it is
environmentally friendly. However, aquatic life may be affected, the flow of water may be
reduced which could affect agriculture, and high costs are needed to build installations, and
there are certain complications if breakdowns occur.
Biomass energy
This has been in existence for centuries and wood is the most common source of material to
produce biomass energy. The other products used include plants, landfills and industrial and
agricultural waste.
It is a renewable source of energy, it does not create greenhouse gases and can easily be
extracted by way of combustion. It also helps to reduce landfills. However, compared to fossil
fuels, biomass is not as effective and. It releases methane gas which can be harmful to the
environment.

The world around us 9

Ocean energy in the waves and tides if the force they
This is produced from the ocean waves and tides that hit the shores. There is enormous
potential in the waves and tides if the force they produce is transformed by energy generators
and turbines into electrical energy. If this is carried out responsibly, it can go a long way in
reducing some of the energy problems of the world.

Renewable energy resources are about sustainability. They are clean, never-ending and available
locally which keeps a balance between the consumed energy and the newly-created energy
source.
If we, humans, make little or no effort to do our part, whether organizationally, through
governments or personally to improve the environment of our planet – then who will?

The world around us 10