Elective course 3 (ec 3)

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Task- 1

Presenting a case study/statistical study

of a city/region from local, national or
global level pertaining to a specific
environmental issue.

NAME OF THE STUDENT: SHILPA

KAUSHIK GANGANI
CLASS: SY B.ED sem iV (2023-2024)
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that SHILPA KAUSHIK
GANGANI of the class S.Y.B.Ed. Sem IV
(2023-2024) has successfully completed the
Task / Activity / Test / Case study / Project
work of the subject ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION on the topic/title Presenting
a case study/statistical study of a
city/region from local, national or global
level pertaining to a specific
environmental issue.

Principal sign and stamp

 TASK 1:
Presenting a case study/statistical study of a
city/region from local, national or global level
pertaining to a specific environmental issue.

Abstract

Human activities in past decades have raised serious issues related to

environment and its conservation. Air pollution, poor management of its
waste, growing water scarcity, falling ground water tables, water pollution,
waste disposal, desertification, endangered species, preservation and quality of
forest, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation, Global Climate change,
pollution, environmental degradation, Global Warming, Greenhouse effect,
Acidification, Ozone depletion and other local, regional and global level
environmental problems and genetically modified foods are the current
environment problem that make us vulnerable to disasters and tragedies now
and in the future. In this chapter the essential aspects of environmental
problems, causes, and effects will be reviewed and some solution to overcome
from the environmental issues.

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT?

The word environment refers to all ecological units which are naturally
present on earth in the form of land, water, air, soil, forest, sunlight, minerals,
living organisms etc. This earth is full of natural surroundings, some are biotic
and some are non- biotic. Biotic element are those elements like human, birds,
animals, plants, and microorganisms. Whereas non-biotic elements are those
which have no life like air, sunlight, water, land, soil, minerals etc. further it is
also divided among four different sphere viz. biospheres, lithosphere,
atmosphere and hydrosphere. In which hydrosphere is the largest part on the
earth among all life on earth has become possible due to some kind of action
and reactions between different kinds of resources that are present in
environment.
 Currently, the situation of environment is very poor that could never be
imagine by our ancestor in previous time. We have endlessly spoil our
environment by using its resources in very wrong way. We can see that every
day and everywhere pollution is rapidly increasing on earth where it is air, land,
water or soil pollution, deforestation, acid rain, and other dangerous disasters
created by the human beings through technological advancement. Use of natural
resources should be carefully planned and executed. For providing a better and
healthy life to our forth coming generation.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

An environmental problem occurs when there comes a change in quality or the

quantity of the environmental factor that directly or indirectly affect everything
on earth. “Environmental issues are defined as problems with the planet's
system (air, water, soil etc.) that have developed as a result of human
interference or mistreatment of the planet.”
A variety of environmental problems now affect our entire world. As
globalization continues and the earth's natural processes transform local
problems into international issues. Some largest problems now affecting the
world are: acid rain, air pollution, global warming, hazardous wastes, ozone
depilation, smog, water pollution, overpopulation and rain forest destruction. It
is related to not only environment bur with everyone that live in the planet. It
effect every human, animal, and nation on this planet.
Human have faced poor environmental conditions throughout history, but what
we think of as environmental problems become more common and apparent
with industrialization and urbanization. In the United State for the example, air
and water pollution from the factories and dense urban living conditions
attracted growing attention throughout the last centuries, and by the 1960s
become recognized as significant problems. Concern over air and water
pollution rapidly spread to a range of other conditions- soil erosion, pesticides
contamination, deforestation, declining animal population and species and so on
through the efforts of environmental scientist, activists, and policy-makers.
These diverse concerns gradually merged into environmental problems, and the
1970 Earth Day in United States and then the 1972 United Nation
Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm helped turn
“Environmental Quality” into a major international issue. By the time of the
United Nation Conference on Environment and Development in Reo De
Janeiro in 1992, significant “Green Parties” had been formed in Europe and
environmental problems were the subject of citizen and governmental attention
worldwide. Environmentalist, a social and environmental movement addresses
environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism. The
environmental issues can occurs at three levels local, regional and global.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Some major local environmental issues are given below-
1. Pollution
2. Waste Disposal
3. Desertification
4. Water Scarcity
5. Endangered Species

1. POLLUTION
Pollution can be defined as an undesirable addition of constituents to water,
land, or air which adversely affect human life, species, and living conditions
and will deteriorate our resources. Pollution can be classified mainly into four
categories- air pollution, water Pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution. The
pollution is occurs at the local and also global level.

AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is refers to any physical, chemical and biological change in the
air. It is the contamination of air by harmful gases, dust and smoke which affect
the plant, animals, and human drastically. There is a certain percentage of gases
present in the atmosphere.

Major air pollutants their sources and their impact:

 Carbon monoxide (CO): its main source is fuel combination from

engines and vehicles. It reduces the amount of oxygen, aggravate heart
disease, chest pain.
 Lead (Pb): it release from metal refineries and other metal industries,
waste incinerators. It impacts on our nervous system, result in IQ loss,
cardiovascular and renal effects in adult, effects related to anemia.
 Nitrogen oxide: it release in environment due to fuel combustion, wood
burning. It's mainly impact our lung, lung diseases leading to respiratory
symptoms increases susceptibility to respiratory infection.
 Sulphur dioxide (SO): it release due to fuel combustion as well as
natural occurrences like volcanoes. It causes asthma and breathing
difficulty.
Air pollution control:

The techniques employed to reduce or eliminate the emission into the

atmosphere of substances that can harm the environment or human health.
Different types of method use for the air pollution control –

Control of particulates- airborne particles can be removed form a polluted

airstream by a variety of physical process. Some common types of equipment
for collecting fine particulates includes cyclones, scrubbers, electrostatic
precipitators, and baghouse filters. Once collected, particulates adhere to each
other, forming agglomerates that can readily be removed form equipment and
disposed of, usually in landfill.

Control of gases- gaseous criteria pollutants, as well as volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) and other gaseous air toxics, are controlled by means of
three basic techniques: absorption, adsorption and incineration. These
techniques can be employed singly or in combination. They are effective against
the major greenhouse gases as well. In addition, a fourth technique, known as
carbon Sequestration, is in development as a mean of controlling carbon dioxide
levels.

WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution is the contamination of pollutants in water bodies like lakes,
rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater without treatment very often by human
activities which leads to harmful effects.

Source of water pollution:

Natural sources: these includes decay, the composition of plants and animals,
volcanic eruptions, coastal, cliff erosion, landslides and soil erosion.
Anthropogenic sources: this include industry, urban, agricultural and cultural
sources.

Effect of water pollution:

 Death of aquatic animals.
 Irrigation by polluted water affect plants resulting in yellowish coloration
and defoliation.
 Diseases- hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, jaundice, diarrhoea and skin
diseases.
 Disruption of food chains. Destruction of ecosystems.

Control measure of water pollution: water pollution, to a larger extent, can be

controlled by a variety of methods. Rather than releasing sewage waste in water
bodies, it is better to treat them before discharge. Practicing this can reduce the
initial toxicity and the remaining substances can be degraded by the water
bodies itself. If the secondary treatment of water has been carried out, than this
can be reused in sanitary systems and agricultural fields.
Some chemical methods that help in the control of water pollution are
precipitation, the ion exchange process, reverse osmosis and coagulation. As an
individual, reusing, reducing, and recycling wherever possible will advance a
long way in overcoming the effects of water pollution.

2. Waste Disposal
Waste disposal, the collection, processing, and recycling or deposition of waste
material of human society. Waste is classified by source and composition.
Waste materials are either liquid or solid in form, and their components may be
either hazardous or inert in their effects on health and environment. We used
plastic bag, broken glass, obsolete cell phone, or used battery cells, they are all
used products that require appropriate disposal to limit their harm to the
environment. The term waste is typically applied to solid waste, sewage,
hazardous waste, and electronic waste.

Sources of waste:

 Medical or clinical sources of wastes- this includes the surgical items,

pharmaceuticals, blood, body parts, would dressing materials, needles,
syringes.

 Agricultural sources of wastes- waste generated by agricultural

activities, including horticulture, livestock breeding, market gardens and
seedling nurseries are called agricultural wastes.

 Industrial sources of wastes- these are the wastes released from

manufacturing and processing industries like chemical plants, cement
factories, power plants, textile industries, petroleum industries.

 Wastes from construction or demolition- concrete debris, wood, huge

package boxes. Some other sources such as Commercial sources, mining
sources, radioactive sources, electronic sources are also the big sources of
waste pollution.

Waste disposal problems:

 Production of too much waste- one of the major problem related to

disposal is attribute to the generation of too much waste. Mumbai and
 Delhi generate about 11,000 and 8,700 tons of solid waste per day,
respectively. India is getting buried under mounds of garbage as the
country has been generated more than 1.50 lakh metric ton of solid waste
every day. Worse approximately 90 per cent of the total amount is
collected waste.

 Most of the waste is toxic and harmful for the human beings and the
environment- the majority of the state and local authority legislations are
generally lax on regulating the even expending manufacturing industries
produce toxic products that end up getting thrown away after use. Most of
the products contain hazardous and health threatening chemicals. This
chemicals causes majority of water pollution, soil pollution.

 Landfill are a problem as well- most landfills lack proper on site waste
management there by contributing to additional threats to the
environment. In long term, landfills leak and pollute ground water and
other neighbouring environment habitat making waste disposal very
difficult. They also give off potentially unsafe gases.

 Reliance of dying technologies to reduce and recycling waste- waste

disposal and management facilities as well as state resources have
continued to rely on myopic and quickie solutions instead of developing
effective recycling and waste reduction programs.

Solution to Waste Disposal:

 Eco responsibility –“reduce, reuse, and recycle”- Eco-responsibility

pertains to the three Rs mantra of reuse, reduce and recycle. Local
communities authorities and state need to put more efforts towards the
education of waste management.

 Effective waste disposal and management- it ensures there is gradual

improvement of new and cost- effective facilities which aim to encourage
higher environmental protection standards. An effective management
strategy will also see to it that landfills are purposefully located to ease
waste collection, transfer, and monitoring or recycling.

 Control and monitoring of land filling and fly-tipping activities-

thousands of tons of construction and demolition materials are generated
by various local construction industries. In most of case, a large portion
of these waste materials can be re used, reclaimed or recycled. With the
control and monitoring of land filling and fly- tipping activities in the
 area of public work, constructions and demolition materials can be
resourcefully reclaimed, reused or recycled in other projects such as
landscaping, village houses, recreation facilities or car parks, or roads.
 Waste diversion plans- A multifaceted approach on waste transfer and
diversion in terms of more hygienic and efficient waste disposal
management can offer tremendous solution to waste problems.

 Improvement of thermal waste treatment-thermal waste treatment

have been proved not to be 100% green as they are normally pronounced.
Therefore, to mitigate the problems that come with thermal waste
treatments issues such as emission of toxic gases with organic compounds
such as furans, PAHs, and dioxins: states and researches as well as green
groups and academicians can explore the possible developments with
regards to advanced thermal waste treatment techniques.

3. Desertification –
Desertification is a type of land degradation in dry lands in which biological
productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities
where by fertile areas become increasingly more arid. It is the spread of arid
areas caused by a variety of factors, such as through climate change and through
the overexploitation of soil through human activity.

Various causes of desertification-

 Overgrazing – if there are too much animals that that are overgrazing in
certain spots it makes it difficult for the plant grow back, which hunts the
biome and make it loses its former green glory.

 Deforestation- wood extraction, and infrastructure expansion such as

road building and urbanization, then it contributing to problems related to
desertification. Without the tree rest of the biome cannot thrive.

 Farming practice- some farmers do not know how to use the land
effectively. They may essentially strips the land of everything that it has
before moving the plot of land. By stripping the soil of its nutrients,
desertification becomes more of a reality for the area that is being used
for the farming.

 Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides- the use of excessive amount

of fertilizer and pesticides to maximize to their crop yields in the short
term often lead to significant damages for the soil. In the long run, this
 may turn from arable into arid land over time and not suitable for the
farming.

 Over drafting of groundwater- over drafting is a process in which

groundwater ids extracted in excess of the equilibrium yield of the aquifer
that is pumping or the excessive pulling up of groundwater from
underground aquifers. Its depletion causes desertification.

 Climate change- climate change play a huge role in desertification. As

the days get warmer and periods of drought become more frequent,
desertification becomes more and more eminent. Unless climate change is
slowed down, huge areas of land will become desert.

· There are also some reason such as natural disasters, soil pollution,
overpopulation and excessive consumptions, mining etc. causes desertification.

Effects of desertification-

 Farming become next to impossible-an area become desert than it's

impossible to grow sustainable crops there without special technologies.
This can cost a lot of money to try and do, so many farmer will have to
sell their desert land. Hunger is also a problem, without farms in this area
the food that this farm produce will become much scarcer, and people try
and deal with hunger problems.

 Flooding- without life in an area, flooding is a lot more imminent. Not all
desert are dry; those that are wet could experience a lot of flooding
because there is nothing to stop the water from gathering and going all
over the place.

 Biodiversity loss, endangerment and extinction of species- the

destruction of habitats and desertification may also contribute to a loss of
biodiversity. Many species will not be able to adjust to the altered
environmental conditions and may suffer from serious decline in
population.

 Migration- when large areas of land that are currently used for farming
will no longer be suitable for farming due to water triggered by global
warming. This results in serious migration movements.

Solution to desertification:
  Policy changes related to how people can farm-policy change related to
how much they can farm and how much they can farm on a certain areas
could be put into place to help reduce the problems that are often
associated with farming and desertification.

 Education- in developing countries, education is an incredibly important

tool that needs to be utilized in order to help people to understand the best
way to use the land that they are farming on. By educating them on
sustainable practices, more land will be save from becoming desert.
Sustainable practice to prevent desertification from happening.

 Technology advances-research and application of the latest technology

that pushes the limit of what we currently know about the drivers of
desertification.

 Restricting mining practice- mining often implies the destruction of

large area of land. Therefore it should be regulated by governments to
keep the nature reserves intact and protect the natural habitats of many
animals and plants. Thus, less land will arid and the desertification issues
can be mitigated to a certain extent.

 Reforestation- the area that have been subject to deforestation in past

should be considered for reforestation. Planting trees in those areas are
quite important since they are natural carbon dioxide storage spaces; they
slow down the global warming and contribute to maintaining a natural
balance. Therefore, planting trees in the affected areas not only prevents
desertification but also fight against additional environmental issues.

4. Water Scarcity

Water scarcity involves water crisis, water shortage, water deficit or water
stress. Water scarcity can be due to physical water scarcity and economic water
scarcity. Physical water scarcity refers to a situation where natural water
resources are unable to meet a region's demand while economic water scarcity is
a results of poor water management resources.

“Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the
demands of water usage within a region. It already 2.8 billion people around
the world at least one month out of every year. More than 1.2 billion people
lack access to clean drinking water.”
Causes of water scarcity:

 Overuse of water-water overuse is a huge issue that a lot of people are

dealing with. It may be overused on people, animals, land or many other
numbers of things.

 Pollution of water-water pollution can come from a variety of sources.

Pollution comes from oil, carcasses, to chemicals, industrial wastes, and
from municipality waste makes a lot of issues for people who may need
to use it.

 Global warming- when our average air temperature become warmer,

water from rivers and lakes evaporates faster, which may contribute to
drying up of water bodies.

 Illegal dumping- industries frequently dispose of their industrial garbage

into nearby river and lakes since it is an easy and cheap way to get rid of
this waste. It leads to serious water pollution, which may result in several
water scarcity for their local people.

 Natural disasters- Natural disasters like tsunamis, floods may also cause
serve water shortages for local population since important public
infrastructure may be destroyed. The serve natural disaster may entirely
collapse the local water supply.

 Drought- A drought is, in short, an area especially hot and dry, which is
not getting enough rainfall to be able to sustain the life that is residing
there. Some areas are in a perpetual drought, whereas other areas may be
dealing with a drought on occasion.

Effects of water scarcity:

 Lack of access to drinking water- the biggest problem that happens

when you have water scarcity is that people are not able to get fresh,
clean drinking water.

 Hunger and poverty- if there is no water that can be used to help water
the crops, then you are going hungry. People who are dealing with water
scarcity are often stuck in poverty as well.

 Diseases and sanitation issues- if we don't have clean water access than
we will be more likely to get disease from the water. We need water for
 several tasks of our daily life, without having access to clean water for
drinking, cooking, washing or bathing, it usually results in unhygienic
conditions for people and causes diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera
etc.

 Destruction of habitats and loss of biodiversity-water is crucial for all

life forms on our planet. If water scarcity persists over a longer period, it
lead to the destruction of whole habitats. Animals and plants may no
longer be able to get enough water and may therefore die or have to move
to other regions. Some animals become extinct they no longer be able to
grow and reproduce in a sufficient manner causing serious biodiversity
loss.

Solutions to control water scarcity:

 Save water whenever possible- this could mean limiting the use of
water, the use of washing machines, taking shorts showers instead of full
baths. Even if you are no vacation in countries where water is scare, try to
save water. You should also try to convince your family and friends to
save water.

 Recycle water- there are plenty of technologies available that allow you
to recycle rainwater and other water that you may use in your home. Not
only does it help to prevent scarcity, but it can save some money as well.
Advance technology use to conserve water.

 Improve practices related to farming- farming and irrigation are often a

huge culprit when it comes to water scarcity. Because of that, we need to
improve practices so that we don't use as much water and those who are
using water are using it to fullest potential.

 Less use of chemical in farming- At present, excessive levels of

chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used to maximize crop yields. It
leads to serious soil pollution, which in turn translates into groundwater
pollution and contributes to the water scarcity issue. It is crucial that
farmers reduce the use of chemicals for farming to ensure clean water and
reduced water shortage problem.

 Improve sewage systems- clean drinking water stars with a good sewage
system. Without proper sanitation, the water in an area becomes ridden
with disease and any number of other problems. By improving the
 sewage systems, we can prevent water scarcity from becoming any
worse.

 Better water distribution infrastructure- many people worldwide,

especially in poor developing countries, are still not connected to the
public water infrastructure. These people are at high risk to suffer from
severe water shortages. By connecting this people to the public water
supply, water scarcity risk could be greatly reduced.

 Education- by educating those who are not dealing with it can get
educated on how they can prevent the problem from becoming even
worse in the future.

5. Endangered species-

An endangered species can be define as species that is very likely to be extinct

in near future. The number of endangered species has dramatically risen over
time. As of 2020, there are 6,811 species that are considered to be critically
endangered. This is out of the 120,372 species currently tracked by the IUCN. If
the number of endangered species is continuously increased we will loss many
species in the future. To prevent this, governments and other institutions all over
the world try to save the endangered species by measures by creating protected
areas or forbidding hunting.

Classifications of endangered species:

a) Least concern- there is no immediate threat to the survival of the species.

E.g. saltwater crocodile, olive baboon, brown bear, cane toad, rock pigeon.

b) Near threatened- species in this category might be threatened in the near

future.
E.g. emperor goose, American bison, mane wolf.

c) Vulnerable- high risk of endangerment in the medium run.

E.g. African leopard, carp, cheetah, golden hamster, blue crane.

d) Endangered- high risk of extinction in the near future.

E.g. African penguin, Bengal tiger, blue whale, giant otter, gray parrot.
e) Critically endangered- extremely high risk of extinction in the very near
future.
E.g. Arabian leopard, Asiatic cheetah, axolotl, black rhino.

f) Extinct in the wild- already extinct in their natural environments, but there
are some individuals who live in a captive state.
E.g. Guam rail, Hawaiian crow, scimitar oryx, Socorro dove, south china tiger.

g) Extinct- there is not a single living individual of this species left on the
planet.
E.g. Blackfin cisco, Caspian tiger, eastern cougar, dodo, great auk, java tiger,
toolache wallaby.

Causes for endangered species:

o Destruction of habitats- many animals and plants which lived in

untouched nature are now adversely influences by human
behaviour since their natural environments are altered or even
destroyed. Thus many animals and plants have to look out for new
homes or they will be in danger of becoming extinct.

o Hunting- illegal hunting and poaching still is a big problem and

can cause the extinction of whole species. Since people are greedy
and often want to make as much money as possible, they kill
animals just to get their precious parts like their ivory or fur.

o Pollution- water pollution air pollution acid rain and other kind of
pollution can harm many species in an extremely adverse way. If
they are not adopt to the higher levels of pollution, they will be
danger and die out.

o Insufficient reproduction rate-some species are quite eager to

reproduce, others are just lazy to do so. Especially for animals that
have a low reproduction rate, this cause big problems since they
may likely not be able to sustain their species.

o Disease- not only do people suffer from epidemic diseases, also

animal can be adversely affected. Disease like Ebola can cause
thousands of deaths among certain species like monkeys and
therefore diminish their numbers.
o Degree of specialization- highly specialized animals or plants are
more likely to become endangered or extinct since they are not
flexible at all in their conditions.
 o Conflicts between wildlife and humans- since our world
population is growing, we need more and more settlement space in
order to build houses and other infrastructure. To gain this
settlement space, it is often necessary to cut down forests or invade
other habitats that are currently used by animals. These animals
will lose their living space, which may force to move to other
areas.

Effect of endangered species:

· Biodiversity and chain reactions-since nature is a big system in which

species depend upon each other and function as a whole, the extinction of a
small number of animals or plants can cause chain reactions to the whole
ecosystem and thus have a big effect on the environment. For example, if a
species A which eats another species B goes extinct, the number of species B
would increase dramatically. Since species B will also eat other species C,
species C now be endangered. This circle continues and will often have
profound effects on the ecosystem.

· Diseases- some animals can serve as buffers between pathogens and humans.
Animals can thus lower the probability that human get infected by certain
diseases. Thus, if species become extinct, this buffer is lost and humans can be
more likely hit by diseases.

· Decrease in crop yields- since insect like bees play important role in the crop
growing process, losing this species would be extremely harmful to the crop
yields of farmers and could also cause global famine.

· Loss of medical sources- many components that are contained in drugs are
extracted from plants. If these plants become endangered or even extinct, we
will not be able to use the plant ingredients for medical purposes anymore.

· Economic effects-animal often are popular attraction for tourists. Countries

that can provide these animals can often make significant amounts of money
with touristic activities. However, if certain animal species become extinct,
these countries will suffer from serve adverse economic effects since tourists
may not come to their countries anymore after the animals vanished.
Solution to save endangered species:

· The endangered species act (ESA), passed in 1973, and was enacted to half the
rapid loss of plant and animal life. Frequently referred to as the “crown jewel”
of our nation's environmental laws, the ESA has been responsible for saving
many species formerly on the brink of extinction, including the bald eagle, grey
wolf and California sea otter.

· Learn about endangered species in your area. Teach your friends and family
about the wonderful wildlife, animals plants. First step to protecting endangered
species is learning about how interesting and important they are.

· Recycle and buy sustainable products- buy recycle paper, sustainable products
like bamboo and Forest Stewardship Council wood products to protect forest
species. Never purchase products made from threatened or endangered species.

· Herbicides and pesticides may keep yards looking nice but they are in fact
hazardous pollutants that effect wildlife at many levels.

· Harassing wildlife is cruel and illegal shooing, trapping, or forcing a

threatened or endangered animal into captivity is also illegal and can lead to
their extinction. Don't participate in this activity.

Regional and Global environmental

issues - there some regional and global environmental issues are given
below:

1. Global Warming
2. Ocean acidification
3. Pollution
4. Acid rain
5. Ozone depletion

1. Global Warming

Global Warming is the unusually rapid increase in earth's average temperature

over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released by people
burning fossil fuels. Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and
other air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and absorb
sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth's surface.

Normally, this radiation would escape into space—but these pollutants, which
can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the
planet to get hotter. That's what's known as the greenhouse effect.
Causes Global Warming

Causes of global warming-The issues that cause global warming are divided
into two categories include “natural” and “human influences” of global
warming.

Natural cause of global warming-

· The climate has continuously changing for centuries. The global warming
happens because the natural rotation of the sun that changes the intensity of
sunlight and moving closer to the earth.

· Another cause of global warming is greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are

carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide it trap the solar heats rays and prevent it
from escaping from the surface of the earth. This has cause the temperature of
the earth increase.

· Volcanic eruptions are another issue that causes global warming. For instance,
a single volcanic eruption will release amount of carbon dioxide and ash to the
atmosphere.

· Methane is another issue that causes global warming. Methane is also a

greenhouse gas.

Human activity influences global warming:

· First issue is industrial revolution. Industrial have been using fossil fuels for
power machines. Everything that we use is involved in fossil fuel. For example,
when we buy a mobile phone, the process of making mobile phone have involve
machines and machines uses fossil fuels, during the process carbon dioxide is
releasing to the atmosphere. Besides industrial, transportation such as cars is
also releasing carbon dioxide from exhaust.

· Another issue is mining. During the process of mining, the methane will trap
below the earth. Besides, rearing cattle will also cause methane because cattle
released the form of manure.

· Next is the most common issue that is deforestation. Deforestation is a human

influence because human have been cutting down trees to produce papers,
wood, build houses or more

Effect of global warming:

· First effect is polar ice caps melting. As the temperature increase, the ice at the
North Pole will melt. Once the ice melt the first effect will be raise on sea levels
because the melting glaciers become oceans. According to the National Snow
and Ice Data Center “if the ice melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet”.
It affects many low lying areas such as the Netherlands. In future, the
Netherlands will be cover by water once the North Pole is melted. However, it
is not going to happen so fast but the sea level will continue rise.

· Another effect is the species loss of habitat. Species that include polar bears
and tropical frogs will be extinct due to climate change.

· Next effect is more hurricanes will occur and economic consequences still
affect as well. Hurricane causes damage to houses and government need to
spend billions of dollars in damage and people need places to stay or have been
killed. Once a disaster happens many people have died and diseases happen.

Solution to Stop Global Warming:

· However we human and governments need to move forward to implement the

global warming solutions. To reduce global warming we can do to reduce the
contribution of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

· To reduce gasoline mean we have a choice to choose a hybrid car that reduce
using gasoline. Besides, petrol price are increasing. If a person everyday drives
to work they need to pump petrol after 3 days and causes carbon dioxide.
Another way to reduce gasoline is take public transport or carpool to work. It
can help reduce carbon dioxide and save cost.
· Another way to reduce global warming is recycle. Recycle can reduce garbage
by reusing plastic bags, bottles, papers or glass. For instance, when we buy
foods, we can use our own containers instead of plastic bags. Besides, turn off
electricity if unused. It can save thousands of carbon dioxide and buy product
that have energy saving because it saves cost and save environment.

· Finally, human should stop open burning such as burning dry leafs or burning
garbage. It will release carbon dioxide and toxic if burning garbage with plastic.
Besides, government should reduce deforestation because the earth temperatures
are increasing. Trees will help to improve the temperature on earth.

2. Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans,

caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Seawater is
slightly basic (meaning pH >7), and ocean acidification involves a shift towards
pHneutral conditions rather than a transition to acidic conditions
(pH < 7). Carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels dissolves in
seawater and produces carbonic acid, and this lower the pH of the ocean water
finally lead to ocean acidification.

Ocean Acidification
Causes of Ocean Acidification:

· The burning of fossil fuels- Fuels such as petroleum, diesel, and coal produce
lots of carbon dioxide when burnt. This increases the concentration of carbon
gas in the atmosphere, which in turn finds a way into the water. Increase in
concentration of carbon dioxide in the oceans, which causes acidification of
ocean.
· Waste disposal- Industrial revolution leading to an increase in pollution. Due
to increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Alongside direct
sewage waste disposal, there are other wastes that increase the level of acidity in
the water.

· Increase in the concentration of hydrogen ion due to the chemical

reaction- at the sea beds, there are some chemical reactions that may take place,
and they can have negative impacts on the quality of the ocean water. Such
reactions increase in hydrogen ion concentration which combined with other
compounds such as nitrogen, water, among other gases, and their reactions lead
to ocean water acidity.

· Lack of eco-friendly laws and regulations- the harm induced in the

atmosphere can spread into the waters. This is when carbon dioxide released
into atmosphere through various human activities. This in turn, contaminates the
water. A decrease in carbonate ions

Effects of Ocean Acidification:

· Loss of coral reefs-Loss of marine plants as more carbon dioxide is absorbed

into the oceans, it bonds to form carbonic acid.
The acid then produces hydrogen ion and bicarbonate ion and the hydrogen ion
bonds with free carbonate ions in the ocean to form other bicarbonate products.
The problem with this reaction is that marine organisms possessing shells
(corals, crustaceans, molluscs, foraminifera's, and coralline algae) need the
carbonate ions to make calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.

· Disturbance in food chain-Ocean acidification leads to the death and

disappearance of some plants and animals in the sea.
When some organisms become extinct, their dependents are also threatened
because they have nothing to feed on.

· A decrease in local economy due to lack of fish and other marine

products- The seawater supports life at its normal conditions. Due to lowered
or raised of pH level various type of fish, mammals such as whales, sharks and
any many more are affected. When fish die human who depend on them or food
and livelihood are hit by the socio- economic problems.

· Impact on Human Health-Humans depend on water for various purposes.

When the ocean water acidity gets higher, the consumers or the users of such
water are living in a perilous situation. Diseases such as cancers can easily be
transmitted to humans when they consume fish intoxicated with higher sulfur
concentrations.
Solution to Ocean Acidification:

· Reducing the use of fossil fuels- Carbon emitted from fossil fuels can be
reduced through the minimization of the use of such fuels. Adopting the use of
alternative/renewable energy sources can be the best available option.
Diversification of energy sources such as the use of solar and wind as the
alternative energy sources can significantly pay off. Increasing the use of eco-
friendly fuels.

Making strict regulations- Human actions are best guarded by the policies of
the land. The first step towards the fight against ocean acidification can be
commenced through the ratification of legislation that can ensure that the waste
handling, among other pollution-risk activities, is controlled. Such regulations
would spread to the fisheries department to ensure that safety is maintained in
food consumption.

· Spreading the awareness to the masses and eating less meat- This is not
surprising at all. Raising livestock is a major source of greenhouse gases. It is
these greenhouse gases that cause all the problems. By reducing our meat
consumption, we would reduce the demand for meat. This, in turn, would result
in lesser rearing and raising of livestock.

· Use of Alternative Water Sources-Because of the need to ensure that there is

safety, scepticism may pay off. Such can be through the use of alternative water
sources such as the use of boreholes, wells or tapped rainwater instead of ocean
water domestically. This can help in minimizing possible ocean water pollution.
Promotion of environmentally friendly initiatives.
Use of geo- engineering.

3. Acid Rain

Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of
precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to
the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This can include rain,
snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic. It can have harmful effects on plants,
aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulphur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the
atmosphere to produce acids. Some governments have made efforts since the
1970s to reduce the release of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the
atmosphere with positive results.
Acid Rain Process
Causes of Acid Rain:

· Although all bodies of water have acid in it, but the problem with acid rain is
that too much acidic chemical compounds such as sulfuric and nitric acid,
formed when Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxide(NOx) come into
contact with water and oxygen in the atmosphere, lower the normal PH of
water.

· Together with natural disasters such as wildfires, lightning, and volcanic

eruption, which blasts pollutants into the air, rotting vegetation and biological
processes are natural sources of acid rain forming gases.

· However, human based sources such as factories, power generations facilities,

oil refineries and automobiles are the primary contributors to chemical gases.
Electricity generating power plants burn coal and other fossil fuels which are
the biggest contributors to gaseous emissions. They are responsible for about
60% of SO2 and 25% of NOx found in the atmosphere.
Moreover, the exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses, especially in urban regions
with heavy traffic, and factories in industrialized areas release high scores of
pollutant gaseous into the air.

· These compound pollutants can be blown by winds or carried in jet streams

around the world and turned into acid in presence of water and Oxygen. This
acid is capable of reducing the normal pH of rain, which is 5.6, to about 4.3.
The lower the number of pH is, the more acidic it is.

Effects of Acid Rain:

· Essential nutrients in soil such as calcium and magnesium, which are essential
for trees to survive, are dissolved as a result of acid rain seepage into the soil. In
absence of these vital nutrients, the trees and plants are less healthy and more
vulnerable to infections and damage by cold weather and insects. Acid rain also
causes Aluminium release in soil which makes it difficult for trees to take up
water. It inhibits trees' ability to grow and reproduce.

· Water bodies and aquatic environment are the most affected by either direct
acid rainfall or flow of precipitations into streams and lakes through forest,
roads and fields, which usually contains amount of Aluminium leached from
soil.

· Most lakes and streams have a pH level near 6.5, while acid rain reduces this
number to about 5 or less and makes the water more acidic. At lower pH levels,
most fish eggs cannot hatch and some adult fish even die. Increased acidity and
aluminium level in water surfaces are toxic to aquatic wildlife and can also be
deadly.

· Acid rain water is too dilute to cause direct health problems for human.
However, infinitesimal acid particles like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur
dioxide (SO2) known as gaseous particulates, when inhaled cause serious
respiratory diseases or deteriorate them when inhaled. This includes asthma and
chronic bronchitis as well as an increase in heart disease risk.

· Not only are living creatures affected, but acid rain damages many objects. It
leaves irreplaceable damage on old heritage buildings as well as weathering
limestone and marble buildings and monuments like gravestones. It causes
corrosion of metals, like steel bridges, pipes, and even affects the surface of
vehicles as it peels the paint.

Solution to control Acid Rain:

· Acid rain can be stopped in several ways. As well as governments' role in

focusing on more sustainable energy sources, such as solar, wind and water
energy, and putting restrictions on the use of fossil fuels, we people play a key
role in reducing acid rain emissions.

· The biggest step to prevent acid rain is to conserve energy. Simply shutting off
electrical appliance. Whenever you're not using them is a good start. You can
also help reducing auto emissions by using public transport or carpooling as
well as riding bikes or even walking to near destinations.
· Power plants need to do their part as well. Washing coal to remove some of
the sulphur or using coal comprised of low sulphur are some actions they can
do. They can also use devices called scrubber. They are capable of removing the
sulphur dioxide from gases leaving the smokestack.

4. Ozone Layer Depletion-

Ozone layer depletion is the thinning of the ozone layer present in the upper
atmosphere. This happens when the chlorine and bromine atoms in the
atmosphere come in contact with ozone and destroy the ozone molecules. One
chlorine can destroy 100,000 molecules of ozone. It is destroyed more quickly
than it is created. Some compounds release chlorine and bromine on exposure to
high ultraviolet light, which then contributes to the ozone layer depletion. Such
compounds are known as Ozone Depleting Substances
(ODS).

The ozone-depleting substances that contain chlorine include

chlorofluorocarbon, carbon tetrachloride, hydro chlorofluorocarbons, and
methyl chloroform. Whereas, the ozone-depleting substances that contain
bromine are halons, methyl bromide, and hydro bromofluorocarbons.

Chlorofluorocarbons are the most abundant ozone-depleting substance. It is

only when the chlorine atom reacts with some other molecule, it does not react
with ozone.

Ozone Layer Depletion

Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion:
The ozone layer depletion is a major concern and is associated with a number of
factors. The main causes responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer are
listed below:

· Chlorofluorocarbons-Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are the main cause of

ozone layer depletion. These are released by solvents, spray aerosols,
refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc.

· The molecules of chlorofluorocarbons in the stratosphere are broken down by

the ultraviolet radiations and release chlorine atoms. These atoms react with
ozone and destroy it.

· Unregulated Rocket Launches-Researches say that the unregulated

launching of rockets result in much more depletion of ozone layer than the
CFCs do. If not controlled, this might result in a huge loss of the ozone layer by
the year 2050.

· Nitrogenous Compounds-The nitrogenous compounds such as NO2, NO,

N2O are highly responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.

· Natural Causes-The ozone layer has been found to be depleted by certain

natural processes such as Sun-spots and stratospheric winds. But it does not
cause more than 1-2% of the ozone layer depletion.

Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion:

The depletion of the ozone layer has harmful effects on the environment. Let us
see the major effects of ozone layer depletion on man and environment.

· Effects on Human Health-The humans will be directly exposed to the

harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun due to the depletion of the ozone layer.
This might result in serious health issues among humans, such as skin diseases,
cancer, sunburns, cataract, quick ageing, and weekend immune system.

· Effects on Animals-Direct exposure to ultraviolet radiations leads to skin and

eye cancer in animals.

· Effects on the Environment-Strong ultraviolet rays may lead to minimal

growth, flowering and photosynthesis in plants.
The forests also have to bear the harmful effects of the ultraviolet rays.
· Effects on Marine Life -Planktons are greatly affected by the exposure to
harmful ultraviolet rays. These are higher in the aquatic food chain. If the
planktons are destroyed, the organisms present in the lower food chain are also
affected.

Solutions to Ozone Layer Depletion:

· Following are some points that would help in preventing this problem at a
global level:

· Avoid Using Pesticides-Natural methods should be implemented to get rid of

pests and weeds instead of using chemicals.
One can use eco-friendly chemicals to remove the pests or remove the weeds
manually.

· Minimize the Use of Vehicles-The vehicles emit a large amount of

greenhouse gases that lead to global warming as well as ozone depletion.
Therefore, the use of vehicles should be minimized as much as possible.

· Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products-Most of the cleaning products have

chlorine and bromine releasing chemicals that find a way into the atmosphere
and affect the ozone layer. These should be substituted with natural products to
protect the environment.

· The Use of Nitrous Oxide should be prohibited-The government should

take actions and prohibit the use of harmful nitrous oxide that is adversely
affecting the ozone layer. People should be made aware of the harmful effects
of nitrous oxide and the products emitting the gas so that its use is minimized at
the individual level as well.

References

1. www.conserve-energy-future.com, www.britannica.com,
www.researchgate.com ,www.bizwhiznetwork.com ,
www.sciencedirect.com , www.wikipedia.org , www.nrdc.org ,
www.environmental-conscience.com ,www.tiredearth.com ,
https://byjus.com