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5 global environmental climate change
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5 global environmental climate change that occur world wide
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Combustion of fossil fuels: like coal and oil for electricity and road transport, producing air pollutantslike nitrogen and sulfur dioxide
Emissions from industries and factories: releasing large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon,
chemicals and organic compounds into the air
Agricultural activities: due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers that emit harmful
chemicals
Waste production: mostly because of methane generation in landfills
Problem: Overloading of the atmosphere and of ocean waters with carbon. Atmospheric CO2
absorbs and re-emits infrared-wavelength radiation, leading to warmer air, soils, and ocean
surface waters - which is good: The planet would be frozen solid without this.
Unfortunately, there's now too much carbon in the air. Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation for
agriculture, and industrial activities have pushed up atmospheric CO2 concentrations from 280
parts per million (ppm) 200 years ago, to about 400 ppm today. That's an unprecedented rise, in
both size and speed. The result: climate disruption.
Carbon overloading is only one form of air pollution caused by burning coal, oil, gas and wood.
The World Health Organization recently estimated that one in nine deaths in 2012 were
attributable to diseases caused by carcinogens and other poisons in polluted air.
Most air pollution comes from energy use and production,” says John Walke, director of the Clean Air
Project, part of the Climate and Clean Energy program at NRDC. “Burning fossil fuels releases gases
and chemicals into the air.” And in an especially destructive feedback loop, air pollution not only
contributes to climate change but is also exacerbated by it. “Air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide
and methane raises the earth’s temperature,” Walke says. “Another type of air pollution, smog, is then
worsened by that increased heat, forming when the weather is warmer and there’s more ultraviolet
radiation.” Climate change also increases the production of allergenic air pollutants, including mold
(thanks to damp conditions caused by extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen (due to a
longer pollen season).
Solution:
“The less gasoline we burn, the better we’re doing to reduce air pollution and harmful effects of climate
change,” Walke says. “Make good choices about transportation. When you can, walk, ride a bike, or take
public transportation. For driving, choose a car that gets better miles per gallon of gas, or choose
an electric car.” You can also investigate your power provider options—you may be able to request that
your electricity be supplied by wind or solar. Buying your food locally cuts down on the fossil fuels
, burned in trucking or flying food in from across the country. And most important, “Support leaders who
push for clean air and water and responsible steps on climate change,” Walke says.
Renewable fuel and clean energy production: The most basic solution for air pollution is to
move away from fossil fuels, replacing them with alternative energies like solar, wind and geotherm
Energy conservation and efficiency: Producing clean energy is crucial. But equally important is to
reduce our consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits and using more efficient devices.
Eco-friendly transportation: Shifting to electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, and promoting shared
mobility (i.e carpooling, and public transports) could reduce air pollution.
Green building: From planning to demolition, green building aims to create environmentally responsible
and resource-efficient structures to reduce their carbon footprint.
2. DEFORESTATION
Cultivations and livestock farming:We should consider, infact, that with regards to the
substitution of forest areas with cultivations and livestock farms, the impact is much higher because
after the extraction of the most precious trees which are destined for timber commercialization, forests
are set on fire causing a great impact on local animals and plants. The most disastrous year for the
Amazon forest has been 1991 when over 50,000 fires where registered by aerial views or satellite
images.
Timber extraction: Centuries-old trees are cut down to make timber or cellulose for the furniture
or paper industry. Any system employed for wood cutting causes serious damage to the ecosystem, and
these damages are amplified by construction of roads required for vehicles and to trasport chopped
timber to its destination. For this reason, also many other economically unattractive trees which have an
important biological and ecological value are are cut down.
Firewood collection: This activity is undertaken especially by native populations, which due to
recent population growth, must provide energy sources for their survival. This phenomenon adds to
large-scale industrial timber exploitation.
Road Construction: Besides the construction of roads to transport timber, also dam
construction and industrial exploitation of mines contribute to massive deforestation
Problem: Species-rich wild forests are being destroyed, especially in the tropics, often to make
way for cattle ranching, soybean or palm oil plantations, or other agricultural monocultures.
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