Environmental Trends
1. What trends are showing improvement with respect to the environment? 2. What trends are the least optimistic for the world environment today? 3. What do you think we can do to alleviate some of the issues? Must be a reasonable solution. ** I am uploading a PDF that contains articles from 4 websites. You may use each of the referenced articles as one source per site. Just reference them as "stand alone websites." There are 4 sites, and I broke down the bookmarks in the PDF on a per-site basis. For example, the CSIRO articles can all go under one reference "CSIRO" website. To make it easier for you, I bookmarked the articles in the PDF and the bookmark indicates which site each article came from. .....PLEASE be careful with grammar and sentence structure.
Abstract
In the early 20th century, the world was an abode to over 1.6 billion estimated human species. During this time, pollution and environmental degradation were common; some cities lived under a pall of smoke, soot and ash. The untold environmental problems created can be described to be local, but on the whole they were vast. Although some regions were virtually untouched by the inhabitants, but due to technology development in the mid-century, large areas were disturbed and the population increased by more than 100 percent now stipulated at 2.5 billion. Industrial growth had multiplied per capital consumption of natural resources and per capital pollution in many countries. As the growth continued, pollution in all aspects of the ecosystem became more widespread. This was associated with the cumulative impact of toxic industrial wastes on wealth of the living forms by the teeming population of man. In this paper, major contemporary issues and global trends in the world's Environment with African concern are discussed.
Introduction
In a dynamic world, there is the growing concern that local and global environmental problems can be very serious, even to be a threat to national security. For sustainable economic development to progress, the environmental implications of projects must be conceived and pre-determined before the implementation of the project. The spread of democratic government brings more support for spreading resources to address environmental problems, in the remote rural areas. The general concern about the environment is becoming an effective political tool. Environmental issues have played strong roles in the surge of democracies sweeping over Eastern Europe and have increasingly become an election goal in the democracy of central and Latin America (Time, 1997). In the former Soviet Union, the environment is a recurring issue in elections, also in Western Europe and North America. On the whole, the environment has become a global political tool engrossing a strategic place on the agenda of the Group of seven's (G.7-Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States,) economic summit meeting in 2000. In fact, in most countries and on the global level, the hopeful sign for the decade is an armistice and communal world governments that are more committed to their citizens, and capable of redirecting resources to deal with environmental problems.
Environmental Trends
Name
Institute
February 14th 2014
Overview
Unprecedented growth in human population and the global economy has characterized the world for the past 100 year. Technological development, industrial growth and burgeoning population growth have led to pollution of the ecosystem i.e. the seas, forests, and other natural resources. The rate of change in environmental conditions has raised concern locally and globally due to the threat posed to the ecosystem. Environmental problems are now seen as threats to national security. High population, growing economies, globalization and advanced technological modernization are some of the drivers skyrocketing environmental destabilization to limits.
Discussion
Trends showing improvement with respect to environment
There has been an improvement and changes in approach to environmental problems through devised environmental management that addresses environmental issues. Positive environmental trends observed in recent times are;
National and international regulations, treaties and laws that protect environment
At the national level in many developed and developing countries, environmental issues have become important political tools for democracies vying election to government. This trend has transcended to international level where environmental problems have a strategic place on the agenda of great nations summits; the group of seven (G.7 -Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom) and other economic development summits. There have been hopes at the global level resulting from increased global participation in international treaties relating to environmental problem (Jain, 1997).
Many conferences have been held internationally to address environmental problems. For instance, in 1972 Stockholm conference, nations revealed that many environmental and demographic problems at national level are also experienced at the global level in their effects i.e. degrading of the ozone layer increases damaging effects of radiation on the surface of the earth affecting all habitats (CARE 2, 2014).
In many states, acts and environmental protection regulations have been put in place to limit environmental degradation. For instance, in the European community, various acts and regulations were put in place following environmental decisions of European Economic Community in 1970. In 1992 Earth Summit, nations agreed to cut greenhouse emissions to significant limits. The Montreal protocol, which had more than 150 countries agreed to phase out greenhouse gases that deplete ozone layer ( HYPERLINK "/CONSEQUENCES/fall95/fn1.html" Ausubel, Victor & Wernik, 1995).
The United Nations for instance has initiated many programs to address environmental problems as a vital approach towards substantial reduction in environmental degradation. These Intergovernmental agreements has created important treaties to protect biodiversity, climate change, high seas fishing, banning of hazardous shipment of wastes from industrialized to developing nations, deforestation and establishment of commissions that monitor sustainable development programs on natural resources use.
Use of Technology to address environmental problems
Production of hazardous materials has diminished significantly especially the radioactive elements associated with nuclear use. In addition, production of manmade polychlorinated biphenyl compounds have declined over the past decades as policy responses were formulated to curb their production due to environmental hazards posed after their disposal (Jain, 1997).
Many nations are now embracing technology in addressing environmental challenges. Advanced technology is now used to provide environmental protection, i.e. developed states such as USA and Germany are using Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) to remove Sulphur compounds from coal fuel. In some states, technology is used to treat waste water to serve their population, sanitary wastes disposal mechanisms have also been adopted in developed countries though at a slower pace ( HYPERLINK "/CONSEQUENCES/fall95/fn1.html" Ausubel, Victor & Wernik,1995).
Many developed states have now reduced number of nuclear plants constructed due to increased environmental hazards associated with nuclear wastes. International treaties on environmental conservation banned dumping of nuclear wastes in seas and other habitats that pose a risk to living things. Disposal of these wastes in seas and open land is a major cause of environmental degradation (CSIRO, 2014).
Government spending on environmental protection
Many states have increased government spending and created new institutions devoted to environmental protection. These institutions and government departments’ check on environmental hazards of industrial projects check on wastes disposal mechanisms and create environmental policies and guidelines on environmental conservation. There has been increased government spending on environmental conservation, as opposed to earlier decades where spending in such areas was minimal ( HYPERLINK "/CONSEQUENCES/fall95/fn1.html" Ausubel, Victor & Wernik, 1995).
Trends least optimistic for the world environment today
Increased population growth, Urban and industrial pollution
This remains a serious problem in many states despite many regulations enacted to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Increasing urban populations in developing countries and economies continue to pose complex puzzle in addressing challenges of urban air quality. The ever-increasing use of automobiles and congestion continues t...