Living on The Earth & Environmental Problems of Our Planet

The Natural Environment

The earth is a term that envelops all living and non-living things happening naturally on Earth or some district thereof. The concept of the natural environment can be distinguished by segments. The first one is complete ecological units that function as natural systems without massive human intervention, including all vegetation, animals, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural phenomena that occur within their boundaries. The second is general natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear boundaries, such as air, water, climate, energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism (Chavan, 2016). The environment plays an essential role in the healthy living of individuals. It is crucial because it is the only home that humans have, and it provides air, food, and other necessities. Humanity's entire life support system relies on the well-being of all the environmental elements. The environment plays a vital role in regulating air and climate.

Living on Earth & Environmental Problems of Our Planet

Another reason the earth is so essential is that it is a source of natural beauty and is vital for proper physical and emotional health as well (Cristina, 2017). Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), which are elements that occur naturally in the Earth's atmosphere. However, since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has led to an increasing number of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere as pollution, especially CO2. This additional human-made CO2 pollution creates a greenhouse effect around the Earth, trapping heat from the sun and warming the planet's surface and oceans, known as global warming. This global warming causes changes in the Earth's climate patterns, which have significant impacts on our climate, oceans, and ecosystems. For example, in 2015, the Earth's temperature had already warmed by 1°C compared to pre-industrial levels (WWF, 2018).

Environmental Issues and Their Impact

In some way, everyone should care and strive to contribute towards making our planet a "greener" and better place to live. Unfortunately, many environmental issues persist: Distinctive gold mining is the largest source of mercury release in the environment. Groundwater contamination occurs when chemicals, fuel, oil, and other similar products seep into the groundwater. The issue is that we all make extensive use of major sources: septic systems, hazardous waste sites, landfills, road salts, fertilizers, and pesticides. Surface water contamination occurs when waste substances are disposed of or transported through water bodies. They either dissolve in them or mix with the water or the sediment, causing eutrophication and species extinction. Water pollution in general is considered the main cause of the spread of diseases.

Indoor air pollution is a significant and common cause, resulting from cooking or heating, which hides many dangers. The release of small particles and carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for 2.7% of the global disease burden. Furthermore, industrial mining was identified as the largest waste stream in the EU. Industrial mining can cause long-lasting environmental and economic issues due to the careless handling of materials that result in acidic or alkaline waste and the leaching of heavy metals into water and soil. Additionally, metal smelting and processing in factories are often associated with the emission of high quantities of air pollutants, such as hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, harmful and toxic smoke, fumes, vapors, gases, and other pollutants. Of course, it doesn't end with gases. Heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, nickel, copper, and zinc, are also added to the list.

Moreover, lead–acid batteries are used everywhere and are also known as "car batteries." Although they can be recharged, after numerous cycles, they lose their ability to hold energy and become hazardous waste. The main issue here is the release of lead. The fact that in many countries, recycling operations and facilities are located in areas with very limited control makes the problem even more serious (Luleva, 2018). There are different effects of global warming, the first being ecosystems. Global warming stresses ecosystems through temperature rises, water shortages, increased fire risks, drought, weed and pest invasions, severe storm damage, and salt encroachment, just to name a few.

Effects on Biodiversity and Climate

Some of Australia's great natural icons, such as the Great Barrier Reef, are already threatened. It also impacts species' existence; one in six species is at risk of extinction due to climate change. To survive, plants, animals, and birds faced with climate change have two options: move or adapt. With the speed of climate change we are currently experiencing, it's often impossible for a species to adapt quickly enough to keep up with its changing environment. Furthermore, with the amount of habitat destruction, moving is becoming increasingly difficult. The deteriorated impact of global warming is on food and farming; it causes changes in precipitation patterns, more severe droughts, more frequent heatwaves, flooding, and extreme weather, making it more challenging for farmers to graze livestock and grow crops, reducing food availability and making it more expensive to purchase. Consequently, reduced precipitation and more severe droughts may lead to water shortages. Meanwhile, global warming leads to coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and more frequent and intense storm surges, which will see more erosion of Australia's coastline, wearing away and inundating community and private properties. It poses the most dangerous impact on health as more severe and frequent heatwaves may lead to death and illness, especially among the elderly.

Additionally, more severe extreme weather events like bushfires, storms, floods, cyclones, and coastal erosion will lead to increased damage to homes, as well as more expensive insurance premiums (WWF, 2018). To mitigate this grave issue, we can take several steps. Firstly, we can power our homes with renewable energy by choosing a service company that produces at least half of its power from wind or solar and has been certified by Green-e Energy, an organization that vets renewable energy options. Furthermore, we can invest in energy-efficient appliances. First implemented nationwide in 1987, efficiency standards for numerous appliances and products have kept 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air. Energy efficiency is the lowest-cost way to reduce emissions, so when shopping for refrigerators, washing machines, and other appliances, look for the Energy Star label. It will tell you which are the most efficient. Reducing water wastage is an easy solution we can take; saving water reduces carbon pollution too. That's because it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat your water.

Practical Steps for a Greener Future

So, take shorter showers and turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Always buy LED lights; they use about 80 percent less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs. They're also cheaper in the long run: A 10-watt LED that replaces your traditional 60-watt bulb will save you $125 over the light's life. Unplug your electronics, as the outlets in your house are likely powering around 65 different devices—a typical load for a home in the U.S. For example, audio and video devices, cordless vacuums and power tools, and other electronics use energy even when they're not charging. This "idle load" across all U.S. households amounts to the output of 50 large power plants in the US. Drive an eco-friendly vehicle like fuel-efficient cars, such as hybrids and fully electric vehicles, save fuel and money (Denchak, 2017).

References

Chavan, P. (2016). The natural environment and its significance. Environmental Science Journal.

Cristina, L. (2017). The importance of Earth's natural beauty. Health and Wellness Review.

Denchak, M. (2017). Simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Green Living Today.

Luleva, R. (2018). The impact of lead-acid batteries on the environment. Journal of Environmental Safety.

WWF. (2018). Global warming and its effects on the planet. World Wildlife Fund Report.