The environment and its protection

Four parts make up what we call the Earth’s environment –  the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere and the biosphere.
Atmosphere – all the gases that make up the air including the weather systems, the greenhouse gases and the ozone layer.

Lithosphere – all the rocks in and on the Earth.

Hydrosphere – all the water in the seas, rivers, lakes and soils.

Biosphere – all the living organisms on the Earth. ‚Organisms‘ include viruses and bacteria right up to plants and animals (including humans).

For millions of years, they have been in balance but people soon began to change the balance of the environment in their favour. In adition, the number of people on the Earth is growing each year making our environmental problems worse. The main ones are:

Global warming
Background: The earth has a thin atmosphere that is like a transparent blanket that keeps us warm. In a process called the greenhouse effect high energy radiation from the solar system is trapped by gases such as carbon dioxide. This heat energy keeps Earth temperatures too high to support life.
Causes: Carbon fossil fuels such as coal are burnt to produce energy. This process produces large amounts of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere.
Effects: More carbon dioxide means a larger greenhouse effect so the Earth’s overall temperature is increasing. This could cause rising sea levels, unpredictable weather in the form of flooding or drought, hurricanes and large loss of life.
Solution: Change the way we produce energy and produce less carbon dioxide.

The ozone hole
Background: Scientists discovered that the ozone layer in the atmosphere over the Antarctic was missing. In other populated places such as Australia it was very thin. The ozone layer, about 30km above the Earth’s surface, absorbs dangerous ultra violet (UV) radiation.
Causes: We release ozone damaging chemicals in industrial and domestic activities. Some of them destroy the ozone molecule and UV reaches the Earth’s surface.
Effects: UV causes damage to the DNA of cells and various cancers can result especially after sunbathing. Sheep at high altitude in the Andes are often blinded by UV.
Solutions: Ban the use of dangerous chemicals in aerosols, refrigerators and car air conditioning.
Cutting down the rainforests – deforestation
Background: As humans we like to eat meat and the modern trend for beef burgers has increased the demand for more cattle and more space worldwide. We also use more hard wood for furniture.
Causes: Tropical rain forests are being burnt and cut down because people need more land for agriculture. This is happening in the Amazon basin in Brazil and SE Asia.
Effects: Many plants and animals will become extinct. The forests absorb carbon dioxide in the process called photosynthesis. Without trees carbon dioxide levels will increase.
Solutions: Alternative sources must be found for food and wood.

Toxic pollution
Background: We produce lots of waste in the home and toxic chemicals from industrial processes. These must be disposed of safely. It is less expensive to dump waste and toxic chemicals into rivers or holes in the ground than to dispose of them safely.
Causes: Chemicals are used to kill pests in agriculture, to increase production. Toxic waste from industrial processes leaks into our waterways.
Effects: Toxic waste kills fish in rivers, lakes and the sea. Wastes getting into our drinking water or chemicals getting into our food cause illness and diseases.
Solutions: Laws and regulations must be followed by all countries and must be updated as we get more knowledge.

Acid rain
Background: Today rain contains harmful acid which can damage the environment. pH shows on a scale (of 0 to 14) how acid or alkaline the environment is. Creatures in lakes, rivers and in the soil often live in a narrow range of pH.
Causes: Coal burning in power stations releases sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. This mixes with water in clouds and acid rain is formed. Car exhaust gases add other acids.
Effects: Acid rain in lakes kills fish and destroys leaves on trees and other plants.
Solutions: Remove the sulphur dioxide from chimneys of power stations and use alternative sources of energy.

Energy
As countries develop, they use more and more energy. China and India are expanding rapidly without environmental controls. Pollution is increasing. Britain is looking again at Nuclear Power to supply energy in the future but there is still no solution to the problem of nuclear waste. Wind and wave energy is also a possibility.
We must all save more energy. Switch off lights, turn down the central heating, insulate our houses, reduce packaging on goods, re-use items instead of buying new, and recycle to reduce waste. We must think of future generations and encourage politicians to see the longer view. Think globally, act locally.