Global Environmental Issues - GEC 10

Deforestation

clearing of forest land

Causes of Deforestation

• Wildfires

• Clearcutting for Agriculture

• Timber and Lumber Production

• Paper Production

• Mining

• Roadbuilding and development

Environmental Effects of Deforestation

• Climate change acceleration

• Soil erosion and desertification

• Disruption of water cycles

• Loss of wildlife habitats

• Increase in greenhouse gasses

• Ocean acidification

• Air pollution

Global Warming

increase in Earth’s average temperature due to the buildup of greenhouse gases

Greenhouse Gases that causes Global Warming

• Carbon Dioxide

• Methane

• Nitrous oxide

• Fluorinated gases

Effects of Global Warming

• Rising Global Temperature

• Loss of Biodiversity

• Extreme Weather

• Ocean warming and acidification

Solutions to Reduce Global Warming

• Renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• Proper waste management

• Protect and restore forests

• Raise awareness

Declining Stratospheric Ozone

protective layer is thinning or getting weaker, especially over certain regions like Antarctica

Ozone Layer

sits in the stratosphere between 15 km and 30 km above the earth and shields us and other living things from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Acid Precipitation

any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in water or dry forms

Forms of Acid Deposition

• Wet Deposition

• Dry Deposition

Wet Deposition

what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and nitric acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail

Dry Deposition

Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of moisture as dry deposition

Ecological Effects

• Lakes

• Aquatic Animals

• Rivers

Controlling Acid Deposition

requires reducing the pollutants that cause it—mainly sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ)

Biodiversity Loss

caused by habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change

Consequences

• Wildfires in Australia

• Droughts in South Africa

• Floods in Indonesia

Water Scarcity

occurs when the demand for freshwater exceeds the available supply in a region, or when water quality is insufficient to meet human, agricultural, and environmental requirements