When assessing issues, a broad approach must be applied to review all applicable dangers and harms. However, in the case of climate change and global pollution, the only question of damages is not whether they are occurring but to what extent are these problems destroying the global ecosystem. Unfortunately, however, determining the scale of these problems is next to impossible for an issue so broad and complex. Therefore, we must begin by breaking the issues down a little to assess the modern civic issue of environmental protection. From industrial pollution to the global rise in temperatures, humanity has indisputably transformed the global ecosystem, coating the sky with a thick, smog-ridden fog of war.
Climate Change
Fig. 1 Berkeley Earth. Global Average Temperature Anomaly
According to NASA, global surface temperatures have, on average, risen by over 0.9 degrees Celsius as of 2017 in comparison to the average temperatures from 1951 to 1980. Even more than that, Figure 1 displays a graph of this trend over time going to the present day, showing a slow but steady rise in temperatures. While these temperature changes seem rather insignificant, the effects are profound. A two-degree average rise in global temperatures, for example, can result in around half a meter of sea level rise from 2000, nearly 98% of coral reefs being put at risk of coral bleaching, an increase in intensity in heavy rainfall and storms, and a decrease in availability of freshwater in some regions of the world according to Vox Media. Potentially some of the most dangerous long-term dangers towards humanity stem from the onslaught of climate change which is unlikely to see reversal without serious government cooperation across the world.
Coincidentally, a large portion of this anomaly can be largely attributed to the burning of fossil fuels, especially notable in less developed regions of the world such as China where air quality is significantly reduced, necessitating the use of equipment such as face masks to stop the breathing in of harmful chemicals on particularly smoggy days. Wearing these face masks have even become so ingrained into the sociocultural norm in these large cities that fashion trends have emerged surrounding the masks, effectively accepting climate change as a reality. Aside from industry, automobiles are among the largest producers of greenhouse gasses that contribute to this warming effect and the global rise in carbon dioxide emissions across the world.
While all of this may be the case, perhaps the greatest foci in recent years have been aligned with the shift towards more renewable forms of energy as opposed to coal or other fossil fuels in order to eliminate many manmade sources of CO2 emissions. With the costs of these technologies being reduced as more and more competitors enter the market to provide affordable, clean energy to American homes, the global dependence on these old forms of fossil-based energy could perhaps come to an end faster than previously anticipated.
A Rise in Consumerism
Fig. 2 Terry. Electronic Landfill
Another major issue surrounding the global ecosystem is the issue of society’s rapid rise in consumerism, especially in recent years. Many products have shifted from being built to last to being built to consume, leaving excess packaging or sometimes even the whole product shortly after using it simply to be tossed aside as waste. This trend is only being amplified by the modern technological boom where products are almost outdated the minute they reach the shelves. As new technology is developed, it pushes aside old technology, often resulting in it being disposed of, further filling landfills with previously state of the art technology.
Of course, all of this waste has to go somewhere. Largely ending up in landfills, the garbage sits and waits, eating up valuable land area that could be used for other purposes. Some of these pollutants, especially plastics, can leech off as nonpoint source contamination where it enters waterways and, eventually into the ocean where it begins to cause large-scale problems for marine life across the food chain. Ironically, these pollutants left aside by humans tend to come full circle back to humans themselves. Heavy metals such as mercury undergo a process known as bioaccumulation where they are taken in by smaller marine organisms and passed on to larger and larger marine life until they approach more dangerous levels for human consumption.
As of now, we have discussed only a small fraction of the global impacts posed by pollution, climate change, and other manmade sources. Today, however, the main questions faced by engineers, politicians, and ordinary citizens reside in how these shifts in the environment can be reversed or, at the very least, reduced to sustainable levels. While this cause is certainly noble in its own right, fully achieving the aspirations can be a rather daunting task. As we begin to dive deeper into the modern civic issue surrounding an individual’s and a nation’s responsibility for their environment, we will uncover new techniques and attempts that organizations, governments, and nonprofits have undergone in order to combat this global issue and reduce its future implications on society.