The earth is considered one of the most beautiful planets in the universe.

It is the
only planet in the galaxy that has enough water to support life. Unfortunately, the
planet is suffering due to many environmental problems that may affect people,
societies, and ecosystems. These problems can result in major consequences for
everyone's daily life. The major environmental problems that are facing the world
today are deforestation, global warming, and water pollution.

The decimation of Earth's forest is one of the most serious global environmental
problems (Paul and Anne 162). Deforestation can affect biodiversity, the
atmosphere, and land. The loss of forest means the loss of many habitats for many
species. The current statistics shows that as many as 100 species become extinct
every day with a large portion being attributed to deforestation (Innes). This
unnatural extinction of species endangers the world's food supply, threatens many
human resources and has profound implications for biological diversity (Steger and
Bowermaster 100). The lack of biodiversity and a reduced planetary gene pool could
have many unforeseen ramifications, some of which could be fatal to the future
(Innes).

Many valuable chemical compounds are created in the jungles. Alkaloids, a small
plant from Madagascar is proven effective in treating Hodgkin's disease and
childhood leukemia. Curare, made from plant that grows only in the Amazon, is used
in heart operations as a muscle relaxant. More than 225 rain forest plants from
Costa Rica alone are thought to be potential anti-cancer agents. Unfortunately, as
the forests are cut, many of these potentially life-saving tropical plants disappear
forever. (Steger and Bowermaster 102)

When an area of rainforest is either cut down or destroyed, there are various
climate changes that happen as a result. Because of the exposure to the sun, the
soil gets baked and the lack of canopy leaves nothing to prevent the moisture from
quickly evaporating into the atmosphere. Thus, previously moist soil becomes dry,
cracked, and turn into desert sand (Innes). When the soil becomes dry, dust storms
become more frequent. At that point, the soil becomes useless. Lack of trees to hold
the ground could result in major soil erosion and increase flooding. (Paul and Anne
Ehrlich165)

When forests are cut and burnt, a significant amount of CO2 is added to the
atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect. There is a theory that as more
gasses are released into the atmosphere, more heat gets trapped and average
temperature becomes progressively higher. (Innes) This leads to the global warming
phenomenon which is another serious environmental problem.

Global Warming is the rising of the Earth's surface temperature due to chemicals in
the atmosphere. It has been proven scientifically that the earth is warming up,
mostly because of the increase of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in the atmosphere. It is
now believed that atmospheric CO2 increases when a forest is burnt (Steger and
Bowermaster 5).
Lately, many presentations, conferences and international summits are held to deal
with waste treatment, recycling, and soil and water contamination. For sure joint
efforts and consolidation can only help in the mutual war towards the ongoing
environmental disaster. For instance, governments should offer support to
companies and organizations, involved in manufacturing, industry or agriculture in
order to find environment-friendly approaches. These could be special law
regulations, recycling programs, helping courses in order to implement ISO
certificates and many more.

However, the influence of individuals over environment should not be ignored. If we

do not confess that our planet is our home, we will never be able to take adequately
care of it. We have to contribute every day to the preservation of nature and
environment. For example, always remember to save energy by switching off lamps,
computers and everything that we do not use. Our next obligation is to separate
waste and throw bulk only in the designated areas. Driving vehicles can also be
environment friendly. For example, we have to avoid accelerating the engines too
rapidly or using the air conditioning in the country, where it would be better to save
energy and simply open the windows.

To sum up, environmental problems should be handled by local and international

authorities as well as individuals. Every single person should take care of the
environment, moreover we have to bring up our children to be conscious citizens of
a clean and preserved planet.

Environmental pollution refers to the introduction of harmful pollutants

into the environment. The major types of environmental pollution are air
pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, thermal pollution, soil pollution
and light pollution.

Deforestation and hazardous gaseous emissions also leads to environmental

pollution. During the last 10 years, the world has witnessed severe rise in
environmental pollution.
We all live on planet earth, which is the only planet known to have an environment,
where air and water are two basic things that sustain life. Without air and water the
earth would be like the other planets no man, no animals, no plants. The
biosphere in which living beings have their sustenance has oxygen, nitrogen, carbon

dioxide, argon and water vapor. All these are well balanced to ensure and help a
healthy growth of life in the animal world. This balance does not only help the lifecycles of animals and plants, but it also creates the perennial sources of minerals
and energies without which the human civilization of to-day could not be built. It is
for this balance that the human life and other forms of existence have flourished on
earth for so many thousands of years.

Also read: Short paragraph on Pollution

But man, as the most intelligent animal, never stopped being inquisitive, nor was he
content with the bounties of nature. His quest for knowledge and search for security
succeeded in exploring newer and wider avenues of mysteries that remained
baffling so long. Mans excursions into the darkest regions of mysteries laid
foundations for the stupendous civilization, for the conquests of men had ensured
their domination in their world and gave them a key to control all the forces in
nature.

With the dawn of the age of science and technology, there has been huge growth
and development of human potentials. And, it is here that man first began losing
control and became prisoner of his own creations.

Sources and Causes

The sources and causes of environmental pollution includes the following:

Industrial activities: The industries all over the world that brought prosperity and
affluence, made inroads in the biosphere and disturbed the ecological balances. The
pall of smoke, the swirling gases, industrial effluents and the fall-out of scientific
experiments became constant health hazards, polluting and contaminating both air
and water. The improper disposal of industrial wastes are the sources of soil and
water pollution.
Vehicles: The smoke emitted by vehicles using petrol and diesel and the cooking
coal also pollutes the environment. The multiplication of vehicles, emitting black
smoke that, being free and unfettered, spreads out and mixes with the air we
breathe. The harmful smoke of these vehicles causes air pollution. Further, the
sounds produced by these vehicles produces causes noise-pollution.
Rapid urbanization and industrialization: The urbanization and the rapid growth of
industrialization are causing through environmental pollution the greatest harm to

the plant life, which in turn causing harm to the animal kingdom and the human
lives.
Population overgrowth: Due to the increase in population, particularly in developing
countries, there has been surge in demand for basic food, occupation and shelter.
The world has witnessed massive deforestation to expand absorb the growing
population and their demands.
Also read: Sources of Water, Air and Soil Pollution

Effect
Environmental pollution has negatively affected the life of both human-beings and
animals. Almost all of our gains in the fields of industrial progress, science and
technology had so far been realized at the cost of our health. Even our flora and
fauna were found to be threatened with extinction.

All this really leaves us wondering if all our achievements and industrial civilization
really help us climb the peaks of prosperity or simply take us down the blind alleys
of adversity. It is not only in India, but all over the world even in Europe and U.S.A.
that the question is being raised whether all is well with our industrial growth and
progress in the field of science and technology. Many crusaders against
environmental pollution are vehemently protesting against the indiscriminate
violations committed daily in the name of development.

The environmental pollution is not caused by the fall-out from nuclear tests or
industries alone. The smoke left behind the automobiles and other vehicular traffic,
the increasing use of synthetic detergents, nitrogen fertilizers and insecticides
contaminate both air and water.

The water we drink the vegetables are all contaminated to-day. As a result of this
contamination our world is afflicted with a quite a number of incurable diseases.
Nothing in this world is immune, no life is safe and the future of this world is bleak.
The factories are mostly built in populated areas and the smoke-emitting vehicles
ply through the congested areas. Besides causing immense disturbances, there are

increasing case of pulmonary tuberculosis and thrombosis and various sorts of brain
and heart complications.
Air-pollution may cause severe lungs-diseases, asthma, brain-disorder diseases, etc.
Soil-pollution may have negative effect on farm output ratio. It can also contaminate
the ground water.
Noise-pollution have negative effects on hearing or auditory sense organs. It can
also cause deafness, tiredness, and mental losses.
The heat generated by industries and vehicles causes thermal pollution by raising
the environmental temperature of the nearby areas.
The birth of mills and factories is the result of the growth of industry in this
machine-predominated age. As long as they will be there, they must emit smoke,
pollute the air and hasten our end by slow-poisoning.

The worst industrial environment tragedy occurred at Bhopal on December 3, 1984

as a result of toxic and poisonous leakage of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a
multi-national Union Carbide pesticides manufacturing plant. Over 2000 people
including woman and children were killed, and hundreds were severely hurt.

Solution

What then is the remedy? There surely cannot be any radical solution, for the
existing factories cannot be bodily lifted to a place far from the populated zone.
However, the following attempts can be made to solve the problem of
environmental pollution.

The Government can at least see that future factories are set up at a distant place,
an industrial complex far away from the township.
Researcher may find out how to avoid harmful smoke from running vehicles.
Deforestation should be stopped and Forestry should be developed.
Discharge of Factory wastes in rivers should be banned so as to make the riverwater free from pollution.
Initiatives

The UN Conference on Human Environment was convened to study the profound

changes in the relationship between man and his environment in the wake of
modern scientific and technological developments.

The World Health Organization also set up an international network for the
monitoring and study of air pollution on a global scale and for devising possible
remedies.
Conclusion

We can very well notice the abnormal behaviour of the seasons the cycle
developing clogs in its wheels; and the worried experts fear that the disturbed
balance in the biosphere has assumed such serious proportion that very soon our
world would be uninhabitable like Hiroshima of 1945. But it is heartening to find the
entire world aware of the menace. Some of the advanced countries have already
taken some measures to meet it. If we fail to restore the ecological balance right
now, it would be too late tomorrow.

The world today is vastly different from what it was before urbanisation and
industrialisation had taken its toll on the world. Since the turn of the new millennium
the issue of the environment has suddenly evolved into a widespread issue which is
greatly discussed throughout the world. No longer are humans living in a world
where the environment is serene or stable but much rather becoming
unrecognisable and diminishing before our eyes. The plants, trees and flowers are
life forms which God has created for us to enjoy its beauty but it is now solely up to
us and many other organisations to protect preserve and respect how fragile our
environment really is.
One of the most evident problems associated to the environment is the issue of the
logging of trees, mainly in undisturbed places such as the Amazon basin. Trees are
considered the lungs of the Earth. They recycle all the polluting carbon in the air
and return oxygen back into our atmosphere, creating a stable cycle of carbon in
our atmosphere. However, the impeccable rates which trees are being cut down in
our forests have grown to ever increasing and alarming rates. Trees that are made
way for farming are burnt up releasing deadly amounts of carbon and thus leading
to the problem of global warming. As its names suggest the world is slowly warming
up and without any notice the environment which God has gave us will be slowly
eradicated. The daily lives which humans carry on about every day are also a factor
influencing on our environment and global warming. By driving cars that have a
thirst for petrol we are releasing carbon dioxide and furthermore impacting on the
world?s climate. In Australia environmental impact has always been evident. Land
clearing especially in places such as Queensland has caused land to lay dry and
lifeless where all forms of life is destroyed. By clearing land we are not only
affecting our climate but are also destroying animal habitat and the usage of the
land. Senseless actions by commuters in Australia, emitting tons and tons of lethal
gases vulnerable to the atmosphere are starting to take its toll on our climate. We

are seeing a harsher climate and at the same time less rain. If we want to preserve
our world we must take a stance on this issue and take action for what is right, not
carrying on the actions that will lead to a desolate, destroyed Earth.
Pope John Paul II once said, ?It is the task of human beings to care for, preserve and
cultivate the treasures of creation.? The Pope is becoming aware of the
environmental issues impacting on the world toady and is enforcing that we must
do something before God?s creation is all but lost. He tells us that we must show
respect for the environment and living our faith in relation with God?s creation.
Everyone is affected and everyone is responsible. It is an issue that cannot be
ignored and action must be taken to preserve something that is unique to humanity.
Organisations are now being set up to help raise awareness of these issues that are
present in our modern world. Catholic organisations such as CARITAS Australia are
heavily involved in the frontiers of the environment. They help safeguard the
environment by informing and educating communities in isolated areas the impacts
of our actions on the environment and how we can help to protect it. Other
organisations such Catholic Earthcare Australia promote understanding among
people that God?s creation is something that is sacred yet endangered in our
modern world and must be protected and sustained for present and future.
It is our duty however to help carry out actions that will help cease the threats that
are present to our environment. By actively participating in previously mentioned
organisations we can all put something back into the environment. Planting trees is
one of many steps that we can all do. Sensibly turning off switches or not using cars
are also other ways to actively protect our environment. Perhaps one of the most
successful ways to help prevent environmental damage is to discuss to others the
issues relating to our environment. This way people can become informed and
aware that there is only one environment and it is our duty to protect it.