Environmental Issues

When the environment isn’t healthy, every living thing suffers. Unfortunately, things like the
Industrial Revolution, capitalism, and a dependence on fossil fuels have severely harmed the
earth. Urgent action is needed, and while the Sustainable Development Goals include priorities
like climate action, much of the world isn’t moving fast enough. While many people are aware
of climate change, they’re less familiar with the specific causes and impacts. In this list, we’ll
break down 20 environmental issues related to climate change and other problems:
1. Rising global temperatures
According to NASA, the earth’s average global temperature has gone up by at least 1.9°
Fahrenheit since 1880. 2022 tied for the fifth warmest year on record, while the last nine years
have been the hottest years since modern record-keeping in 1880. A few degrees may not seem
like a big deal, but increases in the average global temperatures are different from your local
temperature fluctuations. As NASA explains, it takes a massive amount of heat to warm the
entire world (which includes all the oceans, the atmosphere, and all the land masses) by even
just one degree. A warmer globe means worse storms, heat waves, droughts, and floods. Wet
areas get wetter and drier areas get dryer. This translates into more disasters, more
environmental destruction, and more death.
2. Biodiversity loss
In the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022, biodiversity loss was ranked as the
third most severe threat facing the world over the next decade. Using a supercomputer
model, one study created a “middle of the road emissions scenario,” which warned we could
lose 6% of all earth’s plants and animals by 2050. Why is it important to have a diverse range of
species in ecosystems like forests and oceans? There are many reasons, including the fact that
diverse ecosystems are more resilient against threats like pests, disease, and weather changes.
Biodiversity is also linked to better food security, less soil erosion, and better carbon
sequestration, which is when there’s lots of vegetation to absorb C02.
3. Air pollution
Air pollution, which occurs when chemicals or harmful particles enter the air, is caused by
things like car and plane emissions, cigarette smoke, wildfire smoke, and so on. It has serious
effects on animals, plants, and people. It’s so serious, indoor and outdoor pollution contributed
to 11.6% of global deaths in 2019. According to research, low-to-middle-income countries
endure the most deaths from air pollution, so this is an area that needs addressing.
4. Water pollution
When water harmful substances (like chemicals, trash, parasites, etc) get into water, the water
becomes polluted and dangerous. A lot of pollution is caused by untreated wastewater, which
is full of soaps, human waste, chemicals, oils, and more. According to the UNEP, about 80% of
global wastewater is untreated. By contaminating the water people use for drinking, washing,
swimming, and cooking, untreated wastewater can lead to life-threatening diseases like
cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and even cancer.
5. Pandemics
We’ve discussed some health effects caused by things like air and water pollution, but there’s
another big risk to know about: pandemics. Research shows a “clear link” between the climate
crisis and global health pandemics. A report from IPBES found that human activities were the
cause of all previous global health pandemics. Expanding agriculture, disrupting ecosystems,
and narrowing the space between animals and humans increase our exposure to pathogens.
Unless action is taken, pandemics will become much more common.
6. Water scarcity
Only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, but just ⅓ of that is available to humans. According
to a UN report, 2 billion people don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water, while 3.6 billion
don’t have access to adequate sanitation. Things like drought, poor agricultural management,
and pollution worsen water scarcity. Food insecurity and waterborne diseases are just two of
the impacts.
7. Sea level rise
The sea has been rising over the last 100 years, and in recent years, the rate has increased to
about ⅛-inch per year. A rising sea level matters because storms can push further inland and
cause worse flooding. This puts human and wildlife life at risk, as well as coastal infrastructure
like roads, bridges, water supplies, landfills, and more. Sea level rise is primarily caused by
ocean warming and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets.
8. Ocean acidification
The ocean has a delicate pH, but as the amount of C02 in the atmosphere has increased, it’s
increased in the ocean, too. The ocean absorbs about 30% of the C02 released into the
atmosphere. As the ocean absorbs more C02, there’s a chemical reaction that destroys
carbonate ions and makes seawater more acidic. Organisms like oysters, clams, and corals
suffer because they need carbonate ions to build their shells and skeletons. This sets off a chain
reaction in the ocean’s ecosystem. While ocean acidification may seem slow, it’s still happening
too fast for organisms to evolve.
9. Overfishing
Humans have been fishing for thousands of years, but when we catch too many at one time,
the fish population can’t recover. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, around ⅓ of
the world’s fisheries (many fisheries aren’t even studied) are at risk. Overfishing is also linked to
“bycatch,” which is when ships capture sea life they aren’t trying to catch. This threatens the
lives of billions of marine life like dolphins and turtles. Illegal fishing contributes to overfishing,
but many fishing companies simply aren’t using sustainable fishing protocols.
Overfishing causes problems like food insecurity, coral death, and job loss for people in the
fishing industry.
10. Coral bleaching
When seawater warms, coral reefs are forced to expel the nutrient-rich algae in their tissues.
The coral turns white, which is where the term “bleaching” comes from. While bleached coral
isn’t dead, it’s more vulnerable to disease and death. If coral dies, it has a severe effect on the
species that depend on them, which affects the humans who depend on fishing. Healthy coral
reefs are also vital sources of pharmaceutical compounds that treat Alzheimer’s, cancer, ulcers,
and more.
11. Soil degradation
Soil degradation occurs when soil loses its quality and can’t support plant growth. Things like
erosion (driven by water and/or wind), the loss of organic matter, and contamination
contribute to soil degradation. Healthy soil is necessary for supporting livelihoods and growing
food, but soil serves many purposes. It filters water, helps prevent floods, contains organisms
used in medicine (like penicillin), and supports the biodiversity of plants and animals. According
to data from 2015, land degradation impacts around 1.5 billion people.
12. Deforestation
In the last 10,000 years, ⅓ of the world’s forests have vanished. That may not sound so bad,
but half of that loss happened in just the last 100 years. There are a few reasons for
deforestation, including wood extraction, agricultural expansion, and urbanization. Climate
change, soil erosion, flooding, biodiversity loss, and harm to people who depend on forests are
just a few consequences of deforestation. According to the FAO’s 2022 forest report, steps like
sustainable forest management, empowering local actors, and funding recovery are essential to
stopping deforestation.
13. Drought
Droughts occur when an area hasn’t had enough rain for a long time. In Somalia, where rains
have failed for several seasons, drought contributed to the deaths of 43,000 people in 2022.
A “megadrought” affecting the Western United States has caused the area’s driest 20 years in
the last 1,200 years. Effects will last for years to come. Climate change is a big driver of drought,
so as climate change worsens, so will droughts.
14. Mining
While coal mines remain a serious environmental issue, the world is also dealing with precious
metal mines, like cobalt mines. Cobalt is used in nearly all lithium-ion rechargeable batteries,
which are needed for most electronics and electric vehicles. In a 2021 study on cobalt mining in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, researchers found a link between mining and increases
in violence, food and water insecurity, pollution, health problems, and the loss of farmland and
homes. This shows that even when mining materials for lower-emission electric cars, there are
serious environmental and human health impacts to address.
15. Urban sprawl
As cities grow, natural areas get smaller. Impacts include the loss of farmland, reduced
biodiversity, accelerated deforestation and climate change, and exposure to pathogens from
wildlife. In a study examining land take in the EU and UK’s urban areas (2012-2018), researchers
found that urban sprawl affected mostly croplands and pastures. “Soil sealing,” which happens
when people build housing and roads over soil, was also an issue. If new construction hadn’t
occurred, the soil could have sequestered as much as 4.2 million tonnes of carbon.
16. Plastic
When you throw plastic away, it doesn’t disappear; it degrades into smaller and smaller bits.
Known as microplastic, these tiny pieces have been found in water, soil, the air, and
even human blood. The health effects on humans aren’t clear, but there are documented
harms to animal life. Plastic is also an issue because most of it is made from fossil fuels. Can
plastic be recycled? Technically yes, but an investigation by PBS Frontline and NPR found that
most of the plastic tossed in recycling bins wasn’t being recycled. Collecting, sorting, and
recycling plastic is expensive for companies while making new plastic is cheap. Dealing with
plastic (and reducing plastic use in the first place) is a major environmental issue.
17. Permafrost thaw
When the ground has been frozen for two or more years in a row, it becomes permafrost. Some
permafrost, which can be as thick as 4,900 feet, has been frozen for hundreds of thousands of
years. What happens when it thaws? It releases carbon. The world’s permafrost could be
holding as many as 1,500 billion tons of carbon. Permafrost can also contain pathogens that
escape when the ground thaws. In 2016, following a series of hot summers in Siberia, there was
an anthrax outbreak that infected dozens of people and 2,000 reindeer. Scientists are also
concerned about pathogens our immune systems won’t recognize. Protecting permafrost is a
serious environmental issue.
18. Waste disposal
Humans produce a lot of waste. Much of it ends up in landfills. According to The World Bank,
around 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste gets thrown away every year. At least 33%
of that isn’t managed with the environment in mind. When it sits in landfills without gas
collection systems, waste can create around 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. Building
landfills has an environmental cost, too; the average landfill takes up 600 acres of land. As the
population grows, managing waste responsibly will become even more important.
19. Environmental racism
The impacts of things like pollution and improper waste disposal aren’t distributed equally.
Research shows race is often a factor. In the United States, Black and Hispanic Americans are
exposed to 56-63% more pollution than what they produce. Black Americans are 75% more
likely to live near waste-producing facilities, which increases exposure to lead, arsenic, and
mercury. In an area of Louisiana known as “Cancer Alley,” residents (mostly Black) live pressed
against chemical plants and oil refineries. The cancer risk is significantly higher than the
national average. When addressing environmental issues, racism can’t be ignored.

20. Unequal climate change impacts

Climate change doesn’t see race, gender, or class, but it’s affecting certain countries more than
others. Despite polluting the least, the world’s poorest countries bear the most devastating
climate change impacts. Pakistan, which contributes just 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas
emissions, is a good example. An article from PBS describes the floods in the summer of 2022,
which put ⅓ of the country underwater. More than 1,700 people were killed, millions lost their
homes, and more than 4 million acres of crops and orchards were damaged. The entire
continent of Africa, which experiences the worst climate change effects, accounts for just
3.8% of greenhouse gas emissions. Many believe it’s only fair the biggest polluters pay for
climate damage.