What are the most important global environmental issues the world is facing in this century?

Question

what are their effects &how can we curb them from spreading?

Answer 1

1. The world is facing global climatic change (that does not mean global warming). The climate is changing due to increased human activity.

2. ozone depletion - CFC's that are already present in the atmosphere are facilitating the breakdown of ozone (O3) molecules. This would increase the amount of incoming short-wavelength (high energy) from the sun, which would result in skin cancer etc.

Answer 2

I'd have to say Al Bore.

Answer 3

Aside from everything else clean and safe water.

Clean and safe drinking water is already a major issue in many developing nations and is quickly becoming an issue in many developed nations (i.e. look at the drought in Australia).

Global warming plays a critical role in this as does sustainable farming and getting people to understand that there isn't an unlimited supply of clean and safe drinking water.

Land degredation and loss of ecological diversity also are very important. Ecological diversity/ Healthy natural environments play a crucial role in weather systems and air and water quality. placing an economic value on the many roles that natural systems play can make it easier for people to understand how important such system are. i.e. the cost of an artificial water purification system versus an already existing healthy river system.

Answer 4

Population Growth.We are facing a worldwide calamity just with the sheer number of humans expected in the next hundred years.Most of them will be born in the third world nations that are already facing huge problems in trying to supply basic needs to their citizens, and often their solutions lead to more problems later.Rampant polution, widespread ecological destruction,and further straining of already diminishing natural resources are going to be the battlegrounds of the next century.We all hear about the possibility of running out of fossil fuels,but what about other resources.How are we going to keep them alive,let alone try to give them a decent standard of living when we can't even do it now?

Answer 5

The tsunamis in India,Sri Lanka and Indonesia,the hurriance in US,the melting polar ice caps....all these point in one direction---GLOBAL WARMING...i feel that this is only the tip of the iceberg and if this continues,we ll have no life  left on earth..to prevent this from happening,we should first stop treating our earth as though we have a spare..one may say 'oh!I'm just one person..nothing is going to change much if i be like this'..but what if others are also thinking like this?so each and everyone should think about the consequences of their act..people should be encouraged to buy things that are Eco friendly and recyclable...please remember that we get only what we give...and also remember that  it is our children who will be inheriting the world from us tomorrow and we have no right to deprive them the pleasure of living in a pollution free world......