List of 30 Top Environmental Concerns

List of 30 Top Environmental Concerns By Sandra By Sandra Ketcham  The media, public, public, and scientifc scientifc communities communities are are ocusing more and more more on the top top 30 environmental concerns the Earth is currently acing.  Top  Top 30 Environmental Environmental oncerns oncerns !rom "ater pollution to global to  global "arming, "arming, environmental issues a#ect every person, animal, community, and nation on the planet. $s increasing evidence supports the devastating e#ect humans have on the environment, more people are ta%ing steps to protect the environment and educate others about environmental problems by loo%ing at the top 30 environmental concerns. Top 5 Public Concerns $ccording to a series o &allup polls conducted polls  conducted bet"een '(() and *00+, $mericans are most concerned about the ollo"ing fve environmental issues 1. Contamination of Drinking Water ontamination Water  ontamination o resh "ater used or household needs, including pollution o oceans, rivers, la%es, and reservoirs, ran%s top on the list o environmental concerns or many $mericans. -ore than hal o respondents stated they "orry about the saety o their drin%ing "ater a great deal. !. Water Pollution &eneral Pollution &eneral "orry over "ater pollution and pollution  and associated environmental issues greatly concerns hal o all $mericans "ho participated in the *00+ poll. elated issues include acid rain, ocean dumping, urban runo#, oil spills, ocean acidifcation, and "aste"ater. 3. "oil Contamination Soil Contamination Soil erosion, soil conservation, soil salination, and soil contamination by "aste, pesticides, and lead "orries /0 percent o $mericans. #. Wil$life Conservation -ore Conservation -ore than 0 percent o $mericans e1pressed concern about "ildlie conservation and associated environmental issues, such as endangered species, animal and plant e1tinction, coral e1tinction,  coral bleaching, introduction bleaching,  introduction o invasive species, poaching, and loss o natural animal habitats resulting in relocation and a brea% in the ood chain. 5. %ir pollution oncerns pollution oncerns over air pollution have pollution have remained steady over the last decade, "ith more than 0 percent o $mericans "orried about indoor and outdoor air 2uality, carbon emissions, tropospheric oone, particulate matter, sulur o1ides, volatile organic compounds, radon, rerigerants, and methane emissions. &t'er Top Concerns (in %lp'abetical &r$er) *. +iological pollutants, pollutants , including bacteria, viruses, molds, milde", dander, dust, mites, pollen, ventilation and inection. ,. Carbon footprint and footprint  and the responsibility o individuals to reduce their e#ect on the environment, including the use o rene"able energy sources 4solar po"er, geothermal heat pumps5, recycling, and sustainable living. -. Climate c'ange and c'ange and issues related to global "arming, such as the greenhouse e#ect, global dimming, and the gradual rise in sea level. . Consumerism and Consumerism and over6consumption and their e#ect on the planet. 10. Dams and Dams and the impact o dams on the environment. 11. Ecos/stem destruction Ecos/stem destruction and associated environmental concerns, such as a2uaculture, estuaries, shellfsh protection, landscaping, "etlands, and ecological restoration.

1!. Energ/ conservation issues, including rene"able energy or home and business, energy e7ciency, and ossil uel depletion. 13. is'ing and its e#ect on marine ecosystems, blast fshing, cyanide fshing, bottom tra"ling, "haling, and over6fshing. 1#. oo$ safet/ concerns and the e#ects o hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, to1ic contamination, and lac% o 2uality control on health. 15. enetic engineering, including concerns about genetically modifed oods and genetic pollution. 1*. 2ntensive farming, irrigation, overgraing, monoculture, methane emissions, and the damaging environmental e#ects o deorestation or arming and cattle. 1,. Lan$ $egra$ation and related problems, such as desertifcation and soil and land pollution. 1-. Lan$ use, urban spra"l, lac% o ree space, and habitat destruction and ragmentation. 1. Logging, deorestation, clear6cutting, destruction o "ildlie habitats, and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global "arming. !0. ining and its role in global "arming, acid mine drainage, and soil and air pollution resulting rom to1ic emissions and heavy metals. !1. 4anotec'nolog/ and the uture e#ects o nanopollution and nanoto1icology. !!. 4atural $isasters and their impact on all aspects o the environment. !3. 4uclear issues, including the e#ects o nuclear allout, nuclear meltdo"n, radioactive "aste, and the population8s reliance on nuclear po"er. !#. &t'er pollution issues, such as light pollution and noise pollution, and their e#ects on human health and behavior. !5. &verpopulation concerns, such as continued building and burial. !*. &one $epletion and damage to the Earth8s oone layer caused by !. !,. 6esource $epletion, the need or ne"er, cleaner energy sources, and e1ploitation o natural resources. !-. "ustainable communities and issues such as reducing reliance on ossil uels, supporting local armers and merchants, encouraging green practices and building, consideration o native "ildlie, and adoption o mass transportation and cleaner methods o commuting. !. To7ins, including chloro9uorocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, to1ic "aste, :B, ;;T, bioaccumulation, endocrine disruptors, asbestos, and poorly implemented haardous "aste management. 30. Waste and associated environmental issues, such as litter, landflls, recycling, incineration, marine debris, E6"aste, and contamination o "ater and soil caused by improper disposal and leaching to1ins.

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8uman overpopulation A Biocapacity  arrying capacity  E1ploitation  @ndustrialisation   @ C :$T  +? Deforestation>edit? Main article: Deforestation in the Philippines Dver the course o the *0th century the orest cover o the :hilippines dropped rom )0 percent do"n to *0 percent.>(? @n total, M species are endangered, and  "ere already eradicated completely. 3.* percent o total rainorest has been let. Based on an analysis o land use pattern maps and a road map an estimated (.+ million ha o orests "ere lost in the :hilippines rom '(3 to '(++. >'0? @llegal logging occurs in the :hilippines >''? and intensiy 9ood damage in some areas. >'*? $ccording to scholar Nessica -athe"s, short6sighted policies by the !ilipino government have contributed to the high rate o deorestation  The government regularly granted logging concessions o less than ten years. Since it ta%es 30O3/ years or a second6gro"th orest to mature, loggers had no incentive to replant. ompounding the error, 9at royalties encouraged the loggers to remove only the most valuable species. $ horrendous 0 percent o the harvestable lumber never let the orests but, having been damaged in the logging, rotted or "as burned in place. The unsurprising result o these and related policies is that out o ') million hectares o closed orests that 9ourished early in the century only '.* million remain today. >'3? 2n anila>edit? ;ue to industrial "aste and automobiles, -anila su#ers rom air pollution,>'?>'/? a#ecting (+ o the population. >'M? $nnually, the air pollution causes more than ,000 deaths. >')?Ermita is -anila8s most air polluted district due to open dump sites and industrial "aste.>'+? $ccording to a report in *003,  The :asig iver is one o the most polluted rivers in the "orld "ith '/0 tons o domestic "aste and )/ tons o industrial "aste dumped daily. >'(? &overnment policy>edit? "ustainable Development>edit? ecogniing the need to tac%le the environment issues as "ell as the need to sustain development and gro"th, the :hilippines came up "ith the Sustainable ;evelopment Strategy. >*0? The nation or the Sustainable ;evelopment Strategy includes assimilating environmental considerations in administration, apposite pricing o natural resources, conservation o biodiversity, rehabilitation o ecosystems, control o population gro"th and human resources development, inducing gro"th in rural areas, promotion o environmental education, strengthening citiensP participation, and promoting small to medium6sied enterprises and sustainable agricultural and orestry practices. >*'? Dne o the initiatives signed in part o the strategy "as the '((* Earth Summit. Fpon signing the '((* Earth Summit, >**? the government o :hilippines has been constantly loo%ing into many di#erent initiatives to improve the environmental aspects o the country. Environmental protection>edit? urrently, the :hilippines8 ;epartment o Environment and Hatural esources  has been busy trac%ing do"n illegal loggers and been spearheading proects to preserve the 2uality o many remaining rivers that are not yet polluted.