Global Threats To Biodiversity

Bio means life and diversity mean variation biodiversity collectively refers to the variation of life. Biologically biodiversity refers to variation and divergence of living organisms in earth and ecosystem. Biodiversity describes the genetic variation of species in an ecosystem. It also tends to explain variation in ecosystem along with the divergence of species in a specific area, biome or planet , it is clear by the ecological researchers that there are nearly 14 million species in the word out of which only 1.2 million species have been   discovered  and half of the species have become extinct before getting discovered.

Ecosystems comprising rich biodiversity have many species of plants and animals that keep the system self-sustained and balanced. However, with the increase in human population and industrial evolution, the non-human species and plants species are seen under the threat of extinction. A major report, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, released in March 2005 highlighted a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. 

Some of the global threats biodiversity is facing nowadays are: 

Poaching of wildlife: 

Illegal poaching of wildlife is mainly responsible for their extinction. Animals are poached for food and for their skin trading. Many of the animals are now on the brink of extinction due to their illegal hunting. Every state has laid down the laws and rules against the hunting of wildlife animals to protect them from total extinction but more is to be done to avert the threat.

Deforestation –main threat to biodiversity :

Cutting of forest aided much in the extinction of rare and valuable species of plants and animals. A man has cut the forests on the mass level to get the timber and land for the lodging. This, in turn, made many species get vanishes from the ecosystem and many got endangered to become extinct.  The demand for timber in China for the paper and wood material production has become a serious threat to the forest and animals species of the region.

Change in climatic condition:

Climatic change is also an important global threat to biodiversity. Carbon gas emitted from the from the human-made sources causes the temperature of the earth to rise that in consequence effects the animal and plant life on earth, climatic change effects the vegetative land by extreme temperature causing the land to become barren. the rise in temperature is making the ice glaciers to melt in polar regions this is making native species move to other unfavorable regions or causing them to become extinct. polar bears now lie in the list of endangered species due to climatic change factor.

Pollution of air and water affects the biodiversity a lot:

Waste and polluted matter from factories and human daily use is also affecting the world species on the alarming extent the polluted substances drained into ocean and rivers make the water toxic and causes the  marine animals to die beside  amphibians and mammals that drink the water from such resources also become the victim of the toxic materials in water.

Invasion of alien species:

Invasion of alien species in an ecosystem occurs mostly a result of human activities sometimes the invasion is natural also. The introduction of such species in the ecosystem has always negative effects often makes the native species to get extinct. Introduction of Nile Perch in Victoria lake is an example of such invasion Nile Perch invaded the Lake Victoria near to 170s and caused half of the native species to become extinct. Specie of snake tree was accidentally moved to Guam from Australia in the 1950s the population of snake tree expanded in the absence of the predator. The snake species lowered down the number of native birds and animals down in that ecosystem

Global Warming, Climate Change and Greenhouse Effect - A Storm in a Teacup

The hustle and bustle about climate change is getting louder and louder with the passing of every single month, probably day. The rate at which the planet earth is experiencing climate change is truly making things really horrible. Specifically, the level of carbon dioxide that is increasing in the atmosphere is really a threatening situation. 

 

The pace at which the ice bergs are melting is making the sea levels rising, and that is why, the weather patterns have been changing at such a fast rate thus making the sea levels is higher. Moreover, we can also experience water deficiency and probably face more hazardous disasters such as typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes at a faster rate. Moreover, the horrible environmental factors have also created so many issues and thus, deserts may also expand and will ultimately decrease the amount being grown on the soil. 

Moreover, some of the scientists are also claiming that the earth is suffering due to the global warming and that is why, precautionary measures should be adopted as far as making earth a safest place. Innumerable scientists across the globe are working hard to find out the scientific aspects of climate change and also working on finding an appropriate solution to this problem. 

If we have a look at the natural climatic cycles, we will be amazed to see that abrupt changes are taking place and which is not a normal thing at all. Something that is really scary is the burning fossil fuels that are emitting greenhouse gases at a hazardous level. That is why, we can say that everything i.e., Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, and above all Climate Change are happening at a very fast pace.

Moreover, the rate at which the climate change is happening compels us to shift our policies in every aspect according to the change and that is the only way, we can save our planets from various hazards.

Adverse Effects Of Acid Rain

Acid rain is subsequent of atmospheric pollution caused by a human being. Acidic rain is comprised of droplets containing the poisonous or acidic composition taken from the atmosphere. What actually happens is that sodium and nitrogen emitted from different sources into the environment get to interact with the rain droplets to make it acidic. The process of acidic deposition in the air takes place in two manners wet acid deposition and the dry acidic deposition.

Wet Acid deposition:

N wet decomposition, the precipitation in the form of snow or rain removes the acid from the atmosphere into the surface of Earth. This is caused due to deposition of acidic material into the drops of rain and snow. 

Dry Acid deposition:

In a dry deposition, the toxin in the absence of precipitation particles sticks to the ground through the smoke and dust particles.

PH value of acid rain:

The acidity in the rain is measured by the PH scale .0 is the most acidic point in and the 14 level is the most alkaline point in measuring the acidic. While PH level 7 is the neutral acidic level meaning that it is neither alkaline nor acidic. Rainwater is always naturally acidic to some extent due to the presence of oxides in the atmosphere. The PH value of rain in an unpolluted ecosystem is somehow in between 5 to 6 but when the air of an ecosystem gets contaminated with excess oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, its PH value increases to the level 4 and often in more polluted areas it is recorded to be having the PH value of 2 and it Is the most acidic rain having adverse effects on the atmosphere.

History of acidic rain:

The gases responsible for the acid rain is mostly emitted from the natural resources like volcanoes but is also emitted by the human combustion of fossil fuels in industries and vehicles. Effects and deposition of acid in the rain was under consideration of the scientist since the 18th century but was not able to gain the profound attention of the world. The issue gained the mass attention of the public in late1970when the New York Times published their report dealing with the issues faced in the forest in New Hampshire.

Effects of acidic rain:

Acid rain has many adverse effects on the life of habitat in an ecosystem it has adverse effects on the earth aquatic life, plantation on the earth and also on the animals and the human being living on.

Effects on forest:

Acidic rain causes the stunt of growth in plants and trees. It washes away all the essential nutrients of the plants and soil that make them grow well. Besides, the chemicals in the rain react with the nutrients in the plant cell causing different diseases in the plants also the chemical deposits in them make them the vulnerable prey of plants enemy insects. .forestall around the world are affected by the acid rain but mostly these effects can be seen in the forests of European countries. Almost 30% of forests in Switzerland are destroyed by the acidic rain.

Effects on marine life:

The acidic water when inserting the aquatic body causes to increase the aluminum concentration in the water. Besides, it lowers the PH value of the water, which subsequently results in the death of fishes. Snails mussels, shrimps, minnows, salmon, roach are widely affected by the contamination of the acidic rainwater into the rivers, lakes and seas. it also destroys the plankton’s life in the sea.

Effects on human being:

The acidic rain appears like normal rain. It does not have direct effects on the human body when interacted with it during the walk in the rain. The pollutants in the rain form the nitrate and sulfate which when inhaled deep causes many respiratory and lungs disorders besides the toxic pollutant in the rain are also responsible for causing the diseases of heart .it also have been reported in some places to cause some allergic effects on the skin of human beings.

Effects Of Global Warming On Human Health

Global warming is a globally recognized issue that has risen due to the emission of greenhouse gasses from man-made resources.  The rise in the earth’s temperature is continuous and it is expected to be more in the future coming years. The increasing global warming is affecting every life form on the Earth.  Due to global warming rivers are drying, waste glaciers are melting, green land is turning into barren lands, and dead seas or hypoxic seas are becoming common.  Due to climatic change there is no doubt some positive aspects seen on the earth like less intense winter in some local areas, besides there has become positive agricultural production seen in some cold areas where there was no food and crop production due to intense winter, but it, on the other hand, is rendering great loss to the health of human being and its food cultivation  

Respiratory And Cardiovascular Diseases:

Due to the high temperature, the volume of hydrocarbon and other pollutant gasses upsurge in the air that in turns cause the people to become the victim of cardiovascular diseases. The smog and other pollutants in the air directly cause respiratory disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Aeroallergen and the pollen at high and dry temperature trigger the attack of asthma in more than 3000million people annually.

Natural Disasters:

The change in temperature also has impacts on the geographical and physical condition of the earth. It has caused irregular rainfall pattern, drought in some part of the earth.  The severe drought and lack of rain in some areas lead to the freshwater crisis and loss of vegetation in some areas. The unusual rain pattern causes the world to encounter great disaster in the form of the tsunami, flood storm, and hurricanes which cause the loss of human life and valuable cattle; it also results in the loss of vegetation. Flood and disaster give birth to fatal epidemic diseases and several water-borne diseases that make a lot of people lose their life.

Global Warming Causes Vector-Borne Disease 

Global warming is also giving birth to many fatal diseases and also importing vector-borne diseases due to transmission of season and alternation of the geographical range of the planet earth.

Skin Ailments:

Ultraviolet radiations emitted by the sun are very harmful to human skin. The ozone layer protects the earth and its inhabitants from these harmful rays. Due to the global warming ozone layer is being destroyed perpetually and the ultraviolet radiation gets their direct exposure to the earth and its life from. The rays cause many skin diseases in a human being.  Direct exposure of the rays on the human skin causes skin cancer beside other skin complications.

Loss Of Human Vegetation  

The severe temperature has also led to the generation and introduction of non-friendly soil bacteria and pesticides invasions on the agricultural sites, the introduction of such foreign species in vegetation regions have led to the destruction of vegetation and crops. 

Serious and necessary steps should be taken by the entire globe’s states and individual to protect the earth from the increasing global warming and its increasing harmful effects. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses emitting vehicles, machines and industries should be diminished or at least lessened. More trees should be planted to make the environment purified from the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses

Why the entire hullabaloo over Global Warming Needs Our Utmost Attention?

The last few years were really terrible for the earth and its inhabitants and most specifically when it comes to coping up with natural disasters. All the regions irrespective of their localities and geographies have faced worse natural calamities. The most significant among these natural disasters are tidal flooding in coastal communities and that is wholly and solely because of the intensely rising sea levels. The tidal flooding that most of the scientists associate directly to the emission of the greenhouse gases being produced due to human activities and the problem can even is worse in upcoming years. 

 

The most drastic human activity includes emissions that are produced from the burning of fossil fuels and that result the oceans to rise at the fastest rate. The eye-popping news in this respect is that the increasing sea levels have risen with the fastest rate, probably the fastest in the last 28 centuries. If the human emissions were not that fast, the ocean surface would have risen less rapidly and thus we won’t have seen these ongoing drastic climatic changes. 

 

The more and more routine tidal flooding is proving out to be so much horrible specifically for the coastal regions and that is why; we are witnessing a more drastic destruction of these regions. The horrible thing about tidal floods is that they often produce low level standing saltwater and thus damaging life in most of the towns by killing lawns and trees. Moreover, things can even get worse if the streets get blocked, and in this process, polluting the drinking water. The entire island population faces the severe over topping on the roads thus causing major halt to any kind of communication.

The severe rise in the sea level can not affect in the limited degree but also to a very huge extent and inhabitants of coastal areas may also face storms and hurricanes such as Katrina and Sandy.

The safety of this planet is not only useful for us but for our upcoming generations. 

Environmental laws & importance

Environmental laws are the combination of state, federal and international agreements relating to the environmental issues and conserving natural resources. For example, these issues include pollution of soil, water, air; depletion of coal, oil and clean water; and the global warming. 

Main objective:

As with advancement in all fields of life, people are becoming aware of all environmental issues that are growing wildly. The main objective of these environmental laws is to raise awareness about environment among those who are concerned and to join them together to make a difference. Because it’s our global issue and no individuals could tackle the situation.

Practicing environmental laws:

Environmental issues are becoming a wildfire. To control the situation, all we can do is to practice the environmental laws. Practice of these environmental laws is a very broad field and just a group of people couldn’t bring a change. Implementation of these laws needs attention at local, federal and international level.

 

Environmental laws and Climate Change:

All of us are well aware of the current issue of climate change. It is affecting the planet to a great extent. Severe weather conditions are killing human beings, animals and plants. Making environmental laws for climate change is under consideration. Efforts are made to make a policy to moderate the effects of climate change and to adapt to these changes.   

Water and air pollution:

It’s a point of rethinking that environmental issues are increasing day by day and still we are not controlling them. Air and water pollution are one of the greatest threats to the planet. Pollutants such as fertilizers and pesticides added in runoffs from agriculture, sewage's and suburban areas are added with the drinking water. Laws and policies need to be created and upgraded to cope with the situation.

Careers:

As environment field is very vast and broad, there are also a number of career opportunities are present in a variety of areas of environment. There are also a number of nonprofit organizations that are working hard in this field to implement environmental laws.