Over the years, there has been the growing concern on environmental issues. Current changes in the environment have led to developments in which different people and organizations have come up to try and advocate for the conservation of the environment. There are various issues and concepts that have come up in relation to the environmental change. This essay discusses four of these issues.
Peak Oil
The current forms of energy use tend to be a great concern in the world. It is argued that the modern forms of energy. ASPO (Para 4) has issued statements with reference to the issue of oil usage. The world is not only facing the danger from the use of pollutant oils; it is facing a challenge in relation to the exhaustion of the oil resources in the world. This is what is referred to as the peak oil.
ASPO (Para 4) gives an analysis of the various sources of oil in the world today. These include the new deep-water deposits, oil sands and shale-gas, as well as the other sources of oil available. The fact that these resources have been exploited for so long has it that the world could soon come to a situation where there is acute shortage of oil.
There are quite a number of issues that have to be noted in relation to this. Since most operations in the production process are run on oil, depletion in the oil resources could mean that the economies of the world would be paralyzed. Major production processes would be affected since there would be no fuel to run the production machines, no fuel for the transportation vehicles as well as no means of communication. Definitely, this would be a major crisis on the planet.
There is the need to come up with ways through which such a situation can be prevented. According to the eoerath.org (Para 1), these can be found in the NEPA Regulations of 1976. These have the provision that the main resources of the world should be used with caution (ASPO Par 8). They should not be exploited as they are the wheels on which the economies run and human existence depends heavily on them. In reference to this call, ASPO (Par 5) indicates that there are various conferences and meetings held time and again in an attempt to find ways of effective utilization of the oil reserves.
Climate Change
Climate change is an issue that is well known to many people. It has been continuously mentioned in the news, in the global summits on environmental change as well as other sittings in which the future of the world has to be discussed. According to the EPA (Para 1), there are quite a number of factors that are associated with the global climate change. Most of these are associated with man’s activities related to globalization and industrialization. As the technology advances, man has gone into high levels of industrialization. The machines used in the industries as well as the motor vehicles and other means of transport all end up producing a lot of Green House Gas (GHG ) emissions, most notably carbon. These emissions have various effects on the environment, with the main concern being the global warming.
EPA (Para 2) indicates that there are serious repercussions associated with such a change, which indicates that something has to be done. First of all, there is the fact that the production activities would be affected since the climate would not be favorable for farming. The polar animals would be at risk due to the melting glaciers and the rising sea levels. Worst of all, there would be adverse effects on the environment which could lead to natural disasters. The world has already experienced some of the disasters such as the Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans, the Hurricane Sandy which caused havoc in NYC. As discussed in earlier phases of this unit, such changes would lead to floods, infrastructural destruction, as well as other problems associated with rise in the water levels. The three hurricanes; Katrina, Sandy and Irene hit and caused much damage in areas such as New Jersey and New York City. Such destructions could continue being prevalent should the current pollution rates persist.
Based on these dangers, it is time for everyone to act. The industries could try to reduce the rates of emission, or treat the gases before releasing them into the atmosphere. They can also try and make sure that they use the green energy which does not pollute the environment. If these measures are not put in place, there is likelihood that a lot of things would go wrong; the world will slowly self destruct. Instead of waiting for the situation to get that bad, there is the need to so something. That is why bodies such as the UN have come up with measures to try and control the emission rates. One of them is the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement signed between member states of the UN to try and conserve the environment. This is an extension of the NEPA Regulations of 1976 which aimed at putting in place measures to try and conserve the environment.
Mass Extinctions
The National Geographic has done quiet a lot in trying to explain to the people how the world was, how it is today and how it will be in the future should humans continue depleting the environment the way they do. This is an indication of the adverse effects that environmental degradation can have. According to Arnold (Para 1), about 90% of the animals that used to live on earth have become extinct, and many more are at the verge of following the same route. He argues that the mass extinctions are caused by “unsolved mysteries.” There have been five mass extinctions already; the cretaceous extinction, Triassic-Jurassic extinction, the Permian-Triassic extinction, Devonian Extinction and the Ordovician extinction. Most of these extinctions can be attributed to natural forces. However, there is a belief among the scientists that a sixth mass extinction could be on the way. However, this time round it would not be as natural. Arnold (Para 5) observes that “By the year 2100, human activities such as pollution, land clearing, and overfishing may have driven more than half of the world’s marine and land species into extinction” (Arnold Para 5). This is quiet worrying, but unfortunately true. There are a lot of species on earth that have been declared as endangered species and others are under protection to prevent extinction. Animals such as the rhinos, lions, tigers, elephants, and many others have reduced in populations more than can be explained. If the situation is not contained, the world will soon say goodbye to these creatures; man would have played a big role in their disappearance. Animal Port (2012) gives the reality of the facts on the ground as pertains to the extinction of animals. They have a whole list of extinct animals, as well as those which are endangered. If a change has to be made and the animals preserved, then something needs to be done to control the massive degradation of the environment.
Rather than waiting till the situation becomes that bad, humans should start adopting measures that will help in preserving the environment. It takes the decision from a few who have a heart for the environment, those who feel that they can do something to change the future of the planet. As National Geographic always indicates, it is the responsibility of man to make sure that the world is a better place for all the creatures to live, not making it a nightmare for them. There is only one way through which this can be realized; by conserving the environment.
Fisheries Depletion
When the mass extinctions are mentioned, the issue of depletion of fisheries becomes a reality. In the course of this module, it has been realized that man has engaged in various activities which have put the fishes at risk. First of all, the industrial and agricultural activities lead to the accumulation of chemicals into the water bodies. These chemicals have a negative effect on the lives of the fishes as it leads to their death. Another min problem is associated with overfishing (UN Para 1). There is an indication that “Despite its crucial importance for the survival of humanity, the marine biodiversity is in ever-greater danger, with the depletion of fisheries among biggest concerns” (UN Para 1). This is an indication of how bad the situation is.
In a nutshell, overfishing is described as a situation where the fishes are harvested at a rate exceeding the maximum harvest. This is a major problem as it leads to the capture of even the small fish which could have lived to ensure the continuity of the species. This exploitation, combined with the massive pollution of the water bodies can lead to the extinction of the fishes as well as the marine life.
Definitely, there is quiet a lot that can be done in an effort to tray and contained this situation. For instance, there can be fishing regulations which prohibit the fishers from fishing in a given area for a given period of time so as to allow the fishes to reproduce. Also, having protected waters can also help in containing the situation by making sure that the fishing activities are controlled.
It has been observed that water pollution is also another challenge to the fishes and marine life. This not only affects the fisheries but all life on the planet. As earlier indicated, water is essential for life; the plants, animals, and all forms of life need water to survive. As such, there should be regulations against dumping of industrial wastes into the water bodies. Furthermore, the Clean Water Act (EPA Par 1) can be enforced. This is a regulation set up in 1972 which provides a framework for the control of discharge of pollutants into the water bodies in the US. This was done in a bid to make sure that the Using this Act, EPA has put in place measures to make sure that the waters are not polluted, such as setting waste water standards for industries. If these regulations are observed, then all forms of life on the planet – including humans – would be much safer.
In conclusion, this essay has looked at the environmental laws and regulations. In order to address this topic more effectively, four main environmental challenges have been discussed. These include depletion of fisheries, climate change, peak oil and mass extinctions. Through literature review, it has been observed that man’s activities have a lot to do in these problems. However, there are measures that can be put in place so as to control these problems. These are as discussed in the paragraphs above. For instance, there is the NEPA Regulations of 1976 which seek to make sure that the integrity of the environment is maintained. The Clean Water Act of 1972 also serves this purpose by making sure that the integrity of the water resources is maintained. More recently, the world leaders and environmental bodies have come up to try and control the pollution rates. There is the Kyoto Protocol which aims at controlling the carbon footprints. There are also movements which call for proper utilization of the environment, such as the move towards green energy. Using these strategies, the global community can slow down the perceived trends of increased risk. This can be assured by controlling the technological advancements to make sure that they do not have negative effects on the environment.
Works Cited
Animal Port. (2012). Extinct and Endangered Animals. Retrieved on 8th Dec. 2012 from
Arnold, Peter. “Mass Extinctions.” National Geographic, 2012. Web. 6th Dec. 2012,
ASPO. “Home.” ASPO International. 2012. Web. 6th Dec. 2012,
EPA. “Climate Change.” Epa.gov, 2012. Web. 6th Dec. 2012,
EPA. “Summary of the Clean Water Act.” EPA, 2012. Web. 6th Dec. 2012,
Eoearth.org. “Environmental Law and Policy.” Encyclopedia of Earth Politics, 2012. Web. 6th Dec. 2012,
UN. “Overfishing: A Threat to Marine Biodiversity.” Un.org, 2012. Web. 6th Dec. 2012,
