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While discussing environmental issues we are forced to reduce our focus to a few issues in order to keep it to a manageable amount of information. However, it is always important to bear in mind the limitations of our approaches. This way we will avoid creating new problems while solving the problems on which we have focused.

Currently, when we talk about the environment we are often talking about the impact of human activities on the environment. Humans have managed to affect air, water, and soil, individuals and entire ecosystems.

Human impacts on the environment include:

1) Reduction in World Forest Cover.
The removal of forest cover affects the hydrological cycle, regional climate and biodiversity, and may promote desertification. Developed countries have removed most of their original forest cover in the past few centuries for urban and agricultural development. Some of these countries, however, have experienced an increase in their forest cover in the past few decades. Developing countries are in the process of removing great parts of their forest cover. If deforestation continues to make economic sense, it is very likely to continue.
* Forestry Links *
Forests Conservation Portal
Forestry Stewardship Council

2) Climate Change
Increase in average world temperature and irreversible changes in the world climate system caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Major human activities contributing to this change include the burning of fossil fuels, change in land use patterns, and the emission of certain synthetic chemicals such as CFCs and HCFCs.
* Climate Change Links *
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
U.S. EPA Global Warming website

3) Reduction in Fish Population Worldwide
Because of over fishing and water pollution, fresh water fish species are among the most threatened animal species in the world. Several ocean fish species are also in the threat of extinction. Even fishes as appreciated as cod have been harvested till it disappeared in places like the Northeastern United States. Eliminating even what is appreciated does not seem to be something very clever.
* Fishery Links *
U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries website

4) Acid Rain and Acid Deposition
In areas where there are high emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and areas downwind from those areas suffer from acid rain and acid deposition. SOx and NOx reacts with water in the air, surfaces and rain to produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid. These acids raise the pH of soil and surface water bodies, what damages agriculture, forests, and aquatic ecosystems. In Nordic countries there are many lakes whose ecosystems have been vanished by acidification.
* Acid Rain Links *
U.S. EPA Acid Rain Program

5) Water Pollution / Water Quality and Quantity
One of the greatest concerns to humanity is how to managed the water resources in way that there will be enough water quantity and quality water to the various needs in industry, commerce, sanitation, drinking, leisure, and ecosystems welfare. Growing population, increasing per capita water consumption and water contamination are problems that must be addressed now to avoid future problems and mitigate current ones. Many areas, especially arid regions already suffer greatly from lack of water in quantity and quality. Even areas where water is relatively abundant, such as the São Paulo Metropolitan Area in Brazil, suffer from lack of quality water.
* Water Links *
U.S. EPA Office of Water

6) Toxic and Persistent Pollutants
* Toxics Links *
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Toxics Program
U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory

7) Solid and Hazardous Waste
Solid waste is produced by everyone everywhere. Some places dispose of small amounts of organic material and can recycle the residues back into soil. However, most areas produce large amounts of organic material mixed with paper, plastic, metals and other materials. The waste volume may be reduced by reusing, recycling, reducing consumption or burning the waste (dumping part of the waste into the air), but there will always be a residue that will need to be disposed of, preferably, in well-managed landfills. Large volumes of waste, nonetheless, are disposed of into water bodies or open dumps. This contributes to water and soil pollution. Also, large amounts of hazardous waste, especially from industry, are disposed of into air, water, open dumps and landfills. Hazardous waste, if not properly managed and discouraged, represents a long-term concern to human and environmental welfare. In many places there are areas heavily contaminated by solid and hazardous waste, like many of the Superfund sites in the US.
* Waste Links *
U.S. EPA Suferfund Program


We have altered the natural balance in many ways and we are the ones with the responsibility and capability to reestablish this balance.

Here I list some Internet resources that I find very interesting.