Environmental Impact of Acid Rain and Deforestation

Environmental Issues

• Acid rain is a type of rain that is polluted by chemicals, and it can be extremely harmful to forests, dissolving nutrients such as magnesium and calcium that trees need to be healthy.
• Deforestation, which is the clearing of rainforests and wooded areas, releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, contributing to around 10% of global warming.
• Forest loss and damage can lead to loss of biodiversity, where species become extinct, and living things on both land and water are affected.

Ozone Layer Depletion

• Ozone depletion causes increased amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth, leading to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems.
• Excessive UV exposure is believed to contribute to the increase in melanoma, the most fatal of all skin cancers.

Land Degradation

• Land and forest degradation processes threaten the livelihoods, well-being, food, water, and energy security of millions of people, and can cause migration and social unrest.
• Land degradation includes soil and land pollution, as well as desertification.

Resource Depletion

• The environment is incapable of replenishing natural resources if they are used too quickly.
• When resources are depleted, humans around the world will suffer due to a lack of access to essential resources like water, food, materials for housing, and materials for heating.

Climate Change

• Climate change involves negative changes to the world's weather patterns, including warming temperatures, changes in precipitation, and rising sea levels.
• The impacts of climate change threaten human health by affecting the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the weather we experience.

Air Pollution

• Air pollution is the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
• Common sources of air pollution include household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities, and forest fires.

Marine Pollution

• Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, mostly from land sources, which is washed or blown into the ocean.
• This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.

Overpopulation

• An increasing population means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more.
• Overpopulation contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.