Environment
Earth resources
Population:
In 1950 2,4 billion
In 2000 6 billion
In 2050 approximately 9 billion.
About 80 milion people net are added every year
(About the number of people in Germany)
In 1900 the average lifetime was around 35. In 2000 it was around 65.
The percentage of older people that have to be supported by the work of younger people, increases fast.
Malthus , over 100 years ago, and the Rome club about 50 years ago predicted that the population increase would lead to global hunger. This has not happened, yet, due to improvements in agricultural technology
which led to increased and more efficient production of food.
The ecology
An ecological balance which had developed over millions of years was shattered in the past few decades. The problem is not only in the loss of many plant and animal species but in long term damage.
The sea, a past huge fishing source, has lower populations of fish due to overfishing.
Modern pond growth of some fish types have partly compensated for that loss.
However, pollution of lakes and seas tends to reduce the fish population.
Spills of crude oil from ships have killed populations of fish and birds over huge areas.
The usage of water in most of the world has dried many rivers before they reach their ancient outflow into the sea, or has filled many rivers with wastes that endangers the health of people living downstream. According to UN estimates 2.3 billion people do not have clean drinking water.
Arable land is about one third of the total land ares but 3/4 of it is of poor quality. In many countries the quality of the land deteriorates due to erosion, overuse, and not enough added fertilizers.
40% of the land is covered with grazing grass, but in many countries it is being covered with asphalt.
40% of the carbon on the surface of earth is stored in forests, that are the natural receptors of CO2 from the atmosphere, but the area covered with forests is reduced every year by the demand for arable land for food production.
Overuse of fertilizers caused increased concentrations of phosphates is lakes, rivers and underground water, which promoted increased growth of algae. Uncontrolled fires have increased the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the atmosphere.
Growing use of fluorine and chlorine compounds have caused the ozone hole in the atmosphere and have increased the damage by ultraviolet radiation.
Large emissions of CO2, CH4, fluorine and chlorine compounds into the atmosphere have increased the greenhouse effect and the global warming. This has started the melting of the icecaps and may drown low level sea side land areas. Glacier melting may reduce the North Atlantic salinity, which is driving force of the Atlantic conveyor (Gulf stream) which prevents North Europe from complete freezing.
Global treatments
The ozone hole
The ozone hole was caused mainly by emissions of freons used as the cooling liquids in refrigerators and air conditioners, to clean electronic equipment and as the presurizing gas in pressurized containers. A massive move, over a few years, from freons to freon substitudes, which minimally affect the ozone production, has decreased the danger of collapse of the ozone layer, but it will take 30 to 50 years before the ozone hole is closed.
The greenhouse effect
The proposed solutions are:
The reduction of use of oil and coal for energy production which serves as a good slogan but was unacceptable to the developed countries.
Switching from coal to methane reduced the CO2 emissions, but emissions of CH4 are about 100 fold more damaging than CO2 emissions.
Storing CO2 underground is a foolish suggestion.
Planting new forests can be helpful, but is not done.
Switch to solar and wind energy on a large scale which is uneconomic in the near future.
The oceans
International agreements to limit fishing of some species (whales, for instance) and in some areas, and to stop polluting the oceans are not obeyed.
Limiting population growth
This has worked only in developed countries with a resultant lack of manpower that caused large scale immigration of people from poor countries.
Forced limits have worked only in China.
Education or even fear of Aides have not been successful.
Pollution
The main pollution types are:
City and industrial liquid wastes.
City and industrial solid wastes.
Air pollution from cars, burning and leaks.
Radioactive pollutions
Radiation from mobile phones and antennas.
Stinks
Noise
The treatment of wastes is usually by changing of the state of aggregation, or by chemical or biological reactions which change the polluting materials to different materials that also have to be stored somewhere.
Recycling is the best type of waste treatment method but is not used enough.
Treatment of liquid wastes is by neutralization, aeroboic and unaerobic biological treatment, filtration, recycling or flow into the sea (not desired).
Treatment of solid wastes is by burial or recycling (not enough)
Treatment of gases is by filtration or electrostatic settling of particles and chemical
treatment in industry, catalysts in the effluent pipes of cars, and large financial fines.
Treatment of noise is by calling the police.
Treatment of stinks is by complaining to neighbors or family.