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Our environment is a topic that receives a great deal of attention. The environment has been the basis of numerous television and radio commentaries as well as a multitude of newspaper and magazine articles. The environment is even the foundation for many political debates addressing issues and the concerns about what is happening and what will happen to the environment over the next several years. A look at the past I s helpful in understanding the present concern. Comparatively speaking, little emphasis was placed on ecology (the study of the relationship of plants and animals to their environment) prior to 1955 Air pollution, toxic waste, marine pollution, pesticides, oil spills, acid rain, etc. , are relatively new problems that are taking their tolls on the environment. Since 1955, however, our interest in protecting the environment has been kindled by recognition of these environmental problems.
Studies of change in the environment have led to efforts to protect it. Environmental changes. Changes to the environment have been significant over the past 35 years. Talbot (1989, 21 - 22) listed these major changes: 1.
The human population has almost doubled, from fewer that three billion to more that five billion people. 2. Half the worlds tropical forests have been lost. 3. The processes of overgrazing and desertification have greatly increased. 4. Chemical pollution has become pervasive and few species or lands escape its effects. 5. New hazardous wastes, not even mentioned in 1955, now represent a major problem worldwide. 6. Acid rain and carbon dioxide buildup have resulted from increased industrialization throughout the world.
Environmental protection. As the seriousness of environmental problems has been recognized, governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations have been established to deal with them. (Talbot, 1989, 22) In 1955 there were only a few nongovernmental environmental organizations; , today there are thousands. In 1955 no government had environmental agencies; today virtually all nations have them. The purpose of the agencies is to identify, quantify, and reduce adverse impacts on the environment. (Bascietto, 1990, 14) A clean environment is a global problem, a problem that is going to take all the inhabitants of the earth to solve. For the earth to be habitable by future generations, todays generations must take care of it.
Bascietto, John. Ecotoxicity and Ecological Risk Assessment Environment Science & Technology. Washington, DC, January 1990 Talbot, L. M.
Mans Role in Managing the Global Environment. Changing the Global Environment. Boston: Harcourt Brace Jovanovic h Publishers, 1989 Bibliography:
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