Major current environmental problems

1. Pollution · Pollution of air, water and soil require millions of years to recoup. Industry and motor vehicle exhaust are the number one pollutants. Heavy metals, nitrates and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution. While water pollution is caused by oil spill, acid rain, urban runoff; air pollution is caused by various gases and toxins released by industries and factories and combustion of fossil fuels; soil pollution is majorly caused by industrial waste that deprives soil from essential nutrients.

2. Global Warming · Climate changes like global warming is the result of human practices like emission of greenhouse gases. Global warming leads to rising temperatures of the oceans and the Earth's surface causing melting of polar ice caps, rise in sea levels and also unnatural patterns of precipitation such as flash floods, excessive snow or desertification.

3. Overpopulation · The population of the planet is reaching unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of resources like water, fuel and food. Population explosion in less developed and developing countries is straining the already scarce resources.

4. Natural Resource Depletion · Natural resource depletion is another crucial current environmental problem. Fossil fuel consumption results in emission of greenhouse gases, which is responsible for global warming and climate change.

5. Waste Disposal · The over consumption of resources and creation of plastics are creating a global crisis of waste disposal. Nuclear waste disposal has tremendous health hazards associated with it. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes threaten the wellbeing of humans.

6. Climate Change · Climate change is yet another environmental problem that has surfaced in last couple of decades. Climate change has various harmful effects but not limited to melting of polar ice, change in seasons, occurrence of new diseases, frequent occurrence of floods and change in overall weather scenario.

7. Loss of Biodiversity · Human activity is leading to the extinction of species and habitats and loss of biodiversity. Eco systems, which took millions of years to perfect, are in danger when any species population is decimating.

8. Deforestation · Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating temperature and rainfall. Deforestation simply means clearing of green cover and make that land available for residential, industrial or commercial purpose.

9. Ocean Acidification · It is a direct impact of excessive production of CO₂. The ocean acidity has increased by the last 250 years but by 2100, it may shoot up by 150 %. The main impact is on shellfish and plankton in the same way as human osteoporosis.

10. Ozone Layer Depletion · The ozone layer is an invisible layer of protection around the planet that protects us from the sun's harmful rays. Depletion of the crucial ozone layer of the atmosphere is attributed to pollution caused by chlorine and bromide found in chloro-florocarbons (CFC's). Once these toxic gases reach the upper atmosphere, they cause a hole in the ozone layer.

11. Acid Rain · Acid rain occurs due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. Acid rain can be caused due to combustion of fossil fuels or erupting volcanoes or rotting vegetation which release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Acid rain is a known environmental problem that can have serious effect on human health, wildlife and aquatic species.

12. Water Pollution · Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political issue as the human population fights for this resource. One of the options suggested is using the process of desalinization. Industrial development is filling our rivers seas and oceans with toxic pollutants which are a major threat to human health.

13. Urban Sprawl · Urban sprawl refers to migration of population from high density urban areas to low density rural areas which results in spreading of city over more and more rural land. Urban sprawl results in land degradation, increased traffic, environmental issues and health issues. The ever growing demand of land displaces natural environment consisting of flora and fauna instead of being replaced.

14. Public Health Issues · The current environmental problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans, and animals. Dirty water is the biggest health risk of the world and poses threat to the quality of life and public health. Run-off to rivers carries along toxins, chemicals and disease carrying organisms.

15. Genetic Engineering · Genetic modification of food results in increased toxins and diseases as genes from an allergic plant can transfer to target plant. Genetically modified crops can cause serious environmental problems as an engineered gene may prove toxic to wildlife.