Environmental Health

I think the top five threats to the environment are rainforest destruction, water pollution, ozone depletion, toxic waste, and air pollution.

Rainforest destruction affects people at local, national, and global levels. The rainforest is a valuble resource for everyone. They store water, regulate rainfall, and provide a home to over half the planets biodiversity. Rainforests also play an important role in climate change.

Water pollution affects our oceans, lakes, rivers, and drinking water which makes it a global concern. Many diseases and health problems have been associated with water pollution.

Ozone depletion is also a global concern. The ozone is deteriorating due to the release of pollution containing the chemicals chlorine and bromine. This deterioration allows large amounts of utlraviolet B rays to reach Earth which can cause skin cancer and cataracts in humans and it can harm animals as well.

Toxic waste mostly affects people at an evironmental level. These toxins are buried in the ground, in stream runoff, groundwater supplies, drinking water, and floodwaters. When humans and animals absorb these toxins, health problems can occur.

Air pollution affects us most at local and global levels. Smog that hangs over cities is the most familiar form of air pollution. Some kinds of air pollution are visible and some are invisible. Either way all air pollution leads to global warming. Any substance that is introduced into the atmosphere can have damaging effects on living things and the environment.