INTRODUCTION

From a spatial point of view, environmental issues can be

local, regional, national or global, depending on the magnitude of the
effect. However, it is important to emphasize that there are no political borders nor
physical for them. Although they may originate in a country, they end up affecting their
neighbors and often to the whole planet.

In the world, there are various types of environmental problems, and the laws do not
they are so severe or are not usually applied with all their weight due to the lack
of awareness that exists among us for the protection of our environment
environment.

Environmental protection means a way of life for us and

for the new generations, since without this protection we would be
confined to our own destruction, which we are carrying out
as the years go by.

Now, we are facing the pollution generated by the activity

industrial of the last decades, investors did not worry about the
environmental protection, rather they were more concerned about generating
greater riches for their countries, exploiting natural resources
indiscriminately, we are experiencing severe climate changes and
other problems.
 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Global environmental problems are those that, due to their dimension

Planetary phenomena affect the Earth's environment on a worldwide or global scale.

The major global environmental problems have reached such a dimension

which are part of what is already referred to as GLOBAL CHANGE.

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?

They are those whose effects are not limited to a country or region, but rather extend to
manifest extensively and intensely all over the planet.

The possible solution to these problems can only come through the
international cooperation.

1.- GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The rise in temperature of the

earth, mainly due to the
increase in the content of
greenhouse gases such as
like carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxides and
chlorofluorocarbons brings
great impacts.

The notion of climate change

proceeds from the finding of
that human actions on the atmosphere have reached to affect
marked form of the composition and natural characteristics of that.

The Earth's atmosphere protects us from the harmful rays of the sun.
during the day and retains the heat during the night.

A large part of the shortwave solar radiation, around the wavelengths

of visible light wave, passes through the atmosphere. Part of it is
absorbed by the land and by the sea, which are heated and in turn radiate
energy outwards, but at longer wavelengths, in the range
infrared. These infrared rays are absorbed by water vapor and the
atmospheric carbon dioxide, so that part of this heat is from
new irradiated to the surface.

This process has mostly remained stable, but in theory, if

if there were more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it could retain more
heat would raise the Earth's temperature: it is the so-called
greenhouse effect, first defined in 1861. Since this date the
The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 270.
ppm to 350 ppm. The main contributor to this effect is carbon dioxide.
carbon (60%), chlorofluorocarbons (22%), methane (15%), ozone
(8%) and nitrous oxide (5%).

Carbon dioxide is released when burning fossil fuels.

coal and oil, and organic fuels, such as wood.

Likewise, the logging of forests causes its increase as it reduces the

amount of plant tissues that absorbed it for photosynthesis. To this
rhythm, it is estimated that by the year 2065 the concentration will have increased
up to 600 ppm.

Theoretically, when doubled the

amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, there would be an increase
global temperature of the order of
3ºC; the polar regions are
they would heat up faster than the rest
from the Earth, melting the ice and
provoking the rise in the level of
sea and the flooding of large
land areas.

The rest of the gases are produced in the fermentations of organic matter
in the case of methane (livestock waste, waste landfills,
methanization of waste) and by volatilization of CFCs from the circuits
cooling.

The accumulation of these gases

greenhouse effect can cause
a slow but continuous warming
progressive of the atmosphere, with the
I would change the water cycle,
affecting the climate of the whole
planet, implying changes in
chain of difficult prediction.

The changes introduced by the

 human activities in the atmosphere, through gas emissions
they are affecting the global or world climate.

The most important mechanism of alteration is due to the increase of

called "greenhouse effect".

This increase is due to the rise in concentration in the atmosphere

of certain atmospheric gases, generically called 'Gases
Greenhouse Effect" (GHG), among which carbon dioxide stands out
or CO2.

Therefore, climate change due to the increase of 'greenhouse' gases

It will manifest as a REHEATING of the global climate.
GLOBAL WARMING: This problem has various repercussions
and still not completely predictable in different areas (melting of
glaciers, rising sea levels, increase in drought conditions,
increase in violent atmospheric phenomena such as hurricanes, etc.).

2.- EROSION, DESERTIFICATION AND DEFORESTATION

Every year, 7 million hectares of cultivated land are lost.

The I World Conference on Desertification (Nairobi, 1977) defined
desertification as 'the intensification of the extension of the
conditions of the desert, or as a set of processes that
they disrupt the balance of the soil, vegetation, air, and water, and lead to
the decrease or destruction of the biological potential of an area and to
deterioration of human well-being. The main causes of this
the problem is the human factor, influencing in two ways:

2.1.- Deforestation. Deforestation is

the process for the what the
the earth loses its forests at the hands of
the men. The fixed vegetation protects
the soil through its roots, facilitating
the penetration of water and avoiding the
runoff. Deforestation is a
practice as old as agriculture
and livestock farming. It is directly
caused by human action on
nature, mainly due to
the logging or burning carried out by the timber industry, as well as for the
acquisition of land for agriculture and livestock.
 Man takes advantage of forest resources to obtain woods, to
to use firewood, clear the land to cultivate it or to build roads. If
this exploitation exceeds the limit of the natural growth of the forest itself
putting the life of animal and plant species at risk, it
it speaks of an irrational exploitation, which is often practiced in countries
the poor, starting with the burning of large areas, which are
intended for livestock breeding or agriculture. When large detachments occur
amounts of carbon dioxide, increases the greenhouse effect and
constitutes the global warming of the earth. As the quality of the
the soil is poor, in a short time the surface must be abandoned
because it does not yield, they move to other regions the forest where it
repeat the procedure destructive.

Along with the vegetation, hundreds of animal species disappear that

they live there, due to deforestation; the pollution of the waters by
oil spills or the dumping of industrial chemical substances; the
soil pollution, due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides; the
poaching of animals; the urbanization that hinders migration of
many animals; the illegal trafficking of species for their collection; the rain
acidic; uncontrolled fishing.

2.2.- Agriculture. Currently, little manure is used, which favors the

water and particle retention, and uses it
even abuses chemical fertilizers that
they promote erosion.

3.- DESTRUCTION OF THE OZONE LAYER

Despite its toxic effects, ozone is the only compound present.

in the atmosphere with the capacity to absorb ultraviolet rays
provenient from the sun, which are dangerous for living beings, for the
human being generating skin cancer.

Rowland and Molina, in 1973 discovered that certain compounds

with chlorine, like the chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) used in the
refrigeration installations, such as propellants and in fire extinguishers
They were decomposed by ultraviolet light becoming compounds
very reactive. They also migrate to the higher layers of the atmosphere,
up to the height where the highest concentration of ozone occurs and when it dissociates
chlorine is released, a great catalyst that can destroy thousands of molecules
ozone in a very short time. In 1978 its use was banned as
aerosol propellant.

Ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms, present in

very small proportions, no more than 0.00001%. In 1957, it began to
detect in measurements in Antarctica
an anomalous behavior in the
thickness of the ozone layer.

The chlorine from CFCs remains

caged while they move
slowly through the lower layers of the
atmosphere. The CFC they could
stay there for a long time
without being noticed, but there is a point
where they can ascend up to the
high layers: the equatorial belt,
where the strong warm currents
ascendents transport them to the stratosphere, about 25 km high.
When they exceed this barrier against ultraviolet radiation, chlorine...
free from its original molecule and each atom is already free to catalyze the
destruction of hundreds of thousands of ozone molecules.

Global atmospheric currents can cause accumulation in the

Antarctica during the long polar night. When spring arrives, radiation
solar radiation acts on these molecules, which release chlorine, resulting in
a rapid decrease in the thickness of the ozone layer over Antarctica.

Other compounds that affect ozone are bromine derivatives.

like methyl bromide, widely used in agriculture.

As an immediate consequence of the thinning of the ozone layer

we have the increase of energy on the Earth's surface and
consequently from the harmful ultraviolet rays. All this would lead to
serious modifications of the flora and fauna (changes in the composition
chemistry of various plant species, the result of which would be a
decrease in harvests and damage to forests), not to mention the serious
health problems that lead to man (cancer, cataracts, the
deformation of the lens, presbyopia, suppresses the efficiency of the system
immune system of the human body

On the other hand, ozone losses in the upper atmosphere cause the
UV-B rays increase ozone levels at the Earth's surface,
 especially in urban and suburban areas, reaching concentrations
potentially harmful during the early hours of the day. The ozone of
low altitude can cause respiratory problems and worsen asthma, thus
as well as damage trees and some cereals. In addition, the low
Ozone levels contribute to the increase in problems caused
due to acid rain.

4.- ACID RAIN

It is a watery precipitation, normally with a low pH, that contains the

sulfuric acids and
nitric produced
for the combination
of the oxides of
sulfur (SO2) and of
nitrogen (NO2) with
water vapor
atmospheric. One
rain is considered
acidic if its pH is below 5.6

The effects of acid rains on vegetation have been studied in

wide areas of Northern Europe and North America.

The most repeatedly verified effects have been the corrosion of the
leaves and the general reduction in tree growth, which can
even provoke their death.

They also produce the acidification of river and lake waters,

determining the death of its fauna and making them unsuitable for the
human consumption.

They in turn cause soil acidification and its depletion in

certain nutrients that are carried by sulfates.

It is possible to consider that acid rains can occur on a large scale.

distance from pollutant sources, even in a different country than the one
original, as a consequence of the regional characteristics of the
atmospheric circulation.

Thus, international regulation of the problem is necessary.

5.- LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

Currently, the pace at which is

species are becoming extinct is very
superior to what there was in times
primitives, being the rate of
extinction 1000 times higher,
so there must exist a
new factor of great aggressiveness
what has accelerated the process: the
direct or indirect activity of the
human being. Among the reasons
to protect endangered species from extinction is that
they have a utilitarian value: many of them are potentially useful to
man, as suppliers of chemical compounds for application in
medicine, or as food producers.

They also have scientific, recreational or aesthetic, symbolic, and religious value.
cultural, historical.

The disappearance of a species involves a growing spiral of

diversity: the species that depend directly on it suffer from
consequences and at the same time they disappear, leaving the way open to
opportunistic species, trivial, more resistant than sometimes they are
pests. This simplification of ecosystems has its effect on the
economy, estimating losses at 25% of agricultural production
by the plague animals.

5.1 Protected Areas:

In many countries, part of the territory has been placed under low protection for
safeguard the flora and fauna.
for example the National Parks, in
where there is strict protection and not
human settlements are allowed, except
the essential for the administration of
the unity and for the control of the
poachers who enter the
parks, (park rangers), fishing and the
hunt activities agricultural and livestock
y
forestry; installation of industries and
mining exploitation.

National Parks usually have a

 area called Strict Nature Reserve, where human interference is
restrict to a minimum, allowing only scientific personnel and biologists.

The National Parks that stand out worldwide are:

In Africa: Serengeti (Tanzania) and Kruger (South Africa).

In America: Yellowstone (U.S.); Volcán Barú (Panama), Sierra

Snow from Santa Marta (Colombia); Islas Galápagos (Ecuador);
Manú (Peru); Great Pantanal (Bolivia - Brazil); Iguazu (Argentina) and The
Glaciers (Argentina).

5.2 Endangered Animals:

On the planet, there are four zones

that are considered privileged
regarding its diversity
The amazon; The islands
from Madagascar; The jungles
tropical areas of central Africa and the
Southeast Asia. Likewise
these areas are critical points
regarding the
conservation and protection of the
nature, as its tropical forests are being devastated at a rate
accelerated.

The different causes that lead to the disappearance of species are: the
illegal hunting, species trafficking, and the deterioration of natural spaces.
There are already extinct animals, the Atlas bear, the blue antelope, and the bird.
dodo, from the island of Mauritius.

Some species are hunted to then be sold as pets for

example: small monkeys and birds. Others for their fur (felines, foxes)
or by the scaling of their skin (boas, caimans, iguanas); and some
plant species are sought after as ornamental plants (orchids,
cactus).

6.- DEGRADATION OF ECOSYSTEMS

The richest areas of the planet and on which part depends the
global climatology is being affected by human activities
a rhythm that exceeds its load capacity. The tropical forests or
 Rainforests form the most mature and ancient terrestrial ecosystems.
such as reefs in the sea.

The harassment they suffer is based on logging and

forest burning to open roads,
cultivate new lands, raise livestock,
extract precious or intended woods
to the industry and exploit deposits
minerals.

This destruction can affect the climate,

warming up the atmosphere due to the
greenhouse gas production and to the
decrease in evapotranspiration.

It also affects the soil, desertifying it due to the rapid deterioration of the soil.

Consequently, the annihilation of entire populations occurs

animals and plants and the extinction of species.

Unfortunately, the nations with significant rainforest areas are

developing countries and it is precisely when they try to get out of the
underdevelopment or paying a high external debt when they attack and
they degrade their own environment.

7.- EXHAUSTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Reserves are referred to as those identifiable deposits of minerals,

of those known to be recoverable with current technology and in the
current economic conditions. Resources include reserves and
minerals already identified, but that cannot be extracted currently due to
technological or economic limitations, as well as materials of which
there are reasonable suspicions.
Taking into account global consumption,
20% of the population consumes
75% of commercial energy
worldwide. Humanity consumes
in a year the amount of
fossil fuels that the
nature has cost a million
years to produce.

Resources may not be available

exhausting, but yes the ability to
 the Earth to bear the environmental cost of the current production model.
It is becoming increasingly urgent to change the current model of consumption.
resources for a less polluting one, and that it integrates already decisively
in the sustainable development model.

8.- AIR POLLUTION

The main cities of the world

they present elevated indices of
pollution atmospheric what
they contribute significantly to the
global pollution

The main causes:

The rapid industrial growth

The centralization of the population
Increase in vehicle fleet
The high consumption of petroleum-derived fuels

9.- OCEANIC POLLUTION

The pollution of the

marine waters increase
in an accelerated manner and
alarming in
practically each
corner of the oceans
of the planet.

The main causes:

Oil spills
Industrial and urban wastewater
Final disposal of hazardous waste
Disposable materials of all kinds, the majority of which are
they settle at the bottom, while others remain suspended in the water
media and some remain floating on the surface
Mists and acid rains
10.- DEMOGRAPHIC EXPLOSION

The rate of increase of the

population human can
to consider oneself as the factor
key for sustainability
environmental on the planet. The
the main cause has been the
decline in mortality
thanks to cultural advancements
and sanitary facilities, and maintenance
of the birth rate in countries in
development paths.

The population human himself

found in a phase of logarithmic growth, typical of organisms
who are not yet limited by the resources they depend on.
But a growth of this kind cannot be sustained for long.
Well, there is a limit to these resources, whether food or energy.
limit that can be advanced due to the environmental consequences of a use
traditional not respectful of the environment.

Assuming sufficient energy reserves, the limit would be the

capacity to generate food, and specifically, to distribute it
equally. This is already a serious problem of imbalance between axes.
north-south at a planetary level.