Our Environment

The earth’s population is growing every day. “Every second, on average, five children are born somewhere on the earth.” This is a growing rate of 10,000 new births per hour, 90 million per year. The world population is currently 5.8 billion. The current growth rate is 1.7%, if this continues the population will double in 41 years. The largest populated country is China, and this is by a land sweep. The United States is third in population, India being second.

O-zone Depletion is the ozone levels in the stratosphere over the South Pole that are dropping precipitously during September and October every year at the end of the, “polar winter.” This has been happening since 1960 and maybe earlier just unnoticed. The largest ozone hole was reported in Antarctica in 1997. Approximately 10% of all stratospheric ozone was destroyed in 1997. The loss of ozone is in result of UV reaching the earth in result of one million more skin cancers. The extremely cold winters in Antartica, that cause ice crystals are also a factor in the depletion. Human on Earth release many chlorine-containing molecules into the ozone that are harmful. These things are very persistent and they keep destroying our ozone. Global warming is said to accelerate if the ozone was restored. When one environmental factor is destroyed, another is affected.

Burning fossil fuel, agriculture, deforestation, and Industrial processes are all factors in global warming. Many anthropogantic gases cause global warming such as, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

Acid Rain is the deposition of wet acidic solution or dry acidic particles from the air. Air pollutants, including mospheric acids that can be transported long distance are all known as acid rain. The air pollutants are said to be affecting the lakes in North America and destroying many forests. Acid Rain also destroys many monuments and buildings.

There are many different hazardous things affecting our environment. Many people only look at the murder, deaths, and pollution here on earth that are visible. What people fail to notice is there are many hazards happening to our earth that can not be seen.

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