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It’s usually true that the more the merrier, but not when the human population is growing to a point that our society and systems can’t handle. Last year, the world population hit a whopping 7 billion, and while we welcome the newcomers with open arms, we also want to make sure that we don’t continue to put a strain on our water, food, well-being, space and sanity (yes, we’re talking about you, Tokyo subway system). If everyone were more conscious of the fact that our limited resources need to be shared (how many times have you grabbed a fistful of paper napkins when you only needed one?), we could make living together, even with such a large amount of people) a lot more pleasant. Another example is our world food supply. Statistics show that we have enough food to feed everyone on the planet but we end up wasting so much (according to the National Resources Defense Council, Americans waste a whopping 30 to 50% of all food produced) that others go without. While we might not be able to stop the population from growing, we can educate the people who currently live here and the new ones that are being born to make smarter choices and consume more responsibly.
7. Environmental emergencies are defined as “sudden-onset disasters or accidents resulting from natural, technological or human-induced factors, or a combination of these, that causes or threatens to cause severe environmental damage as well as loss of human lives and property.”
Following a disaster or conflict, an environmental emergency can occur when people’s health and livelihoods are at risk due to the release of hazardous and noxious substances, or because of significant damage to the ecosystem. Examples include fires, oil spills, chemical accidents, toxic-waste dumping and groundwater pollution.
The environmental risks can be acute and life-threatening. According to the International Disaster Database, between 2003 and 2013, there were 380 industrial accidents reported, affecting 207 668 people and resulting in over US$22 million in losses. Climate change is having an unprecedented effect on the occurrence of natural disasters and the associated risk of environmental emergencies. With climate change already stretching the disaster relief system, future climate-related emergency events will generate increased and more costly demands for assistance.
ll disasters have some environmental impacts.
Some of these may be immediate and life-threatening – for example when an earthquake damages an industrial facility, which in turn releases hazardous materials. In such cases these so-called ‘secondary impacts’ may cause as much damage as initial causal factor.
For example, Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda that struck the Philippines in November 2013, caused massive destruction and had a huge human toll but also generated a spill of around 800,000 litres of heavy oil, when a power barge ran aground in Estancia, Iloilo province, at the height of the typhoon.
Disasters may also have longeOÑKL-term impacts. For example, natural disasters may cause long-term waste management or ecosystem damage.
The Environmental Emergencies Forum is a unique biennial international forum that brings together disaster managers and environmental experts from governments, UN agencies, industries, academies, NGOs and civil society to improve prevention, preparedness, response and overall resilience to environmental emergencies. It also provides guidance for the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, which provides a Secretariat to the meeting. The most recent meeting was held in Geneva, 15-17 May 2013. The next meeting will be held in Norway in June 2015.
The biennial Green Star Awards recognize individuals, organizations, governments and companies who demonstrate achievements in prevention, preparedness and response to environmental emergencies. A joint initiative between Green Cross International, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Green Star Awards seeks to increase awareness of environmental emergencies by drawing attention to efforts made to prevent, prepare for and respond to such emergencies.
8. The Environmental Protection Agency is a world-renowned environment organization with over three decades of experience in addressing domestic public health and environmental challenges. Since its inception, EPA has recognized that domestic action alone is not enough to fully address environmental concerns.
EPA has identified the following six international priorities:
Bilateral and multilateral partnerships dedicated to solving environmental problems are cornerstones for successful international cooperation. EPA presently participates with over 60 countries in numerous kinds of partnerships.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
UNEP work encompasses:
Mission. "To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations."
These three areas affect each other. In relation to institutions such as the EU, the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the international climate talks, the UNEP (the UN’s climate programme) and the OECD for a changeover to green economy and for results that contribute to safeguarding development that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
The international economy should provide a supportive
international climate for achieving environment and development goals
by:
(a) Promoting sustainable development through trade
liberalization;
(b) Making trade and environment mutually supportive;
(c) Providing adequate financial resources to developing
countries and dealing with international debt;
(d) Encouraging macroeconomic policies conducive to environment
and development.
9. Ukraine is suffering many environmental problems. Many of them have been caused by economic activities. There are many consequences of damaging the environment. One of them is water pollution. The Dnipro and others rivers are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial waste, all kinds of chemical elements and pesticides. Industrial enterprises of large cities waste harmful substances into river and sea’s waters. The emissions destroy fishing industry and lead to a damage of wildlife.
Another problem is air pollution. For example, pumping waste gases from a power station or metallurgical plants do not get rid of them. The waste gases cause acid rains.
The next ecological problem is the problem of the Sea of Azov. The Sea of Azov is the special case. Because it is such a small sea, it becomes dirty very easily. Many industrial centres such as Mariupol, Berdyansk pour into the sea all kinds of chemicals. It naturally effects the state of the sea water and the shore line flora and fauna.
Ukraine's environmental problems include the nuclear contamination which resulted from the 1986 Chernobyl accident. One-tenth of Ukraine's land area was affected by the radiation. According to UN reports, approximately one million people were exposed to unsafe levels of radiation through the consumption of food. Approximately 3.5 million ha (8.6 million ac) of agricultural land and 1.5 million ha (3.7 million ac) of forest were also contaminated.
Pollution from other sources also poses a threat to the environment. Ukraine releases polluted water, heavy metal, organic compounds, and oil-related pollutants into the Black Sea. The water supply in some areas of the country contains toxic industrial chemicals up to 10 times the concentration considered to be within safety limits.
Air pollution is also a significant environmental problem in the Ukraine. In 1992, Ukraine had the world's seventh-highest level of industrial carbon dioxide emissions, which totaled 611.3 million metric tons, a per capita level of 11.72. In 1996, the total had dropped significantly to 397 million metric tons. The pollution of the nation's water has resulted in large-scale elimination of the fish population, particularly in the Sea of Azov.
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