Global environmental crisis: What is, causes, consequences and solutions

Global environmental crisis: What is, causes, consequences and solutions

By Dr. Kyle Muller

Today we are happening to what would be called as a global environmental crisis. That is, a crisis that affects the environment, as well as all life forms that are associated with the ecosystems that would be in crisis, and that, in addition, is characterized by having a global character instead of being able to be located certainly in a specific geographical area. Without a doubt, its origin is found in human activity, which with its impact on the environment makes the survival of many biological species and ecosystems as a whole. In addition, this has consequences that go beyond the biological and environmental impact, since they directly affect human societies and their territorial economies and balances. If you want to learn a little more about the global environmental crisisas well as their Causes, consequences and possible solutionskeep reading ecology see and we tell you.

Causes of the global environmental crisis

The global environmental crisis is multicausal. However, all the causes that produce it have a same origin: human activity. While it is true that talking about human activity implies extreme generalization, it is necessary to start from this basis, since it leaves out of any doubt that the global environmental crisis is the result of an environmental problem of natural or purely climate origin.

It is true that the Climate change It is a constant throughout the history of life on earth. However, except for specific cases of mass extinctions caused by external factors (the best known of all would be the mass extinction that took place after an asteroid impact against the planet approximately 65 million years ago and put a point and end to the reign of dinosaurs), climate change is a process that develops to a speed slow enough so that ecosystems can adapt To these changes. When this climate change is carried out abruptly and accelerated (as in the aforementioned case of the asteroid or due to human activity today), there is a global environmental crisis that affects the set of species and ecosystems, deriving in a collapse of many ecosystems by not having real capacity to adapt to the changes that occur.

In this way, in the absence of external factors that cause the current climate change in the conditions that we evidence, and given the concrete experience that human activities are being responsible for such climate change, there is no other possible explanation that indicates the human activity in its current form as the Responsible for the global environmental crisis What happens.

Global Environmental Crisis: What is, Causes, consequences and solutions - Causes of the global environmental crisis

Consequences of the global environmental crisis

Exist various consequences of this global environmental crisis that we can divide into three large groups:

Ecological consequences

In this section we could include all those that have a Direct effect on ecosystems and life forms. To mention some examples:

  • The extinction of species of both flora and fauna.
  • The degradation of the biodiversity of ecosystems.
  • The proliferation of invasive species.
  • Alterations of natural biological cycles.

Social consequences

In this section we would include all those that, directly or indirectly, They would affect human activity itself and human societies. In this sense, some examples would be:

  • Crop losses or soil degradation.
  • The inability to find sufficient fresh water to meet human demand.
  • Migrations of population groups in search of geographical areas with greater resources.
  • The proliferation of diseases linked to pollution.
  • The proliferation of diseases linked to the geographical displacement of infectious diseases themselves as a result of an increase in global temperature.

Properly climatic consequences

This type of consequences would be largely the cause of some of both ecological and social consequences. However, due to their own character, it is worth assessing them in themselves, since They involve the modification of the climate as had been developed so far. Some examples are:

  • Desertification.
  • Deforestation.
  • Sea acidification.
  • The increase in the number of phenomena such as hurricanes or typhons, as well as their proliferation in geographical areas that are traditionally not associated with these phenomena.

Global environmental crisis: What is, causes, consequences and solutions - consequences of the global environmental crisis

Solutions to the global environmental crisis

When talking about solutions to the global environmental crisis, these They can be divided into two large groups:

Preventive solutions

Are those focused on stop or avoid increased consequences of said crisis. In this sense, the best example can be found in the suppression of the use of fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy. In this way, we would stop the harmful effects of much of the human activity that produces the global environmental crisis.

Restorative or healing solutions

In this case, these would be solutions to recover or restore the damaged environment. Some examples of this type of solutions go through:

  • Reforest deforested areas.
  • Clean the seas.
  • Restore ecosystems by means of native flora and fauna protection plans.
  • Improve the management of hydrographic resources among many others.

If you want to read more articles similar to Global environmental crisis: What is, causes, consequences and solutionswe recommend that you enter our pollution category.

Kyle Muller
About the author
Dr. Kyle Muller
Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
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