Despite the best efforts of the world’s conservationists, this shocking decline in species sadly shows no sign of slowing down. The habitat destruction and environmental pollution that have caused species to become endangered are extremely entrenched. It will require meaningful action at every level of society to reverse it.

However, despite this bleak outlook, there is always hope. By working together and making simple changes, mankind may slow or stop species loss and promote biodiversity. In this article, we share how to help endangered species with 16 ways anyone can make a meaningful contribution to protecting the world’s most threatened species.

What are endangered species?

Endangered species are groups of organisms that are at high risk of becoming extinct in the near future. The endangerment of a species may be global or in a particular region of the world. Conservationists and other groups with knowledge of the biology, habitat, and population numbers of potentially threatened species reach a consensus option on endangerment.

Who determines which species are endangered?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a Swiss-based international conservation organization comprising over 1,400 governmental and non-governmental organizations. The IUCN produces a Red List, with the assessed status of the world’s most vulnerable species. Charities and NGOs within the IUCN continuously monitor the following:

• Absolute species population numbers
• Habitat loss
• Rates of poaching
• The presence of invasive species

Along with specialist assessments, this data can be used to assess the conservation status of a particular species. Governments and organizations can use the conservation status of species to determine which species require enhanced protection. Remedial activities can be formalized with the creation of a Biodiversity Action Plan.

Governments have legislated to protect endangered species, forbidding hunting or interfering with their habitats. Conservation statuses can also guide other initiatives like captive breeding programs or the designation of reserves and national parks.

More than 50% of the world’s species face the risk of extinction

The IUCN Red List lists more than 3,079 animals and 2,655 endangered plant species. Species are classified by their class, with Near Threatened (NT) and Least Concern (LC) indicating the species with the healthiest populations and Vulnerable (VU) and critically endangered (CR) indicating the most endangered creatures.

Endangered species can also be described as rare or even locally extinct. Not all conservation status data is precise because the extinction of many species may have gone unnoticed for many years.

The paucity of data means some red list entries may be designated as ‘data deficient.’ This is where there is inadequate data and research available to establish the true status of the species.

Examples of vulnerable and critically endangered species include: 

• The Siberian tiger
• Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
• The Siamese crocodile
• The blue-throated macaw
• The brown spider monkey
• The American burying beetle
• The Mexican wolf

Some of these species have left more than 150 living creatures worldwide.

Why are endangered species important?

The rising number of endangered species indicates that whole ecosystems are becoming compromised and may be at risk of collapse. As the population numbers of a particular species fall, the critical interactions that species has with other organisms within its local habitat are reduced, throwing the entire ecosystem out of balance and permanently changing its makeup.

For example, the loss of an apex predator species may lead to the unwanted proliferation of prey species that cause environmental damage through overgrazing, burrowing, or other activities. This can threaten other species in the ecosystem that become pressured, like plants and trees.

Another problem with species endangerment is that the world risks losing medicinal plants that may have future benefits to man. Over a quarter of modern medicines are derived from rainforest plants, and discoveries will be threatened if we let rare plant species go extinct.

Also, there is the sadness of knowing that some of Earth’s beautiful and intriguing creatures could be lost to future generations. Once they are gone, they cannot be brought back. This excellent PBS documentary about the life of Broken Tail, a deceased Royal Bengal tiger in India, highlights the pressures faced by endangered species and their tragic loss:

What can we do to help endangered species?

It’s great to know that there is something everyone can do to help endangered species. This is primarily because species of every type are under threat worldwide. Many aspects of our lives drive continuing biodiversity loss.

Simple changes and efforts, however small, can positively impact this serious environmental issue. Here’s what we can do:

1. Get Informed

When you think about endangered species, the well-publicized plight of animals like tigers, pandas, and rhinos immediately springs to mind. However, according to the WWF, 0.1% of all species go extinct yearly. There are so many unidentified species worldwide that it is impossible to know how many organisms are currently threatened.

This is why learning more about species endangerment biodiversity and the local ecosystems that need to be protected is essential. Learning about wildlife sanctuaries and species in your local area can help you contribute time or money to preserving vulnerable species wherever you are.

2. Be vocal about endangered species

Anyone can be an advocate for endangered species by being vocal about the problem. Raise awareness of the biodiversity crisis in your community by:

• Signing petitions about local habitats that could be threatened by development
• Writing to your local political representative
• Organizing fundraisers for animal conservation charities
• Creating leaflets or flyers to distribute to neighbors, friends, and relatives

3. Support your nearest conservation-accredited zoo

Supporting zoos by visiting them is one of the best things you can do for animal conservation. Zoos are no longer damaging, constrained environments for animals. The conservation of endangered species with education about them is the core activity of a modern zoo. This makes them essential institutions to support to make a difference to threatened species.

Your entrance fees, donations, and memberships fund practical conservation, research, outreach, and advocacy for endangered species. They are expert conservationists who can effectively inform and communicate the need to protect the most vulnerable species on Earth.

Animal biologists in zoos research animal behavior to give their animals the best quality of life in captivity. Modern zoo facilities are often equipped to breed endangered species and may even become involved in rehabilitating them for release into the wild.

4. Volunteer at your local nature reserve or wildlife sanctuary

Many wildlife reserves are vital havens for threatened non-exotic species. You can help protect these creatures by contributing your time to the charities and organizations that manage nature reserves in your community. These reserves and sanctuaries are often havens for rare species like bats, deer, amphibians, and birds which would become extinct without conservation.

Volunteers at wildlife sanctuaries can make a difference through activities that include species surveying and mapping, grounds maintenance, and welcoming visitors. Without the efforts of volunteers, these important reserves allow people to discover and explore the natural world.

5. Make your yard a haven for pollinators

Endangered species come in all shapes and sizes, and it is often the smallest creatures that disappear from the environment fastest. The collapse in numbers of vital pollinator species like bees, butterflies, and moths is a recognized issue.

In recent years, over 20% of pollinator species have shown a strong decline, even threatening the pollination of essential crops. One of the ways in which you can help these endangered species is to encourage pollinators to thrive in your yards. Helpful additions to your yard include:

• Bug hotels: simple wooden structures that have lots of crevices where bee species, beetles, and moths can shelter during the colder months.
• A saucer of fresh water: to safely provide vital hydration for bees and other insects.
• Planting wildflowers: Flowers attract pollinators to your yard and provide them with the nutritious nectar and pollen they need for their hive.

6. Take care when driving to prevent roadkill

Ideally, road infrastructure would include wildlife crossings that provide safe migration routes across major roadways. Unfortunately, more than 5.5 million animals die on roads worldwide every day! In the US, West Virginia has the highest levels of roadkill, with odds of 1 in 38 of hitting a deer. Pensylvania’s elk country is another hotspot.

Taking care when driving can make a massive difference in roadkill rates. Slow down as much as possible so that animals have time to respond to your vehicle. Honking your horn can also deter animals. If you do hit an animal, move it from the road to prevent the corpse from attracting predators onto the road.

7. Don’t buy products made from hunted endangered animals

One of the key drivers of species endangerment is the illegal wildlife trade, a multi-billion dollar industry that spans the entire globe. There is a continual demand for trafficked animal parts eaten, used in traditional medicines, or used as fashion or furnishing. Examples of poached animal products include:

• Ivory products
• Tiger skins and bones
• ‘Bush meat’ including the flesh of primates and rodents

The criminals that kill and sell poached wildlife only do it because people are willing to buy from them. By avoiding products from the illegal wildlife trade, poachers and traffickers are starved of profit and won’t take the risk of harming endangered species.

8. Don’t buy exotic pets

Wildlife crime doesn’t just involve dead animals. There is a demand for living rare and exotic creatures to be kept as pets. This is a particular problem in the aquarium industry, where demand for tropical saltwater and freshwater fish has led to their depletion in their natural habitat.

These animals often struggle to thrive outside of their native habitat. Owners may struggle to care for larger animals like big cats, or poor security may mean that they escape. Despite being threatened, these species may even become invasive in a new environment.

9. Go plastic-free

Plastic is one of the world’s most pernicious pollutants. Over 14 million tons of plastic enter oceans and waterways annually, forming over 80% of all marine debris. Plastic is not only ingested by diverse marine organisms and can also be a potent endocrine disruptor.

This means that our addition to single-use non-recycled plastic products threatens the health and reproductive capacity of endangered marine species. Avoiding these cheap and convenient plastic products is not always easy, but reducing plastic use can improve marine environments and biodiversity.

If you end up using plastics, recycling them will help keep them out of landfills and the sea.

10. Reduce your use of synthetic chemicals

Synthetic chemicals like cleaning agents, dyes, and personal care products are a part of daily life. Though humans largely tolerate them, many of the chemicals we use can cause significant environmental damage if they get into lakes, rivers, and oceans.

Aquatic life, including rare and threatened species, is harmed by many household products that are washed into surface water and persist in these fragile marine ecosystems. An example is the nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) used in the textile industry. The long-term ecological effect is environmental degradation and a loss of biodiversity.

Make the switch to using environmentally-friendly alternatives of household products like laundry detergent, dish soap, surface cleaners, and personal care products. Many of the best eco-friendly products feature natural ingredients that biodegrade quickly before they can harm living things.

11. Boycott companies that damage our environment

People are increasingly recognizing the industrial, commercial, and financial activity that is damaging our environment, leading to the loss of species worldwide. These corporations continue their activities because it has remained profitable for them to do so. Attempts for reform in this area are often little more than ‘green-washing‘.

One of the most effective ways to hold big polluters to account is by boycotting their products and services. Circular Magazine says some of the world’s biggest polluters include McDonald’s, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola.

Efforts to switch to eco-friendly alternatives that operate more ethically would send a clear message that they must change their polluting ways. It may initially be more expensive and less convenient, but if enough people say no, the message is sent. You can even write to the CEOs to let them know your concern about the environmental harm they are causing.

12. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Mankind’s insatiable demand for natural resources has led to the destruction of the ecosystems that are home to many endangered species. Demand for raw materials like oil and gas, wood, minerals, and precious metals has meant that the habitats of many animals have been removed to make way for industrial development.

This leaves vulnerable populations of creatures without safe environments to live, hunt, and breed. Even where there are pockets of land that are left intact, there are no wildlife corridors that facilitate the movement of animals from one region to another.

The exploitation of natural resources only continues at the rate it does because of demand. By reducing the number of new items purchased, reusing, repairing, and recycling them at the end of their usable life, you can drive down demand for raw materials and allow valuable ecosystems to recover.

13. Avoid invasive species

Invasive species are plant and animal species that have been introduced to an ecosystem where they are not native. They include animals, amphibians, and fish kept as pets, plants, and even seeds that can escape into the local environment and proliferate. This makes them a massive threat to local wildlife!

Invasive species are tricky because the alien organism may have a selection advantage that enables it to outcompete native organisms and dominate the ecosystem. If the spread of invasive species is not curtailed, native species can quickly become threatened or even eradicated by them.

You can help to reduce the spread of invasive species by:

• Only plant native plants in your yard and opt for active house plant species.
• Learning the common invasive species in your region and reporting them to environmental agencies if you see them anywhere.
• If you travel, clean your footwear, luggage, and other equipment to prevent potentially invasive plant seeds and debris from being introduced to your locality.
• If you go camping, purchase firewood near your campsite rather than bringing it from home.

14. Avoid foods and products that use palm oil

Palm oil consumption is a massive driver of habitat destruction and environmental degradation that endangers multiple South East Asian species like the Sumatran rhino, pygmy elephants, and orangutans.

Palm oil is derived from the flesh and kernels of the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). It originated in Africa but is now heavily cultivated in Asia. Over centuries this oil has been extremely useful to man and is currently used in almost everything we buy including.

• Soaps and detergents
• Cooking oil
• Processed foods
• Cosmetics
• Chocolate
• Peanut butter
• Toothpaste
• Biofuels

Because the oil palm tree is a lucrative crop that is very quick and easy to grow, many people are cutting down and burning valuable rainforests to use the vacant land to cultivate it. This prolific deforestation has largely destroyed the habitats of many species, which have now become endangered. Without reform of this sector, the damage will continue unchallenged.

One of the ways in which you can help these endangered animals is by not buying products that use palm oil or switching to palm oil products that come from a certified sustainable source. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil  (RSPO), founded in 2004, certifies palm oil sources as being sustainable and not contributing to deforestation.

15. Become a sustainable tourist

In many parts of the world, species become endangered because it is simply more lucrative for locals to poach them than keep them alive. One way of contributing to animal conservation is by participating in sustainable tourism that profits local communities and empowers them to be stewards and protectors of their natural environments and species.

Going on safaris, snorkeling trips, or sustainable tours means local populations can earn a good living by caring for vulnerable species and promoting their welfare. Choosing sustainable tourism helps reduce the tourist industry’s negative impacts and alleviates poverty, demonstrating to local communities how valuable their natural resources are.

16. Eat locally and sustainably produced food

Agriculture is essential for feeding the world, but some methods are more damaging than others. One effect of globalization has been the massive number of food miles clocked up but the things you eat before they get to your place. Extensive air, rail, sea, and road freight of food is not only polluting but also drives:

• Deforestation and cash crop farming
• Mega farms and their devastating monoculture
• Genetically modified crops
• Heavy pesticide use destroys vital pollinators and disrupts ecosystems 

Another way that everyone can help endangered species is by eschewing these damaging forms of agriculture and opting for eating locally and seasonally. Local producers who farm organically and use non-intensive agricultural methods are great stewards of the environment.

Their food may be more expensive in the short term, but it is often better quality and more nutritious. If enough people change the way they eat, these environmentally friendly forms of farming could go mainstream:

Rounding up

Reducing the detrimental environmental impact of our modern way of life can give the world’s most endangered species vital breathing space to recover.

If everyone makes the small changes outlined above, there may be enough momentum gained to effect real and lasting change in how we steward the environment. This should allow species of all kinds to flourish in their natural habitats and be appreciated by all.

Ocean acidification has the potential to do catastrophic damage to the marine environment and threaten human livelihoods, nutrition, and well-being. In this article, we will look at the carbon dioxide problem in our seas and explore the ocean acidification solutions that could prevent CO₂‘s devastating effects.

What is ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification is simply a sustained fall in the average pH of seawater in the world’s oceans. In the last seven decades, scientists have monitored a steep fall in the pH of oceans from 8.15 to 8.0. This may not seem much, but the pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that a small numerical drop represents a massive swing in acidity.

pH measures the concentration of the hydrogen ions (H⁺) that give seawater its acidity. The more hydrogen ions present in the seawater, the greater the acidity of oceans. A change in pH of just 0.1 means that hydrogen ion concentrations have climbed more than 26%.

Marine scientists routinely monitoring pCO₂ and pH levels in oceanic waters worldwide have identified this disturbing trend. Open ocean voyages provide the opportunity to sample seawater using specialist equipment submerged for real-time readings.

Precision measurements can then be compared with scientists globally who have made similar measurements. Since ocean acidification has been identified and recognized, mitigating its effects is a key part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.

What causes ocean acidification?

The primary source of these excess H+ ions is atmospheric carbon dioxide. Though carbon dioxide is gas, it is also soluble in water. Normally CO₂ is cycled between the atmosphere and oceans with high uptake in biologically active parts of the ocean, and release in warmer and less active marine environments. Learn more about carbon cycle steps.

As CO₂ emissions have risen, the world’s oceans have absorbed the excess. When the ocean absorbs CO₂, it becomes carbonic acid (H2CO3). Carbonic acid further dissociates to become a bicarbonate ion (HCO−3) and a hydrogen ion (H+).

Though the oceanic pH is falling, it remains alkaline for now. Still, the effects of acidification are felt by organisms like mollusks and corals that need an abundance of calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons.

Increased H+ reduces vital carbonate ion levels, especially in colder and higher latitude waters that can absorb greater concentrations of CO₂.

Ocean acidification is based on an average pH reading, but this phenomenon can be localized in certain areas of increased gaseous exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean.

What are the effects of ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification has wide-ranging effects. Some are poorly understood, but the consensus amongst scientists is that a reduction in oceanic pH will harm marine life. Here is a closer look at the effects:

Harm to marine organisms

The primary concern is the increased seawater pH’s effect on marine biology. The diverse ecosystems within oceans are sensitive to water chemistry, and even a slight derangement of parameters like pH could devastate populations of the most sensitive organisms. Biologists are concerned about the following multifaceted effects on marine organisms:

• Reduced calcification of corals, exoskeletons, and shells due to decreased carbonate levels in seawater.
• Increased predation of mollusks, corals, and other organisms with exoskeletons because their shells are weaker.
• Uptake of carbonic acid by fish leads to metabolic acidosis, a condition where the acid builds up in the blood and affects the metabolism. The acid acts as a stressor and compromises the growth and reproductive functions of the fish.
• Depression of marine organisms’ biological systems and functions leads to depressed metabolism, reduced reproduction, and increased susceptibility to disease.
• Disruption of the process by which larval corals and other organisms migrate to an optimal marine environment to grow.
• Larval urchins have been found to struggle to digest their food in acidic conditions.
• Phytoplankton and other marine microorganisms may struggle to reproduce if ocean pH becomes too deranged.
• The growth of seaweed and marine vegetation may also change, altering the composition of many coastal ecosystems.

Destruction of marine ecosystems

The smallest marine organisms are foundational to the food chains and biological systems that make up marine ecosystems. If left unchecked, ocean acidification could lead to the extinction of the most sensitive marine species. This would produce a catastrophic collapse in the availability of organisms critical to the marine food chain.

Collapse of fisheries

The fisheries that are sustained by normal ocean biochemistry are also under threat. Though larger organisms may be able to tolerate the acidification for longer, the loss of smaller marine organisms creates food stress that can lead to the dwindling of fish stocks.

The impact will be felt by the fishermen and other people who rely on fisheries for their livelihoods, currently estimated at more than a billion people. The devastations of oceans will also be felt in regions that attract tourists to visit their unique marine ecosystems.

Ocean acidification solutions: what can be done to mitigate this issue?

The issue of ocean acidification can be remedied by methods that tackle the levels of atmospheric free carbon dioxide in our environment. Climatologists say that the atmospheric carbon dioxide level has never been more than 300 parts per million. In the last 70 years, free CO₂ has climbed by just under 50% to approximately 420 parts per million.

The legacy levels of carbon that we find in our environment after 250 years of industrialization need to be tacked with the removal and sequestration of excess atmospheric CO₂. This has been the primary driver of ocean acidification; therefore, any steps that can be taken to reduce CO₂ emissions should positively affect this ongoing marine problem.

Scientists, environmentalists, technologists, and engineers are exploring various methods for recovering this excess CO₂. Strategies range from planting trees to advanced air-capture plants that can strip carbon dioxide from the environment. Though many solutions are currently proposals, their successful implementation could kickstart an economic revolution that can clean up our skies and seas.

Right now, CO₂ reduction methods are broadly grouped into direct methods using oceans as a potential carbon sink for the sequestration of CO₂, or indirect methods that reduce the rate of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Let’s take a look at strategies that are currently being proposed.

Direct methods of reducing ocean acidification

Direct methods that are being explored for the reduction of acidification of the oceans leverage the oceans’ ability to sequester vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Oceans are the planet’s largest carbon sink. These massive bodies of water and the marine life within them can draw CO₂ out of the atmosphere and use it to support marine life or store it in the oceanic depths.

The complex biological and biogeochemical processes by which oceans remove CO₂ to the deep ocean are only just being understood. If they can be safely exploited, they can transform the upward trajectory of CO₂ concentrations and mitigate the acidification that is currently damaging our seas.

Direct solutions for ocean acidification comprise novel, ocean-based Negative Emissions Technologies (NET) that can actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. This is a completely new and underdeveloped area of environmental science, so the suggested solutions may or may not help to stabilize atmospheric CO₂ levels.

The most promising area of ocean-based NET is the nascent field of Ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR). It has a suite of technologies and solutions that utilize existing oceanic biological and geological processes to absorb and store CO₂ within marine life, ocean geology, or the Challenger Deep at depths of more than 35,876 feet (10,935 meters).

Here are the five key Ocean-based carbon dioxide removal methods to watch:

1. Cultivating seaweed for carbon sequestration

Seaweeds are marine macroalgae that thrive on CO₂, removing it from the water and converting it into the sugars that drive their growth! Cultivation of seaweed could sequester vast amounts of carbon dioxide and, depending on the seaweed species used, provide a delicious and extremely nutritious food source that does not require fertilizers for its growth.

A notable advantage of this ocean acidification solution is the rapid growth rate of many seaweed species, which can see some kelp varieties grow more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) in a single day, meaning that carbon removal could be accelerated by using the right species.

Scientists also propose that the seaweed could be converted into biochar, bioplastics or simply sunk in the ocean depths. Engineers are seeking to automate the seaweed cultivation process using floating oceanic platforms with robotics for harvesting, the creation of bales, and sinking the seaweed into the deep ocean for long-term sequestration.

2. Use of phytoplankton cultivation for carbon sequestration

Phytoplankton are the microalgae at the bottom of the marine food chain. These microscopic organisms may be tiny, but they use CO₂ to drive rapid growth, taking it out of the atmosphere and water. Scientists believe that even a small rise in the overall mass of phytoplankton could impact CO₂ levels and provide marine life with an abundant food source.

Proposals have been made to harness phytoplankton for CO₂ fixation by promoting the ideal environment for microalgae growth in specific ocean areas.

Specific areas of the ocean could be targeted for phytoplankton blooms by using wave-powered pumps to bring nutrients from deeper seawater to the photic zone where these microalgae can thrive.

3. Enhancement of ocean alkalinity

This method primarily seeks to mitigate the effects of acidification by introducing alkaline minerals that can help water pH move towards neutral. This method accelerates natural rock weathering or adds alkaline material to seawater. It is hoped that this will alter oceanic biochemistry to generate chemical reactions that overall lead to the movement of CO₂ to deeper levels of the ocean.

4. Supporting the growth of blue carbon ecosystems

More and more people realize that carbon dioxide emissions can be mitigated by simply putting carbon back where it belongs. A great example of this is the blue carbon ecosystem.

These marine ecosystems can capture and store more CO₂ per unit of area than forests. Coastal areas are now being recognized for the large amounts of CO₂ they can fix and use, keeping it out of the atmosphere and creating fertile habitats for wildlife. These can include:

• Salt marshes
• Estuaries
• Mangroves
• Seagrass meadows

Marine biologists believe that the destruction of these valuable ecosystems has contributed to CO₂ release and ocean acidification.

5. Direct ocean capture

This industrialized and energy-intensive solution would see pumped sea water being stripped of its CO₂ using electrochemistry in a dedicated facility comparable to a desalination plant. The CO₂ removed would then be stored in deep rock layers. Alternatively, the CO₂ could be used to blast alkaline rocks to boost ocean alkalinity, enabling seas to absorb more atmospheric CO₂.

Indirect methods of reducing ocean acidification

Indirect methods of reducing ocean acidification are all aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions. The great thing about these methods is that everyone can play their part. By making simple lifestyle changes, we can help to slow the rate of CO₂ emissions, reducing the burden on our oceans.

In most industrialized countries, more than 80% of carbon dioxide emissions are generated by:

1. Energy generation
2. Transportation
3. Buildings

By focusing on these areas, tangible progress can be made in curbing the upward trajectory of CO₂ emissions. Here are some methods that may prove effective.

1. Building insulation

In 2022, the US energy sector generated at least 4,970 million metric tons (MMmt) of CO₂ emissions. This massive amount could be reduced by preventing the significant energy wastage that comes from heat loss via poorly insulated buildings.

Investing in properly insulating your property means that less energy is required to heat it. Not only does this reduce the consumption of oil, coal, and natural gas that is burnt for energy generation, you’ll save on bills too.

2. Energy-efficient lighting and appliances

Electricity generation accounts for at least 31% of the US energy sector carbon emissions, so anything you can do to reduce your electricity consumption will positively affect carbon dioxide emissions. There are so many ways you can use less electricity:

• Switch incandescent light bulbs for low-energy LED bulbs.
• Choose energy-efficient domestic appliances like your refrigerator or microwave.
• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Switch off appliances at the socket.
• Complete a home energy audit to identify energy-inefficient appliances.

If enough people take these simple actionable steps, there will be a tangible reduction in the demand for electricity and the generation of carbon dioxide emissions.

3. Renewable energy

Renewable energy sources harness wind, water, sun, and geothermal energy to generate electricity by burning fossil fuels or wood. Though none of the major renewable energy technologies can meet current energy demands, they make a significant contribution to energy generation that reduces CO₂ emissions in many countries around the world.

4. Leave the car at home

Short car journeys are not only fuel-inefficient, but also incredibly polluting. If you own a car, it is convenient to use it for every journey. However, by skipping driving for walking, cycling, or public transport, you can reduce the amount of CO₂ your vehicle releases by burning fuel. Again, it is a simple lifestyle change that not only gets you some exercise and saves you dollars, but also drives down needless CO₂ emissions.

5. Reducing food miles

Shockingly, most meals in the U.S. will have traveled more than 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Transporting food by road, rail or air takes energy and releases CO₂, with air freight being the most polluting.

A switch to eating local, seasonal food may be expensive and inconvenient at first, but it makes a real difference in cutting the long distances our food has to travel. In many parts of America, people are choosing to support local farmers and producers by buying at least some of their groceries from a farmers’ market.

6. Repair, reuse, recycle

Oceans are not just suffering because of CO₂ but also the microplastics and other waste that is entering them daily. Consumer lifestyles consume natural resources, with purchases like fast fashion having a big carbon footprint.

This type of disposable culture is unsustainable long-term, prompting various business owners and stakeholders to look for an alternative approach that will minimize carbon dioxide emissions and place less pressure on natural resources.

One such solution is the circular economy, where the lifespan of products is prolonged through repairing and reusing items that would have been discarded, along with recycling them at the end of their lifespan.

7. Protect natural environments

As mentioned earlier, massive emissions of CO₂ are being generated by the destruction and degradation of ecosystems that would have fixed and stored it. Countries must be proactive about protecting their natural environment so that the ecosystems that function as natural carbon sinks are not disturbed.

These important ecosystems need to be protected with robust legislation that forbids activities like logging, construction, and intensive agriculture on them. In some countries, organizations are investing in the rewilding of open spaces so that they mature into biologically diverse ecosystems that can remove significant amounts of CO₂.

8. Turn down thermostats

This is another simple but impactful act that can help to reduce the CO₂ emissions generated by everyday household activity. Thermostats are everywhere in your home. Turning back the temperature of your furnace, hot water, washer-dryer, dishwasher, or air conditioning will save massive amounts of energy and reduce demand.

Rounding up

There are a variety of technological, biological, and initiative-led solutions that can help solve the ocean acidification problem. Experts from a variety of disciplines are working together to develop and test these and other carbon-reducing solutions. To achieve tangible change, governments, NGOs, and policymakers are exploring how they can support and invest in ocean acidification solutions to accelerate their implementation and embed long-term change.

Disposing of nuclear waste and managing natural and manufactured radiation sources in our environment is difficult. If inadequately contained, radioactive waste and pollution can cause serious health problems and long-term environmental contamination.

To help you understand the serious implications of nuclear radiation and radioactive pollution, this article closely examines the causes, effects, and solutions to nuclear radiation.

What is radioactive pollution?

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines radioactive pollution as the unintended or undesirable presence or deposition of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, and gasses. For this article, radioactive pollution and radiological contamination will be used interchangeably. 

The contamination of land, air, seas, and freshwater with radioactive contaminants introduces these environments and the living things within them to ionizing radiation generated by the decay of radioactive material.

The unstable nuclear state of radioactive elements leads to their degradation releasing hazardous energy in the form of alpha, beta, and gamma rays along with free neutrons.

Radioactive waste and pollutants vary in their level of radioactivity and capacity to harm. But sustained contact with the bodily organs of humans and animals can lead to tissue damage, disease, genetic mutations, cancers, and death.

One of the big problems with radioactive pollution is that it is persistent, with radioactive substances releasing damaging radiation for decades or even centuries after the contaminating incident depending on the half-life of the contaminant.

Radioactive waste is a major source of nuclear radiation pollution

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are five types of radioactive waste:

1. High-level waste

High-level nuclear waste is the most dangerous and toxic form of nuclear waste. Only 1% of all radioactive waste is high-level waste. Its hazardous nature means that it is usually stored at the facility where it is generated. High-level nuclear waste primarily comes from two sources:

1. Solid spent nuclear fuels: the majority of high-level waste.
2. Liquid high-level waste from defense activities.

2. Transuranic waste

Transuranic waste is a special category of radioactive waste derived from manufacturing nuclear fuels and weapons. This type of waste is generated by man-made radioactive elements with an atomic number of 92 or higher. This waste is so dangerous that disposable items associated with its development must be stored at a remote Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

3. Mill tailings 

As mentioned below, mill tailings are solid wastes left over from uranium and thorium processing. These highly radioactive discarded materials require sealed storage at a dedicated facility.

4. Technologically enhanced naturally-occurring radioactive material (TENORM)

TENORM materials are naturally occurring radiological materials (NORM) that man has enhanced through processes like enrichment, with various uses in industry. TENORM materials are less potent than high-level waste but require careful disposal in-line with state regulations.

5. Low-level waste

Low-level radioactive waste is generated by industry, healthcare, and defense. Low-level and very low-level waste account for over 95% of the total amount of radioactive waste generated.

It usually consists of disposable items in contact with radioactive materials or sources. Though they are not as dangerous as the other classes of radioactive waste, they still require disposal by specialist companies at a designated disposal facility.

Key sources of radioactive waste and pollution

Nuclear radiation has wide-ranging positive and negative applications in the modern world. Radioactive waste is a byproduct of its use. As 10% of the world’s energy consumption is nuclear generated, radioactive elements, materials, and waste are found in every continent, along with the potential for significant pollution.

 Here are the most important sources of radioactive waste today:

1. The nuclear energy sector

Nuclear energy generation generates radioactive waste, which can be low-level or high-level. Nuclear waste is a pernicious and environmental pollutant that comes from the following sources in the production of nuclear energy:

A. Uranium mill tailings

Uranium-235 is the primary driver of the nuclear reaction that is used to generate electricity. Uranium ore is milled to purify it for use in the energy sector. However, this process generates mill tailings, a waste product with more than 85% of the radioactivity of the original ore.

Tailings have only recently been recognized as high-risk radioactive waste. This means that disposal plans for mill tailings were inadequate for many decades, leading to pollution of the surrounding environment.

B. Spent nuclear reactor fuel

Once nuclear fuel has been exhausted through use in a reactor, it is known as spent fuel. The uranium oxide used to generate nuclear energy is packaged in tiny ceramic pellets stacked with metallic rods known as fuel rods.

Spent rods are solid when removed from a nuclear reactor and require particular disposal in a spent fuel tank at the nuclear power plant. In the US, over 2,000 tons of spent fuel is generated each year, a volume that could fill half of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

C. Tools and equipment

Any equipment that comes into contact with radioactive dust or particulate matter at nuclear processing facilities and power plants also requires careful disposal.

2. Nuclear accidents

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines nuclear accidents as events where large amounts of radioactive material are dispersed, leading to significant consequences to nuclear facilities, the environment, and people.

Nuclear accidents vary in severity and impact on the environment. In major nuclear accidents like the 1986 Chornobyl disaster and the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, the core of a nuclear reactor has been damaged, leading to the massive release of radioisotopes into the surrounding environment.

Since Chornobyl, there have been more than 57 nuclear accidents and severe incidents worldwide. 60% of these have taken place in the United States. Though many risk mitigation procedures are in place at nuclear power plants, facilities, and nuclear submarines, human error remains a major cause of nuclear accidents.

Nuclear accidents have a massive ecological impact that can have immediate and long-term effects. The radioactive pollution of land, water, and air can take decades to clean up and bring to safe levels.

3. The defense sector

In countries that have a military with nuclear capabilities, defense activities will generate nuclear waste which is usually uranium or plutonium-based but not the products of nuclear fission.

Nuclear weapons, submarines, and other military equipment become significant nuclear waste sources when decommissioned.

Radioactive pollution from nuclear testing

Nuclear testing has been an infamous cause of radioactive pollution. Though the last ‘known’ nuclear tests were carried out by America, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the pollution of land, water, and airspace can be persistent.

This is because 15% of the total energy of a nuclear explosion is radiation, with the dispersal of radionuclides that emit radiation as they degrade. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1996.

3. Radon gas emissions

Radon gas is a naturally occurring source of radiation. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is one of the largest contributors to background radiation and is leached from uranium present in granite, shale, and other rocks. In regions that have high concentrations of radon, the gas can build up in properties, increasing the risk of cancer.

There is a strong association between radon gas and lung cancer. Alaska, South Dakota, and Pennsylvania have some of the highest radon gas concentrations in the U.S.

4. Radioactive sources used in industry

One of the most vulnerable areas to radioactive pollution and significant human harm is the use of radioactive sources in industry. Radioactive sources used in industry have caused numerous fatal incidents because of improper storage, handling, and loss, like the Mexico City radiation accident (1962) and the Rio Tinto Western Australian radioactive capsule incident in 2023.

Radioactive sources and capsules are used in industry in the following ways:

A. Inspection

Radioactive sources are used in various manufacturing industries to inspect the integrity of fabrication, such as welding. Like an X-ray, the radioactive source is placed on one side and a detector on the other to look at how materials are penetrated. This provides a convenient and portable method for inspecting items without risking internal damage.

B. Tracers

Industrial tracers use radiation to monitor the flow of fluids and the efficiency of industrial processes such as refining. The short-lived radioisotopes that are used present minimal risk to the environment. The tracer radioisotopes are mixed in with flowing or filtered materials to track their movement and identify leaks or blockages.

C. Gauges 

Gamma sources are used as gauges to monitor levels of a variety of solids, liquids, and gasses used in industry. They are advantageous in extremely hazardous environments where extremes of temperature or corrosive substances make the use of direct contact gauges impossible.

5. Medical radioisotopes from nuclear medicine

Radioactive waste is also generated by tertiary hospitals that have a nuclear medicine department. The following radioisotopes are used in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures:

• Technetium-99m (Tc-99m)
• Iodine-131(I-131)
• Carbon-14(C-14)
• Iodine-125 (I-125)
• Tritium (H-3) 
• Fluorine-18(F-18)

This medical application of radiation generates not only used isotopes, but also contaminated syringes, vials, needles, swabs, vials, and dressings. Clothing and items handled by patients that have received high doses of radioisotopes may also have to be disposed of as radioactive waste.

6. Milling and mining 

The mining and milling of uranium are important causes of radioactive pollution. Radioactive waste is generated in this industry via the following extraction methods:

• Open and closed-pit mining with the digging of soil and rocks out of open pits to extract uranium ore, known as carnotite.

• Leaching: a common and extremely polluting method that uses pumped chemicals to dissolve and extract uranium from rocks. The generated uranium-rich leachate is then processed to purify and extract uranium.

The waste generated from uranium mining is called tailings if it is solid and raffinates if it is liquid. This waste requires careful storage as it is some of the most hazardous waste.

In addition, the mining of any rock generates raised concentrations of radon gas that can cause lung cancer. To mitigate this radiation hazard, radon gas must be pumped out of mines, with some miners requiring breathing equipment to protect their lungs.

7. Improper radioactive waste disposal

Radioactive waste that has been improperly disposed of is an immediate environmental hazard. The disposal of radioactive waste is undertaken at secure specialist facilities that are regulated by the EPA, The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Standards regarding the disposal and long-term storage of radioactive waste are so stringent that incidents of improper disposal have been rare recently. In the early 20th century, significant radioactive pollution was caused by the inadvertent spread of radioisotopes by radium watch dial painters, miners, and scientists like Marie Curie.

A major concern remains the longevity of storage arrangements for radioactive materials due to materials such as plutonium and uranium remaining radioactive potential for thousands of years. Earthquakes, explosions, and improper documentation have been cited as causes of radioactive waste leakages.

What are the effects of nuclear waste and radioactive pollution?

Radiation pollution is harmful because of its pervasive effects on living things. Even physically small quantities of highly radioactive materials can deliver a dose of radiation that can kill. Solid, liquid, and gaseous radioactive substances contaminate the areas where they are present and, if uncontained, will disperse through the environment.

Here are the main effects of radiation:

Effects of ionizing radiation on human health

Ionizing radiation releases radiation that penetrates human tissues and can damage the genetic material within a cell’s nucleus. The severity of these effects depends on the radiation dose and exposure duration.

Acute effects of radioactive contamination

Exposure to large doses of radiation causes Acute Radiation Syndrome, also known as radiation sickness. The energy delivered can be large enough to cause visible reddening and burns, followed by nausea, vomiting, inflammation, bleeding of the mucous membranes, hair loss, and death. The dose of radiation delivered would have to exceed 18,000 chest X-rays.

Chronic and long-term effects of radiation pollution

Sustained or chronic exposure to raised radiation levels is a significant health risk. Even if the dose is low, the proximity to a source of ionizing radiation leads to cellular and DNA damage that raises the risk of developing cancer or infertility.

Chronic effects can be experienced through occupational exposure, living in an environment, or ingesting food contaminated with radioactive materials.

Effects of radiation pollution on wildlife

Wildlife that comes into contact with nuclear fallout or the radioactive discharges from nuclear disasters can be affected similarly to humans. Genetic damage to animals can lead to mutations, especially in rodents and other small, fast-multiplying creatures.

Dispersal of radioactive particulates on grass and other vegetation can lead to radioactive materials entering the food chain and becoming concentrated in humans and apex predators.

Effects of radioactive pollution on marine life

Radioactive pollution can also harm marine environments and be dispersed through water systems over wide distances. A serious consequence is that radioactive isotopes like iodine are absorbed by seaweeds and phytoplankton, entering the marine food chain and becoming concentrated in fish and seafood.

Currently, this is one of the major concerns of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant incident. Thousands of tons of radioactive water have been released into the Pacific Ocean, with a temporary fishing ban in waters off the northeastern coast of Japan.

Despite being diluted by massive volumes of ocean water, tuna caught off the U.S. West Coast were found to have raised levels of ¹³⁴Cs in their tissues.

Contaminated land

Nuclear incidents in a specific geographical area can render land unusable for decades. The soils, water, and vegetation become contaminated, leading to raised background levels of traditions that are unsafe for human habitation. Even where cleanup efforts have been successful, a geographical region may be associated with pollution and avoided by people.

Solutions for managing nuclear waste and radioactive pollution

There is no way in which radioactive pollution or waste can be physically cleaned or destroyed. Where there is contamination or a spill, ‘clean up’ efforts focus on stripping and containing contaminated materials, including buildings, vegetation, and soils. This makes careful management of radioactive waste essential. Here are the main principles:

• Careful planning: sites that handle radioactive materials use careful planning to minimize the amount of waste produced.

• Prompt processing of radioactive waste: waste is treated as soon as possible after it is generated to minimize the risk of dispersal of radioactive material. Processes are often automated, including decontamination, compacting, and solidifying radioactive waste.

• Containment of radioactive material: Nuclear waste requires specialist packaging in containers that will not allow the radiation to escape. Secure sealed containment must also be robust enough to withstand handling and transport to a storage facility.

• Reliable long-term storage: Certain radioisotopes have half-lives that can be hundreds of years. Without a safe means of disposal, most high-level radioactive waste has to be stored long-term or permanently in facilities that can be adequately sealed and secured.  Storage facilities may be located underground, taking advantage of natural rock as a barrier.

The management of radioactive waste depends on its type

The approach to managing radioactive waste varies according to whether it is high-level, intermediate-level, or low-level:

High-level nuclear waste

The most hazardous forms of nuclear waste are often liquids generated while processing spent fuel rods from nuclear reactors.

This toxic liquid undergoes vitrification, where it is mixed with crushed glass and heated to become a molten liquid. The high-level waste is then poured into 150-liter stainless steel canisters and moved for long-term storage.

Waste is usually stored on-site for several decades until it is deemed safe enough for longer-term storage, usually within several other containers in a dedicated deep geological facility called a repository.

Low-level nuclear waste

Low-level nuclear waste may be incinerated and compacted for storage in many repositories. After being encased in metal containers, low-level waste is stored in concrete-lined vaults and repositories that are carefully monitored.

Most low-level radioactive waste facilities have limits on radiation levels that can safely be accepted. Regulators and regional authorities set limits on the amount of low-level waste that can be stored in a specific area. Some very low-level radioactive waste may even be landfilled.

Recovery and reprocessing of nuclear materials

Nuclear materials can also be recovered from apparent waste for future use. Uranium and plutonium are valuable and so waste that is rich in these radioactive elements is routinely stored for future use.

Spent nuclear fuel is also reprocessed using dangerous chemical processes that separate the plutonium and uranium from used fuel rods. Though this potentially reduces demand for newly mined radioisotopes, it is a potentially hazardous and polluting procedure.

Rounding up

Nuclear radiation and radioactive pollution are serious environmental issues. The continued adoption of nuclear energy (with more than 400 power stations globally) means that the amount of waste generated and the potential for pollution will also continue to increase. 

Manufactured containment measures for radioactive material appear to be working well. Still, the potential for human error, natural disasters, or activity by malicious agents mean that everyone is at risk of the effects and environmental damage from this extremely dangerous type of pollution.

How? Because pollinators like bees, bats, and butterflies pollinate over 180,000 plant species and more than 1,200 crops. The first step of pollination happens when a pollen grain moves from the male part of a flower to the female part, and pollinators play a key role in this movement of pollen.

For this reason, protecting our bees has become a priority for environmentalists around the world. Harmful bee repellents that contain chemicals are not only damaging bee populations, they are also contributing to pollution. There is, however, a way to peacefully coexist with bees and pollinators without harming them: natural bee repellent.

In this guide, we’ll explore all you need to know about how effective natural bee repellent is, and how to create your own recipe at home.

Is it possible to keep bees away naturally?

Before turning to bee repellent methods, there are some key facts to know about bee behavior that can help you avoid attracting bees, whether you have an allergy or simply do not like bees buzzing around you while outside.

Ever notice that beekeepers wear white suits? This is because bees are aggressive towards dark, fuzzy objects. Be sure to wear light-colored clothing if you’re hoping to avoid bees.

You’ll also want to avoid wearing flowery scents or sweet-smelling soaps, hair products, or deodorant. These sweet smells will likely attract not only bees, but other insects to you.

The same goes for flowers in your yard – if you’re aiming to avoid bees, avoid planting sweet-smelling plants and flowers in your yard, as pollinators are attracted to them.

And why are bees so attracted to sweet scents? The short answer is sugar! Many bees feed on the nectar from flowers and plants, so the sugary beverage you’re drinking or sweet perfume you’re using will no doubt attract the attention of bees.

Bees eat nectar to feed their colony and to fuel their flight. In fact, bees can actually taste sugars: when in contact with food, their taste neurons are activated, signaling the presence of food.

If these methods of avoiding the attention of bees do not work for you, there are plenty of natural bee repellent methods that will discourage bees without harming them.

Looking to natural solutions is critical because bee populations are shrinking: pollution, disease, the misuse of chemicals, and changes in climatic patterns are all leading to shrinking and shifting pollinator populations.

We can all do our part to reduce the damage done to bee populations by opting for natural repellent methods. After all, cross-pollination helps at least 30% of the world’s crops and 90% of wild plants thrive, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Do natural bee repellent methods actually work?

While some bee infestations may require professional help from a bee removal expert (not an exterminator!), in most cases, natural bee repellents are just as effective as those that utilize harmful chemicals.

Let’s explore some of the most effective substances for repelling bees.

Citronella

Citronella is one of the most effective natural bee repellents. Many insect repellent products contain citronella in the form of sprays and candles.

Citronella oil repels insects rather than killing them. Sensitive bees are deterred by strong smells, and they will particularly avoid areas infused with the scent of citronella.

You can purchase citronella oil and apply it to various areas around your yard or clothing, or light citronella candles while you’re outside to create a masking odor that bees and insects will avoid.

While citronella will not harm bees directly, it’s a super effective way to keep them from flying around certain areas of your yard or home.

Peppermint

In a similar way, the smell of peppermint will also repel bees from a certain area. The strong peppermint scent interferes with bees’ sensitive sense of smell, making this natural ingredient a great natural bee repellent.

To utilize peppermint at home, you can plant peppermint plants in your yard or dab peppermint essential oils on your body, clothing, or areas of your yard.

Cinnamon

The scent of cinnamon also encourages bees to relocate, and you most likely already have this ingredient in your home. 

If a hive of honey bees has decided to settle in your yard and you’d like them to move, try sprinkling cinnamon powder around their hive for about a week.

While the smell won’t hurt them, it is strong enough that it will overpower sweet-smelling flowers in the area and the colony of bees will most likely move on.

Distilled vinegar

Distilled vinegar is another item that you most likely already have in your home! An all-natural solution for green cleaning at home, vinegar has many uses. It’s no surprise that it can also help you keep bees away from swarming your home and yard.

One of the best ways to utilize vinegar as a natural bee repellent is to create a spray: combine equal parts vinegar and water, and then spray this solution in the vicinity of the beehive or around your yard. Be sure to check whether vinegar can damage your deck, patio, or furniture, however.

You can also fill small containers with vinegar – such as recycled cans or glass jars – and place them around your patio, yard, and windowsills.

Fresh cucumber

Cucumbers are also surprisingly effective at keeping bees away. However, just laying a whole cucumber in your yard will not really help; it’s actually the cucumber peel that bees and wasps dislike. This is because bees aren’t fond of the acidity of cucumber peels.

So, placing cucumber peels around your yard or home, on window sills, or other high places where rabbits cannot reach them is a great solution to keeping bees away naturally.

You can also cut up the peels and lay them on an aluminum pie dish for an extra-effective repellent: the ensuing chemical reaction will create a scent that bees can’t stand.

DIY natural bee repellent

To create a super effective bee repellent, you can also concoct your own solution at home. Various recipes combine these bee repelling ingredients that won’t harm people or wildlife in your yard.

How to make natural bee repellent at home

Want to save money and create a natural bee repellent that won’t harm your plants or other animals that occupy your yard? Let’s explore several methods to create your own bee-repelling solution at home. 

1. Create an essential oil-based spray

There are several bee repellent sprays that you can create using various essential oils. All you’ll need to create this spray is:

• A spray bottle
• Water
• 2-3 essential oils of your choice

Using the oils that most effectively repel the scent of bees is best for this recipe, so you can mix peppermint oil with other oils like lavender, cedarwood, or eucalyptus essential oil. Combined with water, spraying this mixture will not only smell good, but will also keep insects away from your home and yard without killing them.

Another way to increase the effectiveness of essential oil repellent is to combine your choice of oil with water and 2-3 teaspoons of liquid soap. The soap allows you to spray this solution on most household items.

After spraying this mixture, the water will evaporate and leave the essential oil scent behind as a natural repellent. However, keep in mind that you shouldn’t spray essential oil mixtures on your food or skin, but dabbing it on clothing is typically fine.

2. Add certain spices to your recipe

Adding spices to your essential oil-based repelling solution will make it more effective! To create this mixture, start with the same recipe as above: soap, water, and your choice of essential oils like peppermint or lavender.

Next, add ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mixture. The strong scents of these smells will ensure that your mixture is strong enough to keep most bees away!

Spray your natural bee repellent around your deck, patio, doors, windows, and in the air in a certain area to keep bees away.

Note: don’t spray bees directly!

After creating your own natural bee repellent recipe, it’s important to know that you shouldn’t spray bees or wasps directly.

Wasps are particularly aggressive and may try to sting if provoked. To be safe, spray your surfaces and clothing, but only when safe to do so.

So, never spray your repellent directly at any wasps you see. If you discover a nest or you have a particularly bad infestation, be sure to seek professional help for removing bees or wasps from your property.

Give natural bee repellent a try

This warm season, rest assured that you’ll be able to keep bees away with these natural bee repellent solutions. Most of these repellents are cost-effective, and you may already have them at home.

In addition, these solutions won’t harm bees that are essential to our ecosystem, the animal food chain, and the growth of our food.

Follow these recipes or create your own mixture and you’ll be equipped with an affordable and green bee repellent this summer.

Despite the role that forests play in our planet’s ecosystems, we continue to lose more and more forest cover every year.

As little as 10,000 years ago, 71% of the Earth’s surface was covered by forests, shrubs, and wild grasslands. Only around 38% of this greenery still exists today, and it’s estimated that 10 million hectares of forest are cut down each year.

The main culprit for these tremendous losses? Deforestation; the clearing of forested land. Forests are cleared to make space for urbanization, agricultural processes, and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction purposes.

To better understand the devastating impacts and potential steps forward, this article will fully examine the causes, effects, and solutions to deforestation.

What are the main causes of deforestation?

Though most forests are cleared to make room for agricultural expansion, some of the other main causes of deforestation might surprise you.

1. Agricultural expansion

Agricultural activities are responsible for at least 80% of tropical rainforest deforestation. Whether local subsistence farmers or large-scale commercial agricultural operations, forests are being cleared around the world to keep up with soaring human populations.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, large-scale commercial agriculture – primarily cattle ranching and cultivation of soya bean and oil palm – accounted for 40% of tropical deforestation between 2000 and 2010, and local subsistence agriculture for another 33%.

In more recent years, Earth lost about 4.2 million hectares of humid tropical primary forest, an area about the size of the Netherlands. Nearly half of this loss was due to food production, mostly of commodity crops.

Ecologists warn that this commodity-driven deforestation is permanently changing the landscape: these areas will most likely never be forests again, as opposed to forests cleared by wildfires and forestry management (that grow back over time).

Our forests are home to valuable nutrients, but when they are cleared for agriculture, these nutrients are lost and farmers cannot benefit from them. 

Forests are also cleared for cattle ranching: around 80% of deforestation occurs to make space for cattle to graze. When this land is cleared, it’s unlikely it will be a forest again.

2. Climate change

Climate change is considered both a cause and effect of deforestation. 

It’s widely accepted that climate change is causing more and more extreme weather events and abnormal temperatures, which increase the chances of drought, wildfires, and flooding.

These extreme weather events severely damage forests, and they are only getting more severe as climate change worsens. Climate change will continue as deforestation does, as lost forests release more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

In addition, there is much more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere than existing forests can successfully absorb.

3. Logging

Despite our increasingly digitized world, we still rely heavily on wood for paper, firewood, and a plethora of household furniture and products. Trees are cut down to produce these items, as well as to build commercial and residential structures.

While it is possible to harvest timber sustainably, illegal logging activities usually don’t follow these techniques. Illegal logging has become a huge cause of deforestation, as more and more individuals cut down trees illegally to support themselves financially.

Between August 2003 and 2004, an area of 26,130 square kilometers – around the size of Belgium – in the Amazon rainforest was destroyed, most of it illegally. Today, it is estimated that around 60-80% of logging in the Amazon is illegal.

The U.S. Agency of International Development estimates that the illegal timber industry is worth $51-152 billion each year. This massive operation not only damages our environment but also prevents local communities from legally benefitting from forests for food and economic security.

4. Mining

Mining extraction and processing efforts around the world indirectly and directly damage almost all areas of the environment, and forests are no exception. The construction, operation, maintenance, and extraction of raw materials from the Earth requires the clearing of large amounts of land.

In a 2022 study, it was found that 3,264 square kilometers or 326,400 hectares of forest was directly lost due to industrial mining, with 80% occurring in only four countries: Indonesia, Brazil, Ghana, and Suriname.

Mining caused indirect forest loss in two-thirds of the countries investigated in the study. The building of infrastructure for mineral processing, storage, and transportation is one of the ways that mining indirectly causes deforestation.

The long-term impacts of mining on the Earth’s forests is unknown, but as long as the global population continues to expand, the demand for mineral resources will continue to rise. And, unless deforestation solutions are implemented, our forests and environment will continue to pay the price.

5. Urbanization and population growth

The global human population is projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, and potentially peak at nearly 10.4 billion in the mid-2080s. Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this proportion is expected to rise to 68% by 2050.

This rapid growth has negative implications for all areas of our environment, from increased air and water pollution to the destruction of our forests to grow food and produce resources. Forests are also cleared to make room for urban development and growing cities.

Global demand for food and resources leads to increasing deforestation rates. 

Even in areas where the population is low, external forces such as demand for timber or cattle in other parts of the country or world can lead to deforestation in these areas.

Deforestation is also not exclusive to undeveloped countries: an individual in an industrialized country is likely to consume 60 times more of the world’s resources than an individual in a less industrialized nation.

Addressing this particular cause of deforestation is a complex undertaking because many areas around the world are continuing to expand and industrialize.

What are the harmful effects of deforestation?

Deforestation harms our planet in several ways. From environmental to social and economic impacts, we are already seeing the consequences of the loss of our Earth’s forests.

1. Climate change

The loss of forests around the world is fuelling the ever-growing climate crisis in indirect and direct ways.

Trees act as filters for the water we drink and the air we breathe, meaning that the less trees cover the Earth, the more susceptible our resources are to pollution.

As a by-product of photosynthesis, oxygen is produced and released by trees. It’s estimated that one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people.

In one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of harmful carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and release oxygen in exchange.

Trees help protect water quality by capturing, storing, and using rainfall. Trees reduce the amount of runoff that carries pollution off of the landscape and into nearby rivers and lakes. This process also decreases the rate and volume of stormwater flowing through local storm sewers.

With the loss of our nutrient-rich forests, air and water pollution are causing more harm to our communities.

2. Loss of biodiversity

Forests are home to more than three-quarters of the world’s life on land, meaning that they are incredibly biodiverse. Biodiversity is essential to all life on Earth: without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, our interconnected ecosystem cannot continue to provide us with the air and food we all require.

Forest biological diversity refers to all forms of life within forested areas and the ecological roles they perform. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, forests contain:

• 60,000 different tree species
• 80% of the world’s amphibian species
• 75% of the world’s bird species
• 68% of the world’s mammal species

When forest ecosystems are damaged, these species are all put at risk. Animals are forced to flee and seek new habitats that may not be best suited for them, and plant species become more and more endangered. Today, more than 1,400 tree species are critically endangered and in urgent need of conservation action.

Deforestation critically threatens that plant and animal species, and in turn, us as humans, that rely on forest ecosystems to provide critical biodiversity for our entire planet.

3. Soil erosion and desertification

Clearing forests and other vegetation causes soil erosion, which is when soil is removed or eroded from its original position. Deforestation leads to increased soil erosion because when trees and plants are removed, their roots no longer hold the earth in place, leaving the underlying soil vulnerable to water and wind.

When soil is covered with vegetation, its organic matter is continually being replenished as leaves, fruits, and animal droppings fall to the ground and are broken down by microorganisms. In the absence of trees, soil composition is changed over time and made even more vulnerable to erosion as its organic matter is depleted.

Deforestation also plays a part in an advanced form of land degradation known as desertification. Desertification occurs when the biological state of land is destroyed or greatly damaged, resulting in desert-like conditions that make it difficult to support life.

The expansion of agricultural lands, deforestation, and overgrazing of animals on land can lead to desertification. These activities negatively affect soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients.

Thus, deforestation renders our soil more susceptible to damage that makes our land less able to support vegetation and crops and leads to increased water pollution.

4. Social and economic disparity

Aside from permanently damaging the landscape of our planet, deforestation impacts human livelihoods and wellbeing.

Communities that reside in forests rely directly on the biodiversity of forests to support themselves, whether using products derived from the forest for food, shelter, energy, medicine, and income. Wood and other forest products provide an estimated 20% of income for rural households in developing countries with access to forests.

Deforestation poses a threat to the livelihoods of millions of people, as forests are clearly interconnected with social and economic activities in both developing and developed nations. The continued loss of forests puts millions of people in jeopardy.

What are the solutions to deforestation?

Though the effects of deforestation are incredibly dire, there are several actions that both individuals and corporations, agencies, and governments can take to preserve the health of our world’s forests.

1. Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agricultural practices are helping combat the alarming rates of deforestation caused by agriculture around the world and helping restore the productivity of degraded lands.

Agroforestry is one example of such practice: agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems. Integrating trees with crop and animal farming leads to several benefits:

• Trees planted on farms can help connect forest fragments, benefitting migratory animal species.
• Shady trees can help improve the health of soil.
• A canopy of trees regulates the temperature and humidity of crops.
• Fruit-bearing trees can provide extra sources of income for farmers.

In the U.S., there are five widely recognized categories of agroforestry:

• forest farming
• alley cropping
• silvopasture
• riparian forest buffers
• windbreaks

These methods all aim to produce more sustainable animal and crop farming operations.

Integrating trees with farming is a more sustainable alternative to razing forests for agricultural lands. By opting for more sustainable agricultural practices, farmers don’t need to jeopardize the state of our forests.

2. Reforestation

Reforestation is the process of planting new trees in a previously-forested area that has been deforested or destroyed by natural disasters like wildfires, drought, and disease.

As the U.S. Forest Service explains, reforestation requires complex land management decisions that ensure the efforts take place at the right time and with the right tree species for a given area.

This solution can be implemented by planning for the natural regeneration of a forest, or by planting trees, saplings, or seeds. Accelerating the development of forests on deforested land is critical to protecting our communities, soil, and resources for years to come. 

3. Making more sustainable choices

Although many solutions to deforestation involve government agencies and corporations, there are several steps that individuals can take to help combat the loss of our precious forested ecosystems.

Here are just some of the ways you can help combat deforestation rates around the world:

• Adopting healthier diets and consuming less meat.
• Recycling and reusing discarded material to reduce the demand for raw wood materials.
• Purchase certified sustainably sourced wood products and avoid buying tree-sourced products altogether.
• Plant native species of trees.
• Educate yourself and others on deforestation.
• Support forest conservation organizations such as the Rainforest Action Network, the World Wildlife Fund, The Sierra Club, and others.  

Over time, these greener choices will help make a difference in the harmful effects of deforestation.  

4. Laws and regulations

Organizations are calling for stricter and more expansive regulations that require companies to source timber sustainably and crack down on illegal logging operations. Significant investment can also incentivize farmers to adopt more sustainable farming practices.

Illegal logging, one of the main causes of deforestation around the world, is oftentimes a result of weak governance and corruption in countries that produce timber. Consumer countries have also failed to ban the import of illegally-logged timber, allowing for continued damage to be done to our forests.

In 2022, the European Union passed a law that requires companies to ensure that a series of products sold in the EU do not come from deforested land anywhere in the world. While this type of legislative action discourages companies from buying illegally-logged timber or supporting deforestation efforts, more concrete action must be taken.

5. Protecting the forests we have

Overall, the best solution to deforestation is to halt or greatly reduce the destruction of forests around the world. 

Forest conservation also plays a crucial role in combating deforestation. Conservation efforts in forests aim to preserve all natural resources found within a forest and the benefits derived from forests, as well as plant and maintain newly-forested areas.

Forest conservation efforts are complex and differ depending on the forest. Protecting an existing forest from illegal logging may be all that is required in some cases, whereas vulnerable newly-planted forests need to be protected against changing weather and climate conditions.

When extracted, timber should be sourced from well-managed forests and organizations like The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC is a world leader in sustainable forest management and operates the most rigorous and trusted forest certification system that ensures forests are managed sustainably.

Wrap up on the causes, effects, and solutions to deforestation

Forests are not only some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on our planet, they also are interconnected with our communities, atmosphere, and waterways in critical ways.

Now that we’ve examined the causes, effects, and solutions to deforestation, it’s clear that to destroy our forests means putting plant and animal species at risk and causing economic disparity among the people that rely on forests for their survival.

However, you can do your part by advocating for our Earth’s forests and continuing to understand the complex issue of deforestation.

CFC substitutes, not as destructive as the original chlorofluorocarbons, and similar chemicals known as halons continue to wreak stratospheric havoc even today, more than thirty years after the Montreal Protocol. Meanwhile, the amount of yet another significant ozone layer depleter, nitrous oxide, is increasing rapidly in the skies.

In this article, find out everything you need to know about the top 3 causes and effects of ozone layer depletion. Fortunately, solutions exist to the problem of stratospheric ozone destruction. Learn how you can help rebuild the life-sustaining ozone layer and keep it intact.

What is the ozone layer?

Just two pennies thick (0.12 in.) and encircling the Earth at approximately 10-12 miles above it, the ozone layer, also called the ozonosphere, straddles the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere in Earth’s atmosphere. It acts as a dynamic filter for the ultraviolet (UV) radiation streaming from the sun.

Approximately half of less harmful, longer-wavelength UV-A rays get a pass. But almost all harmful, shorter-wavelength UV-B and UV-C rays get blocked.

Here’s a diagram that shows where the ozone layer is in the atmosphere in relation to the Earth:

The ozone layer makes life on Earth possible. As science historian Dorothy Fisk said in 1934, the ozone layer is “all that stands between us and speedy death.” The ozone layer is normally thinner at the equator and thicker at the North and South Poles.

When ozone exists in the stratosphere, it offers protection to all life forms on Earth. By contrast, ground-level ozone in smog, spewn by cars, trucks, factories, and power plants, obstructs normal breathing and is associated with higher risk for developing respiratory conditions including asthma.

Named for one of the chemicals that comprises it, the ozone layer contains ozone, a highly reactive (unstable) molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. The chemical formula for ozone is O₃.

First completely described by the British geophysicist Sydney Chapman in 1931, stratospheric ozone exists in a steady state of equilibrium with its diatomic cousin, O₂, containing only two oxygen atoms. This is the form of oxygen that humans breathe.

According to Chapman, the O₃-O₂ conversion constantly makes and remakes the ozone layer, in a dynamic exchange. Originally on Earth, billions of years before humans appeared, microscopic plants in the ocean produced oxygen (O₂) during photosynthesis.

Eventually, the oxygen traveled out into the atmosphere. Once in the stratosphere, short-wavelength UV radiation split the molecules, releasing oxygen free radicals. The oxygen radicals possess the sun’s high energy. Being so unstable, the oxygen radicals react with other O₂ molecules, forming ozone.

In turn, when ozone is struck by UV radiation, it liberates a stable diatomic molecule (O₂) and an oxygen free radical (O) in a process called photodissociation. As an energized radical, O quickly reacts with a nearby O₂ molecule, forming a new ozone molecule. Then when the sun’s rays strike the newly formed O₃, the entire process repeats.

These chain reactions happen continuously in the ozone layer (more appropriately called the O₃-O₂ layer). The global exchange between O₃ and O₂ in the ozone layer is approximately 300 million tons per day.

Here is a schematic that shows the chemical reactions between O₃ and O₂. (Note: The numerical subscripts indicate the number of atoms present in the molecule. When there is no subscript, there is just one atom.)

Besides the ability to block UV radiation, the ozone layer serves another critical function for the Earth. The pressure it exerts allows it to operate like a tight-fitting seal above the troposphere (the atmospheric layer closest to the Earth’s surface). In this capacity, the ozone layer affects Earth’s weather patterns and heat cycles.

Top 3 causes of ozone layer depletion

Ozone layer depletion refers to the situation during the O₂-O₃ inter-conversion in the stratospheric ozone layer (described in the preceding section) when the destruction of O₃ exceeds the creation of O₃. In other words, there is a net loss of ozone in favor of the formation of more O₂.

Until the 1970s, people believed the ozone layer couldn’t be affected by other chemicals. This turned out to be false, as the ozone hole attests (see below).

In the ‘70s, scientists began to investigate how other chemicals could disrupt the delicate balance of chemical reactions in the stratosphere. They were surprised that ozone layer depletion could occur. Once scientists began publicly announcing their discoveries, it set off alarms.

Spurred on by citizens’ panic, some governments placed restrictions on the production and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), believed to be the major culprits in ozone layer depletion. Others called for more study before taking action, leading to further research into the ozone layer.

Decades of research resulted in conclusive evidence that chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxides, and halogens were the top 3 causes of ozone depletion.

1. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) is the name given to a broad class of chemical compounds used as refrigerants containing just three elements: chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. Thomas Ridgley, Jr., a mechanical engineer, and his assistant, chemist Albert L. Henne, invented many of the first-generation CFCs in 1928. They called them Freon.

Similar compounds called hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were invented later.

In 1974, chemists F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina published a landmark paper in the distinguished journal, Nature. They announced their discovery that typically nonreactive CFCs, after spending decades in the troposphere close to the Earth, eventually are carried up into the stratosphere by atmospheric winds.

Like ozone, CFC molecules photodissociate upon being hit by solar ultraviolet radiation. But in this case, chlorine atoms, noted by their chemical symbol, Cl, are freed.

Encountering oxygen free radicals, present from O₃ photodissociation as explained in the previous section, chlorine reacts with them, forming chlorine monoxide (ClO). In the process, the chlorine atoms bind up oxygen free radicals. This prevents them from reforming ozone.

To make matters worse, one molecule of ClO reacts with a second oxygen radical. Diatomic oxygen (O₂) forms in a reaction that absorbs no UV light, leaving chlorine-free to react with yet another oxygen radical.

In other words, it’s as if chlorine hijacks oxygen free radicals, disrupting the normal O₂-O₃ equilibrium necessary to keep the ozone layer intact. While this is happening, solar radiation streams past, heading to Earth.

Here is a schematic that illustrates what is happening to ozone when it encounters a CFC molecule in the stratosphere:

In the stratosphere, the catalytic chain reaction involving chlorine occurs over and over until chlorine eventually encounters a methane or nitrogen dioxide molecule. They react, forming stable, heavier compounds that eventually fall back to the troposphere and land on Earth.

But the damage to the ozone layer has already been done by rogue chlorine from CFCs. In its stratospheric sojourn, a single chlorine atom destroys 100,000 or more ozone molecules. Expressed in another way, one pound of CFCs can destroy 70,000 lbs. of ozone.

Given the million or more tons of CFCs produced every year, Rowland and Marino initially predicted 20-40% of ozone layer depletion was likely if all of the CFCs made it to the stratosphere. At the time of their research, 70% of CFCs were used in aerosol spray cans for all sorts of products such as cooking spray, hair spray, and deodorant. With each spray, you’d release CFCs into the air. So most of them would eventually reach the stratosphere.

Currently, most aerosol sprays do not use CFCs. There are several alternatives including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and carbon dioxide. Today, the major use of CFCs and related compounds like HFCs is in refrigerants and air conditioners. It is also used to fluff up foam and clean electronic parts.

What is the ozone hole?

The ozone hole over Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere is not really a hole. Rather, it is an area of the stratosphere where the ozone layer has thinned considerably, allowing harmful UV radiation to reach the Earth. It begins to enlarge near the beginning of Antarctica’s spring of every year as explained below.

A similar event occurs in the Arctic, but not as dramatic. 1980s measurements revealed a 40% depletion in the ozone layer in September (the end of the Antarctic winter).

Joseph Farman at the British Antarctic Survey first observed a drastic reduction of ozone in 1981 compared to all the data he had collected since 1956. Skeptical of their veracity, he hid the data, which repeated in the following four years. Finally, in 1985, he published his measurements and shocked the world.

In 2022, the Antarctic ozone hole was approximately 9 million square miles, slightly smaller than in 2021. For comparison, that is more than twice the area of the continental U.S. The ozone hole peaked in size in 2006. Scientists state that the Montreal Protocol, the only international treaty signed by all countries, is responsible for the reduction in the size of the ozone hole. 

Here is an image of it:

The ozone hole appears due to the chlorine chemistry during the frigid polar vortex that settles over Antarctica during its winter. But how does chlorine get to the remote Antarctic?

As described in the preceding section on CFCs, chlorine atoms break away from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the presence of stratospheric UV radiation. They later attach to oxygen free radicals, leading to ozone layer depletion, in a catalytic chain reaction.

However, chlorine atoms do not immediately cause ozone depletion once they arrive in the stratosphere. In fact, the freed chlorine atoms usually become part of two other chemicals and remain in the stratosphere for some time in those relatively stable forms. These chemicals are hydrochloric acid (HCl) and chlorine nitrate (ClNO₃).

However, in the winter over Antarctica, polar stratospheric clouds form within the whirlpooling winds of frigid air in the polar vortex centered over the South Pole. Under these extraordinary conditions, HCl and ClNO₃ react. One of the major products formed is chlorine gas (Cl₂).

When spring arrives in the Antarctic, the sun’s UV radiation breaks Cl₂ gas molecules apart, liberating chlorine atoms. It is these free chlorine atoms (along with bromine, another halogen) that interfere with the O₂-O₃ equilibrium and deplete the ozone layer. Up to 2-3% of the ozone layer can be destroyed per day by this process.

Here’s a flow diagram that illustrates the entire pathway of ozone depletion caused by the halogens, chlorine, and bromine:

Has the Montreal Protocol fixed the ozone hole?

Although the Montreal Protocol and its amendments, including the most recent Kigali Amendment added in 2016 banning hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) production go far in abolishing the manufacture of ozone layer depleters, much work remains to be done to eradicate all chemicals and practices that deplete the ozone layer.

The Protocol allows the continued use of existing CFCs and does not mandate their removal or destruction. So, in 1995, the year before US production was to end, a multi-million dollar CFC black market emerged. It continues to this day and now includes HFCs.

Further, slow phaseouts of chemicals and rule exemptions slow down the reversal of ozone layer depletion. Additionally, there are some companies illegally producing some of the most ozone-destructive CFCs in recent years. Constant surveillance and enforcement are essential. If this doesn’t happen, the ozone hole could begin to enlarge again.

Furthermore, since ozone-depleting nitrous oxides (see below) are not regulated by the Montreal Protocol, their escalating use could cause further destruction of the ozone layer well into the 21st century and beyond.

2. Nitrous oxides

In 1970, atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen studied nitrous oxide (N₂O) in the stratosphere. There, the sun’s radiation splits it into nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).

Further, in a series of catalytic chain reactions, NO and NO₂ interfere with the O₂-O₃ equilibrium of the ozone layer in the stratosphere, blocking ozone formation. As a result, there is ozone layer depletion.

Here is a schematic showing these reactions:

The major source of stratospheric nitrous oxide is agriculture, especially fertilized soil and livestock manure. (It’s also used in dental offices as laughing gas.)

Unlike CFCs, nitrous oxides aren’t regulated by an international agreement. So, scientists A.R. Ravishankara, J.S. Daniel, and Robert W. Portmann of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) concluded that, left unregulated, nitrous oxide will become the leading chemical depleting the ozone layer in the 21st century. In fact, nitrous oxide emissions are twice as high as CFC emissions today.

Catalytic chain reactions in ozone layer depletion

In working on nitrous oxide chemistry, Crutzen elucidated the general series of chemical reactions that result in ozone layer depletion.

In this article, we describe how chlorine monoxide, bromine monoxide, and nitric oxide serve as the catalysts for ozone destruction in the presence of short-wavelength UV radiation. A fourth catalyst, the hydroxyl radical (OH), produced in polar stratospheric clouds, is believed to play a key role in the formation of the other radicals and in ozone layer depletion.

All catalysts share one major thing in common: they are neither consumed or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Thus, a single catalyst is free to repeat the chain reactions hundreds of thousands of times, resulting in a net loss of stratospheric ozone. This is how ozone depletion occurs. (Note: A catalyst is noted by “R” in the following reaction series from ChemTube3D.) 

R + O₃ → RO + O₂

RO + O → O₂ + R

RO + O₃ → R + 2O₂

Net Reaction (in UV light): 2 O₃ → 3 O₂

Source: ChemTube3D

Crutzen, along with Rowland and Morina mentioned in the preceding section, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on stratospheric ozone chemistry and the discovery of the ozone-depleting properties of CFCs and nitrous oxide in 1995.

When announcing the winners, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences stated:

“Even though ozone occurs in such small quantities, it plays an exceptionally fundamental part in life on earth. This is because ozone, together with ordinary molecular oxygen (O₂), is able to absorb the major part of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and therefore prevent this dangerous radiation from reaching the surface. Without a protective ozone layer in the atmosphere, animals and plants could not exist, at least not upon land.”

3. Halons (bromocarbons)

Halons are molecules containing bromine and carbon. Bromine is a member of the chemical family known as halogens, along with fluorine and chlorine.

Since chlorine atoms in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are rapid ozone depleters, you might think that bromine atoms from halons would have the same destructive effect on ozone. Actually, bromine is far worse as an ozone depleter. In fact, one pound of a common halon, called 1211, can destroy 25 tons of ozone.

In the atmosphere, bromine commonly exists in the stable forms of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and bromine nitrate (BrONO₂). However, when exposed to UV radiation, they break apart. Like free chlorine reacts with an oxygen radical to form the highly reactive ClO that causes a net loss of ozone, free bromine atoms do the same thing as BrO. Bromine atoms are 40 to 100 times as effective as chlorine at depleting ozone.

Here are reactions involving both chlorine and bromine showing how ozone is depleted and diatomic oxygen (O₂) is formed. These coupled reactions are responsible for 30-40% of ozone layer depletion in the Antarctic.

Human-made products release up to 60% of all halons in the stratosphere. The use of methyl bromide fumigants and halon fire extinguishers are the major ways bromocarbons cause ozone layer depletion. Halons are regulated under the Montreal Protocol.

Top 3 effects of ozone layer depletion

Ozone layer depletion adversely affects humans, wildlife, marine ecosystems, plants, insects, and agriculture. When the ozone layer is thinned, more harmful UV-B radiation arrives to the Earth’s surface. Furthermore, research in 2007 suggested that more deleterious UV-C radiation, commonly believed to be blocked completely by the ozone layer, was also hitting Earth’s surface. Since then, other scientists have corroborated this conclusion.

1. Human health effects

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the four major human health effects from ultraviolet radiation exposure are:

• Skin cancer: As the most common form of cancer, skin cancer affects 20% of people living in the United States. It is also easily preventable. Using sunscreen or avoiding the sun are proactive measures you can take to protect yourself from this carcinogen.

• Premature aging and other skin problems: Up to 90% of all skin changes attributable to aging are actually caused by the sun. UV radiation from the sun causes thick, wrinkled, and leathery skin. A common skin growth called actinic keratosis is a pre-cancer that could develop into full-blown cancer if not removed.

• Cataracts and other eye damage: UV radiation increases the likelihood that you’ll develop cloudy lenses (cataracts) that may lead to blindness if left untreated. Other eye damage includes pterygium (vision-blocking growth of tissue) and macular degeneration. To avoid these problems, wear sunglasses with 100% UV-A and UV-B protection.

• Immune system suppression: Although sunlight stimulates the production of vitamin D in the skin, believed to boost immunity, UV-B radiation is known to suppress the immune system. As a result, skin infections and cancer are more likely to occur.

2. Ocean ecosystem effects

Microscopic marine plants called phytoplankton are the foundation on which all marine food webs depend. Their populations are reduced by UV-B exposure. Consequently, there will be reduced fish stocks. Humans who rely on fish as their major source of protein and/or livelihood will experience malnutrition or economic hardship.

Phytoplankton researchers estimated that a 16% reduction in the ozone layer could result in a 5% die off of phytoplankton. Although 5% may not seem significant, this equals a loss of approximately 7 million tons of fish per year.

UV-B radiation also negatively affects ocean productivity in other ways. For example, photosynthesis by red, brown, and green benthic algae is significantly reduced by solar radiation. Since marine photosynthesis is responsible for producing more than half of the oxygen that humans breathe, ozone depletion is a real concern when it comes to human survival.

As previously mentioned in the section on the ozone hole, early spring is when the ozone layer is the thinnest. This happens to be the time when the early developmental stages of fish, shrimp, crabs, amphibians, and other animals occur. During these critical stages, organisms are highly sensitive to adverse environmental effects. UV-B radiation exposure interrupts normal development as well as the reproductive capacity of adults, resulting in greater mortality and smaller offspring.

3. Agricultural losses

Plants are adversely affected by UV-B radiation in several ways. Research shows some of these ways are:

• Reduction in leaf area
• Decreased stem growth
• Inhibited photosynthesis
• DNA damage
• Change in the time of flowering
• Reduction in the number of flowers

Studies done on the most common agricultural species, such as rice, soybeans, winter wheat, cotton, and corn, indicate that overexposure to UV-B reduces their size, productivity, and quality. If this occurs, food insecurity or famine could result.

Agriculture is also negatively affected by the climate crisis. With global heating comes disruptions in plant flowerings. When insects aren’t present to pollinate crops that flower out of sync with insect life cycles, crop productivity plummets.

Furthermore, several chemicals known to deplete ozone, including CFCs and nitrous oxide, are potent greenhouse gases. In effect, agriculture, on which human civilization depends, is served a double whammy.

It is difficult to determine whether crop losses are directly due to global heating, or specifically due to ozone depletion. To ensure crop productivity and quality, the elimination of CFCs and nitrous oxide will help curb the climate crisis, and preserve the ozone layer as well as biodiversity.

Top 3 solutions for ozone layer depletion

There are numerous actions that governments, corporations, and private citizens can take to prevent ozone layer depletion. Here are the top 3 solutions to ozone layer depletion.

1. Use alternatives to ozone layer-depleting chemicals

Since CFCs, halons, and nitrous oxide are commonly used or produced in most countries, you can begin to reduce your dependence on them through research to assess all the ways these chemicals directly or indirectly affect your life today. Industry is searching for replacements (with less ozone depleting potential) and alternatives (with no effect on the ozone layer) all the time, so it’s necessary to stay informed.

Note: Products or services labeled “non-CFC” or “ozone layer-friendly” often contain chemicals that destroy the ozone layer to a lesser degree than CFCs. So, you may choose to opt out.

Here are some ways that you can limit your personal contribution to ozone layer depletion.

Air conditioning

Today, most coolants are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Once thought to be non-ozone layer depleting, they have been found to be ozone-damaging like their CFC cousins.

As a private citizen, you can eschew conventional air conditioning in your home and car (if you own one). Instead, rely on natural methods to stay cool. These include drinking cold water, taking cold showers, using ceiling fans or opening windows when it’s cooler outside, keeping windows shaded when it’s hot outside, or planting trees around your home.

If you work in an air-conditioned office, you can request that the thermostat be set at 82℉ or higher. Wear light, loose cotton clothing, and keep an iced beverage close by.

Fire extinguishers

Although production of halons is now banned, they are still used. A common replacement is hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These do not deplete the ozone layer as much as CFCs, and they are powerful greenhouse gases. Some may have up to 14,000 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. By their very nature, they are gases made to be released to the environment during firefighting.

Incidentally, carbon dioxide is an alternative material used in fire extinguishers. Investing in a home sprinkling system is an alternative way to protect yourself and your home in case of fire.

You may find fire extinguishers that use recycled halon. Contact the Halon Alternative Research Corporation (HARC) for more information. They may be able to help you recycle your used fire extinguisher (with residual halon still inside).

Polystyrene (Styrofoam)

Foam cups and containers, as well as household insulation, are usually made with CFC replacements today. Note that they have a reduced ozone layer depletion potential.

You could consider eco-friendly home insulation instead. As for cups and containers, try glass or metal.

2. Practice and consume food grown by regenerative (non-industrial) agriculture

If you’re not a farmer, the most effective thing you can do to avoid contributing to nitrous oxide emissions that head to the stratosphere (unlike those in smog that stay in the troposphere) is to stop supporting industrial agriculture. Choosing an all-organic diet, grown, by law, without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, is key. Although organic fertilizers like mulch or compost contribute nitrous oxide, too, it’s not as bad compared to what synthetic fertilizers do. Since manure also contributes to nitrous oxide emissions, going vegan (no meat or dairy) is ideal.

Farmers who wish to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from their profession could transition to regenerative agriculture. With a focus on restoring soil health through minimal disturbance, indigenous knowledge, carbon sequestration, cover cropping, planned grazing, and enhanced biodiversity, regen ag holds promise as a way to safeguard the land for future generations.

You can get involved by supporting food products with regenerative organic certified labels. In 2023, as Congress writes the next Farm Bill, establishing policy for the next five years, sign the petition to give regen ag a prominent place in U.S. agriculture.

3. No flying

There has been speculation about creating a fleet of supersonic jets as recently as 2020. But, so far, it is considered cost prohibitive. The jets would dump nitrous oxide and water vapor (source of hydroxyl radicals, another catalyst) directly into the stratosphere. So, these jets would undoubtedly deplete the ozone layer.

Subsonic passenger planes produce nitrous oxide, but it likely stays in the troposphere where it creates the pollutant, ground level ozone. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas and contributes to the climate crisis. For this reason, abstaining from flying to reduce your personal carbon footprint is an important way to do so.

Key takeaways on ozone layer depletion

Without the ozone layer encircling the Earth 10-12 miles above it, life as we know it would not exist. In constant flux from the chemical reactions converting diatomic oxygen (O₂) to triatomic oxygen (O₃) and vice versa, the wispy belt just two pennies thick reflects harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation back into space.

Chlorine in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), other halogens like bromine, and nitrous oxide interfere with the O₂-O₃ chemical equilibrium in the stratosphere as catalysts in a series of chain reactions. In fact, the catalysts, when bonded to oxygen radicals, effectively halt the process of net ozone formation. Lacking an ozone filter, harmful UV-B and UV-C rays travel to Earth unobstructed.

As if this wasn’t bad enough for life on Earth, CFCs are powerful greenhouse gases. As such, they contribute substantially to the climate crisis.

Today, increased release of nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas, is causing significant disruption of the O₂-O₃ equilibrium in Earth’s stratosphere. Consequently, ozone layer depletion is still occurring. Nitrous oxide is formed during the manufacture and use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizer for industrial agriculture.

The effects of ozone layer depletion are nothing short of catastrophic. Increased cancer rates and cataracts in humans occur from UV-B exposure. Oceanic phytoplankton populations, responsible for most of the oxygen that humans breathe, plummet from UV-B exposure. Agricultural crops wither, leading to food insecurity and potentially famine.

Solutions to ozone layer depletion require system-changing adjustments to several industries supporting 21st century lifestyles in rich countries like the USA. The air conditioning sector must stop production and use of all CFCs and their chemical cousins in refrigerants. Agribusiness must stop manufacture and application of synthetic pesticides and fertilizer.

If you’re an individual striving to lead a sustainable lifestyle, you can help prevent ozone layer depletion by not relying on conventional air conditioning and agriculture. Transition to alternative ways to keep cool. Grow your own food organically or support farmers practicing regenerative agriculture.

Above all, demand that your governmental representatives take steps to write, enact, and enforce policies that require the air conditioning, refrigeration, and agricultural industries to follow ozone layer-friendly practices. Raise awareness of these problems through public protest. Encourage your friends and family to get involved.

It’s only when the necessary changes summarized here occur on all these levels that ozone layer depletion will permanently end, and the related climate crisis can be somewhat offset.

They are all critically endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This means they are facing serious environmental pressures that can soon push them over the edge to extinction in the wild.

The 42,100 species currently threatened with extinction represent only a tiny fraction of all species currently existing on planet Earth. Biodiversity is the term that includes all of nature’s species abundance. Today, biodiversity faces multiple threats.

In this article, we explore the statistics, facts and considerations relating to the top ten threats to biodiversity. Hopefully, this information will motivate you to help reverse course on these top 10 threats to biodiversity before it’s too late. Learn how below.

What is biodiversity?

Millions of years of evolution have fashioned a wide array of life forms, known as biodiversity (contraction of biological diversity or biotic diversity). Spanning all five taxonomic kingdoms of living things, scientists estimate that there may be up to one trillion species on Earth.

More conservative estimates range from 5.3 million to 8.7 million. By locating markers unique to a particular groups’ DNA (genetic) samples, scientists declare taxonomic classifications.

These varied life forms also possess definitive but invisible genetic diversity in their DNA. When the genetic diversity between individuals or distinct populations is great enough, scientists divide them into different species. In cases where there is much genetic overlap but not enough to warrant a new species declaration, biologists may make subspecies designations.

What is the sixth mass extinction?

Most scientists believe that life on Earth is currently undergoing a sixth mass extinction. This means there is a large number of distinct biological species disappearing from the planet in a short time frame. The current dieoff is comparable in scale to those of past geologic periods, making it a discrete occurrence.

To determine whether the current biodiversity loss is a distinct biological event of accelerated proportions, scientists published a 2015 article assessing the data on vertebrate extinctions. They analyzed the numbers against a background rate of extinction of two mammal extinctions per 10,000 species per 100 years. This assumption is twice as high as the commonly accepted background rate of extinction.

The researchers concluded that extinctions are happening up to 100 times faster now compared to the baseline. Other research teams, using DNA studies as well as the fossil record, recalculated a lower historical background rate of extinction. Using it, they placed today’s extinction rate at 1,000 times faster than at any time in Earth’s history.

As scientists doing this research proposed, huge population shrinkages and range losses of even “species of low concern” (i.e., those not threatened or endangered as defined by the IUCN) indicate that something different is going on in the current extinction.

Many dwindling animal and plant populations around the world signal the human causal nature of this biological event unlike all the other of Earth’s mass extinctions.

In fact, a 2022 World Wildlife Fund report concluded that since 1970, there’s been an average decline of 69% in vertebrate populations across the globe. Here are some examples from the Report:

• 83% loss in freshwater fish
• 94% decline in wildlife in Latin America and the Caribbean
• 71% reduction in sharks and rays

Due to various environmental pressures (threats to biodiversity), threatened or endangered species on the IUCN Red List are at risk of going extinct in the wild this century.

Here is a breakdown of the current status of the 42,100 species (28% of all assessed species) threatened with extinction:

For the vanishing populations of threatened or endangered species still on Earth, corrective action to eliminate threats to biodiversity must occur now or experts predict the escalating threats will cause great numbers of extinctions within decades.

Here is a table listing all mass extinctions to date with their believed causes:

During today’s sixth mass extinction, experts currently believe up to 150 species are going extinct every day. And that’s counting only the species we know of. Biologists estimate there are countless more species in existence. They are uncatalogued, possibly disappearing before scientists have a chance to discover them.

What is a biodiversity hotspot?

An idea developed by ecologist Norman Myers in 1988, biodiversity hotspots are regions with a great variety of plant species that are undergoing extreme environmental stressors such as deforestation.

The specific criteria are:

• Contains 1,500+ species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth
• 70%+ reduction in native vegetation

To indicate how minimal these criteria are, some of today’s biodiversity hotspots contain over 15,000 native plant species and have undergone a 95% habitat loss. The list includes the tropical Andes, Wallacea, Caucasus, and the coastal forests of Eastern Africa.

The map below shows where the biodiversity hotspots are:

What are the top ten threats to biodiversity?

The top ten threats to biodiversity are human behaviors, corporate practices, or governmental policies that make it difficult for other species to survive on Earth. Those listed below are inter-connected. Some of them exist in cause-and-effect relationships. The descriptions that follow highlight the major connections.

It is difficult to list the threats to biodiversity definitively in order of priority. Different criteria would alter the order. Those biodiversity threats with the greatest global impact appear closer to the top of the list. The first three fall under the general category of habitat loss.

1. Deforestation

Cutting down intact forests to make way for crops, roads, or buildings is called deforestation. By far, cutting down forests for agriculture is the major reason for this land use change. Global deforestation peaked in the 1980s, but there is still a lot going on.

To find out where deforestation is occurring anywhere in the world, the interactive tools on Global Forest Watch are useful.

Deforestation is not the same as net forest loss. The difference between deforestation and any new forest that has been planted or restored equals the net loss in forest. Since 2010, the Earth has had a net forest loss of 4.7 million hectares per year. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the deforestation rate is 10 million hectares/yr.

Here’s a helpful chart to show how humans have already cut down over 33% of the world’s forests over time.

Deforestation effect on biodiversity:

Human encroachment on wildlife habitat forces animals to flee their homes. If other natural homes aren’t available, animals die. When deforestation is common, wildlife may resettle closer to humans.

Deforestation leads to greater proximity of wild animals with humans. The spread of zoonotic diseases, jumping across species to people, becomes more likely. This is a leading hypothesis on how the SARs viruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, reached humans. Since they present new challenges to human immune systems, it’s easy to see how global pandemics can spread.

2. Industrial agriculture

Closely related to deforestation, industrial agriculture is a unique threat to biodiversity. The intensification of food production on a global scale for a burgeoning human population demands that more and more land must be cleared for crops (33% of all land) or pasture for grazing cattle (66% of total land surface).

So far, 38% of all land surface on Earth is devoted to agriculture. Wetlands are also filled for agricultural and other purposes at a rate three times faster than forests are being cut down. Six states in the United States have 85% or more of their wetlands cleared for agriculture. California, an agricultural powerhouse, has up to 91% of its wetlands converted for crops.

Aquaculture, the intensive raising of fish and seafood for human consumption, is the fastest-growing segment in animal agriculture, especially along the coastlines of many countries. Shrimp farming in particular resulted in the destruction of up to 50% of mangrove forests in the 1970s-90s. Important carbon sinks, mangroves draw down carbon from the atmosphere so it won’t contribute to the climate crisis.

Industrial agriculture’s effect on biodiversity:

The United Nations Environment Programme stated that up to 86% of all species at risk for extinction are threatened by agriculture, which they refer to as the primary driver of biodiversity loss. Up to 40% of all species live or mate in wetlands. Without habitat, species go extinct. In studies on mangrove losses and biodiversity, 70 plant species were in decline. Eleven of those were threatened with extinction.

3. Livestock production

As a category of industrial agriculture, rearing animals for food is a specific threat to biodiversity. To satisfy a growing human population’s desire for meat, livestock production is intensive. Whether it’s raising greater numbers in smaller spaces, or rearing bigger animals more quickly, livestock consume huge amounts of natural resources, especially land and water for the crops to feed livestock. This means there are fewer wild animals and plants remaining in those converted areas.

A 2015 study looking at trends in land use concluded that the land needed to support livestock for the estimated human population in 2050 was up to 50% greater than the current land allotment for livestock production in those countries. That growth would occur on 15 biodiversity hotspots where land would need to be converted. As a consequence, biodiversity would dramatically decline.

Effect of livestock production on biodiversity:

Besides the projected effects noted above, global livestock production is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases driving the climate crisis. Cattle represent 65% of those emissions, producing 44% of the methane coming from livestock production. Livestock production threatens biodiversity, which depends on a stable climate to flourish.

4. Overfishing

The fishing industry is responsible for the marine equivalent of industrial food production. Termed overfishing, the removal of individuals of a species at a rate greater than what can be naturally replenished is causing havoc in marine ecosystems.

With huge, mechanized nets trawling the deep seas — including the ocean floor — approximately 40% (63 billion pounds per year) of all live hauls is bycatch (waste). Noncommercial species are discarded.

As their populations shrink, marine species are threatened. The Marine Stewardship Council states that approximately 35% of global fish stocks are being rapidly depleted. Presently, the IUCN estimates that one-third of all sharks, rays, and chimaeras are at risk of extinction because of overfishing. Little to no regulation of the fishing industry on the international level makes saving marine species very challenging.

Overfishing effects on biodiversity:

Overfishing causes changes in species richness in food webs, often including key predator species. Likewise, it results in changes in species composition, meaning some species are under- or overrepresented. When these changes become too extreme, marine ecosystems lose their ability to function. The production of oxygen — 50-80% of all oxygen on Earth — could be compromised. So, too, could the oceans’ ability to sequester carbon, acting as a brake on the climate crisis.

5. Mining

Lithium, cobalt, copper, and cadmium are just a few of the metals that must be mined to meet the exponential demand for everything from electric vehicles to solar panels and wind turbines, as well as all handheld electronic gadgets. Analysis shows that impacts on biodiversity occur on several levels: site, landscape, regional, and global. These impacts may directly (through extraction) or indirectly (via supporting industries) impact species.

Mountaintop removal for coal mining is another type of mining. A study revealed a 40% loss in aquatic species due to mountaintop removal.

There are also newer industries for deep sea mining for mineral extraction as well as for fish and seafood. All forms of mining threaten biodiversity by eliminating animal and plant habitat.

Mining effects on biodiversity:

Similar to the projections of livestock production, research forecasts more mineral extraction in areas possessing great biodiversity (hotspots). Usually, there is significant environmental damage at mining sites. Species are not always able to cope, and might perish.

6. Climate crisis

Climate crisis refers to the human-caused increase over the last 200 years in atmospheric greenhouse gases resulting in an unstable climate. In contrast to having four distinct seasons and a normal water cycle, the world is experiencing, for example, extreme drought, massive flooding, heatwaves, bomb cyclones, and wildfires. According to United Nations experts, the climate crisis is the worst existential emergency ever faced by humankind. Similarly, as humans die or migrate in response to the climate crisis, so do other species.

Effect of the climate crisis on biodiversity:

In most cases, biodiversity loss is an effect of the climate crisis since many species are unable to adapt to climatic changes in just a few decades. Without functional ecosystems maintained in part by species diversity, it will be increasingly difficult for humans to survive, too.

7. Plastic pollution

Made from fossil fuels, plastic is destroying the planet and threatening its biodiversity just as the greenhouse gases produced by the fuels’ burning are. It is doing so in different ways.

Plastic pollution is clogging waterways all over the world, eventually collecting into massive gyres at five places in oceans and seas around the world. Indestructible, some plastic degrades into microplastic, now eaten and breathed in by humans, including fetuses as the graph below shows.

The 19% of plastic that is incinerated contributes to air pollution, the silent killer of seven million humans every year. Wildlife is easily caught up in the one million tons of ghost gear abandoned by the fishing industry every year, composing 10% of all ocean plastic pollution. Parent birds feed it to their young. Other animals ingest it in place of food. Becoming malnourished over time, they die.

Effect of plastics on biodiversity:

Biodiversity has always been adversely affected when animals get tangled in plastic netting or stuck in plastic containers. They perish, leading to the species demise when it happens too often. Logically, more plastic in waterways — as predicted for coming decades — will lead to heightened biodiversity losses.

Recent research shows that animals are ingesting and breathing microplastics. Plants take them up by their roots. All of the effects on biodiversity aren’t known as this is a relatively new phenomenon. However, one study noted some species suffer microbiome disruptions and tissue abrasions leading to outbreaks of opportunistic bacteria. If individuals weaken and die, species could perish.

8. Pesticides

Along with synthetic fertilizer, pesticides have made it possible for industrial agriculture to expand and feed billions of people in a few decades. Made from fossil fuels, pesticide production necessitates the further expansion of that industry, just like the plastics industry does. In this way, pesticide — and plastic — manufacture contributes to the climate emergency.

Pesticides are applied over the land. Runoff sends them into waterways. So, both terrestrial and aquatic species are harmed. In cases of endocrine-disrupting pesticides, male amphibians undergo chemical castration and feminization. Pesticide interference on fecundity results in smaller populations. With time the species could disappear.

Effect of pesticides on biodiversity:

An experimental study in rearing ponds showed that pesticides combined with other environmental stressors decrease biodiversity in invertebrate and large insect species by 15% and 77%, respectively. A comprehensive review of 400 studies revealed that common agricultural pesticides reduced biodiversity in soil invertebrates including earthworms, beetles, and ground-nesting bees, in 71% of all cases.

Without healthy soil, especially in a climate crisis, crop yields will be reduced. Malnutrition or starvation in humans and other species could result.

9. Invasive species

Plant, animal, and microbial species that aren’t indigenous to an area are called invasive. Sometimes they are introduced intentionally to eliminate perceived pests. Others arrive by accident. Invasive species dominate an area quickly, wiping out native species. Because of their tenacity, it is difficult to eradicate invasives completely. As a result, they threaten native biodiversity with extinction.

Effect of invasive species on biodiversity:

Invasive species hinder the growth of native species through competition for limited nutrients, sometimes acting like predators. They change the ecosystem to the natives’ detriment on a local level which could easily spread to a regional level if the invasive species isn’t controlled. It is difficult to manage invasive species’ effects on biodiversity. One research team suggested that beside controlling the invasives’ reproduction, active regeneration of a compromised ecosystem with native species is essential.

10. Human overpopulation

In 2022, the human population passed 8 billion. To make space for everyone, urban and suburban sprawl dominated the landscape. This meant further encroachment on wildlife habitat, paving it over with fossil fuels (asphalt) and concrete. Native animals and plants struggle to find a place to live.

To feed the people, industrial agriculture expanded further into natural ecosystems, chasing animals out. Many species went extinct as the graph below illustrates.

Wild animal species were brought into closer contact with humans, easing the crossover of new viruses. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers accelerated food production, but their production contributed to the climate crisis. In the environment, the chemicals harmed wildlife.

Effect of human overpopulation on biodiversity:

Besides all the effects above, human overpopulation in today’s capitalist economy results in overproduction and overconsumption of goods. The natural resources needed for this economic system to succeed are dominated by humans. Other species can’t obtain adequate land or waterway (habitat), or food. What remains may be polluted. So, they become threatened or endangered, and finally may go extinct.

Why should you care about threats to biodiversity?

There are three main reasons why you should care about threats to biodiversity.

1. Human civilization depends on biodiversity for its survival

For example, a wide diversity of pollinators is responsible for over 60% of all crops. Heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables strengthen the gene pool of those species, keeping them vibrant to ward off disease. Many medicinal plants have not been fully studied, so humanity would lose potential cures. Threats to all these forms of biodiversity endanger human civilization.

2. Biodiversity enriches the human experience

There is a synergy to natural ecosystems that is more than the sum of its parts. To appreciate its beauty, all species living harmoniously are necessary. Additionally, an individual of each species has a unique place and role to play for the proper functioning of their ecosystem. Once species are removed by extinction from the ecosystem, the entirety is in jeopardy of dying. That represents a natural loss from which humans can no longer receive inspiration, knowledge, or wisdom.

3. Biodiversity has intrinsic value

In the first two ways, biodiversity is a means to humans’ ends. But you can also view biodiversity as an end in itself. When you do, biodiversity has intrinsic value. On a practical level, this means biodiversity, and all the species that compose it, has a right to exist in their ecosystem just as humans do. Threats to biodiversity, which can cause species extinction, make it difficult for species to exercise their right. Thus, humans are morally responsible to eliminate the risks caused by the threats to biodiversity so all species may co-exist and thrive.

Some experts state that only economic degrowth — as opposed to growth — can eliminate threats to biodiversity and respect its intrinsic value. Their reasoning is based on the principle that you cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet. If you try and irrevocably degrade biodiversity, it will be gone forever.

“Wildlife is something which man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. Man can rebuild a pyramid, but he can’t rebuild ecology, or a giraffe.” 

– Joy Adamson, naturalist

What you can do to reduce threats to biodiversity

Ultimately, reducing threats to biodiversity requires systemic changes in many industrial practices and government policies in place today. Although one person cannot reform everything, collective action of millions of people following the five recommendations below can create the necessary changes in both industry and government to preserve biodiversity.

So, besides following the recommendations below, encourage all your friends and family to get on board! Do the same at work and school. Raise awareness among your neighbors and acquaintances via thought-provoking conversations that you initiate on the subjects mentioned in the following suggestions.

Finally, writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, attending community or local government meetings, or even running for public office yourself, are other ways to generate interest in reducing threats to biodiversity and actually accomplish it.

Top 5 recommendations for an individual to help reduce threats to biodiversity

Encompassing all aspects of daily living, the five recommendations below represent steps that, if adopted by the majority of people, would significantly ease the top 10 threats to biodiversity. Adopting the lifestyle depicted through these five suggestions is a public testimony to your conviction that biodiversity matters and that other species have a right to exist in their native habitats and ecosystems.

1. Choose an organic, vegan diet

Adopting an organic, plants-only diet means nothing you eat or drink requires deforestation, livestock production, overfishing, or pesticides. By choosing this lifestyle intervention, you are not contributing to four major threats to biodiversity (see list above).

2. Establish a native plant, pollinator-friendly, no-mow lawn, and garden without synthetic fertilizer or pesticides

Most lawns today are treated heavily with synthetic fertilizers, contributing to water pollution, climate crisis through nitrous oxide production, and reduced capacity for soil to sequester carbon. The production of synthetic pesticides from fossil fuels also contributes to the climate crisis. Their application on lawns is decimating bees and other pollinators. Invasive species take over, killing native plants.

By planting a no-mow lawn, you won’t need to mow, an act that contributes to the climate crisis through carbon emissions of fuel or those that went into producing the battery in electric mowers. Adopting this lifestyle choice means you personally reduce five threats to biodiversity.

3. Avoid buying plastic products

Plastic is solid fossil fuel, the burning of which contributes to the climate crisis. In the United States, less than 5% of plastic is recycled. Most of the rest is landfilled or incinerated, contributing to soil, water, and air pollution. However, 14 million tons of plastic enters the ocean every year day, where it interferes with marine life in many ways, reducing populations. A plastic-free life means you’ve reduced two threats to biodiversity.

4. Limit the amount of consumer goods you purchase

Capitalism thrives on overconsumption of inexpensive goods. Manufacturing them with cheap plastic, made of fossil fuels, in factories run on fossil fuels is detrimental to biodiversity. Deforestation to clear land for more factories and to make wood products (furniture, paper) also occurs as huge corporations expand even further. Any consumer good that runs on batteries necessitates mining for minerals. Limiting the consumer goods you purchase equates to a personal reduction in four threats to biodiversity.

5. Participate in public protests to demand governments make and enforce laws intended to reduce biodiversity threats and protect species

To express your disagreement with accelerating biodiversity loss and your renunciation of all ten threats to biodiversity, participation in public protests is recommended. When large enough numbers of people step out together, on a regular basis, you’re setting the stage for systemic change in industry and government to occur. When you do, voluntary agreements like that from the 2002 COP15, to respect the rights of nature and preserve 30% of all land and waterways for biodiversity, may become mandatory.

Are threats to biodiversity related to the climate crisis?

In most cases, biodiversity loss is an effect of the climate crisis. Many species are unable to adapt to climatic changes occurring in their natural lifespans. They have evolved over millions of years to fit in a very particular niche in their ecosystem. It may take just as long for a species to “adapt” to the climate crisis — if that’s even possible. Viewed in this way, the climate crisis is one of the 10 major threats to biodiversity.

The seasonal availability of a food source during migration, or the lengthy winter for dormancy or hibernation, are just two examples of how climate impacts a species’ niche. Timing is carefully orchestrated. When synchronicity fails, species move toward a precipice of collapse, just like the global climatic system is doing right now.

If a species’ niche is upset due to rapid climatic changes, individcduals perish. If this happens to most in a population, regional extinctions occur. Total species extinctions may follow.

How are biodiversity loss and the climate crisis “two sides of the same coin”?

When experts describe the climate crisis as the flip side to biodiversity loss, the ten threats to biodiversity explained here contribute to the climate crisis as well as result in species or ecosystem diversity loss. In other words, the threats to biodiversity can be contributing causes of the climate crisis just as the climate emergency causes biodiversity loss.

Interestingly, some efforts to halt the climate crisis, such as massive tree plantings or the creation of bioenergy, could accelerate biodiversity loss. There is no doubt that there are many inter-connections as well as reinforcing or antagonistic relationships between the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.

What are co-extinctions and their impact on biodiversity?

New research modeled the likelihood of “co-extinctions” as part of extinction cascades in a given ecosystem. Species that depended on another species for their own survival also went extinct following the extinction of that species. 

Examples include flowers that lose their pollinator insects or predators that lose their prey. In these and similar cases, the climate crisis is the primary cause of the secondary extinctions. 

The scientists predicted that up to 34% more species will go extinct compared to the number from studies that do not take co-extinctions into account. This means 10% of land animals could disappear from particular regions by mid-century. Almost 30% could vanish by 2100. The new modeling more than doubles earlier predictions.

Key takeaways on threats to biodiversity

In 2021, 23 species were declared extinct in the United States. Today, estimates place it at one species going extinct somewhere in the world every ten minutes.

Scientists believe that because of the 10 human-caused threats described in this article, species are undergoing the sixth mass extinction. These major threats to biodiversity include:

• Deforestation
• Overfishing
• Livestock production
• Climate crisis
• Pesticides

The underlying cause of the top ten threats to biodiversity is the belief that economic growth is the highest good a society can achieve. Thus, nations and corporations seek to increase their gross domestic product (GDP) without including environmental costs. They usually do not regenerate damaged or destroyed ecosystems properly — if at all.

Some experts believe the threats to biodiversity can be eliminated or reduced in the time needed to save many species only if degrowth becomes the new economic norm.

The actions individuals can take to help lessen the threats to biodiversity include:

1. Choosing an organic, vegan diet
2. Establishing a pollinator-friendly lawn and garden
3. Avoiding plastic products
4. Limiting the amount of consumer goods you purchase
5. Participating in public protests to demand governments make and enforce laws intended to reduce biodiversity threats and protect species

However, the stakes couldn’t be higher. In 2021, over 2.5 million acres of ponds, reservoirs, and lakes were deemed unsafe in the U.S. alone.

Water pollution can potentially damage aquatic ecosystems and human life for generations to come. More than 50 diseases are linked to poor drinking water quality, and 80% of diseases worldwide are related to poor drinking water quality.

Water pollution can lead to harmful medical conditions such as diarrhea, skin diseases, malnutrition, cancer, and even death for those, especially at risk – like children and the elderly.

Animals and plants that reside in either saltwater or freshwater environments are also increasingly affected by polluted waters. Chemicals and pollutants can impact water temperature and potentially disrupt or kill marine life unused to higher temperatures.

In this article, we’ll dive into everything you need to know on this issue, and what the most common causes of water pollution are.

What is water pollution – and why is it a problem?

Caring for our environment not only has to do with making greener shopping choices, but also preserving the natural resources that are essential to all life on Earth. In its three phases – solid, liquid, and gas – water ties together the major parts of the Earth’s climate system: air, clouds, the ocean, lakes, vegetation, and glaciers.

Water is polluted when harmful substances like chemicals contaminate a waterway. These toxic substances render the water unusable for drinking, cooking, swimming, and cleaning.

Pollutants can include anything from trash to bacteria to parasites, but there are many more causes of water pollution to be aware of.

And because our atmosphere and waters are connected through the water cycle, pollution of all kinds has the power to damage waters further.

All forms of pollution, in fact, eventually make their way into the water. 

Air pollution settles onto lakes and oceans, and land pollution can seep into soil, underground waters, and eventually the ocean. Because water is considered a universal solvent, it is the most vulnerable to pollution and is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth.

Let’s dive into the bodies of water most susceptible to water pollution: groundwater, ocean water, and surface waters.

Groundwater

Groundwater exists underground in saturated zones beneath the land surface. Underground, groundwater fills in the spaces between sand, gravel, and other rick forms. Gravity pulls water down towards the center of the earth, and it gradually fills in the fractures in rock and sediment.

Groundwater flows naturally out of these rock materials or can be drawn up to the surface, and these rock materials are called aquifers. Water flows slowly and horizontally through aquifers towards bodies of water like rivers and lakes.

Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants like pesticides, fertilizers, and waste make their way into aquifers. A large number of the world’s population uses groundwater as drinking water, so the pollution of this resource can leave thousands of people without clean drinking water.

Surface water

Surface water is any body of water found on the Earth’s surface, including saltwater and freshwater found in our oceans, rivers, streams, and lakes.

Because it is more accessible than groundwater, surface water is heavily relied on by humans around the world for drinking water and farming, in addition to the wildlife that rely on these bodies of water. In 2015, almost 80% of all water used in the U.S. came from surface water.

Spills of harmful substances can cause surface water pollution. Typically, improperly treated wastewater or an industrial operation, erosion, or runoff resulting from a rain storm is the culprit of surface water pollution. Runoff can be contaminated because it picks up pollutants from the land it flows across and deposits elsewhere.

Ocean water

The preservation of our oceans is crucial to the survival of millions of marine animals, fish, and plant species. And yet, ocean waters are some of the most extensive grounds for water pollution, most of which is caused by human activity.

80% of ocean water pollution originates on land, where it can be transported from storm drains and sewers. Pollution on the sand from single-use plastics and other waste can hurt marine life, break down over time, and dissolve in the ocean.

Ocean waters can also be polluted by ocean dumping, on-land machinery like cars and trucks, in addition to airplanes and boats in the ocean. Like groundwater, ocean water can also absorb chemical pollutants and agricultural runoff that damage marine life substantially.

How pollutants enter our waters 

Pollutants can enter bodies of water in a few ways: point, nonpoint, and transboundary sources.

• Point source pollution is a single, identifiable source of pollution, like a pipe or a drain that deposits industrial waste into rivers and oceans. Another example of point source water pollution is a factory smokestack that emits carbon monoxide into the air, which eventually makes its way into waters.

• Nonpoint sources of pollution are harder to define. They are often described as diffuse pollution, because they refer to pollution impacts that occur over a large area and cannot be easily attributed to a single source. Nonpoint sources are often associated with the use of certain lands that contribute pollutants to air and water. Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water pollution in U.S. waters, but it’s difficult to regulate, since there’s no single, identifiable culprit.

• Transboundary pollution is the result of contaminated water from one country spilling into the waters of another. Transboundary contamination can result from a disaster like a major oil spill that travels through waters.

So, what are the main causes of water pollution?

There are a large number of causes of water pollution that originate and travel to waters via a variety of different origins. Let’s understand the main causes of water pollution, and how they occur.

Sewage and wastewater

Wastewater is used water that comes from bathrooms, factories, and various commercial and agricultural activities. This wastewater usually contains harmful biological contaminants such as bacteria and pathogens. Even when the used water is treated, these contaminants can remain and still cause harm when released into other water sources.

Sewage and wastewater are released into the sea with fresh water, where the pathogens and bacteria found in that wastewater can breed disease and cause health issues in humans and animals alike.

Despite the many wastewater treatment plants that operate around the U.S. and the world, these systems are often aging and cannot handle increased capacity: each year, sewage treatment systems release more than 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater. Each year, the impact of sewage and wastewater grows even direr.

Global warming

Rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gasses – such as carbon dioxide emissions – heat water and reduce its oxygen content.

Just how much can greenhouse gasses raise the water temperature? Besides the water vapor naturally present in the air through evaporation, the anthropogenic greenhouse gasses retain 7% more moisture for each 1℃ (1.8℉) rise in temperature.

In addition, when temperatures rise, certain species cannot survive. Their deaths further pollute the waters. One example of this is the bleaching of coral reefs that is occurring around the world.

The rise in temperatures causes coral to reject the microorganisms that depend on it, resulting in great damage to the entire coral reefs and all the marine life that depends on it.

Agricultural operations and livestock

Often, agricultural water pollution is considered to originate from nonpoint sources. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agricultural activities that cause pollution can include:

• Poorly located or managed animal feeding operations
• Overgrazing
• Plowing too often or at the wrong time
• Improper, excessive, or poorly timed application of pesticides, irrigation water, and fertilizer

As a result of these activities at the many farms and ranches around the U.S. and world, several pollutants are released such as sediment, nutrients, pathogens, pesticides, metals, and salts.

The United States Geological Survey reports that about a half million tons of pesticides, 12 million tons of nitrogen, and 4 million tons of phosphorus fertilizer are applied annually to crops in the continental U.S.

This massive amount of chemicals will enter into and pass through every water system component, including our air, soil, streams, wetlands, and of course, groundwater.

There are several techniques that farms can utilize to mitigate these effects, such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which encourages natural barriers and limits pesticide use.

Fuel spillages

Fuel spillages and dumping is another of the primary causes of water pollution globally. Though disastrous accidental oil spills come to mind, like the 1991 Gulf War Oil Spill that resulted in 240 million gallons of oil spilled, damaging materials can contaminate the ocean in several different ways.

Every year, it is estimated that more than 1 million gallons of oil contaminate our oceans. Oil leaks and spills can happen in many ways, whether it be by accident while mining oil from the Earth or from oil rig malfunctions. When oil spills occur, they often kill thousands of marine life species at once.

The damage inflicted by oil spills is usually impossible to truly resolve.

Aside from oil leaks and spills, the dumping of contaminated, toxic waste material into the ocean is another large cause of water pollution. These toxic materials include dredged material, industrial waste, sewage sludge, and radioactive waste.

In addition to marine dumping, land-based sources of fuel and toxic chemicals also play a huge part in water pollution. Runoff carries fuels from factories, farms, and cities into the ocean.

Industrial operations

Industrial operations at sites around the world are major causes of water pollution. Because many industrial sites produce toxic chemical waste and pollutants, these materials can easily sink into soil, and waters that lead directly to oceans or lakes.

The toxic chemicals in the waste produced by industrial operations not only have the potential to make water unsafe for human consumption, they can also cause the temperature in freshwater systems to change, making them dangerous for many water-dwelling organisms.

A prominent example of industrial wastewater pollution comes from mining: mining has impacted thousands of miles of streams and rivers throughout the eastern and western U.S. due to active and historic mining of iron, copper, lead, gold, platinum, silver, and other materials.

Deforestation

You may be thinking – what does deforestation have to do with water pollution? Deforestation is actually one of the main causes of water pollution, and if our forests continue to be cut down, our waters will suffer.

When rainfall, runoff, or wind detaches soil particles, erosion occurs. However, healthy forests can act as a sort of filter to keep pollution out of water, anchoring soil against erosion and helping the forest absorb nutrients, according to the World Resources Institute.

Thus, when forests are disturbed, sediment can flow more easily into streams and bodies of water. Toxic materials are picked up and carried with these sediments into water, polluting it further.

In addition, forests provide drinking water to more than 33% of the largest cities in the world. The quality and existence of clean drinking water is essentially linked to forests.

Radioactive substances

Radioactive waste is a byproduct emitted from nuclear reactors, fuel processing plants, as well as hospitals and research facilities that use radioactive materials for research and treatments. Radioactive waste is also generated while decommissioning and dismantling nuclear reactors and other nuclear facilities.

Unfortunately, radioactive waste can remain present in the environment for thousands of years. When radioactive wastes are dumped in bodies of water, they contaminate the waters and can damage water supplies and human health.

Radioactive contamination is more prevalent in groundwater as compared to surface water because it is more exposed to the radioactive elements that naturally occur in rocks and magma.

Maritime traffic

According to ocean conservation non-profit Oceana, over 90% of world trade is carried across the world’s oceans by some 90,000 marine vessels. Whether for consumer or commercial purposes, these ships emit greenhouse gasses that significantly contribute to climate change.

In fact, the total international carbon emissions from ocean-going shipping in 2018 was estimated to be a massive 1,056 million tonnes. In addition, much of the plastic pollution in the ocean comes from fishing boats, tankers, and cargo shipping.

Organizations like Oceana have made recommendations to curb the global carbon emissions from maritime traffic, one of the main causes of water pollution. Some of their suggestions for shipping fleets is to take technical and operational measures like speed reductions, weather routing, and fuel switching.

Final thoughts on the causes of water pollution

Reducing water pollution is essential to mitigating climate change for generations to come.

The causes of water pollution, from industrial operations to radioactive waste and wastewater dumping, are causing serious damage to aquatic and human life around the world.

If global organizations, governments, and industries do not take certain measures to curb their release of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, soil, and water, the effects of water pollution will continue to damage our planet.

Keen to learn more? Here are 20 facts about water pollution that may surprise you.

Today, over 2 billion people live in water-stressed countries. By 2025, half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity. Whether it be a lack of freshwater supplies or that water is polluted or inadequate for consumption, water scarcity is a critical issue facing our entire world.

While the stakes are high, several water scarcity solutions are being implemented worldwide that are helping make a difference in supplying clean and ample fresh water for global populations. Let’s examine these solutions and how they can help curb the ever-growing water crisis.

The current situation: examining the global water crisis

Water scarcity is thought of as a lack of clean and ample water supply that can be physically accessed in a given area. As the United Nations explains, water scarcity increases as demand for fresh water increases, and/or as a water supply is diminished by decreasing quality or quantity of water.

Lack of clean, plentiful water is a problem for more reasons than you might think. It prevents access to water for drinking, cooking, and practicing basic hygiene and safe medical operations.

Polluted or contaminated water can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening illnesses like typhoid, cholera, or hookworm. When water is scarce, sewage systems can also fail, increasing the spread of water-borne diseases.

Children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups are most at risk for these diseases: 2 million people die each year from diarrheal diseases alone.

Scarce water also costs more for citizens and countries as a whole: water scarcity can have long-term negative impacts on a country’s economy and growth.

When water supplies are contaminated, fresh water is also harder to find. Around the world, poor and marginalized groups are impacted the most by the water crisis, particularly women and children, who have to spend more time finding and retrieving clean water today.

What’s causing water scarcity around the world?

Before we examine the most prominent water scarcity solutions, it’s essential to understand what is causing the global water crisis. From population growth to climate change, experts say several phenomena are driving the lack of clean water supplies worldwide.

Pollution

When pollutants enter the atmosphere, seep into the soil, or travel through waterways, they harm aquatic life, cause diseases in humans, and contaminate water supplies. Over time, marine ecosystems are damaged and can even be unable to support plant and animal life.

Water pollution can come from many sources: pesticides, untreated human wastewater, industrial waste, fertilizers, household chemicals, and more. Because of the water cycle, pollutants in our atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane, also make their way into waters.

Once a drinking water supply is contaminated with one or some of these substances, it is no longer usable. This puts already vulnerable populations at risk for increased diseases.

When examining water scarcity solutions, it’s apparent that addressing water pollution is essential for the lives of our ecosystems, plant, and animal life, and future generations.

Population growth

The demand for water for agricultural, residential, and industrial use increases each year. Water demand follows population growth, changing consumption patterns, and economic development around the world.

The human population has more than doubled in the last 50 years, and estimates predict that by 2050 the global population will increase to between 9.4 to 10.2 billion people, an increase of 22-32%. This increasing global population means that water supplies will be even more scarce than they already are.

In the last 100 years, water demand has increased by 600%, especially in urban areas where population steadily increases, or impoverished areas where the necessary infrastructure was not implemented. Increasing demand for water strains infrastructure or means there isn’t enough clean water available to everyone in a community.

New population members need food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities, resulting in additional pressure on water supplies by producing energy and commodities.

Climate change

Climate change is damaging our world in many different ways, and water supplies are no exception. Climate change is making water scarcity worse for several reasons:

• Global warming is causing temperatures to rise, which increases water demand.
• Unpredictable extreme weather events like floods and droughts are happening more frequently, exacerbating water scarcity.
• The water that is held in our soil, snow, and ice is diminishing as these resources melt or become unusable.

The water crisis and climate crisis are inextricably linked: as climate change worsens, so will global water scarcity, and vice versa. In this way, climate solutions that address pollution and greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale will also help address the issue of water scarcity.

Lack of infrastructure

The lack of adequate monitoring infrastructure leads to misallocated and wasted water supplies. In addition, aging water distribution systems waste water yearly, whether through leaky pipes or water main breaks. According to the American Water Works Association, 2 trillion gallons of water is wasted yearly in the U.S.

However, developing nations are impacted the most by water shortages and extreme weather events because they often lack the resources to recuperate from damage that was done. Many countries do not have adequately developed water monitoring systems that can help balance the water needs of communities and the wider economy, particularly in times of scarcity.

Despite the economic and environmental impact of this water loss, widespread investment in water infrastructure, especially in developing nations, has been hindered by several barriers, one of which being that this infrastructure requires a high, long-term investment that must be maintained for years on end.

Agricultural and food operations

Today, agricultural operations use 70% of the world’s accessible freshwater. Unfortunately, around 60% of this precious water is wasted due to:

• Inefficient water application methods
• The growth of crops that are too thirsty for their environment
• Leaky irrigation systems and infrastructure

The large volume of wasted water is diminishing freshwater supplies around the world, especially in countries like India, China, and the U.S., where large amounts of food are produced.

Food production, particularly the production of meat, uses a large amount of water as well. On average, a single pound of beef takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce, most of which goes towards watering the grass where cattle graze and forage throughout their lives.

Agricultural and food operations not only use – and waste – a large amount of our global water supply, but they also cause a great deal of water pollution. Whether it be fertilizer, pesticides, or mismanaged sewage, these industrial operations release contaminants that seep into our soil, groundwater supplies, and bodies of water through runoff.

Today, chemicals used for agriculture around the world currently amount to 2 million tons per year, with herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides used the most.

For example, arsenic is a byproduct of industrial and agricultural operations. It’s toxic to living things, however: too much arsenic in water or food supplies can cause serious health issues for those exposed to it.

Which areas are the most water-stressed?

Though the water crisis poses an existential threat to the entire world, many countries will not face the repercussions of water scarcity as harshly as others.

Countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia consistently face water shortages, due to extreme weather events, economic instability, and the other effects of climate change.

Among the top countries with the highest percentage of the population lacking basic access to water are:

• Papua New Guinea: where a shocking 63.4% of people lack basic water services.
• Lebanon: it is reported that more than 71% of Lebanon’s population faced critical water shortages.
• Afghanistan: it is estimated that 8 out of every 10 Afghans drink unsafe water.
• Uganda: where 61.1% of people lack basic water services.

Unfortunately, many more countries face dire water shortages today, and more and more citizens will lose access to safe water sources.

Ongoing drought, flooding, government upheaval, inflation, rapid urbanization, and lack of adequate infrastructure are just some of the reasons that the water crisis has been exacerbated in these regions.

Water scarcity solutions

Though estimates project that water scarcity will become worse in the coming years, there are several non-profits, environmental advocacy groups, and governments working to develop water scarcity solutions on a large scale that address the complex issue of water availability.

However, you can also practice some of these solutions at home to play your part in combating water waste and living a more sustainable lifestyle. 

1. Sustainable water management

In most countries, water is mismanaged and/or existing water infrastructure is aging or not completed. Conserving water and increasing the efficiency of these systems is a key part of sustainable water management, and integrated water resources management (IWRM) is a proven solution to these challenges.

IWRM provides a broad framework for governments to align water use patterns with the needs and demands of different users, including the environment.

This water scarcity solution can control water stress by:

• reducing losses from water distribution systems
• safe wastewater reuse
• desalination
• appropriate water allocation

The IWRM framework allows governments to work together to decide the goals of water management for their specific region. Because every country has vastly different socio-economic structures, environmental features, and history, IWRM can be adapted to meet the needs of each situation.

At its core, however, IWRM depends on:

• Good quality data on water resources
• Water-saving, green technologies (particularly in industry and agriculture)
• Education campaigns to reduce wasted water and encourage sustainable diets and consumption

2. Invest in emerging technologies

IWRM is not the only water scarcity solution that requires technological upgrades. Innovative, green technology is at the forefront of addressing water shortages today.

One such process is water reuse, which reclaims water from a variety of sources – like groundwater recharge, wastewater, and agricultural reuse – and then treats and reuses the water for agriculture and irrigation, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes, environmental restoration, and potable water supplies, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Rainwater harvesting and recycled wastewater ease pressure on groundwater and other natural bodies of water.

Another example of sustainable emerging technologies is efficient solar desalination systems, which are showing promise as far as desalinating seawater or brackish water using renewable solar energy.

Smart irrigation systems are already used at many commercial and residential properties, and these systems use advanced controls to minimize wasted water for irrigation.

3. Awareness and advocacy

Another key water scarcity solution is education about the importance of water resources and their protection. Many citizens still do not understand how dire the water crisis is, and that their access to adequate water supplies is in jeopardy. 

Organizations and individuals can also work to advocate for adequate health and water requirements in their cities, states, and countries.

Regardless of where you live, everyone has a personal responsibility to conserve water. Here are some simple habit changes and upgrades you can make at home or in your daily life to conserve water:

• Fill sinks with water when washing dishes instead of letting the water run.
• Do not let the water run when brushing your teeth.
• Swap fixtures and appliances for more water-efficient options.
• Flush toilets only when necessary.
• Address leaks in bathtubs, faucets, and toilets.
• Use a bucket to catch running water while waiting for the shower to heat up.
• Replace your high-flow showerhead with a low-flow one.
• Reduce your meat and poultry intake and opt for less water-intensive meals.
• Use a broom to clean sidewalks instead of water hoses.

Over time, making these switches at home can make a big difference in water conservation efforts in your area, and save you money on water bills as well.

4. Reduce pollution and improve sewage management

All forms of pollution eventually make their way to water: our atmosphere, land, and bodies of water are connected. When toxic substances are released into the air, our water and soil suffers. Thus, reducing all forms of pollution, especially direct water pollution, serves as a critical water scarcity solution.

Proper sewage management is a critical part of this solution. Without proper sanitation, water becomes contaminated and unsafe to use, even spreading diseases among communities. It’s estimated that 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are dumped into U.S. waters each year.

Untreated sewage contains biological pollutants like bacteria and pathogens. Stormwater drains carry waters that contain contaminants like fertilizers into nearby rivers, lakes, and waterways, where they are dumped.

Inevitably, these contaminants make their way into groundwater and freshwater supplies. Up to 80% of illnesses in the developing world are linked to inadequate water and sanitation.

However, new strategies are offering promising ways to address this issue, such as decentralizing local treatment systems to improve efficiency, keep resources local, and lower costs. Treatment systems are also beginning to recognize and control excess nutrients that they release, such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

5. Optimize agricultural irrigation

Another critical water scarcity solution involves improving agricultural irrigation. With almost 70% of the world’s freshwater being used for agriculture, we must act to increase irrigation efficiencies and reduce water waste.

Altering farming practices such as rotating crops, or planting crops according to the seasons and soil conditions, and conservation tillage, enhancing soil with the previous crop residue, help improve soil moisture so that land requires less frequent watering. For large-scale farming operations, these practices can help conserve precious water resources.

Collecting and utilizing data to ensure that water is not wasted is also a part of this solution. Enhanced soil moisture sensors, monitoring, and communications systems are already helping provide this data to improve irrigation efficiency.

Water scarcity solutions are essential

It’s clear that prioritizing water scarcity solutions is essential to the health of billions of people, plants, and animal species. 

Water scarcity is at the center of the water crisis, and these two dire issues must be addressed in tandem. By investing in existing infrastructure and green technologies, especially in developing nations, we can work to preserve our water supplies and keep water safe for consumption.

As an individual, you have the opportunity to reduce your water use and make more mindful swaps in your daily life to conserve water. Over time, these seemingly small actions will make a difference.

To prevent the ecosystem collapse that would come from exhausting the Earth’s key resources, mankind needs to make efforts to safeguard the raw materials that remain. In this article, we share how to conserve natural resources with 20 ways to slow or stop the resource depletion that is taking place right now.

Natural resources are the Earth’s resources

Natural resources are materials that are naturally occurring and drawn from the environment for use by man. These are the raw materials that go into the foods we eat, and products we use, shelter us, and power our vehicles, homes, and businesses.

Examples of natural resources include:

• Soil
• Water
• Air
• Fossil fuels
• Minerals
• Metals
• Trees and vegetation
• The animal kingdom

Why is it important to conserve natural resources?

Many natural resources are abundant and replenished after use, but some are becoming depleted as a consequence of increasing demand. Without action to conserve key natural resources future generations won’t have access to them.

Worse still, the natural resources that are being exhausted underpin the stability and ongoing function of the ecosystems that living things are reliant on. Depletion or contamination of water, air, tree, or soil makes regions uninhabitable, reflected in a loss of biodiversity and a precipitous decline in human health.

Natural resource conservation is non-negotiable as the environmental degradation that would result from the depletion of key natural resources would threaten all life on Earth. Resource scarcity is already a recognized driver of poverty, wars, and population displacement so an acceleration in such shortages would lead to tumultuous circumstances for all.

How to conserve natural resources

Natural resources are essential to life so we should make every effort to preserve them for use by future generations. Here are 20 ways to conserve natural resources.

1. Reduce, reuse, and recycle

Runaway consumption is driving the depletion of our natural resources. In many economically and technologically advanced nations, people are increasingly disconnected from the sources of the natural resources they consume. It is, therefore, easy to discard items that, with a little TLC, could have their shelf-life extended.

Case in point, electronic waste. 50 million metric tons of e-waste, including laptops, phones, microwaves, and kettles, hit the landfill each year. These items could be repaired or have the useful plastic and metal within them recovered and recycled to reduce the consumption of raw materials to make new goods.

Efforts to introduce circular economies for common products will require public education and engagement so that people can change habits that lead to high levels of waste.

2. Composting waste will do a world of good to our soils and drive down landfill volumes

Composting has so many restorative benefits to our environment. It makes sense that the organic matter and nutrients in the food and other materials we consume should be biodegraded and returned to the earth in a practical way. In the US, 28% of waste that hits the landfill could have been composted.

Here are some of the benefits that increasing compositing could deliver:

• Curbing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.
• Reducing greenhouse gasses through being used to grow plants that absorb and use CO₂.
• Replenishing depleted soils with organic matter, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, and making environments more resilient to climate extremes.

3. Advance recycling technology to reclaim more from our waste

Despite the global recycling rate stagnating at a low of 19%, the exploitation of natural resources for new materials continues to accelerate. Recycling is energy intensive and expensive, meaning that waste management companies, governments, and local authorities are often reticent to invest in recycling.

But the development of improved technologies that increase the volume and diversity of recycling could be the driver of increased adoption.

Current advancements in recycling are targeting mechanical recycling processes, which are reliant on clean and sorted waste. New technologies have been developed to expand the range of plastics that can be recycled and develop recycled materials that have more end-market applications.

Construction of an advanced hydrothermal recycling plant is currently underway in Dow’s Böhlen site in Germany. The plant is capable of producing virgin-equivalent polyethylene that is suitable for medical and automotive applications.

4. Starve the single-use plastics market

Plastics not only consume natural resources in the form of oil but also are pervasive polluters of our environment. The manufacture of new plastics uses about 4% of oil production, and despite being highly recyclable, only 9% of the world’s plastic is reused or recycled.

There are so many less polluting and sustainable alternatives to plastics, making disposable plastics completely unnecessary. However, while it remains profitable to produce them, they will continue to be made.

There have been legislative efforts and initiatives to reduce or frankly ban single-use plastics, but perhaps the most powerful deterrent of all will be consumer choice. As consumers and businesses increase their rejection of plastic, consumer-packaged goods(CPG) companies will be forced to use other materials.

5. Park that car to reduce fossil fuel consumption and air pollution

The internal combustion engine (ICE) ranks as one of mankind’s greatest inventions, but in many societies, car journeys have become the default mode of travel despite their significant environmental impact.

In the USA, more than half of all car journeys are under three miles, with 28% of car journeys under a mile in length. These short car journeys are the most energy-inefficient and polluting car journeys, and while it is unlikely everyone will become Amish shortly, efforts to reduce these journeys could have a significant impact on resource consumption.

The Environmental Protection Agency has already found that leaving the car for journeys under one mile could deliver:

• A $575 million saving in fuel costs.
• A reduction in CO₂ emissions of over 2 million metric tons per year.
• The equivalent of taking more than 400,000 cars off the road each year.
• $900 million of savings overall, including costs for vehicle maintenance and tire replacement.

6. Cut out processed food!

Much has been said about the environmental impact of raising livestock and eating meat, which has been done by mankind for thousands of years. Rather than stop eating meat, we need to encourage animal husbandry in landscapes with deteriorated soils so that their dung can return vital nutrients to the earth.

Intensive farming fuels a resource-intensive processed food industry that degrades the environment and harms human health. The production of ultra-processed foods like fast-food takeaways, sugars, and oils generates some of the largest emissions in the food sector.

A study by the University of Sheffield found that ultra-processed foods are taking up an increasing proportion of human diets. By reducing these unhealthy foods, we can reduce the pressure on the natural resources that are used to produce them.

7. Demolish the global food mountain

10% of the world’s population is going hungry right now, while 2.5 billion tons, a third of the food the world produces each year, goes to waste.

Many organizations and think tanks suggest that overpopulation is driving accelerated natural resource consumption in the agricultural sector. But there is sufficient food being produced at every stage of the food life cycle.

This unacceptable situation points to the catastrophic wastage of a heavily industrialized agricultural sector. By minimizing (or ideally eliminating this waste), the natural resources that would be used to produce additional food are conserved.

Strategies for reducing food waste include ensuring that hungry people are fed, repurposing wasted or spent food oils for biodiesel production, and creating a more responsive distribution and supply chain for foods so they can get to the most food-insecure populations rather than perish.

8. Planting trees protects soils, sustains communities, and balances atmospheric gasses

Trees are being cut down at a rate of over 15 billion per year. It’s clear that deforestation is a runaway problem and without action to stop the loss of trees and forests, the environment will become irreparably degraded.

Recognizing the precipitous decline in forest cover, people and organizations across the world are making efforts to plant trees, to recover their essential benefits to ecosystems and communities. Planting trees delivers the following benefits:

• Prevention of soil erosion: The loss of trees and their roots which hold and exchange nutrients with soil, leads to rapid loss of the nutrient and moisture-rich humus layers, desiccation, and degradation of the land. Sloped land without trees is also vulnerable to mudslides.

• Filtration of air pollution:  Many tree species actively remove pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone from the air. Targeted plantings in areas with high levels of air pollution can help improve air quality for local people.

• Provision of a carbon sink: Trees are a mighty carbon sink. They thrive on carbon dioxide, turning it into sugar and using it for growth! New forests will act as reservoirs that soak up CO₂ from the atmosphere and turn it into useful growth and a sustainable supply of wood and energy.

• Creation of habitats: Trees form the foundation of thriving habitats where species of almost every class can thrive. Wildlife will soon be attracted to newly forested areas, renewing biodiversity.

9. Water conservation strategies can help to safeguard the Earth’s freshwater

Despite being such an abundant resource, only a very small proportion of the Earth’s water is usable. Freshwater represents just 3% of the Earth’s total water volume, with 0.3% of that amount being the readily accessible surface water we find in rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Though water is continuously cycled in our environment and is essentially a closed system, human demands on natural freshwater resources like groundwater can lead to levels becoming depleted at a faster rate than they can be replenished.

Depleted groundwater resources are an international issue, especially in regions where populations are dense. Water conservation strategies like rainwater collection, using less water, and repairing leaks in municipal water systems, can go a long way to maintaining the availability of this vital natural resource in the long term.

10. Invest in landfill mining

Rather than mining virgin natural resources, why not mine the natural resources that are in municipal solid waste? Well, landfill mining and reclamation (LFMR) has been taking place since the 1950s but requires significant investment to become routine.

In LFMR, landfilled solid waste is actively excavated and reprocessed for the recovery of valuable metal, combustible materials for pelleting, and other recyclable materials. Hazardous waste can also be recovered and disposed of more appropriately, and the landfill soils can be aerated, improving environmental conditions.

11. Minimize air travel

In modern times, air travel has become relatively cheap and convenient, making flights to a range of domestic and international destinations a matter of choice rather than necessity. But air travel is also a big polluter, consuming large amounts of non-renewable fossil fuels.

In addition, many airplanes fly with a significant proportion of empty seats. Industry rules on airport usage compel many airlines to fly empty airplanes to keep their spot at airports. This incredibly wasteful practice is known as ‘ghost flights.’

Of course, aviation fuel is taxed, but there are few incentives to encourage airlines to make aviation more sustainable and reduce its consumption of natural resources. Here are some ideas:

• Tackling ghost flights by reforming the system by which airport slots are allocated to airlines.
• Investing in an enhanced road and rail infrastructure.
• Setting industry-wide minimum seat occupancy levels.
• Reduce the number of short-haul and domestic flights, especially those that could be completed by rail, car, or ferry.
• Lower airfares more quickly to fill seats on every flight.
• Improve high-speed rail infrastructure to encourage rail travel where possible.
• Promote domestic tourism rather than overseas breaks, or long-distance vacations

12. Build thriving local economies

The 20th century brought massive changes to the way we live. The rapid rise in consumerism and urbanization has led to concentrated global supply chains and big brands that transport goods over thousands of miles using energy-intensive methods like air freight, shipping, and rail.

A switch to procuring local products and goods could significantly reduce the consumption of natural resources required to produce, process, and transport goods worldwide. Rather than intensive farming with fruits and vegetables flown in, retailers could encourage a local seasonal diet that is packaging free.

It’s also important that local communities become places of productivity and not just consumption. By opting to support truly local manufacturers, producers, and businesses, communities can become sustainable and resilient against macroeconomic changes.

13. Dress for sustainability and not just to impress!

Fast fashion may be popular, but it is certainly making a ‘fashion victim’ of the planet! The accelerated production, purchase, and discarding of clothing is generating massive amounts of waste. This is despite textiles being one of the most recyclable materials.

The production of clothing consumes massive amounts of energy, water, petrochemicals, and other raw materials along with the generation of land, air, and water pollution.

By changing our clothing choices, we can help conserve the natural resources used to produce them and reduce their harmful environmental impact. Here, the principles of ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’ could drive down clothing waste and make its production more sustainable.

14. Get creative with conserving energy

Energy is the driver of the modern way of life for most of the world. Everyone needs heat and light, and power for even the simplest industries and livelihoods. So it’s no surprise that energy resources are under increasing strain as global economic advancement (industrialization) continues.

Energy consumption is primarily at the expense of fossil fuel reserves. These are currently vast but diminishing rapidly, with some estimates suggesting less than 50 years of oil remaining if current levels of consumption continue. Though renewable energy sources are increasingly being harnessed, they cannot meet the demands of an advanced economy.

Saving energy shouldn’t be seen as a privation but an opportunity to be free thinking and innovative, creating devices and appliances that are more energy efficient and providing consumers with ways to track and control their energy consumption.

15. Increase national parks and wildlife reserves

The amazing habitats and ecosystems of the Earth are an invaluable heritage that needs to be protected from the sustained assaults of deforestation and urbanization. Many unique habitats with known and unknown species are becoming extinct due to a woeful lack of effort to preserve them and conservation targets like those of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

The creation of legally protected national parks and wildlife reserves not only provides a safe habitat for endangered wildlife but also conserves the natural resources of some of the world’s most unique environments. Respecting local knowledge and acknowledging indigenous peoples as stakeholders and protectors of the reserve could help reserves become successful.

16. Have a large family

Many people are concerned that the world is overpopulated, but did you know that large families are some of the most sustainable households around? Parents who raise a large family have to be masters of the adaptations that conserve natural resources, leading to a lower environmental footprint.

Malthus may not agree, but these families have to become experts at using resources effectively. If you are looking for an example of reduce, reuse, recycle, large families with their hand-me-downs, home-cooked meals, and an eye on the thermostat, tick the box.

In addition, these resilient households are often multi-generational, caring for seniors in their later years. This means fewer individualized households with additional food, heating, and travel.

17. Adopt biofuels and give the oil and gas a rest

Biofuels could easily offset a significant proportion of the non-renewable fossil fuels that are used for heating and transportation. Food waste like cooking oil and carbohydrate-rich agricultural waste can be transferred into fuels that include:

• Bio-diesel
• Bio-hydrogen
• Bio-methane
• Bio-ethanol

Biofuel is a promising alternative to petrol and gasoline. It has the scope for being scaled, and as adoption increases, engines and furnaces can be adapted to burn this fuel cleanly and efficiently.

18. Increase awareness

Many of the efforts and initiatives to conserve natural resources are reliant on behavioral change. This is reflected in the fact that the world’s richest countries consume a year’s worth of regenerative natural resources in just a few months.

The people around us need to become more aware of the rate of consumption of natural resources and the implications of resource depletion for everyone. By talking about these issues with friends and families, awareness of these issues can be increased, and people can make informed and positive choices.

The power of a good example should never be underestimated and is one of the best ways to share the real-world benefits of living more sustainably. When people around you see the money saved, improved health, and uplift in the quality of life that can come with sustainable living, they will be willing to try it for themselves.

19. Give the bin a rest and cut back on disposables

Disposables are products that are manufactured for the bin. Items like pocket tissues, wet wipes, sanitary towels, kitchen towels, and nappies are incredibly convenient but sit in landfills and clog drains.

But many of these everyday items could be effectively replaced with reusable, cloth-based alternatives that you can simply throw in the laundry when done. Not only would you save money, but fewer raw materials and less energy will be required for making these products in the long run.

20. Go chemical-free!

Within the last 200 years, mankind has developed more than 150 million different chemicals that are used in every area of our lives and saturate our environment. The chemical industry is one of the largest industries in the world and continues to grow. However, this is at the expense of our health and the environment.

Though many of the chemicals that are pervasive in our environment are harmless, a significant proportion are known to be environmentally hazardous and pose a risk to the ecosystems they are present in.

By opting to forgo using man-made chemicals wherever possible, we can help to reduce the environmental burden of these substances. Even a simple switch of chemical-laden cleaning sprays to white vinegar prevents ongoing harm to aquatic life.

Rounding up

Natural resources are under threat. Remedial action has to be taken to reduce the rate of consumption before the already pervasive effects of environmental degradation and resource depletion become completely irreversible.

Thankfully, as you can see, there are numerous ways in which everyone can participate in taking action to curb the depletion of natural resources.

Wondering how highly-developed countries deal with environmental challenges? Learn how Japan tackles its environmental issues.