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Energy
World energy use is projected to rise by 60% in the next twenty years. Most of the increase in consumption will be borne by developing countries which need to use energy in order to create new industry and build infrastructure. Natural gas consumption is expected to rise over 100% in the next twenty years, making it a prime commodity, but at the same time decreasing reliance on oil. In order to make sure there is enough energy to go around, we must work towards developing alternative methods of energy generation and promote conservation programs. Wind power is beginning to approach the cost-efficiency of oil and gas. Erosion Landfills Soil Degradation Overuse and misuse has caused soil degradation to become a global problem. Over 40% of agricultural land worldwide is seriously degraded. Conversion of tropical rain forest to grazing land, something the soil cannot adapt to, has cause desertification of vast areas that were once rain forest. Over grazing which causes removal of all plant life leads to erosion and desertificaton. Flood irrigation causes soil to become salinized, lowering soil fertility. Monocropping depletes soils. Excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides causes toxic accumulations in soil. Fertilizers & Pesticides Chemicals that seep into the ground as a result of farming are weakening ecosystems across the planet. They kill helpful organisms, pollute water supplies, and impact the oceans. Pesticides sprayed into the air and fertilizers that find their way into rivers are leading into larger bodies of water, as is the case with the Mississippi river carrying the products of Midwestern U.S. farming downstream to the Gulf of Mexico where harmful algae blooms. Dangerous chemicals often taint water supplies as well. Conversion & Fragmentation Vast expanses of previously untouched grasslands and forests are being converted into farmland and urban developments. When trees are cut down, the resulting effect on the ecosystem is that it is fragmented. Removing trees and building on grasslands sets off a chain reaction that impacts the entire ecosystem. Species that depended on the ecosystem are dying out due to the clearing of lands. This situation is most grave in the Amazon basin, where lands are being cleared to make way for grazing and farming. More than one-half of the world's species are found in rain forests. |