Threats to our environmental security could have a huge impact in the future. Here are 5 of the most pressing environmental concerns.
On top of everything else that seems to be going wrong in the world today, climate change remains an ever-present threat. Rising global temperatures cause innumerable issues for nature, our animals, and us. Addressing the issues that surround climate change may be the best place to start for solving our environmental safety concerns.
According to the Climate Leadership Council, these are 5 of the most concerning environmental security issues in the world today.
1. Capitalism
At surface level, capitalism, like any other government system, seems like a great idea. It encourages businesses and entrepreneurs to do whatever it takes to make a profit and gives them the freedom to take advantage of all opportunities.
In practice, however, this is problematic for a number of ethical reasons. For example, capitalist systems may allow businesses to overuse natural resources. Capitalist regulations may also fail to account for environmental protection against pollution.
These aren’t the only ways that capitalism as a whole causes problems for our environment. In recent years, countries with capitalist economies have begun campaigns for climate change denial. Citizens in those countries may be convinced that climate change is a hoax that will take their money or ruin their government.
Finally, because capitalism promotes profit above all else, there’s a slim chance that high-ranking officials will select any measures that don’t generate the highest income. In other words, environmental protection actions will never be possible on a large scale unless they prove to be the most cost-effective.
2. Extreme Affluence
In relation to capitalistic ideals, extremely affluent people also present a serious risk to environmental safety. Commonly referred to as “the Top 10%”, the billionaires of the world are alarmingly responsible for much of the damage our earth has suffered from.
This damage occurs as both direct environmental abuse and indirect neglect.
3. Natural Disasters and Environmental Security
As climate change continues to ramp up, local weather patterns will undergo similar dramatic shifts. This is part of the cyclical problem that global climate change entails. Overall temperature changes cause natural disasters like hurricanes, tornados, and typhoons, all of which leave great environmental damage in their wake.
4. Unchecked Pollution
Another cyclical problem with climate change is mass pollution. As air, water, and ground pollution increase, so does the overall climate of our planet. Pure rain becomes acidic, wildlife is destroyed, and people are poisoned by their own properties.
When these kinds of pollution go unnoticed or uncorrected, the people and groups that cause them continue to act in an environmentally harmful way. At best, this is accidental, and the perpetrators have no idea about the damage they’re responsible for. At worst, they’re acting maliciously and refusing to clean up after themselves.
5. Risk of Mass-Scale Illness
Of the many things that the COVID-19 pandemic have taught us, one of the most important is that environmental security has a direct impact on human survival.
Pandemics don’t cause climate change disasters, but the activities that increase climate change can create pandemics.
