The World Environment - The Greenhouse Effect

Global Scale Pollution

The health of the environment has become a great concern in the later part of the 20th century. The rapid growth of industry after the Second World War has had a powerful effect upon the environment. Air quality has decreased in all regions of the world to the point where breathing problems and acid rain have become commonplace.

Ozone Depletion

Air pollution has led to the destruction of the ozone layer that exists 16 to 50 kilometers above sea level. The ozone layer absorbs dangerous radiation that the sun emits, and can harm life on the planet. The increase of chlorofluorocarbons emitted by factories and cooling systems attacks the ozone layer, allowing more harmful radiation to strike the planet. This may have a powerful effect upon life on the planet.

Global Warming - Greenhouse Effect

Another emerging problem has been the increase of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide, emitted during the burning of coal and fossil fuels, has been increasing in the atmosphere to the point where the temperature of the planet has increased. The gasses allow the heat of sun to enter the atmosphere, but the heat remains trapped by the gasses. In effect, the temperature of the planet rises without the opportunity to release this heat.

The fear of increased temperatures centers upon the melting of the polar ice caps. The melt would raise the sea level around the world by nine to one hundred centimeters, flooding costal areas and displacing large populations. In addition, the increase of temperatures will increase drought conditions in areas where food production is limited. Therefore, more starvation and suffering will be a result of the changes to the environment.

Pollution in Eastern Bloc Countries

Environmental damage caused in Eastern Europe, under the Communist regimes, has also become a major concern. The environmental movement to study and control pollution began in the West during the 1970s. The movement was able to push for tighter environmental legislation in Western countries to control harmful emissions. These polices were never undertaken in Eastern Bloc nations. In the late 1980s, the emission of sulphur dioxide by Czechoslovakia, with a population of 18 million, was double of West Germany with a population of 60 million. These sulphur dioxide emissions have been responsible for large amounts of acid rain over Europe.

The Future

A number of steps are being attempted to protect the environment. In 1992 a major agreement was signed at the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro. The summit developed acceptable levels of pollution guidelines, and restricted harmful pollutants. A second treaty was developed in 1997 on global warming, called the Kyoto Accords. This agreement has been established to limit emissions of fossil fuels and pollutants that cause global warming.

Pollution will remain at the center of world attention in the 21st century. The attempt to limit future damage, and clean up the ecological disasters of the last century, have received more consideration by the major nations. The drive to industrialize third world countries will continue to produce problems in the future and must be addressed.