With the turn of millennium the issue of the environment has suddenly evolved into a widespread issue which is greatly discussed throughout the world. No longer are humans living in a world where the environment is serene or stable but much rather becoming unrecognizable and diminishing before our eyes. A number of serious environmental problems are inherent in Afghanistan, which are of great ecological concern in terms of its sustainable economic future. These include soil erosion, pesticide misuse, deforestation; desertification, urban pollution, water logging & salinity, and freshwater pollution just to name a few.
The major constraint to overcoming these problems, in-fact perhaps the main contributor to their intensity is the population growth, which is very high in contrast to the natural limited resources that are available to the people. Also included in the constraints is the unsustainable use and management of these resources. Although it is primarily an agricultural country, the landscape is predominantly arid. Water, already a scarce commodity in most parts of the country, is now facing further shortages. This shortage is hindering the country's potential to develop agriculture. There are limited indigenous sources of energy, fossil fuel reserves are low and there is no great potential in the biomass energy.
The natural environment is being polluted due to the unnatural factors. Humans cause more pollution than the environmental causes like a volcanic eruption. The environmental degeneration is happening only due to the callous and detrimental attitude of the humans. People are destroying the environment for their own interest and the surrounding is getting polluted. The considerable number of cars is used by people in all, even in undeveloped countries, industrialized ones characterized by that of fabrics which produce largest amount of exhaust gases and cheap air traffic is available almost everywhere. All those promote global temperature to rise, that eventually leads to catastrophes and disasters over the world. Therefore it as clearly that, every country including its residents is responsible.
The former report of U.N. weather agency is an eye opening to international community, disclosing threatening levels of World carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere which has reportedly reached to the highest record. The report reads the heat-trapping gas, pumped into the air by cars and smokestacks, was measured at 393.1 parts per million last years, up 2.2 ppm from the previous year, said the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization in its annual greenhouse gas inventory. That is far beyond the 350 ppm that some scientists and environmental groups promote as the absolute upper limit for a safe level. As the chief gas blamed for global warming, carbon dioxide’s 2012 increase outpaced the past decade’s average annual increase of 2.02 ppm. Based on that rate, the organization says the world’s carbon dioxide pollution level is expected to cross the 400 ppm threshold by 2016. That level was already reached at some individual measurement stations in 2012 and 2013.
Scientists say the Earth probably last had this much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at least a few million years ago, when sea levels were higher. Carbon dioxide levels were around 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution. Trapping heat just like in a greenhouse, carbon dioxide accounts for three-quarters of the planet’s heat-trapping gases that scientists say are causing sea levels to rise, glaciers to melt and some weather patterns to change. Others, like methane, trap heat much better but have a shorter life span. Carbon dioxide remains in the air for a century, some of it far longer, which means that a lot of future warming is already locked in.
Carbon dioxide, methane and some other gases are known as green house gases. The rising amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere shows how people have “upset the natural balance of our atmosphere and are a major contribution to climate change,” said Michel Jarraud, the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization.
It would be unconceivable to force all societies and people on the earth, at the same time, start solving such vital problem. In this case, we have to start from ourselves, for instance, take a public transport instead of drive a car, then if any of us would try to do that, this would reduce greenhouse effect to some extent. Similarly, even a few nations which would be able to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by replacing natural energy sources especially oil by renewable ones such as solar, wind and water power, would be beneficial. Consequently, their attempts could spread these ideas and methods of improving situation with global warming and lead to larger number of people and countries to be involved in this.
It is very difficult for the humans to accept any change from the environment they are born and live in. The man-made creation of Environment has been given a lot of prominence these days. The primary reasons for issues like Global warming Land degradation pollution etc are due the great dangers faced by everyone as a result of the negligence. Everyone must understand that the ecological balance has to be maintained so that one can stop the destruction being caused to every living and non living thing in the environment.
In order to create awareness relative to protection of environment, every year June 5th is celebrated as World Environment Day. Everyone must make their own efforts to bring down the consumption of fuel hazardous to our environment. All the products that have been made with the use of petroleum should be eliminated by identification. The environmental filth has to be brought down significantly by taking appropriate measures. It is important that public awareness must be escalated concerning environmental issues and its proper remedies. It is better that we look for natural solutions like shift to a more fuel efficient vehicle make use of paper bags try to economize by using the car pool or public transport go by walk or use a bicycle recycle things etc. If we are to preserve our world we must take a stance on this issue and take action for what is right, not carrying on the actions that will lead to a desolate, destroyed Earth.