Rivers are drying up

Lakes and other freshwater systems are being depleted. Most of the world’s water resources are under immense pressure. It is estimated that one fifth of all freshwater species either face extinction or are already extinct. Man made dams and global warming have changed the natural order of this planet. Around 45,000 dams block the world’s rivers, trapping 15% of the water. (Lean, Geoffrey: March 2006) Use of carbon dioxide is constantly on the rise.

Levels of gas have increased by an average of 1.

3 parts. In the late 1990s it increased to 1.6ppm and in 2002 and 2003 it was 2ppm. (Lean, Geoffrey: January 2006) UN scientists have also issued many warnings that due to climate change, the number of countries experiencing droughts and food shortages will increase. According to the UN, 30 million people will need assistance due to these droughts and other natural disasters. Countries like Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Eritrea and Zambia would be worse afflicted with an estimated 15 million people expected to go hungry without aid.

Get quality help now

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

Proficient in: Drought

4.7 (235)

“ Amazing writer! I am really satisfied with her work. An excellent price as well. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

The situation is similar in Niger, Djibouti and Sudan.

Droughts have badly affected crops in Cuba, Cambodia, Australia, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Morocco, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. (Vidal, John. Radford, Tim: 2005) It is high time mankind recognized its contribution to environmental degradation and the harm it is causing to our natural habitat. It is important to work out solutions to deal with environmental problems such as treaties that ban mining in Antarctica for the next fifty years, a treaty that bans hunting of elephants for their ivory, world wide reductions in ozone producing chemicals and so on.

(Chertow and Esty: 147-148) Only then will we be able to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment.

Bibliography 1. Ostrom, Elinor. Dietz, Thomas. Dolsak, Nives. Stern, Paul. Stonich, Susan. Weber, Elke. (2002). The Drama of the Commons. National Research Council. Retrieved on December 4th from http://www. nap. edu/books/0309082501/html/ 2. Mank, Bradford. Standing and Global Warming: Is Injury to All Injury to None. Environmental Law, Vol. 35, 2005. 3. Harris, Paul G. Fairness, Responsibility and Climate Change. Ethics & International Affairs, Vol. 17, 2003. 4.

Parsons, Michael L. Global Warming: The Truth behind the Myth. Insight Books, 1995. 5. Smith, Daniel S. Place Based Environmentalism and Global Warming: Conceptual Contradictions of American Environmentalism. Ethics & International Affairs, Vol. 15, 2001. 6. Schalatek, Liane. Working Group on Development and Environment in the Americas. The Heinrich Bill Foundation North America. June 2004. Available online at http://www. boell. de/de/04_thema/2823. html 7. Dahl, Lyon, Globalization and the Environment. Paper presented at the International Seminar of the International Jacques Maritain Institute.

Milan October 1998. Available online at http://www. bcca. org/ief/ddahl98b. html 8. Adam, David. UN Warns of Worst Mass Extinctions for 65 million years. Guardian. March 21, 2006 9. Lean, Geoffrey. Carbon Levels Show Sharp Rise Independent January 15, 2006 10. Vidal, John. Radford, Tim. One is six countries facing food shortage. Guardian. June 30, 2005 11. Jahn, Detlef. The Impact of Globalization on Comparative Analysis. Available online at http://www1. worldbank. org/economicpolicy/globalization/documents/AssessingGlobalizationP4. pdf.