Dangers to the Environment

Tiffany Farrell Arbalester

Advocates for the environment have always believed that such problems as pollution, ozone layer depletion, and global warming demand international solutions. This was confirmed by the 1986 fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine which released radiation that contaminated water and livestock in large areas of Europe. With a view to reducing pollution at home to help protect the earth's environment, representatives from 178 nations met at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)—the Earth summit—in Brazil in 1992. The conference was deemed a significant step toward international cooperation to protect the environment. Among the problems calling for immediate tackling are:

Ozone Depletion. Some greenhouse gases called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) destroy Earth's ozone layer. Ozone is distributed in a thin layer in Earth's atmosphere and shields Earth from the Sun's dangerous ultraviolet rays. Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation weakens the human body's immune system, causes skin cancer and eye damage, and destroys crops and microorganisms. CFCs are a family of chemicals that are often used in cleaning solvents and aerosol spray cans and as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners.

In 1993, a study by the British Antarctic survey revealed that a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica covered 8.9 million square miles, an area more than twice the size of the United States. Scientists say, however, that the size of the hole as measured in 1993 does not mean that an international effort to cut levels of ozone-eating chemicals is not working. These chemicals take several years to drift over Antarctica, so the effects of current reductions will not be noticed until the next century.

Acid Rain. In the northeastern region of the United States and in Canada, air pollution has led to highly acidic rainfall. Although the causes of acid rain are dispute, most scientists believe that it results from the transformation of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide (released by coal-burning power plants, factories, and automobiles) into sulfates and nitrates. When combined with moisture in the air, sulfates and nitrates become acids and fall to earth as acid rain. Acid rain increases the acidity of soil, streams, and lakes, making them less habitable for plants and animals. Acid rain has become an international issue. Sulfur emissions from coal-burning plants in one country can travel across borders, causing acid rain to fall in other countries.

Nuclear Waste. Many nuclear materials are highly toxic and take thousands of years to lose radioactivity. The problem is how to safely dispose of nuclear waste. If the waste is buried in cans, the cans might someday leak radioactive material into the soil and the water table Dumping nuclear waste containers in the ocean presents a similar problem. Although experts have developed disposal technology, there are no guarantees that nuclear waste will never pollute the environment. Today, highly radioactive nuclear waste from weapons production remains in temporary storage awaiting permanent depositories. In addition, spent radioactive fuel from nuclear power plant reactors is being stored temporarily in cooling pools at the plants.

Toxic Waste. Toxic wastes are the poisonous or carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemical compounds that remain after the production of chemicals, metals, and plastics. The United States generates 4.4 billion pounds of these toxic materials each year. Unlike nuclear wastes, some toxic wastes can be broken down into relatively safe substances through burning or chemical treatment. But for many years, toxic chemicals had been dumped into pits, ponds, and landfills. In some places, the chemicals soaked into the soil and filtered into the water table, endangering the lives of humans, plants, and animals.