A sunset lights a glacier in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park. Around the world, many glaciers are melting quickly as the planet warms.
- ENVIRONMENT
Are there real ways to fight climate change? Yes.
Humans have the solutions to fight a global environmental crisis. Do we have the will?
The evidence that humans are causing climate change, with drastic consequences for life on the planet, is overwhelming .
Experts began raising the alarm about global warming in 1979 , a change now referred to under the broader term climate change , preferred by scientists to describe the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems. Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas , and a range of other impacts.
Over 200 countries—193 countries plus the 27 members of the European Union—have signed the Paris Climate Agreement , a treaty created in 2015 to fight climate change on a global scale. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which synthesizes the scientific consensus on the issue, has set a goal of keeping warming under 2°C (3.6°F) and pursuing an even lower warming cap of 1.5 °C (2.7° F).
But no country has created policies that will keep the world below 1.5 °C, according to the Climate Action Tracker . Current emissions have the world on track to warm 2.8°C by the end of this century.
Addressing climate change will require many solutions —there's no magic bullet. Yet nearly all of these solutions exist today. They range from worldwide changes to where we source our electricity to protecting forests from deforestation.
The promise of new technology
Better technology will help reduce emissions from activities like manufacturing and driving.
Scientists are working on ways to sustainably produce hydrogen, most of which is currently derived from natural gas, to feed zero-emission fuel cells for transportation and electricity.
Renewable energy is growing, and in the U.S., a combination of wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable sources provide 20 percen t of the nation’s electricity.
New technological developments promise to build better batteries to store that renewable energy, engineer a smarter electric grid, and capture carbon dioxide from power plants and store it underground or turn it into valuable products such as gasoline . Some argue that nuclear power—despite concerns over safety, water use, and toxic waste—should also be part of the solution, because nuclear plants don't contribute any direct air pollution while operating.
Should we turn to geoengineering?
While halting new greenhouse gas emissions is critical, scientists say we need to extract existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, effectively sucking it out of the sky.
Pulling carbon out of the atmosphere is a type of geoengineering , a science that interferes with the Earth’s natural systems, and it’s a controversial approach to fighting climate change.
Other types of geoengineering involve spraying sunlight-reflecting aerosols into the air or blocking the sun with a giant space mirror. Studies suggest we don’t know enough about the potential dangers of geoengineering to deploy it.
Restoring nature to protect the planet
Planting trees, restoring seagrasses, and boosting the use of agricultural cover crops could help clean up significant amounts of carbon dioxide .
The Amazon rainforest is an important reservoir of the Earth’s carbon, but a study published in 2021, showed deforestation was transforming this reservoir into a source of pollution.
Restoring and protecting nature may provide as much as 37 percent of the climate mitigation needed to reach the Paris Agreement’s 203o targets. Protecting these ecosystems can also benefit biodiversity, providing a win-win for nature .
Adapt—or else
Communities around the world are already recognizing that adaptation must also be part of the response to climate change . From flood-prone coastal towns to regions facing increased droughts and fires, a new wave of initiatives focuses on boosting resilience . Those include managing or preventing land erosion, building microgrids and other energy systems built to withstand disruptions, and designing buildings with rising sea levels in mind.
Last year, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law and was a historic investment in fighting and adapting to climate change.
( Read more about how the bill will dramatically reduce emissions. )
Recent books such as Drawdown and Designing Climate Solutions have proposed bold yet simple plans for reversing our current course. The ideas vary, but the message is consistent: We already have many of the tools needed to address climate change. Some of the concepts are broad ones that governments and businesses must implement, but many other ideas involve changes that anyone can make— eating less meat , for example, or rethinking your modes of transport .
"We have the technology today to rapidly move to a clean energy system," write the authors of Designing Climate Solutions . "And the price of that future, without counting environmental benefits, is about the same as that of a carbon-intensive future."
Sarah Gibbens contributed reporting to this article.
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Ten solutions to climate change that will actually make a difference
Jun 20, 2022
At this point we need solutions bigger than any one person. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
There are a lot of differing opinions on whether it's too late to climate change — and, if it's not the best way of going about it. Some say recycling is useless and that individual action means nothing against the larger policy reforms that need to happen. This is, in part, true — although you should absolutely still be recycling. But it doesn’t tell the whole story, and it doesn’t help those who are currently on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Here, we break down 10 solutions to climate change that will actually make a difference — and how you can help make them all a reality.
Stand with the people most affected by climate change
1. shift to renewable energy sources in all key sectors.
The United Nations identified a six-sector solution to climate change, focusing on actions that can be taken by the energy, industry, agriculture, transportation, nature-based solutions, and urban planning. If all of these actions are completed, the UN Environment Programme estimates we could reduce global carbon emissions by 29 to 32 gigatonnes, thereby limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5º C.
One key element of this plan is shifting to renewable energy sources, both at home and at work. “We have the necessary technology to make this reduction by shifting to renewable energy and using less energy,” the UNEP writes of our personal energy consumption (generally, fossil fuels power our homes, keeping the lights on, our rooms warm, and Netflix streaming). But the energy usage of the industrial sector also plays a key role: Addressing issues like methane leaks and switching at large scale to passive or renewable energy-based heating and cooling systems could reduce industrial carbon emissions by 7.3 gigatonnes every year.
2. Reduce food loss and waste and shift to more sustainable diets
There are a few different ways that climate change and hunger go hand-in-hand. Whether it’s kale or Kobe beef, producing food accounts for some measure of greenhouse gasses. In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimated we consumed more meat than ever before . By 2050 this will, by some estimates, increase greenhouse gas emissions from food production by 60%. Likewise, many farmers use nitrous-based fertilizers to grow more crops, more quickly to meet demand.
It’s important to reduce food waste at every step of the food system . For us as consumers, we can commit to eating what we buy and composting what we don’t get to in time. We can also switch our focus to plant-based and other sustainable diets, supporting farms that use organic fertilizers and making beef and other meat products the exception rather than the rule at the dinner table.
3. Halt deforestation and commit to rebuilding damaged ecosystems
The rapid deforestation of the Earth, especially over the last 60 years, has contributed to climate change, creating “heat islands” out of land that would normally be protected by trees and other flora from overheating. Simply put, this has to stop. There are actions each of us can take as individuals to help halt this—going paperless and buying recycled paper products, planting trees or supporting organizations that do this (like Concern ), and recycling.
But change has to happen at a larger scale here. Illegal logging happens both in the United States and abroad. Last year, world leaders committed to halting this and other harmful practices by 2030 as part of COP26. You can help by holding your own elected leaders to account.
4. Embrace electric vehicles, public transport, and other non-motorized options for getting around
The carbon savings on junking your current car in favor of an electric model are basically nullified if you aren’t seriously in the market for a new vehicle. However, mass adoption of electric vehicles and public transport — along with walking, biking, skating, and scooting — is key to cutting the greenhouse gas emissions from fuel-based motor vehicles.
This is another issue you can raise with elected officials. Earlier this year, for example, you may remember hearing that President Biden had been encouraging the US Postal System to adopt electric vans as part of its new fleet. This didn’t come to pass , but it’s changes like these — changes beyond any one person’s transportation method — that need to happen. You can call on your representatives to support these switchovers for delivery vehicles, cab and taxi fleets, ambulances, and other auto-centric services. Or, if your city or town lacks decent public transportation or enough bike lanes or sidewalks to make those alternatives to driving, lobby for those.
5. Subsidize low-carbon alternatives for urban planning
In tandem with low-carbon alternatives for public transportation, governments need to commit to similar measures with our growing cities. New buildings mean a new opportunity to reward green design methods that help to decrease the strain on urban resources, whether they’re apartments or entertainment venues. (Fun fact: The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center in Athens runs almost entirely off of solar panels during the bright and sunny summer months. ) In cities like New York, we’ve seen the toll that excessive power use can take through rolling blackouts and brown-outs, especially in the summer months. Changes to public infrastructure that reduce our reliance on the power grid will help to keep the system from becoming untenably overloaded.
6. Strengthen resilience and climate adaptation methods in MAPA communities
So far, we’ve looked at solutions to climate change that can take place within our own homes and communities. However, these only go so far to mitigate the damage that the climate crisis has already inflicted on a large portion of the world. The most affected people and areas (MAPAs) are largely in the Global South. Many are located in low-income countries without the resources or infrastructure to respond and adapt to climate disasters, even as they become more frequent and destructive.
Countries like the United States and organizations responding to the climate crisis must support MAPA communities, particularly the most vulnerable, in developing and carrying out strategies specific to context and designed to bolster resilience where it’s needed most. Often these communities know what needs to be done to mitigate the effects of climate change, and they simply need to be supported with access to additional research and meteorological data, new technologies, and funding.
What we talk about when we talk about resilience
The word “resilience” has taken on new meanings and contexts in recent years, but at Concern it still has a specific definition relating to our emergency and climate response. Here’s what we mean when we use it.
7. Address poverty and other inequalities that increase vulnerability
The tem MAPA can also apply to individuals within a community. Women, disabled people, children, the elderly, people living in poverty, indigenous peoples, and LGBTQIA+ people are among those who are most likely to be hit harder by climate change because of preexisting societal marginalization. This is why it’s critical that they also have a seat at the decision-making table when it comes to solutions to climate change within their own communities. Ending poverty and the other systemic inequalities that give some people greater access to resources than others will help to offset some of the greatest threats posed by the climate crisis.
8. Invest in disaster risk reduction (DRR)
Disaster Risk Reduction (otherwise known as DRR) protects the lives and livelihoods of communities and individuals who are most vulnerable to disasters or emergencies. Whether the crisis is caused by nature or humans (or a combination of both), DRR limits its negative impact on those who stand to lose the most.
We can’t undo much of climate change’s impact so far, but we can help the communities who are hit hardest by these impacts to prepare for and respond to these emergencies once they strike.
9. Commit to fair financing and climate justice
Of course, DRR strategies and other resilience, adaptation, and mitigation practices cost money. Money that the countries most affected by climate change often lack. As part of a global commitment to climate justice , countries with the highest carbon footprints should be making restitution to those countries with lower footprints, countries that tend to be more vulnerable to global warming.
Countries like the United States must increase investments in disaster prevention and DRR strategies, such as early warning and response systems, forecast-based financing mechanisms, and adapted infrastructure. What’s more, these funds need to be made rapidly dispersible and flexible so that when emergency strikes, they can be accessed more quickly. Additional investment to prevent conflicts over the use of natural resources will also help countries facing both fragile political systems and a high risk for climate-related disasters.
Project Profile
Responding to Pakistan's Internally Displaced (RAPID)
RAPID is a funding program that allows Concern to quickly and efficiently deliver aid to people displaced by conflict or natural disaster.
10. Guarantee these changes in the long-term via policy reform
Few of the solutions listed above are not sustainable without policy reform. You can help by encouraging your elected officials to consider the above points, and to support bills that incorporate one or more of these solutions to climate change, many of which are currently being written and shared at the local and national levels.
Smart climate policy will prioritize people over corporations, consider the framework of climate justice — including land and water rights of indigenous peoples and rural communities, address the intersectional effects of climate change on hunger, poverty, and gender equality, and enforce regulatory frameworks and standards that commit people and institutions to honoring these new standards. Bold and aggressive action must be taken if we’re to reach the goal of not exceeding 1.5º C and mitigating the current effects of climate change by 2030. But it’s not a lost cause yet. It’s on all of us to now support those actions that are needed most.
Support Concern's climate response
Solutions to Climate Change in Action
Ten countries with water stress and scarcity — and how we're helping
Climate Smart Agriculture: Back to the basics to fight climate change and hunger
Ten of the countries most affected by climate change
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November 26, 2007
10 Solutions for Climate Change
Ten possibilities for staving off catastrophic climate change
By David Biello
Mark Garlick Getty Images
The enormity of global warming can be daunting and dispiriting. What can one person, or even one nation, do on their own to slow and reverse climate change ? But just as ecologist Stephen Pacala and physicist Robert Socolow, both at Princeton University, came up with 15 so-called " wedges " for nations to utilize toward this goal—each of which is challenging but feasible and, in some combination, could reduce greenhouse gas emissions to safer levels —there are personal lifestyle changes that you can make too that, in some combination, can help reduce your carbon impact. Not all are right for everybody. Some you may already be doing or absolutely abhor. But implementing just a few of them could make a difference.
Forego Fossil Fuels —The first challenge is eliminating the burning of coal , oil and, eventually, natural gas. This is perhaps the most daunting challenge as denizens of richer nations literally eat, wear, work, play and even sleep on the products made from such fossilized sunshine. And citizens of developing nations want and arguably deserve the same comforts, which are largely thanks to the energy stored in such fuels.
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Oil is the lubricant of the global economy, hidden inside such ubiquitous items as plastic and corn, and fundamental to the transportation of both consumers and goods. Coal is the substrate, supplying roughly half of the electricity used in the U.S. and nearly that much worldwide—a percentage that is likely to grow, according to the International Energy Agency. There are no perfect solutions for reducing dependence on fossil fuels (for example, carbon neutral biofuels can drive up the price of food and lead to forest destruction, and while nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gases, it does produce radioactive waste), but every bit counts.
So try to employ alternatives when possible—plant-derived plastics, biodiesel, wind power—and to invest in the change, be it by divesting from oil stocks or investing in companies practicing carbon capture and storage.
Infrastructure Upgrade —Buildings worldwide contribute around one third of all greenhouse gas emissions (43 percent in the U.S. alone), even though investing in thicker insulation and other cost-effective, temperature-regulating steps can save money in the long run. Electric grids are at capacity or overloaded, but power demands continue to rise. And bad roads can lower the fuel economy of even the most efficient vehicle. Investing in new infrastructure, or radically upgrading existing highways and transmission lines, would help cut greenhouse gas emissions and drive economic growth in developing countries.
Of course, it takes a lot of cement, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, to construct new buildings and roads. The U.S. alone contributed 50.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2005 from cement production, which requires heating limestone and other ingredients to 1,450 degrees Celsius (2,642 degrees Fahrenheit). Mining copper and other elements needed for electrical wiring and transmission also causes globe-warming pollution.
But energy-efficient buildings and improved cement-making processes (such as using alternative fuels to fire up the kiln) could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the developed world and prevent them in the developing world.
Move Closer to Work —Transportation is the second leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. (burning a single gallon of gasoline produces 20 pounds of CO 2 ). But it doesn't have to be that way.
One way to dramatically curtail transportation fuel needs is to move closer to work, use mass transit, or switch to walking, cycling or some other mode of transport that does not require anything other than human energy. There is also the option of working from home and telecommuting several days a week.
Cutting down on long-distance travel would also help, most notably airplane flights, which are one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions and a source that arguably releases such emissions in the worst possible spot (higher in the atmosphere). Flights are also one of the few sources of globe-warming pollution for which there isn't already a viable alternative: jets rely on kerosene, because it packs the most energy per pound, allowing them to travel far and fast, yet it takes roughly 10 gallons of oil to make one gallon of JetA fuel. Restricting flying to only critical, long-distance trips—in many parts of the world, trains can replace planes for short- to medium-distance trips—would help curb airplane emissions.
Consume Less —The easiest way to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions is simply to buy less stuff. Whether by forgoing an automobile or employing a reusable grocery sack, cutting back on consumption results in fewer fossil fuels being burned to extract, produce and ship products around the globe.
Think green when making purchases. For instance, if you are in the market for a new car, buy one that will last the longest and have the least impact on the environment. Thus, a used vehicle with a hybrid engine offers superior fuel efficiency over the long haul while saving the environmental impact of new car manufacture.
Paradoxically, when purchasing essentials, such as groceries, buying in bulk can reduce the amount of packaging—plastic wrapping, cardboard boxes and other unnecessary materials. Sometimes buying more means consuming less.
Be Efficient —A potentially simpler and even bigger impact can be made by doing more with less. Citizens of many developed countries are profligate wasters of energy, whether by speeding in a gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicle or leaving the lights on when not in a room.
Good driving—and good car maintenance, such as making sure tires are properly inflated—can limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from a vehicle and, perhaps more importantly, lower the frequency of payment at the pump.
Similarly, employing more efficient refrigerators, air conditioners and other appliances, such as those rated highly under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, can cut electric bills while something as simple as weatherproofing the windows of a home can reduce heating and cooling bills. Such efforts can also be usefully employed at work, whether that means installing more efficient turbines at the power plant or turning the lights off when you leave the office .
Eat Smart, Go Vegetarian? —Corn grown in the U.S. requires barrels of oil for the fertilizer to grow it and the diesel fuel to harvest and transport it. Some grocery stores stock organic produce that do not require such fertilizers, but it is often shipped from halfway across the globe. And meat, whether beef, chicken or pork, requires pounds of feed to produce a pound of protein.
Choosing food items that balance nutrition, taste and ecological impact is no easy task. Foodstuffs often bear some nutritional information, but there is little to reveal how far a head of lettuce, for example, has traveled.
University of Chicago researchers estimate that each meat-eating American produces 1.5 tons more greenhouse gases through their food choice than do their vegetarian peers. It would also take far less land to grow the crops necessary to feed humans than livestock, allowing more room for planting trees.
Stop Cutting Down Trees —Every year, 33 million acres of forests are cut down . Timber harvesting in the tropics alone contributes 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere. That represents 20 percent of human-made greenhouse gas emissions and a source that could be avoided relatively easily.
Improved agricultural practices along with paper recycling and forest management—balancing the amount of wood taken out with the amount of new trees growing—could quickly eliminate this significant chunk of emissions.
And when purchasing wood products, such as furniture or flooring, buy used goods or, failing that, wood certified to have been sustainably harvested. The Amazon and other forests are not just the lungs of the earth, they may also be humanity's best short-term hope for limiting climate change.
Unplug —Believe it or not, U.S. citizens spend more money on electricity to power devices when off than when on. Televisions, stereo equipment, computers, battery chargers and a host of other gadgets and appliances consume more energy when seemingly switched off, so unplug them instead.
Purchasing energy-efficient gadgets can also save both energy and money—and thus prevent more greenhouse gas emissions. To take but one example, efficient battery chargers could save more than one billion kilowatt-hours of electricity—$100 million at today's electricity prices—and thus prevent the release of more than one million metric tons of greenhouse gases.
Swapping old incandescent lightbulbs for more efficient replacements, such as compact fluorescents (warning: these lightbulbs contain mercury and must be properly disposed of at the end of their long life), would save billions of kilowatt-hours. In fact, according to the EPA, replacing just one incandescent lightbulb in every American home would save enough energy to provide electricity to three million American homes.
One Child —There are at least 6.6 billion people living today, a number that is predicted by the United Nations to grow to at least nine billion by mid-century. The U.N. Environmental Program estimates that it requires 54 acres to sustain an average human being today—food, clothing and other resources extracted from the planet. Continuing such population growth seems unsustainable.
Falling birth rates in some developed and developing countries (a significant portion of which are due to government-imposed limits on the number of children a couple can have) have begun to reduce or reverse the population explosion. It remains unclear how many people the planet can comfortably sustain, but it is clear that per capita energy consumption must go down if climate change is to be controlled.
Ultimately, a one child per couple rule is not sustainable either and there is no perfect number for human population. But it is clear that more humans means more greenhouse gas emissions.
Future Fuels —Replacing fossil fuels may prove the great challenge of the 21st century. Many contenders exist, ranging from ethanol derived from crops to hydrogen electrolyzed out of water, but all of them have some drawbacks, too, and none are immediately available at the scale needed.
Biofuels can have a host of negative impacts, from driving up food prices to sucking up more energy than they produce. Hydrogen must be created, requiring either reforming natural gas or electricity to crack water molecules. Biodiesel hybrid electric vehicles (that can plug into the grid overnight) may offer the best transportation solution in the short term, given the energy density of diesel and the carbon neutral ramifications of fuel from plants as well as the emissions of electric engines. A recent study found that the present amount of electricity generation in the U.S. could provide enough energy for the country's entire fleet of automobiles to switch to plug-in hybrids , reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process.
But plug-in hybrids would still rely on electricity, now predominantly generated by burning dirty coal. Massive investment in low-emission energy generation, whether solar-thermal power or nuclear fission , would be required to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And even more speculative energy sources—hyperefficient photovoltaic cells, solar energy stations in orbit or even fusion—may ultimately be required.
The solutions above offer the outline of a plan to personally avoid contributing to global warming. But should such individual and national efforts fail, there is another, potentially desperate solution:
Experiment Earth —Climate change represents humanity's first planetwide experiment. But, if all else fails, it may not be the last. So-called geoengineering , radical interventions to either block sunlight or reduce greenhouse gases, is a potential last resort for addressing the challenge of climate change.
Among the ideas: releasing sulfate particles in the air to mimic the cooling effects of a massive volcanic eruption; placing millions of small mirrors or lenses in space to deflect sunlight; covering portions of the planet with reflective films to bounce sunlight back into space; fertilizing the oceans with iron or other nutrients to enable plankton to absorb more carbon; and increasing cloud cover or the reflectivity of clouds that already form.
All may have unintended consequences, making the solution worse than the original problem. But it is clear that at least some form of geoengineering will likely be required: capturing carbon dioxide before it is released and storing it in some fashion, either deep beneath the earth, at the bottom of the ocean or in carbonate minerals. Such carbon capture and storage is critical to any serious effort to combat climate change.
Additional reporting by Larry Greenemeier and Nikhil Swaminathan .
News from the Columbia Climate School
Protecting Our Planet: 5 Strategies for Reducing Plastic Waste
Olga Rukovets
Plastics are ubiquitous in our world, and given that plastic waste can take thousands of years to break down , there’s more of it to be found on Earth every single day. Worse yet is the fact that the stuff doesn’t easily decompose —it mostly just disintegrates into smaller and smaller pieces.
These tiny particles, called microplastics , have found their way to all parts of our globe , no matter how remote. They’re also increasingly detected in our food and drinking water. A recent study by Columbia researchers found that water bottles contain even more—10 to 100 times more—of these minute plastic bits (dubbed “nanoplastics”) than we previously believed. The health effects and downstream repercussions of microplastics are not fully understood, but researchers are concerned about the long-term impacts of ingesting all this plastic.
Meaningful change to clean up this mess will undoubtedly need to happen on a very large scale. Accordingly, Earthday.org , an organization that originates from the first Earth Day back in 1970, has designated this year’s theme as Planet vs. Plastics , with a goal of achieving a 60% reduction in plastics production by 2040. Organizations like Ocean Cleanup have been working on technologies to clean up the plastic floating in our oceans and polluting our waterways. And in 2022, 175 UN member nations signed on to a global agreement that promises to produce a binding treaty to overcome the scourge of plastic by the end of this year (though it has not been without setbacks ).
What are some actions individuals can take on a regular basis to reduce plastics consumption?
1. Embrace the circular economy
Increasingly, advocates are calling for a circular approach to production and consumption as one important way to reduce the burden of plastic waste. Sandra Goldmark , senior assistant dean of interdisciplinary engagement at the Columbia Climate School, reminds us that circularity is very much in use in the modern world—we have public libraries, neighborhood swaps and traditional and regenerative agricultural practices that demonstrate the success of the concept. But it does need to be harnessed on a global scale for the benefits to be palpable. “Currently [our economy] is just 8.6% circular,” Goldmark said. “Over 90% of the resources extracted from the earth are manufactured into goods that are used, usually once, and then sent to landfill or incinerated, often within a year.” By encouraging greater reuse, repurposing and exchange of these goods, we can keep more plastic out of our oceans and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions substantively.
Fast fashion, for example, may be appealing for its convenience and low prices—but what are the true costs? With 100 billion garments being produced every year, 87% end up as waste ( 40 million tons ) in a landfill or incinerator. The average person is now buying 60 percent more clothing than they did 15 years ago, but they’re only keeping them for half as long as they used to, according to EarthDay.org .
Instead, the UN Environment Programme recommends re-wearing clothes more frequently and washing them less often. Look for neighborhood swaps and Buy Nothing groups, where you can trade items with your local community. Consider repairing items before trading them in for new ones. See additional tips for healthier consumption of “stuff” here .
2. Reduce your reliance on single-use plastics
Considering the fact that Americans currently purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year, switching to a reusable water bottle could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually. Start bringing reusable shopping bags and containers when you go to the grocery store or coffee shop.
Many cities and states have already implemented plastic bag bans as one step toward decreasing our use of these plastics. Some local businesses even offer discounts for bringing your own coffee cup or bags with you.
3. If all else fails, recycle (responsibly)
When it can’t be avoided, recycle your plastic correctly . If you try to recycle the wrong items—sometimes called “ wishcycling ”—it can slow down an already constrained sorting process. One rule to remember, Keefe Harrison, CEO of the Recycling Partnership , told NPR: “When in doubt, leave it out.”
Recycling programs vary between communities and states, so it’s important to get to know your symbols and research what they mean in your own zip code . For example , plastic bags and plastic wrap or film cannot be placed in your household recycling bin, but some stores have special collections for those items. The symbol on the bottom of a plastic container can tell you what the plastic is made from, which can help guide your decision to recycle it or not, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it can be picked up by your local recycling program. Local websites, like New York City’s 311 , can provide a more detailed breakdown of the types of items that can and cannot be recycled—e.g., rigid plastic packaging including “clamshells”: yes; tubes from cosmetics and toothpaste: no.
Still, reports of how much (or how little) of our plastic waste is actually recycled are alarming—with some estimates ranging from 10% to as low as 5% —so it is still best to opt for other alternatives whenever possible.
4. Get involved with local actions and clean-ups
There are many local movements doing their part to mitigate the environmental contamination caused by plastics pollution. Take a look at what’s happening locally in your neighborhood and globally. Check with your parks department for organized community efforts or consider starting your own . As part of EarthDay.org, you can register your initiative with the Great Global Cleanup , where you can find helpful tips on all stages of this process and connect with a worldwide community.
5. Stay informed about new legislation
As the world grapples with the growing plastics crisis, some states are trying to take matters into their own hands. In California, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (known as SB 54 ), mandates the switch to compostable packaging for all single-use utensils, containers and other receptacles by 2032, with steep fines for companies that don’t comply. New York is currently moving ahead with a bill called Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act , with the goal of cutting down plastic packaging by 50% in the next 12 years; if it is signed into law, this legislation would also mandate charging fees for noncompliant brands.
Pay attention to what’s happening in your own county, state or country and get involved with efforts to advocate for causes you support. Send messages to your representatives, educate your neighbors and friends, and join a larger contingent of people trying to make the world a better and more sustainable place for current and future generations.
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New environmental report offers solutions for ‘triple planetary crisis’
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Deadly wildfires, noise pollution and other looming environmental threats could cause widespread ecological damage, and need to be urgently addressed, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a new report published on Thursday.
“The Frontiers Report identifies and offers solutions to three environmental issues that merit attention and action from governments and the public at large,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.
Our 🆕 #Frontiers2022 report highlights emerging issues for people and for planet.It identifies 🔴 urban noise pollution🔴 phenological shifts+ 🔴 wildfires as areas that need urgent attention, and provides solutions to address them: https://t.co/PnBm1pzu5F pic.twitter.com/843z95yzoI UN Environment Programme UNEP
Noise, Blazes and Mismatches: Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern , the sixth report, draws attention to emerging environmental concerns with the potential to wreak regional or global havoc, if not addressed early.
Disrupting natural life cycles
The latest report, released days before the UN Environment Assembly ( UNEA ) resumes, spotlights growing public health threats that are disrupting natural life cycles and having profound ecological consequences worldwide.
“Urban noise pollution, wildfires and phenological shifts – the three topics of this Frontiers Report – are issues that highlight the urgent need to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss,” said Ms. Andersen.
Noise pollution: A raucous killer
Unwanted, prolonged and high-level sounds from road traffic, railways, or leisure activities, impair human health and well-being, according to the report.
Chronic annoyance and sleep disturbance caused by traffic can result in severe heart diseases and metabolic disorders with the very young, and mostly affect the elderly and marginalized communities near busy roads.
Noise pollution also threatens animals by altering the communication and behaviour of various species, including birds, insects, and amphibians .
The report encourages urban planners to prioritize noise reduction by investing in urban infrastructure that creates positive soundscapes such as tree belts, green walls, and more green spaces in cities – also offering diverse health benefits.
London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone, Berlin’s new cycle lanes on wide roads, and Egypt’s national plan to combat noise, are positive examples that can be harnessed as the world builds back better from COVID.
Plant and animal rhythms
Phenology is the timing of recurring life cycle stages, driven by environmental forces, and how species interacting within an ecosystem, respond to changing conditions.
Plants and animals in terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems use temperature, day length or rainfall as cues for when to bear fruit, migrate or transform in other ways.
However, climate change disrupts these natural rhythms as plants and animals are being pushed out of synch with their natural rhythms, leading to mismatches, such as when plants shift life cycle stages faster than herbivores, the report says.
Meanwhile, local climatic cues that trigger migration for birds may no longer accurately predict conditions at their destination and resting sites along the route.
And in crops, phenological shifts in seasonal variations challenge food production.
The report flags the crucial importance of conservation goals , such as maintaining suitable habitats and ecological connectivity, strengthening the integrity of biological diversity and coordinating international efforts along migratory routes.
Above all, it underscores the importance of reducing CO2 emissions to limit the rate of warming.
Stem wildfires
The report outlined that between 2002 and 2016, an average of 423 million hectares of the Earth’s land surface – about the size of the European Union – burned, projecting that dangerous wildfires will likely become more frequent, intense and longer lasting, including in areas previously unaffected by fires.
Climate change can prompt extreme wildfires, generating lightning that can ignite other fires, far beyond the fire front and creating a so-called hazardous feedback loop.
Long-term effects on human health extend beyond those fighting wildfires, or the evacuated, or those who have lost homes, and exacerbate impacts among those with pre-existing illness, women, children, the elderly and the poor.
At the same time, black carbon and other pollutants generated from wildfires can contaminate water sources, speed up glacier melt, trigger landslides and turn rainforests into carbon sinks .
To address this, the report calls for greater investment in reducing wildfire risks; developing prevention and response management approaches; and refinancing remote sensing capabilities, such as satellites and radar.
- agriculture and food security
14 innovative projects helping to save the planet and make the world a better place
UpLink helps communities across the world face the threats of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Image: Unsplash/Noah Buscher
.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Natalie Marchant
.chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} Explore and monitor how .chakra .wef-15eoq1r{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;color:#F7DB5E;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-15eoq1r{font-size:1.125rem;}} COVID-19 is affecting economies, industries and global issues
.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
Stay up to date:.
- Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address the world’s most pressing problems.
- The initiative seeks sustainable solutions to tackle issues such as climate change and social injustice.
- Projects are also aimed at tackling the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.
The importance of sustainable solutions came to the fore in 2020 as communities across the world faced the threats of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address such challenges and help speed up the delivery of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
Unveiled at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2020, the platform - launched with founding partners Deloitte and Salesforce - connects the next generation of change-makers and social entrepreneurs to networks of contacts with the resources, expertise and experience to help bring about change.
Since its launch, UpLink has surfaced the best entrepreneurial solutions through competitions such as its Ocean Solutions Sprint , Trillion Trees Challenge , COVID-19 Social Justice Challenge and COVID Challenges . Here are some of the most innovative.
Have you read?
3 innovations leading the fight to save our forests, these 15 innovations are helping us fight covid-19 and its aftermath, 4 ideas that could make our response to covid-19 more equal.
Ocean Solutions Sprint
Cubex Global
Oman-based Cubex Global aims to cut global shipping emissions by enabling businesses to easily buy and sell unused container space on existing cargo routes. The company claims that its blockchain-based marketplace could help reduce emissions from shipping vessels by up to 20% and recover about $25 billion in lost freight revenue each year.
Waste management service RecyGlo works with businesses in Myanmar and Malaysia to recycle and process material in a safe and non-hazardous manner, helping to avoid mismanaged plastic being dumped in the region’s rivers and ending up in the ocean. The Yangon-based company manages 500 tonnes of waste and saves 1,470 tonnes of CO2 each month .
Scottish biotech start-up Oceanium uses sustainably-farmed seaweed to create food and nutrition products and compostable biopackaging. It believes that a sustainable seaweed farming industry can help mitigate the effects of climate change and create jobs.
COVID Challenge
Intelehealth
Developed at Johns Hopkins University, Intelehealth is a telemedicine platform that connects patients and frontline health workers with remote doctors to deliver primary care services at a distance in countries such as India.
UpLink is a digital platform to crowdsource innovations in an effort to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
It is an open platform designed to engage anyone who wants to offer a contribution for the global public good. The core objective is to link up the best innovators to networks of decision-makers, who can implement the change needed for the next decade. As a global platform, UpLink serves to aggregate and guide ideas and impactful activities, and make connections to scale-up impact.
Hosted by the World Economic Forum, UpLink is being designed and developed in collaboration with Salesforce, Deloitte and LinkedIn.
Emergency services app Flare provides next-generation 911 for those who do not have access to help in case of an emergency. In Kenya, its ‘Uber for ambulances’ platform has reduced response times by 87% and helped save 2,500 lives since its 2017 launch.
Carbon Health
Tech-enabled primary care provider Carbon Health aims to improve access to world-class healthcare. In the US, it established pop-up COVID clinics in 30 cities, with doctors available on video call, and has so far tested more than 500,000 people .
Desolenator
Desolenator’s solar-powered water purification systems help remote communities produce clean drinking water, without the need for filters, chemicals or external energy sources. This helps them build water resilience in the face of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trillion Trees Challenge
Borneo Nature Foundation
For over a decade, Borneo Nature Foundation has developed planting methods to reforest degraded deep peatland, which is an important carbon store, key to local economies and home to populations of orangutans. It has planted more than 30,000 seedlings , and established community seedling nurseries in villages near Borneo’s remaining tropical rainforests.
Reforestum and Ecosphere+
Spain-based CO2 offsetting service Reforestum teamed up with UK climate solutions company Ecosphere+ to enable individuals and businesses to finance forest conservation and restoration by offsetting their carbon footprint.
Inga Foundation
Slash-and-burn farming is the only source of income for millions of farmers but it’s devastating the world’s rainforests. This is something that the UK-based Inga Foundation wants to counter through its Inga Alley farming method, which helps farmers build long-term food security on one plot of land.
Social Justice Challenge
Global platform citiesRise seeks to transform mental health policy and practice for young people across the world through its Mental Health and Friendly Cities framework – something that is only likely to become even more relevant in the COVID-19 era.
Philippines-based telerehabilitation platform TheraWee aims to improve access to rehabilitation services for children with difficulties by connecting their parents with individuals, groups and communities that can offer them support.
Noora Health
US start-up Noora Health provides families with medical skills training to help look after their loved ones, both in health facilities and at home. Its Care Companion Program has already reached more than 1 million relatives in India and Bangladesh .
Family Mask’s #PPEforAll
Global Citizen Capital and its company Family Mask’s #PPEforAll initiative was set up to boost access to affordable personal protective equipment (PPE) as the pandemic hit. By July 2020, more than 1 million masks had been distributed to elderly people across the world.
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- Review Article
- Published: 04 May 2023
Political strategies for climate and environmental solutions
- Jonas Meckling ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1829-8741 1 na1 &
- Valerie J. Karplus 2 na1
Nature Sustainability volume 6 , pages 742–751 ( 2023 ) Cite this article
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Many of the barriers to progress in addressing environmental problems, such as climate change, are political. We argue that politics should not be seen only as a constraint but be recognized as a target of intervention to advance environmental solutions. We use the example of climate change to illustrate how insight into politics can help policymakers craft strategies to address three gaps: the ambition gap, the implementation gap and the international action gap. Focusing on politically effective choices that are feasible today and have the potential to ease political barriers to future policy action can broaden the solution space.
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Acknowledgements
We thank H. Jacoby, D.G. Victor and members of the Energy and Environment Policy Lab at UC Berkeley for valuable feedback. J.M. acknowledges funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project Accession Number 1020688.
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These authors contributed equally: Jonas Meckling, Valerie J. Karplus.
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Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
Jonas Meckling
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J.M. conceived the focus of this Review. J.M. and V.J.K. reviewed the literature. J.M. and V.J.K. synthesized the key messages and wrote the paper. J.M. and V.J.K. conceived the figures, V.J.K. created them.
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Meckling, J., Karplus, V.J. Political strategies for climate and environmental solutions. Nat Sustain 6 , 742–751 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01109-5
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10 Environmental Problems and Solutions in 2023
September 6, 2022
Graham Sawrey
There are so many environmental problems we face today, and they all have to be addressed. But which environmental issues demand our attention now?
We’ll discuss 10 environmental problems and solutions that we can work on now to change our collective future for the better!
10 Environmental Problems and Solutions
Want to know even more? Check out our List of Environmental Issues Examples where we discuss the 30 biggest threats earth faces today for a more in-depth understanding of environmental problems.
Here are the top 10 environmental issues that require immediate attention for the health of our planet and our own survival.
- Climate Change
- Water Pollution
- Air Pollution
- Natural Resource Depletion
- Waste Management
- Urban Sprawl
- Energy Consumption
- Environmental Degradation
- Deforestation
- Recycling Inefficiencies
We’ll discuss these top 10 environmental problems in detail and offer some real-world solutions to each one.
There is no magic bullet solution for the environmental issues we face. The real solution will come when individuals choose to make decisions in favor of the earth’s welfare .
When billions of us combine a lot of small actions they add up to a big impact on the earth.
1. Climate Change
Climate change is a massive topic. Inside this topic are all the subtopics and environmental problems that add up to climate change.
Climate change is the term we use to refer to the changing atmospheric conditions that affect life on earth.
- Global warming
- The greenhouse effect
- Increased saturation of atmospheric carbon dioxide
- Polar ice melt
- Rising seawater levels
- Ozone layer depletion
These things are intertwined and many of them have the same root cause – the main one is the burning of fossil fuels.
However, along with increased carbon dioxide output from fossil fuels, there are mainly CFCs and halons though other substances also destroy ozone molecules.
These substances are found in aerosols, refrigerants (like air conditioners) and other machinery. CFCs are banned, but other ozone-destroying chemicals are still in use.
Depletion of the ozone layer allows more UVB rays to get through the atmosphere which has a warming effect in the atmosphere of the globe. This changes weather patterns and climate expectations everywhere.
Climate Change Solutions
The solutions to climate change involve viewing the world differently than we currently do as a global culture.
We view the world as something to use. We want to get as much as we can while it’s available. This is causing us to use things we don’t need, create waste, and deplete our resources too fast.
Here are a few things we can do to help combat climate change.
- Drive less often and less far. If there is an option to walk, ride a bike, carpool, or use public transportation then use those options first to help decrease your carbon footprint.
- Reuse things instead of throwing them away. Americans seem to view recyclables as the way forward but they have limitations. They help us to reuse existing resources, but an even better choice is to choose reusable items every chance we get.
- Aim for zero waste. Think about it before you buy. Choose to invest your money in things that will last a long time and can be reused or upcycled instead of thrown away. The world is awash in used cheap clothing, single-use plastics, and cheap appliances that are recyclable yet sit in filthy heaps.
- Get involved. Too many people like to talk about climate change and even yell about climate change but don’t do anything to solve it. Work to increase recycling facilities in your area, educate your community about reusables, and plant native species in your town.
- Get Renewable Energy. Renewable energy is a must. Buying an EV car isn’t enough because plugging into a fossil fuel electric grid just perpetuates the problem. Investigate your own chain of energy and opt for the cleanest energy you can afford.
Climate change is a real environmental issue and it’s full of uncertainties. One thing we know is that the decisions we make today can have a major impact on the quality of life on planet earth in the future.
2. Water Pollution
Water pollution includes marine pollution and freshwater pollution. Let’s take a look at both.
Marine pollution is largely caused by nitrogen that washes away from inland soils and drains into the ocean water.
The excess nitrogen creates algae blooms that prevent sunlight and oxygen from penetrating into the ocean water.
This creates a hypoxic environment called a “dead zone” where fish, crustaceans, and sea mammals can’t live. Mobile marine animals leave the area. Immobile marine life dies.
This is the primary cause of our loss of coral reefs around the globe.
Marine pollution also takes the form of trash and recyclables that wash into the ocean and form massive flotillas of rubbish .
Freshwater pollution refers to the pollution of inland water like rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. We rely on these bodies of water for our drinking water, but they are quickly becoming too polluted to drink.
Freshwater pollution also happens due to nitrogen in the water , but it can also be the result of things people do.
- Trash that ends up in the water
- Sewer treatment plant releases (treated and untreated)
- Dirty stormwater runoff
- Pharmaceuticals, detergents, and other things people put in the water system
- Heavy metals like lead and mercury
Some of these things we can’t avoid, but a lot of it is preventable.
Water Pollution Solutions
The effects of pollution could be minimized and possibly healed if we began to consciously make decisions that will protect our watershed instead of polluting it.
- Farmers can use cover crops to fix nitrogen in the soil . It’s an investment, not an overnight fix, but it will make the biggest impact on the health of the oceans and will eventually eliminate dead zones.
- Homeowners can use as little culinary water as possible for watering outdoor plants. Try xeriscaping to save water. Install rain barrels to collect free water to use on outdoor plants and trees.
- Dispose of medicines, motor oil, household chemicals, and paint in the proper facilities so they stay out of the watershed.
- Eat organic as much as you can. This isn’t fail-proof, but most organic farms rely on natural sources of nitrogen rather than synthetic nitrogen to increase crop yields.
- Be happy with imperfect produce. There is a massive global cost to get those perfect fruits and vegetables. They’re treated with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers to make them lovely. Go natural to encourage farmers who want to save the planet.
- Enjoy water sports without a motor. You can greatly reduce your own impact on inland water supplies by enjoying muscle-powered water sports that don’t introduce oils, gasoline, and exhaust particulates into the water supply.
Think about how you’re using our precious water resources. Clean water is so easy to get in developed countries that we tend to forget the watershed it comes from.
That watershed needs our protection to continue to provide us with the clean water we need to survive.
3. Air Pollution
Air pollution is what we call the suspended particulates that become part of the atmospheric gases that we breathe.
We’re not running out of oxygen. The earth has plenty of oxygen. The problem is that the concentration of carbon dioxide is increasing disproportionately and it’s pretty much all our fault.
There is a natural carbon dioxide cycle that we have with all of the plants on the planet. We naturally produce carbon dioxide, and they breathe it in and convert it to oxygen.
In a natural state, this would be in perfect balance.
However, when we burn fossil fuels we pump massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that can’t be offset by the plants in the world.
Furthermore, the carbon dioxide is mixed with a slurry of carcinogens and toxins like methane, formaldehyde, phosphorus, styrene, and more.
Curious to see the full list? The EPA has a list of 188 air pollutants . Nobody benefits from breathing in these compounds.
Air pollution affects everything – us, plants, animals, all water on the planet, and marine fish and mammals.
Air pollution causes and effects have to be clearly understood to really grasp the solutions that we have to implement to clear the air.
Air Pollution Solutions
The biggest solution we can implement is the switch to clean alternative energy sources because fossil fuels are the biggest polluters on the planet.
However, we have to be clear that there isn’t a totally clean energy solution .
- Solar panels are made with coal and require toxic waste disposal when they’re decommissioned.
- Wind turbines have some recyclable parts but the huge fiberglass parts end up in landfills. One of the pros of wind energy is that wind turbines produce zero-cost electricity for about 10 years.
- Nuclear energy pros and cons are hotly debated. It’s a dependable and safe energy source that produces zero carbon emissions . However, uranium mining and disposal cause major environmental hazards.
- One of the advantages of biomass electricity that it creates fewer carbons than fossil fuels. However, biomass production is resulting in deforestation .
Having said all that, we still have to choose these alternative energy sources over straight-up fossil fuel consumption.
Fossil fuels are the dirtiest sources of energy that we have and they contribute the most to the dirty air that we suffer from around the world.
- Limit your time on the road. Vehicle emissions are responsible for most of the dirty air that’s found in cities and communities around the world.
- Turn off the lights and turn down the heat. Electricity usage is directly tied to fossil fuel consumption for powering the electrical grid in many areas.
- Help plant trees. You can plant native tree species in your own town to help clean the air.
- Contribute to rainforest reforestation projects that aim to help strengthen the world’s clean air and biodiversity.
- Choose reusable items and avoid using plastics as much as possible. Manufacturing single-use items contribute a lot to air pollution.
Reducing dependence on fossil fuels will go the farthest in clearing the air around the world.
4. Natural Resource Depletion
The world is full of natural resources. A natural resource is anything that we can use to live or make something from.
Some natural resources examples include:
- Fossil fuels
The world is full of natural resources that we use to enable life as we know it. Natural resources feed us, give us electricity, wire our laptops, and keep us hydrated.
The problem is not all natural resources are renewable . Coal, natural gas, uranium, gold, and even salt are natural resources we depend on but once they’re used up we have no more.
This is why we have to focus on stewarding our renewable natural resources.
- Keeping our water clean
- Collecting sunlight for energy
- Ensuring that fisheries are not over-harvested
- Keeping soil as clean as possible – avoiding the use of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers
- Managing timber stands wisely so that we aren’t using more trees than we can replenish in several decades.
When we overuse our natural resources we get a short-term payoff but a long-term loss.
For example, establishing reservoirs in the southwest was a good idea 90 years ago. It allowed the development of desert areas.
However, as communities expand across arid areas under the assumption that established water sources will be reliable, the water sources are being used faster than they can naturally replenish.
Natural Resource Depletion Solutions
One of the main natural resources that we’re depleting is fossil fuel. It is not only going away, but it’s also ruining our planet as we use it for fuel and energy.
Switching to cleaner energy sources is a non-negotiable for solving our climate crisis, but we also have to focus on decreasing our need for energy .
Here are some good ways to decrease your own energy demand so we use fewer natural resources to produce electricity.
- Use less air conditioning in the summer. Willingness to be a little warm will go a long way toward decreasing your contribution to air pollution.
- Use less heat in the winter. Wear a sweater and some slippers instead of cranking up the heat.
- Get up and go to bed with the sun. This is harder in the winter, but by adjusting your waking and sleeping schedule to be more in tune with the sun you’ll feel better and use less electricity in the morning and at night.
- Help to plant trees. Again, replenishing the world’s forests help ensure that our air is healthy and that we have timber stands ready to harvest in the future.
- Waste less food. This doesn’t mean cleaning your plate. This means putting less on it in the first place. Food waste begins at the store and it can end there too.
- Eat whole foods. Whole, natural foods don’t require processing. This means that there isn’t a ton of electricity and fossil fuels going into the production of what you eat. Whole foods are better for the environment and better for your body.
- Refill your water bottle. The majority of single-use plastics that are wandering around in the environment are plastic water bottles. Get a sturdy reusable bottle and refill it. You can keep thousands of water bottles out of the waste stream in your lifetime.
By focusing on sustainability we can help to reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources and help to conserve the resources that we have so they last longer.
5. Waste Management
Waste management has come a long way in the last decade, but it has a long way to go in certain areas of the United States.
According to the EPA, the total waste production in the United States averages out to 4.9 pounds per person per day . This includes all sorts of trash that is binned and collected.
- Recyclables (plastic, paper, glass)
- Landfill items that can’t be recycled
- Grass clippings
- Electronics
- Appliances, etc.
50% of the waste stream goes into landfills .
About 32% of the waste collected in the United States gets recycled or composted .
Nearly 12% gets burned as “biomass” to generate electricity.
Around 6% of the waste is food waste that gets treated in other ways. It might be used in animal feed, turned into fertilizer, used in the creation of biochemicals, or other methods of disposal or reuse.
It’s clear that the US has made a concerted effort to deal with waste streams. The problem is that the amount of waste generated per person is growing drastically.
In 1980 each person generated about 3.66 pounds per day. In 2018 that figure had risen to 4.9 pounds per day. This is the trend that we must change.
Worldwide waste production equals about 1.63 pounds per person with the bulk of that waste being generated in highly developed countries.
Though developing countries don’t tend to generate nearly as much waste per person, they don’t have any safe waste disposal infrastructure which leads to the creation of massive open dumps .
All landfills emit tons of greenhouse gases – mostly methane and carbon dioxide. This is another major contributor to global warming.
While recycling efforts in the United States and elsewhere have produced great results, the recycling waste stream produces much more material than can be currently recycled – ending in waste.
Waste Management Solutions
Waste management must be solved worldwide, but the only thing we can affect is our own consumption and waste patterns.
If each of us becomes wiser consumers we can have a dramatic impact on the waste streams and the carbon emissions from them.
- Waste stops at the store. We can’t impact how much production waste there is unless we stop supporting it with our money. Less demand equals less production.
- Choose reusables. The best purchases are things that can be used hundreds of times before they’re broken or used up.
- Choose recyclables. The recycling stream is quickly outpacing available recycling facilities, so this still isn’t the best choice, though it’s better than throwing things in the landfill.
- Don’t buy more food than you can eat. Some areas have food composting programs, but when food is thrown away it also releases greenhouse gases. Don’t fill your garbage can with food. Reduce your waste and compost food waste if you can. That will also help increase soil health.
- Lobby for recycling. There are billions of dollars being spent on United States “infrastructure.” Citizens need to raise awareness of the need for more and bigger recycling centers so the United States can process its own rubbish.
- Lobby for action. Certain landfills are known as “super emitters.” If local authorities and national politicians will focus on cleaning up the emissions from these sites it will make a huge difference.
In the case of waste streams, part of the responsibility lies with municipal governments to handle waste more cleanly.
The other part of the responsibility lies with the citizens. We are the ones generating the waste. We can all do our part to cut down on our own waste as much as possible.
6. Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl is the term used to describe the way that cities spread from an urban center into widening suburban neighborhoods. Dwellings go from high-density to low-density, taking up more land.
Urban sprawl is characterized by land use and natural resource consumption .
Undeveloped land that was farmland, ranchland, native plants and soil, or forest is paved over for low-density housing and new strip malls, grocery stores, and restaurant chains.
Here are key takeaways you should know about Urban Sprawl.
- These sprawling areas greatly tax the water supply in the area because the new parks, city strips, lawns, and gardens have to be watered continuously to keep their nice appearance.
- Urban sprawl is a major contributor to the carbon emissions from vehicles . People must commute from sprawling areas into the downtown area for work and school. This increases time on the road. In the worst cases, these vehicles idle while they’re stuck in traffic.
- Urban sprawl creates a need for additional garbage processing resources, greenspace planning, freshwater wells, water treatment plants, waste treatment plants, power plants, substations, and more.
Many of these things aren’t bad, and urban sprawl is often the natural outflow of living in a prosperous area .
It can also be a sign that the municipal government is not keeping the urban areas clean and safe.
Regardless, it is a style of living that uses many more resources than a high-density urban lifestyle.
Some cities including the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and Los Angeles are experiencing increasing urban density as more residents refurbish downtown areas to make them desirable neighborhoods.
Urban Sprawl Solutions
There aren’t any surefire solutions to urban sprawl. The fact is that people move away from urban areas for many reasons – not all of which can be solved.
Here are a few things that local governments can do to encourage people to adopt a high-density housing lifestyle in urban areas.
- Keep residents safe. When people and businesses don’t feel safe in an area they move. Most of the time they choose to move into a suburban or rural area that feels safer. When cities put the safety of residents first they enjoy the prosperity that a thriving urban core brings.
- Focus on key infrastructure. Garbage services, stormwater runoff, sewage treatment, and traffic controls make a big difference in the quality of life in urban areas. When the urban areas feel dirty and congested people move out of the city.
- Encourage community spirit. Cities that find ways to involve citizens in city life enjoy a much higher sense of community pride. This benefits everyone because people who take pride in their community work harder to keep it clean and safe.
- Keep taxes fair. Many people choose to live outside of municipal boundaries because property taxes are much lower in unincorporated areas. Cities that cut fiscal waste can also keep property taxes lower while providing excellent city services.
Over time cities can turn urban life into a desirable living situation for many, diminishing the exodus to outlying areas and helping to curb the rapidity of urban sprawl.
7. Energy Consumption
Our overall high energy consumption is the main contributor to climate change because 61% of the electricity generated in the United States is from burning fossil fuels.
So, on top of burning fossil fuels to commute from sprawling communities, we are also burning fossil fuels to charge our EV cars , keep the air conditioners running, and keep the lights on.
There is no denying the negative impact that our high energy consumption has on the planet, but we also rely on it for our highly technological way of life.
For example, let’s take a look at data centers . The world relies on data centers.
They serve all of your cloud storage, social media content, online shopping, virtual worlds, game streaming, on-demand entertainment, and remote workflows.
Right now, data centers alone consume about 2% of all the energy generated in the United States, and that number is growing as data centers pop up everywhere to handle cloud storage needs.
We can’t just stop feeding data centers because we rely on them for work, data storage, and socialization. Younger generations are more dependent on data center capacity and speed than ever before .
That’s just one example of an energy consumer that we can’t just shut down to save the planet. So we have to look at home to decrease energy consumption .
Energy Consumption Solutions
As with most solutions to our global environmental crisis, the answer begins at home.
- Shut off the lights and opt for sunshine. Even small amounts of wattage saved add up to big savings for the planet.
- Keep appliances clean. Did you know that vacuuming your refrigerator condenser will help it to run less often and cool more efficiently? Keep the dryer clean too so it can dry clothing faster and use less energy.
- Accept a little discomfort. Instead of running the heat and air conditioning to keep yourself at the ideal temperature, let it fluctuate up and down to save energy.
- Reduce energy use during peak hours. 7am to 10pm are peak energy hours for most of the country during most of the year. It’s hard to cut down on energy usage during waking hours, but if you can you’ll save a lot of energy and cut down on your bill too.
- Invest in solar panels. Even a couple of solar panels can really help offset your energy usage. Many utility companies around the United States are taking advantage of government incentives and may be able to install your solar system for free!
- Buy into renewable energy. Many energy companies offer programs where subscribers can buy into renewable energy projects. The electricity from renewables costs a bit more, but by buying in you allow your energy provider to buy into renewable and burn fewer fossil fuels.
There are dozens of ways we can all think of to save a little energy here and there. From riding a bike to eating fresh foods we can help decrease the amount of energy it takes to power our lives.
8. Environmental Degradation
Environmental degradation occurs when human activities change the environment for the worse.
Environmental Degradation Definition
Environmental degradation is the destruction or deterioration of the quality of natural resources and habitats including soil, water, air, and wildlife .
Degradation primarily happens through pollution, over-harvesting, and erosion.
Here are some examples of environmental degradation .
- Strip mining
- Urban sprawl
- Overfishing
- Marine pollution
- Air pollution
Environmental degradation is inevitable because we have to use the land for food production, energy production, and dwellings, but we can do a lot to help preserve the quality of the land.
Environmental Degradation Solutions
There are a number of thing we can do to help reduce the amount of environmental degradation that happens as a result of our own needs and wants.
- Replant native trees and plants . Much environmental degradation occurs because native plants are stripped away for development. Replanting exposed soil helps to replenish minerals, nitrogen, habitats, and stop erosion.
- Curb energy consumption. Again we come back to energy use. The majority of the air pollution in the United States is caused by energy consumption and transportation.
- Plan travel wisely. Instead of making lots of small trips, try to consolidate trips in the car to cut down on air pollution.
- Invest in alternative energy. Alternative energy sources also cause soil degradation because of the raw materials that have to be mined to make them and soil disruption from placement. However, it is much less pollutive to the air than fossil fuels.
- Eat whole foods. Responsible farming and ranching helps to replenish soils through crop rotation and the use of nitrogen-fixing cover crops. However, America’s insatiable appetite for snack foods creates a high demand for irresponsibly grown crops. Eating whole foods is much better for the earth.
- Invest in urban revitalization. If you’re a renter it can be hard to find an urban dwelling. However, if you’re an invester, consider revitalizing downtown industrial areas for housing instead of developing low-density suburban housing.
Humans aren’t responsible for all types of environmental degradation, but we contribute a lot to it. We can also help clean up our habits and use fewer resources that result in habitat destruction.
9. Deforestation
Deforestation happens when trees are stripped away or burned away. It can be human-caused or the result of a natural disaster.
Sometimes humans and nature work together to create deforestation. Examples include when a hydroelectric dam bursts due to catastrophic rainfall, or a volcano like Mt. Saint Helens flattens a forest.
Human-caused deforestation is two-fold. Sometimes managed forests owned by timber companies are stripped and then replanted. This happens for lumber and to create biomass for power plants.
While habitat loss and environmental degradation are heartbreaking, the trees will regrow within a few decades. However, the animals and birds must shift from place to place to survive.
On the other hand, forest fires caused by human activity will deforest an area that may not ever recover. Habitat loss is sometimes permanent .
Deforestation Solutions
The most obvious solution to deforestation is to replant trees in areas that are logged or burned for any reason. Replanting with native species is a must.
The second solution to deforestation is to decrease the demand for paper products and lumber. Choose things that are reusable as much as possible.
The alternative to lumber is steel which creates a different problem because it requires mining and uses non-renewable resources .
However, steel can be recycled forever. One of the benefits of recycling steel is that the recycled steel is just as strong and pure as virgin steel.
So while the recycled steel industry can’t keep up with the need for new steel, as more steel is recycled for construction purposes we should see it gradually relieve some of the need for lumber.
10. Recycling Inefficiencies
The final huge environmental problem that we must solve domestically is our recycling inefficiencies.
Most Americans don’t realize that our recycling system is strained and largely broken because we don’t recycle our trash at home.
The story of US recycling is a long one that’s full of problems, even from the beginning. China used to handle the bulk of our recycling, but it is so polluted that they banned it in 2018.
Now America’s recycling waste is shipped to developing countries like Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia where it is piled waiting to be sorted and recycled into usable materials.
The problem is that anywhere from 20 to 70% of our recyclables end up in a landfill overseas or are burned. This is an outrage that has sparked a lot of discussions but it needs to be addressed at home.
Here are the reasons our recycling is not being recycled.
- People are putting contaminated items into recycling bins. Dirty recyclables can cause an entire load of recyclables – several tons – to be dumped in a landfill.
- People include non-recyclables in recycling bins. This wishful recycling is a major cause for discarding entire loads of recyclables. It’s too expensive to go through and sort it all back out, so it all gets put in the dump.
- The United States isn’t processing recyclables. The United States doesn’t have a federal recycling program and has been dependent on other countries to handle our waste. Now they don’t want it, so we’re stuck with it. We have to implement a recycling program and do it ourselves to succeed.
- Recycling is expensive. Cities used to sell their recycling as a type of raw material and make money from it. Now that global market has dried up and cities are having to pay to get rid of recyclables. That means tons of it are going into the landfill instead of being recycled.
- There are too many types of plastic. Plastic is a particular problem because there are so many types and not all are recyclable. Even though there is a number and a recycling symbol on the bottom doesn’t mean it’s accepted for recycling.
All of this is discouraging because those of us who recycle carefully realize that in spite of us our clean, sorted recyclables might still be ending in a landfill.
Recycling Solutions
The keys to our recycling disaster are expensive, and we have to play the long game to win.
- Education. Educate the public about what’s happening to recyclables and why. When people understand why they can’t throw grocery bags or plastic wrap in with clean water bottles they’ll stop doing it.
- Federal Investment. The federal government needs to invest in recycling centers that can turn US recyclable waste into clean, usable materials. It’s an expensive solution but the only one that can turn the situation around long-term.
- Business Investment. One of the major recycling benefits is that businesses can create packaging and goods with recycled materials. This will help to create a circular market for recyclables in the US economy.
- Reduction. The US must turn away from consumerism and focus on sustainability. As long as we buy into the consumerist culture of getting as much as possible, the waste problem will continue to grow.
We can help at home by ensuring that our recyclables are clean and generating less of a need for recycling by decreasing our dependence on single-use items.
It would also be helpful to limit plastic production to only types that are safe to use and can be recycled.
The benefits of recycling clothes and textiles can’t be overstated. Engaging in this circular economy saves money, eliminates fabric waste, and turns fabric into a renewable resource!
Causes of Environmental Problems
The causes of environmental problems usually come back to excess consumption . As the human population expands we are also collectively demanding more resources per person.
Humans want to use more energy, more precious metals, more water, more food, and more luxurious items like fashionable clothing and multiple vehicles.
All of these demands can be met, but only by expending more of the earth’s natural resources. Metals and fossil fuels are non-renewable so as demand increases the price goes up and the supply goes down.
The key to so many of our major environmental problems is to decrease personal consumption.
Why are environmental problems common in developing countries?
Good question and the answer comes back to excess consumption . Many developing countries receive our excess clothing, recyclables, and used goods.
They develop a market around these used goods, but there is simply too much. It ends up in massive waste piles because many of the goods we discard are low-quality and non-recyclable.
Developing countries lack the infrastructure to deal with polluted water, overflowing landfills, and piles of unused recyclables so they stay in the environment creating health and environmental hazards.
One example is electronics recycling. While we all want to reap the benefits of recycling electronics , when they’re sent overseas for recycling the results are dangerous.
“Informal” recyclers are exposed to extremely high levels of neurotoxins and carcinogens as they break down e-waste by hand to recover gold, silver, copper, and other precious metals.
Instead of exposing the poor to these hazardous materials we should be doing the recycling at home and helping to develop a clean recycling industry abroad.
Final Thoughts
We’ve discussed 10 global environmental problems, and most of them center around the demands of the economically developed world.
The problems we face on planet earth can seem overwhelming, but they aren’t. We can solve them beginning with our own buying and consumption habits .
We can become involved in clean-up efforts in our own communities. We can lobby for domestic recycling plants.
We can help educate our own community members about why recycling is important and why it’s vital to do it right.
What do you think about these environmental problems and solutions? Do you have more ideas for how we can help to solve these environmental problems? Let us know in the comments below!
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Brainstorming Ways to Solve Environmental Problems? 5 Simple Ways You Can Help
June 1, 2019
Home / News / Brainstorming Ways to Solve Environmental Problems? 5 Simple Ways You Can Help
We are currently facing the most critical environmental issues in human history. Our climate, planet, lives, and future as a civilization are all at risk. While the magnitude of that thought can be extremely overwhelming, don’t allow yourself to feel helpless, not knowing where to begin. Making small steps and adjustments in your daily routine will give you a sense of success and a yearning to attempt more.
Here are 5 simple ways you can help the environment and spark others to become more environmentally aware.
1. Replace disposable items with reusable
Anything you use and throw away can potentially spend centuries in a landfill. See below for simple adjustments you can make to decrease the amount of disposable items in your daily life.
- Carry your own reusable cup or water bottle
- Use airtight, reusable food containers instead of sandwich bags and plastic wrap
- Pack a waste-free lunch: carry your utensils, cloth napkin, and containers in a reusable lunch bag
- Bring your own bags to the grocery store
- Consider buying bulk containers of your preferred beverages and refilling a reusable bottle, instead of buying individually packaged drinks
- Use rechargeable batteries
2. Pass on paper
We are living in the Digital Era, but think about all the paper products you use in your daily life. These actions still align with reusing and repurposing, though may take a little more time for transition.
- Join a library instead of buying books or buy a Kindle
- Print as little as possible; and if you must, print on both sides
- Wrap gifts in fabric and tie with ribbon; both are reusable and prettier than paper and sticky-tape
- Stop using paper towels and incorporate washable cloths
- Look at labels to make sure you only use FSC-certified wood and paper products
- Cut out products made by palm oil companies that contribute to deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia
3. Conserve water & electricity
The tips you see below will seem like no-brainers; however, it may take to become more aware of your unconscious habits.
- Turn the sink water off when brushing your teeth
- Water the lawn in the morning or evening; cooler air causes less evaporation
- Switch off anything that uses electricity when not in use (lights, televisions, computers, printers, etc.)
- Unplug devices when possible; even when an appliance is turned off, it may still use power
- Remove chemicals inside of the house; research companies that use plant-derived ingredients for their household cleaning products
- Remove chemicals outside of the house; use eco-friendly pesticides and herbicides that won’t contaminate groundwater
- Consider signing up for a renewable energy producer that uses 100% renewable energy to power homes
4. Support local & environmentally friendly
Here are a few reasons to start buying local:
- Reduces plastic and paper waste
- Boosts cost-efficiency
- Enables bulk purchasing
- Helps support your neighbors
- Retains farmland within the community
- Builds up the local economy
- Uses fewer chemicals for both for growing and transporting
5. Recycle (& then recycle properly)
Implementing recycling habits into your daily life is one of the most effective ways to help lessen landfill waste, conserve natural resources, save habitats, reduce pollution, cut down on energy consumption, and slow down global warming.
- Confirm you are using the proper separation containers for your household per the local recycling services
- Remember to make sure your trash bags are recycled or biodegradable, and always cut up the plastic rings from packs of beer or soda to prevent wildlife from getting caught
- Educate yourself about what can and cannot be recycled, as not all plastic and cardboard is acceptable (like pizza boxes for example, due to the grease) ( click here for a simple 101 )
- Learn how to identify and dispose of hazardous waste properly ( click here to learn more )
Taking the time to simply read this article for ways to solve environmental problems is a step forward to becoming more aware of the needs of your environment. You are now taking action, and every change–big or small–will create an impact.
If you’re already taking action on the suggestions above, see below for additional tips and ideas:
- Add these simple lists to your digital checklist and pick one at a time to tackle. After a week or so, check it off the list and move on to the next. Remember to pat yourself on the back! You just created a change in your lifestyle!
- Find a comfortable compromise for your life. Purchase a pack of affordable, reusable rags and give them a specific purpose. For example, perhaps you always clean your countertops with paper towels; try wiping them down with cloth towels instead.
- Remember to highlight your successes and share them with others! #savetheplanet
- Calculate your environmental footprint to see how much impact just one person has on the world’s resources and adjust accordingly.
- Consider an environmentally-focused career like one of the top four environmental jobs of the future.
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Unveiling The Secrets: How Scientists Tackle Environmental Problems
Table of Contents
Hook: The pressing need to address environmental problems
The world is facing numerous environmental problems that require immediate attention. From climate change to deforestation, these issues have far-reaching consequences for the planet and its inhabitants. The urgency to address these problems has never been greater, as the future of our planet hangs in the balance.
Brief overview of the role of scientists in tackling these issues
Scientists play a crucial role in understanding and solving environmental problems. Their expertise and research are instrumental in identifying the causes and effects of these issues. Through their work, scientists provide valuable insights and data that inform policy decisions and drive positive change.
Thesis statement: This blog post will explore the various ways scientists approach and solve environmental problems.
In this blog post, we will delve into the world of environmental science and explore the diverse approaches scientists take to tackle environmental problems. From research and data collection to collaboration and innovative solutions, scientists are at the forefront of finding sustainable solutions to protect our planet.
Environmental problems are complex and interconnected, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Scientists from various fields come together to address these challenges, leveraging their expertise to develop innovative solutions. Through their work, scientists not only contribute to the body of knowledge but also influence policy decisions and advocate for environmental protection.
In the following sections, we will explore the different aspects of scientific approaches to environmental problems. We will discuss the importance of understanding the problem, the role of research and data collection, the power of collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches, the impact of innovative solutions and technologies, the influence of policy and advocacy, and the challenges and limitations faced by scientists in their quest to protect the environment.
By the end of this blog post, you will have a deeper understanding of the critical role scientists play in addressing environmental problems. You will also be inspired to support and engage with scientific efforts to protect the environment, as we all have a responsibility to preserve our planet for future generations.
Now, let’s dive into the first section: “Understanding the Problem.”
Understanding the Problem
Environmental problems are pressing issues that require immediate attention. These problems have a significant impact on the planet and its inhabitants. In order to effectively address these issues, scientists play a crucial role in understanding the complexity and interconnectedness of environmental problems.
Defining Environmental Problems and Their Impact
Environmental problems encompass a wide range of issues that affect the natural world. These problems can include climate change, deforestation, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of natural resources. The impact of these problems is far-reaching and affects not only the environment but also human health and well-being.
Climate change, for example, is causing rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and sea-level rise. This has detrimental effects on ecosystems, agriculture, and human settlements. Deforestation leads to the loss of habitat for countless species and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Pollution, whether it be air, water, or soil pollution, poses serious health risks to both humans and wildlife. Loss of biodiversity disrupts ecosystems and can have cascading effects on the entire planet. Lastly, the depletion of natural resources threatens the sustainability of our way of life.
Complexity and Interconnectedness of Environmental Problems
One of the key challenges in addressing environmental problems is their complexity. These problems are often interconnected and have multiple causes and consequences. For example, climate change is influenced by various factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and industrial activities. These factors are interconnected and exacerbate the problem.
Similarly, pollution can be caused by various sources, including industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and vehicle emissions. These sources are interconnected and contribute to the overall pollution levels in the environment. Understanding the complexity and interconnectedness of these problems is crucial in developing effective solutions.
Importance of Scientific Research in Finding Solutions
Scientific research plays a vital role in understanding and finding solutions to environmental problems. Scientists conduct rigorous studies to gather data and analyze the causes and impacts of these problems. Through research, scientists can identify patterns, trends, and potential solutions.
Research also helps in assessing the effectiveness of existing policies and interventions. By collecting and analyzing data, scientists can evaluate the outcomes of different approaches and make informed recommendations for future actions. This evidence-based approach is essential in guiding decision-making and policy formulation.
Furthermore, scientific research helps in raising awareness about environmental problems. Through publications, conferences, and public engagement, scientists can communicate their findings to a wider audience. This helps in mobilizing support and creating a sense of urgency among policymakers, businesses, and the general public.
In conclusion, understanding the complexity and interconnectedness of environmental problems is crucial in finding effective solutions. Scientists play a vital role in defining these problems, assessing their impact, and conducting research to develop innovative solutions. Through their work, scientists contribute to the collective effort of protecting the environment and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Research and Data Collection
Scientific research plays a crucial role in understanding and addressing environmental problems. Through rigorous data collection and analysis, scientists are able to gain valuable insights into the complexities of these issues and develop effective solutions. In this section, we will explore the process of research in environmental studies, the importance of data collection, and the role of technology in monitoring and analyzing data.
Explaining the process of scientific research in environmental studies
Scientific research in environmental studies involves a systematic approach to understanding and solving problems. It begins with identifying a research question or problem statement that needs to be addressed. This could be anything from studying the impact of pollution on marine life to investigating the effects of deforestation on biodiversity.
Once the research question is established, scientists design experiments or observational studies to collect relevant data. This may involve conducting fieldwork, setting up monitoring stations, or analyzing existing datasets. The data collected is then carefully analyzed using statistical methods to draw meaningful conclusions.
Discussing the collection and analysis of data
Data collection is a critical step in scientific research. It provides the foundation for understanding the problem at hand and developing effective solutions. In environmental studies, data can be collected through various methods such as surveys, sampling, remote sensing, and laboratory experiments.
The collected data is then subjected to rigorous analysis. Statistical techniques are used to identify patterns, trends, and relationships within the data. This analysis helps scientists draw conclusions and make informed decisions about the environmental problem being studied.
Highlighting the role of technology in data collection and monitoring
Technology has revolutionized the way scientists collect and monitor data in environmental studies. Advanced tools and instruments have made it possible to gather data more efficiently and accurately. For example, remote sensing technologies such as satellites and drones enable scientists to collect data over large areas and inaccessible terrains.
Furthermore, the development of sensors and monitoring devices has allowed for real-time data collection. These devices can be deployed in various environments, such as oceans, forests, and urban areas, to continuously monitor parameters like temperature, air quality, and water pollution levels.
The use of technology in data analysis has also improved the accuracy and speed of processing large datasets. Powerful computers and sophisticated software enable scientists to analyze complex data and extract meaningful insights more effectively.
In conclusion, research and data collection are fundamental to understanding and addressing environmental problems. Scientists employ a systematic approach to gather and analyze data, which helps them gain insights into the complexities of these issues. The role of technology in data collection and monitoring cannot be overstated, as it has revolutionized the way scientists study the environment. By leveraging innovative technologies and interdisciplinary approaches, scientists can continue to make significant strides in solving environmental problems and protecting our planet.
Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Approaches
Collaboration among scientists from different fields and the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches play a crucial role in solving environmental problems. By combining their expertise and perspectives, scientists can develop innovative solutions that address the complexity and interconnectedness of these issues. This section will explore the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches in tackling environmental problems, providing examples of successful collaborations and their impact.
Importance of Collaboration
Collaboration among scientists from various disciplines is essential because environmental problems are multifaceted and require a comprehensive understanding. By working together, scientists can pool their knowledge and skills to develop holistic solutions. For example, a collaboration between ecologists, chemists, and engineers can lead to the development of sustainable technologies that mitigate pollution and protect ecosystems.
Collaboration also fosters creativity and innovation. When scientists from different fields come together, they bring unique perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. This diversity of thought can lead to breakthroughs and novel solutions that may not have been possible through individual efforts alone.
Benefits of Interdisciplinary Approaches
Interdisciplinary approaches involve integrating knowledge and methods from multiple disciplines to address complex environmental problems. These approaches recognize that environmental issues cannot be solved by a single discipline alone. By combining insights from various fields such as biology, chemistry, economics, and sociology, scientists can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the problem and develop effective solutions.
Interdisciplinary approaches also promote a more holistic and sustainable approach to problem-solving. For example, when addressing climate change, scientists need to consider not only the scientific aspects but also the social, economic, and political dimensions. By incorporating diverse perspectives, interdisciplinary teams can develop solutions that are not only scientifically sound but also socially and economically feasible.
Examples of Successful Collaborations
There have been numerous successful collaborations that have made a significant impact on addressing environmental problems. One notable example is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which brings together scientists from various disciplines to assess the scientific basis of climate change. The IPCC’s reports have played a crucial role in shaping global climate policies and raising awareness about the urgency of climate action.
Another example is the collaboration between marine biologists and engineers to develop innovative solutions for coral reef restoration. By combining their expertise, these scientists have successfully implemented techniques such as 3D printing of artificial reefs and coral transplantation, contributing to the conservation of these vital ecosystems.
Furthermore, collaborations between social scientists and conservation biologists have led to the development of community-based conservation initiatives. By involving local communities in conservation efforts, these projects have achieved both environmental and social benefits, ensuring the long-term sustainability of conservation practices.
In conclusion, collaboration among scientists from different fields and the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches are essential in solving environmental problems. By working together, scientists can leverage their diverse expertise and perspectives to develop innovative and holistic solutions. Successful collaborations have demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing complex environmental issues. As we continue to face environmental challenges, it is crucial to foster collaboration and interdisciplinary research to protect our planet for future generations.
Innovative Solutions and Technologies
In today’s rapidly changing world, environmental problems have become more pressing than ever before. Scientists are at the forefront of finding solutions to these issues, using innovative approaches and cutting-edge technologies. In this section, we will explore the role of innovation in addressing environmental problems and discuss some of the groundbreaking solutions that scientists have developed.
Role of Innovation
Innovation plays a crucial role in addressing environmental problems. It involves thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas and approaches to tackle complex issues. Scientists are constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge and developing innovative solutions to protect the environment.
One example of innovation in environmental science is the development of clean energy technologies . As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, scientists have been working tirelessly to find alternative sources of energy. Renewable energy technologies such as solar power, wind power, and geothermal energy have emerged as viable alternatives to fossil fuels. These innovations not only help reduce carbon emissions but also contribute to the creation of a sustainable and greener future.
Cutting-Edge Technologies
Advancements in technology have revolutionized the way scientists approach environmental problems. Cutting-edge technologies enable researchers to collect and analyze data more efficiently, monitor environmental changes in real-time, and develop innovative solutions.
One such technology is remote sensing , which allows scientists to gather data about the Earth’s surface and atmosphere using satellites and other airborne sensors. This data provides valuable insights into various environmental parameters such as land cover, vegetation health, and air quality. Remote sensing has proven to be a powerful tool in monitoring deforestation, tracking the movement of pollutants, and assessing the impact of climate change.
Another groundbreaking technology is nanotechnology , which involves manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular scale. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including environmental science. Scientists are exploring the use of nanomaterials for water purification, air filtration, and soil remediation. These nanomaterials have unique properties that make them highly effective in removing pollutants and contaminants from the environment.
Examples of Innovative Solutions
Scientists have developed numerous innovative solutions to address environmental problems. One notable example is the development of biodegradable plastics . Traditional plastics pose a significant threat to the environment due to their long decomposition time. However, scientists have successfully created biodegradable plastics that break down naturally, reducing their impact on ecosystems.
Another innovative solution is the use of drones for environmental monitoring. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors can collect data from remote and inaccessible areas, providing valuable information about biodiversity, habitat loss, and illegal activities such as poaching and deforestation. This technology allows scientists to monitor and protect fragile ecosystems more effectively.
Furthermore, scientists have been exploring the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing environmental problems. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns and trends that humans may overlook. This technology has been used to predict and mitigate the impact of natural disasters, optimize energy consumption, and develop more efficient waste management systems.
In conclusion, innovation and cutting-edge technologies are essential in addressing environmental problems. Scientists are constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge and developing innovative solutions to protect the environment. From clean energy technologies to nanomaterials and AI, these advancements have the potential to create a sustainable and greener future. It is crucial to support and engage with scientific efforts to ensure the successful implementation of these innovative solutions.
Policy and Advocacy
Policy and advocacy play a crucial role in addressing environmental problems. Scientists have a unique position to influence policy decisions and advocate for effective solutions. In this section, we will explore the role of scientists in policy-making and the importance of advocacy for environmental issues.
Exploring the role of scientists in influencing policy decisions
Scientists have the expertise and knowledge to provide evidence-based recommendations for policy decisions. They conduct research, analyze data, and identify the most effective strategies to address environmental problems. By presenting their findings to policymakers, scientists can influence the development of policies that prioritize environmental protection.
Scientists act as advisors to government agencies, non-profit organizations, and international bodies, providing valuable insights into the potential consequences of different policy choices. Their expertise helps policymakers understand the scientific implications of their decisions and make informed choices that align with environmental goals.
Discussing the importance of advocacy for environmental issues
Advocacy is a powerful tool for raising awareness and mobilizing support for environmental issues. Scientists can use their expertise to advocate for policies that promote sustainability, conservation, and the protection of natural resources. By engaging with the public, policymakers, and other stakeholders, scientists can drive positive change and create a more sustainable future.
Advocacy efforts can take various forms, including public speaking, writing articles and op-eds, participating in public debates, and collaborating with environmental organizations. Scientists can use these platforms to communicate the urgency of environmental problems, highlight the potential consequences of inaction, and propose evidence-based solutions.
Providing examples of scientists who have made a significant impact through policy and advocacy work
Several scientists have made significant contributions to environmental policy and advocacy. One notable example is Dr. Jane Goodall, a renowned primatologist and conservationist. Through her research on chimpanzees, Dr. Goodall has become a prominent advocate for wildlife conservation and environmental education. Her work has influenced international policies and inspired countless individuals to take action for the protection of endangered species and their habitats.
Another example is Dr. James Hansen, a climate scientist who has been at the forefront of raising awareness about climate change. Dr. Hansen’s research on the impact of greenhouse gas emissions has been instrumental in shaping climate policies and international agreements. His advocacy efforts have helped mobilize global action to mitigate the effects of climate change.
These examples demonstrate the significant impact scientists can have on policy decisions and public opinion. By leveraging their expertise and engaging in advocacy, scientists can drive positive change and contribute to the protection of the environment.
In conclusion, policy and advocacy are essential components of addressing environmental problems. Scientists have a unique role in influencing policy decisions through their expertise and research findings. By engaging in advocacy efforts, scientists can raise awareness, mobilize support, and drive positive change. The examples of Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. James Hansen highlight the significant impact scientists can have on policy and public opinion. It is crucial for scientists to continue their advocacy work and collaborate with policymakers and stakeholders to create a sustainable future.
Challenges and Limitations
Environmental problems are complex and multifaceted, requiring scientists to navigate numerous challenges and limitations in their quest to find solutions. In this section, we will explore some of the key challenges faced by scientists and the limitations of scientific research in addressing these complex issues.
Challenges Scientists Face
Limited Funding : One of the major challenges scientists face is the availability of funding for their research. Environmental studies often require significant resources, including equipment, fieldwork, and data analysis. Securing funding can be highly competitive, and limited financial support can hinder the progress of scientific research.
Political Interference : Environmental issues are often intertwined with political agendas, making it challenging for scientists to conduct unbiased research. Political interference can influence the direction of research, limit access to data, or even suppress findings that may be inconvenient for certain stakeholders. This interference undermines the integrity of scientific research and hampers efforts to find effective solutions.
Lack of Public Awareness : Despite the growing awareness of environmental problems, there is still a lack of public understanding and support for scientific research. This can make it difficult for scientists to garner public support and funding for their work. Educating the public about the importance of scientific research and its role in addressing environmental problems is crucial for overcoming this challenge.
Data Limitations : Environmental issues are often complex and require extensive data collection and analysis. However, there are limitations in the availability and quality of data, especially in developing countries or remote areas. Insufficient data can hinder scientists’ ability to accurately assess the extent of environmental problems and develop effective solutions.
Limitations of Scientific Research
Complexity of Environmental Problems : Environmental problems are inherently complex, involving numerous interconnected factors. Scientific research often focuses on specific aspects of these problems, which can limit the understanding of their full complexity. Addressing environmental problems requires a holistic approach that considers the interplay of various factors, which can be challenging to achieve through scientific research alone.
Time Constraints : Scientific research is a time-consuming process that requires careful planning, data collection, analysis, and peer review. The urgency of addressing environmental problems often clashes with the time-consuming nature of scientific research. This time constraint can hinder scientists’ ability to provide timely solutions to pressing environmental issues.
Ethical Considerations : Scientific research must adhere to ethical guidelines to ensure the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment. This can sometimes limit the scope of research or impose restrictions on certain methodologies. Balancing ethical considerations with the need for comprehensive research can be a challenge for scientists.
Uncertainty and Complexity of Outcomes : Environmental problems are often characterized by uncertainty and complexity, making it challenging to predict the outcomes of scientific interventions accurately. The long-term effects of certain solutions may be difficult to determine, and unintended consequences can arise. Scientists must navigate this uncertainty and complexity to develop effective and sustainable solutions.
Overcoming Challenges through Collaboration and Continued Research
Despite the challenges and limitations, scientists are continually striving to overcome these obstacles and find innovative solutions to environmental problems. Collaboration among scientists from different fields and interdisciplinary approaches play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. By pooling their expertise and resources, scientists can tackle complex problems more effectively.
Furthermore, continued research and technological advancements are essential for overcoming the limitations of scientific research. Investing in research and development, improving data collection methods, and embracing emerging technologies can enhance scientists’ ability to address environmental problems.
In conclusion, scientists face various challenges, including limited funding, political interference, and a lack of public awareness. Additionally, scientific research has its limitations, such as the complexity of environmental problems and time constraints. However, through collaboration, continued research, and technological advancements, scientists can overcome these challenges and contribute to finding sustainable solutions for our planet. It is crucial for society to support and engage with scientific efforts to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable future.
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The U.S. Urgently Needs a Bigger Grid. Here’s a Fast Solution.
A rarely used technique to upgrade old power lines could play a big role in fixing one of the largest obstacles facing clean energy, two reports found.
By Brad Plumer
One of the biggest obstacles to expanding clean energy in the United States is a lack of power lines. Building new transmission lines can take a decade or more because of permitting delays and local opposition. But there may be a faster, cheaper solution, according to two reports released Tuesday .
Replacing existing power lines with cables made from state-of-the-art materials could roughly double the capacity of the electric grid in many parts of the country, making room for much more wind and solar power.
This technique, known as “advanced reconductoring,” is widely used in other countries. But many U.S. utilities have been slow to embrace it because of their unfamiliarity with the technology as well as regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles, researchers found.
“We were pretty astonished by how big of an increase in capacity you can get by reconductoring,” said Amol Phadke, a senior scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who contributed to one of the reports released Tuesday. Working with GridLab, a consulting firm, researchers from Berkeley looked at what would happen if advanced reconductoring were broadly adopted.
“It’s not the only thing we need to do to upgrade the grid, but it can be a major part of the solution,” Dr. Phadke said.
Today, most power lines consist of steel cores surrounded by strands of aluminum, a design that’s been around for a century. In the 2000s, several companies developed cables that used smaller, lighter cores such as carbon fiber and that could hold more aluminum. These advanced cables can carry up to twice as much current as older models.
Replacing old lines can be done relatively quickly. In 2011, AEP, a utility in Texas, urgently needed to deliver more power to the Lower Rio Grande Valley to meet soaring population growth. It would have taken too long to acquire land and permits and to build towers for a new transmission line. Instead, AEP replaced 240 miles of wires on an existing line with advanced conductors, which took less than three years and increased the carrying capacity of the lines by 40 percent.
In many places, upgrading power lines with advanced conductors could nearly double the capacity of existing transmission corridors at less than half the cost of building new lines, researchers found. If utilities began deploying advanced conductors on a nationwide scale — replacing thousands of miles of wires — they could add four times as much transmission capacity by 2035 as they are currently on pace to do.
That would allow the use of much more solar and wind power from thousands of projects that have been proposed but can’t move forward because local grids are too clogged to accommodate them.
Installing advanced conductors is a promising idea, but questions remain, including how much additional wind and solar power can be built near existing lines, said Shinjini Menon, the vice president of asset management and wildfire safety at Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest utilities. Power companies would probably still need to build lots of new lines to reach more remote windy and sunny areas, she said.
“We agree that advanced conductors are going to be very, very useful,” said Ms. Menon, whose company has already embarked on multiple reconductoring projects in California. “But how far can we take it? The jury’s still out.”
Experts broadly agree that the sluggish build-out of the electric grid is the Achilles’ heel of the transition to cleaner energy. The Energy Department estimates that the nation’s network of transmission lines may need to expand by two-thirds or more by 2035 to meet President Biden’s goals to power the country with clean energy.
But building transmission lines has become a brutal slog, and it can take a decade or more for developers to site a new line through multiple counties, receive permission from a patchwork of different agencies and address lawsuits about spoiled views or damage to ecosystems. Last year, the United States added just 251 miles of high-voltage transmission lines , a number that has been declining for a decade.
The climate stakes are high. In 2022, Congress approved hundreds of billions of dollars for solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and other nonpolluting technologies to tackle global warming as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. But if the United States can’t add new transmission capacity more quickly, roughly half the emission reductions expected from that law may not materialize , researchers at the Princeton-led REPEAT Project found.
The difficulty of building new lines has led many energy experts and industry officials to explore ways to squeeze more out of the existing grid. That includes “grid-enhancing technologies” such as sensors that allow utilities to send more power through existing lines without overloading them and advanced controls that allow operators to ease congestion on the grid. Studies have found these techniques can increase grid capacity by 10 to 30 percent at a low cost.
Countries like Belgium and the Netherlands have been widely deploying advanced conductors in order to integrate more wind and solar power, said Emilia Chojkiewicz, one of the authors of the Berkeley report.
“We talked with the transmission system planners over there and they all said this is a no-brainer,” Ms. Chojkiewicz said. “It’s often difficult to get new rights of way for lines, and reconductoring is much faster.”
If reconductoring is so effective, why don’t more utilities in the United States do it? That question was the focus of the second report released Tuesday, by GridLab and Energy Innovation, a nonprofit organization.
One problem is the fragmented nature of America’s electricity system, which is actually three grids run by 3,200 different utilities and a complex patchwork of regional planners and regulators. That means new technologies — which require careful study and worker retraining — sometimes spread more slowly than they do in countries with just a handful of grid operators.
“Many utilities are risk averse,” said Dave Bryant, the chief technology officer for CTC Global, a leading manufacturer of advanced conductors that has projects in more than 60 countries.
There are also mismatched incentives, the report found. Because of the way in which utilities are compensated, they often have more financial incentive to build new lines rather than to upgrade existing equipment. Conversely, some regulators are wary of the higher upfront cost of advanced conductors — even if they pay for themselves over the long run. Many utilities also have little motivation to cooperate with one another on long-term transmission planning.
“The biggest barrier is that the industry and regulators are still caught in a short-term, reactive mind-set,” said Casey Baker, a senior program manager at GridLab. “But now we’re in an era where we need the grid to grow very quickly, and our existing processes haven’t caught up with that reality.”
That may be starting to change in some places. In Montana, Northwestern Energy recently replaced part of an aging line with advanced conductors to reduce wildfire risk — the new line sagged less in the heat, making it less likely to make contact with trees. Pleased with the results, Montana legislators passed a bill that would give utilities financial incentives to install advanced conductors. A bill in Virginia would require utilities to consider the technology.
With electricity demand beginning to surge for the first time in two decades because of new data centers, factories and electric vehicles, creating bottlenecks on the grid, many utilities are getting over their wariness about new technologies.
“We’re seeing a lot more interest in grid-enhancing technologies, whether it’s reconductoring or other options,” said Pedro Pizarro, the president and chief of executive of Edison International, a California power company, and the chairman of the Edison Electric Institute, a utility trade organization. “There’s a sense of urgency.”
Brad Plumer is a Times reporter who covers technology and policy efforts to address global warming. More about Brad Plumer
Learn More About Climate Change
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New satellite-based research reveals how land along the East Coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise . A major culprit: the overpumping of groundwater.
Did you know the ♻ symbol doesn’t mean something is actually recyclable ? Read on about how we got here, and what can be done.
13 ways to save the Earth from pollution
You might use plastic water bottles, yogurt cups, and straws for just a day, but they can remain in the environment for years. And that pollution can harm habitats and the animals that live there. Cut down Earth’s trash with these tips.
Bust the balloons
Balloons eventually fall back down to Earth … and can end up in the ocean, entangling animals or being mistaken for food. Skip the balloons at your next party, and ask friends to do the same. Make pom-pom decorations instead!
Bin for the win
Always throw trash in the can. Garbage left outside might harm wildlife and end up in the ocean. Trash that’s properly brought to a landfill is kept out of the sea.
Fish responsibly
If you go fishing, don’t leave nets or lines in the water. Animals can become entangled in the trash.
Scientists estimate that about half the world’s sea turtles accidentally eat plastic and other trash. Keep the ocean clean by never leaving toys or trash at the beach.
Dump plastic
According to one study, over eight million tons of plastic pollution end up in the ocean each year. Drink from a refillable water bottle, place your sandwich in cloth or a reusable container, and use bar soap instead of bottled.
Garbage club
Form a club in your classroom to reduce your waste at school . Monitor what’s thrown away each week, and think about ways to cut down on those items.
Trash trooper
Participate in a community cleanup . The groups that host the events sometimes weigh the collected trash, which helps leaders make decisions about laws that encourage people to waste less.
Recycle right
People in the United States recycle only about 35 percent of their waste, so recycle what you can. Ask for help to create a paper and plastic recycling program in your classroom.
Business talk
Does your favorite ice-cream shop use plastic spoons? Ask an adult to help you talk to the owner about switching to a non-plastic option. Some kinds of spoons are even edible!
Do-good goodie bag
Don’t fill your birthday goodie bags with plastic yo-yos and other trinkets for your friends. Instead, give them homemade treats or coupons to a local bakery.
Straw sense
Experts estimate that Americans use about 500 million plastic straws a day, and they’re one of the top 10 trash items found during ocean cleanups. If you must use a straw, find a reusable metal straw or a paper version or make your own.
Pest Friends
Ask your parents to buy food and clothes that are made without pesticides—chemicals sprayed on crops to kill bad bugs. The problem? Pesticides also can kill critters like bees that are eco-friendly.
Stuffed with stuff
Items shipped to your home often come wrapped in plastic packaging; toys bought at the store are covered in it. Think about what can be bought secondhand, what can be shared, and what doesn’t need to be purchased at all.
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10 Environmental Problems and Solutions
If you’re searching for answers to the 10 biggest environmental problems and solutions, you might be concerned with the state of the planet today. If you’re worried, I want you to know that although the world faces major environmental problems, there are solutions. The solutions aren’t simple, and there are no magic bullets, but they exist.
There are also a lot of voices and opinions about environmental issues. So along with basic information about environmental problems and solutions, I also offer different perspectives and further reading so you can form your own opinions. Because there are many possible environmental solutions, and not even the “experts” have all the answers. So I encourage you to keep an open mind to every option. Let’s look for progress, not perfection.
I’ll write more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals below but wanted to mention these goals up-front. If you’re reading this article because you’re concerned about the environment (or maybe you’re feeling stressed or anxious about climate change) learn about the Global Goals first. The Global Goals offer a solid framework for solving environmental problems. Now, on to the 10 biggest environmental problems we face today.
10 environmental problems
These are the 10 biggest environmental problems in no particular order. Climate change is a hot topic right now so I include it first. It’s also first on the list simply because so many of the problems related to climate change are also connected to other environmental problems. Environmental problems like oil spills, deforestation, and poverty need to be solved in and of themselves. But solving these problems indirectly helps solve the problem of climate change.
There are also environmental problems like fluorinated gases that have a large impact on the climate, but not directly on our health or wealth. These problems are extra tricky because they’re expensive to solve and they get little media coverage. That’s why international laws and cooperation are especially important for solving the hardest problems.
Climate change
Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates.” – NASA
Climate change happens when greenhouse gases are released and trapped in the atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect creates a layer around the earth’s atmosphere that traps heat from the sun, making our atmosphere warmer, similar to a greenhouse.
The following greenhouse gases contribute to climate change.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) – Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere when fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are burned. Carbon dioxide is also released when trees and other plants are burned or cut down and through manufacturing cement. Carbon dioxide made up 81% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions from the United States in 2018 according to the Environmental Protection Agency .
- Methane (CH4) – Methane is released from fossil fuels (natural gas in particular), agriculture (cow farts and manure), and landfills. Methane made up 10% of greenhouse gases in the US in 2018.
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) – Nitrous oxide is emitted from agriculture, fossil fuels, industry, and waste-water treatment. Nitrous oxide made up 7% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018.
- Fluorinated gases – Fluorinated gases are hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. They are man-made gases commonly used in refrigerants used for cooling air conditioners and refrigerators. These gases have a high Global Warming Potential and makeup 3% of greenhouse gases emitted in the United States according to the EPA.
Resource: Drilled Podcast: The origins of climate denial
Poverty is indirectly linked to environmental problems. When you solve issues related to poverty you also solve environmental problems such as deforestation[cm_simple_footnote id=1], population growth, gender inequality, and climate change.
The world has been making steady progress toward ending extreme poverty for years according to the UN. The COVID-19 crisis has reversed some of the progress. But before the virus, life was better for many people around the world than ever before in history. Now, we need to deal with the crisis and get back to making progress.
Related: Population growth explained with IKEA boxes
Gender inequality
Although gender inequality is also not a direct environmental problem, solving problems like inadequate access to birth control, health services, and education has a positive impact on the economy and environment.
Education lays a foundation for vibrant lives for girls and women, their families, and their communities. It also is one of the most powerful levers available for avoiding emissions by curbing population growth. Women with more years of education have fewer and healthier children, and actively manage their reproductive health. Gender inequality is indirectly linked to environmental problems.” – Drawdown.org
Related: Melinda Gates: Why equality can’t wait
Fluorinated gases used in refrigerants
Fluorinated gases, like the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in refrigerators and air conditioners, are considered major contributors to climate change according to Drawdown.org. The most commonly used refrigerants have a high Global Warming Potential. The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol offers a timeline for phasing out refrigerants with high Global Warming Potential, but it’s essential for companies and governments to maintain their commitments.
To minimize your personal impact, make sure to properly recycle refrigerators and air conditioning units. If you’re not sure how to recycle an appliance contact your local waste management company.
Fluorinated gases have a potent greenhouse effect and are widely used as refrigerants. Managing leaks and disposal of these chemicals can avoid emissions in buildings and landfills.” – Drawdown
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig sank in the Gulf of Mexico, making it one of the most environmentally damaging oil spills in history. The spill covered over 43,300 square miles. It killed and harmed dolphins, sea turtles, fish, and a variety of organisms ( source ).
The environmental problems associated with oil have many layers. Not only does an oil spill kill wildlife and fishing industries, but oil is also a fossil fuel that contributes to climate change. Although oil is a necessary source of energy in every developed and developing country today, it comes with dire environmental problems.
Wasted natural resources
267.8 million tons of municipal solid waste went to landfills instead of being recycled, upcycled, composted, or used for something else in 2017, according to the EPA . That’s a lot of wasted natural resources that originally came from nature, in one form or another. In a circular economy , these natural resources would not be wasted. Instead, they could be upcycled, recycled, or used to regenerate other materials.
Plastic pollution
You’ve probably seen images of marine life drowning in plastic pollution. Maybe you’re aware of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is about twice the size of Texas. The people and countries with the highest income generate the most plastic waste. That’s because we can afford to buy more stuff wrapped in plastic.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental problem. Plastic comes from fossil fuels, which we need to phase out, so using less plastic is important. But ultimately solving the problem of plastic pollution may come down to improving waste management technology and creating a more circular economy for plastics.
Related: The world’s plastic pollution crisis explained
Food waste[cm_simple_footnote id=2] is a big environmental problem. Up to 40% of food is wasted from farm to fork to landfill according to the National Resources Defense Council . There’s a lot of media coverage about how diet is related to the environment. But the majority of that coverage has to do with how individuals should eat, not how agriculture and waste management services should improve.
Instead of focusing on how individuals should change their eating habits (which is so darned hard) the answers just might lie in improving technology and holding companies to higher environmental standards. This leads me to deforestation, which is closely related to agriculture.
Deforestation
Deforestation is linked to many environmental problems, and the biggest problem is agriculture according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States .
Agri-businesses should meet their commitments to deforestation-free commodity chains and companies that have not made zero deforestation commitments should do so. Commodity investors should adopt business models that are environmentally and socially responsible. These actions will, in many cases, require a revision of current policies and financial incentives. – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Related: Can planting billions of trees save the planet?
Ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is one of the main problems associated with climate change. It doesn’t get as much attention as other environmental problems, but it can have a major impact on ocean ecosystems.
The ocean absorbs about 30% of the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) that is released in the atmosphere. As levels of atmospheric CO 2 increase from human activity such as burning fossil fuels (e.g., car emissions) and changing land use (e.g., deforestation), the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean also increases. When CO 2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions occur resulting in the increased concentration of hydrogen ions. This process has far reaching implications for the ocean and the creatures that live there. – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
10 environmental solutions
Now that you understand the environmental problems we face today, it’s time to understand the potential environmental solutions. I say potential solutions because the cause and effect from environmental problem to environmental solution is complex. There’s a word for this, it’s called dynamic complexity.
The below environmental solutions have the potential to solve different problems within a complex, dynamic, and interconnected system. But there is no magic bullet for environmental problems. So I encourage anyone interested in environmental solutions to think big-picture. Each solution is simply one piece of a giant puzzle. Again, look for progress rather than perfection.
Related: Climate solutions 101 by Project Drawdown
- UN Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Sustainable Development Goals offer the best possible framework for dealing with most of the problems listed above. These are the 17 goals that almost all countries have agreed to.
- Zero hunger
- Good health and well-being
- Quality education
- Gender equality
- Clean water and sanitation
Affordable and clean energy
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- Reduced inequality
- Sustainable cities and communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life below water
- Life on Land
- Peace, justice, and strong institutions
- Partnerships and Goals
Green innovation
Green innovation may be the most important environmental solution. People around the world are working on new technologies and solutions that could revolutionize the way we look at energy and waste. We haven’t scratched the surface yet on how humanity will solve these problems. But there’s no time to waste, and we need governments and companies to invest in research and development.
One step is to lay the foundation for innovation by drastically increasing government funding for research on clean energy solutions. Right now, the world spends only a few billion dollars a year on researching early-stage ideas for zero-carbon energy. It should be investing two or three times that much.” – Bill Gates
Read: We need clean-energy innovation and lots of it
There are several different forms of clean and renewable energy. Solar, wind, and hydro energy are considered renewable energy sources. Nuclear energy, a non-renewable source of energy that contributes little to climate change, is an example of clean energy.
Electrify everything
How to make energy clean and affordable for everyone is not an easy solution to implement. However, the phrase “electrify everything” is a concept that’s fairly easy to understand. Here’s a paragraph that helped me understand how we can truly get clean and affordable energy for everyone on the planet.
“We know, or at least have a pretty good idea, how to get electricity down to zero carbon. There are options: wind, solar, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, and coal or natural gas with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). There are plenty of disagreements about exactly what mix of those sources will be needed to get us to a carbon-free grid, and what mix of centralized versus distributed resources, and what mix of supply-side versus demand-side solutions — but there’s broad consensus that pathways to fully clean electricity exist.” – The key to tackling climate change: electrify everything by David Roberts for Vox
Related: The Rewiring America Handbook : A Guide to Winning the Climate Fight.
Carbon taxes
You may have read statements from economists like former Federal Reserve Chairmen Ben Bernanke, Alan Greenspan, Janet Yellen, and Paul Volcker in support of a carbon tax. That’s because pollution and emissions are considered negative externalities.
By correcting a well-known market failure, a carbon tax will send a powerful price signal that harnesses the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.” – Statement by economists posted in the Wall Street Journal
Related: Why Put a Price on Carbon? by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Conservation of natural resources
Conserving the natural resources we already have is one important environmental solution. The strategies below help individuals and companies conserve resources:
- Zero waste – Zero-waste is a way for individuals to reduce their own environmental impact by contributing less to landfills by using reusable containers and less plastic.
- Circular economy – “A circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems,” according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
- Sustainable living – Sustainable living is a general term used to describe lifestyle choices that contribute less to environmental problems.
- Upcycling – Creating a product of higher value from a product or material that would otherwise be thrown away. The clothes and accessories made by ZeroWasteDaniel.com is an excellent example of upcycling.
- Dematerialization – Designing products to use less materials while still creating the same value for the customer. This reduces shipping, natural resources, waste and pollution. A good example of dematerialization is TruEarth’s eco-strips laundry detergent.
Carbon capture and sequestration
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil, trees, plants, or underground. CCS is considered one way to mitigate climate change.
The simplest way to capture carbon is through photosynthesis. Trees and plants take atmospheric carbon dioxide and store that carbon in healthy soil and plants using photosynthesis. But there are more high-tech ways to capture and sequester carbon as well. One way is through geoengineering.
Geoengineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change. – Oxford Geoengineering Program
There are also companies that will sequester carbon for you.
Sustainable business and investing
Some businesses, like Patagonia, Interface, and IKEA, have built sustainability and resilience into the core of their companies. Others have fought against sustainability by lawyering up, using loopholes, and lying about the damage their businesses create. If we want environmental solutions, we need to support companies with sustainable business models that support progress. If you’re interested in learning more about what businesses and consumers can do, here are a few places to start:
- Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist
- Genuine progress indicator
- Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing
- Dow Jones Sustainability Index
- Green bonds
Improved food production
The environmental problems associated with food production get a lot of attention in the media. Some environmentalists and journalists advocate for plant-based diets and veganism as a solution to the problems associated with food. Changing our eating habits may have a small impact on the environment, but there’s a much larger movement underfoot lead by farmers and entrepreneurs. Below is a shortlist of potential environmental solutions to problems associated with food production and water shortages:
- Regenerative agriculture
- Lab-grown meat
- Plant-based meat
- Verticle farms
- Precision agriculture
- Anaerobic digestion
- Water desalination
Sustainable homes
Our homes use a lot of energy to run our dishwashers, washer and dryers, and HVAC systems. And let’s not forget about all the energy we use charging our computers and watching TV. It adds up. But instead of turning off our devices, it’s possible to build more efficient homes that waste less energy and use cleaner energy sources. Although we have a long way toward making most homes sustainable, here are a few environmental solutions related to homes.
- Net Zero homes
- Home electrification
- Living Buildings
- LEED-certified buildings
- Energy star appliances
Read: The ultimate guide to solar homes
Environmental frameworks and certifications
As mentioned earlier, the UN Sustainable Development Goals offer a framework for solving most environmental problems. If you’re interested in learning more about the environmental movement, here are a few places to start.
- Future Fit Business – Free tools to help businesses and investors make better decisions.
- The Natural Step (TNS)
If you’re interested in buying better products, consider looking for products with these certifications.
- B Corporation
- Cradle to Cradle certified
- Design for the environment
- EWG verified
1 thought on “10 Environmental Problems and Solutions”
Wow this a great work. I have learned a lot. At least I can solve some environmental problems and encourage sustainable environmental conservation.
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Environmental Problem Solving
- First Online: 21 December 2019
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Sometimes, the best solution for an environmental problem is obvious. Other times there may be no immediately apparent solution. More often, there are many possible solutions. In all cases, identifying, comparing, and assessing all possible options is necessary to determine where critical resources should be invested to solve environmental problems. Environmental professionals approach problems with an open mind, clearly identifying the challenge at hand and purposefully evaluating possible solutions. This chapter provides a framework for identifying, evaluating, and implementing potential solutions that can be used to guide any problem solving activity.
- Brainstorming
- Concept diagrams
- Interdisciplinary teams
- Thinking outside the box
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American Society for Quality. Problem Solving Resources. http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/problem-solving/overview/overview.html
Association for Psychological Science. 2012. "To 'think outside the box,' think outside the box." ScienceDaily. 24 January 2012. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123175800.htm
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Pontius, J., McIntosh, A. (2020). Environmental Problem Solving. In: Critical Skills for Environmental Professionals. Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28542-5_8
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January 14, 2019
Fixing the environment: when solutions become problems
by Marlowe Hood
In a world where climate change, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, ozone depletion, and other environmental problems overlap, a fix in one arena can cause trouble in another.
Here are a few examples of what might be called Earth's "zero-sum" dilemma in the 21st century.
Water vs. ocean pollution
A study released Monday shows for the first time that more than 16,000 desalination plants scattered across the globe produce more briny toxic sludge than fresh water.
For every litre of fresh water extracted, a litre-and-a-half of salty, chemical-laden sludge called brine is dumped—in most cases—into the ocean.
That's enough to cover the state of Florida in a 30-centimetre (one-foot) layer of slime.
"Desalination technology has benefited a large number of people," said co-author Manzoor Qadir, a researcher at the UN University. "But we cannot ignore the production of brine, which is going to become an even greater problem in the future."
Ozone vs. climate
The 1987 Montreal Protocol banned industrial chemicals dissolving stratospheric ozone, which protects us from the Sun's dangerous ultraviolet rays.
To replace the forbidden molecules, used in aerosols and refrigerants, scientists invented a new category known as HFCs.
But there was a small problem that didn't emerge until much later: the substitutes—while harmless to the ozone layer—were dangerous greenhouse gases, thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide or methane.
That meant a new, protracted round of negotiations over an amendment calling for the phase of HFCs, which was finally adopted in 2016.
Biofuels vs. food, forests
The rise in oil prices in the 1970s, and later the looming threat of climate change , boosted the production of biofuels made from corn, sugarcane and palm oil.
It seemed like a great idea: planet-warming CO2 released into the atmosphere when the biofuels were burned would be partially offset by the CO2 absorbed while the plants were growing.
But the solution became a problem it its own right.
The energy needed to transform and transport plant-based fuels undercuts their original purpose. To make matters worse, the newly emerging market created a perverse incentive to cut down tropical forests—far more efficient at soaking up CO2—to make way for sugarcane and palm oil trees.
When it comes to climate change, projections for how humanity can cap global warming under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) assume a major role for biofuels. But recently scientists have calculated that an area up to twice the size of India would be needed to cultivate them, which may not leave enough land to grow food.
Wind farms vs. biodiversity
There are some 350,000 wind turbines scattered across the globe producing more than 500 gigawatts of clean, green energy and supplying four percent of global electricity demand.
But wind farms are also bird killers: up to 328,000 birds—especially those that fly at night—are felled every year by fast-spinning blades in the United States alone, where there are some 50,000 turbines.
They also disrupt ecosystems. A scientific study of wind farms in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO-listed range of mountains and forest spanning India's west coast, found that predatory raptor birds were four times rarer than in adjacent areas.
Their absence cascaded down the food chain and radically altered the density and behaviour of the birds' prey. There was, in particular, an explosion in the raptors' favourite meal: fan-throated lizards.
Solar panels vs. ground pollution
Photovoltaic solar panels—which absorb sunlight to generate electricity—have a dirty little secret, according to French investigative journalist Guillaume Pitron.
The fastest growing renewable energy source includes critical metals and minerals that require a lot of energy to extract and often leave a trail of environmental devastation in their wake.
Wandering the world to research his book "The Rare Metals War", Pitron said he saw mountains in southern China "cut in half vertically," and "toxic lakes" in Inner Mongolia.
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1. Introduction
2. a framework to diagnose environmental problems and explore potential responses, 3. overview of the framework, 4. exploring potential policy responses to environmental problems, 5. additional policy response considerations, 6. conclusion, data accessibility statement, competing interests, author contributions, diagnosing environmental problems and their possible policy responses: a tool for assessing initial options.
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Krister Andersson , Christina Boyes , Kenneth Richards; Diagnosing environmental problems and their possible policy responses: A tool for assessing initial options. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 5 January 2023; 11 (1): 00137. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00137
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The complexities of many environmental problems make the task of identifying potential solutions daunting. We present a diagnostic framework to help guide environmental policy analysts and practitioners to think more systematically about the major types of environmental problems and their possible policy responses. Our framework helps the user classify a problem into 1 of the 3 main problem categories, and then for each of the problem types think about contextual factors that will influence the choice of policy responses. The main problem types are (1) common-pool resource (CPR) problems (e.g., overfishing, groundwater depletion, and forest degradation); (2) pollution problems (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, acid rain, and smog); and (3) hazards (natural and human-made hazards, including hurricanes, wildfires, and levy collapse). For each of these problems, the framework asks users to consider several contextual factors that are known to influence the likely effectiveness of different policy responses, particularly fast-thinking behavior. The framework is a heuristic tool that will help novice analysts develop a deeper understanding of the problems at hand and an appreciation for the complexities involved in coming up with workable solutions to environmental challenges. The proposed framework is not prescriptive but analytical in that it asks users guiding questions to assess multiple aspects of a problem. The resulting problem assessment helps to narrow down the number of viable options for environmental policy responses, each of which may, in turn, be assessed with an eye toward their legal, political, and social viability.
The motivation to tackle environmental problems is at an all-time high. Governments and corporations take turns in setting ambitious goals for reducing their ecological footprints, especially when it comes to climate change. The European Union declared in June 2021 that its members will work to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% before 2030 ( European Commission [EC], 2021 ). A few months earlier, online retailer Amazon committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2040 ( Amazon, 2019 ). While such commitments are welcome news for the planet, they also raise questions about how such goals can be achieved.
What mix of policy responses will most effectively improve targeted environmental outcomes while safeguarding economic prosperity and human dignity? Once societies and their multiple organizations commit to improving outcomes, the hard work of figuring out how to achieve these goals begins. The purpose of this article is to present a diagnostic framework to guide environmental policy analysts and practitioners to think systematically about environmental problems and their possible policy responses. By developing such analytical skills, analysts will be able to become more active participants in society’s search for more effective policy solutions.
The complexities of many environmental problems make the task of identifying potential solutions daunting. The nonlinear behavior of the systems in which environmental problems occur complicates the search for viable policy responses. One of the central messages in this article is that because of these complexities, general blueprint solutions to environmental problems are rarely effective. Potential human responses to existing problems abound. Policy analysts face an increasing number of potential policy alternatives and one of the central challenges they encounter is to identify nuanced interventions that are likely to work in the specific contexts in which a problem is occurring. We propose that a good starting point for students in making sense of this complexity is to study and appreciate the problem at hand and the multiple contextual factors associated with it. This problem-orientation approach, we believe, will help analysts in their exploration of suitable policy responses.
Here, we present a framework designed to assist aspiring policy analysts to engage in the diagnosis of environmental problems and their possible solutions. The framework will not prescribe specific policy interventions, but it will prompt the user to ask several questions about the problem and the context that surrounds it. By addressing these questions, the analysts will be able to narrow down the number of appropriate policy options.
The design of this framework is intentionally simplified to allow users to process some of the key features of the complex social–environmental systems in which the problem is occurring. The purpose of the framework is primarily to offer novice analysts a tool to make an initial assessment of policy options. For more advanced policy analysts engaged in empirical analysis of policy instrument choice, we recommend using this framework as a starting point for subsequent, more specialized, and in-depth analysis. 1
Environmental policy frameworks are plentiful, but many are quite complex and abstract, which can hinder accessibility for the environmental policy novice (e.g., Little et al., 2019 ). Existing policy frameworks often fall short of offering practical applicability for novice policy practitioners who can find it challenging to define what the fundamental characteristics of the problem are and to think about what an appropriate response might be for a given problem. Policy analysis is often a complex task, and the main purpose of this diagnostic framework is to provide its users with a structure that makes this task more manageable. We hope that learning to use this framework will help the users—students, practitioners, and other analysts—to develop new analytical skills that they will apply in their future pursuit of sustainability solutions.
After a brief introduction to the proposed framework, we explain the multiple diagnostic questions it asks. To illustrate its utility for real-world problem diagnosis and exploration of possible policy responses, we apply the framework to 4 case studies of different problem domains: (1) overexploitation of groundwater commons in Colorado, USA; (2) acid rain pollution in the United States; (3) urban heat hazards in Ahmedabad, India; and (4) behavioral barriers to drinking water conservation in Bogota, Colombia. We conclude with a discussion of the ethical, political, and legal constraints on the selection of policy responses.
The proposed framework provides a simplified decision tree that allows for a step-by-step analysis of human–environmental interactions that sometimes result in environmental problems. The framework distinguishes between 3 major classes of environmental problems, including the overextraction of CPRs (e.g., unsustainable fisheries, deforestation, and groundwater depletion), pollution (e.g., air and water pollution, ozone depletion, ocean acidification, and climate change), and natural hazards (e.g., wildfires, floods, and drought). We include an additional category of problems—problems caused by fast-thinking or habitual “nondecisions” (e.g., littering, excessive household consumption of water, energy, and polluting consumer goods), which cuts across the 3 main categories of problems.
The framework is structured as a decision tree that starts by asking the user a series of questions about the problem at hand and its proximate causes. For example, is the problem caused by excessive extraction or use of a natural resource, such as a forest or groundwater? Or is the problem caused by a corporation emitting pollutants into the natural environment? Depending on the answers to these and other initial questions, the user of the framework will get a sense of the magnitude of the problem, and what it would take to address it effectively. After establishing which type of environmental problem the analyst is dealing with, the framework asks a second set of questions about the particular social–environmental contexts in which the problem is occurring. The framework pays particular attention to how human behavioral quirks affect the manifestation of different problems, be they hazards, pollution, or CPR problems. The framework’s questions help narrow down the number of plausible policy responses that are likely to work in the given context. For any given problem, the framework prompts the analyst to address 7 basic questions, outlined in Table 1 .
Overview of the core diagnostic questions
Source: Authors’ elaboration.
These questions provide the basic structure of the diagnostic framework. The order of these questions is important because the answers to the first 3 questions will determine which specific sub-questions the analyst should address during the diagnostic analysis. The purpose of this analytical exercise is not to generate predictive decision support, but rather a systematic, guided exploration and initial assessment of the problems at hand and the identification of a range of possible and desirable policy responses.
Policy analysts and researchers will recognize much of the content in the following subsections as integral to, but perhaps not overtly stated, in many of the frameworks already applied in the field of public policy. Most of the questions in the framework are about the context—that is, the biological, physical, socioeconomic, and political environment—in which a problem occurs. The reason for this focus on context is that the effectiveness of any given policy intervention often depends on how the policy interacts with the particularities of the context; the traditions and customs of the people targeted by the policy, the attributes of the ecosystem, and other policies and laws that already exist, to mention a few contextual conditions that are likely to matter. As a result, there are particularities associated with each of the 4 major categories of problems that require the policy analyst to go beyond the 7 core diagnostic questions identified above, addressing contextual factors that are specific to each of the problems in question. Those additional diagnostic questions are outlined in the problem-specific sections (4.1–4.4) below.
The analyst starts by describing the perceived problem at hand. What we observe is often the consequence of deeper environmental problems. For example, we might notice that the air is smoky and hazy and learn that there is a nearby wildfire burning. The proximate cause of the observed air pollution is wildfire, but what caused the fire in the first place may be more difficult to sort out. Policies that fail to address a problem’s true cause are unlikely to produce noticeable improvements to the status quo. The wildfire may be caused by a number of factors, such as reckless hikers losing control of their campfire, fire-suppressing forest management strategies, a drier and hotter climate, or a combination of all these factors. A policy response that merely focused on the behavior of reckless hikers would likely be quite ineffective in reducing the incidence of wildfires in the long run. On the other hand, a policy that only focused on the deepest root cause—trying to mitigate climatic change—may be expensive without necessarily reducing the incidence of wildfires in the short term.
While it is important to establish a nuanced understanding of the causal process behind an environmental problem, it is not always wise to target only the deepest root cause to an observed environmental problem. It is the task of the policy analyst to attribute an observed environmental problem to its true root causes, but that is just the first part of the analyst’s job. The perhaps more challenging task is to figure out which of these causes may be addressed by specific policy interventions at a reasonable cost.
3.1. Which type of environmental problem is it?
The framework asks the analyst a series of questions that allows her to pin down what type of environmental problem she is facing. Is it a problem characterized by the emission of a foreign substance into the natural environment (pollution)? Is it a problem characterized by the extraction of natural resources at a rate that exceeds the ecosystem’s capacity to regrow and regenerate (CPR problem)? Or is the problem associated with a disastrous event taking place, such as a wildfire, flood, or a building collapse (hazard)? Depending on the analyst’s answer to these questions, the framework identifies 3 major classes of environmental problems: overextraction of CPRs (e.g., unsustainable fisheries, deforestation, and groundwater depletion), pollution (e.g., air and water pollution, ozone depletion, ocean acidification, and climate change), and hazards (e.g., wildfires, floods, and building collapse). Table 2 presents an overview of these environmental problems, their proximate causes, as well as possible consequences.
Three major (and one cross-cutting) types of environmental problems
3.2. Does the observed problem warrant a public policy response?
Looking at the manifestation of the problem at hand, is doing nothing in response harmful to society? In other words, does the problem warrant a public policy response? If the spatial extent of the problem is limited and the problem does not do harm to a third party, leaving the problem alone may be justified. For example, if a farmer’s barn catches on fire, your truck has an oil leak that ends up spoiling a part of your lawn, or your neighbor cuts down the trees in her backyard, the impact of these problems is limited to a very small portion of the population. If environmental problems occur on a small scale and harm mostly individuals who were ultimately responsible for the problem in the first place, it would be difficult to justify an external intervention. Even if it does inflict some harm on some members of society (which is arguably the case in all the examples above), it is not always economically efficient for governing bodies such as homeowner associations, cities, or federal government agencies to intervene because the costs of doing so may outweigh the benefits. As Nobel laureate Ronald Coase (1960) once said of government intervention, sometimes “it will cost too much to set things right”. One of the most important tasks of policy analysis is to consider the efficiency of any proposed intervention, which requires a careful estimation of the costs of the intervention. In some cases, it may be best to leave the problems alone.
There are situations when the main purpose of policy interventions is precisely to set things right, to repair damage inflicted on people and their natural environment. Such interventions may seek justice for victims of wrongdoing and harm, including harm from environmental degradation and pollution. For example, in 2022 communities in Louisiana, USA, long exposed to the pollution from nearby oil refineries, launched an environmental justice campaign called “Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution,” to stop the expansion of petrochemical projects in an area called “Cancer Alley,” located along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The communities, supported by a donation from the Bloomberg Foundation, work with local environmental justice groups to hold polluting firms and government officials accountable ( Smith, 2022 ).
Addressing inequalities, inequities, and injustices related to environmental issues requires the analysts to acknowledge that societies are complex social entities with a diverse range of actors and social groups that often vary greatly in their values, politics, and preferences. What one group sees as a problem may not be a problem for another group. The same goes for the perception of solutions and policy interventions. The key to understanding the equity implications of public policies is for analysts to consider how the costs and benefits of a particular problem or policy may vary across different groups in society. 2
3.3. What are the root causes of the observed problem?
If the analyst concludes that leaving the problem alone is not an option because doing so would cause significant harm to society, it means it is a public problem that calls for a response. Moving forward in considering possible responses to the problem at hand, it is useful to start with a basic definition of the problem. What are the defining characteristics of the problem? What are the possible causes of the observed problem situation? In doing so, it often makes sense to limit the depth of the analysis to the factors or behaviors that can plausibly be influenced by an intervention. While it may be the underlying economic system (e.g., capitalism or centrally planned economy) that may represent the ultimate root cause to a given environmental problem, these deep, system-level causes are beyond the influence of environmental policies. As a result, our more pragmatic approach distinguishes between underlying systemic causes and operational causes. Our framework asks the analysts to identify the operational causes because these are the ones that policy can influence. If the analyst cannot identify the main causes of the observed environmental problem, the analyst will want to investigate the problem further, possibly with fellow citizens and researchers who she knows or has seen working in the area. The joint production of such knowledge between stakeholders and researchers may lead to new insights about what the main operational cause of the observed problem is and what might be done about it.
3.4. Which human behaviors contribute to the problem?
Effective policies target specific human behaviors that contribute to the observed environmental problems. Knowing what these behaviors are is the first step to identifying effective policy responses. The specific problem behaviors may entail fishing vessels overfishing a particular species, corporations emitting harmful pollutants into the air or water, or a city government not preparing emergency response plans for potential hazard events. The more precise the analyst can be in identifying problematic behavior, including which specific individuals contribute to such behaviors, the better. Having a detailed understanding of the problem behaviors that will need to change, and the factors that cause such behaviors, will allow the analysts to develop a more nuanced and targeted policy response. It will also allow the analysts to identify opportunities for pursuing low-cost policy responses to behavioral problems.
There are some environmental problems that do not require pervasive and intrusive policy interventions. Some problems are caused by fast-thinking behavior—habitual, everyday decision-making that produces unintended environmental damages in the aggregate—which may be addressed by using a much less invasive and costly policy approach (such as using information campaigns, behavioral “nudges” or “boosts” as discussed later in the article). From a policy analysis perspective, it makes sense to start the diagnostic assessment of appropriate policy responses by considering whether a given problem has an element of fast-thinking behavior to it, and if so, may be addressed by low-cost policy that targets a specific fast-thinking behavior.
For many environmental problems, however, the root causes are associated with economic factors—such as lack of public transportation systems, poor public infrastructure for renewable energy, and prohibitively expensive green products, like electric vehicles or rooftop solar panels. When such economic factors stand in the way of improved environmental outcomes, society faces a market failure . Market failures occur when individual citizens behave in ways that are in their short-term economic interest, but such behaviors result in damage to society overall. For example, while it may make economic sense for a company to keep its production costs down by dumping some of its waste products into the nearby river, this pollution may cause serious ecological damages as well as health problems to water users downstream. When market failures exist, policies are needed that fundamentally alter people’s costs and benefits when choosing modes of production, transportation, energy sources, or consumer goods.
Another cause of environmental problems is governance failures , which happen when a policy response causes the original problem behavior to get even worse. For example, in an effort to diffuse air pollution from coal-powered power plants, government policies in many industrialized nations ordered these plants to increase the height of their smokestacks, often inducing companies to increase their total air pollution (since the local effects of the air pollution diminished). A more subtle example of governance failure is a policy “ lock-in ,” which occurs when it is exceedingly difficult to modify or reform an existing set of policies even though such policies may contribute to environmental damages. For example, farmers may receive substantial government subsidies for growing certain crops or using certain production methods, even though these behaviors and practices contribute to increases in nonpoint source water pollution. Since changing the existing agricultural policies is very difficult, especially if such changes involve the reduction of subsidies to farmers, this policy lock-in complicates efforts to address behaviors contributing to nonpoint source pollution. 3
3.5. Are effective solutions to the problem known?
During this phase, the analyst considers existing and proposed solutions to the identified problem, and the extent to which these are likely to be effective as the basis for new policy. Several scenarios are possible here. The knowledge of potentially effective solutions does not yet exist in the public domain. Theoretical knowledge of potential solutions may exist but has not been tried out in the field. Or, robust knowledge of what would work well as a solution not only exists, but the solution has achieved good results in some places, yet this knowledge has not been applied as the basis for a public policy response. The analyst would consider different courses of action depending on the state of knowledge about available solutions.
3.6. How does the proposed intervention affect the more vulnerable populations in society?
Whatever solution is selected as the basis for the policy intervention, it is important to consider the equity implications of the intervention. Some interventions may disproportionately inflict harm on already vulnerable segments of society. For example, in the aftermath of 2017 Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX, one study found that the federal government aid to repair and rebuild affected areas disproportionally benefited homeowners with relatively high incomes. Poorer households, in rented homes, suffered the proportionally greatest loss from the event but did not get as much help from the public policy interventions, a situation that contributed to an increase in socioeconomic inequalities ( Howell and James, 2019 ).
3.7. Are decision-makers motivated to implement existing (or new) solutions?
Even if effective solutions exist, they may not make it into public policy responses to problems because politicians may not be motivated to propose such policies. The lack of such motivations may be related to a number of political, economic, and social factors. For example, if the decision-maker thinks that a policy will increase the chances of re-election or re-appointment, mobilizing additional resources for their organization/district, or earn the approval of important and powerful peers, they will be motivated to pursue such policy proposals. If there is a lack of such motivating factors, policy proposals may struggle to make it into new public policy and law.
The next section starts to spell out the details of the diagnosis of the 4 types of environmental problems. The framework starts by asking the analysts to identify the causes of CPR problems, pollution, and hazards (the 3 major environmental problems that our framework focuses on). A fourth type of causal factor that can contribute to all 3 of these problems is fast-thinking behavior. Because of the prevalence of these problems, and because they often require less costly and invasive policy responses, we conclude the section with a discussion of how the framework can help the analysts in dealing with these type of problems, and that by doing so may avoid having to resort to proposing more comprehensive and costly policy responses that are often less likely to get public support.
Each of the 4 types of environmental challenges suggests a different approach for the policymaker. This diagnostic approach has 2 phases. First, the analyst goes through the 7 core questions to gain a deeper appreciation of the problem, its context, and the urgency of a policy response. The first phase prepares the analyst for the second phase, which will shift the focus toward the development of a suitable policy response. During the second phase, the analyst will get into more specific questions about the targeted behaviors, populations, and plausible strategies to influence their decision-making. The analytical steps described in each of the problem-specific sections below guide the analyst through the exploration of possible intervention responses.
4.1. Common-pool resources
CPRs are large resource systems that are difficult to manage because they are subtractable (once a user consumes a resource unit, that unit is no longer available to others) and difficult to protect from other people’s use (costly exclusion). Examples of CPRs include fisheries, groundwater aquifers, and forests. Because of these attributes, CPRs are susceptible to overuse, especially when there are no clear property rights that control who can access a resource or regulations in place that prescribe how the resource may or may not be used. If this is the type of problem an analyst is dealing with, there are a series of follow-up questions that will help narrow down the different options for policy responses that may be considered. Figure 1 provides a flowchart that identifies a series of sequential questions about the specific characteristics of the CPR problem under study and suggests possible responses depending on how these questions are answered by the analyst.
Schematic overview of analyzing possible responses to common-pool resource problems . Source: Authors’ elaboration.
The first question to address is whether the root cause of the CPR problem is known. In many cases, especially in the developing world, the root cause of the unsustainable use of CPRs is weak or insecure property rights. If the local user groups do not have clear and uncontested property right to the resource they depend on, they have limited incentives to invest in protecting and using the resource sustainably. Such a situation often creates a race to the bottom, in which each resource user seeks to extract as much of the resource as possible before somebody else grabs it. Research has found that insecurity in property rights is one of the major causes of the overuse of CPRs. If this is the case, then interventions are needed to improve the clarity and legitimacy of resource property rights in a way that does not exclude people who rely on the CPR for their livelihoods. Sometimes, but not always, this means a process of formal land titling to either groups or individuals.
Even if property rights are clear and secure, however, it does not mean that the CPR will be used sustainably. 4 Such rights do provide some assurance to right holders that any management and improvement efforts that they put in will provide a future flow of benefits to them; they will be rewarded for their work. Having such rights can provide users with the motivation to work together to come up with rules for use and management that promote sustainability, but unless the users actually develop and enforce such rules, the shared resources are still under threat. In other words, sustainable management of CPRs requires clear and secure property rights, but just as important are the development and enforcement of rules, socially binding agreements, about how the resources must, may, or may not be used.
Other underlying causes of the overexploitation of CPRs include incentives to generate short-term commercial profits, larger numbers of users, and reduced availability of the resource due to extreme weather, conflicts, or natural disasters ( York et al., 2021 ). If these forces are at work, then interventions are needed to reduce their negative environmental impact on the shared resources. If it is not possible to increase the availability of the resource, resource users need to reduce the quantity of resources used. If the underlying causes are not known, more research may be needed, which may require the allocation of more public resources to this research or it is unlikely to happen.
Fast-thinking behavior can also contribute to CPR problems. For instance, individual farmers may decide how much groundwater to pump for irrigating their crops without knowing exactly how these decisions will affect the future water table of the entire aquifer. Whenever people lack information about better alternatives or societal harms associated with their choices, they tend to stick to their established habits (i.e., the status quo)—they repeat the same decision strategies that they have used in the past ( Samuelson and Zeckhauser, 1988 ).
The next major question to address is whether there are readily available solutions to the CPR problem. If there are such solutions, are the CPR users already implementing those as a response to the ongoing degradation of their shared resources? If they have already responded in an efficient manner, there may not be a need for further external intervention; in fact, intervening without recognizing the local users’ efforts of restoration may make things worse. If, on the other hand, the local efforts to respond to the CPR problem exist but are somehow falling short, it is important to understand why the local efforts are not achieving good management outcomes. Is it because not all local users are on board with the local effort or is it because outsiders poach on the resource? Alternatively, the local users may not be able to perform all the work required to protect the resource from further degradation, unable to patrol the resource boundaries, monitoring rule compliance, or enforcing sanctions on those who violate local rules. In cases where the local users are motivated to address the problem but are constrained from doing so in a cost-effective manner, an intervention to create a comanagement arrangement between an external organization and the local user group may be an option. Such arrangements can provide technical support, legal backup, help with conflict resolution, and human resources to perform tasks that are needed to manage a CPR system ( Ostrom, 1990 ).
4.1.1. Illustration: Overexploitation of groundwater commons in Colorado, United States
Farmers in the San Luis Valley of Colorado are in the middle of a 20-year “mega-drought” ( Cody et al., 2015 ). Some say that it is the new normal—warmer and drier climate and less snowmelt from the mountains for irrigating crops. As surface water is becoming increasingly scarce, farmers pump up groundwater to make up for the shortfall. Until recently, pumping groundwater was not regulated by the state government. Without clear property rights over the groundwater, the resource—a classical CPR—was a free-for-all. But when more and more farmers turned to pumping groundwater to make up for shortfalls in surface water, the groundwater tables started to fall drastically; to the point where the state government sounded the alarm bells ( Smith et al., 2017 ). The state government started to intervene in river basins where the situation was particularly dire. They even shut down some wells in neighboring areas, which essentially put those farmers out of business. Without groundwater to irrigate crops, many farmers did not have enough water to grow their crops.
San Luis Valley farmers saw this happening and realized that they had a choice—either they proactively start to work together to address the falling water tables or wait for the state agencies to come in and regulate for them and possibly start shutting off wells.
In 2012, a majority of San Luis Valley farmers voted to start their own, homegrown water conservation program to try to stabilize the groundwater levels. With support from the local water conservation district as well as federal government employees living in the area, the farmers decided to create their own water conservation policy: Farmers who pump groundwater for irrigation must pay a pumping fee or a tax of $17 per acre-foot of pumped water ( Cody et al., 2015 ). The collected tax revenue was then put into a common fund designated for payments to farmers who agreed to take some of their land out of production. This self-imposed tax had a significant effect on pumping behavior: The group of farmers subject to the tax reduced their pumping of groundwater by over 30%, compared to similar farmers who were not subject to the tax ( Smith et al., 2017 ).
What started as a relatively small experiment in one district of the basin is now being implemented throughout the entire San Luis Valley. The experiment has worked quite well. Despite a continuing drought and groundwater levels that continue to be below normal, the interventions appear to have made a difference. Although the ongoing drought has caused a tremendous amount of stress on farmers and their land, the self-governance initiative has been successful in keeping the top-down regulations of the state government at bay, empowering the irrigators to continue to manage their shared groundwater resource.
The case illustrates 3 broad lessons from applying the diagnostic framework to problems associated with CPRs. First, resource users are often both capable and motivated to work together to develop their own rules to manage shared resources but may sometimes need a push to do so. The real threat of heavy-handed state government intervention pushed farmers in the San Luis Valley to set aside differences and self-regulate their resource use. Second, feedback to users on how their interventions are working is important to sustain the farmers’ motivation for cooperation. If resource users cannot see that their self-sacrifice is paying off through an improved outcome, they may lose interest in continuing their cooperation. Finally, effective communication between resource users and governmental organizations can help bring about more creative and locally appropriate policy responses to existing environmental problems, moving beyond top-down regulation and interventions that ignore local solutions.
4.2. Pollution
If the nature of the underlying issue is not CPR but rather pollution , policymakers can engage in a different type of analysis, considering a different set of policy instruments. Pollution problems are caused by human activities that produce emissions of substances that contaminate the natural environment and degrade its ecological functions. Severe water and air pollution in North America and Europe in the 1950s and 1960s made pollution a political issue and citizens started organizing large social movements to push their national governments to introduce new environmental policies to regulate the emission of several pollutants. Most of the early policies that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s were centralized regulations, or command-and-control policies, which set pollution or technology standards enforced by national government agencies. For example, 2 of the major environmental policies in the United States, the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972), were primarily command-and-control interventions to regulate pollutants in both air and surface water. Over time, alternative ways of dealing with air and water pollution have made their way into the policymakers’ repertoire of environmental policy interventions.
Depending on the characteristics of the problem at hand, decision-makers no longer presume that top-down regulation is always the best response to pollution problems ( Tietenberg and Lewis, 2018 ). Which type of intervention will be the most cost-effective response to pollution depends on a host of factors, some of which the framework prompts analysts to consider when diagnosing the pollution problem. The most fundamental step in applying the framework to pollution problems is to identify the underlying cause of the problem ( Figure 2 ). Generally, excess environmental damage arises from one or more of 3 causes: (1) society needs deeper understanding of the nature of the environmental problem and potential solutions; (2) individuals in society need better access to available knowledge of the nature of the environmental problem and potential solutions; or (3) individuals in society need to be induced to use the knowledge they have to pursue potential solutions to environmental problems. All 3 causes involve social dilemmas—situations when individual short-term interests are at odds with the overall welfare of society. While most of this section’s focus is on the third element of this analysis, it is critical to understand that all 3 elements must be addressed, none to the exclusion of the others. As illustrated in Figure 2 , the 3 red nodes in the framework invite the policy analyst to consider which of these barriers is the root of the problem. Often, the first step in addressing a pollution problem is to characterize the nature, pathways, and magnitude of the health and environmental risks, as well as to identify or develop solutions. This can require significant investment of human and capital resources.
A policy instrument guide for pollution applications . Source: Authors’ elaboration.
The creation of knowledge through research and innovation provides a public good, a resource that is freely available to society. The challenge is that private parties are generally reluctant to invest in collective activities (e.g., public goods) when they cannot appropriate the benefits of their efforts. Governments can promote research and innovation through a couple of different strategies. First, if there is a need for innovation—say a new building efficiency technology—governments can provide patents creating intellectual property rights that allow inventors to appropriate the financial benefits of their research and development investments through licensing. Second, when governments want to promote more basic research (or if they want to accelerate technological innovation), they can provide funding to conduct that activity through government laboratories, research grants, or public–private collaborations.
Even when society understands the nature of an environmental pollution problem and has access to reasonable solutions, to be effective that information must be in the hands of decision-makers—producers, consumers, government officials, and others who affect the level of pollution. Often, the information is in the hands of private parties, such as public interest organizations, and the role of the government is simply to help create and enforce the rules (e.g., truth in advertising, libel and slander rules, and tax deductions for donations to environmental organizations) as well as infrastructure (e.g., internet, satellites, and public access broadcasting) for dissemination. This is a relatively passive role for the government. There are circumstances where the government may need to force private parties to share information through mandatory emissions reporting or labeling laws. In some cases, however, the challenge is that the information needs to be collected, organized, and actively promoted. Here the government can step in with public education campaigns, data collection and dissemination services, and technical support programs. While they are often used to disseminate facts and figures, public education programs can also be an important mechanism for governments to influence fast-thinking behavior and habits, as discussed in more depth below (see Section 4.4).
Even when there is a full understanding of the environmental problem and polluters understand their options for abating pollution, they often choose not to incur the cost. When this is the case, governments can intervene to induce or force pollution abatement and clean up. Here, the fundamental question is whether the government allows private parties discretion with respect to the methods they use to reduce pollution. In some cases, the government will allow private parties very little discretion regarding how the emission reductions are achieved. For example, the government might require polluters to use specific technologies to reduce their emissions, a command-and-control approach. In others, the government might specify a particular level of performance, for example, percent pollution removed, that facilities are required to achieve, thereby leaving the specific action to be chosen by the actor. In still other cases, such as wastewater treatment plants, the government may provide the pollution abatement service directly. Finally, governments can specify the technologies for treatment but provide equipment subsidies to encourage their adoption. Notice that under the command-and-control approaches the polluter pays for the treatment, and under the government provision and equipment subsidy approach, the government pays.
In some cases, particularly where there are many polluters in a variety of circumstances, and when there are significant opportunities for innovation and adaptation in pollution control, the government may decide that it is better to allow polluters to decide for themselves how to reduce emissions. In this case, they can use market-based instruments. These include marketable emissions allowances, where the government places a cap on total emissions and allows parties to buy and sell allowances, and emissions taxes (variations of which are called charges, fees, and levies), where the government sets a price on emissions. Alternatively, the government can pay parties to reduce their emissions via a subsidy (price-based) or procurement (quantity-based).
While the framework is described as a step-by-step decision tree, it is seldom so straightforward. Even if the diagnostic analysis of the problem suggests that there is a specific policy response that is likely to be both efficient and equitable, there are several additional factors to consider before making a final policy recommendation. These additional factors include the ethical, legal, and political considerations associated with a particular policy recommendation. We return to discuss these additional considerations in Section 5 of the article.
4.2.1. Case illustration: The acid rain program of the United States
Acid rain, which is precipitation that has reacted with air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, causes a great deal of environmental damage. Its damage is most visible in forests and aquatic environments, such as rivers, lakes, and swamps. The acidic rainwater causes aluminum to leach from the soil, which in turn can kill plants and animals.
Most of the SO 2 and NO x that cause acid rain come from burning fossil fuels. In the United States, one study found that almost 70% of all SO 2 pollution (in 1980) could be traced back to one type of pollution source: coal-fired power plants ( Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2005 ). Ironically in the late 1970s, direct regulation through the Clean Air Act exacerbated the acid rain problem by forcing these power plants to build taller smokestacks, thus amplifying long-range transport of the air pollution.
To reduce the SO 2 and NO x air pollution, in 1990, the US Congress authorized the EPA to set up the Acid Rain Program. The program embraced a more flexible, market-based approach to reducing pollution causing acid rain, which was the result of increasing opposition, from both the public and industries to the top-down direct government regulations ( Schmalensee and Stavins, 2019 ). The new program targeted mostly coal-fired power plants and established an emissions cap—the total amount of emissions that the entire group of power plants were allowed to emit—and then defined the reduction goals for each of the individual plants. The policy goal was to reduce SO 2 pollution by 50% over a 20-year period. While the policy set the emission reduction goal, it did not prescribe how each plant should go about achieving this goal. Each plant had the freedom to pursue its own strategy. The program allows for emissions trading, which means that power plants can buy and sell emission permits (called “allowances”) according to their individual needs and costs. The EPA monitors compliance by making sure that each source holds sufficient allowances to cover its total SO 2 emissions.
The idea is to provide an economic incentive to those firms that can reduce emissions at relatively low cost to do more than their proportional share of the sector’s total reduction goals. Plants that may have older equipment may find it economical to buy more emission permits (from firms that have a surplus of allowances because they have already reached their goals) rather than reducing SO 2 pollution. When this market for tradeable allowances works well, it is a cost-effective way to reduce pollution.
There is evidence that the Acid Rain Program has helped improve air quality in the United States. EPA has reported that the program reduced the total amount of SO 2 and NO x pollution by more than half, compared to 1980 levels ( EPA, 2005 ). Not only did this reduction help ecosystems recover from acid rain effects, but positive human health effects have also been observed. In addition, there are other particle pollutants, such as PM2.5, that are released from coal-fired power plants alongside SO 2 and NO x that are extremely harmful to people. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to PM2.5 can cause severe cardiorespiratory problems ( Du et al., 2016 ). As SO 2 decreased as a result of the Acid Rain Program, so did PM2.5 pollution, resulting in a significant drop in deaths associated with cardiorespiratory problems ( Barreca et al., 2021 ). These initial accomplishments notwithstanding, it is worth noting that little progress has been made during the last decade when it comes to further reducing SO 2 and NO x pollution in the United States, as the country’s Congress has failed to produce new reduction targets.
4.3. Hazards
If the analyst believes that the observed symptoms are caused by a hazard , then the framework will ask about the specific characteristics of such an event and the context where it exists. A hazard is an event that may cause harm to society. Hazards include natural hazards, such as earthquakes, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and floods, among others. Hazards also include human-made hazards such as nuclear power plant meltdowns, bridge and building collapses, and broken levees and dams. Hazardous events are sometimes the consequences of other environmental problems, such as pollution, overextraction of CPRs, or even fast-thinking behaviors. For example, climate change (caused by GHG pollution) is likely to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Other hazards, such as mudslides and wildfires, may be caused by degraded forest systems (a CPR).
While not all hazards are always connected to environmental hazards, their nature and extreme potential damage to societies present a difficult challenge for public policy. Hazards put extreme demands on decision-making and service delivery in affected communities. In many cases, responding to hazards is beyond the capacity of the local governments in the places where they occur, and to deal with such events effectively, local decision-makers need external assistance. There is also a lot of uncertainty about the likelihood of a hazard resulting in a future disaster event. 5 This reality poses a serious challenge to analysts who are working on finding appropriate policy responses to deal with the risks and impacts of hazards. When it comes to policy responses to hazards, analysts distinguish between 4 different types:
Mitigation: Preventative activities undertaken before a disaster strikes, seeking to reduce the longer-term risks and negative impacts of hazards. These activities strive to reduce social, economic, as well as biophysical vulnerabilities to risk among exposed populations.
Preparedness: Preventative activities that are also carried out before disaster strikes that seek to improve the short-term readiness of people and their communities to respond to disasters.
Emergency response: Adaptation activities undertaken immediately following a disaster to provide emergency assistance to victims and manage further short-term threats.
Recovery: Short- and long-term adaptation activities undertaken in the aftermath of the hazard event to help affected people to recover, restore, and rebuild.
Which of these policy responses the analysts should recommend in a given situation will depend on at least 5 questions: (1) Has the hazard event occurred? (2) What are the root causes of a hazard producing societal damage? (3) Who faces the greatest risks? (4) Which available solutions are likely to work best? and (5) What is the role of government and other governance actors in crafting a policy response?
4.3.1. Has the hazard event occurred?
If the event has already happened, the policy response should prioritize emergency responses and recovery actions. If the event has occurred and is also likely to repeat itself (e.g., extreme weather events), it makes sense to pursue a multipronged response that combines all 4 types of policy responses, but where emergency response is prioritized so that people directly affected by the hazards are tended to before recovery, mitigation, and preparedness actions begin.
In the aftermath of a disaster, the social and economic toll on a society is largely a function of the number of people who have lost the ability to participate in social and economic activities. Policy interventions should therefore seek to minimize such loss and get as many people as possible back on their feet as quickly as possible. Reasonable performance metrics for both emergency and recovery interventions are therefore the number of lives saved and how soon people can return to their pre-disaster levels of social and economic activities. If a hazard event has not yet occurred, the analysts should focus their efforts on designing appropriate prevention actions, namely mitigation and readiness activities. To design such prevention interventions, the analyst will use the framework to understand the main causes to the observed risks associated with the hazard. Figure 3 illustrates the flow of questions related to problems and possible responses related to hazard events, past and future.
Diagnostic framework for Hazard problems . Source: Authors’ elaboration.
4.3.2. Are the main causes of the risks associated with hazards known?
One of the key distinctions in the analysis of hazards is that between risks and hazards . A hazard is an event that may cause harm to society. A risk is the probability that such harm will be done. The risk, in turn, is the result of at least 2 things interacting with one another: exposure and vulnerability. The more exposed people are to the physical attributes associated with the hazard (e.g., how extreme/powerful the event is and how near the affected area people live) and the more vulnerable the affected people are (e.g., in what type of dwellings do people live and how well do public services work there), the greater the risk. The main objective of policy responses to hazards is to reduce the risk presented by hazards, by trying to decrease people’s exposure to the hazard, reducing their vulnerability, or both. To design policy responses that effectively reduce risk, policy analysts need to understand the main causes of hazard-related risk, and then craft intervention proposals that target these causes. If the casual factors of these risks are not well known, the analysts need to investigate these, possibly in collaboration with scientists and practitioners, before starting the design of possible interventions.
For some hazards, the causes are well known but there is little policy can do to affect their occurrence. Prolonged lack of precipitation causes drought, too much precipitation causes many floods, and shifts in the tectonic plates can cause earthquakes. These causes may be beyond the direct control of policymakers, but policy may still play a role in reducing the risk of these hazards causing damage to societies. For example, mitigation and readiness interventions may target individuals and households to encourage them to make their dwelling structures less exposed to risk associated with extreme events. Interventions to mitigate such risks could involve providing technical assistance to reduce the flammability of building structures or making sure stormwater drainage systems are up to grade. Another type of preparedness intervention would be encouraging families to prepare evacuation kits with their basic necessities so that they are ready to evacuate quickly if and when disaster strikes. These interventions minimize the risk of the disaster event causing major damage to societies.
4.3.3. Who faces the greatest risks?
Are some individuals in a community more exposed to risks associated with a hazard event? Targeted policy interventions to reduce these risks and damages for the most vulnerable groups of individuals will help societies’ overall ability to prepare for (as well as recover from) hazards. Such interventions seek to reduce the vulnerabilities of particular groups in society by improving the resilience of their dwellings, providing supplemental funding for community infrastructure projects (improved storm drains, early warning systems, etc.), readiness training, moving people out of harm’s way, finding alternative housing, and making food and medical services available for people who need assistance.
If a hazard event has not yet occurred but may occur in the future, mitigation and preparedness activities may target decision-making organizations that oversee building and maintaining infrastructure in areas that are particularly exposed to risk. Such interventions may work with local governments to update their building codes and zoning rules so that people do not build in high-risk areas, and wherever they do build, they do so using techniques and materials that are more resilient to hazards such as extreme floods, fires, or earthquakes. Some neighborhoods are particularly exposed to hazards, because of their location. There may be infrastructure improvements that can help reduce the exposure to risk in such settings.
4.3.4. Which available solutions are likely to work best?
At this stage, the analysts will inventory the existing solutions that are available to address the risks of hazards. If more than one solution is identified, the task is to analyze which of these policy responses is likely to work best. This analysis requires the analysts to define the most important evaluation criteria, such as cost-effectiveness, justice, equity, and reduced vulnerability.
If the analysts are unable to identify any readily available or suitable solutions, there is a need for analysts to explore plausible intervention options, possibly in collaboration with researchers, technical experts such as engineers, and practitioners with expertise in hazards policy. Sometimes, there are plenty of potential policy responses that analysts view as promising for reducing hazard-related risks and damage, but there may be little or no political interest among decision-makers to pursue such solutions. This is an area explored in the next stage of the analysis of policy responses to hazards.
4.3.5. What is the role of government and other governance actors in the crafting of policy responses?
Coming up with effective policy responses to hazards is itself a challenging analytical task. An even more serious challenge to effective responses is weak political motivation: While it may make perfect economic sense to invest tax dollars in preventative intervention activities which will help societies deal better with the risks associated with hazards, the political motivation to make such investments is often weak. The problem is often that prevention activities are under-prioritized by local politicians because hazards prevention can be expensive, requiring large public investments in physical and social infrastructure, and the payoff for these investments often takes a long time to materialize, after the elected officials’ time in office. Hazards are also relatively rare events and to reduce the negative impact of such events require long-term planning and strategic investments in infrastructure improvements. Local politicians, however, have both electoral and financial incentives to prioritize short-term spending—the kind of spending that will win votes to keep them in office. As a result, policy actions to reduce the risk of natural and man-made disasters are often under-prioritized 6 and in short supply. Analysts need to be aware of such predispositions so that they can build alliances with interest groups and governance actors that are motivated to advance the development of both innovative and politically viable policy proposals that can effectively reduce the risk and damage of hazards.
4.3.6. Case illustration: Addressing urban heat hazards in Ahmedabad, India
Extreme heat events can have a disastrous effect on human societies. Evidence suggests that such events are likely to occur more frequently due to climate change. For instance, Vautard et al. (2020) and Zachariah et al. (2022) find that the heat waves in the Indian subcontinent in 2022 and in Europe in 2019 were made more likely due to human-induced climate change. However, a crucial factor that exacerbates the negative effects of heat waves, especially in cities in the Global South, is unplanned growth, compounded by high levels of poverty. Hence, to address the negative effects of heat waves in such regions, one not only has to pay specific attention to preparedness measures that local governments can employ in the short term to tackle the effects of heat waves in their immediate aftermath but must also consider policy measures through which future events may have a dampened effect, such as mitigation measures. In this case, we focus on extreme heat events in urban India and the subsequent policy responses. The case also explores the limitations of current policy measures, and how exposure and vulnerabilities could be better addressed.
In 2010, Ahmedabad, a western Indian city faced the brunt of a heat wave that resulted in roughly 1,300 excess deaths ( Azhar et al., 2014 ). The city is the fifth-largest in India in terms of population and is a major industrial hub in the western region. In the aftermath of the heat wave, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, along with the Natural Resource Defense Council, the Indian Institute for Public Health, and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network started working on a heat action plan for the city (see Knowlton et al., 2014 ). This eventually led to the development of India’s, and Asia’s, first heat action plan in 2013–2014 ( Knowlton et al., 2014 ), and subsequently shaped future heat stress planning in India.
The plan involved a combination of preparedness and emergency responses to address the immediate needs and reduce exposure and susceptibility to extreme heat. For instance, the plan involved awareness campaigns that let the public know how high the temperature was going to be on a particular day, using a color-coded alert system, so that people are more prepared and aware of the potential exposure to high heat. Heat stress is often related to direct exposure to extreme heat. However, existing socioeconomic conditions often determine exposure and vulnerabilities. Households with the financial capacity to obtain air conditioners are far less likely to be exposed to extreme heat than poor households. This in turn determines vulnerability. The heat action plan had tried to incorporate these underlying conditions that can make certain groups of people more vulnerable into the heat action plan. The city administration, for instance, provided access to drinking water stations throughout the city, especially around bus stations where people are more likely to take shelter during high temperatures. The public were also made aware of basic coping measures such as increasing fluid intake on extremely hot days or using a wet cloth on the head to cool oneself. These measures were especially relevant to the poor who lack access to air conditioning and often must work outside all through the day. The municipal administration, based on forecast warnings, also operationalized campaigns to reach out to people through media channels.
These baskets of options, adopted through the Heat Action Plan, resulted in fewer summer all-cause mortalities in 2014–2015 relative to 2007–2010 ( Hess et al., 2018 ). However, since these options were predominantly preparedness and emergency response measures, future iterations of the heat action plan incorporated other mitigation measures, such as the Ahmedabad Cool Roof Program in 2017, which aimed at reducing indoor temperatures using reflective paints. This is especially important because the poor are often disproportionately affected by extreme heat events since they often live in dwellings that lack proper ventilation and do not have access to active cooling, which further increases indoor heat stress.
The Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan had a multiplier effect, with the Indian Government subsequently, through its National Disaster Management Authority (2016) , providing an institutional impetus to lower levels of government to formulate city-specific heat action plans. But as cities in this region continue to grow in an unplanned manner, the long-term effectiveness of the above measures will be under question, especially since heat stress is a recurrent hazard. For instance, urban regions are particularly susceptible to high heat due to a phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island effect. Lack of green spaces and high building density can raise the temperature of urban regions compared to greener peri-urban spaces. Hence, in the longer term, it is necessary to adopt mitigation policies that can address future vulnerabilities through proactive measures ( Magotra et al., 2021 ), and mainstream justice and equity into urban planning and heat stress action plans. Hence, for hazards like heat stress that are more likely to reoccur, we would need a comprehensive policy approach that incorporates not just preparedness and emergency response but also building long-term, preventative and adaptive capacities among all governance actors throughout society, not just in government.
4.4. Cross-cutting problem: Fast-thinking behavior
So far, our discussion of the 3 big categories of environmental problems has focused on major policy instruments, often involving national legislatures and governmental agencies. Before analysts recommend such major intervention instruments, which can often be expensive for governments and be perceived as intrusive by citizens, analysts should consider whether the problems at hand have an element of fast-thinking behavior to them. If they do, there may be less costly and invasive options for policy response, which are discussed in detail.
“ Fast-thinking behavior ” is widespread in all sorts of decision-making and includes implicit biases that can skew our judgment so that we make decisions that harm society and even ourselves. We drive our cars short distances when we could easily walk or ride our bikes. We use plastic bags at the grocery store when we could bring reusable bags. We eat red meat several days a week when we could eat more vegetable-based protein, which would likely improve both our health and carbon footprint. “Fast-thinking behavior” is part of human nature. We are likely to see fast-thinking behaviors contributing to problematic behaviors and flawed decision-making associated with CPR extraction, pollution, and hazards. In a sense, this type of environmental problem cuts across all other categories of environmental problems.
When people do things out of habit, without consciously making decisions, it can be challenging for policy interventions to adjust the problematic behavior, precisely because people may not perceive the problem. This unconscious nature of problems is a feature that can make correcting these behaviors challenging. However, the framework provides some guidance regarding possible interventions to induce such behavior change.
Fast-thinking behavior problems are so widespread that they often permeate all decision-making, even the task of selecting effective policy instruments. Politicians and policymakers certainly are not immune to these problems and may decide to respond to an environmental problem using an unintentionally biased analysis. For example, decision-makers may make biased assumptions about the root causes of a problem, which will distort the search for an appropriate policy response. Policymakers who are told about the hazard of deteriorating infrastructure may choose to ignore such warnings because, in their minds, (1) the engineering report was very technical but it seemed to confirm what everybody already knew: the problem was not that bad (confirmation bias and cognitive bias); (2) the infrastructure problem is probably not so urgent that it warrants interventions right away (present bias), or (3) in the past, policymakers have always come to the same conclusion that the infrastructure is well built and does not need more public funding than our schools or hospitals (confirmation and status quo bias).
The framework distinguishes between 2 different interventions to correct fast-thinking behaviors: nudges and boosts. 7 Which of these will be most appropriate to use in a given situation depends on several contextual factors. The framework can help determine which intervention type is the most sensical in a particular situation and context. A schematic overview of the framework is presented in Figure 4 .
Diagnostic framework for analyzing responses to fast-thinking behavior . Source: Authors’ elaboration.
Nudges and boosts are similar in that they are interventions that seek to change people’s decisions and actions without modifying material incentives or coercing them through heavy-handed directives or regulations. There are, however, some important differences in how they go about trying to influence human decisions and actions. Nudges seek to change behavior by altering the decision-making environment, for example, by presenting options in a particular order or changing the default option for a particular choice (the fallback option that is chosen for the participants who do not make an active choice). Boosts , on the other hand, try to change behavior by training people to make decisions in situations that are better for themselves and society.
After the analyst determines that there are at least some elements of fast-thinking and biased behavior contributing to the observed environmental problem, the analysis turns to describing the decision-making situation more precisely. First, is the problem behavior caused by a known bias? Common biases include status quo bias (when you repeat routine decisions because you resist change and want things to stay the same), discounting bias (when you favor current benefits over future benefits), or confirmation bias (when you look for facts and data to support your existing point of view). If a known bias is the cause of the problem for a large group of known individuals, then a nudge may be the best intervention. A nudge uses the knowledge about the existing decision bias to bring about better choices by changing the decision-making context or environment, expecting that the individuals will change their behaviors as a response to the changed environment, not because people are intentionally changing their preferences or decision-making strategies.
An example of a nudge may be as simple as having the default settings for printers set to duplex rather than simplex ( Egebark and Ekström, 2016 ) or providing real-time feedback on energy use ( Tiefenbeck et al., 2016 ). Buffet restaurants may shrink plate sizes to reduce food waste ( Kallbekken and Saelen, 2011 ), and airlines can cut energy use by sending personalized reminders to pilots that include clear, individual targets for fuel efficiency ( Gosnell et al., 2016 ).
What happens if it is not possible to identify a specific decision bias or if different people make bad decisions for different reasons, not just because of known biases? In those cases, boosts may work better than nudges. A boost intervention is different from a nudge in that it engages directly with the people responsible for poor decisions, raises awareness about problematic behaviors, and seeks to motivate the adoption of more productive decision-making strategies. Boosts work best when people are already aware of their problem behavior and are motivated to change their ways. Boosts teach simple decision strategies, or heuristics, that will help change behavior and that can be applied in a variety of decision-making settings.
Increasing statistical literacy, coproducing knowledge with local communities, and using graphics to illustrate different choices are examples of potential cognitive boosts. Ferster et al. (2020) used cognitive boost to encourage solar development by facilitating cooperation among stakeholders. A community without prior solar development ended up adopting 2 projects because of the intervention, and the cooperative behaviors stakeholders in the community learned were carried over to other decision-making settings with the community.
Since fast-thinking problems cut across all environmental problems and may play a contributing role in many other types of environmental problems, it raises the possibility that nudges and boosts may be pursued as complements to policy responses to other environmental problems including pollution, hazards, and CPR problems ( Loewenstein and Chater, 2017 ). It is also worth considering how boosts and nudges may be used to sway decision-makers, who are also subject to implicit biases when trying to decide which policy interventions make the most sense in a given context, to make more informed policy choices.
4.4.1. Illustration: Behavioral interventions and water conservation in Bogota, Colombia
Bogota, Colombia, faced a major water crisis in the mid-1990s. The city depends on the Chingaza tunnel system to deliver potable water to its residents from freshwater sources in the surrounding high plateaus. The Chingaza tunnel suffered 2 collapses within days of each other, cutting off the system’s ability to deliver water to the city. Reservoirs within the city held sufficient water to last for a few weeks, but repairs were expected to take longer than the available water would last if consumption rates remained constant.
The national government of Colombia pushed for drastic water cuts and rationing, and declared a state of emergency. The national government wanted the city to implement a top-down solution that would regulate water use by controlled and decreased flows. Yet, the city government had already implemented similar measures following a previous tunnel collapse, and the potential for further universal reductions in household water use seemed unlikely. Additionally, when citizens of Bogota saw that the national government declared a state of emergency, many of them panicked and started to stockpile water. As a result, in the days following the collapse, household water consumption in Bogota started to increase, rather than decrease. The national government policy response had failed.
The city government in Bogota recognized that the top-down solution was not viable and pushed for a series of behavioral interventions, resembling behavioral boosts (although the term did not exist at the time). A part of the “Citizen Culture” initiative of then-mayor Antanas Mockus, the interventions provided Bogota’s residents with information on the collapse and encouraged rational household decision-making and water savings by giving citizens information on specific actions they could take to save water. The city government also involved youth, clergy, and other key community members in campaigns to encourage water savings. Humor and other emotions were used to make water savings tactics memorable (e.g., a TV commercial with the mayor and his wife showering together to save water).
The behavioral interventions proved quite successful, decreasing Bogota’s water consumption drastically and preventing the need for water cuts or rationing. Additionally, Bogota experienced a sustained reduction in potable water use. In 2012, consumption of the city of Bogota was 0.16 m 3 per capita per day, much lower than per capita consumption in other capital cities in the region like Brasilia, Brazil (0.21) and Santiago, Chile (0.20) that same year ( Plappally and Lienhard, 2012 ).
Once the analyst has narrowed down the possible policy responses, there are a few additional considerations that need the analyst’s attention before she can present a more definitive recommendation for a policy response. The analysis prompted by the framework is largely technical in nature, but coming up with a response that makes technical sense is merely the first step of the policy analysis. For a proposed policy response to be successful and gain traction among decision-makers, it needs to pass 3 additional evaluative criteria.
First, there may be legal constraints in the jurisdiction where the problem is occurring—constraints that limit the choice of policy instruments that would be legal to apply. Some interventions may make sense from a technical or analytical perspective, but the existing laws and policies in a particular place may not allow for these interventions to be implemented. For example, in some contexts, local governments may not be allowed to set pollution standards or introduce environmental taxes on industries operating within their territories. In some cases, national government agencies are the only entities authorized to introduce environmental policy responses that target private firms and industry. The analyst needs to make sure that the specific intervention strategies that she chooses to develop and recommend to the decision-makers are actually legal in the particular context.
A second type of constraint is political in nature. Some interventions that make technical sense may not be politically feasible. Political feasibility is often difficult to assess for analysts because it requires deep knowledge of how politicians and their constituents think, and what is politically feasible or viable in one context may be political suicide in another. The public generally as well as influential interest groups, government agencies, and politicians can all introduce barriers to implementation of what the technical analysis suggested to be the best choice in policy instruments. For example, the framework tree might indicate that for a particular pollution externality, emissions taxes are the best option because they provide polluters the freedom to choose their abetment methods. However, if parties resist the tax, the government may have to compromise with a voluntary program or a command-and-control approach.
In some cases, a government faced with strong political and legal barriers to instruments designed to address externalities might opt to adopt policies to encourage research and innovation or to disseminate information because these strategies generate less resistance. While this approach may be politically popular and may even lead to marginal improvements in environmental conditions, for serious problems it is unlikely to lead to major reductions in environmental damage.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the policy analyst needs to consider the ethical implications of recommending a certain policy intervention. For example, some critics argue that it is unethical to use public funds to subsidize corporations to adopt cleaner technologies, or to allow private corporations to buy pollution reduction offsets from other firms rather than reducing pollution themselves, especially if the existing practices expose citizens to environmental harm. Part of these ethical considerations includes studying the distributional effects associated with a recommended policy intervention. Will the selected policy instrument improve environmental justice—reducing the vulnerabilities and improving the environmental health for all groups in society—or will it benefit mostly those members of society who are already better off?
Should the policy recommendation not clear the legal, political, and ethical criteria, the analyst may need to reconsider the recommended course of action, go back to the drawing board, and craft a new policy response strategy that measures up against all 3 criteria.
Careful policy analysis has the potential to identify a suite of workable solutions to mounting environmental and social problems in society. The framework presented in this article can support analysts to think more systematically about potential policy responses to a wide variety of environmental problems. The framework is designed to help analysts think through the particularities of different environmental problems and their potential solutions, paying careful attention to the ways in which new policy responses can complement existing efforts to deal with the problems at hand. If policy recommendations fail to build on existing efforts, interventions can end up making problems worse. One contribution of this framework is that it can help avoid overly simplistic thinking about the role of public policy responses to several major environmental problems.
The article discusses 4 major types of environmental problems and the various policy intervention options that the analysts have. Table 3 summarizes the potential policy responses that apply to each of the 4.
Summary of plausible policy responses to the 4 major types of environmental problems
In using this framework, it is important to be mindful of its limitations for applied policy work. The diagnostic framework asks questions about problems and the context in which they occur, but it does not offer definitive answers to those questions. The questions are there to stimulate thinking about the problem and its particularities, which we hope will lead to a deeper appreciation of the biophysical, socioeconomic, and political aspects of the problems at hand. What the framework will not do is prescribe the best response to any given situation. In that sense, the purpose of the framework is to elicit analytical thinking, not prescriptive commanding. The framework does not address how policy analysts might go about designing policy responses, which is a process that can be very important for the performance of policy proposals. How policy responses are conceived of, developed, and eventually implemented—especially with regard to how involved a diversity of stakeholders are in this process—can play a big role in their eventual effectiveness ( Matson et al., 2016 ), but this is an area of work that the sustainability science literature has already produced a considerable volume of studies (for a summary see Clark, 2007 ).
All public policy responses are imperfect human constructs that need continuous updating and tweaking to stay effective and relevant. No matter how innovative and ingenious a new policy initiative may seem, it is not likely to perform exactly as expected. Human–environmental interactions are complex and ever-changing, which means that any efforts to tinker with these interactions will produce unintended consequences. Policy analysts need to keep a close eye on how interventions are faring so that the intervention may be adjusted. This adjustment process requires good data on the performance of the intervention, which, in turn, requires the creation of robust systems for monitoring and evaluation (systems for collecting data on how human behavior may have changed because of the intervention). The need for learning about policy performance through active monitoring and evaluation is another area that the diagnostic framework does not address directly but is nevertheless an important component of the design and implementation of effective public policy. It is also an area in which independent researchers have an important role to play—to provide decision-makers with unbiased and scientifically sound evidence on policy performance.
The framework will help analysts conduct a context-sensitive analysis of plausible policy responses to common environmental problems. Proposing a technical recommendation, however, is but a first step in the policy process. An effective policymaking process requires engagement of multiple interests and expertise. The policy analyst plays an important role in this process, but it is one of many actors involved. Effective policy analysts are humble, creative, system thinkers, who know how to adapt to a variety of decision-making environments. They know that their technical analysis of the problem and potential solutions represent just 1 ingredient in the overall policy strategy to address a problem. By being sensitive to the ethical, legal, and political circumstances of that environment, policy analysts will be able to facilitate a productive public debate about what to do about pressing environmental problems.
Only publicly available bibliographic information was used for the analysis presented in this article.
The authors acknowledge financial support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Grant # USDA-NIFA 2019-67023-29421) and the National Science Foundation (Grant # SES-1757136).
The authors declare no competing interests.
Contributed to conception and design of the framework: KA, CB, and KR
Contributed to acquisition of case studies: KA and CB
Contributed to analysis and interpretation of case studies: KA, CB, and KR
Drafted and/or revised the article: KA, CB, and KR
Approved the submitted version for publication: KA, CB, and KR
The more detailed and in-depth analyses will benefit from using more specialized analytical frameworks such as those developed for (a) pollution control by Richards and van Zeben (2020) , Stavins (2003) , and Tietenberg and Lewis (2018) ; (b) for CPR problems developed by Ostrom (2009) , Ostrom and Cox (2010) , and Andersson (2006) ; (c) fast-thinking problems by Thaler and Sunstein (2008) , Shafir (2013) , and Grüne-Yanoff et al., (2018) , and (d) for responses to hazards by Smith and Lenhart (1996) , Donahue and Joyce (2001) , and Berkes (2007) .
We thank Alastair Iles for pushing us to emphasize the distributional effects of both environmental problems and their associated policy responses.
For more on policy lock-ins, see Seto et al. (2016) .
For more on property rights reform and CPRs, see Ostrom and Hess (2000) and Anderson and Libecap (2014) .
We distinguish between hazards and risks. A hazard is an event that may cause harm to society. A risk is the probability that such harm will materialize (which will depend on how exposed members of a society are to the hazard at hand).
One exception is in the wake of disaster, while the public considers hazards a priority.
Our discussion of nudges and boosts builds primarily on Grüne-Yanoff et al. (2018) .
How to cite this article: Andersson, K, Boyes, C, Richards, K. 2023. Diagnosing environmental problems and their possible policy responses: A tool for assessing initial options. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00137
Domain Editor-in-Chief: Alastair Iles, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
Knowledge Domain: Sustainability Transitions
Part of an Elementa Special Feature: The Power of Surprise in Analyzing Environmental Policy: Case Studies of Innovative Responses to Environmental Challenges
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15 Biggest Environmental Problems of 2024
While the climate crisis has many factors that play a role in the exacerbation of the environment, some warrant more attention than others. Here are some of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime, from deforestation and biodiversity loss to food waste and fast fashion.
1. Global Warming From Fossil Fuels
2023 was the hottest year on record , with global average temperatures at 1.46C above pre-industrial levels and 0.13C higher than the eleven-month average for 2016, currently the warmest calendar year on record. The year was marked by six record-breaking months and two record-breaking seasons.
What’s more, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have never been so high . After being consistently around 280 parts per million (ppm) for almost 6,000 years of human civilisation, CO2 levels in the atmosphere are now well above 420 ppm, more than double what they were before the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Rick Spinrad, the steady annual increase is a “direct result of human activity,” mainly from the burning of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation but also from cement manufacturing, deforestation , and agriculture .
This is undoubtedly one of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime: as greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat, leading to global warming.
Increased emissions of greenhouse gases have led to a rapid and steady increase in global temperatures, which in turn is causing catastrophic events all over the world – from Australia and the US experiencing some of the most devastating bushfire seasons ever recorded, locusts swarming across parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, decimating crops, and a heatwave in Antarctica that saw temperatures rise above 20C for the first time. S cientists are constantly warning that the planet has crossed a series of tipping points that could have catastrophic consequences, such as advancing permafrost melt in Arctic regions, the Greenland ice sheet melting at an unprecedented rate, accelerating sixth mass extinction , and increasing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest , just to name a few.
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms and other weather events such as hurricanes, heatwaves and flooding to be more intense and frequent than seen before. However, even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted immediately, global temperatures would continue to rise in the coming years. That is why it is absolutely imperative that we start now to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy sources, and phase our fossil fuels as fast as possible.
You might also like: The Tipping Points of Climate Change: How Will Our World Change?
2. Poor Governance
According to economists like Nicholas Stern, the climate crisis is a result of multiple market failures .
Economists and environmentalists have urged policymakers for years to increase the price of activities that emit greenhouse gases (one of our biggest environmental problems), the lack of which constitutes the largest market failure, for example through carbon taxes, which will stimulate innovations in low-carbon technologies.
To cut emissions quickly and effectively enough, governments must not only massively increase funding for green innovation to bring down the costs of low-carbon energy sources, but they also need to adopt a range of other policies that address each of the other market failures.
A national carbon tax is currently implemented in 27 countries around the world , including various countries in the EU, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Ukraine and Argentina. However, according to the 2019 OECD Tax Energy Use report, current tax structures are not adequately aligned with the pollution profile of energy sources. For example, the OECD suggests that carbon taxes are not harsh enough on coal production, although it has proved to be effective for the electricity industry. A carbon tax has been effectively implemented in Sweden ; the carbon tax is U$127 per tonne and has reduced emissions by 25% since 1995, while its economy has expanded 75% in the same time period.
Further, organisations such as the United Nations are not fit to deal with the climate crisis: it was assembled to prevent another world war and is not fit for purpose. Anyway, members of the UN are not mandated to comply with any suggestions or recommendations made by the organisation. For example, the Paris Agreement , a historic deal within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says that countries need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly so that global temperature rise is below 2C by 2100, and ideally under 1.5C. But signing on to it is voluntary, and there are no real repercussions for non-compliance. Further, the issue of equity remains a contentious issue whereby developing countries are allowed to emit more in order to develop to the point where they can develop technologies to emit less, and it allows some countries, such as China, to exploit this.
3. Food Waste
A third of the food intended for human consumption – around 1.3 billion tons – is wasted or lost. This is enough to feed 3 billion people. Food waste and loss account for approximately one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions annually ; if it was a country, food waste would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the US.
Food waste and loss occurs at different stages in developing and developed countries; in developing countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the post-harvest and processing levels, while in developed countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the retail and consumer levels.
At the retail level, a shocking amount of food is wasted because of aesthetic reasons; in fact, in the US, more than 50% of all produce thrown away in the US is done so because it is deemed to be “too ugly” to be sold to consumers- this amounts to about 60 million tons of fruits and vegetables. This leads to food insecurity , another one of the biggest environmental problems on the list.
You might also like: How Does Food Waste Affect the Environment?
4. Biodiversity Loss
The past 50 years have seen a rapid growth of human consumption, population, global trade and urbanisation, resulting in humanity using more of the Earth’s resources than it can replenish naturally.
A 2020 WWF report found that the population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians have experienced a decline of an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016. The report attributes this biodiversity loss to a variety of factors, but mainly land-use change, particularly the conversion of habitats, like forests, grasslands and mangroves, into agricultural systems. Animals such as pangolins, sharks and seahorses are significantly affected by the illegal wildlife trade, and pangolins are critically endangered because of it.
More broadly, a recent analysis has found that the sixth mass extinction of wildlife on Earth is accelerating. More than 500 species of land animals are on the brink of extinction and are likely to be lost within 20 years; the same number were lost over the whole of the last century. The scientists say that without the human destruction of nature, this rate of loss would have taken thousands of years.
In Antarctica, climate change-triggered melting of sea ice is taking a heavy toll on emperor penguins and could wipe out entire populations by as early as 2100 , according to 2023 research.
You might also like: The Remarkable Benefits of Biodiversity
5. Plastic Pollution
In 1950, the world produced more than 2 million tons of plastic per year . By 2015, this annual production swelled to 419 million tons and exacerbating plastic waste in the environment.
A report by science journal, Nature, determined that currently, roughly 14 million tons of plastic make their way into the oceans every year, harming wildlife habitats and the animals that live in them. The research found that if no action is taken, the plastic crisis will grow to 29 million metric tons per year by 2040. If we include microplastics into this, the cumulative amount of plastic in the ocean could reach 600 million tons by 2040.
Shockingly, National Geographic found that 91% of all plastic that has ever been made is not recycled, representing not only one of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime, but another massive market failure. Considering that plastic takes 400 years to decompose, it will be many generations until it ceases to exist. There’s no telling what the irreversible effects of plastic pollution will have on the environment in the long run.
You might also like: 8 Shocking Plastic Pollution Statistics to Know About
6. Deforestation
Every hour, forests the size of 300 football fields are cut down. By the year 2030, the planet might have only 10% of its forests; if deforestation isn’t stopped, they could all be gone in less than 100 years.
The three countries experiencing the highest levels of deforestation are Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia. The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest – spanning 6.9 million square kilometres (2.72 million square miles) and covering around 40% of the South American continent – is also one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems and is home to about three million species of plants and animals . Despite efforts to protect forest land, legal deforestation is still rampant, and about one-third of global tropical deforestation occurs in Brazil’s Amazon forest, amounting to 1.5 million hectares each year .
Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, another one of the biggest environmental problems appearing on this list. Land is cleared to raise livestock or to plant other crops that are sold, such as sugar cane and palm oil . Besides for carbon sequestration, forests help to prevent soil erosion, because the tree roots bind the soil and prevent it from washing away, which also prevents landslides.
You might also like: 10 Deforestation Facts You Should Know About
7. Air Pollution
One of the biggest environmental problems today is outdoor air pollution .
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that an estimated 4.2 to 7 million people die from air pollution worldwide every year and that nine out of 10 people breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants. In Africa, 258,000 people died as a result of outdoor air pollution in 2017, up from 164,000 in 1990, according to UNICEF . Causes of air pollution mostly comes from industrial sources and motor vehicles, as well as emissions from burning biomass and poor air quality due to dust storms.
According to a 2023 study, air pollution in South Asia – one of the most polluted areas in the world – cuts life expectancy by about 5 years . The study blames a series of factors, including a lack of adequate infrastructure and funding for the high levels of pollution in some countries. Most countries in Asia and Africa, which together contribute about 92.7% of life years lost globally due to air pollution, lack key air quality standards needed to develop adequate policies. Moreover, just 6.8% and 3.7% of governments in the two continents, respectively, provide their citizens with fully open-air quality data.
In Europe, a recent report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) showed that more than half a million people living in the European Union died from health issues directly linked to toxic pollutants exposure in 2021.
More on the topic: Less Than 1% of Global Land Area Has Safe Air Pollution Levels: Study
8. Melting Ice Caps and Sea Level Rise
The climate crisis is warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet. Today, sea levels are rising more than twice as quickly as they did for most of the 20th century as a result of increasing temperatures on Earth. Seas are now rising an average of 3.2 mm per year globally and they will continue to grow up to about 0.7 metres by the end of this century. In the Arctic, the Greenland Ice Sheet poses the greatest risk for sea levels because melting land ice is the main cause of rising sea levels.
Representing arguably the biggest of the environmental problems, this is made all the more concerning considering that last year’s summer triggered the loss of 60 billion tons of ice from Greenland, enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2mm in just two months . According to satellite data, the Greenland ice sheet lost a record amount of ice in 2019: an average of a million tons per minute throughout the year, one of the biggest environmental problems that has cascading effects. If the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, sea level would rise by six metres .
Meanwhile, the Antarctic continent contributes about 1 millimetre per year to sea level rise, which is one-third of the annual global increase. According to 2023 data, the continent has lost approximately 7.5 trillion tons of ice since 1997 . Additionally, the last fully intact ice shelf in Canada in the Arctic recently collapsed, having lost about 80 square kilometres – or 40% – of its area over a two-day period in late July, according to the Canadian Ice Service .
Sea level rise will have a devastating impact on those living in coastal regions: according to research and advocacy group Climate Central, sea level rise this century could flood coastal areas that are now home to 340 million to 480 million people , forcing them to migrate to safer areas and contributing to overpopulation and strain of resources in the areas they migrate to. Bangkok (Thailand), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines), and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) are among the cities most at risk of sea level rise and flooding.
You might also like: Two-Thirds of World’s Glaciers Set to Disappear by 2100 Under Current Global Warming Scenario
9. Ocean Acidification
Global temperature rise has not only affected the surface, but it is the main cause of ocean acidification . Our oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide that is released into the Earth’s atmosphere. As higher concentrations of carbon emissions are released thanks to human activities such as burning fossil fuels as well as effects of global climate change such as increased rates of wildfires, so do the amount of carbon dioxide that is absorbed back into the sea.
The smallest change in the pH scale can have a significant impact on the acidity of the ocean. Ocean acidification has devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and species, its food webs, and provoke irreversible changes in habitat quality . Once pH levels reach too low, marine organisms such as oysters, their shells and skeleton could even start to dissolve.
However, one of the biggest environmental problems from ocean acidification is coral bleaching and subsequent coral reef loss . This is a phenomenon that occurs when rising ocean temperatures disrupt the symbiotic relationship between the reefs and algae that lives within it, driving away the algae and causing coral reefs to lose their natural vibrant colours. Some scientists have estimated coral reefs are at risk of being completely wiped by 2050. Higher acidity in the ocean would obstruct coral reef systems’ ability to rebuild their exoskeletons and recover from these coral bleaching events.
Some studies have also found that ocean acidification can be linked as one of the effects of plastic pollution in the ocean. The accumulating bacteria and microorganisms derived from plastic garbage dumped in the ocean to damage marine ecosystems and contribute towards coral bleaching.
10. Agriculture
Studies have shown that the global food system is responsible for up to one-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, of which 30% comes from livestock and fisheries. Crop production releases greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide through the use of fertilisers .
60% of the world’s agricultural area is dedicated to cattle ranching , although it only makes up 24% of global meat consumption.
Agriculture not only covers a vast amount of land, but it also consumes a vast amount of freshwater, another one of the biggest environmental problems on this list. While arable lands and grazing pastures cover one-third of Earth’s land surfaces , they consume three-quarters of the world’s limited freshwater resources.
Scientists and environmentalists have continuously warned that we need to rethink our current food system; switching to a more plant-based diet would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the conventional agriculture industry.
You might also like: The Future of Farming: Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It?
11. Food and Water Insecurity
Rising temperatures and unsustainable farming practices have resulted in increasing water and food insecurity.
Globally, more than 68 billion tonnes of top-soil is eroded every year at a rate 100 times faster than it can naturally be replenished. Laden with biocides and fertiliser, the soil ends up in waterways where it contaminates drinking water and protected areas downstream.
Furthermore, exposed and lifeless soil is more vulnerable to wind and water erosion due to lack of root and mycelium systems that hold it together. A key contributor to soil erosion is over-tilling: although it increases productivity in the short-term by mixing in surface nutrients (e.g. fertiliser), tilling is physically destructive to the soil’s structure and in the long-term leads to soil compaction, loss of fertility and surface crust formation that worsens topsoil erosion.
With the global population expected to reach 9 billion people by mid-century, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) projects that global food demand may increase by 70% by 2050 . Around the world, more than 820 million people do not get enough to eat.
The UN secretary-general António Guterres says, “Unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food security emergency that could have long term impacts on hundreds of millions of adults and children.” He urged for countries to rethink their food systems and encouraged more sustainable farming practices.
In terms of water security, only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater , and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages.
You might also like: Global Food Security: Why It Matters in 2023
12. Fast Fashion and Textile Waste
The global demand for fashion and clothing has risen at an unprecedented rate that the fashion industry now accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, becoming one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Fashion alone produces more greenhouse gas emissions than both the aviation and shipping sectors combined , and nearly 20% of global wastewater, or around 93 billion cubic metres from textile dyeing, according to the UN Environment Programme.
What’s more, the world at least generated an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles waste every year and that number is expected to soar up to 134 million tonnes a year by 2030. Discarded clothing and textile waste, most of which is non-biodegradable, ends up in landfills, while microplastics from clothing materials such as polyester, nylon, polyamide, acrylic and other synthetic materials, is leeched into soil and nearby water sources. Monumental amounts of clothing textile are also dumped in less developed countries as seen with Chile’s Atacama , the driest desert in the world, where at least 39,000 tonnes of textile waste from other nations are left there to rot.
This rapidly growing issue is only exacerbated by the ever-expanding fast fashion business model, in which companies relies on cheap and speedy production of low quality clothing to meet the latest and newest trends. While the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action sees signatory fashion and textile companies to commit to achieving net zero emission by 2050, a majority of businesses around the world have yet to address their roles in climate change.
While these are some of the biggest environmental problems plaguing our planet, there are many more that have not been mentioned, including overfishing, urban sprawl, toxic superfund sites and land use changes. While there are many facets that need to be considered in formulating a response to the crisis, they must be coordinated, practical and far-reaching enough to make enough of a difference.
You might also like: Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact
13. Overfishing
Over three billion people around the world rely on fish as their primary source of protein. About 12% of the world relies upon fisheries in some form or another, with 90% of these being small-scale fishermen – think a small crew in a boat, not a ship, using small nets or even rods and reels and lures not too different from the kind you probably use . Of the 18.9 million fishermen in the world, 90% of them fall under the latter category.
Most people consume approximately twice as much food as they did 50 years ago and there are four times as many people on earth as there were at the close of the 1960s. This is one driver of the 30% of commercially fished waters being classified as being ‘overfished’. This means that the stock of available fishing waters is being depleted faster than it can be replaced.
Overfishing comes with detrimental effects on the environment, including increased algae in the water, destruction of fishing communities, ocean littering as well as extremely high rates of biodiversity loss.
As part of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14) , the UN and FAO are working towards maintaining the proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels. This, however, requires much stricter regulations of the world’s oceans than the ones already in place. In July 2022, the WTO banned fishing subsidies to reduce global overfishing in a historic deal. Indeed, subsidies for fuel, fishing gear, and building new vessels, only incentivise overfishing and represent thus a huge problem.
You might also like: 7 Solutions to Overfishing We Need Right Now
14. Cobalt Mining
Cobalt is quickly becoming the defining example of the mineral conundrum at the heart of the renewable energy transition . As a key component of battery materials that power electric vehicles (EVs), cobalt is facing a sustained surge in demand as decarbonisation efforts progress. The world’s largest cobalt supplier is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it is estimated that up to a fifth of the production is produced through artisanal miners.
Cobalt mining , however, is associated with dangerous workers’ exploitation and other serious environmental and social issues. The environmental costs of cobalt mining activities are also substantial. Southern regions of the DRC are not only home to cobalt and copper, but also large amounts of uranium. In mining regions, scientists have made note of high radioactivity levels. In addition, mineral mining, similar to other industrial mining efforts, often produces pollution that leaches into neighbouring rivers and water sources. Dust from pulverised rock is known to cause breathing problems for local communities as well.
15. Soil Degradation
Organic matter is a crucial component of soil as it allows it to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Plants absorb CO2 from the air naturally and effectively through photosynthesis and part of this carbon is stored in the soil as soil organic carbon (SOC). Healthy soil has a minimum of 3-6% organic matter. However, almost everywhere in the world, the content is much lower than that.
According to the United Nations, about 40% of the planet’s soil is degraded . Soil degradation refers to the loss of organic matter, changes in its structural condition and/or decline in soil fertility and it is often the result of human activities, such as traditional farming practices including the use of toxic chemicals and pollutants. If business as usual continued through 2050, experts project additional degradation of an area almost the size of South America. But there is more to it. If we do not change our reckless practices and step up to preserve soil health, food security for billions of people around the world will be irreversibly compromised, with an estimated 40% less food expected to be produced in 20 years’ time despite the world’s population projected to reach 9.3 billion people.
Featured image by Earth.Org Photographer Roy Mangersnes
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Environmental Issues and Solutions
Environmental issues happen due to disturbances in the normal functioning of the ecosystem. The various issues include climate change, environmental pollution, environmental degradation, and resource depletion. These types of environmental-related issues can occur either due to human causes or can be natural.
They can vary in dimension from local, regional, to global levels. Environmental issues can be addressed by promoting green energy, recycling, conservation of water and electricity, and avoiding single-use plastic. In this environmental issues and solutions article, we will cover the various Environmental issues, the challenges presented by them, and their solutions.
Table of Content
What are Environmental Issues?
Environmental issues examples, environmental challenges, solutions to environmental issues, conclusion – environmental issues and solutions, faqs on environmental issues and solutions.
Environment plays an important role in supporting life on the earth. But with the increase in the population, the demand for food, clothing, fuel, housing, etc., has also increased. This increased demand has exerted tremendous pressure on natural resources and has led to environmental pollution, depletion of resources, loss of biodiversity, etc. These environmental issues are affecting the natural balance of the ecosystem.
Another term for environment issues is environment degradation. Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; and pollution. Addressing these issues requires global efforts to mitigate their impact and protect the environment for future generations.
There are several types of environmental issues that impact the planet’s ecosystems and natural resources. Different current environment issues are as follows:
Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most concerning environmental issue that has the ability to affect the delicate balance of the planet Earth. It involves shifts in weather patterns, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events like storms and droughts. These changes disrupt ecosystems, endangering wildlife and impacting humans worldwide.
The release of greenhouse gases is the major cause of climate change. By embracing sustainable practices like reducing carbon emissions, protecting forests, and investing in renewable energy, we can mitigate the effects of climate change and build a healthier, more resilient future for the next generation.
Pollution is defined as any undesirable change in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air, land, water, or soil. Agents that cause such undesirable changes are called a pollutant . Various types of pollution are:
- Air pollution : It is the contamination of air with harmful gases, dust, and smoke. The major cause of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuel, automobile, industries, smelters, etc. Air pollution has a deleterious effect on human health, reduces crop yield, and cause premature death of plants.
- Water pollution : It is the contamination of water bodies, like lakes, rivers, and oceans, with harmful products. The factors responsible for water pollution are agriculture runoff, fertilizers, urbanization, industrial waste, etc.
The other type of pollution can be soil pollution, noise pollution, radioactive pollution, etc.
Solid Waste Mangement
Solid waste is known as trash or garbage. It includes waste from the home, offices, hospitals, stores, etc. It usually consists of paper, food wastes, plastics, glass, metals, rubber, leather, textile, etc. The waste is either burnt to reduce its volume or is dumped in sanitary landfills.
Solid waste management involves the collection, disposal, and recycling of various non-liquid materials, such as paper, plastics, and organic waste, to minimize environmental impacts and promote sustainability. Proper management reduces pollution, conserves resources, and mitigates health and environmental hazards.
Agro-Chemicals
Agro-chemicals, including pesticides and fertilizers, pose significant environmental issues. Their runoff into water bodies can result in water pollution, impacting aquatic ecosystems and human health. Overuse of the chemicals can lead to nutrient imbalances, soil degradation and the loss of beneficial organisms. They disrupt ecosystem and can harm non-target species. These chemicals can lead to greenhouse gas emissions, that lead to climate change. Addressing these concerns requires sustainable agricultural practices and reduced chemical use.
Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect
Global warming is defined as the rise in the surface temperature of the earth. The main factor responsible for global warming is the increase in the level of greenhouse gases , which has led to considerable heating of the earth. This phenomenon of heating of the earth’s surface and atmosphere is known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse gases are released from automobile emissions, industries, fossil fuels, etc.
Radioactive Waste
Radioactive waste, generated by nuclear power plants and various industrial processes, form a major environmental issue. It can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater, posing long-term health risks to both humans and ecosystems due to Improper storage and disposal. The management of radioactive waste is complex, as it remains hazardous for thousands of years. Safe storage and disposal solutions are essential to prevent environmental damage and potential catastrophic events like nuclear accidents or leakage. Public awareness and strict regulations are important in addressing this environmental concern.
Ozone Layer Depletion
The ozone layer in the upper part of the atmosphere absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun. There is a balance between production and degradation of ozone in the stratosphere. The balance has been disrupted by the increased use of chlorofluorocarbon(CFC), which degrades the ozone layer. This has resulted in the formation of an ozone hole that allows UV radiation to pass through it. UV radiation can cause the aging of the skin, skin cancer, cataract, mutation of DNA, etc
Degradation by Improper Resource Utilisation and Maintenance
Degradation of natural resources can occur due to improper resource utilization.
- Soil erosion and desertification: Over-cultivation, deforestation, unrestricted grazing, and poor irrigation practice has led to arid patches of land. When these arid patches meet over time, a desert is formed. The problem has increased nowadays due to urbanization.
- Water logging and soil salinity: With the green revolution the practice of irrigation increased, which has led to the problem of waterlogging and deposition of salt crystals on the surface. Water logging and soil salinity both affect crop yield.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forested ones. The growing human population has led to an increase in the conversion of forest land to agricultural land. It results in habitat loss, threatening countless species and biodiversity. Moreover, it contributes to climate change, as forests act as carbon sinks. Soil erosion and disruptions in water cycles are also consequences of deforestation, impacting local and global ecosystems. Sustainable forestry practices and reforestation efforts are essential to mitigate these environmental challenges and preserve the world’s forests.
Environmental challenges are issues that have significant threats to the well-being of the planet and its ecosystems. The various challenges are:
- The release of harmful substances into the environment, such as air pollution from industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust, water pollution from industrial and agricultural runoff, and plastic pollution in oceans.
- Overpopulation is one of the important environmental issue, as the world’s population has tripled in the past six decades. This strains the environment due to increased food demand, land development and urbanization.
- Due to greenhouse gas emissions the Earth’s climate is increasing, leading to extreme weather events, and sea-level rise.
- Due to pollution, habitat destruction, over-exploitation, and the introduction of invasive species, there is rapis extinction of the species.
- The large-scale removal of forests for agriculture, logging, and urban development, leading to habitat loss, reduced carbon storage, and changes in local and global climates.
- The thinning of the ozone layer due to the release of ozone-depleting substances, which can result in increased exposure to harmful UV radiation.
- The improper disposal and accumulation of solid and hazardous waste, which can lead to pollution and health hazards.
- The strain on resources and ecosystems resulting from a growing global population, leading to increased demand for food, water, and energy.
Environmental issues are a matter of concern these days. People are becoming aware of the implication of environmental degradation in our daily life. It has become important to check the degradation and depletion of natural resources and pollution, but without halting the process of development. The following are the possible solution for the environmental issues:
- Avoid single-use plastic
- Promoting clean and affordable energy
- Go for sustainable agriculture
- Reduce food waste
- Plant more trees and go paperless
- Promote green innovations
- Conserve water and electricity
- Use reusable products instead of disposable ones
- Recycle the waste to conserve the natural resources
- Support local and environment-friendly practices
In conclusion, environmental issues arise from disruptions in the functioning of ecosystem, whether due to human activities or natural causes. These environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution, and resource depletion, can have local, regional, or global impacts. The environmental issues solutions include promoting green energy, recycling, water and electricity conservation, and reducing single-use plastics. By implementing sustainable solutions and raising awareness, we can mitigate the effects of environmental degradation and safeguard the planet for future generations. This environmental problems and solutions essay covers everything in detail.
Also Read: Five Environmental Factors that Affect Health 5 Major Threats to Biodiversity Radioactive Pollution
What are the Major Environmental Problems Explain?
Some of the major environmental issue includes water pollution, air pollution, poor management of waste, growing water scarcity, lowering groundwater tables, decrease in forest cover, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation.
Define Pollution.
Pollution refers to the presence of harmful or undesirable substances in the environment, which can have adverse effects on living organisms, natural resources, and ecosystems.
Define Pollutants.
Pollutants is a chemical or biological substance which harms water, air, or land quality. These can be both naturally forming or due to human activity.
Name two Diseases Caused by Air Pollution, Water Pollution and Noise Pollution.
The diseases caused by various poluution are: Asthma and lung cancer (air pollution), Typhoid and cholera (water pollution), and Deafness and Hypertension (noise pollution).
Why is the Ozone Layer getting Depleted at a Higher Level of the Atmosphere?
The ozone layer is depleting at higher levels due to human-made chemicals, primarily chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which break down ozone molecules in the stratosphere.
What are the Consequences of Deforestation?
Deforestation results in loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction, while also contributing to climate change through increased carbon emissions. It also disrupts water cycles and leads to soil erosion.
What are the 5 Major Environmental Problems and Solutions?
The five major environmental problems are climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. Solutions include promoting renewable energy, habitat conservation, sustainable forestry, and species conservation efforts.
How can we Reduce Environmental Issues?
We can reduce environmental issues by adopting sustainable practices like using renewable energy, reducing waste, conserving water and energy, protecting habitats and supporting conservation efforts. Individual actions like recycling and using public transportation also play a role.
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AEM 2500 Environmental and Resource Economics
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Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2023-2024 . Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.
This course uses microeconomics to understand the causes and how to devise solutions to environmental and natural resource problems. Subjects include valuation, benefit-cost analysis, policy design and property rights. The course relies on these concepts to explore major current policy issues such as economic incentives in environmental policy, air and water pollution, depletion of renewable and nonrenewable resources, and global warming. Students are evaluated based on problems sets, short essays, 3 quizzes and 3 prelims.
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Permission Note Enrollment preference given to: Dyson students and E&S majors. Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: ECON 1110. Forbidden Overlaps Forbidden Overlap: due to an overlap in content, students will not receive credit for both AEM 1500 and AEM 2500.
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Instruction Mode: In Person Enrollment preference given to: students in EERE concentration (Dyson) and Environmental Economics (E&S). The waitlist is managed by the Dyson registrar's office.
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Do You Understand the Problem You’re Trying to Solve?
To solve tough problems at work, first ask these questions.
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Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem without taking time to really understand the dilemma we face, according to Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg , an expert in innovation and the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .
In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the situation. You’ll also learn why searching for just one root cause can be misleading.
Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, power and influence, business management.
HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.
- Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Secret to Better Problem Solving (2016)
- Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
- Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org .
HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR on Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you.
Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But even the most experienced among us can fall into the trap of solving the wrong problem.
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg says that all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem – without taking time to really understand what we’re facing.
He’s an expert in innovation, and he’s the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .
In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems, by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the situation. You’ll also learn why searching for one root cause can be misleading. And you’ll learn how to use experimentation and rapid prototyping as problem-solving tools.
This episode originally aired on HBR IdeaCast in December 2016. Here it is.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Sarah Green Carmichael.
Problem solving is popular. People put it on their resumes. Managers believe they excel at it. Companies count it as a key proficiency. We solve customers’ problems.
The problem is we often solve the wrong problems. Albert Einstein and Peter Drucker alike have discussed the difficulty of effective diagnosis. There are great frameworks for getting teams to attack true problems, but they’re often hard to do daily and on the fly. That’s where our guest comes in.
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is a consultant who helps companies and managers reframe their problems so they can come up with an effective solution faster. He asks the question “Are You Solving The Right Problems?” in the January-February 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review. Thomas, thank you so much for coming on the HBR IdeaCast .
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Thanks for inviting me.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, I thought maybe we could start by talking about the problem of talking about problem reframing. What is that exactly?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Basically, when people face a problem, they tend to jump into solution mode to rapidly, and very often that means that they don’t really understand, necessarily, the problem they’re trying to solve. And so, reframing is really a– at heart, it’s a method that helps you avoid that by taking a second to go in and ask two questions, basically saying, first of all, wait. What is the problem we’re trying to solve? And then crucially asking, is there a different way to think about what the problem actually is?
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, I feel like so often when this comes up in meetings, you know, someone says that, and maybe they throw out the Einstein quote about you spend an hour of problem solving, you spend 55 minutes to find the problem. And then everyone else in the room kind of gets irritated. So, maybe just give us an example of maybe how this would work in practice in a way that would not, sort of, set people’s teeth on edge, like oh, here Sarah goes again, reframing the whole problem instead of just solving it.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I mean, you’re bringing up something that’s, I think is crucial, which is to create legitimacy for the method. So, one of the reasons why I put out the article is to give people a tool to say actually, this thing is still important, and we need to do it. But I think the really critical thing in order to make this work in a meeting is actually to learn how to do it fast, because if you have the idea that you need to spend 30 minutes in a meeting delving deeply into the problem, I mean, that’s going to be uphill for most problems. So, the critical thing here is really to try to make it a practice you can implement very, very rapidly.
There’s an example that I would suggest memorizing. This is the example that I use to explain very rapidly what it is. And it’s basically, I call it the slow elevator problem. You imagine that you are the owner of an office building, and that your tenants are complaining that the elevator’s slow.
Now, if you take that problem framing for granted, you’re going to start thinking creatively around how do we make the elevator faster. Do we install a new motor? Do we have to buy a new lift somewhere?
The thing is, though, if you ask people who actually work with facilities management, well, they’re going to have a different solution for you, which is put up a mirror next to the elevator. That’s what happens is, of course, that people go oh, I’m busy. I’m busy. I’m– oh, a mirror. Oh, that’s beautiful.
And then they forget time. What’s interesting about that example is that the idea with a mirror is actually a solution to a different problem than the one you first proposed. And so, the whole idea here is once you get good at using reframing, you can quickly identify other aspects of the problem that might be much better to try to solve than the original one you found. It’s not necessarily that the first one is wrong. It’s just that there might be better problems out there to attack that we can, means we can do things much faster, cheaper, or better.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, in that example, I can understand how A, it’s probably expensive to make the elevator faster, so it’s much cheaper just to put up a mirror. And B, maybe the real problem people are actually feeling, even though they’re not articulating it right, is like, I hate waiting for the elevator. But if you let them sort of fix their hair or check their teeth, they’re suddenly distracted and don’t notice.
But if you have, this is sort of a pedestrian example, but say you have a roommate or a spouse who doesn’t clean up the kitchen. Facing that problem and not having your elegant solution already there to highlight the contrast between the perceived problem and the real problem, how would you take a problem like that and attack it using this method so that you can see what some of the other options might be?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Right. So, I mean, let’s say it’s you who have that problem. I would go in and say, first of all, what would you say the problem is? Like, if you were to describe your view of the problem, what would that be?
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: I hate cleaning the kitchen, and I want someone else to clean it up.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: OK. So, my first observation, you know, that somebody else might not necessarily be your spouse. So, already there, there’s an inbuilt assumption in your question around oh, it has to be my husband who does the cleaning. So, it might actually be worth, already there to say, is that really the only problem you have? That you hate cleaning the kitchen, and you want to avoid it? Or might there be something around, as well, getting a better relationship in terms of how you solve problems in general or establishing a better way to handle small problems when dealing with your spouse?
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Or maybe, now that I’m thinking that, maybe the problem is that you just can’t find the stuff in the kitchen when you need to find it.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Right, and so that’s an example of a reframing, that actually why is it a problem that the kitchen is not clean? Is it only because you hate the act of cleaning, or does it actually mean that it just takes you a lot longer and gets a lot messier to actually use the kitchen, which is a different problem. The way you describe this problem now, is there anything that’s missing from that description?
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: That is a really good question.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Other, basically asking other factors that we are not talking about right now, and I say those because people tend to, when given a problem, they tend to delve deeper into the detail. What often is missing is actually an element outside of the initial description of the problem that might be really relevant to what’s going on. Like, why does the kitchen get messy in the first place? Is it something about the way you use it or your cooking habits? Is it because the neighbor’s kids, kind of, use it all the time?
There might, very often, there might be issues that you’re not really thinking about when you first describe the problem that actually has a big effect on it.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: I think at this point it would be helpful to maybe get another business example, and I’m wondering if you could tell us the story of the dog adoption problem.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Yeah. This is a big problem in the US. If you work in the shelter industry, basically because dogs are so popular, more than 3 million dogs every year enter a shelter, and currently only about half of those actually find a new home and get adopted. And so, this is a problem that has persisted. It’s been, like, a structural problem for decades in this space. In the last three years, where people found new ways to address it.
So a woman called Lori Weise who runs a rescue organization in South LA, and she actually went in and challenged the very idea of what we were trying to do. She said, no, no. The problem we’re trying to solve is not about how to get more people to adopt dogs. It is about keeping the dogs with their first family so they never enter the shelter system in the first place.
In 2013, she started what’s called a Shelter Intervention Program that basically works like this. If a family comes and wants to hand over their dog, these are called owner surrenders. It’s about 30% of all dogs that come into a shelter. All they would do is go up and ask, if you could, would you like to keep your animal? And if they said yes, they would try to fix whatever helped them fix the problem, but that made them turn over this.
And sometimes that might be that they moved into a new building. The landlord required a deposit, and they simply didn’t have the money to put down a deposit. Or the dog might need a $10 rabies shot, but they didn’t know how to get access to a vet.
And so, by instigating that program, just in the first year, she took her, basically the amount of dollars they spent per animal they helped went from something like $85 down to around $60. Just an immediate impact, and her program now is being rolled out, is being supported by the ASPCA, which is one of the big animal welfare stations, and it’s being rolled out to various other places.
And I think what really struck me with that example was this was not dependent on having the internet. This was not, oh, we needed to have everybody mobile before we could come up with this. This, conceivably, we could have done 20 years ago. Only, it only happened when somebody, like in this case Lori, went in and actually rethought what the problem they were trying to solve was in the first place.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, what I also think is so interesting about that example is that when you talk about it, it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that would have been thought of through other kinds of problem solving methods. There wasn’t necessarily an After Action Review or a 5 Whys exercise or a Six Sigma type intervention. I don’t want to throw those other methods under the bus, but how can you get such powerful results with such a very simple way of thinking about something?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: That was something that struck me as well. This, in a way, reframing and the idea of the problem diagnosis is important is something we’ve known for a long, long time. And we’ve actually have built some tools to help out. If you worked with us professionally, you are familiar with, like, Six Sigma, TRIZ, and so on. You mentioned 5 Whys. A root cause analysis is another one that a lot of people are familiar with.
Those are our good tools, and they’re definitely better than nothing. But what I notice when I work with the companies applying those was those tools tend to make you dig deeper into the first understanding of the problem we have. If it’s the elevator example, people start asking, well, is that the cable strength, or is the capacity of the elevator? That they kind of get caught by the details.
That, in a way, is a bad way to work on problems because it really assumes that there’s like a, you can almost hear it, a root cause. That you have to dig down and find the one true problem, and everything else was just symptoms. That’s a bad way to think about problems because problems tend to be multicausal.
There tend to be lots of causes or levers you can potentially press to address a problem. And if you think there’s only one, if that’s the right problem, that’s actually a dangerous way. And so I think that’s why, that this is a method I’ve worked with over the last five years, trying to basically refine how to make people better at this, and the key tends to be this thing about shifting out and saying, is there a totally different way of thinking about the problem versus getting too caught up in the mechanistic details of what happens.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: What about experimentation? Because that’s another method that’s become really popular with the rise of Lean Startup and lots of other innovation methodologies. Why wouldn’t it have worked to, say, experiment with many different types of fixing the dog adoption problem, and then just pick the one that works the best?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: You could say in the dog space, that’s what’s been going on. I mean, there is, in this industry and a lot of, it’s largely volunteer driven. People have experimented, and they found different ways of trying to cope. And that has definitely made the problem better. So, I wouldn’t say that experimentation is bad, quite the contrary. Rapid prototyping, quickly putting something out into the world and learning from it, that’s a fantastic way to learn more and to move forward.
My point is, though, that I feel we’ve come to rely too much on that. There’s like, if you look at the start up space, the wisdom is now just to put something quickly into the market, and then if it doesn’t work, pivot and just do more stuff. What reframing really is, I think of it as the cognitive counterpoint to prototyping. So, this is really a way of seeing very quickly, like not just working on the solution, but also working on our understanding of the problem and trying to see is there a different way to think about that.
If you only stick with experimentation, again, you tend to sometimes stay too much in the same space trying minute variations of something instead of taking a step back and saying, wait a minute. What is this telling us about what the real issue is?
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, to go back to something that we touched on earlier, when we were talking about the completely hypothetical example of a spouse who does not clean the kitchen–
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Completely, completely hypothetical.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Yes. For the record, my husband is a great kitchen cleaner.
You started asking me some questions that I could see immediately were helping me rethink that problem. Is that kind of the key, just having a checklist of questions to ask yourself? How do you really start to put this into practice?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I think there are two steps in that. The first one is just to make yourself better at the method. Yes, you should kind of work with a checklist. In the article, I kind of outlined seven practices that you can use to do this.
But importantly, I would say you have to consider that as, basically, a set of training wheels. I think there’s a big, big danger in getting caught in a checklist. This is something I work with.
My co-author Paddy Miller, it’s one of his insights. That if you start giving people a checklist for things like this, they start following it. And that’s actually a problem, because what you really want them to do is start challenging their thinking.
So the way to handle this is to get some practice using it. Do use the checklist initially, but then try to step away from it and try to see if you can organically make– it’s almost a habit of mind. When you run into a colleague in the hallway and she has a problem and you have five minutes, like, delving in and just starting asking some of those questions and using your intuition to say, wait, how is she talking about this problem? And is there a question or two I can ask her about the problem that can help her rethink it?
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Well, that is also just a very different approach, because I think in that situation, most of us can’t go 30 seconds without jumping in and offering solutions.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Very true. The drive toward solutions is very strong. And to be clear, I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that if the solutions work. So, many problems are just solved by oh, you know, oh, here’s the way to do that. Great.
But this is really a powerful method for those problems where either it’s something we’ve been banging our heads against tons of times without making progress, or when you need to come up with a really creative solution. When you’re facing a competitor with a much bigger budget, and you know, if you solve the same problem later, you’re not going to win. So, that basic idea of taking that approach to problems can often help you move forward in a different way than just like, oh, I have a solution.
I would say there’s also, there’s some interesting psychological stuff going on, right? Where you may have tried this, but if somebody tries to serve up a solution to a problem I have, I’m often resistant towards them. Kind if like, no, no, no, no, no, no. That solution is not going to work in my world. Whereas if you get them to discuss and analyze what the problem really is, you might actually dig something up.
Let’s go back to the kitchen example. One powerful question is just to say, what’s your own part in creating this problem? It’s very often, like, people, they describe problems as if it’s something that’s inflicted upon them from the external world, and they are innocent bystanders in that.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Right, or crazy customers with unreasonable demands.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Exactly, right. I don’t think I’ve ever met an agency or consultancy that didn’t, like, gossip about their customers. Oh, my god, they’re horrible. That, you know, classic thing, why don’t they want to take more risk? Well, risk is bad.
It’s their business that’s on the line, not the consultancy’s, right? So, absolutely, that’s one of the things when you step into a different mindset and kind of, wait. Oh yeah, maybe I actually am part of creating this problem in a sense, as well. That tends to open some new doors for you to move forward, in a way, with stuff that you may have been struggling with for years.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, we’ve surfaced a couple of questions that are useful. I’m curious to know, what are some of the other questions that you find yourself asking in these situations, given that you have made this sort of mental habit that you do? What are the questions that people seem to find really useful?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: One easy one is just to ask if there are any positive exceptions to the problem. So, was there day where your kitchen was actually spotlessly clean? And then asking, what was different about that day? Like, what happened there that didn’t happen the other days? That can very often point people towards a factor that they hadn’t considered previously.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: We got take-out.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: S,o that is your solution. Take-out from [INAUDIBLE]. That might have other problems.
Another good question, and this is a little bit more high level. It’s actually more making an observation about labeling how that person thinks about the problem. And what I mean with that is, we have problem categories in our head. So, if I say, let’s say that you describe a problem to me and say, well, we have a really great product and are, it’s much better than our previous product, but people aren’t buying it. I think we need to put more marketing dollars into this.
Now you can go in and say, that’s interesting. This sounds like you’re thinking of this as a communications problem. Is there a different way of thinking about that? Because you can almost tell how, when the second you say communications, there are some ideas about how do you solve a communications problem. Typically with more communication.
And what you might do is go in and suggest, well, have you considered that it might be, say, an incentive problem? Are there incentives on behalf of the purchasing manager at your clients that are obstructing you? Might there be incentive issues with your own sales force that makes them want to sell the old product instead of the new one?
So literally, just identifying what type of problem does this person think about, and is there different potential way of thinking about it? Might it be an emotional problem, a timing problem, an expectations management problem? Thinking about what label of what type of problem that person is kind of thinking as it of.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: That’s really interesting, too, because I think so many of us get requests for advice that we’re really not qualified to give. So, maybe the next time that happens, instead of muddying my way through, I will just ask some of those questions that we talked about instead.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: That sounds like a good idea.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So, Thomas, this has really helped me reframe the way I think about a couple of problems in my own life, and I’m just wondering. I know you do this professionally, but is there a problem in your life that thinking this way has helped you solve?
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: I’ve, of course, I’ve been swallowing my own medicine on this, too, and I think I have, well, maybe two different examples, and in one case somebody else did the reframing for me. But in one case, when I was younger, I often kind of struggled a little bit. I mean, this is my teenage years, kind of hanging out with my parents. I thought they were pretty annoying people. That’s not really fair, because they’re quite wonderful, but that’s what life is when you’re a teenager.
And one of the things that struck me, suddenly, and this was kind of the positive exception was, there was actually an evening where we really had a good time, and there wasn’t a conflict. And the core thing was, I wasn’t just seeing them in their old house where I grew up. It was, actually, we were at a restaurant. And it suddenly struck me that so much of the sometimes, kind of, a little bit, you love them but they’re annoying kind of dynamic, is tied to the place, is tied to the setting you are in.
And of course, if– you know, I live abroad now, if I visit my parents and I stay in my old bedroom, you know, my mother comes in and wants to wake me up in the morning. Stuff like that, right? And it just struck me so, so clearly that it’s– when I change this setting, if I go out and have dinner with them at a different place, that the dynamic, just that dynamic disappears.
SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Well, Thomas, this has been really, really helpful. Thank you for talking with me today.
THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG: Thank you, Sarah.
HANNAH BATES: That was Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg in conversation with Sarah Green Carmichael on the HBR IdeaCast. He’s an expert in problem solving and innovation, and he’s the author of the book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve .
We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from the Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review.
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Women in Nuclear Engineering Research
Reckoning with the wicked problems of nuclear technology: Pedagogical, design, and method underlying a course on Nuclear Technology, Policy, and Society Provisionally Accepted
- 1 University of Michigan, United States
- 2 Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, United States
The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
Many problems at the intersection of nuclear technology, policy, and society can be thought of as wicked problems. Wicked problems — a formulation put forward in what is now a landmark paper by Rittel and Webber (design and planning scholars respectively) – are those that lack definitive formulations, resist durable resolution, do not have an exhaustively identifiable set of true or false solutions, and are often framed entirely differently by different entities experiencing the problem. Every attempt to solve a wicked problem is a solution attempt made in the real world and thus has consequences and implications that can potentially be far-reaching. This paper describes the underlying philosophy, design, and implementation of a course on “Nuclear Technology, Policy, and Society” taught in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. The course explores some of nuclear technology’s most pressing challenges (or its ‘wicked problems’). Through this course students explore the origins of these problems – be they social or technical, they are offered tools – conceptual and methodological – to make sense of these problems, and guided through a semester-long exploration of how engineers can work towards their resolution, and to what degree these problems can be solved through institutional transformation and/or a transformation in our own practices and norms as a field. The underlying pedagogical philosophy, implementation, and response to the course are described here for other instructors who might wish to create a similar course, or for non-academic nuclear engineers, who might perhaps, in these pages, find a vocabulary for articulating and reflecting on the nature of these problems as encountered in their praxis.
Keywords: Nuclear Energy, Ethics, Energy justice, environmental justice, Wicked Problems, Nuclear ethics, Engineering Education
Received: 06 Feb 2024; Accepted: 09 Apr 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Verma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Prof. Aditi Verma, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
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Here are 10 ways you can be part of the climate solution: 1. Spread the word. Encourage your friends, family and co-workers to reduce their carbon pollution. Join a global movement like Count Us In, which aims to inspire 1 billion people to take practical steps and challenge their leaders to act more boldly on climate.
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Governments, business leaders and development banks have two years to take action to avert far worse climate change, the U.N.'s climate chief said on Wednesday, in a speech that warned global ...
Here are 5 simple ways you can help the environment and spark others to become more environmentally aware. 1. Replace disposable items with reusable. Anything you use and throw away can potentially spend centuries in a landfill. See below for simple adjustments you can make to decrease the amount of disposable items in your daily life. Carry ...
Innovation plays a crucial role in addressing environmental problems. It involves thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas and approaches to tackle complex issues. Scientists are constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge and developing innovative solutions to protect the environment.
April 9, 2024. One of the biggest obstacles to expanding clean energy in the United States is a lack of power lines. Building new transmission lines can take a decade or more because of permitting ...
Dump plastic. Photograph by Nokuro, Shutterstock. According to one study, over eight million tons of plastic pollution end up in the ocean each year. Drink from a refillable water bottle, place your sandwich in cloth or a reusable container, and use bar soap instead of bottled.
Fortunately, it's also a problem we can solve together. At Arizona State University, researchers explore many ways to reduce atmospheric carbon. And by working alongside industry, government, nonprofits and communities, they're seeking solutions that are good not just for the planet but also human well-being. Read more at: Arizona State ...
Changing our eating habits may have a small impact on the environment, but there's a much larger movement underfoot lead by farmers and entrepreneurs. Below is a shortlist of potential environmental solutions to problems associated with food production and water shortages: Regenerative agriculture. Lab-grown meat.
Solutions to Environmental Pollution. Gas emission pollution is being mitigated in a variety of ways with car emission control, electric and hybrid vehicles and public transportation systems.Not all major cities have successful implementation and decent public transportation in place, but the world is working on this issue constantly and we have managed to reduce emissions profoundly over the ...
Environmental professionals approach problems with an open mind, clearly identifying the challenge at hand and purposefully evaluating possible solutions. This chapter provides a framework for identifying, evaluating, and implementing potential solutions that can be used to guide any problem solving activity.
Fixing the environment: when solutions become problems. In a world where climate change, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, ozone depletion, and other environmental ...
The complexities of many environmental problems make the task of identifying potential solutions daunting. We present a diagnostic framework to help guide environmental policy analysts and practitioners to think more systematically about the major types of environmental problems and their possible policy responses. Our framework helps the user classify a problem into 1 of the 3 main problem ...
Here are some of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime, from deforestation and biodiversity loss to food waste and fast fashion. —. 1. Global Warming From Fossil Fuels. 2023 was the hottest year on record, with global average temperatures at 1.46C above pre-industrial levels and 0.13C higher than the eleven-month average for 2016 ...
The environmental issues solutions include promoting green energy, recycling, water and electricity conservation, and reducing single-use plastics. By implementing sustainable solutions and raising awareness, we can mitigate the effects of environmental degradation and safeguard the planet for future generations. This environmental problems and ...
Abstract. This paper advances two arguments about environmental problems. First, it interrogates the strength and limitations of empiricist accounts of problems and issues offered by actor-network theory. Drawing on the work of C.S. Peirce, it considers how emerging environmental problems often lead to abductive inferences about the existence ...
About the Class Roster. Fall 2024 - AEM 2500 - This course uses microeconomics to understand the causes and how to devise solutions to environmental and natural resource problems. Subjects include valuation, benefit-cost analysis, policy design and property rights. The course relies on these concepts to explore major current policy issues such ...
To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve. In this episode, you'll learn how to reframe tough problems by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that ...
Many problems at the intersection of nuclear technology, policy, and society can be thought of as wicked problems. Wicked problems — a formulation put forward in what is now a landmark paper by Rittel and Webber (design and planning scholars respectively) - are those that lack definitive formulations, resist durable resolution, do not have an exhaustively identifiable set of true or false ...