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Short note: Major global environmental issues

Short answer

Global environmental issues include climate change from greenhouse gases, ozone depletion by CFCs, air and water pollution, acid rain, deforestation, biodiversity loss, desertification, and plastic waste. They threaten health, ecosystems, and economies, requiring international treaties like the Paris Agreement and Montreal Protocol.

Write a short note on major global environmental issues.

Global environmental issues are problems of the environment that affect the whole planet and need international cooperation to solve.

  1. Climate change / global warming – rising greenhouse gases from fossil fuels and deforestation; causes glacier melt, sea-level rise and extreme weather.
  2. Ozone layer depletion – caused by CFCs; increases harmful UV rays; controlled by the Montreal Protocol (1987).
  3. Air pollution – from vehicles, industry and biomass; causes about 7 million early deaths a year (WHO).
  4. Acid rain – SO₂ and NOₓ form acids; damage forests, lakes and monuments.
  5. Water pollution and scarcity – sewage, chemicals and over-use; spread of water-borne diseases.
  6. Deforestation – loss of tropical forests reduces carbon sinks and habitats.
  7. Biodiversity loss – extinction of species due to habitat loss and poaching.
  8. Desertification and land degradation.
  9. Plastic, hazardous and e-waste pollution.

Global efforts: UNFCCC (1992), Kyoto Protocol (1997), Paris Agreement (2015), Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), Basel Convention on hazardous waste, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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