---
title: "Global environmental issues: causes and consequences"
subject: "Technology, Environment and Society"
chapter: 4
key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:global-env-issues-causes"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/global-env-issues-causes
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Global environmental issues: causes and consequences

Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 4: Environment

- Asked in: 2081 Bhadra, 4 marks
- Video: [Top 10 Major Global Environmental Issues In The World - List Of Global Environmental Problems [2021]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTrWtFR_FrQ) — District10TV
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/global-env-issues-causes
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-4

## Question

List out the major global environmental issues. And, discuss about its causes and consequences with examples.

## Short answer

Major global issues are climate change (fossil fuels and deforestation cause warming and glacier melt), ozone depletion (CFCs increase UV), air pollution, acid rain, water pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss, desertification, and plastic waste. They arise from industrial and agricultural activities and demand global solutions like the Montreal Protocol and Paris Agreement.

## Answer

Global environmental issues are environmental problems that affect the whole Earth and cannot be solved by one country alone.

| Issue | Main causes | Consequences / examples |
|---|---|---|
| **Climate change** | CO₂ from fossil fuels, deforestation, methane from livestock and rice | Warming (~1.1–1.2 °C), glacier melt in Himalaya, sea-level rise, floods (Pakistan 2022) |
| **Ozone depletion** | CFCs, halons from refrigerators, sprays | More UV radiation, skin cancer, cataract; Antarctic ozone hole |
| **Air pollution** | Vehicles, industry, coal power, biomass burning | Respiratory disease; smog in Delhi, Kathmandu |
| **Acid rain** | SO₂, NOₓ from coal and vehicles | Damage to forests, lakes, buildings (Taj Mahal) |
| **Water pollution and scarcity** | Sewage, industrial waste, fertilisers, over-pumping | Cholera, typhoid; dead zones in seas |
| **Deforestation** | Agriculture, logging, mining | Loss of habitat, more CO₂, floods (Amazon) |
| **Biodiversity loss** | Habitat loss, poaching, pollution | Extinction of species, weak ecosystems |
| **Desertification** | Overgrazing, poor farming, drought | Loss of farmland (Sahel region) |
| **Plastic and e-waste** | Throw-away culture | Ocean plastics, toxic metals |

Solving them needs global cooperation: Montreal Protocol (1987) for ozone, UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement (2015) for climate, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What causes ozone depletion?
   A. CO2 from vehicles
   B. CFCs and halons from refrigerators and sprays
   C. Acid rain
   D. Plastic waste
   Answer: B. CFCs and halons deplete ozone, increasing UV, skin cancer and cataract. (Key point: Ozone depletion)

2. Which gases cause acid rain?
   A. CO2 and CH4
   B. SO2 and NOx
   C. CFCs
   D. Ozone
   Answer: B. SO2 and NOx from coal and vehicles form acids. (Key point: Acid rain)

3. What causes desertification?
   A. Overgrazing, poor farming and drought
   B. Excess forests
   C. Ozone
   D. Acid rain only
   Answer: A. Overgrazing and poor farming cause desertification, e.g. the Sahel. (Key point: Desertification)

## Related in Technology, Environment and Society

- [Short note: Major global environmental issues](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aglobal-env-issues-note) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4
- [Nepal's environmental issues and global effort](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Anepal-env-issues-global-effort) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4
- [Global and national environmental issues](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aglobal-and-nepal-env-issues) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4, asked 2×
- [Current environmental issues: Nepal vs global](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Anepal-vs-global-env-issues) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4
- [Nepal's immediate environmental issues and technology](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Anepal-env-issues-technology) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4, asked 2×
- [Industrial revolution and environmental issues](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aindustrial-revolution-environment) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 3

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- [Global warming: meaning, causes, consequences](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_2%2Fengineering_chemistry%3Aglobal-warming-causes-consequences) — Engineering Chemistry, chapter 3
- [Global warming: causes, consequences, remedies](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_2%2Fengineering_chemistry%3Aglobal-warming) — Engineering Chemistry, chapter 3, asked 2×
- [Causes and crack patterns of out-of-plane failure](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fconcrete_technology_and_masonry_structure%3Aout-of-plane-failure-causes) — Concrete Technology and Masonry Structure, chapter 9