Current Issues in Environmental Science

Since the nineteenth century industrial pollution has been a growing problem. Advances in science and technology have created new industries and have transformed the way people live, work, travel, and communicate. These new industries have improved the quality of people’s lives in many ways. But one of the costs associated with technological progress has been damage to the environment – to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. I now want to direct your attention to three of the most important issues facing the environment today: Acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, and global warming.

I will now discuss the following slides.

That was my last slide. I hope I was able to give you an overview of some of the main issues facing the environment today.

Public awareness regarding environmental issues has risen in recent years. Concern about the environment lead countries from around the world to ratify three key international environmental agreements, the Rio Agreements, the Montreal protocol, and the Kyoto Protocol. These agreements put limits on the emissions that cause acid rain, deplete the ozone layer, and produce global warming. They create a framework by which countries can work together to get these environmental issues under control.