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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. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.
In 2008, spending on the environment was 1.49% of GDP, up 3.4 times from 2000; [22] The discharge of CO (carbon monoxide) and SO2 (sulfur dioxide) decreased by 6.61% and 8.95% in 2008 compared with that in 2005; [22] China's protected nature reserves have increased substantially. In 1978 there were only 34 compared with 2,538 in 2010.
More precisely, we can consider the different aspects or components of an environment, and see that their degree of naturalness is not uniform. [2] If, for instance, in an agricultural field, the mineralogic composition and the structure of its soil are similar to those of an undisturbed forest soil, but the structure is quite different.
The climate of New York City shapes the environment with its cool, wet winters and hot, humid summers with plentiful rainfall all year round. As of 2020, New York City held 44,509 acres of urban tree canopy with 24% of its land covered in trees. [1] [2] As of 2020, the population of New York City numbered 8.8 million human beings. [3]
UNESCO was also closely involved in convening the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972, which led to the setting up of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Subsequently, for two decades, UNESCO and UNEP led the International Environmental Education Programme (1975-1995), which set out a ...
Climate change has led to the United States warming by 2.6 °F (1.4 °C) since 1970. [20] The climate of the United States is shifting in ways that are widespread and varied between regions. [21] [22] From 2010 to 2019, the United States experienced its hottest decade on record. [23]
Textile waste is a huge issue for the environment, with around 2.1 billion tonnes of unsold or faulty clothing being disposed per year. Much of this is taken to landfill, but the majority of materials used to make clothes are not biodegradable, resulting in them breaking down and contaminating soil and water. [300]
It is estimated that 1.1 to 8.8 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean from coastal communities each year. [8] It is estimated that there is a stock of 86 million tons of plastic marine debris in the worldwide ocean as of the end of 2013, with an assumption that 1.4% of global plastics produced from 1950 to 2013 has entered the ocean ...