10 Environmental Problems and Solutions earthyb com

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.
Total Municipal Solid Waste Generated by Material, 2017. Image from the
Environmental Protection Agency (source).

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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
The pathway by which plastic enters the world’s oceans. Image courtesy of Our
World in Data.
Food waste
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.

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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?