::The Crying Earth::

What Are Environmental Disaster?

Environmental disaster is a disaster that is due to human activity and should not be confused with natural disasters. In this case, the impact of human's alteration of the ecosystem has leaded widespread and long-lasting consequences. It can include the death of animals, human and plants or severe disruption of human life, possibly requiring migration. Some of environmental disasters are ozone depletion, atomic bombing, toxic and soil spill, pollution and species extinction.

These disasters will affect the natural world. They can make the water unsafe to drink. They can damage the land so that people must move away. Some environmental disasters cause damage that lasts for years. Others cause only short-term damage. Environmental disasters can be very destructive. They may kill or injure hundreds of people own. Environmental disasters may also harm wild animals, plants and other things in the world around us. There are several kinds of environmental disasters. Some of the worst involve spills or leaks of hazardous materials. These disasters usually happen suddenly.

In 2002, ship carrying oil sank off the beach of Spain. About 2 million gallons of oil spilled into the water. The sticky black oil washed onto beaches. It killed birds and other animals. Another case is poison gas leaked out of a factory would happen in India in 1984. People which leaving nearby breathed in the poison. Thousand of them became ill or died. While in 1986, radioactive material leaked out from a nuclear powder plant in Ukraine. About 335,000 people living nearby had to move. The radiation killed some people and made others very sick.

Actually environment disaster is a slow disaster. But some of disaster will suddenly happen like what happen in Spain (2002), India (1984) and Ukraine (1986). Other environmental disaster is happen slowly like as factories may release pollution for years. The pollution may seem harmless. After years of building up, the pollution may reach harmful levels. Show environmental changes can be terrible. The can make people starve to death. People also can be forced to leave home and move to a better place.

Beside that other long lasting consequence is ozone depletion. Scientist believes that a slow environmental disaster is happening right now. Scientist worries about pollution from carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a gas. It goes into the air when we burn fossil fuels. Fossil fuels power cars and trucks. They also bring heat and electricity to homes, schools and business. Carbon dioxide builds up over time. When it builds up, it traps heat into the ground. Others bounce off the ground and go back into space. But carbon dioxide stops the rays from leaving Earth’s atmosphere. It seals in the ray’s heat so it cannot escape. Carbon dioxide is changing Earth’s climate. It is making earth’s climate grow warmer. The idea that earth is getting warmer is known as global warming. Global warming can bring longer summers and milder winters to some parts of Earth.