Examination of the Interconnected Nature of Identified Manmade Environmental Problems and the Discovery of Keystone Environmental Crises
Man-made environmental problems are increasing in numbers with time. A study based on cause-effect relationships of man-made environmental problems developed by the methodology of “theoretical sampling”. Here, published literature sources were referred to recognise the environmental issues. The caus...
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
2019
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| Online Access: | https://journals.sjp.ac.lk/index.php/fesympo/article/view/4247 https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v24i0.4247 |
| Summary: | Man-made environmental problems are increasing in numbers with time. A study based on cause-effect relationships of man-made environmental problems developed by the methodology of “theoretical sampling”. Here, published literature sources were referred to recognise the environmental issues. The causes and their effects were recognised as a chart. The chart was then transferred into the “Concept diagram” with the principles of the visualisation tools of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) of United Nations Environment Management Group (EMG), which depicts a complete “mental map” of relationships among the man-made environmental problems. For instance, manmade climate change is caused primarily as a result of deforestation, draining of wetlands, intensive farming and air pollution (greenhouse gas emission), and each of these problem such as air pollution is caused by intensive farming (methane), burning of fossil fuels (due to global energy crisis), urbanisation, methane emission from solid waste dumps, etc.Furthermore, deforestation is mainly caused by increasing human population, poverty, overexploitation of natural resources, urbanisation, mining minerals, intensive farming, establishment of dams, wild fires during El Niño, acid rain and global warming (cyclic as cause and effect). In addition, each of these manmade environmental problem may causes various other environmental problems, for instance, air pollution causes ocean acidification, ozone depletion, acid rain, disease, visual pollution (smog), etc. Similarly, deforestation causes issues such as biodiversity loss, land degradation, human animal conflict, etc. Thus, manmade environmental problems are interconnected as causes and effects. 228 links between 39 defined environmental crises from real world events (stated in published literature) have been identified, in this web certain causative environmental problems establish keystone links. Solving a keystone issue would result in the extermination of one or more linked manmade environmental problems. ... |
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