United Nations Environment Programme
1. Alternative Energy:
Alternative energy refers to energy that is generated in ways that do not deplete
natural resources or harm the environment, especially by avoiding the use of fossil fuels
and nuclear power, since these fossil fuels have an undesirable consequence on the
environment, which by extension will affect various indigenous peoples and cultures
internationally. The use of fossil fuels have been used for centuries as a means for heat
and energy. There are various ways to avoid the harmful use of fossil fuels, such as the
use of solar power, hydropower, biomass, wind energy, and other less consequential
sources. The areas most affected by the lack of alternative energy usage include middle
eastern, Asian, and African countries, in which suffering from the exportation of natural
resources is common. The need for alternative energy is a response to the pollution from
unsustainable resources, which lead to detrimental effects on the current and future
environment of the world.
Questions:
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What actions has your country taken in regards to this topic?
How can alternative energy be more widely used?
How does alternative energy affect the current state of the environment?
How do fossil fuels affect the environment?
How does alternative energy affect the demand for oil?
Links:
1. http://www.altenergy.org/
2. http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/
3. http://alternativeenergy.procon.org/
2. Water Conservation and Quality:
Water is one of the most fundamental elements in life, therefore, it is an
international goal to conserve water. Water conservation has been discussed for over 60
years; in the 1960s, Geographer Gilbert White proposed that water managers should
consider structural and nonstructural water alternatives, such as zoning, land-use
planning, and changing water-use patterns. Water conservation constitutes reducing the
amount of water being wasted or lost, having good quality water, and practicing ways to
use water more efficiently, not squandering crucial water sources on trivial matters.The
areas most affected by the lack of water conservation are parts of Northern China, north
and south of Africa, southwest North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.
Water conservation is a way prevent wasteful water usage. It stemmed from the intensity
of the lack of water in the aforementioned areas--without the act of conserving this
water, droughts would increase in amount and severity, leading to a shortage of life
resources.
Questions:
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What actions has your country taken to promote water conservation?
How does water conservation affect the environment?
How does the lack of water conservation affect the environment?
What water conservation policies should be implemented?
How immediately should these policies take place?
Links:
1. http://www.thewaterpage.com/water-conservation.htm
2. http://www.waterworld.com/topics/water-conservation.htm
3. http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/water/
3.
Global Climate Change:
Global climate change has been in existence for millions of years, whether it was
through the earth cooling or warming. The average surface temperature of the earth has
increased by 5 degrees Celsius since the last Ice Age. Global warming has led to the
melting of mountain glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice, the immigration of many species to
cooler areas, the population boom of particular species due to the warmer weather, and
the decline of animals that live in colder environments. Global warming has also led to
increased temperature stratification. This can be avoided through reducing energy
usage, specifically fossil fuel usage, which releases carbon dioxide when used. Areas
that are most affected by the global climate change include the Northwest Passage, the
Alps, island nations, and the Gulf Coast. The severity of global climate change has
increased, leading to irreversible environmental consequences.
Questions:
1. What actions has your country taken to contribute to the reduction of global climate
change?
2. How does global climate change affect the environment?
3. What policies should be implemented in order to reduce the global climate change?
4. How immediately should these policies be implemented?
Links:
1. http://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warming
2. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/
3. http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow/top-10-places-already-affected-by-climatechange/
4.
Protection of Endangered Species:
The endeavors of protecting and preserving endangered species have begun as
early as the 1960s with the Endangered Species Act and the assistance of many wildlife
preservation organizations, such as the World Wildlife Federation. The rate of extinction
has increased immensely in the late 1900s and the early 2000s, making endangered
species more and more common. The major components causing this dramatic effect
originates from the increase in hunting, fishing, pollution, disease, global climate change,
and the intrusion of wildlife habitats. The endangering of species can be avoided through
wildlife protection programs that take actions to promote the Endangered Species Act,
protect and restore wildlife habitats, reducing the contamination of water, and reducing
the use of fossil fuels, which cause water and air pollution. Areas with the most
endangered species include the Arctic, Madagascar, Borneo, the Mediterranean Basin,
Polynesia, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Chihuahuan desert. The drastically increasing
amount of endangered species raises concern as the absence of one species leads to
the prevalence of another, causing a great imbalance in the ecosystem.
Questions:
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What actions has your country taken to protect endangered species?
How does one species being endangered affect the environment and other species?
What policies can be implemented to protect endangered species?
How immediately should these policies take place?
What is causing the increased amount of endangered species?
Links:
1. http://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Protect-Wildlife/Endangered-Species.aspx
2. http://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/index.html
3. http://www.protectingendangeredspecies.com/