By Peyton Lutz
In
the country and continent of Australia, there are many environmental issues.
Some of the major issues include climate change, conservation, land
degradation, water use, urbanization, pollution, overfishing and illegal
fishing, and deforestation. The biggest environmental issue Australia faces is
climate change.
Due
to climate change, wildfires spread throughout Australia in 2019 into 2020. The
changing climate caused hotter, drier conditions that made the fires last
longer and more dangerous. There were record-breaking temperatures and months
of severe drought. The wildfires affected Australia in many ways.
The
fires burned through habitats of native Australian animal species. An estimated
I billion animals were killed. These included wallaby, koala, kangaroo, feral
camel, 13 different bird species, and many others. At least 25,000 koalas are
believed to have died, making them vulnerable to extinction. The animals that
did survive the fires then died later on because of lack of food or shelter. Overall,
the population of animal species was greatly affected by the wildfires in
Australia,leaving some vulnerable to extinction or becoming endangered species.
The
wildfires caused human deaths as well. According to news reports, 85 people
perished in the fires. The majority of deaths were in New South Wales, Australian
Capital Territory, Victoria, and South Australia. Several firefighters were
killed or injured from the fires. Many were volunteers and laid-off fire
management staff and were asked to work without pay.
Overall,
153,000 acres were burned and 18,800 structures destroyed. More than 3,000
homes were destroyed. The impact of the fires was about $3.5 billion Australian
dollars (2.4 U.S dollars). Fish, sheep, and livestock were killed, affecting
the economy as well. Hundreds of thousand fish died, 100,000 sheep, and more
than 25,000 livestock. Many buildings and homes on farmland were destroyed,
which caused an increased impact on the agricultural industry. The burnt soil
also caused an impact on the agricultural industry.
In
addition to the wildfires, Australia has also faced other issues. The
coronavirus hit Australia as well as the rest of the world. There were 6,825
confirmed cases. However, 5,859 recovered and there were only 95 deaths,
compared to the 69,128 deaths in the United States.
Compared
to the United States, the virus is much more controlled there. Australia’s
economy won’t
be affected as much from the coronavirus since it is now under control.
According to officials,
restrictions can be lifted two weeks early. In most states, there have been no
new infections
for more than a week. In other states, there has been a sharp decline.
Some
other environmental issues in Australia are deforestation. Australia has lost
25% rainforest,
45% open forest, 32% woodland forest, and 30% mallee forest in the last 200
years. The
deforestation has mainly been caused by agricultural expansion, especially for
beef cattle production.
This production has caused major tree-clearing, getting rid of many forests. Bulldozers
destroy about 500,000 ha of forest and bush a year. This affects the animals as
well. About
20% of Australian mammals, 7% of reptiles, and 13% of birds are listed as
extinct, endangered,
or vulnerable. More than 100 species have gone extinct. Australia has one of
the highest
rates of tree clearing of any developed country.
Pollution
is another environmental issue Australia faces. Almost 5,000 Australians die from
exposure to air pollution each year. Thousands die from health effects like
stroke, heart disease,
and asthma. The air pollution standards in Australia are currently not strong
enough to protect
human health.
Coal-fired
power stations are a big contributor to the air pollution. These are the
biggest sources of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide in the country. At least
279 people die prematurely each year as a result of toxic air pollution from
the coal fired power stations. This also impacts health issues for babies,
leaving 233 babies born with reduced birth weight. 361 people developed type 2
diabetes. The coal ash, which is a toxic by-product from the coal-fired power,
is dumped into huge wastewater ponds. These ponds can leach and contaminate
local land and waterways. Overall, air pollution in Australia is a major issue
the country faces.
Overfishing
and illegal fishing is another issue Australia’s environment faces. Overfishing
occurs when fish are caught at a rate higher than the population is able to
replace itself. The overfishing continues because marine sources are being
poorly managed and laws are not being enforced. According to the Australian
government, 17.5% of Australian fish stocks are overfished
and being fished too heavily. Illegal fishing has also been an issue in
Australia. Foreign
fishers are targeting high-value species, such as sea cucumber and giant clams.
Much of Australia’s
seafood is exported. About $1.2 billion of seafood products are exported
annually from
Australia.
Overall,
Australia faces several environmental and economic issues. These environmental issues
can all be fixed and improved, if the population in Australia enforced laws and
worked together
to improve the environment.
Works Cited
“Australia
Fires: A Visual Guide to the Bushfire Crisis.” BBC News, BBC, 31 Jan. 2020,
Welz,
Adam. “Fallout from Australia's Huge Wildfires Is Choking Rivers.” Wired, Conde
WWF,
Supplied: “How Australia Became One of the Worst Deforesters in the World.”
Triple
j, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 31 Oct. 2018,
“10
Facts about Deforestation in Australia.” Wilderness Society, 6 May 2020,
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