Environmental problems are global in scope because a change in one part of the natural environment results in major negative consequences that occur throughout the scope. For instance, an increase in the number of industries is a human-made action that contributes to the increase of toxic vapors such as nitrogen to the atmosphere, thereby thinning the ozone layer. The effects of a thin ozone layer, such as increased global warming and increased UV rays that are harmful, are felt throughout the globe. An increase in the wavelength of UV rays causes harmful effects such as sunburn and skin cancer. In the United States, the leading environmental problem is climate change caused by industrial emissions.
In 2017, the United States released the second-highest carbon dioxide emissions after China, whereby the transportation sector was the leading contributor (Borunda, 2018). Due to such a drastic climatic change, different parts of the US are likely to face risks. For example, flooding is projected to increase in the Southern states in the next few years, with South Carolina and Charleston experiencing 180 tidal floods (Borunda, 2018). Climate change has also affected the economy in various ways. The ocean wave that struck the Northeast part of the country affected the Lobster fishery leading to losses in terms of millions of dollars (Borunda, 2018). Climate change is also the leading environmental problem in other parts of the world. In the same way as the United States, other developed countries such as China and Germany are highly industrialized, and this increases the amount of solid, liquid, and gaseous waste emitted in general. Therefore, such harmful emissions contribute to a change in the climate. Some of the adverse global changes include melting of 426 gigatons of ice sheets per year, an increase of 3.3 millimeters per year, as well as an increase in global temperature of 1.9 degrees F since 1880 (Borunda, 2018).
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Applying sociological approaches to environmental issues answers a variety of questions, including how specific institutions relate to environmental conditions and the relationship between behavior and environmental conditions. Moreover, the approach provides an insight into contemporary issues such as climate change while bringing in human, economic, and political causes of change as well as the corresponding effects in those fields alongside other aspects like social life, culture, and values. Instead of concentrating on the scientific bit, an outlook of sociological approaches gives an all-round understanding of the topic. Nevertheless, such theoretical approaches have several weaknesses. To begin with, Neo-Malthusianism centers around self-interest and selfishness being the leading cause of degradation of resources (Harper & Snowden, 2017). However, several sociologists disagree with the approach, and one of them is Ostrom, who states that self-interest can motivate people to preserve resources as opposed to contribute to environmental degradation.
In the same way, the Human Ecological Paradigm claimed that via cultural change, people are exempted from environmental forces, thus nullifying the importance of human-environmental relationships (Harper & Snowden, 2017). Therefore, according to the theory, human beings are in control of their destinies, and the environment surrounding it is inconsequential. For this reason, the New Ecological Paradigm was created to fill in the inefficiencies of HEP, and it is the one that I agree with most. This is because the paradigm appreciates the innovative nature of humans while still recognizing their ecological interdependence with other species (Harper & Snowden, 2017). Additionally, the NEP notes, without professing, social, and cultural forces' influence. NEP takes an unforeseen approach by recognizing the vast and finite resources that the earth has, in addition to its waste repositories. At times, such natural factors strain human activities in as much as they are innovative. For this reason, the natural factors cannot be ignored as they slow down such activities making people use their innovativeness to mitigate the risks and consequences that such factors cause.
References
Borunda, A. (2018, November 28). Climate Impacts. National Geographic . https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/climate-change-US-report0/
Harper, C., & Snowden, M. (2017). Environment and Society: Human Perspectives on Environmental Issues . Taylor & Francis.
