Environmental Problems

This week, I will introduce the environment of the Antarctic. Antarctic landscape is very beautiful. However, there are a variety of environmental issues in Antarctica. Now, let's look at the environmental issues.

Currently, there is a place where the temperature has risen clearly in parts of Antarctica. This is the effects of global warming. Average temperature of the entire Antarctic continent has increased 0.05 ℃ from 1957 through 2006. It is seems that this temperature rise is expected to affect fatal Antarctic organisms adapted to the cold environment. Plankton is weak, such as changes in water temperature and salinity basically. Especially, a decrease in phytoplankton  causes directly increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is a greenhouse gas. This is likely to accelerate global warming. In addition, the Antarctic sea ice is reduced by global warming, so it is said also reduce the amount of Antarctic organisms. As a result, global warming may be a significant impact on the entire ecosystem of the Antarctic region.

By the way, do you know the ozone? A little ozone is present in the atmosphere. But the ozone absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun. So the ozone is responsible for almost no ultraviolet light to reach the ground.
Now, the ozone which plays an important role has decreased. So, there was ozone hole in Antarctic sky. This ozone is reduced, and the surface will be more ultraviolet light to reach many. The major effect is rough skin by exposure to ultraviolet and Skin cancer induced by ultraviolet light intensity. In this way, the ozone affect the health of human beings. This is not the only influence. By ultraviolet light, Antarctic ice melts. Thereby, increasing seawater. You will think that sea level rise is no problem. In fact, I thought so too. But it was not. For example, low islands sink. People who live on the island will not be able to live. And familiar as a matter of, there is a rise in the groundwater level. Thereby, in Tokyo, a situation occurs that underground is sinked and underpass is broken. In addition, in paddy fields near the coast, it will severe damage to rice.


In the Antarctic, various environmental problems are occurring. They have not yet been resolved. If we leave it this problem is not resolved, wonderful views of the Antarctic is impaired. In order to prevent it, I think that we must face the environmental issues.