Trends in the Environment
Human activities interact with natural systems in complex ways; they can cause long-term damage to systems humans are dependent on. This POSTnote summarises a range of such pressures on the environment. It also identifies a number of trends and their effects on the UK.
Climate changeEnvironmental protectionFisheriesForestryPollutionWaste managementWater
Briefing
Key points in this POSTnote include:
- Human activities have altered natural processes on a planetary scale, which may affect the wellbeing of future generations.
- The main pressures on the environment are activities that emit wastes or prioritise the short-term use of natural resources over the long-term consequences.
- There have been some environmental improvements in developed countries, but negative global trends persist in the atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial environments.
- There are policy options that could protect the environment while meeting human needs. They require more efficient use of resources and mitigation of drivers of environmental change, such as pollution
Documents