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Climate change - our biggest challenge

Sea levels are predicted to rise by 18 to 59 cm over the next century and temperatures by up to five degrees, with severe consequences. Reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change is probably the biggest challenge facing humanity. There’s a long way to go, but things are moving in the right direction.

Some success stories

Although there are some big challenges ahead, looking back over the last few decades many difficult environmental problems have been successfully tackled.

Smogs
Just 50 years ago, major UK cities regularly suffered thick smogs caused by the burning of coal, with thousands dying as a result each year.

The problem was tackled by the introduction of ‘smokeless fuel’ zones, cleaner coal and the use of electricity or gas. Today, our air is cleaner than at any time since the industrial revolution, for several pollutants - although challenges remain to reduce emissions further, particularly from car exhausts.

Lead pollution
Cars used to emit dangerous quantities of lead, a problem which peaked in the 1980s. Lead is a poison that accumulates in people’s bodies and is particularly harmful to children. Since low-lead petrol was introduced in 1985, levels have dropped steeply. Lead in petrol was phased out entirely in 1999.

• Find out more about lead pollution (opens new window)

Ozone layer
The ozone layer protects the planet from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Over twenty years ago some initial proof that the ozone layer was depleting was found over Antarctica. The layer above the UK was also found to be thinning, allowing through more UV light, which can cause sunburn, premature ageing and skin cancer.

The cause was a class of chemicals used in aerosols and refrigeration, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These have now been phased out in developed countries and will be phased out in developing countries by 2010. Because of this agreement to end the use of CFCs the ozone hole is showing signs of recovery and should return to pre-1980 levels by 2050 to 2075.

• More about ozone depletion (opens new window)

Acid rain
Acid rain is caused when industrial emissions of gases, mainly sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, combine with water droplets in the air to form weak acid. The rain which then falls upsets the chemical balance of rivers and lakes, particularly in acid-soil areas such as Cumbria, Scotland and Snowdonia. In Sweden, 18,000 lakes are so acidic that all the fish in them have died.

Since the problem was discovered, power stations have installed technologies that remove sulphur and international agreements have been reached to reduce air pollutant emissions. Since 1970, there has been an 84 per cent reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions and nitrous oxide has been cut by a third. In many sites there are now signs of recovery, although full recovery will take many years.

• More about acid rain (opens new window)

Rivers and beach pollution
A more rapid recovery from pollution has been made in many rivers which flow through urban areas. In the 1960s, parts of the river Thames were considered to be ‘biologically dead’. It now hosts 121 types of fish. Sewage overflows and pollution still cause problems, and there’s more to be done, but because of improvements in sewage treatment the Thames is cleaner now than for centuries – a pattern repeated in rivers across the country.

Improvements in sewage treatment have also benefited beaches, 149 of which now have the ‘Blue Flag’ award, compared with just 12 in 1987.

• Find out if a beach has the Blue Flag Award (opens new window)
• Find out more about river quality (opens new window)

Pesticides and birds of prey
There was a serious decline in birds of prey in the 1950s and 1960s. Numbers of birds such as buzzards, peregrine falcons, kestrels and eagles fell to historic lows. The cause was discovered to be organochlorine pesticides. These have gradually been phased out and peregrine numbers are now higher than at any time in the last century.

What you can do

Members of the public have played a key part in many past environmental successes, and your action is needed more than ever now to tackle climate change. 

The environment and greener living section of Directgov contains information about how you can make a difference. Many people have already made a start:

• more than 60 per cent of homes that can take energy-saving cavity wall insulation now have it (compared with only one in fifty 30 years ago) and this is anticipated to rise by 3 million by 2011 - and 96 per cent that can have loft insulation now do
• recycling was uncommon a decade ago - now, nine out of 10 people have materials for recycling collected from their home
• actions taken by individuals on reducing energy use and recycling have helped the UK towards meeting its targets for cutting emissions of greenhouse gases by 2010, but more challenging targets lay ahead for 2020 and 2050.

• Quick guide to greener living