According to Blodgett, environmental protection is defined as a practice of preserving and maintaining the environment, on organizational, governmental, or individual level for the benefit of human beings and the natural environment. As a result of human population increase and the advanced technology for the exploitation of natural resources, the biophysical environment has experienced degradation which is sometimes permanent. Environmental degradation due to human activities has been realized and governments across the globe have started to place restraints against those activities that lead to environmental degradation. There has not been a full understanding regarding the degree of the impact of human activities on natural environment, and the measures to protect the natural environment are at times criticized. Educational institutions in various countries now offer courses like environmental management, environmental engineering, and environmental studies to promote understanding about the history and techniques of environmental protection. It has now been seen that environmental degradation is an international concern such as the protection of the atmosphere and oceans from pollution, and not just an issue at national level.
Environmental Protection as an International Concern
After a number of years of destroying natural resources on earth, human beings have at last realized that both the planet Earth and the living things on it are experiencing the harmful effects of pollution. Even though individual countries have established environmental laws as an attempt to stop or regulate those activities that result in pollution, environmental pollution has continued to take place. Protecting the environment from pollution is the fundamental obligation of all countries across the world. Environmental pollution has been considered as a worldwide warning and therefore, all the countries across the world must participate fully in its control and prevention. The occurrence of environmental catastrophe due to pollution, negatively affects both the host countries and the neighboring countries. For instance, leaking of the nuclear reactors in Japan can spread radioactive substances to people in the neighboring Asian countries. Likewise, when the industrialized countries emit large quantities of the green house gases into the atmosphere, the whole world suffers from global warming.
International level of natural environment conservation can approach the highest accomplishment in reducing the tension of increased environmental pollution. International laws against environmental pollution, especially the emission of greenhouse gases, have been enforced. If all nations agree to obey the international laws for environmental conservation by limiting the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and ensuring that large industries do not dump their harmful effluent into water bodies, people will not or will experience less challenges associated with water and air pollution. Therefore, it is very necessary to transcend national boundaries for life in the entire world to achieve reduced environmental pollution and its impacts. It is a common belief that when the most powerful nations make efforts to conserve environment, they will propel other countries to follow their actions towards protecting environment. For instance, if China and the United States come together and show their efforts towards environmental conservation, all the other countries will transcend national boundaries to participate in those efforts.
Conclusion
Persistent environmental pollution will lead to negative consequences which may not be restored back to normal. Therefore, it is very crucial to recognize the impacts of various human activities on the natural environment. Those human activities that lead to the accumulation of impurities in the environment should be stopped or controlled carefully. All countries must participate in the environmental conservation for the entire world to experience the highest accomplishment in reducing the tension of increased environmental pollution. If particular countries continue to emit large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the rest of the world will suffer from the negative impacts of global warming.