Environmental concerns differ depending on where you stand, who you are, and what you see as the main threats. In the developed world, we probably consider that the three main environmental impacts are climate change, ozone depletion, and acid rain - all up in the air. However, there are all sorts of environmental global impacts such as toxic waste disposal and destruction of the rainforests.

The United Nations (UN) drew up an agreed list of the main global environmental impacts. The UN is the only democratically elected voice for the world. In the early 1970s the UN recognised it had the vital role in protecting the environment. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has classified the global environmental impacts into seven key areas.

Contents

Land Management

Deforestation

Biological Diversity

Freshwater

Seas and Coastal Areas

Atmosphere

Contamination