The risks that exist on planet earth is not something to be taken lightly. The reason is that these problems that arise, over time, become much bigger. The repercussions that exist will be catastrophic for humans, And that is only the beginning. That is why we need to be aware of any serious situation in the contamination of the environment that could arise.
Within this approach, you have to understand some important things. First, the methods that They are going to be used to stop the risks. Also, a long-term plan in favor of trying to prevent them. And finally, be aware if it happens again. So today we will talk about what an environmental contingency means and everything you need to know about them.
Definition and meaning of environmental contingency
An environmental contingency is an emergency situation that occurs when air pollution affects its quality at critical levels. This represents a serious danger to the public found within the problem as well as in nature. This is because it could generate irreparable damage to the ecosystem and to the society that inhabits that territory.
These contingencies are declared when the limit is exceeded of the concentration of established contaminants by environmental and health authorities. In other words, there would no longer be a good space for the risk to be contained, so more extreme measures must be taken.
On the other hand, its causes derive from the imprudence of the human being with the environment. The reason is that it is no secret to anyone that the climate and nature deteriorate every day more, what causes, events like these.
Some of the activities that cause a contingency are vehicular transport, industry, the burning of fossil fuels and the emission of polluting gases. When the pollution levels are very high, can cause serious health problems in humans, as a result of their own actions. Unfortunately, there are examples from years ago that have remained as precedents for why an environmental contingency must be avoided.
What is atmospheric environmental contingency?
Depending on their characteristics, there are several types that can be classified into damage classes depending on how the territory is affected. Inside it is atmospheric environmental contingency, which is when the contamination of a certain area reaches very high levels.
To measure the deterioration of the atmosphere, atmospheric monitoring is carried out that allows us to glimpse the seriousness of the problem. As a result, appropriate measures can be taken to the established situation, which ranging from eviction from the territory even health related issues.
The factors that can cause an environmental contingency are many. However, in the case of the type that involves the atmosphere, it could be caused by the emission of carbon dioxide into the air. These causes cause the atmosphere to deteriorate. This promotes not only the pollution with ultraviolet rays, but also that the air we breathe has high levels of risk. That is, it could cause diseases for humans, being a way of how it affects health.
In general, an atmospheric environmental contingency does not require such extreme measuresunlike other cases. However, you must treat it in order to avoid more catastrophic consequences. Here, the main drawback is preventing people from ending up being affected.
This type is a bit more special, since they occur when pollution is at its highest point on record in a long time. In this way, air pollution is measured by points. The higher they rank, the environmental contingency is greater and risk.
In this order of ideas, if we take into account that more than 100 points is a large amount of environmental deterioration, an extraordinary case would be greater. In retrospect, it would reach between 140-150 points, which requires immediate action by the state, in order to find a way to deal with it.
Among the measures taken in an extraordinary environmental contingency, are those of suspension of public events. In other words, any organization that requires crowds of people is totally prohibited. Likewise, a strict curfew is maintained, defined by the state or agency that is handling the problem.
Once the pollution levels are regulated and drop to at least 100 points, the measures are lightened. Of course, to avoid happened in a recent time are on alert with regular measures, which is ideal in favor of keeping the situation under control.
What is the ozone environmental contingency?
This classification can be placed within a subgroup of the atmospheric environmental contingency. The reason is that, its damage is also passed through it. I mean, it’s like if two forms of contingency will be combined in the same situation.
In this vein, air pollution can be defined as the deterioration of air conditions for human lungs. In other words, everything what we breathe is full of harmful substances which are harmful to health. The particles that make up the air can be solid or liquid, or filled with gases or volatile organic compounds.
Additionally, this deterioration of the air is also due to ozone, which is a colorless gas that forms in the atmosphere during sunny hours. The same way, polluting materials favor their creation and a much more pronounced enlargement. This allows the air to progressively deteriorate, giving way to environmental contingency due to ozone. In this case, the most vulnerable people to suffer its effects are children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory diseases.
However, the appearance of ozone is not only linked to the toxic gases emitted by humans. This is because earthquakes or volcanic eruptions also tend to cause their creation. However, the greatest cause is attributed to people, and its issuance status may peak in the month of February. The reason is that this is when the sun’s rays reach a fairly high level, and help the formation of ozone in the air.
Why does environmental contingency exist?
Although, although it is true that environmental contingency is attributed more to human actions and the substances that we emit in our society, it does not cover the whole panorama. Thus, we can say that a part can be caused by nature. This through the ultraviolet rays of the sun when it is in high season, as well as volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.
However, this only occupies a median proportion of the total percentage. Under this approach, we can say that the greatest fault lies with the people, and the industrial activity that we carry out every day. The carbon dioxide emitted by factories, vehicles or fireworks, help accommodate environmental contingency.
On the other hand, areas that have a large number of trees in their region may see the effects of environmental contingency appeased. This is because these organisms help to clean the air that we pollute, allowing there to be purification in the air. This explains why large cities are more prone to contingencies.
The most worrying thing about environmental contingencies, be they of any kind, are their most frequent appearances. In other words, as the climate and environment deteriorate, we may reach to the point where we can no longer control them.
How does environmental contingency affect human health?
The repercussions on health Having such emergencies can be devastating. In this sense, there is a sector of the public that would be much more affected than another. This is because their immune systems are more vulnerable than others.
This way, the elderly and children under 10 years of age may be more prone to suffer the consequences of an environmental contingency. Likewise, human beings who have respiratory system problems could even be a little more delicate in these situations.
Some of the consequences that can lead to this kind of cases are respiratory, cardiovascular damage and other health problems. Likewise, people who are not among the most vulnerable groups can see the consequences in how it affects the health of their body.
What are the phases of environmental contingency?
To demonstrate this point, we will use a real life example. This contingency occurred in Mexico in 2019, between May 9 and 18. For a start, First came the “environmental pre-contingency” phase. During it, it is where he is most likely to unleash a higher level. At this point, we can say that the sighting of a contingency could be certain or not. All this depends on the conditions in which the environment is established.
Once we pass, the contingency phase arrives as such. In Mexico City, the highest contamination data was stored during the period of time mentioned above. The factors vary, but it is attributed to the sunny season, as well as the high industrial and vehicular activity.
From here comes the containment phase. It is at the moment when the authorities take radical measures. For this occasion, pollution It was more than 140 points, a very high number. Among the restrictions that were applied were the suspension of events and curfews assigned by the competent bodies.
Finally, there is the phase of prevention. In her, pollution levels have been reduced, but certain measures are still maintained to avoid a possible rebound in the contingency. In the affected states of Mexico, contamination was reduced to almost 100 points. Here it is demonstrated the 4 phases of the contingency and how each of them works.
What are the types of environmental contingency that exist?
As we have mentioned before, there are several ways in which an environmental contingency can be created. However, their causes remain quite similar to each other. Still, we can classify them as follows:
- Light impact contingencies: This can be located during the initial phase of a possible emergency of these. That is, that your state has not reached a large amount of contamination. It could be argued that it is a standard level ingrained in society, which is not to be applauded either. That does not mean that the environmental conditions are somewhat deteriorated.
- Severe Impact Contingency: In this field, we can situate the one that occurred in some states of Mexico during the year 2019. In it, extraordinary measures had to be taken to stop something that could have been more catastrophic.
- Critical or catastrophic impact contingency: Here are those cases where the environment has such deteriorated conditions that it is no longer possible to inhabit them. Likewise, it also involves human losses in the process. An apt example would be the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, which left the region uninhabitable.
How to prevent environmental contingency?
To deal with an environmental contingency, the authorities can implement measures to reduce emissions of contaminants. These would come depending on the category or type that it is.
Among the measures taken in these cases are limiting the movement of vehicles, suspending activities in factories and industries, and promoting the use of non-polluting transportation. These measures seek to protect the health of the population and reduce negative impacts on the environment.
On the other hand, if the environmental contingency it’s on a larger scale, the consequences could be far more devastating. Among them, those of leaving a territory impossible to inhabit, to avoid possible human deaths in the future.
