The environment plays a crucial role in the sustainability of life as we know it here on Earth. All living things depend on the planet's resources to survive and if humans continue to pollute and over-use these resources, they may be completely destroyed or depleted in a matter of years. Recently a number of environmental issues have risen to new heights, affecting economies and policies worldwide.

Our environment faces several problems and many of these seem to be worsening with time bringing us into a time of a true environmental crisis. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to raise awareness of the existence of these issues as well as what can be done to reduce their negative impact. Some of the key issues are:

 Pollution

Pollution of the air, water and soil caused by toxins such as plastics heavy metals and nitrates caused by factors such as toxins and gases released by factories combustion of fossil fuels, acid rain, oil spill and industrial waste.

Global warming

The emission of greenhouse gases due to human activity causes global warming, which in turn causes an increase in temperature that then leads to rising sea levels, melting of polar ice caps, flash floods and desertification.

South Africa is a big city - one that most people would not imagine. Today's point of view of South Africa is through videos and media that exploit the typical Sub Saharan Africa  where people live poorly, lack water, and are ridden with diseases. While it is a majority of the country, South Africa is similar to a typical city in the United States Cities of South Africa. There are three main environmental issues in South Africa - pollution lack of energy, and deforestation Environmental Problems in South Africa. The first issue is pollution - as it is a source of many of the environmental issues present such as climate change, and air pollution.