Degradation is the act or process of reducing something in value or worth. Environmental degradation, therefore, is the de-valuing of and damage to the environment by natural or anthropogenic causes. The loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, depletion of energy or mineral sources, and exhaustion of groundwater aquifers are all examples of environmental degradation.

Presently there are four major areas of global concern due to environmental degradation: marine environment, ozone layer, smog and air pollution, and the vanishing rain forest. Pollution, at some level, is found throughout the world's oceans, which cover two-thirds of the planet's surface. Marine debris, farm runoff, industrial waste, sewage, dredge material, stormwater runoff, and atmospheric deposition all contribute to marine pollution. The level of degradation varies from region to region, but its effects are seen in such remote places as Antarctica and the Bering Sea.

Issues of waste management and disposal have...