Environmental Problems

What is the impact of human activity on the natural environment?

Answer:
Humans are a part of the natural environment. Unfortunately, we have not yet learnt to moderate our activities in such a way as to help the environment. Human activities often lead to degradation of the environment.
Impacts of humans include:
• pollution - land, freshwater creeks and rivers, seas and oceans, and air
• deforestation and destruction of habitats
• endangerment and extinction of flora and fauna species
• introduction of invasive and parasitic fauna and flora species to new areas
• increased desertification of land - this often occurs because, when humans try to increase fertile land in one area, they must divert needed resources from another area
• altering natural waterways which can increase the risk of flooding
• Interfering with the natural fire cycles of an area (one cause of increased bushfire problems in Australia)
• overuse of natural resources, resulting in depletion of some of these resources
• climate change and the development of extreme weather conditions: scientists continue to debate how much humans actually contribute to climate change and/or global warming, but there is evidence that our activities do contribute in some part
• rising sea levels
• increased erosion of land as a result of mining or agricultural activities
• Mining activities not only can destroy the vegetation of the area, but can contribute to instability in the earth's crust.

There can be some neutral impacts. Native people in many lands lived in harmony with their environment for thousands of years. The Native Americans and Australian Aborigines, for example, used only what they needed, and did not pollute their environment or alter it negatively and permanently.

Fortunately, man is learning (a little too late) that there are activities he can undertake to improve land he has already degraded. This may involve:
• conservation, monitoring of and captive breeding programmed for endangered species
• restoring degraded ecosystems by planting trees specifically native to the area, and removing introduced species
• removal of pollutant materials

3. Questions to consider:

• What is the biggest environmental issue the earth faces?
• Where on the Earth is this issue?
• Who does this effect?
• Why it is the biggest issue the Earth faces?
• What statistics or relevant information is worth knowing about your topic?
• What future concerns are there?
The Biggest Environmental Problem
The environmental problem that must be considered as the biggest is the Global Warming. Temperature is slowly increasing all over the world. To understand this better it is also important to explain the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect in a summary: Sunlight radiates from the sun, through space, to earth's atmosphere. The sunlight enters the atmosphere and hits the earth. Some of it turns to heat energy in the form of infrared light. The heat absorbs by surrounding air and land, which, in turn, makes it warm. Infrared rays that are remitted into the atmosphere get trapped by the greenhouse gases. When the infrared light tries to leave the atmosphere, some of it will be absorbed by the greenhouse gases and is remitted back to the earth. The Infrared light that is remitted back to earth then warms it more. Some of the naturally occurring gasses in the atmosphere are carbon dioxide and methane. This is the way the earth keeps itself warm enough for human habitation. The problem is that more and more carbon dioxide are added into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels for power, transportation, and producing mass quantities of goods in factories. As if this were not enough, thousands and thousands of trees are cut down for lumber, making them unable to take carbon dioxide out of the air and replace it with oxygen.
One effect of Global Warming would be rising sea levels. If Global Warming rise the temperature at the ice caps, great amounts of ice will melt, letting all the fresh water flow into the ocean. Tons and tons of ice will melt if the temperature rises high enough with the cause of sea levels to dramatically rise. Another effect of Global Warming would be severe weather. A change in temperature would mean a significant change in weather, in many places. As the weather grows warmer and more tropical, so does the weather. Many areas are experiencing changes in the weather as an effect of Global Warming intensifying winds, rains and storms.
Not only considering mankind as the victims of the Global Warming also must the animals be considered. Many animals may become endangered or extinct because of the climate change is, that are happening rapidly. Animals will find their homes disappearing when trees are cut down or dead because of drought. Drowning might also be a consequence when animals are over taken by water when rivers and streams rise. This will force people and animals together even more in an overpopulated world. With the fact that the greenhouse effect also will provide drought in certain areas forcing people and animals even more together and with less food than today. It is very easy to understand that people and animals will starve to death.
The Global Warming does not only have a casual effect it also have affects on other things such as inflation. Because of crops being destroyed prices will rise, and in some areas it could mean prices rising so high that only a few would be wealthy enough to buy food. Global Warming also have an effect on the world's economy and it could mean costs that mankind never could dream of. Action must be taken now before it is too late.