Affects mandkind cause to the environment - Research Paper Example

No: Affects Mankind Cause to the Environment As the human race evolved, they began to take footsteps towards the technology utilizing the environmental aspects and natural belongings. Impact of the human activity on the environment is worse than estimated. The green house gas emissions from the power generation plants and other similar production units made the environment that is less capable of adapting the change. The emissions from the cars and vehicles presented a huge danger to the environment. With the advancement in the technology, the amount of emission increased as the technology enhanced. Every sources that human life depends on, is polluted by humans. Air and water pollution are considered as the major affects of human activity. On the other hand, the cutting down of the forests boosted the emissions, as trees and plants are the biggest source of natural production of oxygen and consumer of carbon dioxide, which is a major portion of green house emissions. The environment is much affected by the human activity. The carbon emissions, produced by vehicles and industries, in combinations with the water vapors suspend in the atmosphere and allow solar heat to enter the atmosphere but restrict it from going back to the space at night. This process gradually increases the temperature of the earth. The process is named as green house effect. According to an investigation, it is estimated that the temperature of the world has risen 1 degree averagely due to the impact of emissions from the factories and cars. The increase in the temperature for the less sensitive and warm regions can be neglected but the one degree rise in the temperature may impact the sensitive regions seriously. The temperature sensitive regions include the Arctic regions, etc, which maintain the temperature of the world and preserve the water in form of ice. The region also maintains the sea level. The rise in the temperature influences the arctic glaciers to melt down. Now, less than one fourth arctic glaciers are remaining that is considered one of the biggest and harsh affect of the human activity on the environment. On the other hand the solid wastes from the factories are diverted the environment and water bodies that pollute the environment and endanger the marine life and bio diversity of the planet. The bio diversity of the planet depends on the balance that is breached by the human activity. The importance of the marine life can never be neglected, as marine plants play an important role in maintaining the oxygen level into the atmosphere. Moreover, the edible fish species are one of the biggest sources of food for the humans. On the other hand, the mangrove forests that take its essential food from the oceans and seas play an important role in producing and maintain oxygen in the atmosphere. The recent human activity like pouring the wastes into the sea and oceans is depleting the mangrove forests. Direct cutting of the forests is another perspective of human activity. The cutting of the forests for attaining the wood for construction and burning purposes is considered as the huge impact of human activity. Trees and forests are the source of producing the oxygen into the atmosphere (Harrison, p66-79). Less number of trees directly influences the level of oxygen in the atmosphere. The less the atmosphere has oxygen, the more the air will carry the harmful gases that are dangerous for the human life. Irrespective of the health risk, lack of oxygen will impact the existence of certain species that are good for the planet. The need of time is to limit the cutting of the forests. To fulfill the needs of the wood, utilization the alternate and composite materials instead of wood should be preferred (Mac-Kinney & Schoch, p23-79). If wood must be utilized for any purpose, the wood should come from the sustainably managed forests or form the designated wood farms. Such wood types that are easier to grow and that have fast growth like bamboo should be utilized to provide the requirement of the wood. A full grown bamboo requires about 4-6 years for the full growth but oak tree requires much time to grow to full length. A major biodiversity loss was seen due to impact of the melting of the glaciers. The bed of the ocean is found to have no marine creature that resulted in the lack of the oxygen in the water due to the lower layer of top layer freezing of the ocean. The lack of saturated oxygen in the water not only affects the marine life but also other creatures that have a food chain related to the marine life. The industrial revolution provided us with a life that is considered impossible without electricity, vehicles and electrical equipment. The products are luxuries for the humans and without then life would be dull and unexciting. Life would be uncomfortable without cars. Television brings pleasure in life and in the similar way all the appliances are made for the pleasure and comfort of the humans (Harrison, p66-79). However, it will always remain a big question, what we attained through the technology. Is there more pleasure in watching television or remain healthy. Are the emissions from the cars are not entering our respiration systems restricting oxygen from penetrating in our respiration system, making us weak and less immune (skoool.co.uk, n.pag). The insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers utilized in the agriculture industry fill the environment and the water bodies with harmful and poisonous chemicals that are sometime disrupting for the humans (Tilman & Lehman, n.pag). Water sources are contaminated directly and indirectly with these types of chemicals. The direct contamination includes the contamination of the rivers, and ground water and indirect contamination include the contamination through the waste water that is discharged from the ground water. The influence of the emission on the water bodies is massive. The green house emissions from the vehicles and factories move towards the oceans and sea, obeying the law of diffusion. The emissions are absorbed by the water and results in the formation of water with higher acidity and chemicals due to reacting with the nitrates and sulphur oxides (skoool.co.uk, n.pag). Such formation of water may influence the marine creatures and result in the loss of bio diversity of water bodies. The emissions can be controlled by utilizing the alternate energy resources like wind, solar, geothermal, etc for the generation of electrical energy or to attain thermal energy. The vehicles converted to electric vehicles that can be charged through the alternate energy resources produce no green house emissions. Organic farming reduces the dependence on the chemical fertilizers (hobart.k12.in.us, n.pag.). In the construction of homes or building, the utilization of the renewable materials reduces the green house emissions and waste. Instead of low performance devices and appliance, high performance appliance should be utilized that save a lot of energy and thus produce less green house emissions. Green house emissions can be controlled by utilizing as much alternate sources of energy like the wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, etc as possible. The more utilization of the alternate and sustainable resources will reduce the dependency on the fossil fuel resources and thus fewer emissions will be produced regarding the power generation system. Solar energy can produce much power to meet the power demand of the world. Wind power has also more potential than the current demand of the world. Each sustainable resource has much potential and is more feasible to utilize. On the other hand, there is little or no maintenance cost involved in the sustainable energy resources thus the energy produced by the sustainable resources is cheaper as than fossil fuel based power (epa.gov, n.pag). The industrial waste that is diverted to the water bodies should be treated and disposed of properly to make it useable and less hazardous for the environment. As far as sewage waste is considered it should also be treated before it is diverted to the water bodies. Sewage waste mostly contains bio degradable compounds that decompose with the passage of time. However, proper treatment may involve the utilization of chemicals to clean the water. The sewage waste may provide the necessary power to run the plant and the excessive energy can be sold to the power station to earn money out of the waste. The bio degradation of the sewage waste produces bio gas that can be utilized in the power generation process. If the sewage waste is not treated, it becomes the home for the harmful infectious bacteria, virus and other microorganisms. In the similar way, the waster from the construction industry can also be minimized by lower the utilization of the products that are important of transported from the other regions. Local products reduce the transportation emissions and costs. On the other hand, the renewable materials should be employed to reduce the waste and ensure sustainability (epa.gov, n.pag). Wood, clay, sand, etc are all renewable materials, while, cement is a non-renewable material. The wastes from the construction industry have major influence on the environment and thus heavily impact the environment. On the other hand, the construction should be made green as conserve as much energy as possible (epa.gov, n.pag). The green structure depends on the utilization of the natural light, natural ventilation and utilization of other natural resources and factors, for heating, cooling, etc. Many associations are working to promote the concept of green structures that are not only conserving energy but also generating it to fulfill the need of the structure. The waste from the power plants should be kept at special sites and should not be allowed to penetrate into the environment. On the other hand, the aerosol particles of carbon, emitted from the power plant lower the visibility and restrict the solar radiation by absorbing or reflecting the solar radiations at different angles. The process is named as the global dimming. Man has massively affected the environment of earth. The cutting of the forests on the massive scale, the emission produced from the vehicles and from the industries, the waster form the homes and from the factories are all manmade wastes that are polluted the environment disrupting the balance of the whole planet. The utilization of the alternate resources of energy, the utilization of the sustainable materials in the construction, the utilization of the alternate materials instead of wood and the treatment of the wastes can reduce the impact of human activity on the planet. On the other hand, the wastes that re diverted to the water bodies should be treated and disposed of properly to prevent the wastes from breaching the balance of the planet. Works Cited Harrison, Roy M. Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control. New York: Royal Society of Chemistry. 2001. Print hobart.k12.in.us. Human Impact On The Natural Environment. 2000. Web. 29 November 2012 Mac Kinney, Michael L. and Schoch, Dr Robert M. Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions. 3rd ed. London: Jones and Bartlett Publications. 2003. Print Tilman, David and Lehman, Clarence. “Human-caused environmental change: Impacts on plant diversity and evolution”. Current Issues. 2012. Web. 29 November 2012 skoool.co.uk. “How do humans affect the environment”? 2005. Web. 29 November 2012 epa.gov.“Effects of Air Pollutants - Health Effects”. 2010. Web. 29 November 2012 Read More