People, Place and Environment - Essay Example

People, Place and Environment According to Butisingh (2008), “Mankind is systematically destroying the sensitive ecosystems which support life on earth. To date, very little effort is being made to stop and correct the damage being done” (Butisingh). People, place and the environment are connected to each other in many ways. People need places for their survival and the environment is making these places safe or unsafe. The above reality is often been neglected by the people when they strive for better living conditions. Majority of the human activities are negatively affecting our environment in many ways. Heavy Industrialization, increased, automobile use, increased usages of fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides in agricultural lands, dumping of toxic substances like e-wastages, deforestation etc are polluting, our environment in many ways. In fact people contribute heavily to the global warming and climate changes problems. If we continue to pollute our environment and places in the same rate as we do now, all life forms in this world could be destroyed in near future itself. This paper analyses the connection between people, place and the environment and the ways in which people are destroying the environment. (Amazing Pictures: Pollution in China) The above photograph clearly indicates the environmental problems in China as a result of heavy industrialization. This photograph gives us an idea in how industries are polluting water resources in China. It should be noted that the water in the river at the back drop is black in color. It should be noted that industrial wastes in China are flowing through the rivers as in the case of other developed countries. Drinking water shortage is a big problem in many countries now and it is assumed that the future wars could be for drinking water sources. The old man portrayed in the above photograph is blocking his nose in order to avoid the contaminated air surrounding him. Moreover, his body color and the emotions at his face clearly describe the depth of the environmental problems facing by the Chinese people. (Amazing Pictures: Pollution in China) The above photograph gives us an idea in how industries are polluting the air. Tons of greenhouse gases such as oxides of carbon, oxides of sulfur and oxides of nitrogen are emitted to the atmosphere by the industrial units all over the world. These greenhouse gases have the ability to destroy the ozone layer at the top of our atmosphere which is acting as a protective shield to living things on earth. It should be noted that in the absence of this ozone layer, harmful radiations from outer universe may enter our atmosphere and cause huge damages to the interests of people in the form of diseases and deaths. Breathing of contaminated air is causing huge health problems to all living things including human. Many of the modern chronic diseases are believed to be the contributions of contaminated environment including water, land and air. (National Academy of Sciences) The above photograph clearly indicates the contributions of earth in destroying ozone layer at the top of the atmosphere. Chloro Fluro Carbons or CFC’sare believed to be the major villain which causes huge problems to the ozone layer at the top. Refrigerators and air conditioners contain many toxic gases which may contribute heavily to the development of CFC’s. While disposing Refrigerators and air conditioners, people are causing huge damages to the environment in general and to the ozone layer in particular. (Amazing Pictures: Pollution in China) The above picture shows a person drinking some water at the back drop of a contaminated environment. He can never make sure that he consumes pure or fresh drinking water. In all probabilities, the water he drinks could be contaminated which is evident from the backdrop of the picture. Global warming and climate changes are currently causing big problems to human. Atmospheric temperature has been increased more than one degree Fahrenheit over the last century. Even though some people attribute this atmospheric temperature rise to solar activities, many people believe that atmospheric temperature rise is caused by injudicious manmade activities. Unexpected weather calamities like flood, earthquake, volcano eruption, sea level rise, melting of ice in the Polar Regions, tsunami etc are growing in recent times which clearly suggest that people are causing more damages to the environment rather than the sun. (Amazing Pictures: Pollution in China) The above photograph clearly indicates the extent of pollution caused to the land area surrounding an industrial unit. Even a plant may not grow in such a contaminated land. Apart from industrial waste, injudicious agricultural methods are also causing huge problems to the land. Increased use of fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides to increase agricultural yields, is causing destroying the fertility of the land as well as the natural ecosystem. It should be noted that nature has an equilibrium in which all the living things are connected in one way or other. For example, rats are the food of snakes even though snakes are the enemies of human. Killing of snakes may help the number of rats to increase at a particular place. Increase of rats may cause huge problems to farmers as rats have the ability to destroy agricultural crops. In short, the number of rats, and number of snakes at a particular place should not be increased beyond certain limit in order to preserve the interests of the people. However, environmental problems are destroying such equilibriums between living things and the destruction of natural ecosystem would be the result. “The issue of global climate change and what to do about it has put economics to a severe test in which economists have been challenged to think afresh about how to model such fundamental notions as risk, uncertainty, and discounting”(Weitzman, p.703). It is difficult for us to avoid the growth of agriculture or industries in order to preserve the environment. At the same time it is possible for us to reduce the environmental problems caused by our own injudicious activities. For example, plastic is one of the major villains which cause huge problems to the environment. It should be noted that unlike many of the other materials, plastic may not be destroyable after use. In other words, plastic has the ability to survive the natural biodegradation process. Thus accumulation of plastic may takes place in the environment because of its ability to survive for longer periods. People have the habit of using plastic carry bags while they purchase something from shopping malls. All these plastic carry bags are disposed injudiciously in the environment. If people can reduce their plastic carry bag consumption, environment will be benefitted immensely. The above example clearly indicates how people can build a stronger positive relationship with the place and the environment in which they stay. (My Birth Into More Serious Environmental Consciousness) The above picture clearly suggests the environmental problems caused by the accumulation of plastic materials. Apart from plastic materials other major objects which causes environmental problems are electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones etc. it should be noted that computer and mobile phone technologies are growing rapidly. Computers and mobile phone in the 90’s and 2000’s are outdated now. Tablet pcs and smartphones have succeeded in replacing traditional PCs and mobile phones. One of the major consequences of such rapid growth of electronic industry is the problems associated with the disposal of outdated computers and mobile phones. Lead batteries used in the electronic equipment can cause huge problems to the environment. Im looking in the computers for copper and iron which I can sell to pay the [school] fees: Ibrahim Adams (Computers pile up in Ghana dump) (Computers pile up in Ghana dump) The above pictures clearly indicate the computer dumping in the African regions by developed countries. Africa is a poor region in which people are struggling for survival because of poverty and unemployment. Natural resources are less and industries are underdeveloped in Africa. Computers, mobile phones and electronic wastes have huge demands in Africa. The weaknesses of Africa are exploited by cleverly by the developed countries. Developed countries export their electronic wastes and radioactive wastes to African countries which are ready to accept it. As in the picture, these electronic wastes may contain certain useful materials such as copper and iron which may help the poor people to earn some money. However, the problems caused by these toxic wastes are unaware to these poor people and developed countries are exploiting it. “Nearly half of the world’s original forest cover has been lost, and each year another 16 million hectares are cut, bulldozed, or burned. Forests provide over US$400 billion to the world economy annually and are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems”(Hinrichsen and Robey). Deforestation is another major problem created by the human. Dense forests were destroyed for industrial purposes. It should be noted that forests play an important role in keeping natural environment intact. Plants have the ability to absorb carbon dioxide from atmosphere and it liberates oxygen to the atmosphere. Plants require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis process. On the other hand, human require oxygen for survival and they liberate carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Thus, plants and human are helping each other to maintain a balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere. However, this equilibrium has been spoiled by the injudicious activities of human. Environmentalists and economists increasingly agree that efforts to protect the environment and to achieve better living standards can be closely linked and are mutually reinforcing. Slowing the increase in population, especially in the face of rising per capita demand for natural resources, can take pressure off the environment and buy time to improve living standards on a sustainable basis (Hinrichsen and Robey). To conclude, people, place and the environment are connected each other in many ways. Destruction of environment or the place is not good for the people. Place and environment provides the shelter necessary for the living things to sustain their life. It is our liability to protect the environment and the place at any cost in order to sustain life on earth. Works Cited “Amazing Pictures: Pollution in China”. Web. 01 March 2012. Butisingh, Randall. “The Destruction Of Planet Earth”. 2008. Web. 01 March 2012. “Computers Pile Up In Ghana Dump”. BBC News. Tuesday, 5 August 2008. Web. 01 March 2012. Hinrichsen, Don and Robey, Bryant. “Population and the Environment: The Global Challenge”. 2011. Web. 01 March 2012. “My Birth Into More Serious Environmental Consciousness”. 2011. Web. 01 March 2012. National Academy of Sciences, 2010, “CO2 and Other Greenhouse Gas Variations” Web. 01 March 2012 Weitzman, Martin L. “A Review of The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change". 2007. Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Sep., 2007), pp. 703-724. Published by: American Economic Association Read More