Human Impact on Global Environmental Change - Research Paper Example

Human Impact on Global Environmental Change Introduction Environmental issues have been the center of attention for the whole world in the past 20 years. The potential damage these issues can cause to the world has now been realized and many organizations and countries are trying seriously to limit the damage done to the global environment. But apart from all these efforts, the role of human beings in the destruction of natural environment is great. We have impacted negatively on the world’s atmosphere by polluting the environment and damaging the ozone layer. Human beings have increase pollution including sea, land and air pollution to such an extent that desperate measures are the need of the hour in order to protect our very survival. The human’s input in global environment change cannot be overestimated simply because we are witnessing the environment change with our own eyes. Weather is getting extremer in all parts of the world and the future looks bleak. All this is evident of our total disregard of environmental issues. Sea Pollution and Environmental Change One of the areas where human beings have destroyed environment is oceans. Sea is very important for our survival as it provides us with food in the form of fishes and at the same time is only source of water. We human beings are dependent on water for our survival so endangerment of this vital source is not in anyone’s benefit. The extent to which we have contributed to the damage of our seas is sadly speaking not condonable. Since the start of industrialization seas are seen as dumping grounds for various types of wastes. It was very easy for people to throw away all the harmful waste in rivers in order to save cost of properly dumping the waste using scientific methods. In the late 18th and early 19th century this practice was ubiquitous. Harmful waste also includes chemicals which can damage not only sea life but can also pollute the water and make it inappropriate for future use. All this was ignored and this practice is unfortunately still continued today in the less developed countries. Industrial waste is still today dumped in the sea water and sea life is in great danger due to this waste. Their immune system is badly affected by the industrial waste and if such fishes are consumed the damage can reach human beings as well. Rivers are a very important source of water for not only human beings but for animals as well. Human beings have the facility to purify water before drinking but animals are exposed to the dangers of the industrial waste. Animals can die due to harmful chemicals and this is another extension of the problem. Another important use of oceans is to irrigate the fields. Agriculture is significantly dependent on water and industrial waste and harmful chemicals does not help farmers. Land if gets water that is polluted and contaminated will adversely affect the fruits and vegetable grown on the fields. High toxic levels of in the land can prove perilous for a long time because water which is used in agriculture seep down the land and remains under ground. If this water is polluted or contains harmful chemicals then the fertility to the land may be compromised. This is very dangerous consequence of sea pollution through industrial and chemical waste. Crops can be destroyed as a result or they may prove unhealthy for the end users. Water used for irrigation does not necessarily go through process of purification so that may also make fields vulnerable contamination. According to estimates 5 million human beings die annually as a result of drinking contaminated water (Krantz & Kifferstein, 2000). This shows the significance of water pollution in the world. There are a number of people who fall sick as a result of drinking impure water in developing countries. And the cause of concern is that the number is increasing every day due to the scarcity of water resources. Ocean pollution has changed the global environment to a great extent. It has affected human beings, animals and plants. Plant life under water is seriously endangered. Plants have a very specific purpose under water and that is to absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen gas. This oxygen allows sea life to survive under water. By pollution of sea water this natural ecological system is disrupted and sea life suffers as a result because plants die by harmful reactions of chemicals. Water is the most important source for living beings and industrial wastes and sewage water causes sea water to pollute. All forms of beings are affected by the contamination of water and the effects are not short term but long term. Even if water pollution stops today it will take considerable amount of time for cleaning the water and making it absolutely clean because all wastes have now settled on the surface below water. Acidic rain is another consequence of water pollution. If water is polluted then rainfall will also be affected and as a result more damage will be done to world’s environment (Doney, S. 2006). The whole water cycle will be disturbed and this is a serious problem that our world is facing today. Contaminated water will eventually evaporate and as a result will form clouds that have high levels of toxic. Below we will discuss many other causes of sea pollution. This will shed more light on the extent of the ocean pollution and will elucidate the environmental change caused by these sources of pollution. Oil drilling is a major cause of sea pollution in today’s world. The importance of this commodity has made the world close its eyes on the pollution it causes. The process of oil drilling increases pollution because at many levels of the drilling crude oil is dispersing into the ocean. This is very dangerous because crude oil is not environmental friendly and causes grave problems for the underwater beings. Oil spills have also caused great problems for the environment. There are many incidents of massive oil spills and each has been deadly for the sea life. Oil is heavier than water so it remains on the surface of the water. This forms a layer of oil over water and sea animals and birds suffer as a result. Oceans are also polluted by the ships. Sea is a major mode of transportation and ships also use oil as a fuel. This oil is dispersed in the sea and causes pollution. Ships also increase noise pollution and this is not good for the sea life. There daily routine is disrupted by the noise and fuel resulted by the ships. Physical waste is another cause of sea pollution. Human beings carelessly throw garbage and plastic bags in the rivers and seas. This endangers the lives of the sea animals. Beaches are mainly responsible for pollution through physical waste. Air Pollution and Environmental Change Air pollution is another source of change in the environment of the world. Harmful gases affect the atmosphere by depleting the ozone layer and by changing the natural system of ecology. Human beings have surely impacted the atmosphere through air pollution in a negative manner. Since the start of industrialization factories have been emitting harmful gases and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Proper treatment of these gases is not done to this date and it is only sometime that developed countries have started to pay attention to the problem of air pollution. The harm caused by the harmful gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide is tremendous to the atmosphere. All human beings rely on the oxygen in the atmosphere to breathe. Life is dependent on the oxygen in the atmosphere and if any change is made in the natural composition of gases in the atmosphere than the effects will sooner or later reach living beings as well. Environmental change is also a consequence of air pollution. Birds and animals are badly affected by the harmful gases emitted by the industries all over the world. The damage of these gases to the ozone layer is also very significant and this is causing the climatic change in the world as we speak. The greenhouse gases and the ecological system are also at the mercy of atmospheric pollution and harmful gases are destroying the atmosphere of the world. Weather change is also a consequence of disruption of the natural composition of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Factories and industries are the main sources of air pollution. Nuclear plants are also responsible for emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere. All factories or industries that burn fuel are discharging harmful gases in the atmosphere. Vehicles and automobiles specially are also the causes of air pollution. Cars emit carbon dioxide and this contaminates the environment. The use of fuel efficient and environmental friendly cars is still new but on a wide scale cars are releasing carbon dioxide and are polluting the environment. The health risks due to air pollution are great and many diseases are prevalent in areas where harmful gases are regularly released by factories and industries. Especially small children are prone to sickness as a result of exhaling the detrimental gases. Diseases like asthma and many other lung and heart diseases are caused by air pollution. The major consequence of air pollution is that it affects global atmosphere by damaging the ozone layer. There is a layer of gas called ozone gas is surrounding the earth and this gas is very important for earth’s survival. This layer has a very specific function and that is to absorb harmful rays or UV radiation coming from the sun (Think Quest, 2010). Ozone layer is very important as it is a protection shield against the harmful radiations. UV radiations can cause skin diseases in human beings. Air pollution is actually damaging this ozone layer and is making a hole in it. This hole is very dangerous for human beings as they will be directly exposed to the sun rays and this can cause many diseases. It is not only the human beings that will suffer as a result but also the animals and plants. The harmful effects of ozone depletion are so great that there are several worldwide campaigns that have been initiated by many groups and environmental activists’ agencies all over the world. These programs guide people on the use of different products that contain harmful gases that destroy the ozone layer. Chlorofluorocarbons are more commonly known as CFC’s and products which contain CFC’s damage the ozone layer. Air pollution is also responsible for the rise in the temperature of the world. There has been seen a gradual increase in the greenhouse effect. The phenomenon of greenhouse effect is a process in which sun rays trapped in the earth’s atmosphere and this keeps our earth warm. Greenhouse effect has increased due to emission of certain gases in the atmosphere and this is increasing the temperature of the world (EPA, 2010). The increase in earth’s temperature is causing climatic change. Glaciers are melting and rivers are flooding. The weather is getting extremer every year and we are seeing a major climatic shift. This will not stop until the natural levels of greenhouse effect are restored and people pay heed to the environmental problems that the world is facing today by stop emission of harmful gases. Land Pollution and Environmental Change Land pollution is defined as damaging or contamination of the earth’s surface through waste dumping and disposing harmful chemicals in the land. Land pollution is another way human beings have impacted the global environment. Our environment is seriously affected by practices like dumping of waste, mineral exploitation and other sources of land pollution. The effects are not short term and these practices can have long term repercussions for the humanity at large. Human beings create solid waste in the form of garbage and other items like old electronic items etc. Such wastes are to be dumped somewhere and land is used as a dumping ground for these and many other kinds of wastes. Industrial waste is sometimes dumped underground and that has serious consequences. It is very easy to use land as the monetary cost disposing garbage is nominal. The waste that is dumped under the surface of the earth emits harmful gases and this can significantly impact human health. Many items that are disposed under the land are not biodegradable and they cannot be broken down through natural processes (Putatunda, R. 2009). This is a major reason why after a certain extent this waste starts to affect human health and also attracts pests. Mining is another process that contributed significantly to land pollution. Minerals are considered to be of great benefit to governments and companies so all measures are used to extract minerals from the land. Extensive drilling with total disregard for environment and use of harmful chemicals can seriously damage the land and the community around places where mining is taking place. During mining large holes are made in the land and after the extraction of minerals these holes are left as it is. These holes than become breeding ground for insects and other rodents. This causes the community to be dirty and health of the people in the vicinity is also affected negatively. Over exploitation of land for agriculture is also responsible for land pollution. Heavy use of pesticides increases the toxic level underground. Also due to increase in the world’s population land has become a very important commodity. For this reason massive deforestation is beings done that is also harming the environment. Industrial waste is also being dumped in the land. Industries are dumping harmful chemicals in the land. Also the land pollution is increased by any kind of leakage in the industries because through this leakage land is exposed to harmful chemicals. In these two ways industries are also hurting the environment. All these activities, in the end, reduce the fertility of the soil and this is a serious threat human beings are facing today. With the scarcity of land and production capacity ever decreasing the population of the world is at serious risk. The overall health of the planet will be compromised if proper curative measures are not taken at this point of time. Recycling is used but the scale of its use is very small. It should be implemented on a very large scale if environment of the world is to be saved. Conclusion Human beings have contributed greatly to the deterioration of environment. Industrialization has contributed greatly to the bad condition of world’s environment. Many activities of man today are directly responsible for the damage of atmosphere. It is necessary for our survival that all kinds of pollution should be curbed and proper measures should be taken to undo the damage done to the environment. Environment change the world is witnessing right now is due to the human disregard for natural habitat. With seas and lands getting polluted everyday and atmosphere being filled with deadly gases, the environment of the world is in danger. Global change in environment gives indication to the problems mankind can face in the future. References Doney, S. C. (2006). The Dangers of Ocean Acidification. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://www.precaution.org/lib/06/ocean_acidification_from_c02_060301.pdf Greenhouse Effect. (2010). Environmental Protection Agency United States. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/apti/course422/ap7b2.html Krantz, D. & Kifferstein, B. (2000). Water Pollution and Society. Retrieved from http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm Ozone Depletion. (2010). Think Quest. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111401/ozone_depletion.htm Putatunda, R. (2009). Land Pollution. Buzzle.com. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/land-pollution.html Read More