The Lifestyle Which Most Humans Live Today - Research Paper Example

Lifestyle Which Most Humans Live Today is Wasteful of the Natural Resources that the Earth Provides Us Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Thesis Statement 3 Literature Review 3 Discussion 5 Conclusion 10 Works Cited 12 Introduction Natural resources are the materials which are used to support life and meet various requirements of people. Any substances derived from the nature that are used by human beings for various purposes can be regarded as natural resources. For instance, fossil fuels, stones, soils, air, water and sunlight among others. Plants, animals and marine creatures like fish can also be considered as natural resources (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, “Natural Resources”). However, in the course of utilizing natural resources, human beings are causing and producing huge wastage of the aforementioned valuable natural resources. The widespread extraction and utilization of natural resources has attributed towards increasing environmental problems. Over that preceding five decades, the population of the world has grown more than a double while the global economic output has augmented in excess of six-fold. The unprecedented explosion of human population and their related activities had imposed significant impact upon the composition of atmosphere. The increasing human interference with earth’s environment has polluted air and water, increased deforestation and threatened the survival of thousands of species living on the earth (Cortese, “The Societal Crisis”). If human beings continue to utilize the natural resources in an inappropriate manner, then they might no longer possess the luxuries that are being availed today. The increasing population can be attributed with increasing air, water and land pollution. Contextually, the unprecedented exploitation which performs by the human beings would slow down the progress as well as decline both quantity as well as the quality of the natural resources by a greater extent (Cortese, “The Societal Crisis”). Thesis Statement The thesis for this research paper is to propose the lifestyle, which most human live today, is wasteful of the natural resources that the earth provides us. It will include the proof that if this problem continues to exist, then the humans will run out and no longer would possess the luxuries that are accessible today. However, the problem can be solved by suitably utilizing several means of unlimited energy like the sun, wind and under water currents. The purpose of the research is to identify the consequences of overexploitation of various natural resources. The research topic is selected because it relates to the future survival of human beings. Literature Review The World Resource Institute (WRI) 2012postulated that a significant portion of vegetated land area of the earth is highly being disturbed by various human activities. Moreover, it was also claimed that the consumption rates of natural resources are incessantly exceeding at a rapid speed in comparison with their replenishment and regeneration. The interference and the misuse of the natural resources perform by the human beings are constantly imposing major challenges to Earth (Gulf Cooperation Council Network for Dry-lands Research & Development, “Human Impact on the Biosphere”). According to UN Department of Economic and social Affairs 2004, human activities are constantly imposing serious impact on the integrity of ecosystem. In relation to this critical issue, immediate attention must be paid towards the degradation of the natural resources in order to reduce the probable impact of human activities for making the earth a better place to live for (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “Protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development”). According to Steidl and Powell (2006), human activities possess pervasive affect on wildlife and their habitats. It has also been claimed that human activities have altered the physical environment and suitability of habitat for several species. The ecological impact of the human activities has also resulted in extinction of numerous species (Steidl and Powell, “Assessing the Effects of Human Activities on Wildlife”). As stated in United Nations World Water Development Report (2) 2012, certain human actions like industrialization are reducing the availability of the water resources throughout the globe. Pressures on water are primarily increasing due to augmented level of human population and activities (GreenFacts, “Facts on Water Resources”). According to International Water Resource Association 2010, the rapid explosion of human population is constantly increasing the demand of freshwater supply. The increasing human population has resulted in more and more deforestation, urbanization and industrialization. Consequently, such activities of human beings caused changes in chemical, physical as well as biological characteristics. The changes in the composition of water due to pollution have significantly reduced the quality and availability of freshwater or drinkable water (Peters and Meybeck, “Water Quality Degradation Effects on FreshwaterAvailability: Impacts of Human Activities”). According to the report of the Union of Concerned Scientists 2012, the rapidly reduction in forest cover is one of the major environmental challenges imposed by increasing human interference with the environment. Accordingly, 27 percent of land area in the world is covered with forest. The developing region comprises 57 percent of total forest land while developed region comprises only 47 percent. Moreover, the report affirms that nearly half of the world’s forest covers have been vanished since the finish of the ice age. The deforestation in the last two decades has been at all times highest around the world (Union of Concerned Scientists, “The SSI Population and Environment Series’). According to Ding 2003, the unprecedented exploitation of natural resources has radically damaged the ecosystem. Human beings are involved in exploitation of regenerative and non-renewable resources for various unnecessary purposes. Therefore, both renewable and non-renewable resources are diminishing at much rapid speed (Ding, “Impacts of Affluence and Overexploitation of Natural Resources”). According to United Nations Environment Programme 2007, degradation of water quality by various human activities has continuously contributed environmental problems as well as hampered human health particularly in developing nations. The quality as well as the quantity of ground water has been jeopardized by the growing consequences of human interference and unwanted exploitation of natural resources (United Nations Environment Programme, “Water”). Discussion It has been viewed that the lifestyle and livelihood of the human beings depends upon the prosperity of the natural resources. Human beings have been utilizing natural resources over thousands of years which is being followed unprecedented exploitation at accelerated pace by the means of various technological equipments. Such activities resulted in fast depletion of different natural resources as well as placed significant challenge for the survival of human beings in years to come (Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, “Educating for a Sustainable Future”). It is further estimated that human activities are not going to limit their utilization of various natural resources. In other words, global extraction and consumption of natural resources will unprecedentedly continue to increase radically unless some strict measures are implemented and followed (Sustainable Europe Research Institute, “Overconsumption”). It is worth mentioning that continued exploitation of natural resources by human activities is steadily widening the gap between the availability and future requirement of natural resources. It has been incessantly argued that the utilization of the different natural resources and had brought explosive growth and developments in health, agriculture, entertainment and various other luxurious areas which are being enjoyed currently by human beings (Robinson, “Why is Natural Resources Part of the Planning Process”). With regard to changing lifestyle, it has been observed that the human beings are more than ever threatened by their own actions due to rapid diminishing of various natural resources. The natural resources are viewed to be inevitable components of planning process of human beings. The several recreation and relaxation activities that human beings avail today are also attributed with natural resources. Hence, it is virtually impossible for human beings to plan for future without considering the opportunities, constraints and probable impact associated with various natural resources. Therefore it is necessary for human beings to draw a comprehensive plan that cautiously considers and integrates natural resources for ensuring their secured survival in future (Robinson, “Why is Natural Resources Part of the Planning Process”). Scarcity of drinkable water is almost faced in every part of the world. Nearly 20 percent of total earth’s population is not being able to access adequate secure drinking water. It has emerged as an important challenge in relation to the changing lifestyle of the human beings. It has been noted that the demand for quantity and quality of water resources for consumption, sanitation, irrigation and for various industrial purposes is being constantly increasing with the enlargement in human population, industrialization and urbanization. (Flint, “The Sustainable Development of Water Resources”). Human beings can take various measures in order to protect from declining water resources and ensure that sufficient water is available for future use. The problem relating to the decline of water resources can be reduced by safe and judicious water use by human beings. One method that has been practiced by human beings from centuries as water conservation technique includes rain water harvesting. The method of rain water harvesting will enable the human beings to reduce their dependence on surface underground water. Moreover, this method can be used for various purposes like sanitation, irrigation and other house hold activities (Government of Tamil Nadu, “Rain Water Harvesting”). The different industries that are using water as primary component should recycle the water in order to attain better business operational results. It can be stated that instead of depending more upon thermal power or any non-renewable sources for energy requirement, ocean currents and river waves can also be used as reliable and much affordable which act as alternative sources of basic energy requirements. Such energy sources are renewable and would possess least or no impact on environment. Human beings generally use the energies which are generated through ocean currents for the purpose of electricity production which ultimately lead towards safe and prosperous future of the human beings on the earth (Minerals Management Service, “Ocean Current Energy”). Another alternative for safeguarding human survival in future includes the use of sunlight as an effective means for energy requirement. The energy derived from sun is fundamentally termed as solar energy. This energy is often viewed to be an eco-friendly and inexhaustible source of energy. However, rapid depletion of fossil-fuel will urgently require solar energy to fulfill the requirements of human energy consumption (Minerals Management Service, “Ocean Current Energy”). When compared with coal, nuclear and natural gas power plant, solar power plant has greater efficiencies for generating clean energy. The use of solar energy for various domestic and industrial needs has changed the lifestyle of many people. Solar energy are also used for generating electricity and also utilized as fuel for vehicles. After acquiring a brief idea about the different uses of solar energy, it can be stated that the extensive execution of solar energy will ultimately reduce the significant impact of air pollutions, acid rain and global warming upon the environment by a greater extent. Considering this major fact, the utilization of solar energy in different ways will eventually make the earth a better place to live in for human beings as well as the species (Timilsina, Kurdgelashvili and Narbelk, “A Review of Solar Energy Markets, Economics and Policies”). Similar to solar energy, wind energy is also viewed as an inexhaustible and eco-friendly energy source. Human beings have also utilized wind energy in order to produce electricity and for water pumping or drainage. Wind energy is regarded as a clean energy that can be relied for healthy living and sustaining in future. Like solar energy, wind energy also does not intend to cause any considerable impact upon the environment. Consequently, there lies the probable chance of minimizing global warming with the use of wind as an efficient source of energy. Wind energy can also be used in small businesses for meeting their daily electricity requirements. It does not disturb the eco-system and more importantly it is available abundantly throughout the world (US Department of Energy, “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy”). Conclusion Human beings are completely relied on natural resources for meeting their various requirements. Natural resources are being utilized for more than thousands of years for meeting the discriminating needs of the human beings. The shortage of natural resources may radically impact upon the survival of the human life on earth. However, the over-exploitation of natural resources by human beings for their personal gains has resulted in doubtful survival of human life on earth in near future. Consequently, the unprecedented and widespread exploitation have endangered the survival of many species of which many of them have already extinct. The increasing human intervention with earth’s resources has contributed many environmental challenges in the form of air pollution, global warming and water pollution among others. The rapidly depleting natural resources have also arisen question such as whether natural resources will be available to meet the future requirements or not. In this course, human beings need to make use of those sources for meeting their energy requirement that are inexhaustible, eco-friendly and easily available. Hence, the best alternative with regard to such requirement includes solar energy, wind energy and energy generated with ocean currents. These sources of energy generation have significant benefit over the current energy producing sources like coal, petroleum, nuclear and natural gas among others. Evidently, solar energy, wind energy and energy generated through ocean currents are clean energies which are abundantly available around the earth. Moreover, these energies are inexhaustible and eco-friendly which implies that these energies will continuously keep on supplying energy without imposing any negative impact upon the environment by a greater extent. Finally, it can be stated that these energies does not intend to generate any kind of wastages such as smoke, ashes or radiation that have radical impact on human health and environment. Precisely, the use of these sources acting as alternative energy sources might guarantee the survival of human beings in near future by a significant level. Works Cited Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage. Educating for a Sustainable Future, 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Cortese, Anthony, N. The Societal Crisis. Education for Sustainability, 1999. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Ding, Yifan. “Impacts of Affluence and Overexploitation of Natural Resources.” Environment and Development 1. (2003). Flint, Warren, R. “The Sustainable Development of Water Resources.” Water Resource Update 127. (2004): 48-59 Print. Government of Tamil Nadu. Rain Water Harvesting, 2011. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Gulf Cooperation Council Network for Dry-lands Research & Development. Human Impact on the Biosphere, 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. GreenFacts. Facts on Water Resources, 2006. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Peters, Norman, E. and Michel, Meyback. “Water Quality Degradation Effects on Freshwater Availability: Impacts of Human Activities.” Water International 25.3 (2000): 185-193 Print. Robinson, Patrick. Why is Natural Resources Part of the Planning Process. Natural Resources and their place within Comprehensive Planning, 2006. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Steidl, Robert, F, and Brian, F, Powell. Assessing the Effects of Human Activities on Wildlife. The George Wright Forum, 2006. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Sustainable Europe Research Institute. Overconsumption, 2009. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Natural Resources, 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Timilsina, Govinda, R., Lado, Kurdgelashvili and Patrick, A., Narbelk, “A Review of Solar Energy Markets, Economics and Policies. Policy Research Working Paper, 2011.Web. 02 Nov. 2012. US Department of Energy. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2008. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. United Nations Environment Programme. Water, 2007. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development, 2004. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Union of Concerned Scientists. The SSI Population and Environment Series, 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Read More