Causes and Impacts of Environmental Degradation - Term Paper Example

Environmental Degradation Introduction The natural ecosystems and regenerating bio-capa of the earth are undergoingsevere degradation, compromising the ability of the planet to sustain life. Environmental degradation involves damaging or destruction of the physical, chemical and biological ecosystems of the earth. Environmental degradation is not a new aspect in the spectrum of the environment since it has been happening throughout the history of human beings; however, its rate has now increased to the extent of not leaving adequate time for the recovery and regeneration of the environment. The most common types of environmental degradation include pollution, soil erosion, desertification, and deforestation. Pollution can be classified into air pollution, and water pollution. These types of environmental degradation are interdependent such that the presence of one type acts as a causative agent of the other. Causes of environmental degradation can either be natural and human factors. The dilemmas experienced in environmental conservation are caused by differences in interests and the necessity for survival of some environmental destruction activities. Regardless of the numerous causes of environmental destruction across the world, governments and citizens continuously strive to ensure environmental sustainability for future generations. Causes and Impacts of Environmental degradation Environmentalists classify causes of environmental degradation into human causes and natural causes. Human causes include burning fossil fuels, industrial activities, construction of infrastructures, agriculture, oil spillage, and transport activities. Natural causes, on the other hand include natural disasters, global warming, and volcanicity. Burning fossil fuels and transport activities The current trade generation is characterized by massive transportation of people, goods, and services. Cars, heavy-duty tracks, airplanes, trains, and shipping vessels burn many fossil fuels to produce energy for their motion (Gautam 33). These emissions are major causes of air pollution, and they have proved difficult to manage and control. The reason for difficult management of these pollutants is that people depend heavily on vehicles and smoke-emitting engines for transportation of goods and services from production points to marketing areas. Fumes from car exhausts contain perilous gases such as carbon monoxide, particulates, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, which are extremely harmful to health when inhaled. Additionally, these emissions react with the gases in the environment to create gases that are even more toxic than direct emissions (Gianessi 19). Industrialization Smoke emissions from industries and manufacturing plants contribute to environmental degradation in the 21st century. The chimneys erected into the atmosphere release massive smoke and fumes to the atmosphere. Industrial waste incinerators, production units that use diesel and power plants emit high levels organic compounds, chemicals and carbon monoxide into the air (Gautam 37). This is a common phenomenon in several cities across the world. Petroleum refineries release excessive amounts of hydrocarbons into the air. Industries and manufacturing plants are the worst sources of air pollution, land pollution and water pollution. Harmful gases from industrial emissions contain chlorofluorocarbons and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide destroys the ozone layer, exposing people and animals to harmful ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays are harmful to human health as they are responsible for causing skin cancers. Infrastructural constructions People erect infrastructures such as houses, bridges, highways and airports. As the world population is increasing year after year, there is need for reclaiming land from natural forests and water to provide space for accommodating human beings. Large-scale land clearing and bush burning contributes to environmental degradation. The primary motive of human beings is to make money; thus, they end up clearing and burning available land for farming and building structures (Penuelas 2303). Land clearing accelerates flooding and soil erosion, leading to destruction of ecosystems and consequent extinction of forest animals. Economic activities have caused massive disappearance of living organisms that could have been otherwise useful to the carbon cycle. Agricultural activities and other household chemicals Chemicals used in household and farms contribute to various forms of environmental degradation. Products used in houses such as household cleaning, fumigating homes, and painting supplies release harmful chemicals into the air that causes air pollution. Farming chemicals such as over-the-counter insecticides, fertilizer dust and crop dusting products emit harmful chemicals into the air that cause pollution (Gautam 23). Excessive use of fertilizers leads to increased level of nitrogen compounds in the soil. Accumulation of nitrogen compounds causes excessive absorption of carbon compounds by animals and plants, which they recycle to the environment. Pesticides sometimes kill non-target organisms. Pesticides also cause health problems in both human beings and animals. Additionally, pesticides contain chemicals that are responsible for contaminating both underground and surface water bodies. When these products are used in farms, homes and hospitals without protection and ventilation, users may fall ill if they inhale them, implying they are dangerous air pollutants. Other farming activities such as irrigation, clear felling, and burning of natural vegetation contribute to large-scale environmental destruction. The environmental impact of irrigation constitutes changes in quality and quality water. These effects ensue from the altered hydrological conditions due to the installation and operation of irrigation schemes. The working of the irrigation schemes is such that it draws water from the river and distributes it over the land (Penuelas 2309). This leads to reduction in downstream discharge, increased evaporation, and rising water levels. Although irrigation projects have economic benefits to the people, the negative side effects are overlooked in most cases. Technologies applied in agricultural irrigation include high-powered pumps, huge pipelines, and dams. These technologies cause large-scale depletion of fresh water resources such as rivers, aquifers, and lakes. Irrigation activities extract more than 50 percent of the ground’s fresh water (Pearce 21). Massive diversion of freshwater from sources such as lakes, rivers, aquifers, and creeks causes natural water sources to dry. The effects of drying freshwater sources include stressing the surrounding ecosystems and contributing to possible extinction of several aquatic species. Oil spillage Oil may be transported in either ships or pipe systems. Oil spillage constitutes the release of liquid petroleum into the environment such as land or marine areas. Oil spillage may be caused by oil from tankers, offshore platforms, spills of refined petroleum products, and spills of bunker fuels that are used by large ships. During transportation, pipes may develop leakage holes due to pressure or human malicious activities. Oil from these tanks continues to flow for a lengthy of time before the stakeholders discover such spills. Additionally, when marine accidents occur, widespread oil spillages are experienced (DeSombre 19). It may be an accident involving a tanker transporting oil or a ship carrying huge amount of oil for locomotion. In either case, large amounts of oil spills into waters or land. Spilt oil is dangerous to both land and aquatic animals. Oil penetrates the birds’ plumage and mammals’ fur. This causes reduction in insulating ability and makes these birds and mammals vulnerable to less buoyant water and temperature fluctuations. Spilt oil also reduces the amount of light and oxygen reaching the water surfaces; this affects respiration and photosynthesis activities in aquatic animals and plants (Penuelas 2304). Clean-up activities and recovery from an oil spill is a demanding task that may take weeks or months. This is contingent upon the type of oil that spilt, water temperature, and the forms of shorelines and beaches affected. The difficulties associated with recovery and cleaning-up the oil-polluted areas increases its detrimental activities to both land and aquatic organisms. Natural disasters The common natural disasters that cause environmental destruction include earthquakes, prolonged droughts, sporadic rainfalls and tsunamis. Earthquakes shake the ground and cause ruptures on the earth’s surface. Ground rupture leads to landslides, avalanches and fires caused by damaged electric power wires and gas lines. Tsunamis are long period sea waves produced by abrupt movement of large volumes of water. When they occur, tsunamis cause enormous environmental destruction that affects the region for several years. Tsunamis inflict severe damage on ecosystems such as mangroves, coastal wetlands, animal and plant biodiversity, coral reefs and sand dunes (Horvat 38). Prolonged droughts cause drying of land vegetation, water catchment areas and large-scale migration of animals. Most of the animals may die due to lack of food and water. Droughts also loosen the top soil, exposing it to the agents of pollution such as wind and water. The main impact of sporadic rainfall is destruction of plants caused by huge torrents and hailstones, and sweeping away of soil and vegetation to lowlands through denudation. Global warming Global warming is defined as the constant rise in temperatures of the earth. Global warming is not an instant phenomenon, but a gradual process that occurs over a long period of time. Scientists argue that accumulation of carbon (IV) oxide in the atmosphere accelerates the process of global warming (Pearce 34). They collect statistics of the temperature of the earth over a long period; scientists confirm the existence of global warming if there is an upward trend in temperature. Severe heat waves resulting from global warming causes deaths of several people; for example, at least 225 people died in North America in 2006 because of heat waves. Global warming causes hot and dry weather that leads to fires that burn vast forest covers (McMahon 43). Additionally, high temperatures cause polar bears to drown since they have to swim longer distances before they reach ice floes. Global warming has also caused massive melting of ice, which leads to rise in sea levels and widespread floods in areas near ice lands. Volcanic activities and Bushfires When volcanic eruptions and bushfires occur, a lot of dust and smoke are emitted to the environment (Farmer 13). The volcanic materials such as magma and lava are thrown out of the fissures through the process of vulcanity. Natural forest fires occur particularly during periods of droughts. Bushfires may result from natural ignition processes and sometimes, human activities such as intentional bush burning. Fire and smoke consume the environmental oxygen and forms carbon monoxide that is harmful to health. The process of volcanicity throws magma and lava out of the volcanic mountains through fissures and vents (Gautam 10). Extrusive volcanicity accumulates hot magma in the area surrounding the mountain. Hot gases are harmful to the environment because they cause deaths and massive destruction of the ecosystem. For example, the bushfires that occurred in Australia on October 22, 2013 led to massive destruction of forests and widespread air pollution in the areas surrounding the affected forest. The dilemma of Preventing Environmental Degradation Environmental scepticism is the greatest challenge facing the modern conservations efforts. There are widespread conflicts that characterise economic developers and environmentalists. Experts are actively seeking to understand the growing effects of environmental events on both politics and economics as the 21st century gets underway (Farmer 9). The environment primarily constitutes the aggregate of surrounding conditions, influences and things, which can be divided into artificial and natural factors. Political leaders in various countries are vested with the responsibility of helping people to preserve the environment, but sometimes they differ and excessively politicize environmental issues. Speth argues that the environment is the most precious property that human beings posses (41). People, therefore, should not allow others to manage the standards of their own property. The role of environmental Protection agencies is to write and enforce rules and regulations with the aim of protecting human health. Political leaders have a critical role to play in conserving the environment through properly managing the environmental agencies. Some forms of environmental degradation such as air pollution are difficult to control because most of the sources of air pollutants must be done for human beings to survive People cannot avoid using transport facilities such as vehicles, tracks and airplanes, or stop manufacturing activities. The only way to minimize the adversities of air pollution is by using chemicals sparingly. People who are exposed to these pollutants should protect themselves by using masks and ensuring the rooms in which they operate are well ventilated to avoid accumulation of air pollutants that may lead to suffocation (Penuelas 2319). Companies dealing with industrial manufacturing should seek technologically advanced methods of production that are free of or can reduce emission of gases and smokes. Political will and proper leadership are the primary determinants of successful environmental conservation. There is no doubt that proper political leadership plays a vital role in mobilizing both urban and rural citizens to buy in the ideas of cost-effective lifestyles and technologies that are environmental-friendly (Speth 21). Political leaders enact rules and regulations meant to control over-exploitation of natural resources with the aim of ensuring environmental sustainability. Most countries of the world have enacted anti-pollution laws meant to reduce the consequences of air, water, and noise pollution. The UK enacted the Energy Act of 2010 to regulate energy usage and markets. The Energy Act 2010 comprises of regulation of gas and electricity markets, carbon capture storage and regulation, and strategies for mitigating fuel poverty. Part one of the Act vests powers to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to provide the required funding for projects of carbon capture and storage (Horvat 41). Initially, the Bill had faced opposition from the Conservative Party as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats supported it; despite this, the Bill was passed to the committee stage and finally into law. The Climate Change Act of 2008 assigns to the Secretary of State the duty of ensuring that the net UK carbon lowers by 90 percent from the 1990 baseline by the year 2050 (Penuelas 2331). This is to ensure that the UK avoids the implications of the dangerous climate change. The previous 60 percent decrease was criticised by environmental organisations and political parties because the target was insufficiently ambitious. Political parties such as the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats took a similar stance concerning this law. The Green Party of England and Wales considered the legislation as providing a massive opportunity while criticising that the draft bill was dangerously unambitious as they proposed the 90 percent decrease (Penuelas 2313). The Clean Water Act (CWA) of the United States uses non-regulatory and regulatory tools to reduce direct pollutants into the waterways. The statutes for environmental conservation focuses on achieving the broader goal of restoring and maintaining the biological, physical and chemical integrity of the countries’ water to ensure it is suitable for propagation of wildlife, fish and other recreational activities (McMahon 34). Other statutes that the government of the United States uses to prevent environmental degradation include Oil Pollution Act of 1990, Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988, and Water Bank Act of 1970 (Farmer 25). The government assumes the responsibility of providing the necessary resources for financing environmental conservation projects. Political leaders who are devoted to environmental conservation vote for budgets that provide resources for environmental conservation. The Clean Water Act, for example, provides for funds to finance municipal sewerage treatment facilities and management of polluted runoff. Chapter 7 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes authorizes Industrial Development Boards to issue revenue bonds to fund the construction and acquisition of anti-pollution projects (Farmer 17). The Industrial Development Board of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, Inc. finances projects that are proposed with an objective of abating, eliminating, controlling, and preventing air, water, and noise pollution. China’s Cabinet approved the new anti-pollution measures to address the country’s environmental problems on July 14, 2013. These measures include supporting the sale of photovoltaic electricity-to-electricity grids and the requirement for all grid operators to buy solar generated electricity (DeSombre 22). The government pledged to give support to the country’s solar power industry although there were ongoing disputes in the international arena. This is a clear evidence of how various countries are striving to prevent environmental destruction to ensure sustainable environment for future generations. Political leaders are sometimes impediments to environmental conservation. This leads to massive destruction of the ecosystem. Conflicts of interest predominates two or more governments or countries concerned with environmental conservation. Conservative critics characterize radical environmentalism it as unnecessary and misguided. Some political leaders have criticized the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act, claiming that they conflict with private property rights, profits for corporations and the country’s rate of economic growth (DeSombre 26). The United States, for example, often differ and oppose strategies that are intended to accelerate active participation in global environmental governance (Farmer 27). The most notable instance is when the US refused to accept ratification of environmental agreements, leading to a series of tensions between Japan and Europe. The resulting political tensions constituted the sources of both local and global environmental governance issues. In most countries, the laws concerning environmental pollution are sometimes lenient, thus encouraging manufacturers to handle carelessly wastes that cause environmental degradation. Speth reports that political leaders have heavily invested in industries that are responsible for environmental destruction (22). This is one of the reasons for politicians opposing environmental regulation laws; they view these laws as having long-term implications on corporate profits. Some political leaders, therefore, contribute to the destruction of the environment instead of conserving it. Environment is the people’s most precious property; therefore, people, should not allow others to dictate the standards of their environment. People of all walks must seek collective responsibility in managing and controlling the extent of natural resource exploitation and pollution from various agents in the ecosystem (Farmer 19). The main factor that limits collective responsibility in environmental management and conservation is lack of awareness. The citizens are not aware that the environment belongs to them; they believe that it belongs to the government. Contrary to this believe they possess all living and non-living things that surround them. If human beings maintain the standards of their environment, it will meet their needs and be preserved for future generations. Destruction of the environment poses risks to the lives and the future generations. It is the responsibility of the citizens to improve the standards of our environment for the common good of all human beings. Conclusion Environmental degradation constitutes damaging the environment through interference with air, land and sea. The 21st century has faced the greatest rate of environmental destruction than the previous periods in human history. Examples of environmental degradation include pollution, desertification and loss of biodiversity, bush encroachment, soil erosion, desertification and deforestation. Both human activities and natural occurrences contribute to massive environmental degradation. Governments and citizens need to assume collective responsibility in ensuring environmental conservation through relevant legislations, adopting technologically advanced production methods and eliminating poverty prevalent in some countries. Works Cited DeSombre, Elizabeth R. Flagging Standards: Globalization and Environmental, Safety, and Labor Regulations at Sea. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2006. Internet resource. Farmer, Andrew. Handbook of Environmental Protection and Enforcement: Principles and Practice. London: Earthscan, 2007. Internet resource. Gautam, Siddhartha. Advance in Air Pollution: Its Causes and Control. Delhi: Vista International Pub. House, 2010. Print. Gianessi, Leonard P. "The Increasing Importance of Herbicides in Worldwide Crop Production." Pest Management Science. (2013). Print. Horvat, Milena. "Indicators of Mercury Reactivity and Bioavailability in the Environmet: A Search for Cost-Effective Monitoring Strategies : [plenary Talk]." Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environmental, September 19-23, 2010, Gdańsk, Poland. (2010): 38-43. Print. McMahon, Robert. The Environmental Protection Agency: Structuring Motivation in a Green Bureaucracy : the Conflict between Regulatory Style and Cultural Identity. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 2006. Print. Pearce, R. (2006). When the rivers run dry: Water – the defining crisis of the twenty-first century. Beacon Press Peñuelas, Josep. "Evidence of Current Impact of Climate Change on Life: a Walk from Genes to the Biosphere." Global Change Biology. 19.8 (2013): 2303-2338. Print. Speth, James G. The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. Print. Read More