Environmental Impacts of Construction - Dissertation Example

Moreover, the usage of the buildings contributes to around another 50 percent of the total carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Several estimates show that during 2004 the construction industry in the United Kingdom was solely responsible for the production of waste products amounting to around 100 million tonnes. The amount of waste piling done by such has increased from around 70 million tons during 2000. Moreover, the construction industry accounts for the employment of a huge amount of natural resources thus creating a large impact on the natural environment of the United Kingdom.

The construction industry employs around 90 percent of the total mineral resources of the country along with large amounts of timber for building purposes. These materials are generally dispatched to the United Kingdom from countries having an abundance of such mineral and timber resources. The United Kingdom conducts such procurements from countries having a weak monitoring and legal system to avoid conflicts. It must be noted that procurement of timber from a large number of countries creates a huge impact on the maintenance of biodiversity in several regions.

The large number of trees being felled to produce timber affects the development of habitat zones on the planet thus causing a matter of serious concern. The reduction in the habitat zones of the different regions creates a further impact on the planet through the mass extinction of a different number of species. Further, the extraction of a large number of mineral resources from the earth’s surface creates a depletion of the mineral belts. Essential minerals like Copper and Titanium are being increasingly extracted which signifies the vanishing of such minerals from the earth’s surface at future periods of time.

Evidence also suggests that the work of the construction industry also acts as a potential contributor to a large amount of air, water, and soil pollution through the disposal of harmful materials in the soil and air.