Environment: Pollution and Human Impact Essay

E precise living thing has an adjoin on its surround. thereof a clement impact on the milieu is inevitable. By app bently existing, all species including ourselves go out imprint their mark on the world well-nigh them. What differentiates us from other species is our ability to greatly overburden our environment with very few limits. The randomness regarding our human impact is vast and impossible to think up in ane article precisely I will commence to cover a basic overview.For 200 years weve been conquering Nature. forthwith were b take it to death. Tom McMillanWater PollutionPerhaps the al most(prenominal) obvious examples of a negative human impact on the environment is water pollution. Its obvious we need water to survive but few people realize how untold we need and just how much is available. Consider these facts from the United Nations Environment Programme * Of all the water on Earth, only 2.5% of it is freshwater. * Of that 2.5%, less than 1% is available t o us.* Humans each pick out up to 13 gallons (50 litres) a day of fresh water for drinking, preparation and cleaning. This does NOT take into account the countless gallons of water needed to ripen food or c ar for animals. * 70% of all freshwater enjoyment goes to irrigation.According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, only 2% of call downs are essential. This means almost 69% of our freshwater supply is being begrime by chemical pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, while also compounded with fossil fuels and emissions from slow farming machinery. These chemical compounds contribute to acid rain. Since very short(p) gutter live in an acidic environment, acid rain has denigrative effects on plants, animals, and aquatic life, as well as earth and even buildings, statues or other objects. Acid rain also contaminates our moderate freshwater supply, and thus the cycle of water pollution continues. According to the U.S. environmental Protection Agency, 45% of assessed stream miles, 47% ofassessed lake acres, and 32% of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were non clean enough to support uses much(prenominal) as swimming or fishing. The following reasons and possible sources for this includePhoto opening Alan Liefting* Sediments, pathogens and habitat alterations from country activity and hydrologic modifications (such as dams) * Excessive nutrients, metals and organic enrichment from agricultural activity and atmospheric deposition (the movement of pollutants from one environment to another, such as from water to glory) * Heavy metals (primarily mercury), excess nutrients and organic enrichment from industrial and municipal discharges (treated or untreated waste water released from sewer plants and industrial factories into natural water sources) These points listed above lead to a poisoned and uninhabitable environment for plants and aquatic life, as well as affect land animals and mankind reliant on these systems for sur vival and other land-bound plant life in need of clean water for growth.Land PollutionLand pollution, the adulteration of the Earths surfaces and soil, is caused by human activity and a harm of natural resources. Causes of land pollution and degradation include * Urban de subdivision Natural habitats are removed to make room for communities, usually with uneconomical or irresponsible readying. Urban sprawl generally results in a waste of land area for unused development (such as exuberant roads, decorative and unused areas, etc). * Poor agricultural practices Animal manure overflow from CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, the practice of growing monocultures (only one crop season after season) and the deforestation required to expand farm land all contribute to degradation and pollution.* Personal consumption Our groundbreaking cultures desire to have more, bigger and bettor things, as well as our relationsh ip to and habit of waste, has lead to stripping of the land, uppity mining and pollution from industrial activities. * Industrial activities The production of chemical-laden plastics, poor timberland of products, unethical practices (such as illegal dumping), and extreme emissions affect both environ and far-reaching areas. None of this takes into account illegal dumping, diminishing landfill space, litter,overproduction of synthetic materials, hot waste and more.All land pollution is caused by a human impact on the environment and thus can be averted by our actions alone. Two of the necessary actions must be strait-laced planning and proper usage of natural resources. For instances, animals could be taken out of CAFO and allowed to graze on mountainous or wooded areas unsuitable for buildings or crops. Using organic and sustainable farming techniques can eliminate our need for chemical applications. scant(p) energy, such as wind or solar power, can slow begin to replace coal or nuclear plants. And as consumers we can lessen our human impact on the environment by demanding better quality products, environmentally ethical practices from industries and a shift toward sustainable energy. give vent PollutionOne bit of good news about our human impact on the environment is that air pollution is lowering and air quality is increasing. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, since 1990 to 2008* Ozone diminish 14%* precede decreased 78%* Nitrogen dioxide decreased 35%* Carbon monoxide decreased 68%* Sulfur dioxide decreased 59%However, 127 million people bland live in areas that exceed quality standards. And some of the quality standards are far from ideal, such as ozone. The question is what amount of air pollution is really okay? Shouldnt we be striving for technologies or practices that intimately eliminate major polluters, such as Photo Source Michael Cavn* Better public transit, electric cars, rail, and city planning etc to replace heavy commutes, fossil fuels, air travel and unwalkable communities * Retrofitting or otherwise upgrading existing factories with greener technologies such as solar panels or air filtration systems * Removinganimals from factory farms and raising them on natural diets and rotating pasture to reduce methane emissions and pollution The greatest human impact on the environment we can have is to vote with our pocket admit and our actions. By supporting companies that use greener technologies, we can start a skid toward better solutions. By getting involved in community planning and zoning we can have a global impact on a local level. And by buying less stuff, eating less animal products and sourcing our food from sustainable farms, we can spread the rule book that better solutions do exist and they dont have to allow for to mega-corporations and lobbyist pressure.The Consequences Of A Human Impact On The EnvironmentMan maketh a death which Nature never made. Edward YoungWhat most of us crumble to realize is that we will never truly destroy Earth. The planet will always remain and its nature will change and adapt to the conditions. notwithstanding we have evolved to rely on the very particular conditions currently in place. We have specific water and food requirements, can only take over certain temperature ranges and we must have an abundance of clean, breathable air. Just look at how the environment is affecting human health already. Thus the question is not whether the Earth can withstand a human impact on the environment. The real question is will we so change the environment as to drive ourselves (and other species) to extinction? Ready To Get Stepping?All of this information about the human impact on the environment is great to sustain you understand and formulate your own opinions to the issues, but the most important part is not your opinions its how those opinions change your lifestyle. Dont find fault. bump a remedy. Henry FordIf youre ready to get st arted, Id recommend the following Steps first * Top shipway To Go Green These should be your starting points. They are the no-duh things and most of them are very easy to implement. * Going Green At Home For most of us, our homes are probably our biggest carbon footprint. Pop over there to take on easy ways to save water, energy and otherresources.