Human Impact: Natural Resources And Environmental Pollution

Human activities have a significant impact on the environment, and the use of natural resources is a key contributor to environmental pollution. From the extraction and processing of raw materials to the manufacturing, consumption, and waste disposal stages of product lifecycles, human activities introduce various pollutants into the environment. Natural resources such as trees, gas, oil, metal ores, water, and fertile land are essential for economic development and human wellbeing. However, our relentless demand for these resources and unsustainable consumption patterns have led to overexploitation, ecosystem degradation, and pollution. This paragraph introduces the topic of human use of natural resources and its impact on the environment, with a focus on pollution, setting the stage for further exploration of the complex relationship between human activities and the natural world.

Burning fossil fuels

The combustion of fossil fuels emits an array of pollutants that reduce air quality and harm life. These pollutants include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and airborne particles such as soot. Poor air quality is linked to respiratory diseases and can cause cognitive and behavioural development issues, especially in children. Additionally, the increased reflectivity of the atmosphere due to airborne particles has a slight cooling effect. However, this cooling effect is negligible compared to the overall warming caused by the greenhouse effect.

The burning of fossil fuels also contributes to ocean acidification. As CO2 dissolves in the ocean, it leads to a decrease in ocean pH, causing acid rain. Acid rain can contaminate freshwater sources, resulting in harmful algal blooms that reduce water oxygen levels and harm aquatic ecosystems. It also increases the chemical weathering of rocks and man-made structures.

Furthermore, the extraction and production of fossil fuels can release greenhouse gases through chemical processes, such as those involved in making steel for buildings and infrastructure. The use of fossil fuels in agriculture, such as through the use of fertilisers containing nitrogen, also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

To generate electricity and power transportation and industrial processes, fossil fuels are burned, releasing carbon dioxide and other harmful substances into the atmosphere. Since the invention of the first coal-fired steam engines in the 1700s, our burning of fossil fuels has steadily increased. Today, we burn over 4,000 times the amount of fossil fuels burned during 1776. This rapid increase in fossil fuel usage has severe consequences for the environment.

To address the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels, a transition to sustainable and renewable energy sources is necessary. This includes adopting clean energy technologies, improving energy efficiency, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes.

Deforestation

Human activities such as deforestation have had a significant impact on the environment. Deforestation, the cutting down of a large number of trees, is primarily done to clear forest land for agriculture and human settlements. It is a major contributor to the destruction of the environment and has various adverse effects on the planet's climate, biodiversity, and water systems.

Climate Change

Soil Pollution and the Water Cycle

Trees are crucial for preventing soil erosion and maintaining the water cycle. Deforestation leaves the soil exposed to wind and rain, making it vulnerable to being washed away. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), deforestation has resulted in the loss of nearly 4 million square miles of forest and half of the world's topsoil since the beginning of the 20th century. Additionally, cutting down trees disrupts the water cycle by decreasing precipitation and affecting river flow and water volume.

Effects on Humans

Effects on Animals and Plants

Forests are home to over 80% of all terrestrial animal, plant, and insect species. Deforestation contributes to a decline in biodiversity as species lose their habitats and become more susceptible to extinction. Land erosion depletes the soil of its nutrients, affecting both plants and animals. Furthermore, the regulation of forest temperatures is another vital role played by trees, and deforestation can lead to extreme temperature changes that can be fatal for many animal species.

Food Security

Industrial waste

Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste:

Persistence and Non-Persistence:

Another crucial distinction is between persistent and non-persistent waste. Persistent waste consists of materials that do not break down easily, remaining in the ecosystem for extended periods. These substances, such as heavy metals and chemicals, can cause long-term ecological and health issues, including water pollution. In contrast, non-persistent waste breaks down relatively quickly and does not pose the same level of risk to the environment over time.

Chemical Waste:

Chemical waste is any unwanted material containing chemicals that pose a risk to human health or the environment. It is generated from various industrial processes, laboratories, agriculture, and healthcare facilities. Proper handling, storage, treatment, and disposal of chemical waste are essential to prevent environmental contamination and health hazards.

Mining Waste:

Mining waste is the residual material left after mineral and ore extraction and processing. This waste includes overburden, tailings, and slag, which can contain heavy metals, chemicals, and other pollutants. Improper management of mining waste can lead to environmental and health risks, making sustainable practices and regulatory compliance crucial.

Water Pollution:

Air and Soil Pollution:

Industrial activities contribute to air pollution through the release of toxins and emissions during manufacturing processes. This air pollution contributes to smog, acid rain, and respiratory issues. Additionally, improper disposal of hazardous waste can lead to soil contamination, reducing agricultural productivity and harming plant and animal life.

Climate Change and Energy Consumption:

The energy demands of manufacturing processes are substantial, often relying heavily on fossil fuels. This contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbates climate change. Additionally, manufacturing waste that ends up in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during decomposition.

Sewage

Human use of natural resources can lead to the pollution of the environment in several ways. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, is a major contributor to climate change, as it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This, in turn, leads to rising global temperatures, long summers, intense winters, frequent storms and heavy rainfall, which destroy livelihoods and agriculture.

The extraction and production of materials such as steel, aluminium, copper and rare earth minerals for electronics also contribute to environmental pollution. For example, the chemical processes involved in making steel release greenhouse gases. The production of agricultural products is another source of pollution, as the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers and the raising of livestock, which excrete methane, contribute to rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Deforestation, driven by the need to clear land for agriculture and human settlements, also has a significant impact. The removal of trees and vegetation destroys biodiversity and harms animal and insect life by removing their habitats. It also reduces the amount of carbon that can be captured and stored by trees, increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Waste disposal is another critical factor in environmental pollution. The improper disposal of waste, including plastic, chemical, radioactive and biomedical waste, can contaminate soil, water and air. In particular, sewage and wastewater can have severe ecological and health impacts.

Untreated or partially treated sewage released into rivers, dams and oceans can contaminate water sources, leading to a decline in water quality. Pathogens in the waste can harm aquatic ecosystems and make the water unsafe for human and animal use, spreading diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Nutrient-rich sewage can also lead to eutrophication, causing excessive algae growth that depletes oxygen in water, leading to fish die-offs and a decline in aquatic life.

Poorly maintained sewage systems can result in leaks and spills, allowing untreated sewage to seep into water sources and the surrounding environment. This can have devastating effects on aquatic ecosystems and harm human health.

Even properly treated sewage can have issues. Microscopic plastic fibres released from certain clothes during washing can pass through wastewater treatment plants and enter marine ecology systems, harming animals and damaging the food chain.

To prevent sewage pollution, proper sanitation and wastewater control are essential. This includes regular maintenance of septic systems, proper disposal of waste, reducing water usage, and effective wastewater treatment to remove pollutants before discharge into the environment.

Agricultural practices

Agriculture is crucial for producing enough food for the global population, but it is also one of the most ecologically damaging industries. Farming has a wide range of causes, types, and effects of pollution, with air and water pollution being the most common and harmful.

Air Pollution

Fertilisers and pesticides are essential for boosting crop yields and minimising interference from insects, fungi, and weeds. However, the chemicals in these products can be blown off course or evaporate into the air, thus contaminating the local atmosphere. These chemicals can also react with particles already in the air to create particulate matter and ground-level ozone, which are harmful to human health and intensify the warming effect of greenhouse gases.

Livestock rearing is another significant contributor to air pollution. Keeping many animals in one place concentrates the pollution they generate, particularly methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Additionally, manure from livestock generates ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. Ammonia can react with other contaminants in the air to form dangerous aerosols, while hydrogen sulphide is a relatively under-reported greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

The use of heavy-duty machinery in agriculture, such as tractors and combine harvesters, has made farmers' lives easier by eliminating the need for manual tilling. However, this machinery relies on the combustion of fossil fuels, leading to carbon emissions that contaminate the local atmosphere and harm the health of nearby humans and animals.

Water Pollution

Agricultural operations can significantly affect water quality due to the extent of farming activities, the soil-disturbing nature of those activities, and the use of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. The National Water Quality Assessment in the United States shows that agricultural runoff is the leading cause of water quality issues in rivers and streams, the third leading source for lakes, and the second-largest source of impairments to wetlands.

Fertilisers, livestock manure, pesticides, and other substances can be washed into local streams, rivers, and groundwater through rainfall, snowmelt, and irrigation. This can lead to increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, stimulating algal blooms and the development of hypoxic conditions that are harmful to aquatic life. Excessive sedimentation from soil erosion can also overwhelm aquatic ecosystems, smother breeding areas, and degrade coastal and marine ecosystems, including coral reefs.

Bacteria and nutrients from livestock and poultry manure can contaminate drinking water supplies and cause beach and shellfish bed closures. Pesticide runoff poses risks to aquatic life, fish-eating wildlife, and drinking water sources.

Soil Pollution

Soil pollution can occur due to the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals in agriculture. These chemicals can contaminate the soil and make their way into the food chain, potentially causing harm to human and animal health. Additionally, soil erosion, a common issue in agricultural areas, can reduce soil fertility and productivity over time.

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