One of the most compelling problems we face today is the degradation of the Environment. Though nature does contribute to the degradation of the environment through natural disasters and wildfires, the most apparent and controllable contribution of harmful acts to the environment are humans. Some factors that cause this degradation are overpopulation, pollution, deforestation, human interference, and government corruption, landfills and land disturbance. These then go on to affect loss of biodiversity, impact on human health, ozone layer depletion and of course loss of tourism industry. Growing up I was able to go farming with my grandmother and as I walked through the pastures of green leaved trees, I enjoyed the kind breeze that kissed …show more content…
It isn’t just about tree huggers. According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster reduction, environment degradation is the limit of earth to meet social and environmental destinations and needs. The degradation of the environment is more caused by human activity than natural occurrence. The increasing population causes some ecological effect as people expand and build homes and factories. These contributes greatly to pollution as trees are removed from their natural habitat and are used, the natural resources become depleted, therefore the environment become compromised and such problems as extinction of species (through haunting for food and lifestyle). Land disturbance and habitat disturbance are two other factors that are caused by …show more content…
Though the forests are cut for many reasons, the main factors are because of money and people trying to put or keep a roof above their head. As the forest lose more trees and it causes a big loss to the environment. According to the National Geographic, about 30 percent of the world is covered by forest, but at the rate the trees are being cut, the National Geographic researchers believe the world’s rain forests would go into extinction in as little as a century. As far as human health is involved, greenhouse gases are supposed to be observed by trees, but by it not being absorpted, there can be an increase of CO2 into the atmosphere (that are normally suppose to be taken in by trees and waters), and might increase health issues for all humans and other
As long as humans have lived in forested areas, they have cut down trees for lumber and/or to clear space for agricultural purposes. However, this practice has resulted in the destruction and near extinction of our national forests. Today, fewer than five percent of our country's original forests remain (Thirteen) and the U.S. Forest Service continues to allow more than 136,000 square miles to be logged each year (Byrant). Even more alarming, is the fact that only twenty percent of the current public forest lands are permanently protected by law, leaving nearly eighty percent to be consumed by chainsaws and bulldozers (Heritage...).
On average millions of hectares of forests are destroyed each year resulting in severe consequences that will affect not only our lifestyle, but also all the animals with which we share our planet. Many species of animals and plants will become extinct and if we continue with the destruction of our forests, earth will be unable to sustain life.
Environmental issues affect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. There are many resources that humans and animal needs to survive; some of the most obvious resources come from the forests. Forests make up a large percentage of the globe. The forests have global implications not just on life but on the quality of it. Trees improve the quality of the air that species breath, determine rainfall and replenish the atmosphere. The wood from the forests are used everyday form many useful resources. Moreover, thinning the forests increases the amount of available light, nutrients and water for the remaining trees. Deforestation (forest thinning) is one of the most critical issues of environmental problems that are occurring today.
Next it is also destroying most forests, they are being destroyed and it is also destroying all kinds of different animals habitats and it could also be destroying some different cultures. Deforestation contributes a lot to the destruction of different endangered animal species.
...hich is an issue that simply cannot be ignored, due to the implications it has on our atmosphere. Our trees must be preserved as they are humanities biggest ally in the fight against the greenhouse effect, and if we continue to cut these trees down at rates faster than they can recover, the end for humanity as we know will be sooner rather than later. If deforestation is limited it will also limit the loss of biodiversity, which is an integral aspect to future survival.
Of course there will always be trees, at least for much longer than the life of forests, but the previous forest’s ground will lose its worth. At least 20% of the Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to deforestation. Without vegetation to take in carbon dioxide, over 1.5 billion tons of it gets released into the air every year. Even the water cycle is affected. The lower the plants, the dryer the land, which leads to less rain overall, creating more desertification. The northwestern regions of China reported to have their rainfall average deplete by ⅓ from 1950 to 1980.5 “Humanity is cutting down its forests, apparently oblivious to the fact that we may not be able to live without them.” - Isaac Asimov. Even with the amount of deforestation, there are still ways for ay person to help slow the effects that could potentially harm the Earth
What is also becoming increasingly clear is the effect that forests have on the climate and the climate has on forests, and how changes in one system will affect the other. Losing forest makes it worse. Clearing forests also releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. Worldwide deforestation means we don’t have as many trees to absorb the extra CO2. This means more of it stays in the atmosphere, trapping more heat. Forest are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families. The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forest to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Often many small farmers will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in process known as “ slash and burn” agriculture. Therefore, not all deforestations is intentional. Some is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires and subsequent overgrazing, which may prevent the growth of young trees. Deforestations has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for million of species. So seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forest, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroy their homes. A more workable solution is to carefully manage
Simply speaking, rainforests are basically the foundation of the earth. The most important role that rainforests play is ‘the lungs of the earth’. This is extremely vital to the earth’s survival as the trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide which they use to help grow and let out oxygen which we need to live. This system is known as the carbon-oxygen cycle and with numbers of rainforests declining, it is highly threatened. The largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon, alone is known to produce half of the world’s oxygen. A break down in the carbon-oxygen cycle means that we will not only have less oxygen, but an increase in carbon dioxide which eventually leads to global warming. This occurs as carbon dioxide traps heat which actually keeps the earth warm, with the right amount of carbon dioxide that is. This is called the greenhouse effect and occurs naturally however due to decreasing number of trees, there is more carbon dioxide than needed which traps extra heat making the earth hotter than needed, this is known as global warming which also causes a rise in sea level.
One reason that the Rainforest is being cut down is for logging, according to Source 3 logging accounts for 10% of rainforest deforestation. The timber from logging is often used for paper, tables and and sometimes fuel. The rainforest has remained untouched for many years before companies came for wood, because of this there are large amounts of unspoilt plants and
Traditionally, environmental issues have been put on the backburner in the past and put behind other critical issues. However, near the end of the twentieth century and currently in the twenty first century people have come to the realization that maybe we should pay more attention to our environment around us. The awareness of the importance of the well being of the environment brings the question “Are we(humans) taking current environmental issues too lightly?”. Unfortunately the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Numerous environmental studies have shown that unless we take serious action to restore the health of our environment, we will be at serious risk. The risks posed to us, wildlife and the environment stem from the loss of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, rapid pollution and the most detrimental, global warming (climate change). Those factors increase the deterioration of the environment exponentially. The continual degradation of the environment will eventually lead to the demise of the human population.
Plants need carbon dioxide, water and light energy to make photosynthesis. If all the trees were cut down, no carbon dioxide would be released into the atmosphere, therefore plants wouldn’t be able to take in the carbon dioxide they need. Another benefit of deforestation is the transformation of forests into paved roads to transport goods to other places to meet the demands of consumers. Deforestation results in the availability of trees that can be made into timber and used for construction.
Not only are we losing our forests, we are also losing the animals that live in the trees of the forest. Deforestation also contributes to climate change.
Enviromental Degration is a large threat to the world today because it can leave long term ecological effects, some of which can demolish whole enviroments. In some cases enviromental surroundings are divided. Environmental degradation is the loosing of the earth or deterioration of the environment through consumption of assets, for example, air, water and soil. The destruction of environments and the rid of wildlife. Environmental degradation can happen in a number of ways. At the point when environments are wrecked or common assets are exhausted, the environment is considered to be corrupted and harmed. There are a number of different techniques that are being used to prevent this, including environmental resource protection and general protection
With the mass clearing of trees, there are many effects, besides the increasing CO2 concentration, that are happening to the environment. One effect includes the washing away of the soil, which occurs as there are no longer trees to hold the soil in place. During monsoonal seasons, the rain washes the soil away, causing mudslides and loss of key nutrients in the soil. This then makes the land inhabitable, as vegetation cannot grow, therefore animals cannot live in the area. Furthermore, deforestation causes a change in the water cycle, as less evapotranspiration takes place because of the lack of trees in the area. This changes the precipitation pattern, therefore causing little rain in the area and creates dry, infertile land. Excess atmospheric CO2, due to deforestation, also causes severe heath problems to humans. Exposure to high concentrations of CO2, can result in respiratory and cardiovascular problems, as well as a decrease in cognitive abilities . Currently, the levels are not high enough to have large effects on humans, however, with the increasing concentration in the atmosphere, humans will suffer these effects in the long term. Deforestation causes harm to human health and the environment, however it is not too late to reduce its
Economic growth and social development are complementary and close relationship constraints. However, with economic growth, it is clear that there are many environmental concerns in today’s society. Air, water, and land pollution have been worsening; the environment of wild animals and plants have been seriously damaged, many species are threatened with extinction, deforestation and over-exploitation of mineral resources give human survival and development a real and more serious potential threat.