CHAPTER VI__________ 2.

Rational use of non-polluted water resources: The

restoration of water qualityof our water bodies and their optimum
Man and Environment uses are the challenges before the present society.
Man and environment are inter-related. The environment influences 3. To sustain and increase agricultural growth: Without
the life of human beings and also human beings modify their damaging environment.The over cultivation of soil, results in nutrient
environment as a result of their growth, dispersal, activities, death deficiency, lack of organic matter, soil salinity and damage to physical
and decay etc. Thus all living beings including man and their structure of the soil.
environment are mutually reactive affecting each other in a number of
ways and a dynamic equilibrium is possible in between the two, i.e. 4. To check soil erosion: The soil erosion can be prevented by
human beings (society) and environment are interdependent. the restoration ofland or soil resources which are directly or indirectly
related to strategies for the management of land, water and forest.
The different social structures like industrial, agricultural, religious,
aesthetic etc. have developed during various stages of human 5. Restoration of forest resources: The forest resources are
civilization and these structures represent human being’s depleting at a veryfaster rate in order to meet growing need of timber
accumulated cultural resources based on natural environment. and farmland for the increased population. Vast forest areas have
been converted into barren waste lands. So it is the need of the
If the natural environment helped in the development of different present society to restore our forest resources possibly through
structures of the society on the one hand, the existence and quality social forestry and afforestation programs.
of environment now rests on the responses of these social structures
to the environment on the other hand. 6. To check pollution: The overexploitation of natural
resources. Intervention ofbio-geochemical cycles and trace element
The burning issues like quality of environment, disruption of earth’s cycle, extraneous release of matter and energy etc. cause serious
natural ecosystem, environmental degradation ad pollution, environmental hazards.
ecological imbalances, depletion of resources etc. can be
approached and solved only after considering the value judgments In addition, continuous green-house gas emission, hazardous
which may be determined by taking into account the consequences chemicals of industry and agriculture, nuclear arsenals: radioactive
of ‘environmental improvement program on the entire society and wastes and biotechnological misuse lead to global catastrophism. So
society’s response towards the improvement program. Actually all the prevention of pollution is of prime importance for the present
these depend on the interest and desire of the society in improving society. Considering the above issues, it is clear that the fate of
the quality of environment. human being depends on how he is managing and overcoming the
above problems.
The interaction between environment and society depends largely on
the social and political system. Even the capitalistic and socialistic Meanings of Environment
systems perceptions and reactions to the environment are quite
different. The differential interactions are due to uneven distribution of Descending from the Middle French preposition environ “around,”
natural resources, uneven economic and social development, environment , in its most basic meaning, is “that which surrounds.”
dissimilarity of demographic factors, varying view points of the When preceded by the and unmodified, it usually refers to the natural
governments and individuals towards environment etc. world (“please don’t litter if you care about the environment”). In a
less physical, more extended sense, it may signify the circumstances
Continuous and exceedingly increasing rate of rapacious exploitation and conditions that make up everyday life (‘He grew up in a loving
of natural resources, industrialization, technological growth, environment.”) The word may also be applied in highly specialized
unplanned urbanization and profit oriented capitalism by the ways, denoting, for example, “the position of a linguistic element”
developed western world are responsible for grave environmental (“how g gets pronounced in Italian depends upon its phonetic
crisis and ecological imbalance not confined to their own countries environment”) or “a computer interface from which various tasks can
but to the whole world. be performed” (“the app works in varied environments”).
The socialistic system of government gives more emphasis on the Environment is everything that is around us. It can be living or non-
social importance of natural resources and environmental problems living things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces.
and the urgent need to tackle, these problems. Marxism preaches to Living things live in their environment. They constantly interact with it
organize society’s control over the rapacious exploitation of natural and adapt themselves to conditions in their environment.
resources and to develop harmony between man and nature. The
emphasis on rational exploitation of natural resources and ecological Environment is the sum total of all surroundings of a living organism,
balance was in the constitution of USSR. including natural forces and other living things. Both biotic and abiotic
components form environment. These two components interact with
The changes in the relationship between man and environment each other and they are interdependent. The environment consists of
depend upon the change in organization and attitude of society. To the interactions among plants, animals, soil, water, temperature, light,
improve environmental standard and to maintain ecological balance, and other living and non-living things.
the followings are some issues before the present civilized society.
Environment Can Be Categorized as:
1. Rapid population explosion: Puts tremendous pressure on
the natural resources and environmental quality. This is due to the 1. Built Environment
fact that population growth leads to poverty which directly or 2. Natural Environment
indirectly declines the environmental standard.
3. Social Environment
Built Environment is change,” is attributed to him. This is the situation in the natural
world organisms inhabit. Organisms need to find ways to adapt to
The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings conditions that are gradually or suddenly different from pre-existing
that provide the setting for human activity. The built environment ones. If they don’t, they die. The types of adaptations are categorized
encompasses places and spaces created or modified by people by observable or measurable means, but genetic change is at the
including buildings, parks or green spaces, and supporting basis of all adaptations.
infrastructures, such as water supply, or energy networks,
transportation systems etc. Adaptations
Built environment is shaped by: Organisms, from microbes to plants and animals, inhabit
environments that can change to become drier, hotter, colder, more
1. Climate and geology acidic, darker and sunnier with an almost infinite number of variables.
2. Economy Organisms with genetic advantages, such as a mutation that helps
them survive the new conditions, pass down the change to
3. Government descendants, and it becomes prevalent in the population to be
expressed as an adaptation.
4. Culture and fashion
The three basic types of adaptations, based on how the genetic
5.Technology changes are expressed, are structural, physiological and behavioral
adaptations. Most organisms have combinations of all these types.
6. Customers
I - Structural
Natural Environment
An organism’s environment shapes its appearance through structural
The natural environment includes all living and non-living things
occurring naturally on Earth. Natural environment is often used as a adaptations. Desert foxes have large ears for heat radiation and
synonym for habitat. For instance, when we say that, the natural Arctic foxes have small ears to retain body heat. Seals have flippers
environment of giraffes is the savanna. to navigate water and raccoons have separate, flexible digits to
manipulate food. White polar bears blend into ice floes and spotted
Composition Natural Environment
jaguars into the speckled jungle shade. Trees may have corky bark to
1. The Lithosphere: The lithosphere is the rigid outermost protect from wildfires. Structural modifications affect organisms at
shell of a rocky planet definedon the basis of the mechanical different levels, from the way a knee is hinged to the presence of
properties. large flight muscles and sharp eyesight for predatory birds.

2. The Hydrosphere: The hydrosphere refers to the combined II-Physiological

mass of water found on,under, and over the surface of the planet.
Based on body chemistry and metabolism, physiological adaptations
Ocean, rivers, lakes, ponds and as a whole all the water body of the
usually don’t show from the outside. They consist of things like more
earth.
efficient kidneys for desert animals like kangaroo rats, compounds
3. The Atmosphere: The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of that prevent blood coagulation in mosquito saliva, or the presence of
gases surrounding the planetEarth that is retained by Earth’s gravity. toxins in plant leaves to repel herbivores. Laboratory studies that
The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar measure the contents of blood, urine and other body fluids, that trace
radiation, warming the surface through greenhouse effect, and metabolic pathways, or microscopic studies of an organism’s tissues
reducing temperature extremes between day and night. are often necessary to identify physiological adaptations. Sometimes
detecting them is difficult if there isn’t a common ancestor or a closely
4. The Biosphere: The biosphere is the global sum of all related species with which to compare findings.
ecosystems. It can also betermed the zone of life on Earth, a closed
system and largely self-regulating. The biosphere is the global III-Behavioral
ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships
Adaptations that affect how an organism acts are called behavioral
Social Environment adaptations. Bears hibernate to escape cold; birds and whales
migrate to warmer winter climates. Desert animals are active at night
The social environment refers to the immediate physical and social during hot summer weather. Lizards seek a sunny spot in the
setting in which people live or in which something happens or morning to warm up to operating temperatures more quickly. A
develops. It includes the culture that the individual was educated or nesting killdeer will pretend to be injured to lure a predator away from
lives in, and the people and institutions with whom they interact. The her young. Behavioral adaptations that involve mating procedures,
interaction may be in person or through communication media, even such as that exhibited by the Australian bowerbird, can be amazingly
anonymous or one-way and may not imply equality of social status. complex. Often behavioral adaptations take careful field and
Social environment includes culture, language, social condition, laboratory studies to bring them fully to light, and often involve
health, profession, living condition, economic capability of the people physiological mechanisms as well. Humans employ cultural
in a certain area adaptations as a subset of behavioral adaptations, where people who
live in a given environment learn ways of raising the food they need
The Three Types of Environmental Adaptations and coping with the particular given climate.
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus originated the theory that
things are constantly changing – and the saying, “The only constant
Some possible ways of tackling the problems and maintaining MA analyzed how Ecosystem Services and constituents of human
environmental standard well-being are interlinked. The MA research programme was
launched with support from the United Nations in 2001.
1. Taking effective measures for population control.
Coevolution and Coadaptation
2. Optimum use of natural resources.
The terms coevolution and coadaptation describe the never-ending
3. Conserving and protecting biodiversity. process of mutual adjustment and change between human social
4. Creating public awareness about the benefits and systems and the environment. People actions have consequences
implications of environment. on the environment. But also the environment influences human
activities. Human social systems have to adapt to their specific
5. Giving top priority for environmental protection. environment. Natural phenomena like storms, earthquakes force
people to react. These natural phenomena can either be directly or
6. Developing ecofriendly technological processes. not primarily caused by human actions and again influence human
behavior as people have to respond to a new situation.
7. Promoting sustainable agriculture which will not harm the
environment. Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response
8. Using bio-fertilizer or ecofriendly fertilizers. The Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model was
originally developed by the European Environmental
9. Using minimum amount of pesticides and insecticides.
Agency(EEA)and is used to assess and manage environmental
10. Developing waste land by adopting afforestation programs. problems. Many national and European institutions adopted this
conceptual framework. It identifies the various causal chains of links
11. Developing suitable biotechnology to clean up hazardous between human activities and environmental degradation. The model
wastes in theenvironment. distinguishes several categories of indicators in order to explain how
the state of the environment is changed due to human activities.
12. Choosing suitable technique to treat the pollutants before Human activities increase or mitigate pressure on the environment.
their discharge intoenvironment. The driving forces which initiate human activities are mainly socio-
Human-Environmental Interactions economic and sociocultural forces.

Human Environmental Interactions can be defined as interactions The following graphic explains the DPSIR process:
between the human social system and (the “rest” of) the ecosystem. Human impact on the environment or anthropogenic impact on the
Human social systems and ecosystems are complex adaptive environment includes changes to biophysical environments and
systems(Marten, 2001). Complex because ecosystems and human ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or
social systems have many parts and many connections between indirectly by humans, including global warming, environmental
these parts. Adaptive because they have feedback structures that degradation (such as ocean acidification),mass extinction and
promote survival in a constantly changing environment. biodiversity loss, ecological crises, and ecological collapse.

Human social system Modifying the environment to fit the needs of society is causing bad
effects, which become worse as the problem of human
In order to analyze Human Environmental Interactions it is important overpopulation continues. Some human activities that cause damage
to be aware of specific characteristics of the human social system. (either directly or indirectly) to the environment on a global scale
The type of society strongly influences people’s attitude towards include human reproduction, overconsumption, overexploitation,
nature, their behavior and therefore their impact on ecosystems. pollution, and deforestation, to name but a few. Some of the
Important characteristics of human social systems are population problems, including global warming and biodiversity loss pose an
size, social organization, values, technology, wealth, education, existential risk to the human race, and overpopulation causes those
knowledge and many more. Especially values and knowledge problems.
strongly influence peoples “view of life” and consequently define the
way people act. The choice of possible actions is then limited by the The term anthropogenic designates an effect or object resulting from
available technology. human activity. The term was first used in the technical sense by
Russian geologist Alexey Pavlov, and it was first used in English by
People modify the environment for their purposes and obtain benefits British ecologist Arthur Tansley in reference to human influences on
(Ecosystem Services) from it. These Ecosystem Services are climax plant communities. The atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen
essential for human wellbeing and include for example the provision introduced the term 《Anthropocene” in the mid-1970s. The term is
of resources like water, timber, food, energy, information, land for sometimes used in the context of pollution emissions that are
farming and many more. Obviously by using these resources people produced from human activity but also applies broadly to all major
affect the environment in a lot of ways. Furthermore people often human impacts on the environment. Causes
reorganize existing ecosystems to achieve new ones that seem to be
more effective in serving their needs. Human overpopulation

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment Human overpopulation & Effects of human overpopulation

David Attenborough described the level of human population on the
planet as a multiplier of all other environmental problems. In 2013,he
described humanity as «a plague on the Earth» that needs to be economy (i.e., order as manifested in buildings, factories,
controlled by limiting population growth. Some deep ecologists, such transportation networks, communication systems, etc.) only at the
as the radical thinker and polemicist Pentti Linkola, see human expense of increasing “disorder” in the environment. According to a
overpopulation as a threat to the entire biosphere. In 2017, over number of studies, increased entropy is likely to be correlated to
15,000 scientists around the world issued a second warning to negative environmental impacts.
humanity which asserted that rapid human population growth is the
«primary driver behind many ecological and even societal threats.》 Agriculture

Overconsumption Environmental impact of agriculture

Overconsumption is a situation where resource use has outpaced the The environmental impact of agriculture varies based on the wide
sustainable capacity of the ecosystem. A prolonged pattern of variety of agricultural practices employed around the world.
overconsumption leads to environmental degradation and the Ultimately, the environmental impact depends on the production
eventual loss of resource bases. practices of the system used by farmers. The connection between
emissions into the environment and the farming system is indirect, as
Humanity’s overall impact on the planet is affected by many factors it also depends on other climate variables such as rainfall and
besides the raw number of people. Their lifestyle (including overall temperature.
affluence and resource utilization and the pollution the generate
(including carbon footprint) are equally important. In 2008,The New There are two types of indicators of environmental impact: “means-
York Times stated that the inhabitants of the developed nations of the based”, which is based on the farmer’s production methods, and
world consume resources like oil and metals at a rate almost 32 “effect-based”, which is the impact that farming methods have on the
times greater than those of the developing world, who make up the farming system or on emissions to the environment. An example of a
majority of the human population. means-based indicator would be the quality of groundwater that is
affected by the amount of nitrogen applied to the soil. An indicator
The effects of overpopulation are compounded by overconsumption. reflecting the loss of nitrate to groundwater would be effect-based.
According to Paul R. Ehrlich: The environmental impact of agriculture involves a variety of factors
from the soil, to water, the air, animal and soil diversity, plants, and
Rich western countries are now siphoning up the planet’s resources the food itself. Some of the environmental issues that are related to
and destroying its ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. We want to agriculture are climate change, deforestation, genetic engineering,
build highways across the Serengeti to get more rare earth minerals irrigation problems, pollutants, soil degradation, and waste.
for our cellphones. We grab all the fish from the sea, wreck the coral
reefs and put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We have triggered Fishing - Environmental impact of fishing
a major extinction event. A world population of around a billion would
have an overall pro-life effect. This could be supported for many Fishing down the foodweb
millennia and sustain many more human lives in the long term The environmental impact of fishing can be divided into issues that
compared with our current uncontrolled growth and prospect of involve the availability of fish to be caught, such as overfishing,
sudden collapse. If everyone consumed resources at the US level sustainable fisheries, and fisheries management; and issues that
which is what the world aspires to you will need another four or five involve the impact of fishing on other elements of the environment,
Earths. We are wrecking our planet’s life support systems. Humanity such as by-catch and destruction of habitat such as coral reefs.
has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants.
The world’s chickens are triple the weight of all the wild birds, while These conservation issues are part of marine conservation, the world
domesticated cattle and pigs outweigh all wild mammals by 14 to 1. population grows.
Technology Similar to other environmental issues, there can be conflict between
the fishermen who depend on fishing for their livelihoods and fishery
The applications of technology often result in unavoidable and scientists who realize that if future fish populations are to be
unexpected environmental impacts, which according to the l = PAT sustainable then some fisheries must reduce or even chose.
equation is measured as resource use or pollution generated per unit
GDP. Environmental impacts caused by the application of technology The journal Science published a four-year study in November
are often perceived as unavoidable for several reasons. First, given 2006,which predicted that, at prevailing trends, the world would run
that the purpose of many technologies is to exploit, control, or out of wild-caught seafood in 2048.The scientists stated that the
otherwise “improve” upon nature for the perceived benefit of decline was a result of overfishing, pollution and other environmental
humanity while at the same time the myriad of processes in nature factors that were reducing the population of fisheries at the same
have been optimized and are continually adjusted by evolution, any time as their ecosystems were being degraded. Yet again the
disturbance of these natural processes by technology is likely to analysis has met criticism as being fundamentally flawed, and many
result in negative environmental consequences. Second, the fishery management officials, industry representatives and scientists
conservation of mass principle and the first law of thermodynamics challenge the findings, although the debate continues. Many
(i.e., conservation of energy) dictate that whenever material countries, such as Tonga, the United States, Australia and New
resources or energy are moved around or manipulated by Zealand, and international management bodies have taken steps to
technology, environmental consequences are inescapable. Third, appropriately manage marine resources.
according to the second law of thermodynamics, order can be
increased within a system (such as the human economy) only by Irrigation – Environmental impact of irrigation
increasing disorder or entropy outside the system (i.e.,the
The environmental impact of irrigation includes the changes in
environment). Thus, technologies can create “order” in the human
quantity and quality of soil and water as a result of irrigation and the
ensuing effects on natural and social conditions at the tail-end and erosion on non federal u land was estimate to be 10.7 t/ha on
downstream of the irrigation scheme. cropland and 1.9 t/ha on pasture land; the average soil erosion rate
on US cropland had been reduced by about 34% since 1982.!No-till
The impacts stem from the changed hydrological conditions owing to and low-till practices have become increasingly common on North
the installation and operation of the scheme. American cropland used for production of grains such as wheat and
An irrigation scheme often draws water from the river and distributes barley. On uncultivated cropland, the recent average total soil loss
it over the irrigated area. As a hydrological result it is found that: has been 2.2 t/ha per year. In comparison with agriculture using
conventional cultivation, it has been suggested that, because no-till
• The downstream river discharge is reduced agriculture produces erosion rates much closer to soil production
rates, it could provide a foundation for sustainable agriculture.
• The evaporation in the scheme is increased
Meat production – Environmental impact of meat production
• The groundwater recharge in the scheme is increased •
The level of the water table rises • The drainage flow is increased. Environmental impacts associated with meat production include use
of fossil energy, water and land resources, greenhouse gas
These may be called direct effects. emissions, and in some instances, rainforest clearing, water pollution
and species endangerment, among other adverse effects. Steinfeld
Effects on soil and water quality are indirect and complex, and
et al. of the FAO estimated that 18% of global anthropogenic GHG
subsequent impacts on natural, ecological and socio. Economic
(greenhouse gas) emissions (estimated as 100-year carbon dioxide
conditions are intricate. In some, but not all instances, water logging
equivalents) are associated in some way with livestock production. A
and soil salinization can result. However, irrigation can also be used,
more recent FAO analysis estimated that all agriculture, including the
together with soil drainage, to overcome soil salinization by leaching
livestock sector, in 2011 accounted for 12% of global anthropogenic
excess salts from the vicinity of the root zone. Irrigation can also be
GHG emissions expressed as 100-year carbon dioxide equivalents.
done extracting groundwater by (tube)wells. As a hydrological result
Similarly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has
it is found that the level of the water descends. The effects may be
estimated that about 10 to 12% of global anthropogenic GHG
water mining, land/soil subsidence, and, along the coast, saltwater
emissions (expressed as 100-year carbon dioxide equivalents) were
intrusion.
assignable to all of agriculture, including the livestock sector, in 2005
Irrigation projects can have large benefits, but the negative side and again in 2010. The percentage assignable to livestock would be
effects are often overlooked. Agricultural irrigation technologies such some fraction of the percentage for agriculture. The amount
as high powered water pumps, dams, and pipelines are responsible assignable to meat production would be some fraction of that
for the large-scale depletion of fresh water resources such as assigned to livestock. FAO data indicate that meat accounted for
aquifers, lakes, and rivers. As a result of this massive diversion of 26% of global livestock product tonnage in 2011.However, many
freshwater, lakes, rivers, and creeks are running dry, severely altering estimates use different sectoral assignment of some emissions.
or stressing surrounding ecosystems, and contributing to the Environmental specialists Jeff Anhang and Robert Goodland with the
extinction of many aquatic species. IFC and World Bank have put the GHG associated with livestock at
51%,pointing out the have put the GHG associated with livestock at
Agricultural land loss and soil erosion 51%, pointing out the FAO report failed to account for the 8,769
metric tons of respiratory CO2 produced each year, under counted
Lal and Stewart estimated global loss of agricultural land by methane production and land use associated with livestock, and
degradation and abandonment at 12 million hectares per year. In failed to properly categorize emissions related to the slaughtering,
contrast, according to Scherr, GLASOD (Global Assessment of processing, packaging, storing and transporting of animals and
Human-Induced Soil Degradation, under the UN Environment animal products.
Programme) estimated that 6 million hectares of agricultural land per
year had been lost to soil degradation since the mid-1940s, and she Globally, enteric fermentation (mostly in ruminant livestock) accounts
noted that this magnitude is similar to earlier estimates by Dudal and for about 27% of anthropogenic methane emissions, Despite
by Rozanov et al. Such losses are attributable not only to soil methane’s 100-year global warming potential, recently estimated at
erosion, but also to salinization, loss of nutrients and organic matter, 28 without and 34 with climate carbon feedbacks, methane emission
acidification, compaction, water logging and subsidence! Human- is currently contributing relatively little to global warming. Over the
induced land degradation tends to be particularly serious in dry decade 2000 through 2009, atmospheric methane content increased
regions. Focusing on soil properties, Oldeman estimated that about by an average of only 6 Tg per year (because nearly all natural and
19 million square kilometers of global land area had been degraded; anthropogenic methane emission was offset by degradation), while
Dregne and Chou, who included degradation of vegetation cover as atmospheric carbon dioxide increased by nearly 15,000 Tg per year.
well as soil, estimated about 36 million square kilometers degraded At the currently estimated rate of methane degradation, slight
in the world’s dry regions. Despite estimated losses of agricultural reduction of anthropogenic methane emissions, to about 98% of that
land, the amount of arable land used in crop production globally decade’s average, would be expected to result in no further increase
increased by about 9% from 1961 to 2012, and is estimated to have of atmospheric methane content. Although reduction of methane
been 1.396 billion hectares in 2012. emissions would have a rapid effect on warming, the expected effect
would be small. Other anthropogenic GHG emissions associated with
Global average soil erosion rates are thought to be high, and erosion livestock production include carbon dioxide from fossil fuel
rates on conventional cropland generally exceed estimates of soil consumption (mostly for production, harvesting and transport of
production rates, usually by more than an order based, and feed), and nitrous oxide emissions associated with use of
estimation uses the Universal Soil Loss Equation and Wind Erosion nitrogenous fertilizers, growing of nitrogen-fixing legume vegetation
Equation. For 2010,annual average soil loss by sheet ill and wind and manure management. Management practices that can mitigate
GHG emissions from production of livestock and feed have been Coal mining and burning - Environmental impact of coal mining and
identified. burning
Palm oil The environmental impact of coal mining and- burning is diverse.
Legislation passed by the US Congress in 1990 required the United
Palm oil, produced from the oil palm, is a basic source of income for States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a plan to
many farmers in Southeast Asia, Central and West Africa, and alleviate toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants. After delay
Central America. It is locally used as a cooking oil, exported for use and litigation, the EPA now has a court-imposed deadline of March
in many commercial food and personal care products and is 16, 2011, to issue its report.
converted into biofuel. It produces up to 10 times more oil per unit
area as soyabeans, rapeseed or sunflowers. Oil palms produce 38% Electricity generation – Environmental impact of electricity generation
of vegetable oil output on 5% of the world’s vegetable-oil farmland.
Palm oil is under increasing scrutiny in relation to its effects on the The environmental impact of electricity generation is significant
environment. because modern society uses large amounts of electrical power. This
power is normally generated at power plants that convert some other
Introductions and invasive species kind of energy into electricity. Each such system has advantages and
disadvantages, but many of them pose environmental concerns.
Introductions of species, particularly plants into new areas, by
whatever means and for whatever reasons have brought about major Nuclear power – Environmental impact of nuclear power
and permanent changes to the environment over large areas.
Examples include the introduction of Caulerpa taxifolia into the The environmental impact of nuclear power results from the nuclear
Mediterranean, the introduction of oat species into the California fuel cycle processes including mining, processing, transporting and
grasslands, and the introduction of privet, kudzu, and purple storing fuel and radioactive fuel waste. Released radioisotopes pose
loosestrife to North America. Rats, cats, and goats have radically a health danger to human populations, animals and plants as
altered biodiversity in many islands. Additionally, introductions have radioactive particles enter organisms through various transmission
resulted in genetic changes to native fauna where interbreeding has routes.
taken place, as with buffalo with domestic cattle, and wolves with Radiation is a carcinogen and causes numerous effects on living
domestic dogs. Energy industry- Environmental impact of the energy organisms and systems. The environmental impacts of nuclear power
industry plant disasters such as the Chernobyl disaster the Fukushima Daiichi
The environmental impact of energy harvesting and consumption is nuclear disaster and the Three Mile Island accident, among others,
diverse. In recent years there has been a trend towards the persist indefinitely, though several other factors contributed to these
increased commercialization of various renewable energy sources. events including improper management of fail safe systems and
natural disasters putting uncommon stress on the generators. The
In the real world, consumption of fossil fuel resources leads to global radioactive decay rate of particles varies greatly, dependent upon the
warming and climate change. However, little change is being made in nuclear properties of a particular isotope. Radioactive Plutonium-244
many parts of the world. If the peak oil theory proves true, more has a half-life of 80.8 million years, which indicates the time duration
explorations of viable alternative energy sources, could be more required for half of a given sample to decay, though very little
friendly to the environment. plutonium-244 is produced in the nuclear fuel cycle and lower half-life
materials have lower activity thus giving off less dangerous radiation.
Rapidly advancing technologies can achieve a transition of energy
generation, water and waste management, and food production Oil shale industry- Environmental impact of the oil shale industry
towards better environmental and energy usage practices using
methods of systems ecology and industrial ecology. The environmental impact of the oil shale industry includes and water
and air pollution caused by the extraction and processing of oil shale.
Biodiesel-Environmental impact of biodiesel Surface mining of oil shale deposits causes the usual environmental
impacts of open-pit mining. In additions the combustion and thermal
The environmental impact of biodiesel includes energy use, processing generate waste material, which must be disposed of, and
greenhouse gas emissions and some other kinds of pollution. A joint harmful atmospheric emissions, including carbon dioxide, a major
life cycle analysis by the US Department of Agriculture and the US greenhouse gas. Experimental in-situ conversion processes and
Department of Energy found that substituting 100% biodiesel for carbon capture and storage technologies may reduce some of these
petroleum diesel in buses reduced life cycle consumption of concerns in future, but may raise others, such as the pollution of
petroleum by 95%. Biodiesel reduced net emissions of carbon groundwater.
dioxide by 78.45%, compared with petroleum diesel. In urban buses,
biodiesel reduced particulate emissions 32 percent, carbon monoxide Petroleum- Environmental impact of petroleum
emissions 35 percent, and emissions of sulfur oxides 8%, relative to
life cycle emissions associated with use of petroleum diesel. Life The environmental impact of petroleum is often negative because it
cycle emissions of hydrocarbons were 35% higher and emission of is toxic to almost all forms of life. Petroleum, a common word for oil
various nitrogen oxides (NOx)were 13.5% higher with biodiesel. Life or natural gas, is closely linked to virtually all aspects of present
cycle analyses by the Argonne National Laboratory have indicated society, especially for transportation and heating for both homes and
reduced fossil energy use and reduced greenhouse gas emissions for commercial activities.
with biodiesel, compared with petroleum diesel use. Biodiesel Reservoirs – Environmental impact of reservoirs
derived from various vegetable oils (e.g. canola or Soybean oil), is
readily biodegradable in the environment compared with petroleum
diesel.
The environmental impact of reservoirs is coming under ever Nanotechnology- Nanotechnology’s environmental impact can be
increasing scrutiny as the world demand for water and energy split into two aspects: the potential for nanotechnological innovations
increases and the number and size of reservoirs increases. to help improve the environment, and the possibly novel type of
pollution that nanotechnological materials might cause if released
Dams and the reservoirs can be used to supply drinking water, into the environment. As nanotechnology is an emerging field, there
generate hydroelectric power, increasing the water supply for is great debate regarding to what extent industrial and commercial
irrigation, provide recreational opportunities and flood control. use of nanomaterials will affect organisms and ecosystems.
However, adverse environmental and sociological impacts have also
been identified during and after many reservoir constructions. (“nanotech”) is manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and
supramolecular scale. The earliest, widespread description of
Although the impact varies greatly between different dams and nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal of
reservoirs, common criticisms include preventing sea-run fish from precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabrication of
reaching their historical mating grounds, less access to water macroscale products, also now referred to as molecular
downstream, and a smaller catch for fishing communities in the area. nanotechnology.
Advances in technology have provided solutions to many negative
impacts of dams but these advances are often not viewed as worth Paint- The environmental impact of paint is diverse. Traditional
investing in if not required by law or under the threat of fines. painting materials and processes can have harmful effects on the
Whether reservoir projects are ultimately beneficial or detrimental-to environment, including those from the use of lead and other
both the environment and surrounding human populations-has been additives. Measures can be taken to reduce environmental impact,
debated since the 1960s and probably long before that. In 1960 the including accurately estimating paint quantities so that wastage is
construction of Llyn Celynand the flooding of Capel Celyn provoked minimized, use of paints, coatings, painting accessories and
political uproar which continues to this day. More recently the co- techniques that are environmentally preferred. The United States
nstruction of Three Gorges Dam and other similar project throughout Environmental Protection Agency guidelines and Green Star ratings
Asia, Africa, and Latin America have generated considerable are some of the standards that can be applied.
environmental and political debate.
Paper- Environmental impact of paper
Wind power- Environmental impact of wind power
The environmental impact of paper is significant, which has led to
Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources, changes in industry and behavior at both business and personal
the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor. Wind levels. With the use of modern technology such as the printing press
powered electricity generation consumes no fuel, and emits no air and the highly mechanized harvesting of wood, paper has become a
pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to cheap commodity. This has led to a high level of consumption and
manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power waste. With the rise in environmental awareness due to the lobbying
plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few by environmental organizations and with increased government
months. While a wind farm may cover a large area of land, many regulation there is now a trend towards sustainability in the pulp and
land uses such as agriculture are compatible, with only small areas paper industry.
of turbine foundations and infrastructure made unavailable for use.
There are reports of bird and bat mortality at wind turbines, as there Plastics- Plastic § Environmental effects
are around other artificial structures. The scale of the ecological Some scientists suggest that by 2050 there could be more plastic
impact mayor may not be significant, depending on specific than fish in the oceans.
circumstances. Prevention and mitigation of wildlife fatalities, and
protection of peat bogs, affect the siting and operation of wind Pesticides-_The environmental impact of pesticides is often greater
turbines. than what is intended by those who use them. Over 98% of sprayed
insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than
There are conflicting reports about the effects of noise on people who their target species, including non-target species, air, water, bottom
live very close to a wind turbine. sediments, and food. Pesticide contaminates land and water when it
Light pollution – Ecological light pollution escapes from production sites and storage tanks, when it runs off
from fields, when it is discarded, when it is sprayed aerially, and
Artificial light at night is one of the most obvious physical changes when it is sprayed into water to kill algae. The amount of pesticide
that humans have made to the biosphere, and is the easiest form of that migrates from the intended application area is influenced by the
pollution to observe from space. The main environmental impacts of particular chemical’s properties: its propensity for binding to soil, its
artificial light are due to light’s use as an information source (rather vapor pressure, its water solubility, and its resistance to being broken
than an energy source). The hunting efficiency of visual predators down over time. Factors in the soil, such as its texture, its ability to
generally increases under artificial light, changing predator prey retain water, and the amount of organic matter contained in it, also
interactions. Artificial light also affects dispersal, orientation, affect the amount of pesticide that will leave the area. Some
migration, and hormone levels, resulting in disrupted circadian pesticides contribute to global warming and the depletion of the
rhythms. ozone layer.
Manufactured products Pharmaceuticals and personal care products– Environmental impact
of pharmaceuticals and personal care products
Cleaning agents – Environmental impact of cleaning agents
The environmental impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care
The environmental impact of cleaning agents is diverse. In recent products (PPCPs) is largely speculative. PPCPs are substances
years, measures have been taken to reduce these effects. used by individuals for personal health or cosmetic reasons and the
products used by agribusiness to boost growth or health of livestock. Shipping- The environmental impact of shipping includes greenhouse
PPCPs have been detected in water bodies throughout the world. gas emissions and oil pollution. In 2007, carbon dioxide emissions
The effects of these chemicals on humans and the environment are from shipping were estimated at 4 to 5% of the global total, and
not yet known, but to date there is no scientific evidence that they estimated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to rise by
affect human health. up to 72% by 2020 if no action is taken. There is also a potential for
introducing invasive species into new areas through shipping, usually
Mining- Environmental impact of mining by attaching themselves to the ship>s hull.
The environmental impact of mining includes erosion, formation of The First Intersessional Meeting of the IMO Working Group on
sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships took place in Oslo, Norway
and surface water by chemicals from mining processes. In some on 23-27 June 2008. It was tasked with developing the technical
cases, additional forest logging is done in the vicinity of mines to basis for the reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future
increase the available room for the storage of the created debris and IMO regime to control greenhouse gas emissions from international
soil. Besides creating environmental damage, the contamination shipping, and a draft of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves,
resulting from leakage of chemicals also affect the health of the local for further consideration by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection
population. Mining companies in some countries are required to Committee (MEPC).
follow environmental and rehabilitation codes, ensuring the area
mined is returned to close to its original state. Some mining methods Military- General military spending and military activities have marked
may have significant environmental and public health effects. environmental effects. The United States military is considered one of
the worst polluters in the world, responsible for over 39,000 sites
Transport- Environmental impact of transport contaminated with hazardous materials. Several studies have also
The environmental impact of transport is significant because it is a found a strong positive correlation between higher military spending
major user of energy, and burns most of the world’s petroleum. This and higher carbon emissions where increased military spending has
creates air pollution, including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a larger effect on increasing carbon emissions in the Global North
a significant contributor to global warming through emission of than in the Global South. Military activities also affect land use and
carbon dioxide, for which transport is the fastest-growing emission are extremely resource-intensive. The military does not solely have
sector. By subsector, road transport is the largest contributor to negative effects on the environment. There are several examples of
global warming. Environmental regulations in developed countries militaries aiding in land management, conservation, and greening of
have reduced the individual vehicles emission; however, this has an area. Additionally, certain military technologies have proven
been offset by an increase in the number of vehicles, and more use extremely helpful for conservationists and environmental scientists.
of each vehicle. Some pathways to reduce the carbon emissions of War- Environmental impact of war
road vehicles considerably have been studied. Energy use and
emissions vary largely between modes, causing environmentalists to As well as the cost to human life and society, there is a significant
call for a transition from air and road to rail and human-powered environmental impact of war. Scorched earth methods during, or after
transport, and increase transport electrification and energy efficiency. war have been in use for much of recorded history but with modern
technology war can cause a far greater devastation on the
Aviation- Environmental impact of aviation environment. Unexploded ordnance can render land unusable for
The environmental impact of aviation occurs because aircraft further use or make access across it dangerous or fatal.
engines emit noise, particulates, and gases which contribute to Environmental degradation effects - Environmental degradation
climate change and global dimming. Despite emission reductions
from automobiles and more fuel-efficient and less polluting turbofan Human activity is causing environmental degradation, which is the
and turboprop engines, the rapid growth of air travel in recent years deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such
contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation. In as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat
the EU, greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87% destruction; the extinction of wildlife; and pollution. It is defined as
between 1990 and 2006. Among other factors leading to this any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be
phenomenon are the increasing number of hypermobile travellers deleterious or undesirable. As indicated by the l=PAT equation,
and social factors that are making air travel commonplace, such as environmental impact (I) or degradation is caused by the combination
frequent flyer programs. There is an ongoing debate about possible of an already very large and increasing human population (P),
taxation of air travel and the inclusion of aviation in an emissions continually increasing economic growth or per capita affluence (A),
trading scheme, with a view to ensuring that the total external costs and the application of resource-depleting and polluting technology(T).
of aviation are taken into account. Mass extinction, defaunation, and decline in biodiversity
Roads – Environmental impact of roads Ecological collapse
The environmental impact of roads includes the local effects of Biodiversity generally refers to the variety and variability of Life on
highways (public roads) such as on noise, light pollution, water Earth, and is represented by the number of different species there
pollution, habitat destruction/disturbance and local air quality; and the are on the planet. Since its introduction,Homo sapiens (the human
wider effects including climate change from vehicle emissions. The species) has been killing off entire species either directly (such as
design, construction and management of roads, parking and other through hunting) or indirectly (such as by destroying Habitats),
related facilities as well as the design and regulation of vehicles can causing the extinction of species at an alarming rate. Humans are the
change the impacts to varying degrees. cause of the current mass extinction, called the normal background
rate. The Holocene extinction, driving extinctions to 100 to 1000
times
Though most experts agree that human beings have accelerated the Global warming- Runaway climate change
rate of species extinction, some scholars have postulated without
humans, the biodiversity of the Earth would grow at an exponential Global warming is the result of increasing atmospheric carbon
rate rather than decline. dioxide concentrations which is caused primarily by the combustion
of fossil energy sources such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas,
The Holocene extinction continues, with meat consumption, and to an unknown extent by destruction of forests, increased
overfishing, ocean acidification and the amphibian crisis being a few methane, volcanic activity and cement production. Such massive
broader examples of an almost universal, cosmopolitan decline in alteration of the global carbon cycle has only been possible because
biodiversity. Human overpopulation (and continued population of the availability and deployment of advanced technologies, ranging
growth) along with profligate consumption are considered to be the in application from fossil fuel exploration, extraction, distribution,
primary drivers of this rapid decline. A 2017 statement by 15,364 refining, and combustion in power plants and automobile engines
scientists from 184 countries warned that, among other things, this and advanced farming practices. Livestock contributes to climate
sixth extinction event unleashed by humanity could annihilate many change both through the production of greenhouse gases and
current life forms and consign them to extinction by the end of this through destruction of carbon sinks such as rain-forests. According to
century. the 2006 United Nations/FAO report,18% of all greenhouse gas
emissions found in the atmosphere are due to livestock. The raising
Defaunation is the loss of animals from ecological communities. of livestock and the land needed to feed them has resulted in the
It is estimated that more than 50 percent of all wildlife has been lost destruction millions of acres of Rainforest and as global demand for
in the last 40 years. It is estimated that by 2020, 68% of the world’s meat rises, so too will the demand for land. Ninety-one percent of all
wildlife will be lost. In South America, there is believed to be a 70 rainforest land deforested since 190 I now used for livestock.
percent loss. A May 2018 study published in PNAS found that 83% of Potential negative environmental impacts caused by increasing
wild mammals, 80% of marine mammals, 50% of plants and 15% of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are rising global air
fish have been lost since the dawn of human civilization. Currently, temperatures, altered hydrogeological cycles resulting in more
livestock make up 60% of all mammals on earth, followed by humans frequent and severe droughts, storms, and flóods, as well as sea
(36%) and wild mammals (4%). level rise and ecosystem disruption.

Death of coral reefs – Human impact on coral reefs Habitat destruction-

Because of human overpopulation, coral reefs are dying around the A habitat is the natural place where plants, animals, or other
world. In particular, coral mining, pollution (organic and non-organic), organisms live; it is where they call home. This is the living area
overfishing, blast fishing and the digging of canals and access into necessary for an ecosystem to remain healthy. Destruction means to
islands and bays are serious threats to these ecosystems. Coral change something so much that it can no longer exist as it once was.
reefs also face high dangers from pollution, diseases, destructive So, when we put the two definitions together we get: habitat +
fishing practices and warming oceans. In order to find answers for destruction = a home to species that has been changed to the point it
these problems, researchers study the various factors that impact no longer exists.
reefs. The list of factors is long, including the ocean’s role as a Habitat destruction occurs when enough change has happened to an
carbon dioxide sink, atmospheric changes, ultraviolet light, ocean area that it can no longer support the natural wildlife. This change
acidification, biological virus, impacts of dust storms carrying agents can actually be in many forms, including destruction, fragmentation,
to far flung reefs, pollutants, algal blooms and others. Reefs are and degradation. But no matter how it happens, the plants, animals,
threatened well beyond coastal areas. and other organisms whose habitat has been destroyed no longer
General estimates show approximately 10% world’s coral reefs are have a home.
already dead. It is estimated that about 60% of the world’s reefs are Another important term to know is ecosystem. An ecosystem is a
at risk due to destructive, humanrelated activities. The threat to the group of species that interact with each other in a living area. This
health of reefs is particularly strong in Southeast Asia, where 80% of living area is necessary for their survival as a healthy ecosystem.
reefs are endangered. This lesson describes types, causes, and effects of destroying this
Decline in amphibian populations living area.

The decline in amphibian populations is an ongoing mass extinction Types of Habitat Destruction
of amphibian species worldwide. Since the 1980s, decreases in There are different types of habitat destruction that can occur. Three
amphibian populations, including population crashes and mass main types are actual destruction, fragmentation, and degradation.
localized extinctions, have been observed in locations all over the All three types of habitat destruction can be just as lethal. Some take
world. These declines are known as one of the most critical threats to longer to completely destroy a habitat and some destroy the habitat
global biodiversity, and several causes are believed to be involved, instantly. In this lesson, you will learn about what causes these
including disease, habitat destruction and modification, exploitation, different types of habitat destruction.
pollution, pesticide use, introduced species, and ultraviolet-B
radiation (UV-B). However, many of the causes of amphibian Causes of Habitat Destruction
declines are still poorly understood, and the topic is currently a
subject of much ongoing research. Calculations based on extinction Picture a bulldozer pushing its way through the woods, creating flat
rates suggest that the current extinction rate of amphibians could be open land so that a wooded area can be turned into a subdivision or
211 times greater than the background extinction rate and the office building. As the bulldozer is knocking down trees, it is also
estimate goes up to 25,000-45,000 times if endangered species are crushing grasses and packing the ground super tight. The bulldozer
also included in the computation. is not only killing the trees and other plants that it is running over, but
it is killing the living area of multiple species. This is just one example
of habitat destruction, known simply as destruction. Destruction is
instant and the species have little to no time to adapt. The animals Although CO2 gas naturally moves between the atmosphere and the
must move if they are to survive at all. Plants must adapt to the newly oceans, the increased amounts of CO2 gas emitted into the
compacted land or find a way to disperse their seeds elsewhere. atmosphere, mainly as a result of human activities (e.g. burning fossil
fuels), has been increasing the amount of CO2 absorbed by the
Another example of instant destruction to habitats is when humans fill ocean, which results in seawater that is more acidic
in wetlands. We fill in wetlands usually to construct other buildings,
such as work spaces or houses. Sometimes it is the law that if you Ozone depletion-is the reduction of the protective layer of ozone in
are filling in a wetland in one area, then you must create a new the Stratosphere by chemical pollution. In the stratosphere, small
wetland area somewhere else. However, wetlands are home to some amounts of ozone are constantly being made by the action of
of the most diverse ecosystems and many species are destroyed in sunlight on oxygen. At the same time, natural processes are breaking
this process. Mowing fields and cutting trees are other examples of down ozone. The total amount of ozone usually stays constant
instant habitat destruction. because its formation and destruction occur at about the same rate.
Human activity has recently changed that natural balance. Certain
Land degradation manufactured substances (such as chlorofluorocarbons and hydro
chlorofluorocarbons) can destroy stratospheric ozone much faster
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical than it is formed.
environment is affected by a combination of human-induced
processes acting upon the land. It is viewed as any change or Each year since the late 1970s, much of the protective layer of
disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. stratospheric ozone above Antarctica has disappeared during
Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities September, creating what is popularly known as the ozone hole. The
can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires. Antarctic hole now measures about 9 million square miles, nearly the
size of North America. With less ozone in the atmosphere, more
This is considered to be an important topic of the 21st century due to ultraviolet radiation strikes earth, causing more skin cancer, eye
the implications land degradation has upon agronomic productivity, damage, and possible harm to crops.
the environment, and its effects on food security. It is estimated that
up to 40% of the world>s agricultural land is seriously degraded. Water degradation- is the misuse and also the pollution of water
supplies. Often, individuals throughout the world have to deal with
Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry either limited water supplies, or polluted water, often causes by
area of land becomes a desert, typically losing its bodies of water as human actions.
well as vegetation and wildlife. It is caused by a variety of factors,
such as through climate change (particularly the current global Disruption of the nitrogen cycle– More and more, scientists are
warming) and through the overexploitation of soil through human getting a better grip on the nitrogen cycle. They are learning about
activity. When deserts appear automatically over the natural course sources of nitrogen and how this element changes as it loops from
of a planets life cycle, then it can be called a natural phenomenon; the nonliving, such as the atmosphere, soil or water, to the living,
however, when deserts emerge due to the rampant and unchecked whether plants or animals. Scientists have determined that humans
depletion of nutrients in soil that are essential for it to remain arable, are disrupting the nitrogen cycle by altering the amount of nitrogen
then a virtual «soil death» can be spoken of, which traces its cause that is stored in the biosphere.
back to human overexploitation. Desertification is a significant global
ecological and environmental problem with far reaching Human impact on the nitrogen cycle- Of particular concern is
consequences on socio-economic and political conditions N2O,which has an average atmospheric lifetime of 114-120 years,
and is 300 times more effective than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. NOx
Temporary Drought or Permanent Desert? produced by industrial processes, automobiles and agricultural
fertilization and NH3 emitted from soils (i.e., as an additional
Desertification. The word invokes images of sand dunes blowing over byproduct of nitrification) and livestock operations are transported to
abandoned farms as some irresistible, dark force steadily transforms, downwind ecosystems, influencing N cycling and nutrient losses. Six
fertile fields into inhospitable wasteland. The United Nations’ official major effects of NOx and NH3 emissions have been identified:
definition says desertification is land degradation in typically dry decreased atmospheric visibility due to ammonium aerosols (fine
areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and particulate matter [PM])
human activities. But for Prince and many other scientists studying 1.elevated ozone concentrations
desertification, this definition is too broad. “The definition
encompasses things like drought, overgrazing, and inadvisable 2. ozone and PM affects human health (e.g. respiratory
cropping,” says Prince. All of these conditions do suppress the ability diseases, cancer)
of the land to support plant growth. “But if it starts to rain and
vegetation returns, what do you call it?” Is the land still desertified? 3. increases in radiative forcing and global climate change 4.
decreased agricultural productivity due to ozone deposition
Ocean acidification
5. ecosystem acidification and eutrophication.
Ocean Acidification (OA) is a term used to describe significant
changes to the chemistry of the ocean. It occurs when carbon dioxide Effects on human health- Human impacts upon the environment,
gas (or CO2) is absorbed by the ocean and reacts with seawater to such as pollution and global warming, in turn affect human health.
produce acid. Effects of global warming on human health
This is an alphabetical list of environmental issues, harmful aspects d. Industrialisation
of human activity on the biophysical environment. As such, they
relate to the anthropogenic effects on the natural environment, which e. |= PAT (equation, environmental impact (1) or degradation
are loosely divided into causes, effects and mitigation, noting that is caused bythe combination of an already very large and increasing
effects are interconnected and can cause new effects. human population (P), continually increasing economic growth or per
capita affluence(A), and the application of resource-depleting and
1. Human overpopulation- polluting technology(T).) f. Land degradation
a. Biocapacity g. Land reclamation
b. Carrying capacity h. Optimum population
c. Exploitation i. Overshoot (population)
j. Population density i. Pesticide drift 7. Nuclear issues-
k. Population dynamics j. Plasticulture a. Nuclear fallout
I. Population growth k. Slash and burn b. Nuclear meltdown
m. Projections of population growth l. Tile drainage c. Nuclear power
n. Total fertility rate 4. Land use- d. Nuclear weapons
o. Urbanization a. Built environment e. Nuclear and radiation accidents
p. Waste b. Desertification f. Nuclear safety
q. Water conflict c. Habitat fragmentation g. High-level radioactive waste
management
r. Water scarcity d. Habitat destruction
8. Ocean trash Effects 1. Climate change-
s. Overdrafting e. Land degradation
a. Global warming
2. Hydrology- is the science that f. Land pollution
encompasses the occurrence, distribution, b. Global dimming
movement and properties of the waters of g. Lawn-environmental concerns
the earth and their relationship with the c. Fossil fuels
h. Trail ethics
environment within each phase of the d. Sea level rise
hydrologic cycle. i. Urban heat island
e. Greenhouse gas
a. Environmental impacts of j. Urban sprawl
reservoirs f. Ocean acidification
5. Nanotechnology-
b. Tile drainage Nanotechnology offers the potential for g. Shutdown of thermohaline
new and faster kinds of computers, more circulation
c. Hydrology (agriculture) efficient power sources and life-saving
medical treatments. Potential h. Environmental impact of the coal
d. Flooding industry
disadvantages include economic
e. Landslide disruption and possible threats to security, i. Urban Heat Islands
privacy, health and the environment.
3. Intensive farming- j. Flooding
6. Natural disasters- A natural
a. Agricultural subsidy disaster is a major adverse event resulting 2. Environmental degradation-
b. Environmental effects of meat from natural processes of the Earth;
a. Habitat destruction
production a. floods,
b. Invasive species
c. Intensive animal farming b. hurricanes,
3. Environmental health-
d. Intensive crop farming c. tornadoes,
a. Air quality
e. Irrigation d. volcanic eruptions,
b. Asthma
f. Monoculture e. earthquakes,
c. Birth defect
g. Nutrient pollution f. tsunamis,
d. Developmental disability
h. Overgrazing g. other geologic processes.
e. endocrine disruptors
f. Environmental impact of the coal d. Gender Imbalance in Developing  Exploitation of natural resources
industry Countries
 Overdrafting(groundwater)
g. Environmental impact of e. Sub-replacement fertility levels
nanotechnology in developed countries  Overexploitation

h. Electromagnetic 7. Mutation breeding- Genetic pollution Consumerism-

field·Electromagnetic radiation and health  Consumer capitalism
8. Synthetic biology- Synthetic biology is
i. Indoor air quality the design and construction of new  Planned obsolescence
biological entities such as enzymes,
j. Lead poisoning genetic circuits, and cells or the redesign  Over-consumption Fishing-
k. LeukemiaI. Nanotoxicology of existing biological systems.
 Blast fishing
m. Nature deficit disorder 9. Genetically modified food-
 Bottom trawling
n. One Health a. Genetically modified crops-
 Cyanide fishing
o. Sick Building Syndrome b. Genetically modified livestock
 Ghost nets
p. Environmental impact of 10. Pollution-
 lllegal, unreported and
hydraulic fracturing a. Nonpoint source pollution unregulated fishing
4. Environmental issues with energy- b. Point source pollution  Overfishing
a. Environmental impact of the coal i. Air pollution- Environmental impact of the  Shark finning
industry coal industry • Environmental impact of
hydraulic fracturing•Indoor air quality •  Whaling
b. Environmental impact of the
energy industry Smog • Tropospheric ozone • Volatile
Logging-
organic compound Atmospheric particulate
c. Environmental impact of matter CFC • Biological effects of UV  Clearcutting
hydraulic fracturing exposure ii. Light pollution • Visual
pollution iii. Noise pollution  Deforestation
5. Environmental issues with war
iv. Soil pollution-Alkali soil •  Lllegal logging
a. Agent Orange Brownfield • Residual Sodium
Mining-
CarbonateIndex • Soil conservation • Soil
b. Depleted Uranium
erosion • Soil contamination • Soil  Acid mine drainage
c. Military Superfund site (Category salination • Superfund • Superfund sites
only)  Environmental impact of
v. Water pollution- Acid rain • hydraulic fracturing
d. Scorched earth Agricultural runoff·Algal
bloom·Environmentalimpact of the coal  Mountaintop removal mining
e. War and environmental law industry·Environmental impact of hydraulic
fracturing·Eutrophication·Fish  Slurry impoundments Water
f. Unexploded ordnance (depletion)-
kill·Groundwater pollution·Groundwater
6. Overpopulation- recharge·Marine debris·Marine  Anoxic waters
pollution·Mercury in
a. Burial fish·Microplastics·Nutrient pollution·Ocean  Aral Sea
acidification·Ocean dumping·Oil
b. Overpopulation in companion spills·Soda lake·Ship pollution·Thermal  California Water Wars
animals pollution·Urban runoff·Wastewater vi.  Dead Sea
c. Tragedy of the commons Space debris·Interplanetary contamination
*Ozone depletion  Lake Chad
Resource depletion-  Water scarcity
• Toxicants- Agent Orange • Asbestos • Beryllium • • Waste- Electronic waste • Great Pacific Garbage Patch •
Bioaccumulation • Biomagnification • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) • lllegal dumping • Incineration • Litter • Waste disposal incidents •
Cyanide • DDT • Endocrine disruptors • Explosives • Environmental Marine debris • Medical waste •
impact of the coal industry • Herbicides • Hydrocarbons • Per-
chlorate • Pesticides • Persistent organic pollutant • PBBs • Landfill • Leachate • Toxic waste • Environmental impact of the coal
industry • Exporting of hazardous waste
PBDEs • Toxic heavy metals • PCB• Dioxin• Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons • Radioactive contamination • Volatile organic Mitigation Conservation
compounds
1. Ecosystems- Anoxic waters • Biodiversity • Biosecurity • proactive steps to reduce risk, also known as mitigation, helps
Coral bleaching • Black carbon • Edge effect • Habitat destruction • reduce damage to homes and businesses and prevent loss of life.
Organic farming • Habitat fragmentation • In-situ leach
Significance of Mitigation
2. Fishing- Blast fishing • Bottom trawling • By catch •
Cetacean bycatch • Gillnetting • Illegal, unreported and unregulated Mitigation is significant in the following ways: It helps in preventing
fishing • Environmental effects of fishing • Marine pollution • loss of lives during disasters. It helps in controlling economic
Overfishing • Whaling damages and losses to property. It helps in minimizing the long term
after-effects of a disaster that have their impact on society.
3. Forests- Clearcutting • Deforestation • lllegal logging • Trail
ethics
4. Natural resources- Resource depletion • Exploitation of ACTIVITY 6
natural resources • Steady-state economy Instruction: Answer and explain briefly the following questions..
5. Species- Endangered species • Genetic diversity • Habitat QUESTIONS:
destruction • Holocene extinction • Invasive species • Poaching •
Pollinator decline • Species extinction • Threshold host density • 1. What is the meaning of the word environment?
Wildlife trade • Wildlife disease
2. Enumerate possible ways of tackling the problems and
6. Energy conservation- Efficient energy use- Carfree_city- maintaining environmentalstandard
Local food
3. Explain the word biodiversity and give example
7. Renewable energy- Renewable energy commercialization
4. What are the causes of habitat destruction? Enumerate
8. Recreation- Protected areas and explain each
9. Water conservation- is the practice of using water efficiently to 5. What is disaster mitigation? Explain
reduce unnecessary water usage. According to Fresh Water Watch,
water conservation is important because fresh clean water is a 6. Explain the term ozone depletion.
limited resource, as well as a costly one.
7. What are the three categories of environment? Explain
Disaster mitigation- Disaster mitigation measures are those that each
eliminate or reduce the impacts and risks of hazards through
8. What is human-environmental Interaction?
proactive measures taken before an emergency or disaster occurs.
One of the best known examples of investment in disaster mitigation 9. Enumerate ways that reduce damages from future
is the Red River Floodway. disasters.
A mitigation action is a specific action, project, activity, or process 10. What do you mean by desertification?
taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property
from hazards and their impacts…. The actions to reduce vulnerability
to threats and hazards form the core of the plan and are a key
outcome of the planning process.
Mitigation- Ways To Reduce Damages From Future Disasters
 Develop and rehearse a family disaster plan-what to do if
you are forced to leave home.
 Include a communications plan-how to contact each other if
you become separated.
 When severe weather threatens, turn on your radio to a
local station to stay informed of imminent danger.
Purpose of Mitigation
Mitigation is a critical component of the EIA process. It aims to
prevent adverse impacts from happening and to keep those that do
occur within an acceptable level. Opportunities for impact mitigation
will occur throughout the project cycle.
Importance of Mitigation
People also play an important role in reducing the impact from
disasters by understanding their own risks and taking actions to
minimize potential damage from hazards before they occur. Taking