Environment
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Environmental issues are the damaging effects on the biophysical environment. Human activities mainly cause these issues. Environmental issues include genetic modification of plants whereby the chemical compounds in these crops are leaked into the soil through the roots, probably affecting microorganisms. Excessive production of waste ends up in landfills, generating huge amounts of methane. Rapid population growth comes with several problems such as species extension, overuse of natural resources, habitat loss for wild animals, and lack of fresh water. Deforestation increases the production of greenhouse gas emissions, causing global warming. Urban sprawling also contributes to deforestation, forest fragmentation, water, and air pollution. Overfishing by humans leaves marine life with less food, causes misbalance of ocean life, and affects the natural ecosystems. Acid rain is also an issue caused by air pollution. The issue of the nitrogen cycle is often forgettable as people pay much attention to the carbon cycle. Production of fertilizers for agriculture contributes to the fixation of nitrogen on earth. Environmental issues such as climate change and global warming are caused by pollution of water, land, and air through increased industrialization, deforestation, and carbon dioxide emissions.
Environmental issues such as water, air, and land pollution have tremendous effects on both the environment and human beings. Sewage, industrial, and agricultural waste released into water disrupt marine life and even cause their deaths. People who drink unpurified water from any water body can be infected with waterborne diseases such as cholera. Severe infections can lead to increased mortality levels. Air pollution is increasingly becoming dangerous, especially in cities that are highly populated with many industries. Respire of polluted air results in lung cancer, chronic pulmonary disease, stroke, heart disease, and respiratory infections to children. If a person is infected with either of these diseases, they end up spending a lot of money in hospitals looking for a cure and may sometimes result in death. Air pollution is also associated with environmental problems such as eutrophication and acid rain. Chemicals exposed to the environment from acid rain and its effects are experienced in aquatic ecosystems leading to marine deaths due to increased water acidity. Acid rain also poisons plants, including trees, by limiting nutrients accessibility, damaging their leaves, and weakening them. The land is polluted by the careless disposal of waste and exposing chemicals to soils. Excessive use of fertilizers weakens soil fertility and kills the microorganisms that exist in the soil.
There is a big relationship between economics and environmental issues. The environment provides natural resources to the economy, which are primary raw materials in many production and manufacturing centers. Production and consumption of these resources can sometimes result in air, water, land pollution, and other environmental pressures. Economic growth and wellbeing can be affected adversely by poor environmental quality caused by the lowering of the quality and quantity of resources. Moreover, environmental issues such as water and air pollution can affect a big population’s health in a certain geographical area. Sick people invest much of their time and money in expenses rather than investment. Moreover, unhealthy people are inactive people and lead to a decline in the economy since they are not productive. Besides, health infections caused by air and water pollution can increase mortality levels, leaving less productive people in the economy. This can also lead to a decline in the economy.
Personal lifestyle choices made daily, such as what to eat and how to commute, significantly impact environmental issues. There is a lot that each person can choose to do to slow down and curb environmental pollution. Some small personal choices that a person can make to solve environmental issues include walking whenever we can or cycling instead of traveling. It helps to reduce the amount of fuel burnt and released into the air. When it comes to food, one can choose not to take seafood and meat from endangered species. A person can also choose to recycle, reuse, or reduce waste. For instance, a person can reuse a shopping bag when going shopping instead of buying another. A farmer can also choose to compose organic waste to manure. With time, several of these choices become a lifestyle such that a person does not have to suffer any inconvenience or anxiety.
The government has put in place some policies that have reduced environmental issues. For instance, the Government Agencies in the government have sat limits on specific air pollutants to enforcing the laws of safe drinking and pure water. Moreover, these agencies enforce federal legislation to minimize the effect of industries on the environment. Environmental policies affect businesses’ location and productivity by imposing cost but has significant health benefits to people. There is a lot that people have done to address environmental issues. This includes personal choices such as proper disposal of waste products, cycling or walking to reduce air pollution caused by releasing burnt chemicals to the air, and waste recycling and reusing. Communities have also contributed greatly to reducing environmental issues. Various communities, such as the Christians Community, have formed environmental groups that work towards environmental conservation. These groups come together and plan on how to reduce environmental issues. They sometimes decide to educate people on environmental conservation as they clean sewages, rivers, oceans, and streets.
Environmental legislations put in place by the government have significant benefits to both the environment and people. Legislation may take many forms, such as the establishment of a legal trade schemes framework. This legislation may recommend establishing industries in a certain area that it’s not densely populated to reduce the polluted air consumption by many people. Another legislation includes the regulation of environmental pollutant emissions. This means that industries that emit dangerous gasses should have chimneys that purify the air before being released to the environment. Some legislations involves taxation of activities that damage to the environment and people’s health. All the legislations put in place to regulate the interaction between humans and the environment to increase people’s health and reduce environmental threats.
Some of the environmental degradation consequences include reducing natural resources, increased greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and decreased water quality. Public health is at the receiving end of these consequences. People exposed to toxic air pollution can develop respiratory illnesses such as asthma and pneumonia. Millions of people have died as a result of indirect air pollution.
References,
Besel, R. D., Burke, K., & Christos, V. (2017). A life history approach to perceptions of global climate change risk: Young adults’ experiences about impacts, causes, and solutions. Journal of Risk Research, 20(1), 61-75. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13669877.2015.1017830