How+humans+affect+the+environment

 Humans and How We Are Destroying The Environment�29� �6�  How Humans Are Destroying the Environment

   **__ Analyze and evaluate changes in the environment that are the result of human activities. __** Many industrial strategies seen today are introduced in order to fit the needs of the massive, energy consuming, get up and go society we live in today. Strategies such as energy generation, logging, agriculture, mining, transportation, and factories are damaging to the environment and using up all of the Earth's resources. As we are quickly polluting our planet, we are also making a mess that will be a problem for generations to come. Because of this pollution has become one of the biggest problems facing leaders all over the world, from China to the US to the smallest and poorest countries. We are creating so many greenhouse gases, causing a greenhouse effect, which in turn is warming the Earth. We are also creating many unhealthy waterways, and in turn killing the fish we need for food. Here are some facts on how these different industries affect the environment:

__** Compare and contrast the environmental effects of different industrial strategies (e.g., energy generation, transportation, logging, mining, agriculture). **

Energy Generation__ Energy generation includes nuclear and wind energy. Nuclear energy is one of the most controversial issues today. The benefits are dwarfed by the large dangers having to do with the nature of its fuel. The decay of nuclear waste can take thousands of years. The substances half-life is 10000 years. Therefore, these substances remain radioactive and highly dangerous for thousands of years. Science still has not found a safe method for disposing of these materials. Temporary storages can even be dangerous and is very expensive. Heat pollution is a cause of the energy needs of man. Heat pollution is produced by electric power plants burning fossil fuels or nuclear fuels, which release considerable amounts of heat. These plants are normally placed near a body of water, which the plants use to dissipate heat. There are some stretches of rivers, such as the Hudson, that no longer freeze in the winter due to the hot water flow from power plants. Living things, such as fish, which are cold-blooded, are sensitive to small changes in temperature. Because of this heat, many aquatic ecosystems may be undergoing drastic changes([|www.pollutionissues.com] 2006). Also, coal has been used since the industrial Revolution and produces an immense amount of pollution. "Burning coal is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, global warming, and air toxics. In an average year, a typical coal plant generates: (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
 * 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary human cause of global warming--as much carbon dioxide as cutting down 161 million trees.
 * 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which causes acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings, and forms small airborne particles that can penetrate deep into lungs.
 * 500 tons of small airborne particles, which can cause chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death, as well as haze obstructing visibility.
 * 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), as much as would be emitted by half a million late-model cars. NOx leads to formation of ozone (smog) which inflames the lungs, burning through lung tissue making people more susceptible to respiratory illness.
 * 720 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), which causes headaches and place additional stress on people with heart disease.
 * 220 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone.
 * 170 pounds of mercury, where just 1/70th of a teaspoon deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat.
 * 225 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.
 * 114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium."([|www.ucsusa.org] 2005)
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__Transportation__ Average worldwide temperatures can be affected by the products of combustion- CO, water vapor, and CO2- are emiited into the atmosphere. Due to the fact that the carbon dioxide is only in the air in small amounts, any addition to this quantity is a potential threat. Even though the light from the sun penetrates through the CO2, it is then trapped, as in a greenhouse. This "greenhouse effect" might produce a dangerously warm world. Scientist believe it could melt the ice caps, causing sea levels to rise drastically. The combustion can also cause a dense haze known as smog([|www.pollutionissues.com] 2006). Prolonged exposure to this smog can cause damage to lung tissue, and sulfur dioxide (another product of combustion) exposure is the third leading cause of lung disease, according to the American Lung Assosciation.    Humans and How We Are Destroying The Environment�29� �6�  <span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">        <span style="COLOR: rgb(6,107,25)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif"> Humans and How We Are Destroying The Environment�29� �6�  <span style="COLOR: rgb(6,107,25)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">         <span style="COLOR: rgb(6,107,25)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif"> Humans and How We Are Destroying The Environment�29� �6�  <span style="COLOR: rgb(6,107,25)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">  (1995 Enteractive) __Logging__ As we cut down trees we are destroying ecosystems and oxygen supplies. There are many species that live in the forests and rain forests, that are becoming extinct at an alarmingly high rate. All species are vital to the ecosystem, and if one becomes extinct, another may follow.

Facts about the Global Coverage of Rainforests:

 * **Fact:** Covering less than 2 percent of the Earth's total surface area, the world's rainforests are home to 50 percent of the Earth's plants and animals.
 * **Fact:** Rainforests can be found all over the world from as far north as Alaska and Canada to Latin America, Asia and Africa.
 * **Fact:** Rainforests are found on every continent across the Earth, except Antarctica.
 * **Fact:** There are two major types of rainforest: //temperate rainforests// and //tropical rainforests.//
 * **Fact:** The largest temperate rainforests are found on North America's Pacific Coast and stretch from Northern California up into Canada.
 * **Fact:** Temperate rainforests used to exist on almost every continent in the world, but today only 50 percent – 75 million acres – of these forests remain worldwide.

Facts about the Rainforest as Part of our Global Environment and Well-being:

 * **Fact:** Rainforests act as the world's thermostat by regulating temperatures and weather patterns.
 * **Fact:** One-fifth of the world’s fresh water is found in the Amazon Basin.
 * **Fact:** Rainforests are critical in maintaining the Earth's limited supply of drinking and fresh water.

Facts about the Abundant Life and Important Resources that Rainforests Share with Us:

 * **Fact:** A typical four square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies.
 * **Fact:** Rainforests provide many important products for people: timber, coffee, cocoa and many medicinal products, including those used in the treatment of cancer.
 * **Fact:** Seventy percent of the plants identified by the U.S. National Cancer Institute as useful in the treatment of cancer are found only in rainforests.
 * **Fact:** More than 2,000 tropical forest plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties.
 * **Fact:** Less than one percent of the tropical rainforest species have been analyzed for their medicinal value.

Facts about the Threats to Rainforests, Indigenous People and Species:
>> [|Rainforest video] Atlantic Forest __Mining__ All methods of mining affect air quality. Particulate matter is released during surface mining, when overburden is stripped from the site and stored. Once the soil is removed, vegetation is also removed, thus exposing the soil to the weather. This causes particulates to become airborne through wind erosion and road traffic. Particulate matter can be composed of such materials as arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Particulates affect human health adversely by contributing to illnesses relating to the respiratory tract, such as emphysema, but they also can be ingested or absorbed into the skin. Also, it is impossible for many of the premining surface features to be replaced after mining ceases. Between 1980 and 1985, nearly five hundred subsidence collapse features attributed to abandoned underground metal mines were identified in the vicinity of Galena, Kansas, where the mining of lead ores took place from 1850 to 1970. The entire area was reclaimed in 1994 and 1995.Water-pollution problems caused by mining include acid mine drainage, metal contamination, and increased sediment levels in streams. Sources can include active or abandoned surface and underground mines, processing plants, waste-disposal areas, haulage roads, or tailings ponds. Sediments, typically from increased soil erosion, cause siltation or the smothering of streambeds. This siltation affects fisheries, swimming, domestic water supply, irrigation, and other uses of streams([|www.pollutionissues.com] 2006). "Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a potentially severe pollution hazard that can contaminate surrounding soil, groundwater, and surface water. The formation of acid mine drainage is a function of the geology, hydrology, and mining technology employed at a mine site. The primary sources for acid generation are sulfide minerals, such as pyrite (iron sulfide), which decompose in air and water. Many of these sulfide minerals originate from waste rock removed from the mine or from tailings. If water infiltrates pyrite-laden rock in the presence of air, it can become acidified, often at a pH level of two or three. This increased acidity in the water can destroy living organisms, and corrode culverts, piers, boat hulls, pumps, and other metal equipment in contact with the acid waters and render the water unacceptable for drinking or recreational use". (AP Photo/ Achmad Ibrahim) __Agriculture__ One common kind of water pollution is caused by agriculture. This water pollution is due to heavy concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. This widespread use of fertilizers and household detergents containg nitrogen and phosphorus. In large quantities, nitrogen and phosphorous cause algal blooms. Once the algae die, oxygen is needed to break them down. There is then aquatic oxygen deficiency, which causes the death of aquatic inhabitants. Sedimentation can also cause pollution. As the human pollution continually increases, agricultural methods are needed to maximize harvests. The land is then overused, causing the erosion of topsoil. This causes sedimentation of rivers. This again causes sunlight to have a hard time penetrating through the water. The aquatic plants that sustain this ecosystem can't live without oxygen, and the whole ecosystem suffers([|www.pollutionissues.com] 2006). AP Photo/Toby Talbot) __Factories__ Factories also cause an immmense amount of pollution. They use waterways like trash cans, dumping oils, toxic chemicals, and other harmful industrial wastes into them. Some towns find there streams fouled by raw sewage. Cesspools and septic tanks can also pollute groundwater and adjacent streams. Factories also depend on huge amounts of fuel-billions of tons of coal and oil every year. When these fuels burn they introduce smoke and less visible, by-products into the atmosphere([|www.pollutionissues.com] 2006). An example of this would be the coal burning mentioned in Energy Generation. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> US-EARTH POLLUTION ; -  Agence France Presse 06-01-2001   (American Lung Association)     <span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif"> [|Air pollution @ Gale virtual Refrence Library] [|Alternatives for Pesticides] Click here for an example of how we affect the environment with urbanization. [|www.btny.purdue.edu]
 * **Fact:** Rainforests are threatened by unsustainable agricultural, ranching, mining and logging practices.
 * **Fact:** Before 1500 A.D., there were approximately 6 million indigenous people living in the Brazilian Amazon. But as the forests disappeared, so too did the people. In the early 1900s, there were less than 250,000 indigenous people living in the Amazon.
 * **Fact:** Originally, 6 million square miles of tropical rainforest existed worldwide. But as a result of deforestation, only 2.6 million square miles remain.
 * **Fact:** At the current rate of tropical forest loss, 5-10 percent of tropical rainforest species will be lost per decade.
 * **Fact:** Nearly 90 percent of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty worldwide depend on forests for their livelihoods.
 * **Fact:** Fifty-seven percent of the world’s forests, including most tropical forests, are located in developing countries.
 * **Fact:** Every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down. That's 86,400 football fields of rainforest per day, or over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year.
 * **Fact:** More than 56,000 square miles of natural forest are lost each year. ([|www.nature.org] 2008)
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<span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif"> Works Cited 4.8 Blaise, Frank, and Dave <span style="FONT-SIZE: 110%; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif">Home