Environmental destruction is a rapidly growing phenomenon that is unfortunately, for the most part, caused or intensified by humans. The destruction we cause to our planet is speedily getting worse and more sever an issue. Being that we as humans (and we as a developed nation) cause a majority of the problems mentioned below, it is our duty to put an end to this destruction before the Earth as we know it ceases to be.
Forest Fire
Wildfires are usually caused by wind, dry weather conditions, or humans. These uncontrollable fires can spread and destroy entire forests in only a few minutes. An average of more than 100,000 wildfires set out to destroy the forest and land within the United States each year. It is also estimated that four out of five fires are caused by people, a statistic that should be startling and demonstrates a need for action. Humans cause fires through irresponsible behavior in dry forest areas, such as when one does not fully distinguish camp fires or cigarette butts. Although some forest fires are necessary for the growth and continuation of the forest through redistribution of fertile soil, the majority of the fires that are man made destroy habitats and precious land before it was necessary. These fires are very dangerous and harmful to humans and the environment alike. Moreover, they can be extremely difficult to distinguish and control. (Thiessen, Mark)
Oil Spill
Oil Spills are often caused by human negligence and result from liquid petroleum is released into the environment, often marine ecosystems, by vehicle, vessel, or pipeline. Often the source of the oil is traced back to tankers, drilling rigs, wells, and off shore oil platforms. When these spills occur they are alarmingly visible against the tarnished environment; and just as clear as they appear to onlookers their effects are permanent and lasting. These conditions, especially in water environments, make it incredible inhospitable for the creatures that once called the region home. Often when the oil spills float on water is causes light to be reflected off, cutting off the source of food to many plants, which in turn cuts off the source of food for many sea creatures that eat or live off the plants. This isn't even to speak about the effects it has on animals that have the misfortune of becoming trapped in this oil, and often do not survive the onslaught of oil. The toxicity of the oil alone kills off thousands. We as humans have a responsibility to manage our resources better, and to have the upmost diligence when dealing with just toxic and harmful material. We also have the responsibility to find and pursue better forms of clean energy, that will not result in exchange for the lives of thousands. (“Effects of Oil Spills.”)
Ocean Trash
Ocean trash, commonly referred to as marine debris, is composed of all the man-made solid material that end up in bodies of water or washed up on shores and beaches. This disposal can occur both intentionally and unintentionally by the actions of humans. Of all the debris found on and off shore of the ocean, about 60 to 80 percent is composed of plastic waste. The world manages to produce about 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, and only a small amount of 10 percent is taken to recycling facilites. These plastics can be deadly to ocean creatures and habitats for several reasons. Firstly, ocean trash can physically harm ocean life upon contact with the debris. This could be through the consumption of the trash, or due to being trapped within the debris. But more than that, the chemicals that are released from the toxic trash, such as decomposing plastic, can poison the organisms in the water. The trash can also work to accumulate above the water and block out the sun's rays that sea plants need in order to survive. This disruption to the ecosystem can cause the collapse of several species that rely on these plants for both food and living shelters. ("Trash Pollution").
Landfill
Ignoring just the unpleasant smells and unattractive sights when discussing landfill, we find much deeper issues penetrating the surrounding environment through means of air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and the biodiversity impacts all due to the landfills humans have conveniently placed around the world. As biodegradable material begins to compose a gas called methane is released into the air, which in turn gets trapped in the atmosphere. Methane traps up to 20 times more heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide. The waste also ferments an unpleasant smell that affects individuals and animals living close to the dump sites. But the animals do not only feel the effects of the smell, as scientist have found that these sites lose 30 to 300 species per hectare. These species are often replaced by scavengers such as rats and crows, causing gross overpopulation of these new species. Vegetation alterations also occur, especially with the mixture of toxic substances seep into the soil it may cause local vegetation to cease to grow. In the same manner these toxic mixtures find their way into local water source. As rainwater falls through the pile of trash the runoff is a cumulation of all the chemicals found within the landfill, resulting in the runoff of toxic metals, ammonia, toxic organic compounds, and pathogens. These deadly runoffs can also result in the de-oxygenate of waters, leading to an untimely death of aquatic life it comes in contact with. (Newton, John)
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Melting Ice Caps
The melting of ice caps has been a controversial topic for quite some time now, and it is almost as if we have grown deaf to the effects that are largely being seen by scientist today who monitor these changes. Ice caps around the world are shrinking at an alarming rate, one that is throwing chaos upon the species of plants and animals who live their, enlarging the endangered and extinct species list to unsettling lengths. What should be occurring in geologic time spans is happening right before our eyes during a human lifetime. This does not provide organisms with the ability to adapt and evolve in pace with the environmental changes. We are creating and artificial geologic period that is not meant to occur naturally, especially not at this rate. The melting of this ice caps is largely caused by burning of fossil fuels and the trapping of green house gasses in our atmosphere that is generating a statistically significant alteration in Earth's surface temperatures. To individuals who are still skeptics of these claims, we have records revealing that more than 80 percent of of the snow on Kilimanjaro has melted, that the central and eastern Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035, and that the Arctic sea ice has declined by 10 percent in the past 30 years. The time for action is now, or we will have missed out window of opportunity to provide the change so desperately needed, and the effects of our negligence will be lasting. These effects will not only influence the life of the ecosystems that would have once resided on these icy landscapes, but also to humans across the entire world. (Glick, Daniel).
Endangered Species
Endangered species are categorized as any organism (plant or animal) that is at high risk for extinction. The list of which species are endangered is managed under the Endangered Species Act, which was enacted by U.S. Congress in 1973. Under this act, it becomes the responsibility of the federal government to protect all the creatures featured on the list; and further to prevent additional threatened species from being added. This protection act strives to provide aid worldwide for these endangered animals, but this action alone does not have the ability to combat the rapid extinction of plant and animals we are facing today. There are the rare, but delightful, stories of animals making it off the endangered list and once again learning to thrive in the environment. Some of these species include the Peregrine Falcon, the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, the Grizzly Bear, and the Gray Wolf to name a few. But as stated above, this is not nearly enough. We are entering into what some scientists believe to be call the sixth extinction. This time, the cause for the current mass extinction of earthly organisms is caused by humans, a phenomena never seen in the billions of years Earth has been in existence. Humans often over hunt or prey on animals, driving them to the brinks of extinction. But the man-made effects of global warming are also largely responsible for the altercation within the habitats of plants and animals that often result in their environment becoming unlivable, and leading to their extinction. (“Endangered Species.”)
Deforestation
Described as the permanent destruction of forests in order to use the land and material for human gain, deforestation effects the lives of all who inhabited the forest before humans cut it down. An estimate done by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that 18 million acres of forestry is destroyed each year. This is roughly the equivalent of the country of Panama. The biggest location for this habitat loss is in the rain forests of South America, Africa, and Southeastern Asia. The biggest deforestation location lies within the country of Indonesia, who has lost at least 39 million acres of their forests over the last century. Deforestation has been a human caused environmental devastator all throughout history. It is said that almost 90 percent of the U.S. continental indigenous forest have been removed since 1600. These practices have not stopped or slowed down by any means over the last 50 year, and the pace of deforestation only seems to be increasing. The most common reasons for man to clear out forest habitats is to make room for urbanization, to harvest the timber for commercial and infrastructure use, to create ingredients and products from rare materials found within the forests (such as oils and saps), and to make room for cattle ranching and domestic animal grazing. The two most common methods used when destroying forests are cutting down or burning down all that is in their path. Both of these tactics leave behind barren and unusable land, resulting in the death of millions of organisms that relied on these habitat for food, shelter, and life. Additionally, the burning of trees contributes greatly to global warming, adding more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and destroying the source that help control and maintain healthy levels of greenhouse gasses. Clear cutting trees can also cause numerous harmful environmental implications, including dust bowls and pollution to the air and water cycle. And a fact talked very little of is the effects deforestation has on the lives of the indigenous people that once lived in these forests, but no longer can. (Bradford, Alina).
Air Pollution
Air pollution is composed of a multitude of harmful substances that are released into the atmosphere and cause harm to human and environmental health as a whole. In the United States the Clean Air Act of 1970 authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulation harmful emissions in hopes of protecting public safety in regards to air pollution. But the public has found that this is not sufficient enough to stop air pollution from seriously infecting our planet. Most air pollution is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which in turn releases toxic chemicals into our air. This release of greenhouse gases is distributed in a positive feedback loop, where it is continuously added to the atmosphere and continues to buildup there. This can create not only problems to humans, plants, and animal health and safety, but can also result in the slight warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to these gases becoming trapped. This warming is has caused detrimental problems concerning ocean current temperatures, extreme weather patterns, and the melting of the ice caps, which are crucial to our delicate ecosystem. (Mackenzie, Jillian).
Works Cited
Bradford, Alina. “Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects.” LiveScience, Purch, 3 Apr. 2018, www.livescience.com/27692- deforestation.html.
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“Effects of Oil Spills.” Conserve Energy Future, 14 Oct. 2018, www.conserve-energy-future.com/effects-of-oil-spills.php.
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“Endangered Species.” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Understanding- Conservation/Endangered-Species.
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Glick, Daniel. “Global Climate Change, Melting Glaciers.” Global Climate Change, Melting Glaciers, 18 Jan. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/big-thaw/.
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Mackenzie, Jillian. “Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know.” NRDC, 2 Apr. 2019, www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution- everything-you-need-know.
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Newton, John. “The Effects of Landfills on the Environment.” Sciencing, 2 Mar. 2019, sciencing.com/effects-landfills- environment-8662463.html.
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Thiessen, Mark. “Wildfires Information and Facts.” National Geographic, 18 Jan. 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/.
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“Trash Pollution.” Ocean Health Index, www.oceanhealthindex.org/methodology/components/trash-pollution.