Human Impact on the Environment

The environment is like a blanket that surrounds our being everywhere. By environment, we do not only mean plants or animals. The environment is inclusive of all the living and nonliving creatures present on the Earth. The interaction between humans and the environment exists right from the evolution of human beings on earth. Humans have a significant impact on the environment. 

There are many answers to how human activities affect the environment. The impact of human activities on the environment is two-sided - positive and negative. Humans are responsible for impacting the biophysical environment, biodiversity, and other resources and the working mechanism of the environment. Many factors have led to alterations in the environment. Have you ever wondered how the human population affects the environment? 

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Effects of Human Activities on Environment are as Follows

1. Loss of Biodiversity.

2. Pollution

3. Climate Change.

4. Misuse of Natural Resources.

5. Erosion

This article will give you a summary of what is the human impact on the environment and how the human population affects the environment.

Effects of Human Activities on Environment

1. Loss of Biodiversity

Ever wondered how human activities affect the environment? One of the major effects of human activities on the Environment is Biodiversity loss. Biodiversity is the variety of species living in an ecosystem. The larger the number of species and genetic variation, the greater is the biodiversity. Due to the increase in human settlements, many forests are being cut. This has led to a reduction in the number of plant species. Many animals become homeless. The constantly changing climatic conditions and extinction of many ecosystems have also led to the loss of biodiversity. It is astonishing to see the impact of human activities on the environment.

2. Pollution

Pollution is a major issue faced by us today. Pollution is a result of the ignorance of humans towards their environment. The wrongful disposal of wastes on the roads, in the water bodies, leads to land and water pollution. The harmful emissions from the human-made factories get released into the air, causing air pollution. It is sad to see that the developments made to benefit us are depleting our environment day after day. This is how humans affect their environment.

3. Climate Change

One of the most significant human impacts on the environment is deforestation. Due to deforestation and pollution, there are significant changes in the weather conditions of a place. These changes when happening in a prolonged chain are known as climate change. Deforestation causes a delay in the arrival of monsoon and the purification of the air. With growing human settlements and industrialization, the level of harmful gases in the environment keeps increasing.  

4. Misuse of Natural Resources

The misuse or over-exploitation of natural resources also has a human impact on the environment. It puts a lot of stress on the environment to re-create these natural resources. Not all natural resources can be re-created. Some of them like petroleum take thousands of years to get replenished. 

5. Erosion

Another major human impact on the environment is brought by Erosion. The deforestation and littering of the soil make it more prone to erosion. Due to the uprooting of trees, the soil becomes loose and can easily be carried away by the air or floods. Erosion is also partially connected to climate change. 

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How does Human Population Affect the Environment?

The human population is largely responsible for the human impact on the environment. The question of how the human population affects the environment is very old. The human population is directly responsible for the changes in the environment. Here are a few factors that determine the effects of human activities on the environment.

The increase in the human population causes overcrowding. With the increase in population, the demand for space, food, resources, and employment increases. This directly leads to the clearing of forests or deforestation. 

The employment requirements of the people lead to an increase in industrialization. Industrialization also demands deforestation. The wastes of the industries are dumped in the river beds or released into the air, which causes pollution.

Important Facts of Human Impact on the Environment 

Did you know that around 27,000 trees are cut every day to produce toilet paper rolls? Toilet paper rolls are used almost in every household. They are used and thrown into the garbage bags. So many trees are cut to satisfy human needs. Such is the impact of human activities on the environment.

Solved Example

1. How Does the Human Population Affect the Environment?

Answer: The human population has a great impact on the environment. The impact of human activities on the environment is direct. Overpopulation of humans leads to deforestation which is responsible for climatic change. The more the population, the demand for resources and food grows. This leads to an over-exploitation of resources. To study the impact of humans on the environment through the Forest and Environment Act, there is a separate human impact on the environment article mentioned in the Act.

Impacts of Human Activities on the Environment

There are different ways humans impact the environment positively and negatively. The rise and development of industries resulted in major impacts like acid rain, ozone depletion, genetic modification. Humans create a major impact on water bodies in different ways. Some of the impacts caused by humans on the environment are as follows. 

Water Pollution 

Trillions of plastic pieces enter the water bodies like ocean, sea, lake, etc. They lie suspended on the water surface and over time get deposited on the bed creating harm to the quality of the water. City sewage and industrial waste are prominent sources of water pollution. In addition to that, radioactive substances and oil substances act as a source of water pollution. Agriculture plays a vital role as the fertilisers and pesticides are swept due to rain and affect the water bodies. It also contaminates the quality of groundwater. Water pollution caused approximately 1.8 million deaths in the year 2015 and also resulted in illness to humans and animals. 

Acid Rain

Any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric acid and sulfuric acid is termed acid rain. They occur in the form of rain, snow, and dry materials and get settled to earth. Acid rain has a pH of 4.3 while pure water is perfectly balanced at 7. An increase in the number of industries and emission of different chemical components into the air changes the mix of gases in the atmosphere. The release of fossil fuels like coal, the exhaust of nitrogen oxides, and sulphur dioxide from automobiles results in acid rain. Acid rain spread miles after falling on earth. The toxic substances enter water bodies and create harm to the aquatic animals by making water toxic. Acid rain also affects the trees by slowing down their growth and sometimes making the tree die. The food chain also gets affected due to these harms caused by acid rain. 

Acid rain can be prevented by reducing emissions and designing cleaner power plants and reducing the number of pollutants. Despite major prevention being done to reduce acid rain, It affects lakes and aquatic life. More than 95,000 lakes in North America have been affected by acid rain. The monuments, sculptures, and buildings are also damaged due to acid rain.

Global Warming 

Due to the industrial revolution, the emission of carbon dioxide(CO2) in the atmosphere has been increased. This resulted in the decrease of the pH value of surface ocean water. Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere and it gets dissolved into the seawater. water and carbon dioxide react to form carbonic acid, a weaker acid than hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). Due to the impact of humans, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased and more carbon dioxide gets dissolved and reduces the pH level of the ocean water. 

Ocean acidification becomes a major threat to aquatic animals and decreases the formation of corals. The limitation of coral growth affects the habitat of coral animals. Larger aquatic animals will also face the threat due to the increase in the acidity of water. It affects the respiratory system of aquatic animals. Marine scientists are much concerned as these impacts are changing the ocean chemistry much faster than the organisms can adapt. 

Ways to Create a Positive Impact on the Environment

Processes like recycling, establishing wildlife preserves and parks can create a positive impact on the ecosystem. Reducing the usage of automobiles and switching to public transports can help reduce the emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere. Recycling and reusing whenever possible, planting trees, and consuming less meat can also leave a positive impact on the ecosystem.

Our environment is a very sensitive topic for the modern-day world. Human activities are literally disrupting the balance of our ecosystem resulting in a huge negative impact on it. We are studying the different aspects of human activities, such as pollution, and their impact on the environment to recuperate from imminent disasters.