essay about human made environment

Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

Students are often asked to write an essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

Introduction.

Humans interact with the environment every day, and these interactions have a significant impact. Our actions can both harm and benefit the environment.

Deforestation

One of the main human activities affecting the environment is deforestation. Cutting down trees reduces biodiversity and contributes to global warming.

Pollution, another human activity, damages the air, water, and land. It harms wildlife and affects human health.

In conclusion, our actions have a profound impact on the environment. By understanding these effects, we can work towards a more sustainable future.

250 Words Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

Climate change.

One of the most noticeable effects of human activities is climate change, primarily due to greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. These emissions trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, leading to global warming. This change has sparked a series of environmental consequences, such as polar ice melting, sea-level rise, and extreme weather conditions.

Biodiversity Loss

Human activities also contribute to biodiversity loss. Habitat destruction, overexploitation of species, pollution, and introduction of invasive species have led to the extinction of numerous species. This loss of biodiversity threatens the balance of ecosystems, which can have far-reaching effects on human societies.

Deforestation, driven by human activities like logging and agricultural expansion, is another major environmental concern. It leads to habitat loss, disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to climate change by reducing the earth’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.

In conclusion, human activities have profound and often detrimental effects on the environment. It’s crucial for us to understand these impacts and work towards sustainable practices. The future of our planet depends on our ability to balance our needs with the health and preservation of the environment.

500 Words Essay on Impact of Human Activities on Environment

The environment is a complex system that sustains life on Earth. However, human activities have significantly impacted the environment, leading to various environmental issues. This essay will delve into the impact of human activities on the environment, focusing on pollution, deforestation, and climate change.

Deforestation, driven by the need for agricultural land, timber, and urbanization, is another significant impact of human activities on the environment. Forests play a crucial role in maintaining the Earth’s biodiversity and regulating the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. The loss of forests has led to a decrease in biodiversity, the disruption of ecosystems, and an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

The most far-reaching impact of human activities is climate change. The burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to a rise in the Earth’s average temperature, a phenomenon known as global warming. This has resulted in a series of climatic changes, including rising sea levels, melting ice caps, extreme weather events, and shifts in wildlife populations and plant growth.

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Human Modification of the Environment

For thousands of years, humans have modified the physical environment by clearing land for agriculture or damming streams to store and divert water. As we industrialized, we built factories and power plants. While these modifications directly impact the local environment, they also impact environments farther away due to the interconnectivity of Earth’s systems. For example, when a dam is built, less water flows downstream. This impacts the communities and wildlife located downstream who might depend on that water.

Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography

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• Published: 16 November 2022

Climate change and human behaviour

Nature Human Behaviour volume  6 ,  pages 1441–1442 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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Climate change is an immense challenge. Human behaviour is crucial in climate change mitigation, and in tackling the arising consequences. In this joint Focus issue between Nature Climate Change and Nature Human Behaviour , we take a closer look at the role of human behaviour in the climate crisis.

In the late 19th century, the scientist (and suffragette) Eunice Newton Foote published a paper suggesting that a build-up of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere could cause increased surface temperatures 1 . In the mid-20th century, the British engineer Guy Callendar was the first to concretize the link between carbon dioxide levels and global warming 2 . Now, a century and a half after Foote’s work, there is overwhelming scientific evidence that human behaviour is the main driver of climatic changes and global warming.

The negative effects of rising temperatures on the environment, biodiversity and human health are becoming increasingly noticeable. The years 2020 and 2016 were among the hottest since the record keeping of annual surface temperatures began in 1880 (ref. 3 ). Throughout 2022, the globe was plagued by record-breaking heatwaves. Even regions with a naturally warm climate, such as Pakistan or India, experienced some of their hottest days much earlier in the year — very probably a consequence of climate change 4 . According to the National Centers for Environmental Information of the United States, the surface global temperature during the decade leading up to 2020 was +0.82 °C (+1.48 °F) above the 20th-century average 5 . It is clear that we are facing a global crisis that requires urgent action.

During the Climate Change Conference (COP21) of the United Nations in Paris 2015, 196 parties adopted a legally binding treaty with the aim to limit global warming to ideally 1.5 °C and a maximum of 2 °C, compared to pre-industrial levels. A recent report issued by the UN suggests that we are very unlikely to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement. Instead, current policies are likely to cause temperatures to increase up to 2.8 °C this century 6 . The report suggests that to get on track to 2 °C, new pledges would need to be four times higher — and seven times higher to get on track to 1.5 °C. This November, world leaders will meet for the 27th time to coordinate efforts in facing the climate crisis and mitigating the effects during COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

This Focus issue

Human behaviour is not only one of the primary drivers of climate change but also is equally crucial for mitigating the impact of the Anthropocene. In 2022, this was also explicitly acknowledged in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). For the first time, the IPCC directly discussed behavioural, social and cultural dynamics in climate change mitigation 7 . This joint Focus highlights some of the aspects of the human factor that are central in the adaptation to and prevention of a warming climate, and the mitigation of negative consequences. It features original pieces, and also includes a curated collection of already published content from across journals in the Nature Portfolio.

Human behaviour is a neglected factor in climate science

In the light of the empirical evidence for the role of human behaviour in climatic changes, it is curious that the ‘human factor’ has not always received much attention in key research areas, such as climate modelling. For a long time, climate models to predict global warming and emissions did not account for it. This oversight meant that predictions made by these models have differed greatly in their projected rise in temperatures 8 , 9 .

Human behaviour is complex and multidimensional, making it difficult — but crucial — to account for it in climate models. In a Review , Brian Beckage and colleagues thus look at existing social climate models and make recommendations for how these models can better embed human behaviour in their forecasting.

The psychology of climate change

The complexity of humans is also reflected in their psychology. Despite an overwhelming scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, research suggests that many people underestimate the effects of it, are sceptical of it or deny its existence altogether. In a Review , Matthew Hornsey and Stephan Lewandowsky look at the psychological origins of such beliefs, as well as the roles of think tanks and political affiliation.

Psychologists are not only concerned with understanding and addressing climate scepticism but are also increasingly worried about mental health consequences. Two narrative Reviews address this topic. Neil Adger et al. discuss the direct and indirect pathways by which climate change affects well-being, and Fiona Charlson et al. adopt a clinical perspective in their piece. They review the literature on the clinical implications of climate change and provide practical suggestions for mental health practitioners.

Individual- and system-level behaviour change

To limit global warming to a minimum, system-level and individual-level behaviour change is necessary. Several pieces in this Focus discuss how such change can be facilitated.

Many interventions for individual behaviour change and for motivating environmental behaviour have been proposed. In a Review , Anne van Valkengoed and colleagues introduce a classification system that links different interventions to the determinants of individual environmental behaviour. Practitioners can use the system to design targeted interventions for behaviour change.

Ideally, interventions are scalable and result in system-level change. Scalability requires an understanding of public perceptions and behaviours, as Mirjam Jenny and Cornelia Betsch explain in a Comment . They draw on the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss crucial structures, such as data observatories, for the collection of reliable large-scale data.

Such knowledge is also key for designing robust climate policies. Three Comments in Nature Climate Change look at how insights from behavioural science can inform policy making in areas such as natural-disaster insurance markets , carbon taxing and the assignment of responsibility for supply chain emissions .

Time to act

To buck the trend of rising temperatures, immediate and significant climate action is needed.

Natural disasters have become more frequent and occur at ever-closer intervals. The changing climate is driving biodiversity loss, and affecting human physical and mental health. Unfortunately, the conversations about climate change mitigation are often dominated by Global North and ‘WEIRD’ (Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) perspectives, neglecting the views of countries in the Global South. In a Correspondence , Charles Ogunbode reminds us that climate justice is social justice in the Global South and that, while being a minor contributor to emissions and global warming, this region has to bear many of the consequences.

The fight against climate change is a collective endeavour and requires large-scale solutions. Collective action, however, usually starts with individuals who raise awareness and drive change. In two Q&As, Nature Human Behaviour entered into conversation with people who recognized the power of individual behaviour and took action.

Licypriya Kangujam is a 10-year-old climate activist based in India. She tells us how she hopes to raise the voices of the children of the world in the fight against climate change and connect individuals who want to take action.

Wolfgang Knorr is a former academic who co-founded Faculty for a Future to help academics to transform their careers and address pressing societal issues. In a Q&A , he describes his motivations to leave academia and offers advice on how academics can create impact.

Mitigation of climate change (as well as adaptation to its existing effects) is not possible without human behaviour change, be it on the individual, collective or policy level. The contents of this Focus shed light on the complexities that human behaviour bears, but also point towards future directions. It is the duty of us all to turn this knowledge into action.

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Zachariah, M. et al. Climate change made devastating early heat in India and Pakistan 30 times more likely. worldweatherattribution.org , https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/India_Pak-Heatwave-scientific-report.pdf (2022).

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Calvin, K. & Bond-Lamberty, B. Environ. Res. Lett. 13 , 063006 (2018).

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Climate change and human behaviour. Nat Hum Behav 6 , 1441–1442 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01490-9

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How to reduce human-caused environmental changes

The diversity on Earth aids the health and quality of human life. It provides the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the air we breathe. But what do we do to serve the Earth? Human impact makes the environment less able to sustain life due to “human-induced rapid environmental changes.” There is no way to escape the effect we have, but there are ways to lessen it in order to protect the beauty of Earth and the many species that inhabit it.

Biology professor Blaine Griffen shares solutions to the five main drivers of human-induced rapid environmental changes:

1. Overexploitation of resources

Let’s take it back to the basics and reduce, reuse, and recycle. Recycling is the most familiar of the three solutions, but we should turn our focus to the other two to achieve the greatest positive impact. Learn how to reuse everyday items. DIY culture has promoted the ability to repurpose almost anything. Utilize the internet to find out what you can do. Reducing is effective economically and environmentally. One way we can reduce is by being extra cautious about the overexploitation of water. Don’t keep your water running and cut down on lawn sprinkler systems.

2. Habitat destruction

We are part of the ecosystem that we live in, so we must support it. The humans vs. nature predicament has never been a productive one and leads to a destructive mindset. Changing this mindset can lead you to be more mindful and respectful of hiking trails, your camping footprint, and nature in general. We are meant to enjoy the beauty of nature, but we should not feel entitled to abuse it.

3. Invasive species

Invasive species prove their destructive nature by causing extinctions, competing with other species, and reducing diversity in the ecosystems they invade, but they also cost the US economy approximately 120 billion dollars per year. Three easy combative measures we can take against invasive species include, never releasing pets into the environment, cleaning boats after removing them from the water, and planting native species in your yard.

4. Pollution

Whether it is trash, chemicals, or light, the whole Earth suffers from pollution, and, luckily, we can alleviate the problem through simple efforts.

Some solutions include:

• Avoiding excess use of pesticides and fertilizer. Following instructions helps to avoid infecting ground water and causing pollution. 
• Picking up litter so it isn’t ingested by animals or infecting waterways.
• Minimizing the use of outside lights. 
• Learning to enjoy nature quietly.  

5. Climate change

Broad scale problems like climate change aren’t easily solved, but simple efforts make a difference. Consider your modes of transportation, electricity use, and the benefits of buying locally. Making choices that consider the climate change problem are healthy for the planet and you.

We need to abandon the feeling of hopelessness we may feel in regards to environmental problems. We must work together to have the power to make change, otherwise nothing will get better.

INTERACTIVE

Humans induce and reduce environmental disasters.

Environmental disasters from 1970 to 2019 led to new developments in science, engineering, and policy. Explore disasters that have occurred over the last fifty years on land, in water, and in the atmosphere, as well as envision solutions to prevent or minimize further disasters.

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The right to a healthy environment: 6 things you need to know

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On 8 October, loud and unusual applause reverberated around the chamber of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A battle fought for decades by environmental activists and rights’ defenders, had finally borne fruit.

For the first time ever, the United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world, passed a resolution recognising access to a healthy and sustainable environment as a universal right.

The text also calls on countries to work together, and with other partners, to implement this breakthrough.

“Professionally that was probably the most thrilling experience that I ever have had or that I ever will have. It was a massive team victory. It took literally millions of people, and years and years of work to achieve this resolution”, said David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment, who was in the room when President Nazhat Shameem from Fiji, brought down her gavel, announcing the voting results.

43 votes in favour and 4 abstentions counted as a unanimous victory to pass the text that cites the efforts of at least 1,100 civil society, child, youth and indigenous people’s organizations, who have been campaigning for global recognition, implementation and protection of the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.  

SREnvironment

But why is this recognition important, and what does it mean for climate change-affected communities?

Here are six key things you need to know, compiled by us here at UN News.

1. First, let’s recall what the Human Rights Council does, and what its resolutions mean

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

The Council is made up of 47 UN Member States which are elected by the absolute majority in the General Assembly and represent every region of the world.

Human Rights Council resolutions are “political expressions” that represent the position of the Council’s members (or the majority of them) on particular issues and situations. These documents are drafted and negotiated among States with to advance specific human rights issues.

They usually provoke a debate among States, civil society and intergovernmental organisations; establish new ‘standards’, lines or principles of conduct; or reflect existing rules of conduct.

Resolutions are drafted by a “core group”: Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland, were the countries who brought resolution 48/13 for its adoption in the council, recognising for the first time that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is indeed a human right.

2. It was a resolution decades in the making

In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Environment in Stockholm , which ended with a historical declaration, was the first one to place environmental issues at the forefront of international concerns and marked the start of a dialogue between industrialized and developing countries on the link between economic growth, the pollution of the air, water and the ocean, and the well-being of people around the world.

UN Member States back then, declared that people have a fundamental right to "an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being," calling for concrete action. They called for both the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly to act.

Since 2008, the Maldives, a Small Island Developing State on the frontline of climate change impacts, has been tabling a series of resolutions on human rights and climate change, and in the last decade, on human rights and environment.

In the last few years, the work of the Maldives and its allied States, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment and different NGOs, have been moving the international community towards the declaration of a new universal right.

Support for UN recognition of this right grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea was endorsed by UN's Secretary-General António Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, as well as more than 1,100 civil society organisations from around the world. Nearly 70 states on the Human Rights Council also added their voices to a call by the council’s core group on human rights and environment for such action, and 15 UN agencies also sent a rare joint declaration advocating for it.

“A surge in emerging zoonotic diseases, the climate emergency, pervasive toxic pollution and a dramatic loss of biodiversity have brought the future of the planet to the top of the international agenda”, a group of UN experts said in a statement released in June this year, on World Environment Day.

3. It was a David vs Goliath story…

To finally reach the vote and decision, the core group lead intensive inter-governmental negotiations, discussions and even experts’ seminars, over the past few years.

Levy Muwana, a Youth Advocate and environmentalist from Zambia, participated in one of the seminars.

“As a young child, I was affected with bilharzia, a parasitic disease, because I was playing in the dirty water near my household.

A few years later, a girl died in my community from cholera. These events are sadly common and occurring more often.

Water-born infectious diseases are increasing worldwide, especially across sub-Saharan Africa, due to the changing climate”, he told Council members last August.

Muwana made clear that his story was not unique, as millions of children worldwide are significantly impacted by the devastating consequences of the environmental crisis. “1.7 million of them die every year from inhaling contaminated air or drinking polluted water”, he said.

The activist, along with over 100.000 children and allies had signed a petition for the right to a healthy environment to be recognised , and they were finally heard.

“There are people who want to continue the process of exploiting the natural world and have no reservations about harming people to do that. So those very powerful opponents have kept this room from going forward for decades.

It's almost like a David and Goliath story that all of these civil society organizations were able to overcome this powerful opposition, and now we have this new tool that we can use to fight for a more just and sustainable world”, says David Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment.

4. But what good is a non-legally binding resolution?

Mr. Boyd explains that the resolution should be a catalyst for more ambitious action on every single environmental issue that we face.

“It really is historic, and it really is meaningful for everyone because we know right now that 90% of people in the world are breathing polluted air.

“So right off the bat if we can use this resolution as a catalyst for actions to clean up air quality, then we're going to be improving the lives of billions of people”, he emphasizes.

Human Rights Council resolutions might not be legally binding, but they do contain strong political commitments.

“The best example we have of what kind of a difference these UN resolutions make is if we look back at the resolutions in 2010 that for the first time recognized the right to water . That was a catalyst for governments all over the world who added the right to water to their constitutions, their highest and strongest laws”, Mr. Boyd says.

The Rapporteur cites Mexico, which after adding the right to water in the constitution, has now extended safe drinking water to over 1,000 rural communities.

“There are a billion people who can't just turn on the tap and have clean, safe water coming out, and so you know, for a thousand communities in rural Mexico, that's an absolutely life-changing improvement. Similarly, Slovenia, after they put the right to water in their constitution because of the UN resolutions, they then took action to bring safe drinking water to Roma communities living in informal settlements on city outskirts”.

According to the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ), the recognition of the right to a healthy environment at the global level will support efforts to address environmental crises in a more coordinated, effective and non-discriminatory manner, help achieve the Sustainable Developing Goals, provide stronger protection of rights and of the people defending the environment, and help create a world where people can live in harmony with nature.

5. The link between human rights and environment is indisputable

Mr. Boyd has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that climate change has already had on people’s rights.

In his first country mission as a Special Rapporteur, he met the first community in the world that had to be completely relocated due to rising sea levels, coastal erosion and increased intensity of storm surges.

“You know, from this beautiful waterfront paradise on a Fijian island, they had to move their whole village inland about three kilometers. Older persons, people with disabilities, pregnant women, they're now separated from the ocean that has sustained their culture and their livelihoods for many generations”.

These situations are not only seen in developing countries. Mr. Boyd also visited Norway where he met Sami indigenous people also facing the impacts of climate change.

“I heard really sad stories there. For thousands of years their culture and their economy has been based on reindeer herding, but now because of warm weather in the winters, even in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, sometimes it rains.

“The reindeer who literally for thousands of years had been able to scrape away snow during the winter to get to the lichens and mosses that sustained them, now can't scrape away the ice - and they’re starving”.

The story repeats itself in Kenya, where pastoralists are losing their livestock because of droughts that are being exacerbated by climate change.

“ They have done nothing to cause this global crisis and they’re the ones who are suffering, and that's why it's such a human rights issue .

“That's why it's such an issue of justice. Wealthy countries and wealthy people need to start to pay for the pollution they've created so that we can help these vulnerable communities and these vulnerable peoples to adapt and to rebuild their lives”, Mr. Boyd said.

6. What’s next?

The Council resolution includes an invitation to the UN General Assembly to also consider the matter. The Special Rapporteur says he is “cautiously optimistic” that the body will pass a similar resolution within the next year.

“We need this. We need governments and we need everyone to move with a sense of urgency. I mean, we're living in a climate, biodiversity, and pollution crisis, and also a crisis of these emerging diseases like COVID which have environmental root causes. And so that's why this resolution is critically important because it says to every government in the world ‘you have to put human rights at the centre of climate action, of conservation, of addressing pollution and of preventing future pandemics’”.

For Dr. Maria Neira, the World Health Organization’s ( WHO ) environment chief, the resolution is already having important repercussions and a mobilizing impact.

“The next step will be how we translate that on the right to clean air and whether we can push, for instance, for the recognition of WHO’S Global Air Quality Guidelines and the levels of exposure to certain pollutants at a country level. It will also help us to move certain legislation and standards at the national level”, she explains.

Air pollution, primarily the result of burning fossil fuels, which also drives climate change, causes 13 deaths per minute worldwide. Dr. Neira calls for the end of this “absurd fight” against the ecosystems and environment.

“All the investments need to be on ensuring access to safe water and sanitation, on making sure that electrification is done with renewable energy and that our food systems are sustainable.”

According to WHO, achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement would save millions of lives every year due to improvements in air quality, diet, and physical activity, among other benefits.

“The climate emergency has become a matter of survival for many populations. Only systemic, profound and rapid changes will make it possible to respond to this global ecological crisis", says the Special Rapporteur.

For Mr. Boyd, the approval of the historical resolution in the Human Rights Council was a ‘paradoxical’ moment.

“There was this incredible sense of accomplishment and also at the exact same time a sense of how much work remains to be done to take these beautiful words and translate them into changes that will make people's lives better and make our society more sustainable”.

The newly declared right to a healthy and clean environment will also hopefully influence positively negotiations during the upcoming UN Climate Conference COP26, in Glasgow, which has been described by the UN chief as the last chance to ‘turn the tide’ and end the war on our planet.  

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• environment
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• Environment

When Riya was on the way home from school one day, she heard some people nearby talking. One of them said,” It is so sad seeing our natural environment change. All the trees will be cut down.” Riya quickly looked at her mother and asked, ” What is a natural environment, mother?”. “Everything around us that is not human-made is our natural environment”, said her mother. Riya was confused. Let’s help Riya understand what natural and human-made environments are.

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Our environment.

Our environment is everything that surrounds us- from the trees, mountains, roads, buildings, things and even people.   It is a combination of both natural and human-made elements. These elements are divided into two types:  Biotic and Abiotic .  Biotic elements are all the living organisms. Abiotic elements include all the non-living things.

Natural Environment

Everything that is not human-made comes under natural environment. Land, air, water, plants and animals all comprise the natural environment. Let us learn about the different domains of the natural environment. These are the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

• The lithosphere is the solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth. It is made up of rocks and minerals and covered with a thin layer of soil. The lithosphere is an irregular surface with mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, landforms, etc. It is the domain that provides us with forests, grasslands for grazing, land for agriculture and housing. It is also a source of minerals.
• Hydrosphere is the domain of water. It comprises of the various sources of water and different types of water bodies like rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, estuaries, etc. It is essential for all living organisms.
• The atmosphere is the thin layer of air that surrounds the earth. It is held by the gravitational force of the earth. The Atmosphere protects us from the harmful UV rays from the sun by blocking them out. It contains a number of gases like oxygen, which is essential for life, dust and water vapour. Changes in atmosphere bring changes in weather and climate.
• All life makes up the biosphere . It is the zone of the earth where land, water and air interact with each other to support life.

What is an ecosystem? All plants, animals and human beings depend on each other. The relation between living organisms, as well as the relation between living organisms and their environment, form an ecosystem .  An ocean is an example of an ecosystem because it comprises of living organisms, land, air ( in dissolved form) and water of course.

Human Environment

Human environment is the man-made environment. It has been modified by humans according to their needs. Before technology evolved, human beings would adapt themselves to the natural environment. They led a simple life and fulfilled their requirements from the nature around them. With time, their needs grew and became more varied. Human learnt new ways to change their environment according to their needs.

They learnt to grow crops, domesticate animals and build houses. They invented the wheel, barter system, trade and commerce. Transportation became faster. Large-scale production was possible through Industrial revolution. Communication became easier and speedy across the world. They have formed an artificial ecosystem.

A perfect balance is necessary between the natural and man-made environment. If we use the sources provided by environment wisely, we can establish a healthy balance. We should use our resources wisely and learn to conserve them. natural resources like wood, minerals, water, air are precious and essential for survival. If we do not use them wisely, we may run out of them one day. We should think about our future generations.

Here’s a Solved Question for You

Q: Which is not a natural ecosystem?

a) desert          b) aquarium         c) forest

Solution: b)aquarium. An aquarium is a man-made ecosystem.

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Please tell me eexample of natural environment

The example of natural environment awr Air,water,plants and animals comprise the natural environment.

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Man and environment: essay on man and environment.

Read this essay to learn about the human being, a rational and social partner in environmental action!

Man and environment are inter-related. The environment influences the life of human beings and also human beings modify their environment as a result of their growth, dispersal, activities, death and decay etc. Thus all living beings including man and their environment are mutually reactive affecting each other in a number of ways and a dynamic equilibrium is possible in between the two, i.e. human beings (society) and environment are interdependent.

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The different social structures like industrial, agricultural, religious, aesthetic etc. have developed during various stages of human civilization and these structures represent human being’s accumulated cultural resources based on natural environment.

If the natural environment helped in the development of different structures of the society on the one hand, the existence and quality of environment now rests on the responses of these social structures to the environment on the other hand.

The burning issues like quality of environment, disruption of earth’s natural ecosystem, environmental degradation and pollution, ecological imbalances, depletion of resources etc. can be approached and solved only after considering the value judgments which may be determined by taking into account the consequences of ‘environmental improvement programme’ on the entire society and society’s response towards the improvement programme. Actually all these depend on the interest and desire of the society in improving the quality of environment.

The interaction between environment and society depends largely on the social and political system. Even the capitalistic and socialistic systems perceptions and reactions to the environment are quite different. The differential interactions are due to uneven distribution of natural resources, uneven economic and social development, dissimilarity of demographic factors, varying view points of the governments and individuals towards environment etc.

Continuous and exceedingly increasing rate of rapacious exploitation of natural resources, industrialisation, technological growth, unplanned urbanisation and profit oriented capitalism by the developed western world are responsible for grave environmental crisis and ecological imbalance not confined to their own countries but to the whole world.

The socialistic system of government gives more emphasis on the social importance of natural resources and environmental problems and the urgent need to tackle, these problems. Marxism preaches to organise society’s control over the rapacious exploitation of natural resources and to develop harmony between man and nature. The emphasis on rational exploitation of natural resources and ecological balance was in the constitution of USSR.

The changes in the relationship between man and environment depend upon the change in organisation and attitude of society. To improve environmental standard and to maintain ecological balance, the followings are some issues before the present civilized society.

1. Rapid population explosion:

Puts tremendous pressure on the natural resources and environmental quality. This is due to the fact that population growth leads to poverty which directly or indirectly declines the environmental standard.

2. Rational use of non polluted water resources:

The restoration of water quality of our water bodies and their optimum uses are the challenges before the present society.

3. To sustain and increase agricultural growth:

Without damaging environment. The over cultivation of soil, results in nutrient deficiency, lack of organic matter, soil salinity and damage to physical structure of the soil.

4. To check soil erosion:

The soil erosion can be prevented by the restoration of land or soil resources which are directly or indirectly related to strategies for the management of land, water and forest.

5. Restoration of forest resources:

The forest resources are depleting at a very faster rate in order to meet growing need of timber and farmland for the increased population. Vast forest areas have been converted into barren waste lands. So it is the need of the present society to restore our forest resources possibly through social forestry and afforestation programmes.

6. To check pollution:

The overexploitation of natural resources, intervention of bio-geochemical cycles and trace element cycle, extraneous release of matter and energy etc. cause serious environmental hazards.

In addition, continuous green house gas emission, hazardous chemicals of industry and agriculture, nuclear arsenals; radioactive wastes and biotechnological misuse lead to global catastrophism. So the prevention of pollution is of prime importance for the present society. Considering the above issues, it is clear that the fate of human being depends on how he is managing and overcoming the above problems.

Some possible ways of tackling the problems and maintaining environmental standard are:

(a) Taking effective measures for population control.

(b) Optimum use of natural resources.

(c) Conserving and protecting biodiversity.

(d) Creating public awareness about the benefits and implications of environment.

(e) Giving top priority for environmental protection.

(f) Developing ecofriendly technological processes.

(g) Promoting sustainable agriculture which will not harm the environment.

(h) Using bio-fertiliser or ecofriendly fertilisers.

(i) Using minimum amount of pesticides and insecticides.

(j) Developing waste land by adopting afforestation programmes.

(k) Developing suitable biotechnology to clean up hazardous wastes in the environment.

(l) Choosing suitable technique to treat the pollutants before their discharge into environment.

Related Articles:

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This Is No Way to Be Human

We now occupy a nearly natureless world.

R ecently I met the astronomer Pascal Oesch, an assistant professor at the University of Geneva. Professor Oesch and his colleagues share the distinction of having discovered the most distant known object, a small galaxy called GNz-11. That galaxy is so far away that its light had to travel for 13 billion years to get from there to here. I asked Professor Oesch if he felt personally connected to this tiny smudge on his computer screen. Does this faint blob feel like part of nature, part of the same world of Keats and Goethe and Emerson, where “vines that round the thatch-eves run; to bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees”?

Oesch answered that he looks at such distant smudges every day. Sure, they’re part of the universe, he said. But consider the abstraction (thought I). A few exhausted photons of light from GNz-11 dropped on a photoelectric detector aboard a satellite orbiting Earth, produced a tiny electrical current that was translated into 0s and 1s, which were beamed to Earth in a radio wave. That information was then processed in data centers in New Mexico and Maryland and eventually landed on Professor Oesch’s computer screen in Geneva. These days, professional astronomers rarely look at the sky through the lens of a telescope. They sit at computer screens.

But not only astronomers. Many of us invest hours each day staring at the screens of our televisions and computers and smartphones. Seldom do we go outside on a clear night, away from the lights of the city, and gaze at the dark starry sky, or take walks in the woods unaccompanied by our digital devices. Most of the minutes and hours of each day we spend in temperature-controlled structures of wood, concrete, and steel. With all of its success, our technology has greatly diminished our direct experience with nature. We live mediated lives. We have created a natureless world.

Read: Nature has lost its meaning

It was not always this way. For more than 99 percent of our history as humans, we lived close to nature. We lived in the open. The first house with a roof appeared only 5,000 years ago. Television less than a century ago. Internet-connected phones only about 30 years ago. Over the large majority of our 2-million-year evolutionary history, Darwinian forces molded our brains to find kinship with nature, what the biologist E. O. Wilson called “biophilia.” That kinship had survival benefit. Habitat selection, foraging for food, reading the signs of upcoming storms all would have favored a deep affinity with nature. Social psychologists have documented that such sensitivities are still present in our psyches today. Further psychological and physiological studies have shown that more time spent in nature increases happiness and well-being; less time increases stress and anxiety. Thus, there is a profound disconnect between the natureless environment we have created and the “natural” affections of our minds. In effect, we live in two worlds: a world in close contact with nature, buried deep in our ancestral brains, and a natureless world of the digital screen and constructed environment, fashioned from our technology and intellectual achievements. We are at war with our ancestral selves. The cost of this war is only now becoming apparent.

I n 2004, the social psychologists Stephan Mayer and Cindy McPherson Frantz, at Oberlin College, developed something called the “connectedness to nature scale” (CNS), a set of statements that could be used to determine a person’s degree of affinity for nature. After answering “strongly disagree,” “disagree,” “neutral,” “agree,” or “strongly agree” to each statement, each participant would have an overall score computed. Some of the statements of the CNS test are:

I often feel a sense of oneness with the natural world around me. I think of the natural world as a community to which I belong. When I think of my life, I imagine myself to be part of a larger cyclical process of living. I feel as though I belong to the Earth as equally as it belongs to me. I feel that all inhabitants of Earth, human and nonhuman, share a common “life force.”

In recent years, psychologists have undertaken a number of studies to investigate correlations between scores on the CNS test and well developed methods for measuring happiness and well-being. In 2014, the psychologist Colin Capaldi and his colleagues at the Public Health Agency in Canada combined 30 such studies, involving more than 8,500 participants. The psychologists found a significant association between nature connectedness and life satisfaction and happiness. Capaldi and his team concluded that “Individuals higher in nature connectedness tend to be more conscientious, extraverted, agreeable, and open … nature connectedness has also been correlated with emotional and psychological well-being.”

There are many examples of such correlations in particular contexts. Hospital patients in rooms with foliage or windows looking out on gardens and trees do better after surgery. Workers in offices with windows that open up to pastoral-like views have less anxiety, more positive work attitudes, and more job satisfaction.

One does not have to look far to find literary expressions of the “well-being” brought about by immersion in nature. In his famous 1844 essay “Nature,” Ralph Waldo Emerson writes: “There are days which occur in this climate, at almost any season of the year, wherein the world reaches its perfection, when the air, the heavenly bodies, and the earth make a harmony, as if nature would indulge her offspring … We have crept out of our close and crowded houses into the night and morning, and we see what majestic beauties daily wrap us in their bosom.”

Read: How nature resets our minds and bodies

In the more frenzied and tech-heavy times of today, we require more effort to creep out of our close and crowded houses. But the poet Mary Oliver succeeded. In her 1972 poem “Sleeping in the Forest,” Oliver writes that she “slept as never before, a stone / on the riverbed, nothing between me and the white fire of stars / but my thoughts, and they floated / light as moths among the branches / of the perfect trees … By morning / I had vanished at least a dozen times / into something better.”

The woods are particularly restorative. Japanese doctors and psychologists have developed a mental therapy called “forest bathing” ( shinrin-yoku) . The idea is that spending time in nature—specifically walking through forests—might improve mental health. And it does. Research with hundreds of healthy volunteers, using standard psychological tests of mood and anxiety and comparing mental states of people who “bathed” in a forest for a day with those of the same group on another “control” day, away from the forest, have shown that hostility, depression, and stress are significantly decreased after a day in the forest. The effects are apparent not only on such psychological tests as the Multiple Mood Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Measurable body chemicals sing out our levels of anxiety and stress. Numerous studies, recently summarized and published in the International Journal of Biometeorology , have shown that forest bathing significantly reduces levels of cortisol, the body’s principal stress hormone. It’s little wonder. Hormones are messengers between the brain and the rest of the body. And our brains evolved over the millions of years that we lived in the savannas and plains, not in the covered constructions of the past few thousand years.

My most intense experience with nature occurred a number of years ago on a small island in Maine. A family of ospreys lived near our house on the island. Each season, my wife and I observed the birds’ rituals and habits. In mid-April, the parents would arrive at the nest, having spent the winter in South America, and lay eggs. In late May or early June, the eggs hatched. As the father dutifully brought fish to the nest each day, the babies would grow bigger and bigger and in mid-August were large enough to make their first flight. Throughout the season, my wife and I recorded all of these comings and goings. We noted the number of chicks each year. We observed when the adolescent ospreys first began flapping their wings, in early August, a couple of weeks before having the strength to become airborne and leave the nest for the first time.

One late August afternoon, the two juvenile ospreys of that season took flight for the first time as I stood observing them from my second-floor circular deck. All summer long, they had watched me on that deck as I watched them. The circular deck was about nest high, so to the fledgling birds, I must have seemed to be in my nest, just as they were in theirs. On this particular afternoon, in their maiden flight, they did a wide, half-mile loop out over the ocean and then headed straight at me with tremendous speed. A juvenile osprey, although slightly smaller than a full-grown adult, is still a large bird, with powerful talons. My immediate impulse was to run for cover, since the birds could have ripped my face off. But something held me to my ground. When they were within 15 or 20 feet of me, the two birds suddenly veered upward and away. But before that dazzling and frightening vertical climb, for about a second we made eye contact. Words cannot convey what was exchanged between us in that instant. It was a look of connectedness, of mutual respect, of recognition that we shared the same land. It was a look that said, as clear as spoken words, “We are brothers in this place.” After the two young ospreys were gone, I found that I was shaking, and in tears. To this day, I don’t understand exactly what happened in that second. But it was a profound connection to nature. It was a feeling of wholeness .

In a remarkable study several years ago, Selin Kesebir of the London Business School and the psychologist Pelin Kesebir of the University of Wisconsin at Madison found that references to nature in novels, song lyrics, and film story lines began decreasing in the 1950s, while references to the human-made environment did not. First, the researchers carefully selected a list of 186 words that reflect nature and the human connection to nature, excluding scientific terminology. Examples of nature words in the general category were animal , snow , soil , autumn , river , sky , star , and season . Examples in the bird category were hawk , heron , and robin . Examples in the tree category were elm , redwood , and cedar . In the flower category: bluebell , lilac , rose . For comparison, the scientists chose words reflecting the human-built environment, such as bedroom , street , and lamp . Then the researchers used online databases, such as Google Ngram, Songlyrics.com, and IMDb to track the frequency with which nature words, and the comparison “natureless” words, appeared in various cultural products since 1900. (I can’t help but point out the irony of using technology to document the less pleasant effects of technology.) Of course, new words are constantly being added to the lexicon, driving down older words. However, the Kesebirs did not find a decreasing frequency of older words related to the human-built environment. Another competing effect they also ruled out: that people have been moving from rural to urban environments over time. Although that trend is real, the growth rate of urban populations did not suddenly accelerate in the 1950s, in contrast to the deceleration of usage of nature words at that time. The researchers conclude that the decline of cultural references to nature, and thus the dwindling of nature in the popular imagination, must be associated with technological changes beginning around 1950, especially indoor and virtual activities such as television (1950s), video games (1970s), computers connected to the internet (1980s), and smartphones (1990s–2000s). In other words, the created world of the screen. Indeed, a 2018 Nielsen study found that the average American adult spends more than 9 hours a day looking at a digital screen. That’s more than half of our waking hours.

So exactly what have we lost in this natureless, digitized world we’ve created, besides the psychological dissonance with our ancestral selves? First, there’s the mental health of living with nature versus the increased stress of living without it, as I have described. Then there’s the psychological damage to our young people, resulting from disconnection from nature combined with excessive screen time. In his influential book Last Child in the Woods , the journalist Richard Louv coined the word nature-deficit disorder to describe the increased mental illnesses and depression of children deprived of immersion in nature. Studies recently summarized in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing show that while children are spending more time indoors, their mental-health problems are increasing. By contrast, the studies also conclude that more time spent in “green space” increases children’s attention, moderates stress, and even correlates with higher scores on standardized tests.

Then there is the artificial world of the screen itself. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, and her colleagues, in a survey of more than 44,000 caregivers of children and adolescents in the United States, found that increases in screen time that exceeded one hour a day were accompanied by less and less psychological well-being, including less curiosity, lower self-control, more distractibility, more difficulty making friends, less emotional stability, and less ability to finish tasks. Adolescents in the oldest group, ages 14 to 17, spend an average of 4.6 hours on the screen per day.

All of this is alarming and demands intervention. But I think we have lost something else in our removal from nature, something more subtle and harder to measure: a groundedness, a feeling of connection to things larger than ourselves, a calm against the frenzied pace of our wired world, a source of creativity, and the wholeness I felt in my eye-to-eye communion with the ospreys. Nature nourishes our spiritual selves. And by that I mean a feeling of being part of things larger than ourselves, a connection to something ancient and true in this fleeting world, an appreciation of beauty, and an awe of this strange and wonderful cosmos we find ourselves in. All of us feel that unnameable thing when we walk in the woods or sit by the ocean or stare at the heavens on a luminous night. Somehow, we are reconnecting with our ancestral selves and the long chain of lives stretching back to primeval oceans and unblemished land.

Technology, in its broadest sense, has brought about these dislocations. Of course, there are many different kinds of science and technology, most of which have improved the quality of life. The printing press, the steam engine, antibiotics, the automobile, the vacuum tube, silicon chips, electricity, the birth-control pill, anesthesia, the refrigerator. Televisions, computers, and smartphones have also improved the quality of life when used in moderation, when not preventing us from experiencing wind, rivers, sky, meteor showers, trees, soil, and wild animals. Technology itself does not have a mind. Technology itself does not have values. It is we human beings who have minds and values and can use technology for good or for ill.

Read: Nature isn’t really healing

I am not so naive as to think that the careening technologization of the modern world will stop or even slow down. But I do think that we need to be more mindful of what this technology has cost us and the vital importance of direct experiences with nature. And by “cost,” I mean what Henry David Thoreau meant in Walden : “The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.” The new technology in Thoreau’s day was the railroad, which he feared was overtaking life. Thoreau’s concern was updated by the literary critic and historian of technology Leo Marx in his 1964 book, The Machine in the Garden . That book describes the way in which pastoral life in America was interrupted by the technology and industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries. Marx could not have imagined the internet and the smartphone, which arrived only a few decades later. And now I worry about the promise of an all-encompassing virtual world called the “metaverse,” and the Silicon Valley arms race to build it.  Again, it is not the technology itself that should concern us. It is how we use that technology, in balance with the rest of our lives.

M any years ago, I took my then 2-year-old daughter to the ocean for the first time. As I remember, we had to walk quite a distance from the parking lot to the point where the ocean slid into view. Along the way, we passed various signs of the sea: sand dunes; sea shells; sunbaked crab claws; delicate piping plovers, which would run and peck, run and peck, run and peck; clumps of sea lavender growing between rocks; and an occasional empty soda can. The air smelled salty and fresh. My daughter followed a zigzagging path, squatting here and there to examine an interesting rock or shell. Then we climbed over the crest of a final sand dune. And suddenly, the ocean appeared before us, silent and huge, a turquoise skin spreading out and out until it joined with the sky. I was anxious about my daughter’s reaction to a part of nature she’d never seen before, vast and primeval. Would she be frightened, elated, indifferent? For a moment, she froze. Then she broke out in a smile.

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UB faculty member turns to environment with essay collection

By BERT GAMBINI

Published July 31, 2024

UB faculty member Laura Marris turns to the environment in her debut essay collection, “The Age of Loneliness” (Graywolf Press).

It’s her first solo-authored book since translating into English Albert Camus’ “The Plague.” Her work on the French literary classic for the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group was the first updated translation of Camus’ book for an American audience since 1948.

Marris, visiting assistant professor in the Department of English, will launch the essay collection with a reading and conversation at 6 p.m. Aug. 6 at Fitz Books, 433 Ellicott St., Buffalo.

Marris’ thoughtful meditations in “The Age of Loneliness” call attention to the growing separation between people and more-than-human stories of place. By situating personal experience in the context of natural history, she provides readers with clear sightlines toward the history of local places and an appreciation for their ecology and scales of time.

“I hope people will use these essays as an occasion to investigate and sit with the human and more-than-human histories that are unfolding in the places of their own lives, especially the histories that might previously have been invisible,” she says.

The idea for the book emerged in 2018, Marris’ first year in Buffalo, when she was commuting to her job at Boston University for part of each week, as she and her husband worked to get two jobs in the same place. She started reading about ecological issues to put the loneliness of her commute into perspective.

“At first, I didn’t think personal loneliness and landscapes were related, but I began to see connections between issues of ecology and my lonely commutes,” says Marris. “My long-distance relationship was also an estranged relationship to the natural world.”

In many ways, the closer we are to a place the harder it is to see what is missing. Familiarity softens perceptions, and a decline in what was once common can escape notice as it becomes increasingly scarce, she notes.

“If you’re not paying attention, if you’re not thinking about absence, then it’s difficult to recognize the changes in landscapes that are occurring every day,” she says.

Landscape, for Marris, is an appropriate representation for the way humans have interacted with their environment because it can imply not only what’s seen, but what has been modified.

“Everything around us is touched by humans,” she says. “There isn’t a pristine place that lacks human imprint.”

Although the Anthropocene is customarily used to identify the current geological era — defined by human impacts in earth’s fossil record — Marris instead uses her essays to explore the implications of the Eremocene. Coined by biologist E.O. Wilson, the Eremocene, or the age of loneliness, is a time of declining abundance and humanity’s subsequent isolation if humans allow wildlife loss to continue unabated.

“It’s interesting to investigate things through the lens of loneliness because the root word of Eremocene can mean a lonely person or a desolated place,” says Marris. “If we make a place lonely, then we become lonely ourselves because that reciprocity is a reflection of the broader ecosystem.”

But places are resilient, and the underlying sense of hope in Marris’ book comes with recognizing that measurable action doesn’t need to be a grand effort. Community projects can make a big difference.

“Community science, for example, which is an important part of the book, is a way of discovering what’s happing in a place, from bird counts, to planting a garden, to helping with a survey,” she says. “The gains are impressive when people push their grief slightly toward longing for, and cultivating, the abundant landscapes they’d like to see.”

And through the process of writing the book, Marris feels that change in herself.

“I began in a more alienated place as a commuter, writing and returning to the woods,” she says. “I didn’t expect the book to moderate my own fears, but through the ground-truth of community science, I became more grounded in my personal and ecological relationship to these places.”

Awareness can inspire change. And it’s time to start looking, since, as Marris points out through a quote in the book from Walt Whitman, “much unseen is also here.”

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From large labs to small teams, mentorship thrives

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Each year, new MIT graduate students are tasked with the momentous decision of choosing a research group that will serve as their home for the next several years. Among many questions they face: join an established research effort, or work with a new faculty member in a growing group?

Professors Cynthia Breazeal, leading a group of over 30 students, and Ming Guo, with a lab of fewer than 10, demonstrate that excellent mentorship can thrive in a research group of any size.

Cynthia Breazeal: Flexible leadership

Cynthia Breazeal is a professor of media arts and sciences at MIT, where she founded and directs the Personal Robots group at the MIT Media Lab. She is also the MIT dean for digital learning, leading MIT Open Learning’s business and research and engagement units. Breazeal is a pioneer of social robotics and human-robot interaction, and her research group investigates social robots applied to education, pediatrics, health and wellness, and aging.

Breazeal’s focus on taking multidisciplinary approaches to her research has resulted in an inclusive and supportive lab environment. Moreover, she does not shy away from taking students with unconventional backgrounds.

One nominator joined Breazeal's lab as a design researcher without a computer science background. However, Breazeal recognized the value of their work within the context of her lab’s research directions. “I was a bit of an oddball in the group”, the nominator modestly recounts, “but had joined to help make the work in the group more human-centered.”

Throughout the student's academic journey, Breazeal offered unwavering support, whether by connecting them with experts to solve specific problems or guiding them through the academic job search process.

Over the Covid-19 pandemic, Breazeal prioritized gathering student feedback through a survey about how she could best support her research group. In response to this input, Breazeal established the Senior Research Team (SRT) within her group.

The SRT includes PhD holders such as postdocs and research scientists who provide personalized mentorship to one or two graduate students per semester. The SRT members serve as dedicated advocates and points of contact, with weekly check-ins to address questions within the lab. Additionally, SRT members meet by themselves weekly to discuss student concerns and bring up urgent issues with Breazeal directly. Lastly, students can sign up for meetings with Breazeal and participate in paper review sessions with her and co-authors.

In the nominator’s opinion, this new system was implemented because Breazeal cares about her students and her lab culture. With over 30 members in her group, Breazeal cannot provide hands-on support for everyone daily, but she still deeply cares about each person's experience in the lab. The nominator shared that Breazeal “understands as she progresses in her career, she needs to make sure that she is changing and creating new systems for her research group to continue to operate smoothly.”

Ming Guo: Emphasizing learning over achievement

Ming Guo is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Guo’s group works at the interface of mechanics, physics, and cell biology, seeking to understand how physical properties and biological function affect each other in cellular systems.

A key aspect of Guo’s mentorship style is his ability to foster an environment where students feel comfortable expressing their difficulties. He actively shows empathy for his students’ lives outside of the lab, often reaching out to provide support during challenging times. When one nominator found themselves faced with significant personal difficulties, Guo made a point to check in regularly, ensuring the student had a support network of friends and labmates.

Guo champions his students both academically and personally. For instance, when a collaborating lab placed unrealistic expectations on a student’s experimental output, Guo openly praised the student’s efforts and achievements in a joint meeting, alleviating pressure and highlighting the student’s hard work.

In addition, Guo encourages vulnerable conversations about issues affecting students, such as political developments and racial inequities. During the graduate student unionization process, he fostered open discussion, showing genuine interest in understanding the challenges faced by graduate students and using these insights to better support them.

In Guo’s research group, learning and development are prioritized over achievements and goals. When students encounter challenges in their research, Guo helps them maintain perspective by validating their struggles and recognizing the skills they acquire through difficult experiments. By celebrating their progress and emphasizing the importance of the learning process, he ensures that students understand the value of their experiences beyond outcomes. This approach not only boosts their confidence, but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the scientific process and their own development as researchers.

Guo says that he feels most energized and happy when he talks to students. He looks forward to the new ideas that they present. One nominator commented on how much Guo enjoys giving feedback at group meetings: “Sometimes he isn’t convinced in the beginning, but he has cultivated our lab atmosphere to be conducive to extended discussion.”

The nominator continues, “When things do work and become really interesting, he is extremely excited with us and pushes us to share our own ideas with the wider research community.” 

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Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues

As governor of Minnesota, he has enacted policies to secure abortion protections, provide free meals for schoolchildren, allow recreational marijuana and set renewable energy goals.

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By Maggie Astor

• Aug. 6, 2024

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the newly announced running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, has worked with his state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature to enact an ambitious agenda of liberal policies: free college tuition for low-income students, free meals for schoolchildren, legal recreational marijuana and protections for transgender people.

“You don’t win elections to bank political capital,” Mr. Walz wrote last year about his approach to governing. “You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.”

Republicans have slammed these policies as big-government liberalism and accused Mr. Walz of taking a hard left turn since he represented a politically divided district in Congress years ago.

Here is an overview of where Mr. Walz stands on some key issues.

Mr. Walz signed a bill last year that guaranteed Minnesotans a “fundamental right to make autonomous decisions” about reproductive health care on issues such as abortion, contraception and fertility treatments.

Abortion was already protected by a Minnesota Supreme Court decision, but the new law guarded against a future court reversing that precedent as the U.S. Supreme Court did with Roe v. Wade, and Mr. Walz said this year that he was also open to an amendment to the state’s Constitution that would codify abortion rights.

Another bill he signed legally shields patients, and their medical providers, if they receive an abortion in Minnesota after traveling from a state where abortion is banned.

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Deforestation as a Human-Made Environmental Problem Essay

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Introduction

The short-term effects of deforestation, long-term effects of deforestation, how human activities have caused deforestation, prevention and mitigation strategies for deforestation.

The increases in the population of humankind have put a strain on natural resources. This analogy provides reasons why human activities are the leading cause of deforestation. 1 Among the human factors for deforestation are global warming, climate change, acid rain, natural storms, and forest fires. Virgin land has been lost significantly in the United States alone. An additional 5 million acres of forest land have been destroyed annually between 2001 and 2015, and the statistics do not seem to end. 2 25% of pharmaceuticals and half of cancer treatment drugs introduced since 1940 are manufactured from rainforest ingredients. 3 Therefore, losing this precious resource is a matter of grave concern. Deforestation has serious long-term and short-term effects on the ecosystem and human health, which is the main focus of this paper’s discussion. In addition, the debate forwards potential mitigation strategies.

Deforestation has immediate effects on plants and animals, alias flora and fauna. Forests are a habitat for several animals and plants, including nesting birds, nestlings, and eggs of various animals. Loss of habitat for such living organisms leads to the death of many of them. The few that survive are forced to relocate to other environments. The laws of survival of the fittest create territory wars with species of different kinds, including natural selection for population control. One of the immediate effects of deforestation is its severe effects on flora and fauna that the rainforest provides refuge in.

Rainforests and the majority of forest plantations occupy vast land on the leeward side of the mountainous regions. Geographically, this side of the mountain receives generous amounts of rainfall for the survival of plantations. Such steep slopes on which forest vegetation grows are prone to erosion, landslides, and avalanches. Trees have roots that hold the soil together to prevent corrosion. Also, they provide a catchment area for snow, particularly during the winter seasons, to prevent landslides and avalanches. Destruction of forest reserves by human primary and secondary activities reduces these benefits and exposes man to danger and soil destruction.

Deforestation exposes soil to heat and rain which quickly damages the top soil viable for agricultural production. There is a substantial rapid degradation of the quality and fertility of such lands. Also, the exposure of the tops soil due to deforestation leads to erosion and avalanches, as has been highlighted. Removing the top fertile soil through flooding and sedimentation is detrimental to the fisheries of the coastal region and food production. Soil quality deterioration, flooding, and exposure of soil are all qualities are short-term effects of deforestation that reduce sustainable food production for humanity.

One of the long-term effects of deforestation is global warming. Trees, being plants, absorb carbon dioxide for food production during photosynthesis. At the same time, respiration occurs through the process of oxygen emission by plants. The growth of forests provides an environment in which photosynthesis exceeds respiration to end that surplus carbon is stored in tree trunks in sequestration. This carbon is released into the atmosphere when trees are cut down for whatever purpose to produce global warming and its detrimental effects.

Climate change and imbalance are the subsequent tragedy of deforestation to humanity. Forest cover is responsible for absorbing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, while releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. The release of oxygen in the atmosphere explains the humid atmospheric climate in the rainforests and other forest covers. 4 Additionally, the shade the trees provide for the soil is responsible for soil moisture. Cutting down trees and losing trees in general leads to severe imbalances in the climatic conditions, which tend to be drier.

Deforestation is a significant influence in the formation of acidic rain. Acid rain has emanated from the reaction between sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. However, there is overwhelming evidence from scientific research that reveals that burning fossil fuel and biomass produce chemicals for forming formic acid. Such compounds called terpenoids are exposed to oxygenating agents to produce formic acid responsible for acid rain formation. Acid rain from deforestation introduces risks to the natural ecosystem and habitat for several organisms. Ocean species face more significant risks in addition to what industrial pollution adds to the acid rain from deforestation. It is then safe to conclude that deforestation causes acid rain, considerably influencing biodiversity’s instability.

Deforestation leads to a decrease in the general quality of life of human beings. Many people draw their survival from the existence of forests and their benefits. Agricultural production is a function of rainfall which increases with the preservation of forests. Other people rely on hunting and gathering, which is also a benefit reserved for the existence of the woods. Herbalists create drugs and pharmaceutical interventions from the proceeds of the forest. Other necessities used by humanity, including natural oils, fruits, nuts, resins, latex, and cork, are resident in tropical and rain forests. In addition, many lives have been disrupted by deforestation, for instance, the migration of people in Brazil. Intuitively, deforestation significantly affects man’s quality of life in the long term.

When the human population increases, there is a need to create a habitat land for them. This concept is defined as urbanization, a process through which cities grow. Urbanization statistics provide by 2030, over 60% of the world population, which accounts for over five billion people, will be living in urban areas. 5 The percentage of people living in the urban areas as of 1955 was merely 15.6%. Therefore, notable that with these calculations, there is an influx of the growth of cities by 15.6% in just 65 years alone. 6 Part of the land that provides room for urbanization has crept from the forest reserves. 7 Conclusively, urbanization as part of the human settlement program is one of the leading causes of deforestation.

Food production for sustenance demands vast agricultural land for livestock and plant farming. One of the leading causes of deforestation is the conversion of forest lands into agricultural lands. Research shows a net loss of 5.5 million acres of forest land in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay alone, with 3 million of the same land traced to agricultural needs. 8 These areas recorded such losses in a period ranging from the year 2000 to 2015. The ever-increasing world population is more needful of food in the trending years, which explains that if nothing is done, there is a risk that even more forest land will be converted into agricultural usage. It is with this profound evidence that another leading cause of deforestation is agricultural production for food sustenance.

Livestock rearing and ranching is another typical driver for deforestation globally. Latin America leads in extensive cattle grazing, which has severed a significant chunk of the forest cover. Research done in 2006 reported that from 2000 to 2010, people would convert 24 million acres of land for grazing and livestock rearing. 9 The demand for Amazon beef and products from the soybean industries in Latin America and worldwide is responsible for the deforestation for livestock rearing.

The industrial revolution has seen several manufacturing and processing companies spring up. For a long time, there hasn’t been a universal remedy for waste control and management in the global scope, particularly for developing nations. Improper waste disposal introduces agents of acid rain into the atmosphere. Trees growing in highly elevated regions become significantly disadvantaged because they sit under acidic clouds. Acidic rain releases aluminum into the soil, making it difficult for trees growing in such areas to take up water and nutrients such as magnesium and calcium. Trees are then exposed to damaging agents like cold weather, diseases, and infections, resulting in deforestation.

Climatic influences majorly cause wildfires in tropical forests. However, there are shreds of evidence that anthropogenic ignition sources cause part of the wild forest fires. 10 One such anthropogenic ignition source is the habitual logging and charcoal burning in as much as in most countries, which is unlawful, illegal, and incriminating. Selective logging is also responsible for shifting climatic patterns that expose forest lands to thermal conditions vulnerable to wildfires. While it is the climatic influences that produce most deforestation through the fire, it is human influences that are responsible for the climatic changes. In addition, human activities such as selective logging and charcoal burning are responsible for losing vast forest reserves.

There are several mitigation and prevention strategies for deforestation. Since deforestation is one of the hindrances to the achievements of the millennium development goals because of the effects of global warming and climate change it causes, this is one of the most widely researched topics. Mitigation measures for deforestation include eco-forestry, afforestation, and reforestation. Other includes; law enforcement, green-energy use, recycling, and several strategies that have been documented as potential solutions. However, this discussion forwards an argument favoring international body governance, commercial afforestation, evidence-based policy formation, and law enforcement.

One of the mitigation strategies is the utility of international organizations as drivers of change. For instance, The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international body whose function is to ensure forest lands’ preservation against depletion. One of the projects they currently handle is called the Clean Development Mechanism. In this project, they strive to foster the need for member countries to create avenues for afforestation and reforestation. Engaging such international bodies provide management oversight for national and local drivers of change. These international bodies should ensure that each member country has sub-unions responsible for environmental conservation and that they provide supervision.

Researchers provide that the use of wood and timber may not decline in the coming ages. This looming problem is why there has been a constant demand for deforestation. Finding a solution that can sustainably allow for the usage of timber and the preservation of forests is plausible to mitigate deforestation. One such strategy is commercial afforestation which is planting trees for money. In research that Foster and his team did, they argue that irrespective of whether trees are harvested, there is potential to mitigate 1.64 Pg CO 2 e by 2120. 11 They provide definitive evidence that commercial afforestation alone can provide greenhouse gas mitigation. This intervention is also beneficial in giving a carbon-free future.

The law and its enforcement agencies factor significantly in ending deforestation. A case study of law enforcement and policy formulation in Brazil has proven to yield results. However, the success of Brazil in significantly reducing deforestation was strategic and evidence-based. Conducting research on the causes of deforestation in a region provides policy recommendations for strategic management practices, including which laws to implement aggressively. Countries like Indonesia have met a limited extent of success because their law enforcement is not based on a strategic policy informed by research. Forest law enforcement based on evidence from policy information is pertinent to reducing levels of deforestation in any country.

Deforestation is a primary global concern because of its effects on global warming and climate change. Other detrimental effects of concern include biodiversity change, the risk to the overall living standards of human beings, and the risk to agricultural production, among several other long and short-term effects. Most of the causes of deforestation are caused by human activities, irrespective of whether they are primary or secondary causes. Chief causes of deforestation include acid rain, urbanization, agricultural production, livestock rearing, and wildfires. 12 It is possible to prevent deforestation, and mitigation of such activities is realizable. Measures of relief and prevention include evidence-based policy law enforcement, international bodies’ intervention, and commercial afforestation. Other measures include eco-forestry, afforestation, reforestation, recycling, and green-energy use.

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Ortiz, Diana I., Marta Piche-Ovares, Luis M. Romero-Vega, Joseph Wagman, and Adriana Troyo. “ The Impact of Deforestation, Urbanization, and Changing Land Use Patterns on the Ecology of Mosquito and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America .” MDPI. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2021. Web.

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• Sarmin, N. S., Hasmadi, I. M., Pakhriazad, H. Z., & Khairil, W. A. (2016). The DPSIR framework for causes analysis of mangrove deforestation in Johor, Malaysia. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management , 6 , 214-218.Tacconi, Luca, Rafael J. Rodrigues, and Ahmad Maryudi. “Law enforcement and deforestation: Lessons for Indonesia from Brazil.” Forest policy and economics 108 (2019): 101943. Web.
• Raven, Peter H., and David L. Wagner. “Agricultural intensification and climate change are rapidly decreasing insect biodiversity.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 2 (2021): e2002548117. Web.
• Shah, Shipra, and Jahangeer A. Bhat. “Ethnomedicinal knowledge of indigenous communities and pharmaceutical potential of rainforest ecosystems in Fiji Islands.” Journal of integrative medicine 17, no. 4 (2019): 244-249. Web.
• Dearden, Philip, and Bruce Mitchell. Environmental Change & Challenge: A Canadian Perspective . 6th ed. Oxford University Press, 2016
• Fang, C., Liu, H., & Wang, S. (2021). The coupling curve between urbanization and the eco-environment: China’s urban agglomeration as a case study. Ecological Indicators , 130 , 108107. Web.
• Gu, C. (2019). Urbanization: Processes and driving forces. Science China Earth Sciences , 62 (9), 1351-1360. Web.
• Ortiz, Diana I., Marta Piche-Ovares, Luis M. Romero-Vega, Joseph Wagman, and Adriana Troyo. “The Impact of Deforestation, Urbanization, and Changing Land Use Patterns on the Ecology of Mosquito and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America.” MDPI. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, Web.
• Franco-Solís, Alberto, and Claudia V. Montanía. “Dynamics of deforestation worldwide: A structural decomposition analysis of agricultural land use in South America.” Land Use Policy 109 (2021): 105619. Web.
• Thornton, P., & Herrero, M. (2010). The Inter-Linkages between Rapid Growth in Livestock Production, Climate Change, and the Impacts on Water Resources, Land Use, and Deforestation. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5178, Web.
• Mollinari, Manoela Schiavon Machado. “Fire in the Amazon forest amidst selective logging and climatic variation.” Ph.D. diss., University of Sheffield, 2020. Web.
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IvyPanda . (2024) 'Deforestation as a Human-Made Environmental Problem'. 30 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Deforestation as a Human-Made Environmental Problem." March 30, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/deforestation-as-a-human-made-environmental-problem/.

1. IvyPanda . "Deforestation as a Human-Made Environmental Problem." March 30, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/deforestation-as-a-human-made-environmental-problem/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Deforestation as a Human-Made Environmental Problem." March 30, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/deforestation-as-a-human-made-environmental-problem/.