Humans and the Environment
GEG 1200
Spring 2000
Humans are responsible for the environment. Because we humans are the smartest species currently on the earth, it falls to us to care for the land around us. One might then reasonably ask, why do we hurt the environment? The destruction of the environment is not intentional; it is simply a side effect of the human race. Some things cannot be changed, regardless of what effort is put into doing so. No matter what we, as in the entire global population, do to curb our erroneous ways we still end up hurting the environment. It is obvious the earth would be a much healthier place without humans. However, for all the ways we hurt the environment, there are ways in which we try to help it.
At present, the Earth supports approximately six billion human beings. In the past one hundred years, the human population has actually tripled (Cohen 38). The numbers continue to rise, albeit at a slower rate than before. Like any species, it is the nature of humans to reproduce. As the years go by, these additional humans will join the ranks of the rest of the world in taking their toll on the environment. Like everyone else, these people will have needs to be cared for. More housing of some sort will be needed with this rising number of humans. Typically, the places chosen as suitable sites to build homes, supermarkets, and highways are unoccupied areas of natural growth. Unfortunately, however, many people do not know or care that the land they desire is not as unoccupied as it appears. With the construction of new towns, there occurs something called habitat loss, the forcing of wildlife to seek shelter elsewhere, due to human interference in their natural habitats. This is a large problem that continues today and is the cause of many species’ extinctions, especially those who cannot adapt to the changes in their environment.
Another encroaching problem with the ever-increasing population is the necessity of additional food. The most common form of human subsistence is agriculture. Agriculture is “The intentional tending of a particular plant species for human use” (Franz, Kaufman G-1). While such things as medicine and clothing fibers are derived from plants, the “human use” mentioned is most frequently the production of food. However, it is doubtful that the current number of crops in existence will be sufficient to support the mounting human population. This means that more forests will eventually be cleared and transformed into farmland. Aside from the impacts of deforestation on the surrounding ecosystem—one of which is habitat loss—agriculture causes a significant amount of damage to the environment. Soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and chemical runoff are several of the most damaging occurrences. Many farmers try to help avoid some of the common causes of soil degradation. Some, for instance, plant windbreaks, rows of trees situated among the crops to prevent wind erosion of the soil. Others rotate crop field use. This means that some farmers grow a crop in one field for a single season. The next growing season, the crop is planted in another field. There are often two or three different fields so that the first plot, the one the crop was originally grown in, has plenty of time to regenerate before it is used again. Often, commercial farmers specialize in one or two specific crops. This, while probably more profitable for the farmers, is not a good practice of farming. Planting only one or two species of plants severely cuts back on the biodiversity of the land. Biodiversity is the number of different species in a specific area. When a plant’s genetic diversity is restricted, it is more susceptible to disease, and therefore, its chances of survival are lowered.
There are many causes of groundwater contamination, and humans are the reason for most of them. Groundwater is fresh water found underneath the surface of the earth in porous and permeable rock (Franz, Kaufman 282). In fact, the amount of fresh water found underground greatly surpasses that of all lakes, rivers, and streams combined (Franz, Kaufman 283). It is this groundwater that makes up most of the world’s drinking water. However, this does not mean that all groundwater is suitable for drinking. In 1992, there were over ten thousand cases of groundwater contamination on the United States (Witten 1). Agricultural runoff is one important source of contamination. The use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers is unfortunately extremely detrimental to surface and groundwater; with water from irrigation and rain, the harmful chemicals are washed into streams and absorbed into the ground, where they accumulate. Landfills are another serious issue. Dangerous chemicals—from batteries, solvents, cleaners, and a number of other sources—leach their way into the ground over time. The water table, the underground level at which groundwater begins, mimics the land’s topography, so when a landfill is created the water table curves upwards to meet the slope. When these chemicals percolate into the groundwater, they are swiftly carried downstream, down the artificial slope. Other sources of groundwater contamination are: acid drainage, from coal mining; sewage leakage from septic tanks; radioactive waste from nuclear power plants; and, last but certainly not least, fossil fuel exploration.
In our preoccupation with our demanding energy needs, we humans rapidly consume existing fossil fuels at an alarming rate. Little to no attention is paid to the fact that these fuels are nonrenewable resources. Once these resources are depleted, they are gone for good. According to one book, “By 2010, IEA [the International Energy Agency] projects that global energy consumption—and annual CO2 emissions—will have risen by almost 50 percent from 1993 levels” (The World Resources Institute, et al 170). With the Earth’s growing population, even more of the precious resources will be in demand. This increasing demand will mean more effort will be put into the location and extraction of fuel reserves. The current methods of extraction leave much to be desired, however. All forms of fuel extraction have harmful effects on the quality of groundwater. Coal mining, for instance, is a prime source of acid drainage, sulfuric acid solutions. Also, strip mining, another form of coal mining, often leaves behind a large maw in the earth, resulting in habitat loss. Oil is cleaner and burns more efficiently than coal, which is why everybody wants it. Oil acts as international money, in a way. Many countries trade with oil. However, in our worldwide pursuit of oil, we often cause problems. One problem is land subsidence. Land subsidence is the collapse of land surface due to the removal of the oil that used to support it. This collapse of land creates a type of sinkhole, interfering with local ecosystems and disturbing local wildlife. A second problem with oil extraction is the possibility of groundwater contamination. An oil drill might create fissures in the surrounding rock, and oil may seep into the groundwater.
Eventually, these fuels, whether coal or oil, will be burned to meet our gluttonous energy needs. However, because of the carbon dioxide and other particles emitted by the consumers of these fuels—power plants, factories, and personal automobiles—the future climate of planet Earth is uncertain. The climate two hundred years into the future could in fact be quite different from the climate as it is now. The reasons for this are the greenhouse effect and global warming. The layers of atmosphere encircling the Earth act as protection against the sun’s deadly ultraviolet rays. The build up of carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the atmosphere reduces the ability for those ultraviolet rays to “bounce” back into space. This is called the greenhouse effect, and it is this greenhouse effect that has scientists wondering about global warming. Global warming is, obviously enough, the worldwide heating up of the Earth. This occurrence, if it is indeed happening, will have a potentially destructive effect if it continues unchecked. It is reasonable enough to deduce that weather patterns across the globe will be affected by the Earth’s rise in temperature. These higher temperatures, caused by accumulating amounts of carbon dioxide and sun-produced heat, will in turn generate warmer wind currents. Due to their warmer status, these air streams will contain less moisture than they previously had. This means that these winds will end up releasing less precipitation. (The World Resources Institute, et al 174). Less precipitation means that the Earth will become drier. Plants that are heavily dependant on water will die out, leaving a hardier variety of species in their place. Species frequency will change as well. Species who rely on certain water-dependant plants for their sustenance will no doubt migrate elsewhere in their search for a habitat that has more moisture. As one can plainly see, the effects of global warming will not only affect humans, but the entire world.
Carbon dioxides are not the only type of pollutant that humans add to the environment. In fact, we do a remarkable job of poisoning the planet we live on. Some pollutants we can control, and some we cannot. One example is the matter of ozone depletion. Ozone in the upper atmosphere protects the Earth, and all life on it, from the sun’s lethal ultraviolet radiation. Usually, ozone is found in the stratosphere. However, in the 1970s it was discovered that certain widely used chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs) actually break apart ozone molecules (Franz, Kaufman 257). With this knowledge, the United States banned the use of CFCs in aerosol spray cans in the late ‘70s. While the layer of ozone in the atmosphere is still being depleted, in this example, we acknowledged that we were on the path to killing all life on the planet, and attempted to rectify the situation.
Often, our pollution is accidental: the unintentional contamination of the planet. One example of an accidental catastrophe has recently occurred in Eastern Europe. An Australian company had established a gold mine in Romania. Unfortunately, a nearby dam, filled with a cyanide solution to aid in the mining process, broke; they cyanide entered several waterways, and all life in the Danube and Tisa Rivers has been extinguished. This accident not only affected the rivers, but also crops that use river water for irrigation. The entire region’s food chain has been affected. According to Hungarian officials, it was “the biggest environmental catastrophe since Chernobyl” (Stanojevic). The effects of the cyanide spill will remain for a very long time to come.
Contrary to appearances, environmental awareness is growing, and efforts are being put forth to clean up such destructive actions, as well as prevent them. Placement of landfills and toxic waste sites are more carefully considered today than in the past. Often, these landfills and waste sites are lined with clay and plastic to prevent chemical leakage into the groundwater supply. With such things as fuel extraction, and more specifically coal strip mining, companies have grown more environmentally conscientious. Instead of leaving a gaping hole in the ground after strip mining, some companies fill the hole in with nutrient-rich earth so that it can be used again. To combat the problem of greenhouse gases and global warming, many governments have established and regulate acceptable levels of pollution. In instances such as oil spills, for example, the process of bioremediation—the use of living organisms—to clean up the mess is increasing.
In conclusion, there are many ways in which humans hurt the environment. No matter what we do to try and repair the damage we cause, it will never be enough. On the bright side, however, all is not lost. We humans are becoming more aware of the environment around us, and while there will always be more people being born, more people needing housing, and more people needing food, there will also be more people present to help save the Earth. So we must continue to save the environment piece by piece and continue to teach our children the necessity of helping the environment as well; and we must hope that it is enough.
Works Cited
The World Resources Institute, et al. World Resources 1998-99: A Guide to the Global Environment New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Franz, Cecelia M., and Donald G. Kaufman. Biosphere 2000: Protecting Our Global Environment 1993. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2000.
Stanojevic, Zoran. “Cyanide Spill Poisons Major Rivers.” MSNBC.com 14 February 2000. 15 February 2000 <http://www.msnbc.com/msn/369479.asp>.
Cohen, Joel E. “Population and Planet.” Harvard Magazine (Nov-Dec 1999): 38.
Witten, Jon. “The Basics of Groundwater Regulation.” Planning 58.6 (June 1992): 22.