Scientists fear that a huge meteorite may fall from the sky and cause destruction on the earth. Some of them also speculate that aliens are likely to visit the earth soon. On the other hand, religious leaders are worried about end times as predicted in spiritual books. All these threaten the life of human beings on earth. However, what such groups do not realize is that human beings pose a greater risk to themselves as compared to the dangers speculated above. Human beings are continuously limiting the chances of their survival in future by destroying the environment which sustains life. The environment provides food, materials for shelter, and clothing in addition to other industrial inputs. The uncontrolled exploitation of these resources
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For example, herbicides were largely used by military forces to destroy the hiding places of enemies. The aftermath was the destruction of large vegetation, farmlands, and several species of animals. Since the chemicals were sprayed by aircrafts, the environment experienced a serious level of air pollution. One of the chemicals that was commonly used is known as Agent Orange. Note that war also resulted in the deaths of millions of people. In the Rwandan genocide, 800 people lost their lives. Moreover, during the war, many people were displaced to the neighboring regions where they, in turn, caused a strain on the natural resources. The gulf war saw a huge amount of oil being leaked into the Pacific. Moreover, oil reserves were set on fire, and the gases released destabilized the atmospheric environment. Another instance occurred during the war between the Japanese and Chinese. The Chinese opened dams along the Yellow River in an attempt to slow down the advancement of the Japanese army, and the result was a destructive flood. Moreover, even after the wars ended, explosives and other military weapons were left on site. These chemicals leak into the soil and cause significant damage. During the world wars, uranium ammunition was used in large quantities, and since this compound is radioactive, it had negative impacts on the local environment. The world wars also saw the U.S. use nuclear weapons on the two …show more content…
Air pollution causes respiratory diseases that have claimed lives. Harmful gases deplete the ozone layer, allowing harmful radiations to reach the earth surface. Medical evidence indicates that such radiations cause cancer, skin diseases, and other related disorders. Uranium wastes have also been linked to kidney diseases. Also, the number of deaths resulting from consumption of contaminated water, especially in developing countries, is increasing. Furthermore, improper disposal of wastes encourages the spread of diseases around the nearby settlements (PDF, "Week3"). Moreover, when chemicals are used excessively in farms, the resultant product may be poisonous when consumed by human beings. As noted earlier, land pollution reduces the quality of the agricultural soil. As a result, farmers experience low and poor-quality harvests. The poor-quality farm produces results to malnutrition while low yields encourage poverty especially to families that heavily depend on agriculture as a source of livelihood. The effect is worsened by climate change which causes uncertainty and reduces harvests in areas which were initially performing agriculturally. Moreover, oil spills destroy aquatic life including that of fish which is a major source of food and income to families living around water bodies (Fentiman, 87-89). Environmental degradation destroys the earth's beautiful scenery which is a major tourist attraction. Since
For example, herbicides were largely used by military forces to destroy the hiding places of enemies. The aftermath was the destruction of large vegetation, farmlands, and several species of animals. Since the chemicals were sprayed by aircrafts, the environment experienced a serious level of air pollution. One of the chemicals that was commonly used is known as Agent Orange. Note that war also resulted in the deaths of millions of people. In the Rwandan genocide, 800 people lost their lives. Moreover, during the war, many people were displaced to the neighboring regions where they, in turn, caused a strain on the natural resources. The gulf war saw a huge amount of oil being leaked into the Pacific. Moreover, oil reserves were set on fire, and the gases released destabilized the atmospheric environment. Another instance occurred during the war between the Japanese and Chinese. The Chinese opened dams along the Yellow River in an attempt to slow down the advancement of the Japanese army, and the result was a destructive flood. Moreover, even after the wars ended, explosives and other military weapons were left on site. These chemicals leak into the soil and cause significant damage. During the world wars, uranium ammunition was used in large quantities, and since this compound is radioactive, it had negative impacts on the local environment. The world wars also saw the U.S. use nuclear weapons on the two …show more content…
Air pollution causes respiratory diseases that have claimed lives. Harmful gases deplete the ozone layer, allowing harmful radiations to reach the earth surface. Medical evidence indicates that such radiations cause cancer, skin diseases, and other related disorders. Uranium wastes have also been linked to kidney diseases. Also, the number of deaths resulting from consumption of contaminated water, especially in developing countries, is increasing. Furthermore, improper disposal of wastes encourages the spread of diseases around the nearby settlements (PDF, "Week3"). Moreover, when chemicals are used excessively in farms, the resultant product may be poisonous when consumed by human beings. As noted earlier, land pollution reduces the quality of the agricultural soil. As a result, farmers experience low and poor-quality harvests. The poor-quality farm produces results to malnutrition while low yields encourage poverty especially to families that heavily depend on agriculture as a source of livelihood. The effect is worsened by climate change which causes uncertainty and reduces harvests in areas which were initially performing agriculturally. Moreover, oil spills destroy aquatic life including that of fish which is a major source of food and income to families living around water bodies (Fentiman, 87-89). Environmental degradation destroys the earth's beautiful scenery which is a major tourist attraction. Since