It’s a known fact that the earth is being destroyed, little by little, every single day.
And the biggest threat for the planet is none other than us human beings. Thanks to the daily activities we’ve been able to impact the environment in most negative ways possible.
And because of human activities alone, the planet has seen rapid changes that weren’t seen for centuries.
By rapid changes, we don’t mean positive changes but negative.
Most of the animals are extinct and most are on the verge of extinction.
We’ve also managed to melt the glaciers up in the mountains because of the increasing temperature.
Pollution is affecting our health in more dangerous ways than we could imagine.
More buildings are being built while more trees are getting chopped off.
Climate change has become a major threat and its signs are seen all over the planet. Need I say more?
There are simple ways humans are destroying the environment.
Overpopulation.
The global population has reached 7 billion and counting. And soon enough the population will grow beyond the carrying capacity of the planet.
While repopulating was a survival instinct in the past, it has become a major threat to the environment.
To tell you the truth, an increase in human population means an increase in every threat the environment could get.
Human beings have become so selfish lately that they’d do anything for themselves.
We’ve forgotten that this planet is not just home to us but thousands of other creatures.
And we also forget or neglect the fact that the more humans come into this earth, the more non-humans disappear.
Global Warming and Climate Change.
Another biggest threat to the environment due to human activities is global warming.
Global Warming, as the name suggests, is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere.
The biggest contributing factor in it is the increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Before 1950, the highest level of CO2 recorded in the atmosphere was 300 parts per million.
But in a matter of just a few decades, human beings have managed to increase the level about 400 PPM. This annihilates every record from as far as 400,000 years ago.
Due to the increase of CO2 emission the average temperature of the planet is increasing by a degree almost every year.
While a degree might not sound threatening, but it’s far more dangerous than we think.
Earth’s weather pattern is drastically changing. Most parts of the world are experiencing heat waves like never before.
The glaciers are melting on the higher altitudes that are increasing the sea level.
Some places that don’t even have seas or oceans are experiencing storms and hurricanes.
Climate change has become a major growing problem in recent years.
And if we continue with our behavior, by the year 2050, we might be living in a whole different planet.
Urban Sprawl.
As human beings have become more educated and advanced, we’ve wanted better things.
Better houses, better education, a better life, and what not.
We’ve gone ahead destroyed almost everything in the name of industrialization.
We cut down trees and plants, the most valuable things for maintaining a proper ecosystem, and built houses.
We take charge of all the minerals found as if we’re the only ones who need them.
And most importantly, we increase the population as well as pollution (of every kind)
We’ve made the water undrinkable, the air unbreathable, and food inedible.
Deforestation.
Thanks to the increasing industrialization and urbanization, human beings have made it a point to just go ahead and destroy every traces of wildlife.
Maybe we think, since we’re so important for the planet, there is no need for any other animals to exist.
So, without thinking it through, we’ve been cutting down the trees, increasing deforestation, and diminishing the homes of thousands of animals, plants, birds, and insects.
Since our natural filter is degrading, deforestation has led to extinction to a number of plants and animals.
And most importantly, it has given rise to global warming and climate change.
Water Pollution/Ocean Acidification.
About 8 million tons of human garbage is dumped into the ocean every year. This garbage mostly contains plastics that are indissoluble.
The marine life including fish, turtles, seahorses, etc. ends up eating the plastics, mistaking it for food.
Plastic pollution is the biggest threat marine life is facing in recent times. It has led to the extinction of a lot of marine life.
Another threat to marine life due to pollution is the increase in the level of nitrogen and CO2.
It might be an essential element for the growth of plants but excessive nitrogen leads to excessive growth Phytoplankton and algae.
This further increases the phenomenon known as “red tides” or “brown tides”.
It depletes water bodies of oxygen in the ocean that causes the poison to gather in everything that consumes it.
Another threat to the ocean and marine life is the increase of carbon dioxide.
As the CO2 dissolves into the ocean, it creates carbonic acid.
This carbonic acid further reduces the pH levels in the water.
The acidity diminishes the calcium concentrations that make it difficult for sea-creatures, especially crustaceans to build their shell.
In the last 200 years, the ocean acidity has increased a whopping 30%, something that has not been in over 20 million years.
This has led to the destruction of all coral reefs, which is home to 25% of marine life beyond repair.
