Human impact on the Environment.

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For 200 years we’ve been conquering Nature.
Now we’re beating it to death.
~ Tom McMillan

We Humans who have been on the planet for only 200,000 years have impacted the planet in ways that is difficult to imagine. Our life which is a miracle in the universe appeared some 4 billion years ago and yet our species has succeeded in disrupting the balance so essential to this  life.

Our Earth relies on a balance where every species has a symbiotic role to play. This is a  subtle fragile harmony which we humans, are slowly disrupting. We have changed the face of the world . Despite being vulnerable we have taken possession of every habitat and conquered territories like no other species before us. By simply existing in the over consumptive way that we do ,we humans have left an imprint on the world. 

Information regarding Human impact is vast and difficult to assimilate yet i put down a part of it that has caught the attention of many…

Air —-

Perhaps the largest impact that we have had is on the very air that we breathe. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. The WHO estimates that about 2 million people die prematurely every year as a result of Air Pollution. Vehicular Emissions, aircraft pollutants, overuse of coal based industrial units, brick kilns, cooking on coal cooktops have made India to be the largest air polluter in the world. The effects are here to stay as rice crop yields in southern India are falling, the brilliant white of the famous Taj Mahal  is slowly fading to a sickly yellow and birds and species are severely affected declining to more than half in just 10 years. Vapi in Gujarat is the  most polluted city in the country according to Central Pollution Control Board’s interim report on May 21, 2012. Beijing in China has recently been declared the most air polluted city in the world. New Delhi, the capital is covered with thick smog in winters which arises from the 1000 cars being added daily to the city. Asthma, choking, blindness, wheezing and even lung cancer are some of the diseases on the rise.

Water—–

 

Few realise the importance of water reserves left on the planet and know just how much is available. It is no surprise that we use the supply without a second thought. Polluting our remaining 69% of freshwater supply with chemical pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers and contaminating it with fossil fuels and emissions from heavy machinery. This water impacts plants, animals and marine life, its acidity leading to acid rain. According to a report by the UN, 90 percent of wastewater discharged daily in developing countries(80 % of urban waste in India) is untreated. This leads to the death of nearly 2.2 million people a year from diarrheal diseases. The rivers in India especially the Ganga and the Yamuna are so polluted that the smog can be seen from Google Earth.

Land—–

Polluting the land we live on is nothing short of shortsightedness. Over years we will realise the mistakes we make today. Human beings have degraded the soil of the planet. Our present culture knows only how to consume and misuse the natural resources. Mismanaged urban sprawls, migrations to cities and exposed landfills cause the highest amount of pollution. We have cut our forests, run our topsoil and expanded our agricultural practices to the extent that we do have made it a habit to overuse resources without a thought for tomorrow. Plastics from industries which are chemical laden are producing toxins and illegal dumping of waste is affecting us all. Our country India, which has more than 5000 cities generates about 40 million tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste per year today. The disposal of this waste is considered the responsibility of the government, yet what are we to achieve without the joint effort of the billion citizens who live in this country today. 

What we don’t realise is that we will never truly destroy the planet, it adapts to our actions and will change continuously. It is us as a species that will suffer, will we change our environment in such a manner so as to drive ourselves to extinction?

All species have been living in natural surrounding for years, it is only recently that humans have adapted to living in an inorganic world. We need to feel the responsibility , how will it be possible to live without clean drinking water, to not breathe clean air and to not have abundant fertile soil. Empowering ourselves with valuable information is the first step in this direction and that is what this website endeavors to do.It is always good to do something with what you know ……so Happy Reading…