Essays On The Environment

Human Impact On Environment Essay
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, human activities have had an undeniable impact on the
environment. The destruction of the environment has far–reaching consequences, and there is little
that has been done to help improve, not just maintain, the environment. As seen in the degradation
of our soil, air quality, and water availability, current human behavior causes a decline in the
earth's health, and current environmental protections are few and far between. Soil quality is
currently declining, and good soil is something that is vital to the continuation of healthy
agricultural practices and healthy people. Without good soil, there can be no base to the
buildings that are created, and no roots for the plants we grow. When there is no water available,
power is not generated by giant dams we build, and the irrigation we dig is useless. If there is no
water, there is no life, and with no life, the world's ecosystems are destabilized, and we are thrown
out of balance. The natural world relies on the careful balancing of man–made and organic, and with
the regulations we currently have, the scales are tipping towards a man–made catastrophe. A prime
example of human impact is the global issue of water scarcity, something that can affect first and
third world countries alike. The human need for shelter and food cause expanding development,
which, in turn, cause increased amounts of pollution to enter into the environment. "Population
growth and development also produce water pollution, which further diminishes available water
supplies" (Cooper). Human activity also tends to be one of overuse, especially in the case of
water. Many industries use large quantities of water, such as agriculture, industrial and commercial
needs, mining uses, and thermoelectric power generation. "In the United States, these four major
categories of users combined add up to the withdrawal of more than 338,000 million gallons of
fresh water a day from surface and groundwater resources. Only about 27 percent of the water
withdrawn by them is actively used" (Stuart, 25). The unused water is recycled, to be put back
where it came from, but it could bring pollutants back into water storage areas. With enough time, the
aquifer or river
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The Problem Of Food Waste In America
Problem As society expands, it is critical to seek ways to lessen humans' environmental impact. A
key aspect of practicing sustainability is efficiently using resources, and one of such resources is
food. In America alone, about 40% of food goes uneaten, and as the population increases, pressures
on managing this waste will only increase further (Buzby, et al. 499). With many Americans lacking
a secure supply of food, the need for an improved ability to manage food waste is essential.
Furthermore, food waste places a severe strain on the environment. In an article by Buzby, Hyman,
Stewart, and Wells, they state, "Food loss at the retail and consumer levels represents significant
amounts of money and other resources invested in food production, including land, fresh water,
labor, energy, agricultural chemicals (e.g., fertilizer, pesticides) and other inputs to produce food
that does not ultimately meet its intended purpose of feeding people" (Buzby, et al. 492). It is clear
that the problems with food waste are immense, ranging from environmental to economic. Food
waste across the country is a pressing issue, however, it is very large in scope. A narrower area with
great potential for improvement is college dining halls, specifically those at Rutgers University. In
Dr. Whitehair's article on improving university dining, she states "Food waste generated by
universities each year is estimated at nearly 540,000 million tons" (Whitehair 63). Rutgers
University's Dining

Environmental health is the science that studies how the environment influences the human disease
and health. Environment means things that are natural to us in the environment, for instance air,
water, and soil. However, it also covers the physical, chemical, biological, and social features that
surround us every day. The physical environment is the man–made or built structures that include our
living, work, and even schools. Included in the community systems such as the roads and our
transportations, and waste management. However, the alterations such as air pollution to our natural
environment, is included in the physical section. The social environment is our social lifestyles like
diet, exercise, socioeconomic status and many...show more content...
The pollution has both chronic and acute effects on our health, and affects many of our systems and
organs. The health consequences of lower levels of pollution have been more difficult to decide. The
first cause is that people differ in response to the environment and the toxics. When we are exposed
to the different conditions caused by the environment, the variation is wide because of how we react.
With this variability of the population, it can mask the effects that do occur in a sensitive segment of
the population. The second difficulty is our age, and the timing of the exposures and how it will
influence both sensitivity to the environmental agent, and the type of effect it will cause our health.
Infants and children may acquire lifelong damage compared to us adults. Environmental regulation
and pollution control will remain an important cornerstone of the public health policy. The focus will
be prevention, instead of disease treatment. Control of the pollution is a highly cost–effective means
ensuring public health. With the contaminated environments and the work hazards in occupations,
improving the pollution control may lead to a reduced health care disparities. When the health of all
citizens is protected that a nation can fulfill its potential. Another reason we could consider is the
climate change. The climate poses a challenge to our health. Threats to our health caused by a toxin
or disease pathogen, there are ways the

Environmental Science Essay
Environmental Fundamentals
Laura Jackson
Env/100
April 8, 2013
JOHN ENSWORTH
Environmental Fundamentals
Introduction
Environmental science is defined as the study of the environment and the interconnecting systems it
contains, furthermore, the way people interact with their natural surroundings and use natural
resources (wise geek, 2013). Scientist in this field is highly interdisciplinary and extremely diverse,
for example, a scientist might study volcanoes or climate change. This essay will cover the
following; the definition of environmental science, the relationship between science and technology
and how it affects environmental problems; the concept of environmental sustainability and why it
should be studied; how human...show more content...
Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is the process of making sure current processes of interaction with the
environment are pursued with the idea of keeping the environment as pristine as naturally possible
based on ideal–seeking behavior (Wikipedia, 2010). What makes environmental sustainability so
important is that it demands that society designs activities to meet human needs while indefinitely
preserving the life support systems of the planet (Wikipedia, 2010). Human consumption can only
use the nature's resources at a rate that can be replenished naturally.
Human Values affecting Society
The most devastating environmental change of all is the loss of biodiversity. The rate of species
extinction has remained at one species per million per year, furthermore, the accelerating destruction
of habitats throughout the world leads to projections of the loss of two–thirds of all species on earth
by the end of this century, and millions of years to recover from the Cretaceous period
(mindfully.org, 2013). As individuals, we obtain our food, directly or indirectly from plants, for
example, plant our primary use of medicines. Biodiversity also determines the properties of
communities and ecosystems, which capture energy from the sun. The world is less resilient, more
homogeneous, less interesting, and with fewer opportunities for our descendants and ourselves:
where the process reaches

Poverty and Environment: An Essay on the Poverty–Environment Linkages
Josiah Mwangi Ateka
School of Economics , Kenyatta University
November 2012
1.0 Background
Poverty reduction and environmental conservation represent two of the main global challenges. The
two targets constitute part of the eight Global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Arising
from the thinking that Environmental degradation and poverty reinforce each other since the poor are
both agents and victims of environmental destruction; the poverty–environment hypothesis has
become a major concern of international development agencies and policy makers. It is often argued
that the poor are often the biggest victims of environmental destruction since they depend...show
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It is argued that this 'investment poverty' criterion is a stronger criterion than the conventional focus
on 'welfare poverty', as households above a welfare–determined poverty line could still be
investment poor.
2.0 Poverty and Environment Linkages
This section attempts to give a general overview of some of the basic issues in the
poverty–environmental degradation debate. The objective is to provide general highlights on the
key perspectives of the poverty and environment relationships. This will provide a foundation for the
discussions on the theoretical and conceptual framework presented later on in section 3.
The poverty–environmental linkage has several dimensions. From an economic growth perspective;
rapid economic growth is often seen as the key foundation for achieving poverty reduction. There is
a lot empirical evidence in support of this assertion. Therefore while the linkage between economic
growth and poverty reduction is generally obvious, the relationship between economic growth and
degradation of the environment or and improvement in the environment remains ambiguous or
unclear. One part of the poverty–environment hypothesis suggests that economic growth is needed to
break the poverty–environment downward

II. Introduction
When many people throw away their trash do they ever consider where it might end up? No
matter where someone deposits their trash it almost always ends up in the same place. Depending
on if their trash ends in the proper disposal area. For many people, it can be an easy task to throw
away their trash and never think twice about it. Does one ever consider the journey of the so–called
trash? The trash can end up in a landfill or even range to the ocean. Waste disposal is an important
environmental issue at hand. Without a major change, it can hurt the earth and the people who live
on the planet and even the environment. What many people fail to realize is the effect that they have
on the planet. If they don't take care of it...show more content...
Not disposing of a broken cell phone the right way has many negative effects. It can create many
environmental problems. Electronic trash is becoming more and more a bigger threat every day. A
phone is filled with so many toxins just like any other electronic device. When it makes its way to
a landfill the materials that these electronic devices are made out of can potentially leak. With that
in mind. It can cause a whole bunch of problems for the ecosystem, plant life, animals, and even the
food supplies. Which will end up causing way more problems than the everyday person needs?
Electronics are not the only type of waste that causes a major problem. There is a liquid waste,
solid waste, hazardous waste, organic waste and recyclable waste. Not all waste is harmful, but it
depends on if they can be or are disposed of correctly. Liquid waste can be classified from water
wash to liquid cleaning products. Solid wastes can be just normal rubbish such as newspapers, old
tires, food waste and even broken furniture. Hazardous is waste that can be threatening to the public
and or the environment. Hazardous waste can range from reactive, toxic, inflammable, and
corrosive. Some examples of these are equipment that contains mercury, batteries, pesticides, and
lamps. Some waste can be disposed of by incineration or having a designated piece of land such as
landfill to dispose of the waste (Common types of waste with examples). But these methods do offer
many

The Micro Environment
CHAPTER 3: THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT
MGMT 488 – STRATEGY AND POLICY
OVERVIEW
The micro environmental analysis is the second step in creating the Environmental Analysis. The
micro environment examines the general business climate as it relates to the organization within its
industry. The microenvironment is also known as Porter's Five Forces of Competition. The macro
environment is primarily concerned with major issues and upcoming changes in the environment.
The analysis looks at five areas of interest, which are 1) Power of the Buyers; 2) Power of the
Suppliers; 3) Threat of Substitute Products; 4) Threat of New Entrants; and 5) Intensity of Rivalry.
Notice in the following diagram, how these interact and influence each other.
MGMT 488...show more content...
RANKING THE FORCES
Each of the five forces is ranked on a high to low scale, sometimes part of the force is high, but other
parts are low. A pet store has many suppliers of dog toys. Most people do not have a brand
preference – as long as the dog likes the toy, it is acceptable. Thus, the supplier power of dog toys is
low. However, the pet store also sells purebred dogs. The most wanted breeds are Labradors and
Beagles. There are a small number of breeders in the area. Thus, the supplier power of dogs is high.
MGMT 488
Chapter 3 – Macro Environment
Page 5
PRESENTATION
Present the analysis in bullet format with short complete sentences, if needed. Identify the issue in
each category. Unlike the macro environmental analysis, the entire micro environmental analysis
goes in the main body of a business plan. Here is an example of how a Micro environmental
analysis should be presented for a mythical pet store that sells pets and supplies in rural Montana.
MICRO ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The micro environmental analysis is an examination

Importance Of Protecting The Environment Essay
Our environment undoubtedly has many things we can use to benefit our everyday lives. Even if
our environment is not in tip–top shape, we need to start taking care of it better. If we don't many
things will happen. These things include plants dying, animals going extinct, air becoming polluted,
coral reefs dying, and water rapidly coming contaminated. Another problem our environment has to
face, overcome, or adapt too is Global Warming. Global Warming has and will continue to impact our
environment worldwide if we do not begin taking immediate action and do something to protect our
environment.
Protecting our environment is indeed the first action that should be taken. Protecting the
environment should take place locally and globally in my opinion. There are many things that our
local environment could do that would have have a tremendous impact on our environment that
genuinely would not take oodles of effort. A few of these could be as easy as recycling soda cans,
old school or work papers, and glass bottles and taking them to a local recycling center. When you
recycle you are reusing things or making them into new things. Two more examples would be
hosting or participating in a highway clean up, or planting a community garden at a park. Globally,
humans are responsible for Greenhouse Gasses, pollution, and fossil fuel shortages. Globally, if
everyone pitched in just a little bit, greenhouse gas emissions could go down drastically. The way we
could cut these emissions

Persuasive Essay On The Environment
Ian Somerhalder once said, "The environment is in us, not outside of us. The trees are our lungs;
the rivers, our bloodstream. We are all interconnected, and what you do to the environment,
ultimately you do to yourself (SC 2)." I have noticed in my everyday life how unaware my friends
and family are when it involves the environment. I often hear, "Just throw it away" or "Throw it in
the ditch" when I am out in public. Disappointed and sad, I became an advocate for the
environment (BE 1). If I was able to change the world by myself, I would change the pollution
issues of land, water, and air. The land pollution has become a growing issue for years with landfills
being the leading factor. In 2006, Americans generated 251 million tons of trash with at least three
locations to go: fifty–five percent to landfills, thirty–three percent to recycling, and twelve and a half
percent to incinerators (SC 7) (Kulpinski). Daily, one person would generate 4.6 pounds of garbage
(BE 3). Many Americans do not think of the build–up from trash when they take out the garbage
once a week. When a landfill site develops, there is an impact on biodiversity. About thirty to three
hundred species are lost according to the Romanian Ministry of Environment and Forests when
landfills are introduced to a new environment. Along with biodiversity, soil and groundwater are
affected. Soil fertility decreases because of the mixture of toxic substance and decaying organic
material. Groundwater can contain high levels of toxic metals, ammonia, toxic organic compounds,
pathogens (SC 4) (Newton). Along with land pollution, the human race pollutes water and air.
According to Jacques Cousteau, water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends,
have become one thing – a global garbage can (SC 8).
Since I was young, I have had a special place in my heart for bodies of water, especially the ocean,
because of countless family vacations (BE 2). It is estimated that almost 8 million metric tons of
plastic end up in the oceans every year (Sifferlin). This has caused for animals such as turtles and
dolphins, fish and sharks, crabs and seabirds to be the victims of plastic debris (SC 6) (Cause and
Effects). To put the issue into scale, it

Essay about The Ocean Environment
Ocean Environment
The sea is the most obvious feature of the earth's surface.
Approximately seventy percent of this surface is covered by water, in one way or another. Beneath
this water are the familiar sands of the beaches, bottoms of bays, and the inshore ocean. Farther
offshore this water covers an amazing submarine topography of underwater canyons, trenches,
mountains, and plains.
Unlike the continents, which are physically separated from one another, the oceans are continuous
and interconnected. Since the "world ocean is continuous"(M.J. Keen) it has similar
characteristics throughout. In the early
1870s oceanographers collected seawater samples from all of the seas of the world at a variety...show
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They all have crests, troughs, wave heights, lengths, and periods. Also, water particles that make up
the waves all move in identical orbital patterns. The orbital pattern is up and forward in the crest
and down and back in the trough. It is only when the wave becomes unstable that the orbital motion
is destroyed. The water particles then begin to move at the same speed as the moving wave form.
Breaking waves release a tremendous amount of stored energy on a beach face. This energy moves
the sand about and changes the configuration of the bottom. As the bottom configuration is changed
by the waves, it changes the characteristics of incoming waves. This interaction between the waves
and the bottom results in the beach face having an everlasting wave pattern.
Everything in the universe is composed of extremely small paritcles called atoms, which are often
bonded together to form molecules. Molecules are formed as the result fo the transfer of electrons
between atoms. The complete loss and gain of electrons results in the formation of ionic molecules,
which have completely positive and negative vegions. Unequal sharing of electrons, on the other
hand, characterizes the polar covalent molecules, which have only partially positive and negative
regions. The

Essay on Environmental Ethics
Ethics is the study of what is right and wrong in human conduct. Environmental ethics studies the
effects of human's moral relationships on the environment and everything within it (Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008). The ethical principles that govern those relations determine
human duties, obligations, and responsibilities with regard to the Earth's natural environment and all
of the animals and plants that inhabit it (Taylor, 1989). The purpose of this paper is to reveal
environmental issues that are threatening the existence of life on Earth, and discus our social
obligations to refrain from further damaging our environment, health and life for future generations.
I will discus the need for appropriate actions and the ethical...show more content...
These perspectives are anthropocentric or human centered and view all non–human life as less
important than humans themselves. Environmental ethics challenges these beliefs by questioning
the assumed moral superiority of human beings to members of other species on earth (SEP, 2008).
Preservation of the environment is essential to the preservation of the human race. Global Warming
is the number one concern threatening the very existence of humans and everything within the
environment today. The human race is to blame for the destruction of the natural world. The
environmental issues that are threatening all human and non–human life today, started in the
industrial revolution and the discovery of oil The need to improve the quality of life resulted in the
construction of factories to mass produce products for consumers. These factories were powered by
fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. The combustion of these fossil fuels emitted great quantities of
pollutants that remain in the Earths atmosphere to this day and is the number one cause of global
warming. However, in ethics one cannot evaluate just one thing. In ethics, as in nature, everything is
connected to everything else (Partridge, 1998). Deforestation for agricultural purposes and the
expansion of human habitats is happening around the world. This

Essay on Environmental Racism
When one discusses acts of racism, slander or the stereotyping of a group of people may come to
mind. However, the concept of environmental racism is rarely considered. This form of racism
positions dominant environmental framing as racially driven, in which people of color (i.e.
minorities) are affected disproportionately by poor environmental practices. Communities of color
throughout the United States have become the dumping grounds for our nation's waste disposal, as
well as home to agricultural and/or manufacturing industries that pollute the land. Government
regulations and cultural practices have all contributed to environmental racism. The government's
policies have also negatively impacted low income groups as well as people of...show more content...
Historically, "ideas of Black inferiority and White superiority have been embedded in multiple
aspects of American culture, and many images and ideas in contemporary popular culture continue
to devalue, marginalize, and subordinate non–White racial populations". Racism has influenced
decades of land use, housing patterns, and infrastructure development. With the creation of housing
subdivisions, the white and wealthy moved to modern communities, while the non–white and poor
were left to live in areas that were rundown. Today, we see that in some cases, zoning laws have
fueled environmental, as well as residential, racism. In certain communities around the nation,
"expulsive" zoning has pushed out residents, and allowed industries to move into communities, and
pollute the land, air, and water. These zoning laws define land for residential, commercial, or
industrial uses, and impose narrower land–use restrictions. In this case certain individuals are forced
to leave their community, and give any property they have up to these "dirty" industries. Without
more stringent enforcement mechanisms and penalties in place, this nation will continue to see this
type of discrimination and environmental racism.
Certain environmental justice frameworks attempt to turn the dominant environmental paradigm on
its head and seek to prevent environmental threats before they occur. This paradigm is known as the
Precautionary

Environmental Impact Of Personal Lifestyle Essay
Environmental Impact of Personal Lifestyle: Behavior # 1 A major lifestyle behavior of mine
that effects the environment is the over usage of water. Water waste is a problem for many
people in their households. We can start conserving in our homes which most of our water is
wasted daily and we do not pay attention to it. Water is used for daily activities such as taking a
shower, brushing teeth, washing the dishes, etc. My personal problem is over usage in the
shower, I like to take at least a 30 minute shower. Another major problem is when I let the water
run when I am brushing my teeth. Environmental Impact of Personal Lifestyle: Behavior # 2 For
many years I have contributed to biodegradables that end up in landfill sites. I have been
continuously purchasing water bottles my whole life. Plastic is used almost everywhere, I have
been using plastic bags when I go grocery shopping and I have never tried to get reusable bags.
Environmental Impact of Personal Lifestyle: Behavior # 3 Commuting is also one of the many
problems that contribute to environmental pollution. Every day I commute to work and school, I
add more greenhouse gases into the environment. Air pollution is a major problem and cars are a
big cause of it. My commute is not that far it is about 20 miles from Glendale to Northridge, but this
accumulates over time and can be harmful for our air quality. Long–Term Environmental
Consequences: Behavior # 1 There are many proven disadvantages by wasting water.

English Essay on the Environment
Karen Coy–Marin
English 101–B01
October 15, 2011 It is common to see advertisements both locally and globally stressing the
importance of proper environmental management – preservation and conservation. Imprudent
ecological governance has led to the extinction and diminution of several species of wildlife and
plants. Mankind's pursuit of industrialization to make work easier, has resulted in the dangerous
depletion of the earth's natural resources. Fingers are pointed as the blame is cast on organizations
such as church and state. It appears as if humanity has refused to accept that proper environmental
management is everyone's duty. Even though mankind was given the mandate to be fruitful,
multiply, and replenish the earth (Gen. 1: 28),...show more content...
The demand for wood and land by Europeans, as well as the use of fossil fuel, have destroyed the
environment and have drastically depleted the natural resources that the inhabitants depend on for
food and shelter. This resulted in "causing a greater rift between the rich and the poor, and with this
rift the poor become less capable of attaining resources from the environment they need to survive.
When less resources are available, more poor go hungry, and starve."[5] This apathy for the adverse
effects of an action on another reveals insensitivity. Christians can make a difference within their
communities and workplaces by being more eco–friendly. Leading by example is a great way to
subtly advocate policies that are environmentally friendly, such as proper recycling and energy
conservation. The Christian's role is to stand up for what is right, speak against it, and boycott
activities that are contrary to biblical teachings. God's command to the children of Israel was that
every seven years the land should not be cultivated but allowed to rest (Lev. 26: 34–35). With that
knowledge, believers should come together and seek to enforce similar laws that will allow
ecological restoration. In the essay No Margin for Error, New York Times reporter Bob Herbert,
addressed the harmful effects of global warming. He pointed out that it threatens creation as it
destroys coral reefs, raises temperature, and can possibly result in melting the

Essay on Human Impact on the Environment
Human Impact on the Environment
About three hundred years ago there was a definite spurt in the population of the human race.
This was brought about with advancements in sanitation and technology, as well as a dramatic
fall in the death rate. By around 1850 the world's population had grown to about 1 billion and by
1930 it had risen to 2 billion. The current figure is around 6 billion and at this rate the United
Nations estimates the population will be at about 9 billion by 2054. This would be a 900% increase
in just 200 years.
This increase in population has meant that the world's resources have been put under a great strain in
order to sustain the human race. But it has only been in recent...show more content...
The culture of many forest–peoples has been destroyed and deforestation also affects the livelihoods
of between 200 and 500 million people, who depend on the rainforest for their shelter and food.
Deforestation may also lead to global climate imbalances. There is also a major problem when it
comes to carbon storage. With the removal of the trees excessive carbon dioxide levels in the
environment may lead to global warming, with many problematic side effects. While deforestation is
now viewed as problem, historically it was considered to assist natural development and so now
some countries rely on the rainforest for income and the problem will continue whilst they have no
alternative.
Another problem caused by humans is as a result of the increase in demand for extensive farming
throughout the world. In order for crops to be grown trees have to be cut down and I have
explained the effects of this already. As well as deforestation, agriculture has also called for the use
of fertilisers and pesticides. Fertilisers (and raw sewage) cause eutrophication. Eutrophication occurs
when farmers are forced to increase the productivity of their crops and so use fertilisers. These
fertilisers run off the land into the waterways and increase the levels of nitrates and phosphates in the
water. In turn this increases

Caring About Our Environment Essay
Caring About Our Environment
Improving and maintaining the earth's environment is becoming a more important task every day of
our lives. Due to ignorance and frequent carelessness, this important task is quickly becoming a
critical one. For this reason, I took it upon myself to construct a strategic plan to enlighten my peers
to the problems of our environment. I did this in hopes that it would encourage everyone to act
responsibly towards improving and maintaining the environment. With ongoing threats to the earth's
water supply, atmosphere, and surface, I found it necessary to devise a method of environmental
enlightenment. I plan to apply this method at my place of academic study, The University. If
supported by the faculty...show more content...
I recently discovered that one cheeseburger takes more than 700 gallons of water to produce
(includes water consumed by cows, water used to irrigate the cornfields that feed the cows, and the
water used to produce the beef and cheese). When considering the millions of cheeseburgers that are
consumed worldwide everyday, it is evident that the earth's water supply is declining rapidly. Due to
air pollution, the ozone layer is also being consumed at an extreme rate. Its arch nemesis is the
various fumes from cars and factories. Scientists estimate that each 1% drop in ozone levels causes
a 3 to 6% rise in skin cancer cases. Since the ozone layer prevents most ultraviolet and other
high–energy radiation from penetrating to the earth's surface, this is a crisis that has to be rectified.
The ozone's depletion has dropped to a level so thin that if we brought it down to Earth, it would
only be as deep as the thickness of three dimes. The only positive outlook concerning this matter is
that the ozone has the ability to reconstruct itself when UV–C rays break the bond of O2. Single
oxygen atoms combine with O2 to form ozone (UV–B rays limit this process still yet). This evidence
shows that the world is in dire need of an environmental resurrection. In order for this to occur and
be successful, it would require an effort by every individual nation of our world.
My resolution requires that The University of South Carolina

Mining and The Environment Essay examples
Introduction In our days, mining for resources is inevitable. The resources we need are valuable
in everyday life. Such resources mined up are coal, copper, gold, silver, and sand. However,
mining poses environmental risks that can degrade the quality of soil and water, which can end up
effecting us humans if not taken care of and many of the damages are irreversible once they have
occurred.
History and Case Studies of Mining and the Effects on the Environment Mines pose a threat to the
environment. They can degrade soil and water quality if left untreated. The United States
Environmental protection Agency (USEPA)'s Region 9 assessment of state data states that there are
approximately 420,000 abandoned mines in the states of...show more content...
These left over tailings create human and ecological health problems that can be caused from
exposure to the dust that are blown from these mine sites since metal toxicants can persist in tailing
particles (arizona.edu, 2008). Another threat to the environment is acid mine drainage (also known
as acid rock drainage). Acid mine drainage is "the outflow of acidic water from a mining site."
This acid is formed by the oxidation of iron sulfide. The oxidation occurs when iron sulfide is
exposed to the air or to dissolved oxygen in the water, which causes the iron to rust and the sulfur
reacts with the water to forum sulfuric acid (Coil, D., McKittrick, E., and Higman, B., 2010).
Figure 2 illustrates the sulfuric acid that is formed. Acid mine drainage is most common with
hardrock mines where metal ore is bound together with sulfur. The increased acidity created from
acid mine drainage has a series of negative effects, depending on the severity of change in the pH
level. The acid mine drainage creates inhospitable environments to aquatic life in river systems and
former mine sites, with the exception of "extremophile" bacteria (Coil, D., McKittrick, E., and
Higman, B., 2010). Acid mine drainage can severely degrade the quality of the water, especially if
it's a essential water supply.
Solutions There are two primary methods of preventing acid mine drainage fall. One is preventing
sulfuric acid from forming, and the other is neutralizing the acid after it forms. In

Humans Damaging the Environment Essay
Humans Damaging the Environment We, humanity, have a remarkable ability to define the world in
terms of human needs and perceptions. However, we forget about 'Mother Nature's' urgency to
maintain a balance, purity and the need for time to replenish the resources we extract so quickly.
Throughout history, humanity has implemented much new technology with an uncertainty of its
effect on the environment. Today we are beginning to feel the repercussions of these developments on
the environment. However, the worst is yet to come. At this time we have not felt all the damage
that will come from our inventions, nonetheless we continue to further...show more content...
Therefore, through science and technology we are acting sustainable, as not to put future
generations at risk, for we can positively count on new developments to take place of older ones.
With this view, we can be certain that all of our resources can be replaced and that it is not too
precarious a subject to gamble on.
More so, as our world's nations grow evermore interconnected we not only feel pressure from our
own societies, but from others too. This seems reasonable when discussing the environment, as it
effects us all. Politicians are already underway in setting environmental targets together, in which all
nations aim and work towards. This induces a greater amount of pressure put on each nation to
contribute, which in turn will put more pressure on the economies and societies throughout the
world to participate in the global 'clean up'.
Lastly, as developing nations continue to develop, they can examine our history and avoid many
obstacles we were faced with. These newly industrialized nations will not have to leave the same
impact on the environment as we did. In twenty–five years to come as they continue to grow, they
will have access to our most 'environmentally friendly' technologies, without having to experiment
and wait to conclude the aftermath of it's effect on the environment.
However, in concern with serving the immediate needs of

Lifestyle Sustainability and the Environment
In a perfect ecosystem everything gives and takes equally, and the cycle of life is sustained
perpetually. Our current lifestyle is not environmentally sustainable. We consume more and more of
the earth's resources and give very little, if any, in return. The Brundtland Commission defines
lifestyle sustainability as being development that "seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the
present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future." Many factors are contributing
to how humankind uses the earth's resources and how humankind views the goal of sustainability.
Public opinion, government intervention, and manufacturers seem to have the largest influence in
determining how...show more content...
Around the world we see groundwater supplies being depleted, agricultural soils being degraded,
oceans being over–fished, oil reserves being drawn down, and forests being cut faster than they can
re–grow," (Nebel and Wright, 2000, p. 6). The largest percentage of the world's population lives in
developing countries. These developing countries oftentimes have not established environmental
controls in their manufacturing and farming techniques. For example, the use of DDT, long since
banned for use in the United States, still sees widespread use in many developing Nations. The
use of DDT is dangerous not only to insects, but also to the entire food chain, of which man is
unavoidably a part. This is not to say that developed countries are not polluting. In fact, many times
it is the developed countries that are exploiting the environment intentionally for personal or
commercial gain. The U.S., for example, is the world's number one producer of garbage and
industrial waste. "The 6% of the world's population living in the U.S. uses an estimated 25 to 50%
of the world's nonrenewable resources and produces about 15 to 40% of the world's waste.
(Sustainable America, 1996:143) Despite the fact that most countries do have constraints and limits
set for pollution, they are still a long way from being environmentally friendly. Pollution comes in
many forms: air, water, and land. Air and water resources can and should be considered global
resources. The misuse of these

Importance Of Environment Essay
The environment plays a significant role in life. It is an essential part of our life. A clean
environment is very necessary to live a peaceful and healthy life. An environment is the natural
surroundings which help life to grow and nourish on this earth. It helps human beings, animals and
other living things to grow and develop naturally. But now days,our everyday actions and decisions
are negatively impacting the environment, causing pollution, deforestation, overfishing.We are
disturbing our environment in many ways which affecting not only the environment but all living
beings. Any type of disturbance in the nature's balance affects the environment totally which ruins
the human lives. Ever since the first human beings, there has...show more content...
All across the world, people are facing challenging environmental problems every day. Global
warming is the biggest problem that our planet is facing right now. It is one of the most current
and widely discussed problem. In short, global warming represents a fundamental threat to all
living things on earth.Climate changes like global warming is the result of human practices like
emission of greenhouse gases. Global warming leads to rising temperatures of the oceans and the
earth surface causing melting of polar ice caps, rise in sea levels and also lead to natural disaster
such as flash floods and desertification. A decade ago, global warming was not much of a concern
as it is now. No matter how much we are informed about it , we as a society seem to ignore the
future disasters that global warming will acquire. Global warming is a "global" dilemma and
everyone has an obligation to help reduce emissions. Human influence has always been a very
serious issue to Global warming.We as human are not taking care of the earth. Human influence to
this global warming is more than the natural causes .The earth has been changing for many years
until now it is still changing because of modern lifestyle of human. Human activities include
industrial production, gas emission,burning fossil fuel and deforestation. Gas emissions from
factories and exhaust fumes from

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