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withdrawn by them is actively used" (Stuart, 25).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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