Environmental Impact: Causes and Consequences
Definition of Environment
Environment is defined as the set of physical-chemical, biological, and social components that may cause an effect on living beings. This means that whatever changes the means in which living things live or alters some living being in some way is part of the environment.
Environmental Impact
Environmental impact refers to the transformation of the natural environment.
Human Impact
The living being with the greatest impact on the environment is man, due to the development of technology, which is higher than that of any other species.
Resource Consumption
We are consuming more resources than we need and generating more waste than the planet can support.
Types of Overexploitation
Overexploitation of Animal and Plant Species
This situation is provoked by uncontrolled hunting, fishing, and agriculture, leading to a deterioration of the environment.
Overexploitation of Soil
These are irrecoverable changes in soil produced, for example, by uncontrolled agriculture. One of the effects suffered by the soil is erosion, which occurs when the soil loses its natural protection, i.e., vegetation. Other effects involved in this exploitation include desertification.
Overexploitation of Water
This is related to intensive agriculture, shifting cultivation from upland to irrigated crops, and urbanization. The main results are the draining of wetlands, such as the depletion or salinization of aquifers.
Pollutants
Pollutants are the result of introducing substances that adversely affect both the physical environment and living beings. These pollutants can be natural or synthetic.
Ozone Layer Depletion
The ozone hole is an area over Antarctica where the ozone layer, which is formed naturally in the stratosphere and protects us from solar UV radiation, appears thinner.
Acid Rain
Acid rain is one of the consequences of the presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. The formation of sulfuric and nitric acid when combined with water leads to a lower pH in rain. It destroys vegetation and acidifies the soil. It also causes stone damage: the limestone of buildings, in contact with sulfuric acid and water, becomes brittle and melts.
Transboundary Pollution
Examples include the loss of forests in Scandinavia, following the acidification of rain by gaseous pollutants. Air pollution is transported from central Europe to western rivers. At their mouths, rivers accumulate waste discharges from all countries through which they run.
Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect occurs when certain gases in the air trap heat emitted by the Earth’s surface. Heat is trapped in proportion to the concentration of these gases. In recent years, there has been an increase due to the augmented emission of gases like CO2 and CH4.
Water Pollution Prevention
This can be achieved through the channeling of wastewater, controlled discharges, installation of sewage treatment plants, and awareness of citizens regarding the use of cleaner detergents. Eutrophication is a form of pollution that occurs with the discharge of phosphates, nitrogen, or sulfur. These chemicals are nutrients for certain planktonic algae, which makes them grow excessively, forming a layer that covers the water surface, preventing light from reaching the deeper layers.
Soil Contamination
Industrial waste, pesticides, agricultural fertilizers, and toxic waste can affect vertebrates. Bioaccumulation is the presence of a substance that is not eliminated by the body in the tissues of living beings, increasing as you go up the food chain.