Human Impact on the Environment

Humans, for their needs and desires, are causing harm to the environment. Human impact on the environment refers to the change in the biophysical environment and to biodiversity, ecosystems, and resources caused directly or indirectly by humans.

• It is also known as anthropogenic environmental impact.
• The term anthropogenic was first used by Russian geologist Alexey Pavlov and later by British ecologist Arthur Tansley.
• Overpopulation, pollution, burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation are triggered by human activities.
• Human impact on the environment​ includes consequences, such as exploitation of natural resources and climate change.
• Soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water are other negative impacts of human behaviour.
• These problems pose catastrophic risks to the survival of the human species.

Key Terms: Human Impact on the Environment, Environment, Pollution, Biodiversity, Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Land Pollution, Natural Resources, Climate Change, Human Population, Afforestation

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Human Impact on Environment 

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Environmental damage, ranging from ozone depletion to pollution, human-induced soil degradation from deforestation, and loss of biodiversity are all human impacts on the environment.

• The impact of humans can be traced back to our early ancestors and has been modified as per convenience.
• Human is consuming large amounts of resources for their own needs.
• They unintentionally or intentionally introduce a non-native species into an ecosystem.
• It contributed to environmental degradation and problems like acid rain and harmful algal blooms in the ocean.
• Due to human activities, there is a loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants.
• These negative impacts on the environment will lead to mass migrations or battles over resources.

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Effects of Human Activities on Environment

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Following are some consequences of human activities on environment:

Pollution

Human activities cause a lot of pollution in the environment, which, as a result, discharges contaminants called pollutants into the environment. It will lead to major environmental disturbances.

• These pollutants can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light).
• It can damage the quality of air, water, and land.
• Examples of pollutants are volcanic ash, smoke from industries, industrial waste, non-biodegradable waste, etc.

Ozone Depletion

Ozone depletion refers to the thinning of the ozone layer of the earth due to the release of chemical substances like bromine or chlorine from industries or human activities.

• Chlorine and bromine, which are known as ozone-depleting substances, are released due to exposure to ultraviolet rays.
• Chlorofluorocarbons released by refrigerators and air conditioners are another component that causes the depletion of the ozone layer.
• Hydrofluorocarbons used in fire extinguishers and solvents are other factors for ozone layer depletion.
• The depletion of layers will affect humans, animals and the environment in harmful ways.

Air Pollution

Air pollution refers to the release of contaminants into the air that brings down the quality of air we breathe. Burning fossil fuels, Mining operations and gases from industries and factories are major contributors to this pollution.

• Air pollution is associated with many health hazards in human beings, such as asthma.
• It also increases the risk of respiratory illness and skin diseases.

Water pollution

Water Pollution means the presence of unwanted substances in bodies of water. Humans contribute to it by discharging industrial and domestic waste into water bodies, making the water unsuitable. 

• Water pollution can also harm aquatic biodiversity and can contribute to waterborne diseases in human beings.
• The impact of water contamination can affect the food chain.
• People can suffer from diseases such as hepatitis through faecal matter in water sources.

Land Pollution

Land Pollution is the deterioration of earth’s surface both above and below ground level. It is caused by littering, oil platforms, sewage treatment plants, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste, overcrowding of landfills, etc.

• Land pollution results in groundwater contamination, soil erosion and soil fertility loss, which incurs heavy losses in agriculture.
• It seeps down and causes pollution in the groundwater and destroys the water table.

Loss of Biodiversity

Human impact on the environment also causes the loss of biodiversity. It can be due to incessant hunting and killing of one specific species for their precious body parts, which either have or are rumoured to have medicinal uses. 

• The other way humans are responsible for the loss of biodiversity is by the introduction of invasive species.
• It mostly includes plants that humans tend to grow at places where they should not be grown.
• This leads to radical alteration of biodiversity. 
• These invasive species can cause genetic changes in the fauna of a particular region.
• It occurs through interbreeding or leads other species of that place into extinction.

Misuse of Natural Resources

Humans tend to exploit natural resources a lot. This overuse leads to the exhaustion of some resources, causing an environmental crisis as their replenishment by the natural process can take thousands of years. 

• The most common example of this crisis would be fossil fuels. 
• The world is nearly exhausted of fuels like coal and crude oil.

As a result, territories that still have such resources have become an economic powerhouse due to the sheer preciousness of these resources.

Technology Impacts

Human technology is the largest contributor to a myriad of environmental problems. It interferes with natural processes where developments have happened through evolution only.

• They have their own pace of operation. 
• Any external interface will only result in negative consequences. 
• Human technology creates a perceived benefit for the human economy.
• But it comes at the cost of extreme losses for nature and its processes.

Deforestation

Deforestation is defined as the removal or clearing of forests by humans to satisfy human needs. It results in the loss of biodiversity, damage to natural habitats, disturbances in the water cycle, and soil erosion.

• Deforestation removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which in turn leads to increased greenhouse gases.
• Since forests are cut down, as a result, animals will lose their homes and their food sources.
• This results in wiping out entire species of animals.

Climate Change

Humans contribute to the rapidly changing climate by causing deforestation and pollution. It causes rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

• Due to climate change, the problem of global warming has risen.
• It also causes the melting of ice caps.
• This causes a rise in sea level, due to which a lot of landmasses withstand the danger of being submerged underwater. 
• Polar biodiversity is losing its habitat and becoming extinct as it cannot survive in a hot climate.

Human Impact on the Environment   

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How does Human Population affect the Environment?

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The ever-increasing population of humans has put additional stress on the environment to meet with the growing demand for food and shelter. For this purpose, human beings cause disorder in nature, like deforestation, to make room for their homes.

• Agriculture results in habitat loss for many fauna and flora. 
• Excessive resource extraction to meet the energy demands of the human population is depleting the nature of its precious collection.
• It is also depriving our posterity of its benefits. 
• An increase in population also increases pollution levels, making survival difficult for flora and fauna.
• With the increase in population, the problem of employment requirements of the people arises, which in turn leads to industrialization.
• Industrialization leads to deforestation and the dumping of wastes in the river beds or released into the air, which causes pollution.

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How can you help our Environment?

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In order to protect the environment from the harmful impact of human activities, the malpractices need to stop and we can do so by:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

In this process we need to cut down on our wastage and start reusing and recycling things so that there is no unnecessary stress on limited resources of the environment.

Afforestation

In afforestation, we need to plant more trees to prevent soil erosion, make the quality of air better and avoid drought like conditions.

Conservation of Water

It include saving of water which is necessary as most of our lives depend on freshwater.

Find Alternatives to Non-Biodegradable Material

The products that have non-biodegradable material cause the problem of land pollution as they decay and hinder the soil from soaking water and recharging the groundwater table.

• It is advised to replace disposal items with reusable items.
• Individuals are advised to avoid the use of paper.

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Things to Remember

• Human activities have affected both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• The increasing human population is the major factor causing harm to the environment and putting stress on natural reserves.
• It has resulted in massive ecological degradation, which includes soil erosion, ozone depletion, and acid rain.
• We need to save the environment because it provides us with ecosystem services like food, fibre, shelter, etc.
• Techniques like afforestation and reducing carbon footprint help reduce the human impact on the environment.

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