Environmental Dangers
How humans are killing the earth
WasteAccording to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans generated over 250 million tons of trash in 2014. In fact, American communities spend more money on waste management than on fire protection, parks and recreation, libraries, or schoolbooks, according to Forbes.
In developing countries, waste that has not been properly handled threatens the well-being of people, posing a serious health and safety hazard. Trash dumps and uncollected waste are breeding grounds for infectious agents that cause diarrhea and respiratory infection, according to the World Bank Group, source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. In addition, this massive amount of waste harms the environment as pollutes the air and water and contributes to methane generation. |
Climate change
According to the website “NASA Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet,” most climate scientists agree that the human emission of greenhouse gasses is one of the primary causes of global warming. In fact, John Cook, a research assistant professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, equates the amount of heat building up on earth to heat produced by detonating four Hiroshima nuclear bombs every second.
Long term effects of global climate change include rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, longer and more frequent periods of drought, an increase in the intensity and frequency of hurricanes, the melting of polar ice caps, and rising sea levels, according to the Third National Climate Assessment Report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program. If human emissions are left unchecked, a report by the EPA estimates that the U.S. may face up to $180 billion in economic losses.
Long term effects of global climate change include rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, longer and more frequent periods of drought, an increase in the intensity and frequency of hurricanes, the melting of polar ice caps, and rising sea levels, according to the Third National Climate Assessment Report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program. If human emissions are left unchecked, a report by the EPA estimates that the U.S. may face up to $180 billion in economic losses.
Water
Less than 1 percent of the planet’s water is easily available for human usage, according to National Geographic. More than 40 percent of people in the world are affected by water scarcity with more than 780 million people lacking access to clean water, according to the United Nations.
Factory farms, fertilizers and pesticides, industrial wastes, and water treatment chemicals are all sources of contamination, according to the EPA. Contaminated water is estimated to cause approximately a quarter million diarrhoeal deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. Pollutants in the water can cause reproductive problems and neurological disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For example, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha from Flint’s Hurley Medical Center said to CNN that she fears that the children suffering from lead poisoning because of Flint, Michigan’s contaminated water may face lifelong health consequences as lead is a potent neurotoxin.
Factory farms, fertilizers and pesticides, industrial wastes, and water treatment chemicals are all sources of contamination, according to the EPA. Contaminated water is estimated to cause approximately a quarter million diarrhoeal deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. Pollutants in the water can cause reproductive problems and neurological disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For example, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha from Flint’s Hurley Medical Center said to CNN that she fears that the children suffering from lead poisoning because of Flint, Michigan’s contaminated water may face lifelong health consequences as lead is a potent neurotoxin.
Air pollution
Air pollution has many adverse health effects. It can make it difficult for people to breathe, make people’s eyes burn, and can also increase a person’s risk of lung cancer, according to National Geographic. Smog is just one of the products of air pollution. In some parts of China, the smog due to air pollution gets so thick that it obscures the sun.
Another effect consequence of air pollution is the destruction of the ozone layer in Earth’s upper atmosphere. According to National Geographic, ozone-depleting substances, such as certain chemicals found in refrigerators and foam insulation, damage the ozone layer, allowing more ultraviolet (UV) B radiation to reach Earth’s surface. According to the EPA, this increased level of UVB contributes to the development of the skin cancer melanoma and eye conditions such as cataract formation, the clouding of the eye’s lens.
Another effect consequence of air pollution is the destruction of the ozone layer in Earth’s upper atmosphere. According to National Geographic, ozone-depleting substances, such as certain chemicals found in refrigerators and foam insulation, damage the ozone layer, allowing more ultraviolet (UV) B radiation to reach Earth’s surface. According to the EPA, this increased level of UVB contributes to the development of the skin cancer melanoma and eye conditions such as cataract formation, the clouding of the eye’s lens.