Natural disasters can cause drastic environmental changes and if severe enough, even mass extinctions. The environment is comprised of the surroundings and conditions where a person, animal or plant thrives. Natural disasters have been occurring since the formation of Earth 4.6 billion years ago. The mass extinction of dinosaurs is thought to be the result of a large asteroid impact and possibly increased volcanism approximately 65 million years ago that caused catastrophic environmental damage from global forest fires, blocking out the sun and increase levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Volcanoes

A volcano is caused by extreme pressures inside of Earth that causes the ejection of pyroclastic materials including rocks, lava, and hot ash into the atmosphere. When volcanoes erupt, they emit a mixture of gases and particles into the air. Some of them, such as ash and sulphur dioxide have a cooling effect, because they reflect sunlight away from the earth. Others such as CO2 cause warming by adding to the greenhouse effect. The cooling influence is particularly marked in this case of large eruptions able to blast sun-blocking particles all the way up to the stratosphere, which can cause a significant dip in global temperatures in the following years. As for greenhouse gases, underwater and land-based volcanoes are estimated to release, in total, around 100-300 million tonnes of CO2 each year, according to the British Geological Survey and the US Geological Survey.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are sudden energy releases in Earth’s crust. These earthquakes can send out violent seismic waves that destroy buildings, displace land masses and change soil characteristics. When two massive plates meet at a convergent boundary, the impact buckles one or both edges of the plates, shifting them upwards to create mountains and sometimes volcanoes – or it can bend one of the plates to create a deep marine trench on the seabed. In divergent boundaries, the plates move away from each other on the oceans floor, often forming deep trenches that allow magma fissures to open and spew lava. Everything within the reach of an earthquake, depending on its strength and intensity, are affected by an earthquake’s seismic waves that move out in concentric rings from the epicenter of the event. The grounds makeup determines how fast or slow these waves move. Silt and sand, as found on coastlines or landfill areas tend to become fluid, moving and taking very rapidly and cause buildings in these areas to tumble and fall. Loose scrabble during the shaking leads to landslides where dirt, rock, and debris tumble down the side of a mountain or hill.

Tsunamis

The effects of a tsunami depend on the characteristics of the seismic event that generated the tsunami, the distance from its point of origin, its size, and the configuration of the bathymetry along the coast that the tsunami is approaching. Tsunamis have long periods and can overcome obstacles such as gulfs, bays, and islands. These tsunamis make landfall usually in the form of suddenly decreasing and then rapidly increasing water levels. The amount of energy and water contained in a huge tsunami can cause extreme destruction when it strikes land. The initial wave of a huge tsunami is extremely tall; however, most damage is not sustained by this wave. Most of the damage is caused by the high mass of water behind the initial wave front, as the height  of the sea keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into the coastal area. It is the power behind the waves, the endless rushing water than causes devastation and loss of life. When the giant breaking waves a tsunami batter the shoreline they can destroy everything in their path. Tsunamis not only destroy human life but have a devastating effect on insects, animals, plants, and natural resources. A tsunami changes the landscape. It uproots trees and plants and destroys animal habitats such as nesting sites for birds. Land animals are killed by drowning and sea animals are killed by pollution if dangerous chemicals are washed away into the sea, thus poisoning the marine life. Solid waste and disaster debris are the most critical environmental problem faced by a tsunami-hit country. Combined with the issue of waste is that of hazardous materials and toxic substances that can be inadvertently mixed up with ordinary debris. Rapid cleanup of affected areas can result in inappropriate disposal methods, including air burning and open dumping, leading to secondary impacts on the environment. Contamination of soil and water is the second key environmental impact of a tsunami. Last but not least, there may be radiation resulting from damage to nuclear plants. The image caused by radiation to the DNA structure determines birth defects, cancers, and even deaths.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes can cause numerous environmental impacts from soil damage to water pollution and climate change. The turbulence created by rough seas and debris can muddy the water causing less sunlight to penetrate, effecting the amount of photosynthesis resulting in decreased dissolved oxygen and fish die-offs. Alternately, strong winders over the ocean can also increase nutrients in certain areas through upwelling, a process that brings nutrient rich water to the surface. Hurricane’s strong winds can completely defoliate forest canopies and cause dramatic structural changes in wooded ecosystems. Animals can either be killed by hurricanes or impacted indirectly through changes in habitat and food availability caused by high winds, storm surge, and intense rainfall. Endangered species can be dramatically impacted. In addition to impacting animals, storm surge and dangerous waves can move large amounts of sand and ultimately reshape the coastal landscape.

Another environmental issue on the never ending list, is mining. Mining permanently scars the landscape and disrupts our wildlife. Mining also releases dangerous chemicals into the environment, polluting our air and water with toxic chemicals.

Coal mining causes deforstatation and releases toxic amounts of minerals and heavy metals into the soil and water. The effects of mining coal persists for years even after the coal is removed.  Mining releases coal mine methane, a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Coal dust inhalation causes black lung disease among miners and those who live nearby. On top of these harmful gases, mine accidents killed thousands every year.

Effects of mining on the environment and wildlife include:

Habitat Loss

Mining can lead to the destruction of habitats in surrounding areas. The process begins with deforestation as we mentioned before and in one of my previous posts. The land above the mine must be cleared of all obstructions to allow  the miners to work properly. Most mining companies have little regard for the land above the mine and are willing to destroy the entire ecosystem to get access to wealth. Birds, animals and other creatures that depend on trees and plants for shelter and food sources lose these resources and usually end up dying. Those that survive have to relocate and find new homes. The removal of trees can also significantly affect the plants that rely on them for shade from the toxic rays of the sun. Some mining methods go one step further in destruction by using explosives to destroy mountain tops. This then leaves the problem of toxic chemicals moving to streams, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water which are extremely harmful to marine species.

Pollution 

All methods of mining affect air quality. Particulate matter is released in surf mining when overburden is stripped from the site and stored or returned to the pit. When the soil is removed, vegetation is also removed, exposing the soil to the weather, causing particulates to become airborne through wind erosion and road traffic. Particulate matter can be composed of materials as arsenic, cadmium, and lead. These toxins in the air affect human health by contributing to illnesses in the respiratory tract and in the skin. Water pollution can be caused by acid mine drainage, metal contamination, and increased sediment levels in streams. sources can include active or abandoned surface and underground mines , processing plants, waste-disposal areas, or tailing ponds. This causes soil erosion and can cause stilton of stream beds. This affects fisheries, swimming, domestic water supply, irrigation and other various uses of streams.

Water Loss

Mining causes the water table to shrink. Water often seeps into areas that contain coal and other valuable products and that water needs to be pumped out fo the mine to allow the miners to work. Aside from pollution, the process would also cause water loss in the ground. Some mine shave to collect water for use as a dust suppressant, which puts more strain on the local water supply. Nearby residents who depend on wells for their water supply can also get affected. They will need to drill even deeper to ensure that they have access to water. When the water loss from mining is combined with another large source of strain on the supply, it can lead to a shortage, which can contribute to the destruction of ecosystems. A decrease in water levels also affects the habitats of many creatures. It reduces the habitat levels for fish which can affect the rest of the food chain. This leads to a decrease in species abundance and diversity.

Climate Change

Mining is one of the most common methods for extracting fossil fuel from the ground. Fossil fuels can be used to power mining machinery. Although useful, burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the air which contributes to climate change. Many mines produce methane as a waste product. Methane is a relatively strong greenhouse gas as mentioned above. Even a small amount of this gas can gradually worsen the climate. Coal is the most emissions-intensive fossil fuel. It releases more co2 per unit of energy product than any other fossil fuels.

Solving the Problem

Mining is not going to stop anytime soon, but it’s possible to lessen their negative impact on the environment and wildlife. Various groups are promoting envrionementally-friendly mining. In order to increase these efforts we can:

-shut down unregulated and illegal mines: The strict and swift closing of illegal or unregulated mining activity will set an environmental precedent within the industry.

-enforce accurate reporting of dumped toxic wastes

-backfilling mine sites and proper waste cleanup

-encouraging and investing in the development of sustainable mining technology

-improving mining legislations and regulations: Standard legislation concerning the efficiency of mining is a long way off from being the most predicting and most strict government mandates that exists today. If we have better regulation there may be a decrease in the detrimental affects.

Each time you throw away your garbage, do you think about where it ends up? Probably not. Whether it is plastic, glass, old batteries, your old cell phone or just wrappers from the food you eat, they all contribute to the environmental pollution and are hazardous to life. The old saying, “out of sight out of mind,” definitely does not apply to this aspect of our lives. There are several factors that disrupt the environmental stability  that we live in.

Chemicals Contaminating Soil

When waste ends up at the landfill, chemicals in the trash  can run out in to the soil, contaminating it. If a landfill site is not properly sealed, a toxic pollutant known as ‘leachate’ can escape into the surrounding groundwater. This causes harmful issues for plants and animals living downstream. Leachate is a liquid pollutant caused by waste breaking down that contains high levels of heavy metals, chemical compounds, pesticides and solvents which filter down into the bottom of a landfill site. Many modern landfills created today have a sealed barrier to prevent liquid pollution from entering groundwater, however the ever-growing waste we produce, increases the risk of leachate pollution.

Litter

Lightweight materials like plastic bags and food waste wrappers can easily be dispersed from trash cans and bins and landfills into the surrounding environment by the wind and the rain. Much of this lightweight material is hazardous to wildlife and domestic animals who then become entangled or choke if they accidentally mistaken the waste for food. The chemical composition of plastic means that it takes a substantial period of time to break down in the environment and is capable of traveling long distances without decomposing. Around 80% of plastic litter found in the ocean has travelled there from inland waterways, Oceanic currents have directed much of this material to a litter-made island in the mid Atlantic Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Large items such as computer monitors and things in this category, as well as plastics and bottles have been found here from all over the world.

Loss of Biodiversity

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the loss of biodiversity has a great impact on the stability of the environment we live in. Demand for new landfill sites results in the clearing of large amounts of vegetation and alterations to the natural environment. This can displace hundreds and thousands of species which live in the surrounding habitat. Over time, excessive land clearing can result in the extinction of many of these species, and a significant loss of biodiversity.

Air Pollution

Garbage can create air pollution due to gasses and chemicals evaporating from the waste. This air pollution can occur in open-air dumps, where a lot of our waste and electronic trash goes, and through incinerators used in garbage disposal sites. The air pollution from incineration can be so bad, that it can even release toxic substances that can contribute to acid rain. Other garbage will release methane as it decomposes away. Interestingly enough, methane is one of the leading greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming.

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste is anything that has been thrown away that can still potentially harm its surroundings and those around it. This can be anything from materials left over from manufacturing to chemical waste to household objects such as cleaning solutions, batteries and non biodegradable plastics. The footprint hazardous waste has left on our environment has already poisoned our oceans, lakes, and rivers. Each year, thousands of fish, whales and other aquatic animals wash up on our shores filled with enough trash and toxins to kill a human being several times over. Land-dwelling wildlife and insect populations have also been greatly affected by the amount of waste generated by developed nations. Everything from a plastic six pack soda packing to improperly disposed bodily fluids filled with harmful diseases have sickened, altered, and harmed scores of animals every year. Populations of insects such as bees, which are crucial to preserving the fertility of plant life, are dying off faster than they can repopulate due to human pollution.

What can we do?

1. Recycling – We can return engine oil and other automotive items to your automotive or hardware stores. Recycling options vary, but recycling is definitely a way we can reduce the waste that harmfully impacts our environment.
2. Proper Disposal
3. Exercise Caution
4. Avoid the use of commercial household cleaners
5. Avoid the use of pesticides

Disposing of waste has a lot of impact to our environment and is causing serious problems. The waste is harmful to humans, animals, and plants alike. The waste can be in the form of a liquid, solid and sludge and contains many harmful compounds. So the next time you go to throw out your trash, or want to get rid of your old technological appliances, think about the ways your actions, and garbage, will affect the world around us.

In my previous blog, I had mentioned the impact of biodiversity and how it is dwindling. In this blog, I will  discuss why we should care about these species and how it affects our lives as humans.

The Endangered Species Act, which was passed in 1973, was enacted to halt the rapid loss of plant and animal life. It provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. Approximately 2,300 species are listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA. Of these species, about 675 are foreign species found only in areas outside of the U.S. and our waters. According to the Endangered Species Act, a “species” is considered endangered if it is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, and it is considered threatened if it is likely to become endangered species within the foreseeable future.

It is frightening but true: our planet is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinctions in the past half-billion years. We are currently experiencing the worst series of species die-offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. There are literally dozens of species going extinct every day! That is pretty scary since we could potentially become like the dinosaurs. The even scarier part is that unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by………humans.  In fact according to The Center for Biological Diversity, 99 percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic specials, and global warming.

Benefits of Natural Diversity

Scientists have classified approximately 1.7 million organisms. Between 10 and 50 million species may inhibit our planet. All living things are part of a complex, often delicately balanced network called the biosphere. No one knows how the extinction of an organism will affect the other members of its ecosystem, but the removal of a single species can set off a chain reaction affecting many others. An ecosystem in which there are a vast variety of species is more resilient and adaptable to external stress than one in which the variety is limited. We also need a wide variety of plant species to continue to feed our ever-growing population. We need to preserve as many individual species and different types of ecosystems as we can because each one serves a different and important function in our lives and in stabilizing the world we live in.

Contributions to Medicine

One of the many tangible benefits of biological diversity has been its contributions to the field of medicine, Each living thing contains a unique reservoir of genetic material that has evolved over centuries and centuries, This material cannot be duplicated or retrieved if it is lost. No matter how small or obscure a species, it could one day be of direct importance to us all. More than a quarter of all prescriptions written annually in the United States contain chemicals discovered in plants and animals. Tens of thousands of Americans die annually from illness for which there is no known cure. The cure from these disease may eventually come from plants and animals. Without these plants and animals we will not be able to find a cure, or a possible temporary solution. This is another significant reason that we need to protect all species before they are lost from natures medicine cabinet.

Agricultural 

Farmers are using insects and other animals that prey on certain crop pests, as well as using plants containing natural toxins that repel harmful insets. These are called “biological control,” and in many cases they are safe, effective, and less expensive alternative to synthetic chemicals.

What can we do?

1. Stop burning fossil fuels – Burning fossil fuels and chopping down rainforests is heating up the atmosphere. That creates trouble in all parts of the world.
2. Protect half the Earth’s land and oceans – We are not protecting nearly enough of our lands, and oceans from disruption. Already, humans have used up nearly 40% of the world’s land for farms and raising livestock.
3. Slow human population growth – More people means more food, more land and more resources.
4. Fight illegal wildlife trafficking – Some of the worlds most iconic species are threatened with extinction simply because people are slaughtering these creatures to sell their body parts on the black market. Elephant ivory is carved into trinkets. Rhino horn is mistakenly sold as an aphrodisiac.

As we learn more about the environment and all that is wrong with it, we can see that we, as humans, play a significant role in the deterioration of our land. As I write these blogs each week I see a clear pattern in all that is wrong and a lot of it is intertwined and connected to each other. Can we stop these wrongdoings and the slow decline of the world we live in? Or will we just make it worse?

Our environment is facing lists of issues in todays society. These issues are only getting worse as I type this post, but we need to start taking action now. We need to slow down the destruction we are doing to the world we live in and although we cannot reverse many of the issues, we can decline the rate at which they are affecting us and try and change our ways to prevent our world from being completed deteriorated. Along with the issues I have talked about in previous blogs, another leading environmental problem is the loss of biodiversity. The main cause of the loss of biodiversity can be attributed to the influence of human beings on the worlds ecosystem. In fact, according to ENI school, humans have deeply altered the environment, and have modified the territory, exploiting the species directly; for example by fishing and hunting, changing the biogeochemical cycles and transferring species from one area to another.

Lets begin with the importance of biodiversity:

Biodiversity is key in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. This balance may be disturbed due to the introduction of new species, the sudden death of some species, natural hazards or man-made causes. The fast pace of human development has led to many unwanted results. Habitat destruction is the direct result form the expansion of human populations and human activities. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.

The major causes of decline in biodiversity are land use changes, pollution, changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, changes in the nitrogen cycle and acid rain, climate alterations and the introduction of exotic species, all coincident to human population growth.

Human Population Growth 

The geometric rise in human population lives during the 20th century is the fundamental cause of the loss of biodiversity. It worsens every other factor. It has led to an unceasing search for more arable land for food production and livestock grazing, and wood for fuel, construction, and energy. Previously undisturbed areas are being transformed into agricultural or pasture land, stripped of wood, or mined for resources to support the energy needs of an ever-growing human population.  Humans also tend to settle in areas of high biodiversity, which often have relatively rich soils and other attractions for human activities. This leads to great threats to biodiversity, especially since many of these areas have numerous endemic species.

Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is the single most important cause of the loss of rainforest biodiversity and is directly related to human population growth. Ultimately everything comes down to us.  As rainforest land is converted to ranches, agricultural land, urban areas, and other human usages, habitat is lost for forest organisms. Many species are widely distributed and initially habitat destruction may only reduce local population numbers. Most of the habitats being destroyed are those which contain the highest levels of biodiversity, such as lowland tropical wet forests. In this case habitat loss is caused by clearing, selective logging and burning.

Pollution

Industrial, agricultural and waste-based pollutants can have catastrophic effects on many species. Those species which are more tolerant of pollution will survive; those requiring pure environments, will not. Thus pollution can act as a selective agent. Pollution of water in lakes and rivers has degraded waters so that many freshwater ecosystems are dying. In developing countries approximately 90% of wastewater is discharged, untreated, directly into waterways. This contamination kills species yearly, and looking at the big picture, diminishes the biodiversity of our ecosystems.

Global Warming

There is recent evidence that climate changes are having effects on tropical forest ecology. Warming in general, can increase primary productivity yielding new plant biomass, increased organic later, and increased food supplies for animals and soil flora. Temperature changes can also alter the water cycle and the availability of nitrogen and other nutrients. Basically, the temperature variations which are now occurring, affect all parts of forest ecosystems, some more than others. Overall global warming significantly contributes to the decline in diversity among our species.  As biodiversity decreases, there will be far-reaching effects.

Introduction of Exotic Species

Compared to other threats to biodiversity, invasive introduced species rank second only to habitat destruction, such as forest clearing. Of all 1,880 imperiled species in the United States, 49% are endangered because of introduced species alone or because of their impact combined with other forces. In fact, introduced species are a greater threat to native biodiversity than pollution, harvest, and disease combined. Introduced species inflict an enormous economic cost, esteemed at 137 billion per year to the U.S. economy alone.

These factors are very hard to halt overnight, but with time we could slow the decline and possibly halt the decrease altogether. There are some ways we could contribute slow the decline such as finding alternatives to land use and habitat destruction, creating national parks to conserve wildlife, utilize managed forests, and cooperation of the development-assistance community. We can also reduce this issue by making the public aware of these problems and passing laws and policies regulating our use and affect we have on the world around us.

Human overpopulation is among the most pressing environmental issue, silently aggravating the forces behind global warming, environmental pollution, habitat loss, the sixth mass extinction, intensive farming practices and the consumption of finite natural resources, such as fresh water, arable land and fossil fuels, at speeds faster than their rate of generation; according to Everything Connects.

Overpopulation is when the number of existing human population exceeds the carrying capacity of the Earth.  The main causes of overpopulation include:

Decline in the Death Rate and Better Medical Facilities

Decline in mortality rate is one fundamental cause of overpopulation. Thanks to advances in medicine, treatment for many dreadful diseases have been cured. Because of these new vaccinations and cures for diseases, there has been an increase in the life expectancy of individuals. Yes, it is a good thing for us to have discovered all of these medical miracles, but when the population of the world is increasing at an unsustainable rate, it becomes alarming. In terms of medical facilities, the technological advancements in this field was one of the biggest reasons the balance of humans has been disturbed, according to Energy Future. Advancements in science allows for us to have better means of producing food, which in turn allowed families to be able to feed more mouths. Combining the increase in food supply with fewer mean of mortality disrupted the previously balanced scale and became the spark of overpopulation.

Immigration

Many people around the world rather live in a more developed place where the resources they need to excel and survive are there, rather than in a poverty stricken area. Some of the best facilities, in terms of medical, education, security and employment, are available in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. This results in high concentrations of people in these areas which leads to overcrowding. This increase in concentration of people in certain areas leads to a higher demand for food, clothes, energy and homes. There is not enough of these resources to meet the demands of the ever flowing people into these areas and as a result, we have shortages. So now we are not only losing our resources, but we become overcrowded.

The effects of overpopulation include:

Depletion of Natural Resources

The Earth can only produce a certain amount of food and water, which falls short of the needs of our overgrowing population. As the number of people on the planet is growing, environmental damage has skyrocketed. People have been cutting down forests, hunting wildlife recklessly, and causing pollution. This creates serious competition for our limited resources. Our resources are becoming depleted and degraded. Resources such as fossil fuels, timber, water and arable land are becoming scarce.

Degradation of our Environment

With the overuse of coal, oil and natural gas, we have started producing some seriously harmful effects on our environment. To meet the increasing population there was an increase in the number of vehicles and industries negatively affecting the quality of our air, land and water. Another leading factor in the deflation of our environment is that heat and food production is increasing  with the population, in turn it increases the consumption of energy. Rise in CO2 emission leads to global warming. Changing climate patterns, sea levels rising and melting of polar ice caps are a few consequences that we see due to environmental pollution. All of our problems are connected and it starts with us.

Rise in Unemployment

As the population continues to rise, there become fewer jobs to support such a vast number of people. Rise in unemployment also gives rise to crime as people begin to steal and go to extremes to meet the needs of their families and loved ones. The imbalance between supply of labor and the high demand for it gives rise to underemployment and unemployment. This leads to low savings and investments which in turn leads to low economic growth and a low standard of living.

Some solutions to this issue include:

Better Education

According the World Economic Forum, education leads to lower birth rates and slows population grow. This makes it easier for countries to develop. A more educated workforce also makes poverty eradication and economic growth easier to achieve. Overpopulation is not a well covered topic in school and although the material exists, it should be emphasized more than it is now to inform the youth and try to educate the rest of the population. Conversation and discussion about the topic should be more open and less frowned upon.

Making People Aware of Family Planning

As our population is growing at such a rapid pace, raising awareness among people regarding family planning and informing them about serious after effects of overpopulation can help put a halt to population growth. According to Conserve Energy, the best way to inform people is by letting them know about various safe sex techniques and contraceptives methods available to avoid any unwanted pregnancies.