Human impact on environment

1. Topic 4
Human’s Impacts
On Environment

2. Contents
4.1. Causes of human’s impacts
4.2. Global changes
4.3. Biodiversity loss
4.4. Environmental pollution
4.4.1. Air pollution
4.4.2. Noise pollution
4.4.3. Water pollution
4.4.4. Soil pollution
4.4.5. Marine pollution
4.4.6. Natural and man-made disaster
4.5. Social issues and the environment

3. 4.1. Causes of human’s impacts
• Application of technology
• Agricultural activities
• Fishing
• Introductions and invasive species
• Energy industry
• Light pollution
• Manufactured products
• Mining
• Transport
• War

4. a. Application of Technology
• The applications of technology often result
in unavoidable environmental impacts.

5. b. Agricultural activities
• The environmental impact of agriculture
varies based on the wide variety of
agricultural practices employed around the
world.
• The environmental impact of agriculture
involves a variety of factors from the soil, to
water, the air, animal and soil diversity,
plants, and the food itself.
• Some of the environmental issues that are
related to agriculture are climate change,
deforestation, genetic engineering, irrigation
problems, pollutants, soil degradation, and
waste.

6. c. Fishing
• The environmental
impact of fishing
can be divided
into issues that
involve the
availability of fish
to be caught,

7. d. Introductions and invasive species
• Introductions of species, particularly plants
into new areas, by whatever means and
for whatever reasons have brought about
major and permanent changes to the
environment over large areas.
• Introductions have resulted in genetic
changes to native fauna where
interbreeding has taken place.

8. e. Energy industry
• The environmental impact of energy
harvesting and consumption is diverse.
• In recent years there has been a trend
towards the increased commercialization
of various renewable energy sources.
• In the real world, consumption of fossil fuel
resources leads to global warming and
climate change.

9. f. Light pollution
• Artificial light at night is one of the most
obvious physical changes that humans
have made to the biosphere, and is the
easiest form of pollution to observe from
space.
• Artificial light also affects dispersal,
orientation, migration, and hormone levels,
resulting in disrupted circadian rhythms.

10. g. Manufactured products
• The environmental
impact of cleaning
agents,
nanotechnology,
leather, paint, paper,
pesticides, herbicides,
pharmaceuticals and
personal care products
are diverse.

11. h. Mining
• The environmental impact of mining is
very clear.
• In some cases, additional forest logging is
done in the vicinity of mines to increase
the available room for the storage of the
created debris and soil.
• Besides creating environmental damage,
the contamination resulting from leakage
of chemicals also affect the health of the
local population.

13. i. Transport
• The environmental impact of transport is
significant because it is a major user of
energy, and burns most of the world's
petroleum.
• Transport creates air pollution, including
nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a
significant contributor to global warming
through emission of carbon dioxide.

15. k. War
• As well as the cost to human life and
society, there is a significant
environmental impact of war.
• Modern technology war can cause a far
greater devastation on the environment.
• Unexploded ordnance can render land
unusable for further use or make access
across it dangerous or fatal.

16. 4.2. Global changes
• Global change refers to planetary-scale changes
in the Earth system.
• This term is widely used to describe the effects of
human activities on the earth.
• In the past, the main causes of global change
were solar variation, plate tectonics, volcanism,
proliferation and abatement of life.
• In modern time, the main cause of planetary-scale
change, or global change, is the growing human
population’s demand for energy, food, goods,
services and information, and its disposal of its
waste products.

19. Ozone layer depletion

20. Natural sunscreen: Ozone layer

21. 4.3. Biodiversity loss
• Biodiversity – or biological diversity – is the
term given to the variety of life on Earth.
• It is the variety within and between all species
of plants, animals and micro-organisms and
the ecosystems within which they live and
interact.
• It is an essential component of nature and it
ensures the survival of human species by
providing food, fuel, shelter, medicines and
other resources to mankind.

22. 4.3. Biodiversity loss (cont.)
• The richness of biodiversity depends on
the climatic conditions and area of the
region.
• Rapid environmental changes typically
cause mass extinctions.
• Species extinction is usually treated as
one of the most important components of
biodiversity loss.

23. 4.3. Biodiversity loss (cont.)
• It is really painful to realize that we are one
major problem as far as biodiversity
preservation is concerned.
• Humans affect biodiversity through our
actions; we cut down trees, we hunt and
fish, we exploit wild animals.
• Human activity is also affecting
biodiversity more and more indirectly,
through our effects on global climate.

24. 4.4. Environmental pollution

25. 4.4.1. Air pollution
What is it?
• Whenever there is an introduction of
gasses, sand or dust particles, soot,
fumes, or any substance into the
atmosphere or air (indoors or outdoors) in
a way that distorts the natural composition
of the air, and has negative effects on any
given area, we say there is air pollution.

26. 4.4.1. Air pollution (cont.)
What are the causes?
• Natural causes:
o Forest fires,
o erupting volcanoes,
o Gases released from radioactive decay of rocks
inside Earth.
• Man-made Causes:
o Burning fossil fuels
o Power plants
o Industrial plants and factories
o Smoking, cooking, heating...

27. 4.4.1. Air pollution (cont.)
What are the effects?
• Human health
• Agricultural effects
• Climate change
• Egosystems change

28. 4.4.2. Noise pollution
What it is?
• Noise pollution or noise disturbance is the
disturbing or excessive noise that may
harm the activity or balance of human or
animal life.
• Noise pollution affects both health and
behavior.
• Unwanted sound (noise) can damage
psychological health.

29. 4.4.2. Noise pollution (cont.)
What are the causes?
• Industrialization
• Poor Urban Planning
• Social Events
• Transportation
• Construction Activities
• Household Chores

30. 4.4.2. Noise pollution (cont.)
What are the effects?
• Hearing problems
• Health issues
• Sleeping disorders
• Cardiovascular Issues
• Trouble communicating
• Effect on wildlife

31. 4.4.3. Water pollution
What is it?
• Water pollution is the contamination of
water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans,
and groundwater).
• This form of environmental degradation
occurs when pollutants are directly or
indirectly discharged into water bodies
without adequate treatment to remove
harmful compounds.

32. 4.4.3. Water pollution (cont.)
What are the causes?
• Industrial waste
• Sewage and waste water
• Mining activities
• Accidental Oil leakage
• Burning of fossil fuels
• Chemical fertilizers and insecticides
• Animal waste

33. 4.4.3. Water pollution (cont.)
What are the effects?
• Death of aquatic (water) animals
• Disruption of food-chains
• Effect on human health
• Destruction of ecosystems

34. 4.4.4. Soil pollution
What is it?
• Land pollution is degradation or destruction of
earth’s surface and soil, directly or indirectly
as a result of human activities.
• Land pollution also refers to the deposition of
solid or liquid waste materials on land or
underground in a manner that can
contaminate the soil and groundwater,
threaten public health, and cause unsightly
conditions and nuisances.

35. 4.4.4. Soil pollution (cont.)
What are the causes?
o Deforestation
o Agricultural activities
o Mining activities
o Overcrowded landfills
o Industrialization
o Construction activities
o Nuclear waste
o Sewage treatment

36. 4.4.4. Soil pollution (cont.)
What are the effects?
o Change in climate patterns and
ecosystems
o Effect on human health
o Distraction for Tourist
o Effect on wildlife
o Cause Air pollution

37. 4.4.5. Marine pollution
What is it?
• Marine pollution refers to
a range of threats from
land-based sources, and
it generally involves
contamination of bodies
of water such as rivers,
streams and oceans.

38. 4.4.5. Marine pollution (cont.)
What are the causes?
• Oil spills,
• Untreated sewage,
• Marine litter,
• Radioactive substances,
• Heavy metals from mine
tailings,
• Persistent organic
pollutants,
• Eutrophication and heavy
siltation.

39. 4.4.5. Marine pollution (cont.)
What are the effects?
• Disruption to the Cycle of
Coral Reefs
• Depletes Oxygen Content in
Water
• Effect on Food Chain
• Affects Human Health

40. Discussion
• What can we do to protect the marine
environment?

41. 4.4.6. Natural and man-made
disaster
• Disaster can be defined as a sudden,
accidental event of great magnitude that
causes considerable damage to life and
property.
• Disasters can take many different forms,
and the duration can range from an hourly
disruption to days or weeks of ongoing
destruction.
• Disasters can be caused by nature and by
human.

42. Natural disasters
• When disasters occur due to natural
forces they are called natural disasters,
over which man has hardly any control.
• Some common natural disasters are
earthquakes, landslides, floods, droughts,
cyclones, etc.
• Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and wildfires
are also included under natural disasters.
• These disasters cause enormous loss to
life and property.

43. Man-made disasters
• When the disasters are due to
carelessness of human or mishandling of
dangerous equipment’s they are called
man-made disasters.
• Common examples of these disasters are
train accidents, plane crashes, collapse of
buildings, bridges, mines, tunnels,
industrial and technological disasters.

44. Discussion
• How do natural and man-made
disasters affect on human life? What
can you do to prevent effects from the
disasters?

45. 4.5. Social issues and the
environment
• We live in a natural as well as social world
• Development cannot be only the rich nor it
means only high living standards.
• Also not just economic development
• It has to be a holistic approach.
• Social aspects, development and
environment have a strong relation.

46. 4.5. Social issues and the
environment (cont.)
• Urban problems related to energy
• Water conservation
• Resettlement and Rehabilitation issues
• Environmental ethics
• Climate Change
• Global Warming
• Acid Rain and Ozone layer Depletion
• Nuclear Accidents and Holocaust
• Wasteland Reclamation
• Consumerism and waste products

48. Rain Water Harvesting

49. Process