As the number of human population on earth grows the demands do as well. Now more than ever people are using more than their fair share of resources which is causing natural resources to be depleted throughout the world. There is shortage of freshwater, fossil fuels and most recently natural forests.
With the decline in the number and size of forests that are now being clear cut in order to supply lumber and wood to industrial companies, there is a big impact left on the environment. Animals are losing their homes and habitat as their ecosystem is being destroyed as each tree comes down.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis. With the rising number of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, more trees are needed absorb the excess but instead they are being cut down. Carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, which has recently become a growing concern.
With an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, that means the Ozone layer is being destroyed and Global warming is increasing each year. This summer I had the opportunity to visit Alaska (lame I know, but this trip was quite eye-opening when it came to seeing how wildlife and ecosystems are affected). I visited two of the many glaciers in Alaska; the Mendenhall Glacier and the Hubbard Glacier.
The Hubbard Glacier is one of the few glaciers that advance instead of receding. This means the glacier actually increases in size. Most glaciers however are not like this one, and recede every single year. This may not seem like a great concern considering that they are hundreds of miles long, but in the long run, these glaciers will eventually disappear.
Large machines that emit pollution and contribute to the large amount of greenhouse gases that are being released into the atmosphere are used for logging and mining aswell. This further affects biodiversity since the pollution gets into the water cycle and may harm aquatic plants and animals. Wildlife relies on trees for food and a source of housing. Once they lose their shelter, animals are forced to relocate and find a new home which affects the biodiversity of that habitat.
When leaves fall to the ground they provide both food and shelter for animals. Leaves are also a source of nutrients for the soil as they degrade and decompose. Once there aren’t any leaves, there is also a decline in soil quality which will affect other trees and plants from growing.
Trees are also important to prevent soil erosion. They keep the soil in place by their roots so when trees are removed; their roots die as well which increases erosion for that particular area. Once soil lose the roots which keeps it place, erosion causes it to be washed into streams or depressions and plants lose all the nutrients that it gets from the soil. Forests that are hosts to vast amounts of biodiversity are now being clear cut, which means many organisms are losing their homes, shelter and food so that us humans can satisfy our needs.
Humans are definitely not being stewards to the world. A steward maintains and ensures well being, which is something that humans have not been doing for the past 100 years. This has definitely affected the biodiversity of our ecosystems which has put it at a certain risk. If humans were stewards of the world, all forms of life would be sustained and growing towards being prosperous and having maximum biodiversity. Instead, more and more species are going extinct, forests are disappearing and air and water quality is ruined. If all the humans were taken away from the earth, the world would prosper. If all the insects were taken away, the world would crumble. This just goes to show how we aren’t important to the earth and its life systems and how the smallest of organisms are needed to maintain food chains.
SOURCES
http://www.abheritage.ca/abnature/environmental/humans_enviro.htm
http://www.publicland.ca/issues/clearcutting.html
http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/regional-climate-change-impacts/northeast
I totally agree with everything that has been said. Us humans do not take care of anything. We waste too much paper, electricity, and we pollute this planet like we have another Earth waiting for us when we consider this one trash. All the trees that are being cut down are mostly used for the paper we WASTE. We all say, "Oh yes I will do better for this world. Starting tomorrow." But that is what we say the next day and the next and so on. But have we really asked ourselves what happens when all the glaciers in the North Pole have melted and all that is left is water? What happens when there are no more trees to cut down? What happens when there is no more clean water? What happens when our Ozone Layer is fully destroyed? No, we have not thought to ask ourselves that because we always think someone else in this world is going to do something about it, but then what if everyone in this world thought that? We're not doing anything and we are not seeing changes so i say, "Let's start helping our planet become a better one as it was 100 years ago!"
ReplyDeleteHello! I was looking at the graph you had in your blog and it made me think. Even though we are getting to know more and more about our world, and how negatively we're affecting it, the increases in our emissions of the gasses that were on the graph increase significantly as time passes. It's like we got greedier and greedier, and more and more wasteful and less caring...even though now we know what our actions can lead to! It disgusts me.
ReplyDeleteThe part about glaciers melting also struck me. I've heard about that before and I find it really scary how major cities could end up underwater because of the rising sea level caused by the melt-water from the glaciers! It freaks me out! Maybe people don't really think much about the glaciers because hardly any of us have seen them, and realised how much water they are carrying! (I think polar bears are drowning because they are melting too!)
Great bioblog, it was fun to read, and the pics/chart really helped!
PS: I think it was COOL that you went to Alaska!
It's true. We have affected the biodiversity in a negative way. We're cutting down trees without even giving these forests enough time to regenerate. When I think about the cutting of trees, i fail to remember its link to the soil. But after reading your entry, it made me remember just how truly important this matter is. When trees are removed by their roots, erosion occurs. Which is a serious thing. If trees that were on hills were removed by their roots, than the soil could easily collapse at any given moment & destroy & bury habitats or injure species. It's hard to believe that supposed 'stewards' would allow things like this, the melting of glaciers, global warming, & etc., to occur, & much less get so out of hand. Though it seems like no one is doing their part to tend to the Earth, this is not completely true. There are people who are doing their part the best that they can. There are people trying to correct our errors & be true stewards. But, for all of us to make a change to better the Earth, it will take some time. Unfortunately, at the rate we're taking & taking without giving anything positive back, there might not be enough time.. but in my opinion, we are not only invasive, but also attempting to gain back our title as stewards. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog entry. It covered various topics & was well put together.
ReplyDeleteMohandas K Gandhi has once said: "There is a sufficiency in the world for man's needs but not for man's greed"
ReplyDeleteIn today's materialistic society where the presence of possessions and wealth are often highly regarded, humans are progressively increasing their demands for natural resources. Through frivolous means, these resources are often being depleted at an unprecedented rate putting an ever increasing strain on the availability of earth's natural resources. The wasteful consumption of electricity to the ever increasing demand for food and materials is an evident sign to the exponential growth of human population. As a result, the means to produce these necessary resources have affected the conditions of the natural environment. From the growing amount of industrial pollution to deforestation species are frequently driven out of their habitats as the features and climates of these environments alter. The disappearing rain forest, rising temperatures and reckless hunting activities has already been responsible for the extinction of countless of species around the world; notably the Dodo and the Quagga. It is imperative that humanity seek the appropriate actions to curb its growing consumptions, in an effort to preserve the stability and biodiversity of nature.
In general, the blog that was being presented was very well constructed with detailed and relevant graphics to the topic being covered. As an inherent environmental problem in today's modern world, much attention should indeed be given to its resolution.
In general, the blog was constructed very well with detailed and relevant graphics to the topic being covered. As an inherent environmental problem in today's modern world, much attention should indeed be given to its resolution.
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ReplyDeleteI obviously blogged about the same topic. My perspective to Humans to being Stewards was also the same. Humans misuse earths resources that God has made. We have brought in one of the most dangerous chemicals to use on earth for our everyday transportation, we have cut down trees and sold paper at dollarama for $1.00 when paper is worth more than a dollar. Humans don't realize what they are doing will affect in the long run, but they just see everything presently. Global warming is a big issue, and it has been shown on television via the news and so forth, but nothing is being done to prevent it, there just stating it to us viewers, but most of us are not doing anything about it, and this in the future will affect are grandchildren or even are children, due to the fact that global warming is more of a risk to earths chance of living. Many movies have been made showing how earth is going to come to and end, and you never know these movies could actually happen in reality. A strong point that I totally agreed on was the cutting down of trees, this will dramatically affect animals in a negative because alot of animals in Canada live in forest areas and they would ot have any shelter to live in. Thus, this blog was similar to mine, so it was obviously good. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of what you said. Machines and buildings cause pollution, and many of these are used everyday. Forests being cut is also a big problem. I didn't however know about the leaves, and that only adds to the problem that I once thought it was.
ReplyDeleteI thought, however, that you could have touched more upon the glaciers melting. The fact that they are melting means less land mass for polar bears, as I mentioned in my blog, and that polar bears have been found drowning because the ice caps are melting, and the increased amount of water and decreased amount of land mass means that they can't swim from ice floe to ice floe as well as before.
Apart from that, I feel that the blog was well done and that the examples suited the topic.
We both have the same perspective of humans and their impact on earth. Your charts were definitely an eye catcher, the emissions have dramatically increased in the last 50 years. this is definitely a problem because we can't keep emitting these fumes into the air. We will run out of our natural resources, many animals will die and/or become extinct, and global warming will become uncontrollable. becoming eco friendly seems like the only way to reverse this. You pointed out that these glaciers will melt, another effect of global warming and , it really shows the seriousness of our situation. When glaciers like these melt , water levels rise and cities sink in the water. I read about this, its happening to Maldives and it will sink within the next century.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I liked reading your blog and that it was enjoyable.good job.
(And you went to alaska?)