...Who is most responsible for environmental degradation? Name: Yichang(Kathy) Chen Course: YUELI DY Instructor: Ben Collins Nowadays, environmental degradation has become the current greatest issue all over the world. Many scientists warn that if environmental degradation can not be prevented, one day the earth will suffer destructive disease such as natural diseases and the end of earth without any early warning. A great number of environmental problems now have a serious effect on our world. As globalization is booming, which causes the earth’s natural problems to change into international issues, all nations will suffer great damage and need to keep a watchful eye on environmental degradation. There are some urgent problems which are now affecting the world, and which we need to solve quickly, are acid rain, air pollution, global warming, hazardous waste, ozone depletion, smog, water pollution and so on. It is easy to see that environmental degradation is a serious issue for the whole international community. If we want to solve it, the most principle point we need to research is what causes it. As we know, human beings and nature itself need to carry on the responsibility of environmental degradation as two main parts in the world. Although environment can be changed over time by natural process, it is not ignorable that human activities have great impacts on environment. According to many scientists, compared with natural process, human...
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...concerning only one reasonable or rational factor explaining the collapse of the Mayan civilization, this would be both insufficient and impossible from a strictly theoretical standpoint. For example, Henry M. Sayre argues that by 900 A. D. (900 CE), Mayan civilization had been decimated as a result of not just one single factor, but, rather, as a result of a number of equally important factors. These factors included overpopulation and accompanying ecological degradation, political competition, and warfare (Sayre, 2012, p.392). Once again, it is essential to clearly articulate the fact that it is theoretically impossible to put forth only one single underlying factor in a theory offering a coherent explanation for the collapse of the Mayan civilization. However, one particular theory, a comprehensive theory focusing specifically upon drought as an environmental and climate factor, offers the best possible explanation for the Mayan collapse. As a fundamental environmental and climate factor, drought offers a more rational explanation than social factors such as overpopulation, political competition, and warfare. When tested and...
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...[pic] Environmental degradation and pollution and measures to control it [pic] Submitted by - Submitted to – Mohommad Suhaib Khan Respected Rajesh Sir Nitisha Bhandari Pranjali Kanel Princy Paneru 8 g1 Galaxy Public School Environmental degradation- Are the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Environmental degradation is of many types. When natural habitats are destroyed or natural resources are depleted, environment is degraded. One major component of environmental degradation is the depletion of the resource of fresh water on Earth. Approximately only 2.5% of all of the water on Earth is fresh water, with the rest being salt water. Water scarcity is an increasing problem due to many foreseen issues in the future, including population growth, increased urbanization, higher standards of living, and climate change. Climate change affects the Earth’s water supply in a large number of ways. It is predicted that the mean global temperature will rise in the coming years due to a number of forces affecting the climate, the amount of atmospheric CO2 will rise, and both of these will...
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...Negative Effects of Overpopulation Depletion of Natural Resources The effects of overpopulation are quite severe. The first of these is the depletion of resources. The Earth can only produce a limited amount of water and food, which is falling short of the current needs. Most of the environmental damage being seen in the last fifty odd years is because of the growing number of people on the planet. They are cutting down forests, hunting wildlife in a reckless manner, causing pollution and creating a host of problems. Those engaged in talking about overpopulation have noticed that acts of violence and aggression outside of a war zone have increased tremendously while competing for resources. Degradation of Environment: With the overuse of coal, oil and natural gas, it has started producing some serious effects on our environment. Rise in the number of vehicles and industries have badly affected the quality of air. Rise in amount of CO2 emissions leads to global warming. Melting of polar ice caps, changing climate patterns, rise in sea level are few of the consequences that we might we have to face due to environment pollution. Conflicts and Wars Overpopulation in developing countries puts a major strain on the resources it should be utilizing for development. Conflicts over water are becoming a source of tension between countries, which could result in wars. It causes more diseases to spread and makes them harder to control. Starvation is a huge issue facing the world...
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...a particular geographical area, and have the capability of interbreeding. Overpopulation: Overpopulation is a function of the number of individuals compared to the relevant resources, such as the water and essential nutrients they need to survive. It can result from an increase in births, a decline in mortality rates, an increase in immigration, or an unsustainable biome and depletion of resources. Causes of Overpopulation: Decline in death rate: Root of overpopulation is the difference between the overall birth rate and death rate in populations. If the number of children born each year equals the number of adults that die, then the population will stabilize. Population increases due to increases of birth rate for long period of time then death rate. Improvement of agriculture provides nutrition without hunting. Better Medical facilities: Better medical facility is another reason of overpopulation. Science invents different vaccines and treatments for life threatening diseases. Due to this this death rate decreases. Rise in Illiteracy rate: Uneducated people do not know about the harmful effects of overpopulation. They give birth to large number of child and do not provide them the basic needs of life. Technological Advancement in Fertility Treatment: Advancement of technological facilities also play important role in overpopulation. Medical sciences discoveries provide different methods for child birth to those...
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...Composite volcanoes, also called strato volcanoes, are formed by alternating layers of lava and rock fragments. This is the reason they are called composite. Strato-volcanoes often form impressive, snow-capped peaks which are often exceeding 2500m in height, 1000sq.km in surface, and 400km3 in volume. Between eruptions they are often so quiet they seem extinct. To witness the start of a great eruption requires luck or very careful surveillance. Composite volcanoes usually erupt in an explosive way. This is usually caused by viscous magma. When very viscous magma rises to the surface, it usually clogs the craterpipe, and gas in the craterpipe gets locked up. Therefore, the pressure will increase resulting in an explosive eruption. Although strato-volcanoes are usually large and conical, we can distinguish different shapes of them: concave (like Agua), pyramidal (like Stromboli), convex-concave (like Vesuvius), helmet-shaped (like Mount Rainier), collapse caldera (like Graciosa), nested (like El Piton in Teide), multiple summits (like Shasta), elongated along a fissure (like Hekla). Strato-volcanoes are constructed along subduction zones. Examples of composite volcanoes include Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, Mount Shield volcanoes are huge in size. They are built by many layers of runny lava flows. Lava spills out of a central vent or group of vents. A broad shaped, gently sloping cone is formed. This is caused by the very fluid, basaltic lava which can't be piled...
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...Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined. • Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. • Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen. • 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million Died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day). • Causes 1. overpopulation 2. Lack of education 3. Environmental degradation 4. Economic trends 5. Corruption 6. Poor Governance 7. Natural Disasters 8. Social and Culture Issues • Effects: Poverty is linked with negative conditions such...
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...Expert Views on Increasing Population World’s population growth is close to seven billion, the rapid growth is raising concerns with many experts. Experts today are arguing their views on the issue of population growth. While both Alon Tal the author of “Overpopulation Is Still the Problem” and Robert Walker the writer of “Overpopulation Is Not the Problem? Really?” state that population growth is a problem, the author of “The overpopulation myth” Fred Pearce and the author of “Overpopulation Isn’t The Problem: It’s Too Few Babies” Joel Kotkin disagree. This paper will examine the work of these four writers to analyze their perspective whether population growth has negative or positive consequences. Lack of food, reduction in living organisms, ecological and environmental problems as claimed by Tal are the outcomes of population surplus. He asserts that deterioration of China’s natural capital was part cause of China’s food crisis during 1958 and 1961 that resulted in more than twenty million people staving; as many died due to lack of food. China’s food crisis should teach the world a lesson states Tal that the outcome of taking no notice to the lack of natural resources and growing population is severe. He agrees that China’s one-child policy was not popular with the china’s people, however, it prevented many deaths caused by starvation. Tal goes on to explains that in the developing regions of the world one in eight people suffer from continues undernourishment...
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...are overcrowded and there isn’t any source of clean water and electricity for them. As a result, cities like Mumbai, Calcutta and New Delhi are full of individuals that are unemployed because they are not able to acquire good education. Those lacking education fail to understand the need to prevent excessive growth of population. They are not able to understand the harmful effects of the increase in population. The limited resources that the country has are also being used by people very quickly. Medical situations are getting poorer day by day and many diseases are spreading faster. (Shirras 1). Overpopulation results in serious environmental problems in India. These include pressure on land, land/soil degradation, destruction of creatures, air and water pollution, global warming and climate modification. In 1970s and 1980s, the government of India tried controlling the overpopulation issues by forcing individuals get sterilized, which controlled India’s population to some extent. (Chandrasekhar 2). The people of India reacted against it and demanded an alternative approach. More steps should be taken by the Indian government in order to control the increasing population of the country. People should be provided proper education about the use of contraceptives through awareness programs. Child marriages should be discouraged. Moreover, increasing the literacy rate in...
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...10/15/12 Eng 201H Overpopulation Since the year of 2011, the world population climbs up the ladder to seven billion people. According to a survey given out by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, overpopulation is the world’s top environmental issue, followed by climate change (Science Daily). Overpopulation started through the third world countries, where most people are not being educated or given the option of contraceptives due to cultural reasons. With the rate of the human population growing, the risks of human going through starvation and illnesses due to environmental issues increase every day. Environmental risks due to the depletion of forests, fresh water, fossil fuels, and land that all consumed by humans. Overpopulation might not seem as a serious issue to people that disagrees about human overpopulating the Earth has causes major damage and tragedy around the world, but because of overpopulation, we are a step closer to turmoil. Traditionally, human population increases because people are eager to pass on genes and or last names to the next generations; especially those people that in countries that in extremely poor conditions follows those traditions. Mary Ellen Harte, a journalist from the Los Angeles Times mentions about how females are “culturally conditioned daily to welcome the idea of having children – plural, not one or none” (Harte). Many women whether being under cultural influence or not, lack the idea on how to support those children...
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...In order to begin to understand and analyze Dr. Peffer’s Theory of Social Justice, we want to first look at the five main principles. These principles are a Modified look at John Rawls’s “Two Principles” of Social Justice (1971). These five modified principles include The Basic Rights Principle, The Maximum Equal Basic Liberties Principle, The Fair Equality of Opportunity Principle, The Modified Difference Principle, The Social and Economic Democracy Principle. First of all, The Basic Rights Principle addresses the very fundamental issues of Security and Subsistence Rights. The Security Rights are described as the institutional responsibility to uphold the physical integrity and protection against threats such as murder torture. Psychological threats are also included which I believe is a great and underestimated point since that is often the more detrimental kind of abuse. The concept of Psychological threats is very hard to apply internationally due to the fact that proof of harm becomes completely subjective. This subjective nature makes it hard to be universally applied. In terms of these states and societal groups not engaging in these ‘extra-juridical’ activities, I cannot say I fully agree. I believe that in certain circumstances where the Security Rights of one person who is has violated that of others, can and should be sacrificed to ensure the security rights of others. A common example would be the interrogation of a known suspect with information pertaining...
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...First of all, as we all know the world in which we live now has over more than a hundredth of environmental issues, it can be climate related, or by the conservation of species, hydrological ones, by nanotechnology, nuclear issues, the degradation of the environment, or its health and recently issued with war or law, overpopulation, etc. There are truly many, oh so many, environmental issues in this world. And even though it was hard to find one to speak of that could actually interest me enough to be able to make my research and get a clear opinion about it- I found it. Now, my topic of choice is: Genetic Diversity. So truly- what is Genetic Diversity? According to biology-online, GD refers to both the vast numbers of different species as well as the diversity within a species. The greater the genetic diversity within a species, the greater that species' chances of long-term survival. This is because negative traits (such as inherited diseases) become widespread within a population when that population is left to reproduce only with its own members. Genetic Diversities provide a way for the world to comply with the changing surroundings. As the world changes, something that the world does in a million of impossible ways each minute, the more creatures will adapt to their proper environments, so technically the creatures’ offspring will have a higher survival rate. GD is really important because it serves as a path for population to change. Without GD, everything would...
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...Overconsumption and Overpopulation and their effect on the Environment The effect of overpopulation and over consumption on the environment has had a massive negative effect. Overpopulation is an undesirable condition where the number of existing human population exceeds the carrying capacity of Earth. We are now adding one billion people to the planet every 12 years. That's about 220,000 per day. (Howmany?.org) This makes overpopulation a big threat to our environment but the bigger issue is that we are not using our resources efficiently to solve the problem. The problem includes shortages of all our resources, war and social conflict, limits on personal freedom, overcrowding in large cities and the health and survival of other species. In the last fifty years, there have been a vast number of people and organizations rising up and speaking against this problem, searching for a solution to this detrimental issue. Howmany?.org is just one of many organizations that are empowering people to find the best population size for Earth. They do this through outreach and advocacy programs that are created to add population into conversations and get people thinking. While overpopulation is not the only cause of environmental problems, it is a root cause that people should be aware of. Growth in population, affluence, and technology are jointly responsible for environmental problems concerning overconsumption. We use technology to produce and gather most of our resources. ...
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...During my expedition through the Museum of Modern Art in San Jose I saw a photograph that hit me like a bolt of lightning and got me thinking about probably the world’s biggest problem, overpopulation. The photograph I saw was called Architecture of Density and it was taken by photographer and artist Michael Wolf. The photograph portrayed a massive building in Hong Kong that looked as if it was built to house thousands of people using the least amount of space possible. The apartment building seemed to be designed to have people crammed together with no room to move. Although Wolf’s main focus of his picture was to show viewers that the culture of Hong Kong starts in the homes of the people, I saw Wolf’s photograph as a look into the far more complicated issue of overpopulation, whose effects are currently felt worldwide and are slowly getting worse. Human overpopulation on earth is the leading cause of many of the planet’s problems. Overpopulation is defined as “excessive population of an area to the point of overcrowding, depletion of natural resources, or environmental deterioration”, (Answers). The problems caused by the overpopulation of humans range from the extreme of global warming/climate change, pollution, water shortages, desertification and depletion of other resources to other smaller problems such as deforestation, species extinction and overcrowding. However unfortunately, few governments or government officials around the world are willing to look...
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...Poverty is the condition of having insufficient amount of resources or income. Poverty has many causes; some of them are very basic. The primary factors that may lead to poverty are overpopulation, the unequal distribution in world economy, inability to meet high standards of living or high cost of living, inadequate employment and education opportunities, environmental degradation, certain economic and demographic trends and welfare incentives. Generally poverty has various serious consequences. In many countries where there are high rates of poverty, many of the local citizens face the problem of famine and lack of lodging, one common example is India. Therefore together with these problems that I have mentioned above, there is also a lack of hygiene and this favors the proliferation of various harmful bacteria which resulting in the development of diseases such as cholera and malaria. Secondly, it is in these poor countries that we have the greatest number of failures in education. With Education people are able to make better decisions and get better jobs with higher wages.In many countries, education comes with a high price, and since they have little money for food education may be the last preoccupation.Without education the country will not be able to progress and this will lead to even greater poverty. Poverty also leads to other vices, such as alcoholism, drug-taking and gambling. Very often people facing such types of dilemmas look for an easy means to escape from...
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