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Activities that are Damaging our Earth and Environment
Some of the human activities, which cause damage to the environment are over-exploitation of resources, pollution,
deforestation, mining, destruction of natural habitats, construction, etc. Let us now discuss how some of these
activities are damaging our earth and environment.
• Over-exploitation: This results when harvesting of resources exceeds their reproduction or replenishment.
It means that when we exploit the species faster than the natural populations can recover, then it may result
in extinction of the species, thus affecting directly or indirectly the ecological cycle and our environment. For
example, removal of wild medicinal plants, excessive grazing of pastures by animals, destruction of forests, and
water aquifers, overfishing and over hunting, results in over-exploitation of forests and natural habitats.
• Mining: Mines are dug below the earth's surface to get ores. The ores are then refined to extract the valuable
elements, such as metals, gems, minerals, etc. Some of the environmental impacts of mining include erosion,
formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by
chemicals from the mining processes.
• Deforestation: It is the clearance of a forest or stand of trees where the land is converted to a non-forest use,
such as agriculture and construction of houses. It results in loss of habitat for many plants and animals living in
the forest. It may also lead to extinction of plant and animal species.
• Pollution: This word is derived from the Latin word "polluere" meaning "to soil" or "defile (contaminate)".
Pollution is caused by pollutants, which may be solid, liquid, or gaseous in nature. Pollution is the effect of
undesirable changes in our surroundings that have harmful effects on plants, animals, and human beings.
Pollutants are produced due to human activity, which have a detrimental effect on our environment.
For example, factories consume a lot of water and electricity and release harmful chemicals in air, land, and
water, thus contaminating the atmosphere. Water pollution caused by factories and other industries can be the
most serious problem. They also pollute the air through fossil fuel emissions. These emissions include carbon
dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which are harmful to living beings.
Pollutants are of two types:
Pollutants that can decompose Pollutants that cannot decompose
Pollutants that break down into simpler, harmless Pollutants which cannot be broken down into simpler
substances naturally (by the action of moisture and and harmless substances are called non-biodegradable
bacteria) are called biodegradable pollutants. pollutants. The harmful effect caused by these
pollutants will be there for hundreds of years.
Examples: vegetable waste, sewage waste, paper, Examples: plastics, insecticides, pesticides, chemicals like
wood, cattle dung, agricultural waste from organic mercury or lead, aluminium, glass, etc.
farms, etc.
Some of the other factors responsible for polluting the environment are as follows:
• Exhaust fumes released from vehicles pollutes the air.
• Excessive use of chemicals in agriculture (like insecticides and fertilisers) affect the alkalinity of the soil or the soil
pH. It adversely affects the health of microorganisms and other organisms in the soil.
• Plastic waste like bottles, bags, etc., thrown on land and sea pollutes the water and destroys the flora and fauna.
• Dangerous gases (chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, methane, carbon dioxide, etc.) released into the air.
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