Environmental Degredation
/The year 2020 was recorded as the worst hurricane season on record. Our awareness of rising ocean temperatures leading to greater storms and the steady melting of the polar ice caps has reminded me again of the urgent need of humankind to address climate change. Environment plays an essential role on our planet by providing good climate, good water and good survival conditions for every living organism. Human beings and all life on the planet depend on the environment for survival through ecosystems that provide food, clean water and favourable conditions. The impact of environmental degradation on these ideal factors can be categorized into three types: land degradation, water degradation and air pollution.
Urbanization is one of the factors which has led to land degradation. I grew up in Africa and so much of my knowledge of and concern for the environment arises from my experiences there. The custom was often to simply set the land on fire with the aim to clear it and build homes. Trees were also cut down for easy construction, leaving the land bare. The consequence of this was that when the wind came, it blew away the top layer of soil, leading to soil erosion. As well, much wildlife habitat has been destroyed by these practices. ‘Clear cutting’ in Canadian forests today has much the same negative impact. Both in Africa and in Canada, selective tree planting is one positive way to enhance depleted ecosystems.
Farming can play a role in water degradation, when the use of inorganic fertilizers to boost crop production leads to water pollution. Toxic chemicals which are used during the planting of crops go deep into the soil. When the rain comes it carries away the soil, thereby mixing those chemicals with water and polluting the land.
In addition, some industrial waste materials which are disposed of in bodies of water contribute to the pollution of the water, leaving some water sources unsafe for drinking and also contributing to disease and serious chronic illnesses.
The emissions that go into the sky from different manufacturing companies affect air quality. When the emissions are released, they accumulate and contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer.
As a young person of Generation Z, I am just starting out on the great adventure of life. Like so many of my cohort, I have tremendous concern for the future of the planet we share. Global warming, floods, storms and environmental disease are all negative impacts of environmental degradation. Yet I believe that it is not too late to rescue the planet so long as we – as a global community – commit to best practices for the care and preservation of the earth and its finite resources.
