What is the Human Impact on the Environment?

Everything that humans do has some impact on the environment. Pollution is a result of human activities in the
environment. We cut down trees so we can build houses of wood. We extract oil and natural gas from deep
underground to power our cars, cell phones, and computers. The use of all these resources is not without consequence
because everything on Earth is connected. The main sources of pollution are land , water pollution and air pollution.
Every living thing has an impact on its environment.
Water Pollution Perhaps the most obvious examples of a negative human impact on the environment is water
pollution. Water pollution is caused by the discharge of harmful substances into rivers, lakes and seas. It's obvious we
need water to survive but few people realize how much we need and just how much is available. almost 69% of our
freshwater supply is contaminated by chemical pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Nearly a billion
people do not have access to clean and safe water in our world. Many aquatic animals cannot survive
in polluted water, so their presence or absence indicates level of pollution. These chemical compounds contribute to
acid rain. Since very little can live in an acidic environment, acid rain has harmful effects on plants, animals, and
aquatic life, as well as humans and even buildings. Acid rain also contaminates our limited freshwater supply, and thus
the cycle of water pollution continues.
Land Pollution is caused by human activity and a misuse of natural resources. Most rubbish is buried in landfill sites
and not all of it comprises safe materials. Even common household items can contain toxic chemicals such as
poisonous metals. Industrial waste is also discharged onto the land. Many farmers apply pesticides to improve their
crops, but these can damage living things. Toxic chemicals can be washed from the land into rivers, lakes and seas.
Air Pollution Air pollution effects on our health. The impact can be very serious. First of all, the air is getting more
and more polluted that causes a lot of deaths. A good example, which illustrates this fact, is China where about 300000
people die every year due to heart diseases or cancer caused by air pollution. Another effect of this kind of pollution is
various illnesses such as lung, cardiovascular diseases. In big cities smog increases and can irritate eyes, nose and
throat. It can contribute to birth defects and low birth weight.
Deforestation Humans have been cutting down trees for thousands of years. We do this to
clear land for farming and building, and for wood to use as a fuel or building material. The loss
of forests reduces biodiversity and we run the risk of losing organisms that might have been
useful in the future - for example as sources of new medicines.