Executive summary
Sustainability is primarily how the natural systems work, maintain their diversity, and generates everything that ensures ecological balance. Sustainability also in cooperates the aspect of human civilization and how man utilizes the resources to sustain the modern way of life. Sustainability takes into consideration how humans may strive to live in harmony with the environment, thus safeguarding its integrity. The concept of sustainable development and sustainability puts more focus on balancing human needs, the urge to move forward economically and technologically, and finally, the essential requirement of protecting and conserving the environment. Apart from caring for the environment, sustainability strives to ensure that human health is safeguarded, moving into the future. In other words, sustainability implies the kind of development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of the future generation. Decision implementation, therefore, requires future consideration. Sustainability in itself is comprised of three pillars, namely: social, development, economic development, and finally, the aspect of environmental protection. Economic development entails business operations, creation of jobs through industrialization, among others. It is considered one of the main factors that are a significant threat to environmental sustainability. The patterns of consumption and production primarily influence it. Social development entails human behaviors that impact on the environment either positively or negatively. With an increasing population and increasing demand for resources, there is a need to protect the environment. It entails the regulation pf anthropogenic activities so as safeguard the setting for the sake of future generations. Some of the events that can be done to protect the environment include reduction of consumption, recycling, among others. Shifting to green technology is also a way of conserving the environment.
Introduction
The environment is the totality of nature and its surroundings (biotic and abiotic factors), including infrastructure build by man to facilitate socio-economic activities. It also entails natural systems that support the wellbeing of humankind. In the context of analyzing the state of the environment, various vital aspects which are fundamental must be taken into consideration. Some of these aspects include water quality, the quality of air, land use and land utilization types, ecosystem health, and the services it provides. Moreover, the social and cultural aspects of the environment are also critical components of the situation, which are of great essence in a fully functional environment
Impacts of Humans and Their Behaviours on The Environment
Essentially, the environment is of fundamental importance to the economic and social life of human beings. Entirely, humans rely on the natural environment for food, raw materials to be used in industries, sources of energy, and for recreation. With the continually increasing human population, the environment’s carrying capacity has been exceeded. This has escalated competition for scarce resources, especially with the need to sustain the exponentially growing population. The high demand for resources has resulted in overexploitation of natural resources beyond its regenerative capacity. Some of these resources have ended up being depleted or deteriorated in quality (Ursino, 2019). Various agricultural activities are also threatening the integrity of the environment to support the present and future generations. The use of agrochemicals has manipulated the situation affecting its quality and optimum productivity.
The environment, therefore, serves to meet human needs and wants. Diversity also ensures that the challenges that are faced by, man are well catered for. Some of the changes that are incurred in the environment as a result of anthropogenic activities include loss of biodiversity and natural resources. They could either be direct or indirect impacts that are caused by humans. Other detrimental effects include pollution, global warming, overpopulation, among many more. Overpopulation of humans is one factor that leads to unsustainability in the manner in which environmental resources are utilized. The increase in the human population accompanies increasing patterns of production and consumption. The ever increasing human population has triggered a lot of ecological problems. There is a need, therefore, to enhance the control of human population growth to realize sustainability. If uncontrolled, humanity is a significant threat to the planet. Another behavior that significantly impacts the sustainably of the environment and its resources is the overconsumption of humans (Dubey et al., 2019). Overconsumption results in a scenario whereby its extraction has exceeded the regeneration capacity of a resource. The measure of overconsumption can be obtained through the analysis of the ecological footprints. The approach tries to compare the needs of the human population versus the availability of the resource that is in demand. According to scientific estimates, the current market by humans stands at seventy percent more than the regenerative capacity of the environment.
Persistence in overconsumption eventually leads to the degradation of the situation. The impact of humans is not only caused by their numbers. There are other underlying factors that further influences the manner in which the resources are utilized. Affluence, for example, has detrimental impacts on the way resources are consumed. Consumption patterns will affect the rate at which pollutants are generated. Pollution of the environment, therefore, compromises its sustainability. Energy consumption in the developed world, for instance, is 32 times more energy utilization in the developing world with the majority of the population. This is, therefore, a clear indication that technological innovation is another factor that fosters overconsumption. With the advent of various advanced technologies, overutilization of resources has been heightened. The developed western world is utilizing most of the world’s available resources at a much faster rate. Overconsumption is, therefore, a significant threat to the life support systems of the planet. The civilization of humans has resulted in the disappearance of about 83% of animals and about half the plants that initially existed (Sarkis, & Zhu, 2018). Loss of biodiversity has been the significant consequence of overpopulation and overconsumption.
Economic development and industrial systems
Agricultural activities are the major economic activities that are taking place in the environment. The impacts of farming and agricultural activities vary greatly depending on the nature of the practices that are being undertaken. The approaches used by farmers vary greatly globally. There is an indirect connection between emissions and the wide variety of framing activities. Other variables, such as temperature and rainfall, also determines the emission levels via agricultural practices. Primarily, we have two indicators that demonstrate the impacts on the environment. One of them is the means based. This is an approach that is dependent on the techniques of production that are employed by the farmer. The other one is the effect of the farming techniques that are used by the farmer on environmental emissions or the system of farming (van Huis, & Oonincx, 2017).
A good example is the pollution of groundwater by nitrogen and other nutrients that are used in farming. It, therefore, indicates the loss of nutrients to groundwater. Agricultural activities pose numerous impacts on the environment ranging from water, air, soil, and productivity of food. Some of the associated challenges include degradation of land, pollution of the situation, and climate change, which in turn has devastating impacts on the environment. Fishing, for example, can be associated with sustainable issues such as management of fisheries, overfishing, and habitat destruction. Such habitats include coral reefs. The problems about conservation are entailed in the preservation of marine ecosystems. There is a decline in fish productivity as a result of pollution, overfishing, and other factors in the environment that are triggered by economic development. Depletion is a result of ecosystem degradation.
Irrigation is another economic activity with devastating impacts on the environment and its sustainability. The impacts on the environment that are brought about by flooding include changes in the quality and the quantity of water and soil. Groundwater sources become depleted due to over withdrawal. The ecosystems downstream in the surface water are also significantly impacted due to reduced river regimes. The normal hydrological cycle is also impacted. Increased soil salinity, which results due to irrigation, furthermore affects the productivity of the soil. There is heightened erosion and siltation that occurs in the water bodies due to irrigation. It has detrimental impacts on aquatic ecosystems. There is often an increased rate of evaporation as a result of dehydration. Moreover, the recharge of groundwater is increased, which signifies a shift in the hydrological cycle. Other impacts that accompany irrigation practices include a rise in the water table and an increase in the flow of drainage.
There are subsequent effects on economic, social, and natural conditions. Another challenge is the issue of waterlogging, which mostly impacts agricultural productivity and, thus, sustainability in agriculture and the environment in general. As a result of the over-extraction of groundwater for irrigation, impacts such as saltwater intrusion may occur primarily along the coastal regions. Other challenges include land subsidence, which compromises the integrity of the environment. Even though the establishment of the irrigation schemes can have far-reaching benefits in terms of food production and solving the problem of food insecurity, the impacts on the environment are so immense. The technologies that are associated with irrigation, for instance, the pipe works, water pumps, and dams, are entirely responsible for the depletion of water resources in their original reservoirs. The aquatic ecosystems are therefore impacted on a large scale. Some species even become extinct, leading to loss of biodiversity.
With intense agricultural practices, there is the resulting loss of agricultural land. Events such as soil erosion, salinization, and loss of fertility are the significant causes of soil degradation. Other contributors to soil degeneration include soil acidification, waterlogging, and compaction, including organic matter loss. The deterioration that is induced by humans seems to have more devastating effects in the regions that are dry. It worsens the productivity further, and thus sustainability is compromised. Soil erosion is known to affect, to a greater extent, the viability and the fertility of the soil. It, therefore, implies a decline in food productivity leading to food insecurity. Most human activities trigger the degradation of the environment. A man, by all means, works to deplete the resources that are available to meet their wants and needs. These resources include soil, air, and water. There is also the destruction of species habitats, which places organisms at the risk of extinction. Additionally, due to overconsumption, there is an increased generation of wasters and, thus, pollution. Pollution is always an addition or the introduction into the environment of substances or energy that is deleterious.
The impacts on the environment can be predicted by the combination of technology, affluence, and pollution. It, however, depends on the intensity of the three factors. The severity of these factors increases with the increase in economic growth.
Another challenge that comes along with the growth of the economy and industrialization is the fragmentation of habitats. Fragmentation leads to the decline of habitats and eventually complete loss of these habitats. The leading cause of biodiversity loss globally is the fragmentation of habitats. Ecosystems are lost through fragmentation. Anthropogenic activities are entirely responsible for the disappearance of habitats and thus loss of species diversity. To curb the loss of biodiversity loss, there is a need to clearly understand the consequences that come along with the fragmentation of habitats. Conservation and preservation of biodiversity is a way that better fosters sustainability and maintains the quality of the environment (Fang et al., 2016). It ensures the proper functioning of ecosystems and other natural systems. Most agricultural animals and plants depend on pollination for reproduction. In the event of the destruction of habitats, the process of pollination is hampered, resulting in low yields. Most plants are depended on animals for dispersal. Habitat destruction due to fragmentation leads to the extinction of some of these species and thus hindering with the process of seed dispersal. Species richness and diversity become affected, leading to reduced biodiversity.
Technology has brought about increased resource utilization that has, in turn, accelerated the rate at which pollutants are being released into the environment. Most of the time, these challenges that have resulted due to technology cannot be avoided. Eventually, they result in environmental impacts with negative consequences to humanity. The ecological implications of transportation activities pose a significant threat due to the considerable consumption of energy. The resulting effects include pollution of air by the oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, and even particulate matter. Infection, on the other hand, triggers global warming. The leading greenhouse gas that is carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. Transportation activities are, therefore, the primary cause of degradation activities. However, in most countries globally, the establishment of regulations that are concerned with the environment have led to the decline in the levels of emissions being released into the atmosphere (Chang et al., 2017). It is, therefore, a good mitigation measure towards enhancing environmental sustainability. Some other impacts that come along with the advancement in the industry of transport include congestions with traffic. Congestions can be linked to wastage of time resource and generation of urban heat highlands that slightly modifies the urban climate. Furthermore, urban sprawls result in the loss of agricultural land and even destruction of species natural habitats.
Natural Systems and Impacts on Sustainability
As a result of carbon dioxide increasing accumulation in the atmosphere, global temperatures have also been on the increase. The leading cause of carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere included fossil fuel combustion. Fossil fuels include coal and petroleum products. Deforestation is another significant contributor to carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are also added into the atmosphere through natural processes such as volcanic eruptions.
Moreover, oxides of nitrogen are released into the atmosphere from agricultural farms. Methane is being published by livestock into the atmosphere. Eventually, the accumulation and the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have triggered the formation of a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse gas effect has escalated the increase in global temperatures, which in turn has led to climate change and variations in all parts of the world. The shifting world climatic conditions have threatened various ecosystems, triggered the extinction of many plant and animal species. The destruction is a result of shifting climate ranges leading to habitat loss. Biodiversity is thus compromised. Climate change has additionally has impacted on agricultural productivity worldwide. An impact on agrarian productivity implies compromised food security and, therefore, unsustainability. Climate change has also led to increased incidences of disasters such as floods and biting droughts across the world. They can be associated with increased temperatures and rates of evaporation. These natural disasters have contributed to environmental damage and loss of habitats.
Emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere has also led to the depletion of the ozone layer. Ozone is a layer of gases in the stratosphere that prevents the entry of lethal ultraviolet radiation into the earth troposphere—the emission ozone destruction components into the atmosphere as a result of industrial and other human activities. The depletion of ozone has detrimental impacts on plants, animals, and even humans. In humans, ultraviolet radiations are responsible for the formation of cancer in human beings. It is also known from vegetation destruction trough the destruction of plant metabolic processes. More plant damage has been associated with the accumulation of ozone in the ground level than the combination of any other forms of pollutants.
There is an associated disruption of the nitrogen cycle. Accumulation of nitrogen oxides, especially in the atmosphere a lot of devastating impacts. Concentration could be due to framing activities and other industrial processes. The resultant consequences include lowered visibility as a result of ammonium aerosols. There are also associated respiratory tract disorders and thus impacting on human health. Decline in agricultural productivity due to deposition of ozone and finally acidification of the ecosystems.
Policy recommendations
in order to curb the problem unsustainability resulting from anthropogenic activities and other industrial processes, there has to be the implementation of ecofriendly policies. Technologies that lowers the emission of pollutants in the environment should be adopted in industries. Moreover, there should be the adoption of clean energy that can be renewed (Bendell et al., 2017). These measures, therefore, reduce the impacts of human activities on the environment and thus enhances sustainability.
Conclusion
Industrialization, which can be attributed to population growth, has, to a greater extent, elevated pollution levels. Pollutants are being released into the environment at the rate that the natural processes cannot detoxify them. This poses a threat to the health of biodiversity and that of humanity. There is the emission of toxic and hazardous substances into the atmosphere, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems rendering life untenable. The inability to manage wastes generated by numerous anthropogenic activities further worsens the situation. Industrialization and advancement in the energy sector have led to the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases are primarily responsible for increasing global temperatures, which has triggered climate change. This is depicted by the unpredictable and more severe weather conditions.
Reference
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