What Damage have Humans Caused to Mother Nature?
Human beings have reduced the yield from ecosystem services through their activities. The reduction is also attributed to the changes in components of the ecosystem and biodiversity in the earth, as well as economic development. Besides, the human population has grown significantly, and the effect has been an increased transformation of the natural ecosystems to residential, industrial, agricultural use, and the need for ecosystem inputs like soil fertility, fiber, and freshwater, as well as significant pressure on the maximum capacity of natural ecosystems. Human activities, which have damaged nature, include hunting and illegal fishing, expanding agriculture, deforestation, pollution by pesticides, and unplanned tourism. These activities have caused a consistent deterioration of natural habitats. Therefore, the result has been the loss of biodiversity, and the removal of forests, which in turn eliminate shelter and food for the wildlife that live in the forests. The uncontrolled use of herbicides and pesticides has also introduced environmental pollutants, and this has caused poor livelihood for human beings themselves. Therefore, it is evident that most human activities have damaged nature through so many ways, and the impact is on humans because they are the ones who have to suffer.
Mother Nature has been in existence for so many years. Natural resources have been abundant for such a long time, until human beings started manipulating the available resources by using them to satisfy their needs, oblivious of the repercussion. Mother Nature is a component in the earth that gives human beings and wildlife the kind of life they have. When it blossoms, the lives of human beings, also blossoms (Roberts). When Mother Nature falters, the lives of human beings falter as well. Thus, it is always essential to take care of the surrounding environment and ensure that the natural things around are in good shape. However, human beings do not appreciate this fact, and they only purpose to destroy everything that comes their way. People have brought forests down, thus depriving the wild animals of food and shelter. They often use the wood that they collect from the forests by burning them down, and this brings about the damage of the ozone layer. Therefore, there has always been a negative relationship between the forest and humans (Referowska-Chodak 765). Most of the human activities that humans indulge in, they are still aware of the repercussion, and they continue to cause them harm. In cases where the people involved do not know the effect of their activities, these activities often leave an adverse impact compared to the cases where people see the effect. At least for the enlightened people, they can be cautious while doing some things or refrain entirely from doing them.
With the high increase in the human population, there is nothing much that can be done. Human beings depend on some of these natural resources for their survival. Thus, people have to engage in activities like cooking or burning fossil fuel to survive.
In agriculture, there is the use of pesticides, and herbicides, which damage the soil because of excessive consumption. However, people have to use them to prevent pests from destroying their crops, which they depend on to survive. Excessive use of these pesticides make the soil lose some of its nutrients, and fail to produce as effectively as it is supposed to, thereby human beings receive the harsh effect of this action. Hunting and illegal fishing are also other damages that human activities have caused to nature. Many hunters often kill the wild animals, and use them for their benefits, not knowing the effect that they create (Giraudeau 1065). In the coming years, some of these wild animals may be extinct because hunters have killed them.
To prevent damaging nature through these human activities, different countries have come up with different policies that help to protect nature. Environmental scientists have affirmed that the damages that human cause to themselves by damaging nature will put them in a lousy position in the future since people will suffer a great deal. Some people continue to suffer because of different pollutants, and the effect is that most of them become sick, less productive, and a burden to society. Policies, which are put in place, have played a significant role in preventing further damage through human activities, and they will also help the future generation.
Whether human beings know the effect of their activities on nature or not, the fact is that these activities have to be controlled. People have caused so much damage to nature, either deliberately or inadvertently, and their impact has a dire consequence to them. The thing is, what human beings do get back to them in one way or the other. The damage that people cause to nature affects their livelihood and health. In other situations, people have died from different pollutants, and any others have been sick, thus damaging the economy because of an unproductive workforce.
Works Cited
Giraudeau, Mathieu, et al. “Human activities might influence oncogenic processes in wild animal populations.” Nature Ecology & Evolution 2.7 (2018): 1065-1070.
Referowska-Chodak, Ewa. “Pressures and Threats to Nature Related to Human Activities in European Urban and Suburban Forests.” Forests 10.9 (2019): 765.
Roberts, Julia. “Nature is Speaking: Julia Roberts is Mother Nature.” Conservation International. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmVLcj-XKnM