Reducing Environmental Impact
Human production activities and technological advancement for the economy has had a significant impact on the environment. The production activities are necessary for meeting survival needs fo humans, but they compromise future environmental sustainability. Some of the human activities which destroy the environment include resources exploitation, deforestation, and overpopulation, among others. Since the negative impacts endanger human existence, reducing the intensity of the environmental effects is the only solution to ensure the earth planet is capable of supporting life for the future population.
Recycling is one of the best ways to get rid of landfill sites by reducing the amount of waste on the natural environment causing habitant damage. Increasing human activities means that wealth is multiplying and people are purchasing additional products and disposing more waste from the products (Xiao et.al 2018). Also increased human population results to people with different lifestyles, and buying various products, therefore, creating additional waste on the environment. Landfill sites release greenhouse gases and emit harmful chemicals to the atmosphere. Recycling of used products reduces the adverse effects caused by garbage on the environment. Deforestation, on the other hand, leads to the destruction of human habitat, depletion of natural resources, and causes global warming. Reusing of raw materials preserves forests and helps conserve energy needed to produces new raw materials. Recycling activities use less energy and decrease the number of raw materials used in production hence preserving natural resources. Generally, recycling reduces expenditures and has positive results on the environment.
Another way to reduce negative impacts on the environment is through adopting water conservation techniques. Supplying water from the sources to the household through uses energy that produces carbon emits and pollutes the air: carbon emission, the primary contributor to global warming. Water treatment as well involves usage of chemicals which are harmful to the environment. For instance, water usage can be reduced by replacing old toilets, dish, and clothes washing machines with new ones which use less water. Reckless use of water could result in draining of water sources and sometimes contamination of the causes, which are a habitat for some animals (Henriques, 2017). Ensuring that the amount of water used daily is cut down means less emission of toxic gases during the pumping and regulating air contamination. Chemicals used for water treatment can be reduced through conservation of water and thus playing a role in reducing negative environmental impacts.
Electricity use has a direct relation with the environment. For power plants to generate electricity, they burn coal, crude oil, and other fossil fuels. Although power plants use inexpensive methods to generate electricity, the environment suffers from carbon emission. As human activities increase, power plants are burning other fossils fuels to create adequate energy to cover the events. Using natural light, unplugging electronics that are not in use, and turning off lights when not in use are some of the ways people could reduce electricity consumption at home. People can adopt non- conventional sources of energy such as solar, wind, and tidal to help in reducing the negative impacts caused by fossil fuels emission from power generation. Consuming less power reduces the toxic fumes emitted by power plants and protects animal ecosystems as well. Also cutting down electricity use preserves natural resources that would be used to generate energy.
The transportation sector is the leading contributor to adverse environmental effects. Transportation contributes to each type of environmental pollution. Vehicles cause noise pollution and destruction to daily activities, leads to air pollution through producing of harmful gases. Also, car production leads to build up waste when cars get disposed after their usage. To support the current means of transportation requires the burning of fossils fuels to power the vehicles (Jacobson, 2019). Although it is comfortable and convenient for everyone to use their cars, the environment needs saving from the existing means of transportation. Riding bicycles and using electric trains are some modes of transport which can be adopted to transform positive effects of the environment to positive gains. For a significant change on the environmental impacts, transportation modes need keen changes.
The significant development of technological progress and human activities has negatively impacted earth ecological state. Humans have established factories and exploited natural resources in ways that cause unpleasant effects on the environment. To secure future humankind survival on earth nations have created environmental awareness and recommended different ways to reduce environmental impacts. Recycling, conserving water and electricity, and using environment-friendly transportation means are some of the ways that the ecological effects could be reduced.
References
Henriques, J., & Catarino, J. (2017). Sustainable value–An energy efficiency indicator in wastewater treatment plants. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 323-330.
Jacobson, M. Z. (2019). Controlling Non-Energy Emissions in a 100 Percent Wind-Water-Solar (WWS) and Storage World.
Martens, K. (2016). Transport Justice: Designing fair transportation systems. Routledge.Vuchic,
- (2017). Transportation for livable cities. Routledge.
Xiao, J., Wang, C., Ding, T., & Akbarnezhad, A. (2018). A recycled aggregate concrete high-rise building: Structural performance and embodied carbon footprint. Journal of cleaner production, 199, 868-881.