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Humans and Today’s Environment
Julian Abrego
ENGL 101
June 8, 2022
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Abstract
How far would someone go to protect something that they love? To break that down, how far would
anyone go to take care of something that is theirs? Think of something that will only thrive and flourish
depending on the care and passion that is put into it, for example, our environment. Not only does our
environment and how it is taken care of depend on us, but so do the plants and animals living in these
ecosystems. However, with the ever declining state of our environment and ecosystems, we are losing this
precious wildlife and vegetation right before our eyes. Putting these animals under this amount of strain,
they are dying off and becoming extinct. As this happens it will take millions of years for the Earth to get
back to the current state of biodiversity it has now (Sala, 2020). Trying to prevent extinction seems like
such a huge task, something that needs more than just minor changes every day. How could reducing
waste in my home help species from becoming extinct? <Moreover, the demand for food to sustain our
growing population can be met with our current agricultural lands, simply by reducing food waste.= (Sala,
2020) Not only is reducing waste helping these wild animals to survive and thrive, but it is also keeping
our earth less polluted with the amount of waste and vehicles needed to dispose of this waste. There are so
many small and simple changes we can make when thinking of the environment. <Those who describe
themselves as always trying to protect the environment are a bit more likely to do things such as bring
their own shopping bags, but most do so only sometimes, at best.= (Pew Research Center, 2019) While it
may be a small gesture, if it was required by everyone it would make a huge difference. When thinking of
clearing land, we just see the opportunity for new things, new shops, and new restaurants. Have we ever
stopped to think that maybe we are getting too close to wildlife and the harms this can have to our health?
<The alteration of land to create space for homes, farms and industries has put humans in increasing
contact with wildlife and has created opportunities for pathogens to spill over from wild animals to
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people.= (UNEP, n.d.) At this point, we are not only hurting the environment, but ourselves as humans as
well. The water that is coming from wells on this land that is being cleared to drink is contaminated with
waste and sewage. The marine life swimming in this water is contaminated as well, which can have toxic
effects on humans and our three main systems (UNEP, n.d.). A lot of the time we turn and look towards
our doctors to help us through these illnesses and to cure us of toxins that may have been ingested, but it
is coming to the point that antibiotics just are not strong enough for the things that are able to enter our
bodies. <A 2017 UNEP report highlighted that antibiotics have become less effective as medicine mainly
because of their widespread use. About 700,000 people die of resistant infections every year.= (UNEP,
n.d.) When we have reached the point where we have found contaminantes too strong for medication, we
have dug into territory that was never ours. Is this something we should be protecting? Bacteria that are
unknown, that have the ability to kill humans, but are taking over land that we <need=? Yes. We should
still protect this bacteria and let it live on the land that it survives in. If we would take care of and
appreciate what we have, instead of always looking for the next location for a shopping mall, we would
have never come to this in the first place.
Human Effect on Extinction
One of the biggest problems that the environment faces today is the constant state of extinction.
This is not only the extinction of animals, but also plants and bacteria that live in the ecosystems that are
all a part of the food chain. Humans are repopulating causing a need or want for new communities,
hospitals, restaurants, shopping malls, etc. These things lead to the demolition of forests that hold many of
our beloved wildlife and organisms that allow our environment to thrive and regulate itself. <Current
population growth trends indicate that the number of threatened species will increase by 7 percent over
the next 20 years and 14 percent by 2050. And that’s without the addition of global warming impacts.=
(Human Growth Population and Extinction, n.d.)
How Do We Protect the Environment?
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As often as it is spoken about, many do not realize how small actions that are repeated can really
benefit our environment. Taking reusable shopping bags when shopping, recycling plastic, paper, and
metal waste are simple everyday things we can do. There’s also things we can do when grocery shopping,
if buying seafood from sustainable seafood companies. These companies do not get rid of their waste into
the environment, they are sustainably disposing of waste and not tossing it back into the environment. Try
new things like carpooling to work with a group of friends, vehicle emissions are very harmful to the air
we breathe and to the plants that are in our environment. Organize local trash collecting groups where
litter can be disposed of properly before being ingested by wildlife or entering our waterways. There are
many ways that we can personally benefit from pouring into our environment as well! Building a
birdhouse and being able to house and feed these birds can be amazing to watch! Planting a garden that
will enrich the soil but also create oxygen and fresh vegetables for you and your friends! Ensure that
when you are planting a garden that there are no harmful pesticides being used on the vegetation, this is
harmful to creatures that may feed there but also to the soil the plants are growing in.
Citations
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Sala, E. (2020, March 11). It's now or never for saving the environment, says explorer. World
Economic Forum. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/nature-environment-climate-change
Six reasons why a healthy environment should be a human right. UNEP. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8,
2022, from
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/six-reasons-why-healthy-environment-should-be-hum
an-right
Pew Research Center. (2019, December 30). . Pew Research Center ScienceThe Politics of Climate
& Society. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from
https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2016/10/04/everyday-environmentalism/
HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH AND EXTINCTION. Human Population Growth and
Extinction. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/extinction/
