1
How Far Should Humans Go to Protect the Environment?
Leola Tillman
AA: Psychology, Liberty University
ENGL101: Composition and Rhetoric (D18)
Dr. Karen Dodson
April 18, 2022
2
How Far Humans Should Go to Protect the Environment
Humans should go to extreme lengths in order to protect the environment. The planet is suffering
due to an imbalance in the ecosystem and humans should realize the harmful effects and how
even the slightest changes could cause more damage. This imbalance of the ecosystem h even as
been caused by the severe overpopulation of humans and the misuse of resources. Such misuse ir
of resources has led to wastefulness and environmental pollution from dangerous chemicals. Safe
drinking water and clean air are important and are common needs for humans and animal Yet, s.
humans are the ones most responsible for the disturbance and the imbalance of the ecosystem.
“Humans pollute the land, water, and air with unwanted refuse. Almost 2.4 billion people don’t
have access to clean water. (Weedmark, D.) a result, animals in different regions are not safe As
and live under the constant threat of extinction. For example, marine turtles are not safe in the
water that is unclean, and on the beach where they lay their eggs, their eggs are not safe. This is
not only due to predators, but they are not safe from human consumption, coastal development,
pathogens, and climate changes. (Wallace et al. 2010; Fuentes et al. 2012; Limpus et al. 2013)
With drinking water being unsafe to consume, there is also the threat of ingesting bacteria, so
and dangerously naturally occurring chemicals like nitrate, which could lead to sickness and
disease, even death. Especially in low-income areas, dangerous chemicals like lead and nitrates
are all too common and can be found in the water. Strategies must be developed. These
communities are in need of safe, clean water free from lead and other bacteria (Schaider et al.
Environmental Health (2019). Common anthropogenic sources of nitrate include fertilizers used “
for agricultural production and landscaping, animal manure, wastewater discharges from sewage
treatment plants and septic systems, and fossil fuel combustion. It's important to make change”s
to protect the environment from further loss of biodiversity and imbalance of the ecosystem. This
3
can be accomplished if humans take personal responsibility to assist in this process of change by
making some adjustments and perhaps changing some bad habits like littering and smoking
which are just a few things among many other things that pollute the environment. Properly
disposing of waste and hazardous materials can help protect and improve the environment.
Pollution accounts for 16% of all non-communicab diseases (NCDs) and death. Pollution has a le
much higher impact than alcohol and tobacco use and being overweight in low and middle-
income regions (Landrigan et al., 2017; Fuller et al., 2018). Pollution can be prevented and
controlled by using raw materials and switching over to less hazardous materials The ways in . “
which we understand and interact with nature determine our human-nature relationship (Russell
et al. 2013) and in practice, this personal perception of nature may affect the motivation of
biodiversity conservation actors and how they seek to deliver conservation. Understanding the
value systems of those working with biodiversity conservation is, therefore, important if we want
to avoid unnecessary conflicts and design conservation solutions that take into account different,
often diverging perspectives. In addition to the problem of ” (Why Conserve Biodiversity).
hazardous materials being improperly disposed of, one other important adjustment that needs to
be made is the evaluation of chemicals in commerce. “Patterns of exposure to manufactured
chemicals are poorly mapped in most countries, and the toxicity of the majority of chemicals in
commerce has never been evaluated.” (Landrigan, P. J.; Fuller, R.; Fisher, S.; Suk, W. A.; Sly,
P.; Chiles, T. C.; Bose- O'Reilly, S.) “Pollution and children’s health”
This challenge of pollution should be approached immediately, and measures should be taken to
practically ensure global chemical safety. Homegrown fruits and vegetables do not
ensure chemical-free food consumption. Pollution is not the only issue when it comes to farming.
While eating sustainably is an extreme measure for protecting the environment, the benefits,
4
unfortunately, are not always so promising. However, the debate is that when it comes to fighting
climate change, growing your own food at home to feed your family, there are many benefits.
Such benefits include reducing carbon emissions. When you grow your own food, you are
eliminating mechanized practices required to cultivate and transport food for miles There is “ .”
also no need to use pesticides to fertilize and you get to decide what goes into the soil. You
connect with nature and the opportunity to teach others and to learn more about the environment
as you grow healthy, more natural-tasting food. (Allen, M. 2021)
The effect of human activities - magnified in recent years by population growth and global
climate change - has greatly reduced biodiversity in ecosystems around the world (Biodiversity).
It is important to refocus education programs so that they enable educators and learners to
protect biodiversity. Pollution and poverty are a deadly mixture. Environmental injustice has a
lot to do with the level of poverty and disparities challenging those who are living in low and
middle-income areas where they are the main target of global environmental injustice and
Globalization. The tasks to effectively reduce pollution must start with ending environmental
injustice in poor, poverty-stricken, low-income areas where sickness and disease have more
opportunities to flourish. The effect of pollution in areas where there are already health
disparities due to little or no healthcare for those that are already living in impoverished
situations is devastating, yet the cycle continues because children are born into such
environments. (Furie and Balbus, 2012) There are many responsibilities and changes involved
with protecting the environment. So many issues are demanding attention. Some things are
within human control and the expectation to see change is only one benefit. The major benefit
and possibility is to see the environment restored, maybe not to former state of being, but its
better than what we have experienced in the past 100 years.
5
References
(Russell et al. 2013) “Why Conserve Biodiversity”
(Weedmark, D. 2018)
(Wallace et al. 2010; Fuentes et al. 2012; Limpus et al. 2013)
Schaider et al. Environmental Health (2019) 18:3
(Landrigan et al., 2017; Fuller et al., 2018)
(Furie and Balbus, 2012) “Pollution and Children’s Health”
Berry, P. M., Fabók, V., Blicharska, M., Bredin, Y. K., Marina García Llorente, Kovács, E.,
Geamana, N., Stanciu, A., Termansen, M., Jääskeläinen, T., Haslett, J. R., & Harrison, P. A.
(2018). Why conserve biodiversity? A multi-national exploration of stakeholders’ views on the
arguments for biodiversity conservation. Biodiversity & Conservation, 27(7), 1741-1762.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1173-z
(Brunning, A. Nov. 9, 2020) “Toxins in Fruits and Vegetables”
https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/natural-products/Periodic-Graphics-Toxins-fruits-
vegetables/98/i46
(Allen, M. 2021) https://www.thegardencontinuum.com/about-us#ourstory
