Provide examples to demonstrate how human activities have impacted ecosystems on local, regional, and global scales. Describe the causes, and effects of these impacts, and discuss possible avenues of mitigating these impacts.
Humans have caused chaos and wrecked havoc over the minuscule amount of time we have inhabited Earth. We have destroyed forests, polluted bodies of waters, driven animals to extinction, created massive amounts of imperishable trash, and more. This is all from our production of various products and having no regard for the safety of the environment we live in. We overuse paper packaging and kill thousands of trees in the process. We add chemicals and microbeads to beauty products that will later pollute oceans. We pump chemicals into the air from massive factories to make sure the supply of products keeps up with the demand. Take a look at China, the amount of pollution the country produces is visible from space.
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| http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=84530&eocn=home&eoci=nh |
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The air is so toxic, in many parts of China people wear face masks in an attempt to filter the air. If humans are having difficulty breathing and processing this adulterated air, just image how vegetation is fairing in such an environment. This image shows vegetation that has been infected by chemicals from a nearby factory.
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| http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/china-toxic-air-pollution-nuclear-winter-scientists |
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What can be done to mitigate these impacts is not very simple, nor is it very easy. As a world, we must collectively work to be more environmentally friendly and use renewable resources for energy, such as wind power. Pollution can be reduced by using electrically powered devices and weaning off of the use of fossil fuels and coal. We must also dispose of toxic chemicals and matters properly, so we do not infect the environment with poisonous substances.
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