BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY

SIGNS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION

Many warming signs exist indicate that a dangerous disequilibrium is being created in our ecosystems.
Some researcher suspect that toxic chemical by- products, heavy metals, pesticides, hormones,
pharmaceutical and other contaminants are responsible for increased frequency in deformation of
illnesses, death of natural population worldwide.

The culprits suspected by some scientists are hormone-disrupting chemicals in agricultural runoff.

* reproductive cycle disruption in birds as a result of high concentration of DDT and other pesticides.
* deaths and population declines of birds and fish linked to contamination from oil spills
* deaths and disorientation of marine mammals (tortoise and whales) possibly due to coastal
pollutant runoff
*contaminated waters

Consumption of Energy

Worldwide ,industrialization has brought an increased demand for use of energy resources. It brought
both the positive and the negative effects on humans and ecosystems. The world industrialized
nations have used tremendous quantity of energy to fuel their business. Countries like the United
Stales and England have long been the major consumers of energy. China, formerly a light user of
energy resources,lately became a major consumer of petroleum as a source of energy to operate its
growing economy. For sometime the source of energy has changed, with traditional water,wood,coal,
and oil gradually being replaced with natural gas, wind,wave/tidal,nuclear,solar,geothermal and fuel
cell technologies.The development of these energy sources often uses valuable agricultural land for
the construction, storage and transport of energy they produce..

Fossils for Fuels

Fossil fuels are commonly used as an energy source in industrial processes for the past 200 years,
include naturally occurring materials such as oil, coal and natural gas. These fuels are obtained from
underground deposits formed million years ago by biological and geological processes, and these
fossil fuels are not being replenished.The chemical by-products of fossil fuel combustion are released
into the atmosphere and contribute to the worldwide air pollution as well as a phenomenon known as
acid precipitation or acid rain.