“Man is the cause of the destruction of the environment.” Discuss.

The tremendous advancement in science is marked by the availability of

sophisticated electronic gadgets, global communication, social networking and
advanced machinery leading to breath-taking megastructures, state-of-art vehicles
and military weaponry. Technology advancement has brought unequivocal benefits
to human lives, offering convenience and security.

Nevertheless, humans have been pushing the limits of their relationship with
the environment. Human advancement has marched in tandem with the destruction
of the environment. As a result of progress the air is no longer fresh and oxygenated
but saturated with dust, impurities and noxious gases. Vast tracts of forest have
been destroyed and the marine ecosystem is under threat.

One major cause of environment damage is air pollution. This stems from the
uncontrolled emission of harmful gases, namely carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide, from factories. Unfiltered emission from diesel-powered vehicles and
machines compounds the problems. The depletion of the ozone layer due to
excessive cholorofluorocabon (CFC) emission contributes to the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect is a process whereby radiation from the sun, much of which is
normally reflected back out into space, bypasses the ozone layer and is trapped in
the atmosphere. This had led to an unprecedented rise in global temperatures. Life
on earth faces potential calamity and destruction as climate change brings about
unseasonal droughts and deluges, melting polar icecaps and rising sea levels.

Another cause of environmental damage is massive deforestation. Lack of

legislation or poor enforcement of existing laws account for unsustainable logging
activities worldwide. Illegal loggers are drawn by lucrative profits and conservation
efforts and replanting projects are unable to keep pace with the ceaseless
exploitation. Also, as the human population grows, more forests are cleared for
housing agricultural development. Animals are losing their habitats and certain
species are facing extinction. Deforestation has destroyed water catchment areas
and contributed to increased occurrences of landslides and flash floods. Plant and
tree roots play an indispensable role in retaining and solidifying soil structure, without
which the soil tends to be loose and easily eroded. Loose soil can result in fatal
landslides, whereas accumulated soil at riverbanks increases the occurrence of flash
floods.

The impact of human activities on marine life is equally alarming. In land

reclamation projects, millions of tonnes of stones are dumped into the sea,
threatening the entire marine ecosystem. Unfiltered refuse from industrial factories
as well as domestic wastes are disposed of in rivers and lakes, polluting the water.
Not only do polluted rivers and lakes emit an appalling stench, the scarcity of
hygienic water supplies gives rise to an increased risk of an epidemic outbreak.
Polluted water cannot sustain aquatic life. Mercury from water pollution accumulates
in fish which, when consumed, can cause mercury poisoning in humans. Marine
shipping mishaps due to inadequate supervision have caused oil spills, which form
layer of pollutants on the water’s surface that restricts the penetration of sunlight to
photosynthesizing organisms. For example, the Deepwater Horizon or BP oil spill
that transpired as a result of an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico caused a
months-long spill covering nearly 180000 km 2. Extensive damage to marine and
terrestrial wildlife from this spill affecting fishing and tourism was reported.

In conclusion, humans have no right to utilize nature’s resources without

protecting, conserving and replenishing them, let alone destroy the environment with
lethal pollutants. We can blame no one else but ourselves for the destruction of our
once pristine environment.