Pollution - Human Impact on Biosphere

Mass extinction

IS Earth facing another mass extinction crisis? Yes, and it is slowly but inevitably happening, because of us - humans. Humans have created a trap for ourselves. With our life depending so much on technology and industries, we are creating more and more pollution (and other factors that are harmful to the environment) which causes species of organisms to rapidly disappearing left and right. The gradual extinction of species might not be noticeable or even affect us very much now, but soon in the future, it will come to bite our backs.

Pollution

HUMANS have started polluting the environment for a long time. Water (hydrosphere), soil (lithosphere) and air (atmosphere) pollution are all factors to negatively affecting the environment.

“In 2015, diseases caused by air, water and soil pollution were responsible for 9 million premature deaths, that is 16% of all global death. Exposures to contaminated air, water and soil kill more people than smoking, hunger, natural disasters, war, AIDS, or malaria.” (Cohen, 2017)

Pollution affect humans too, not just other organisms. How have we created such a bad situation for ourselves? By becoming more industrialized and living more technology based lives, humans waste materials and pollute everyday. The production of everyday resources (like clothes) and construction and mining all pollute the environment. Sustainability will save Earth and most of us humans are not living very efficiently.

Photograph "Plastic and Wood" in project "Footprints in Nature" by Artel Richard

For example, runoff water and chemicals produced by factories and large manufacturing infrastructures are a large factor in hydrosphere pollution because of the deadly chemicals that are exposed to the environment and the amount of those chemicals running off into natural streams of water or even parts of soils. These waste chemicals are waste for a reason - because they are bad for life, and when they are dumped into nature everyday, imagine how much pollution is happening.

Carbon emission is another large factor in human pollution. According to data.worldbank.org an average Canadian produces around 15.1 (as of 2014) metric tons of CO2 per capita (that's a lot!) The amount of CO2 produced mainly by humans adds to the greenhouse gas which traps the heat and affects climate change. Carbon emission has also affected the habitat and lifestyle of airborne organisms. Add in the fact that humans are cutting down trees at a faster rate than they can grow is another problem, because they cannot absorb the carbon dioxide faster than the rate that we are producing it at.

Over the next two decades, poor air quality will cause the premature deaths of nearly 700,000 Canadians. In Ontario, pollution from fine particulate matter alone causes as many as 900 cancer cases per year. (Mitchell, 2017)

This is a project that I made last year for science

“Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years,” (rain-tree.com).

Of course, apart from pollution, there are many other factors that are destroying our environment, but pollution leads to most of the factors anyways or can be counted as a part of the factors, like habitat loss or over exploitation. Us humans have become greedy and use our precious resources and live our lives matter of factly but we should realize that if we continue to live like this, mass extinction will happen.

Help

FORTUNATELY there are many companies, organizations and individuals who are working hard to change our lifestyle and beliefs so that the earth can become more sustainable. A prime example of an active, Canadian environmentalist is David Suzuki and his non-profit organization.

"We are interconnected with nature, and with each other. What we do to the planet and its living creatures, we do to ourselves," David Suzuki

"Who is David Suzuki?" One clueless individual might ask, well, he is a famous environmental activist and scientist. He and Tara Cullis (his wife) founded the David Suzuki foundation in 1990, to research, analyze policies and educate others in an effort to protect the natural environment. This organization's mission is to bring awareness of our environmental problems to everyday people, so that we can make the Earth a more sustainable, green planet, and protect what we have. On the "about" page of David Suzuki's website, there are three headings that represent their priorities.

The three "Path to Sustainability" priorities are environmental rights, climate solutions and biodiversity. This organization proudly states that they use "evidence-based information and analysis" and have an excellent reputation among governments, businesses and other organizations. David Suzuki foundation constantly makes an effort to publicize problems in the environment and involve the public in their projects (by accepting donations or educating them) so that everybody can make a real change.

“Our mission is to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future. Our vision is that within a generation, Canadians act on the understanding that we are all interconnected and interdependent with nature.” (David Suzuki Foundation, Fulmina.org)

So what accomplishments have this organization achieved? On the "stories" page of the website, it says, "Early projects focused on fisheries, forestry, species at risk, pesticides and the economics of sustainability," (davidsuzuki.org). Relating to rain forest deforestation problems, the David Suzuki Foundation have worked with the Kayapo people of Brazil to protect their Amazon lands from disappearing. On the website, it states that David Suzuki's organization joined with the local people and was, "(a) part of a project that preserved [...] 28.4 million acres / 11.5 million hectares," which is a massive feat.

Kayapo people in Brazil. Photo: Christina Mittermeier

Imagine how large 28.4 million acres is. By teaming up with the local Kayapo of Brazil, not only did the organization help save a considerable amount of their land and environment, but they were able to learn new values and beliefs, and a new message. David Suzuki states in a YouTube video that the Kayapo simply wanted to keep their land, which was their home. The organization that was looking to develop into the area had a different view of the land. The land was a source of money, and that lead to conflict. At the end of the day, David Suzuki's organization was able to help defend the Kayapo's home and save millions of species in the Amazon forest.

Conclusion

THAT brings me to my point of view in regards to mass extinction and human contribution to it. After researching about pollution and the different causes for species dying everyday, it does not take a genius to know that mass extinction is happening. Humans have started this mess and humans should realize to change it. I have learned, from the story about David Suzuki and the Kayapo, that humans are becoming more and more privileged and the relationship we have with our environment is fading. Just as the Kayapo respect their land as their home, we should be doing the same and caring to notice the harmful effects our everyday lives can have on our environment.

We get told the simple methods to reduce our ecological footprint, like taking a shorter shower, turning off electronics when not using them, driving conservatively (or not driving at all and using public transports), and taking the time to reuse and recycle. But we aren't taught those methods enough, and most of us sure don't think about them when we are living our daily lives. Imagine, if a quarter of Canada's population (9.2 million people) started living sustainable lives. The amount of pollution would reduce significantly and the rest of the population would join eventually, causing a chain reaction for the rest of the world to follow.

Photograph "Recycle" in project "Footprints in Nature" by Artel Richard

In wealthier nations that have worked to reduce pollution, the benefits of pollution control far outweigh the costs (Cohen, 2017). Reducing pollution and living a sustainable life is key for the Earth to survive. By continuing to live our normal lives, the extinction of species is inevitable. How do we live more sustainable lives? By making small changes like picking up garbage around a public garbage can, or not running the water until it's the perfect temperature for showering, will help the world become more sustainable.

I am ending my blog here for today. Please consider the message of this article, and take the idea of mass extinction seriously.