The environment and the space we degrade

First of all, our planet, Earth. The only place we are currently aware of where there are living things is our home planet, which is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the only planet in our solar system having liquid water on its surface, while being only the fifth largest planet overall. Earth is the largest of the four planets nearest to the Sun, all of which are composed of rock and metal, and is only slightly larger than adjacent Venus. Around 4.5 billion years ago, when the solar system was formed in its current configuration, the third planet, Earth, was created when gravity drew spinning gas and dust in. Earth has a solid crust, a rocky mantle and a central core, just like its sibling terrestrial planets.

Earth features mountains, valleys, and volcanoes just like other planet in our solar system. Nearly 70% of the surface of the world is made up of the global ocean, which has an average depth of around 4 kilometers.

Earth's atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% additional gases like neon, carbon dioxide, and argon near the surface. The atmosphere influences both the short-term and long-term local weather on Earth and protects humans from the majority of dangerous solar radiation. Additionally, it shields us from meteoroids, the majority of which burn up in the atmosphere before striking the surface as meteorites and appearing as meteors in the night sky.

Earth's favorable climate and chemical composition have led to an abundance of life on this planet. Most importantly, since the temperature permits liquid water to exist for long periods of time, Earth is unique in that the majority of our planet is covered with liquid water. Around 3.8 billion years ago, the huge oceans of Earth provided an ideal setting for the emergence of life.

All these factors lead to a great biodiversity on Earth. Every living creature, including plants, microorganisms, animals, and people, is referred to as biodiversity. Around 8.7 million species of plants and animals are thought to exist, according to scientists. However, so far, only about 1.2 million species have been recognized and described. This implies that the identities of millions of other creatures are yet unknown.

One of the known species it’s us, humans. On Earth, humans evolved from extinct apes. When seen from a zoological perspective, we are considered to be Homo sapiens, an upright, ground-dwelling species that most likely first appeared around 315,000 years ago.

In the year 10,000 B.C. there were only 5–10 million humans on Earth, at the time of the Agricultural Revolution. The Industrial Revolution started in 1800, when there were roughly 1 billion people on the planet. In the 19th century, population increase was fueled by continued agricultural expansion, the extraction of fossil fuels, and the mining of minerals. In just a little over 200 years, the human population has increased by almost 6 billion and today the human population is around 7.9 billion.

That huge population spike in such a small period of time caused a big problem. To feed all that population, humans had to take over the nature, forests turned into agricultural fields, natural habitats were destroyed for cattle production, the seas turned into fishing grounds and villages turned into big industrial cities. Such a big development in such a small period of time led to harmful emissions that are in such big quantities that nature cannot intake and it’s causing the climate emergency the planet is enduring right now.

The Environment

The environment is not static, it can change due to natural and/or anthropogenic causes, that is, natural or human.

Natural Causes

There are several natural causes that have affected the environment of this planet for millions of years, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, forest wildfires, sandstorms are just some of them and they all affect the environment. However, they had very different consequences before and after the human population growth.

All these natural disasters weren’t problematic for the environment before humans appeared. Volcanic eruptions created new islands and habitats, and the ash from the volcanic eruption is extremely fertile and nutritious for the habitats because of key nutrients, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and many others.

Floods distribute and deposit river sediments over large areas of land flooded with fresh water. Additionally, they transport and drop nutrient-rich sediments into those wetlands, where they support both plant and animal life.

Forest wildfires are very helpful in some ways, low-growing underbrush is eliminated, the forest floor is cleared of dead trees and leaves, it is exposed to sunshine, and the soil is nourished by these forest wildfires. Existing trees can get stronger and healthier by reducing this competition for resources.

And sandstorms in Africa transport nutrients across the Atlantic Ocean and nourished South American forest soil like the Amazon.

However, today some of these events occur with much higher frequency than before human population spiked becoming disadvantageous and destructive for habitats, animals and humans.

Anthropogenic Causes

Is the human action on the environment. These changes were insignificant in the past, however from the 19th century and more specifically the 20th century they gained importance, due to the increase in population and increase of the consumption.

Since the earliest ancestors of our species, human activity has had an impact on the environment. Since the beginning of Homo sapiens' existence on the planet, humans have changed the environment around us through farming, travel, and eventually urbanization and economic networks. The extent of our impact on the environment at this time in the physical history of the globe leads experts to conclude that there is no longer "pristine nature," or ecosystems free from human interference.

Agriculture and Domesticated Animals

Agriculture, the first significant human invention that enabled our survival as a species, has made notable advancements thanks to the need to feed a growing human population. Hunter-gatherer civilizations were able to settle and grow their own food thanks to early agriculture. By introducing non-native species to new habitats and favoring the cultivation of particular plants and animals over others, this had an immediate negative influence on the environment.

The domestication of animals and other species had a tremendous negative impact on the ecosystem by changing the land. Grazing animals caused soil erosion and the loss of native grasses, which contributed to environmental change. And we now know that changes in the composition of gases in the atmosphere have been significantly impacted by the rapid increase of cow numbers to fulfill human nutritional demands.

Deforestation

As more people must be accommodated, cities and dwellings must be built in larger spaces. In order to produce building materials and make place for urban and suburban expansion, this frequently implies removing forests.

Numerous consequences of deforestation include reduced oxygen levels (and an increase in greenhouse gases), a higher risk of soil erosion, and the destruction of animal habitats.

Around the world, up to 15 billion trees are presently cut annually. Simply said, it's neither wise or sustainable for people, animals, or the environment.

Rainfall patterns, the quality of the water and soil, and flood protection are all significantly influenced by forests. Forests directly support the homes and livelihoods of millions of people.

Air Pollution

By contributing to air pollution, or the release of dangerous compounds into the atmosphere, human activities have an impact on the ecosystem. Although it can be challenging to determine which pollutants are linked to particular effects on the environment or public health, it is widely acknowledged that air pollution can have negative effects on both plant and animal life in addition to public health issues.

Air pollution is only one type of pollution. It can originate from human waste, industrial chemicals, or other sources and have an impact on soil or rivers. These pollutants can have a significant negative impact on the environment, causing issues like acid rain and hazardous algae growth in the ocean as well as environmental damage.

Our consumption of fossil fuels and its associated CO2 emissions is one of the most significant ways that people have impacted the environment. Recent research shows that CO2 emissions are linked to the loss of the carbon-sink effect of forest lands (due to deforestation) and the presence of particulate matter in the air. This is especially true when emissions are combined with emissions and the existing particulate matter in the air and the deterioration of the earth's ozone layer.

Water Pollution

Water pollution refers to the contamination of water with an excessive amount of a substance that could be harmful to both people and the environment. The quantity of the pollutant, its effect on the environment, and how the water is used all affect how polluted the water is. Chemical, biological, or physical processes can produce pollutants. Water contamination can occasionally result from natural processes like volcanic eruptions or evaporation, but most pollution comes from human land-based activity. As the water containing the pollutants advances through the water cycle, contaminants will travel with it.

The contaminants may reach the water directly through both legal and unauthorized factory discharges, as well as inadequate water treatment facilities. Water supplies can be harmed by spills and leaks from oil pipelines and ships. Debris can enter rivers due to wind, storms, and littering, especially when it comes to plastic waste.

All the causes described above led to what we call today the climate emergency. Climate has always had an impact on people. Despite the affluence and technology of contemporary industrial nations, climate continues to have a fundamental impact on human well-being. The location of a person's home, their diet, their means of transportation, and their leisure activities are all influenced by the climate.

Climate controls how food is produced, how much water is available, how much energy is used, how diseases spread, and other factors that affect human health and well-being. Additionally, it has an impact on the ecosystems' capacity to produce products and services for both people and the other species with whom we coexist on the planet. Human actions are also having an impact on climate. The scientific evidence that the Earth is warming is now overwhelming, as will be covered in the chapters to follow. Numerous pieces of evidence also show that human actions, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and other activities that produce heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, are the primary cause of this warming.

Future climate change projections show that unless large and persistent steps are done to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, Earth will continue to warm. Increases in sea level, changes in ocean chemistry, and variations in the frequency and severity of heat waves, precipitation events, and droughts are just a few of the numerous connected and interacting changes in the Earth system that are being caused by rising temperatures and greenhouse gases concentrations.

The natural and human systems are both significantly at danger as a result of these changes. We can reasonably anticipate that the effects of climate change will be more severe if actions are not taken to limit its magnitude and adapt to its impacts, even though the specifics of how the future impacts of climate change will manifest themselves are not as well understood as the fundamental causes and mechanisms of climate change.

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