Environmental Degradation

The natural environment, with its entire ecosystem, comprises the entire basis for
life on the planet. Its value is therefore impossible to quantify. Environmental
degradation is one of most urgent of environmental issues. Depending upon the
damage, some environments may never recover. The plants and animals that
inhabited these places will be lost forever. In order to reduce any future impacts,
city planners, industry, and resource managers must consider the long term effects
of development on the environment. With sound planning, future environmental
degradation can be prevented.

Causes of Environmental degradation:

Water and Air Pollution
Water and air pollution are unfortunately the common causes of environmental
degradation. Pollution introduces contaminants into the environment that can infect
or even kill plant and animal species. The two often go hand in hand.
Acid Rain
Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide from coal plant emissions combines with
moisture present in the air. A chemical reaction creates this acid precipitation. Acid
rain can acidify and pollute lakes and streams. It causes similar effects to the soil.
If enough acid rain falls in a given environment, it can acidify the water or soil to a
point where no life can be sustained. Plants die off. The animals that depend upon
them disappear. The condition of the environment deteriorates.
Agricultural Runoff
Agricultural runoff is a deadly source of pollutants which can degrade
environments, so much so that the International Standards identifies agriculture as
the primary source of water pollution.
Surface water washes over the soil and into lakes and streams. When it does so, it
carries the fertilizers and pesticides used on the farm lands into water resources.
Obviously, introducing poisons into waterways will have dire consequences.
Fertilizers whether or not they are organic carry equal risks.
Fertilizers containing large amounts of phosphorus can cause explosions of algae
in lakes. As the algae die, bacteria start to breakdown the organic material. It soon
develops into a situation where bacteria are using up the available dissolved
oxygen in the water. Plants, fish, and other organisms begin to die off. The water
becomes acidic. Like acid rain, lakes become dead zones with conditions so toxic
that neither plants nor animals can live in these environments.
Urban Development
Urban development is the primary cause of environmental degradation. As
populations increased, so did the need for land for homes and farms. Wetlands
were drained. Prairies were plowed over. Today, less than 50 percent of the
nation's wetlands still exist. Only five percent of the native prairie remains.
Soil pollution, also commonly known as soil contamination, is a condition that
occurs when soil loses its structure, biological properties and chemical properties
due to the use of various man-made chemicals and other natural changes in the soil
environment.

Use of Chemicals
 Excessive use of chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers is
one of the prime factors causing soil pollution. These chemicals adversely
affect the soil by increasing its salinity and making it imperfect for crop
bearing. The excessive use of chemicals also adversely affects the
microorganisms present in the soil, causing the soil to lose its fertility and
resulting in the loss of minerals present in the soil, thus causing soil
pollution.
Soil Erosion
 Another common cause contributing to soil pollution is soil erosion. Soil
erosion occurs when topsoil moves from one place to another as a result of
various natural and man-made factors, such as wind, water, deforestation
and farming. The loss of topsoil due to erosion results in a loss of soil
fertility and a decrease in the soil's capacity to retain water, thus ultimately
causing the soil left behind after erosion to be rendered unfit to produce
crops

Nuclear Explosion: Nuclear explosions produce both immediate and delayed

destructive effects. Blast, thermal radiation, and prompt ionizing radiation cause
significant destruction within seconds or minutes of a nuclear detonation. The
delayed effects, such as radioactive fallout and other environmental effects, inflict
damage over an extended period ranging from hours to years.
Deforestation is a major cause of climate change because it releases huge amounts
of carbon into the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect. Deforestation
and forest degradation are both a cause and a result of climate change. Plants
absorb carbon dioxide and use it to grow, but when they decay or burn, carbon
dioxide is released again. Decaying plants also produce methane, a greenhouse gas
more potent than carbon dioxide.

Population Explosion

About 40 percent of human deaths worldwide are caused by water, air and soil
pollution, according to David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agricultural
sciences at Cornell University and a well-known researcher. The World Health
Organization has reported that such environmental degradation, combined with the
growth in world population, is a major cause of the rapid increase in human
diseases. Pimentel says both factors contribute to the malnutrition of 3.7 billion
people worldwide and make them more susceptible to disease.

Effects of Environmental degradation: Climate change will lead to an increase

in the intensity and frequency of weather extremes, such as heat waves, floods,
droughts and tropical cyclones. The people hardest hit by climate change and
environmental degradation are those living in the most vulnerable areas, including
coastal communities, small island nations, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asian delta
regions. It is the poorest of the poor, who lack the resources to prepare, adapt and
rebuild, that are most affected.

Ozone depletion: Even minor problems of ozone depletion can have major
effects.  Every time even a small amount of the ozone layer is lost, more ultraviolet
light from the sun can reach the Earth. The life cycles of plants will change,
disrupting the food chain.  Effects on animals will also be severe, Oceans will be
hit hard as well.  The most basic microscopic organisms such as plankton may not
be able to survive.  If that happened, it would mean that all of the other animals
that are above plankton in the food chain would also die out.  Other ecosystems
such as forests and deserts will also be harmed.

The planet's climate could also be affected by depletion of the ozone layer.  Wind
patterns could change, resulting in climatic changes throughout the world.

Tsunamis are some of the most devastating natural disasters known to man. Think
of a flood with its source being an ocean and you can grasp a little of how much
devastation tsunamis can create. For most people who live in land the greatest
threat is from overflowing rivers and creeks. Normally extraordinarily heavy
rainfall causes rivers and and other waterways to overflow. The excess water
creates deadly currents and sweep away people, causing them to drown. It also
does a lot of damage in the initial surge and then with standing water. A tsunami
has all of these detrimental effects plus the added destructive power crashing
waves

Climate change effects on food production

The United Nations released a new report today that examines future food
production. They say a quarter of food production will be lost due to climate
change and water scarcity. Less food could be grown, but there will be over 2
million people added to the global population.

Desertification:
Global warming has not only resulted in an increase in temperature. It has and will
continue to have the monumental affect of expanding the earth's deserts. According
to the Discovery Channel, over the next century, as global warming dries up more
water sources, deserts may increase in size by 34 percent. Similarly, man-made
desertification poses a grave concern to human habitation

Extinction of species:
Today, human activities are causing a massive extinction of species, the full
implications of which are barely understood. Rising ocean temperatures reduce the
ability of plankton to reproduce, thereby undermining the entire oceanic
ecosystem. Commercial fishing’s increasing size and scope threaten to empty of
the ocean of fish within several decades. Humans play a tremendous role in
wildlife extinction. Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation are the leading
factors that cause wildlife extinction to occur
Modern agricultural practices strip the Earth of its thin layer of topsoil through
water and wind erosion, destroying this precious micro ecosystem that takes
centuries to form and supports all life on land.
Control Measures:

The main cause of environmental degradation world over has been the relentless
industrialization resulting in the release of huge amount of effluents, emission of
various chemicals and creation of hazardous wastes by industrial units endangering
quality of life and unmindful of the future social and economic consequences of
their managerial decisions. This necessitated a global movement for environmental
protection.

Afforestation: Planting of trees or seeds in order to transform open land into forest
or woodland is termed as afforestation. It can also refer to giving land the status of
'royal forest'. Afforestation is not to be confused with reforestation, which is
another related term. Reforestation involves using native trees to restock already
existing depleted forests. Most countries have seen rapid decline in forest cover
since the dawn of the industrial revolution. Hence, both government and Non-
governmental organisations (NGO's) have been directly propagating afforestation
& reforestation programs. Afforestation and reforestation can go a long way in
minimizing the Green House effect. These are relatively quick, easy to accomplish
options with no economic penalties. It is a viable option to reduce net emissions.
The essential benefits that these programs include climate stabilization, food and
forest products.
Use of solar energy: The best thing about solar energy in terms of its
environmental effects is that it produces almost no carbon emissions or greenhouse
gases. It doesn't burn oil, it doesn't produce toxic waste, and its lack of moving
parts reduces the chances of an environmentally devastating accident to nil. Indeed,
the only pollutants which factor into solar power are those involved in the
construction and transportation of its parts; that ranks it among the cleanest forms
of energy on Earth. Implementing solar energy on a large scale would reduce its
environmental footprint to a tiny fraction of its current levels

Use of Biofuels: Biodiesel fuel is a clean burning alternative fuel that comes from
domestic, renewable resources. It is locally grown, processed, and distributed.
Biodiesel is a natural and renewable domestic fuel alternative that is designed for
use in diesel engines. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, mostly soy and corn.
It contains no petroleum, is safe, and biodegradable. Biodiesel is better for the
environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions
compared to petroleum diesel.

Wind energy: When we think alternative energy, wind and solar come to mind as
very eco-friendly. While wind energy has become a growing source of energy,
many detractors argue that: wind turbines are dangerous for local avian life and
that wind turbines are a form of "visual pollution". Today, many scientists and
designers are finding ways to combat these flaws so that wind energy can truly be
eco-friendly.

Save the tigers: According to the estimates of biologist our tigers will soon extinct
in year 2015.

In India many tigers reserves are there but still their extincting, we can provide
more security to protect them, breeding of tigers all over the world, saving as many
tigers as possible as from their illness by hiring vet. Doctors, protecting their
natural habitat as forest, etc. In some cases even government is responsible for the
extinct of tigers in security purpose of tigers. Not only tigers are in endangered 
level of extinction but as well as lions of Africa and India, Blue whales in pacific
ocean and sharks. Surely these fishes are killed to make cosmetic products from
their skin and liver only for these thing they are killed.

With this campaign entire forest ecosystem is protected.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

There are many ways to produce less waste:

 Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you throw away and reuse
containers and products.

 Recycle as much as possible and buy products with recycled content.

 Practice composting by using microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) to

decompose organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings.

The concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle is equally important for household
hazardous waste and industrial materials.

 Household Hazardous Waste: Improper disposal of leftover household

products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients can
pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health.
  aand reused are key to a successful resource conservation program.

Conclusion:

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."

- Mohandas K. Gandhi

True to these lines, we must substantially use natural resources. Abatement of

Environment degradation is impossible, but we can prevent the hardest crises by
bringing up measures to heal the earth. Our planet stands to be the most beautiful
one in the galaxy, and to preserve its glory lies in our hands now.

Protect the Earth!! Respect OUR Planet!!

References:

1)news.icbse.com

2) EzineArticles.com

3) ehow.com

4) articlesbase.com

5) saferenvironment.wordpress.com

6) greenliving.lovetoknow.com
Report:

The still picture documentary on ‘Environmental Pollution’ is a group work

of 5 students from S.Y.BSc viz. Suraj Yadav ( 111 ), Neha Malkani (140), Nikita
Punwani( 149), Akanksha Mhatre ( 180) and Swapnil Naik (181). The
documentary was prepared as a part of the project in Foundation Course under the
guidance of Prof. Umesh Chauhan.

The locations that we included in the documentary are within Mumbai.

These places are:

1) Amar Mahal Flyover

2) K.J. Somaiya College area
3) Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Industries

Besides this, we have even included few images that were borrowed from
internet like scenic beauty of earth, nuclear explosion, wild panda etc.

The local area environmental degradation in the form of water and soil
pollution at Ghatkopar- Chembur, not only showed neglegance at the part of the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation but also on the part of the residents. Such
degradation of environment has made the place lose its hygiene and breeds many
pathogens. These areas are thriving epidemics which may outcome in near future.

Chembur has been facing pollution problems and was recently ranked 46th
in a list of the most polluted industrial clusters in India. Chembur has also found
high levels of Copper, Chromium, Calcium, Arsenic and Mercury in ground water.
Effluents from oil refineries, fertilizer plants and reactors located in Chembur are
also said to have polluted sea water in Thane Creek and affected marine life.

The life style of people in these areas is fading in terms of health. Many
people are shifting to places with better hygiene and environment. A bit that we
can do to curb the crises is not just the awareness but implementing simple
practices such as waste management at local levels.
 Thus, through this educational documentary, we conclude that environment
makes up an important factor in our life. We agree to the fact that the nature has its
own way of rebellion against man’s exploitation and one of the most recent and
devastating example is the crises in Japan.