Saving Nature: Realizing the Impact of Human Activity - Essay Sample

Introduction

As a student, I have had high hopes and expectations in my studies. One of the significant expectations was to realize how human activities interlink with the extinction of some animals and plants. I had hopes that there would be chances to dig even deeper into changes that one can make as an individual to console the world. Unfortunately, as an individual, the impact cannot be noticed as much (Destek, and Sinha, 2020).

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In the entire program, much has been taught that I previously had no idea. How much the natural sources of water have been affected by human activities and the consequences of the same. Extensive research was carried out on Colorado river, a water channel that runs from the Rocky Mountains in the North of America through two states in Mexico and seven states of the US and to Lake Mead (Castle, and Fleck, 2019). Waters have decreased substantially due to the agricultural processes taking place in the upper areas or the Lake. Climatic changes have also been blamed for the reduced amounts of water reaching the lower regions of the river (Castle, and Fleck, 2019). Water in the channel has been compromised in quality due to the products and processes used in the agricultural operations. The water quality has been compromised significantly as well as the organisms in the water bodies (Wilkinson et al., 2017).

There has been an increase in human-induced climate changes. There has again been a drastic change in population and industrial growth; technology has led to an overreliance on power and fuels. Selfishness has led people to build dams and diversions along the river channels. Pesticide use and dangerous chemicals have found their ways into the river channels causing both plants and living organisms in the gutters and along the river banks to die. The result is evident, as desert-like climates are becoming a common phenomenon. The only approach that humans can take is being considerate of others and using scarce resources and using it in small quantities, which can be realized through recycling of the wastewater (Wilkinson et al., 2017). Taking the necessary measures to reduce the impacts of changes in climate though that comes after realizing the implications and implication one causes to the world (Destek and Sinha, 2020).

My best topic that we covered is the efforts that human is making to ensure there is enough food to society no matter the consequences. The continued swelling in the world population calls for more shots in the production of food and sustenance. The effort to cater to the massive demand for food has been a challenge. The challenge has been due to the shrinking space for farming. The result has led to people using pesticides and chemicals for agriculture. The measures were meant to enhance growth and even food products without caring for the damages that chemicals are causing to the soil, water, and the organisms in both. Some of the chemicals used have temporary solutions to the problems at a particular moment. Unfortunately, the aftermath is drastic and, at times, irreversible or takes time to reverse. The properties of the pesticides when it comes to water solubility or even decomposition, they determine the period to make to leaching to the ground (Wilkinson et al., 2017).

Genetically modified foods are yet another approach that has been used to ensure the populace does not exhaust food resources (Hallman, 2018). Agricultural technology has supported the idea that organic farming cannot support the population fully, and thus there has to be a substitute. Unfortunately, some people have considered GMO products as their staple foods, and the result is obesity and some lifestyle diseases (Ussar et al., 2016). Analysts have done a commendable job, and anything that comes easy chances is high. They are not there to stay for long either, and so it is with their benefits. David Zilberman presents substantial evidence on the chemicals on foods and critiques that are supposed to defend the GM products, which, by default, outweighs the health benefits practically (Ussar et al., 2016). My worst module was dealing with the digestive system and how probiotics work within the system (Chugh, and Kamal-Eldin, 2020). I was getting overwhelmed on the measures we need to take as a society to reclaim the natural state of the climate and wellbeing of the people a reason that led to my module dislike.

For a person who wishes to join the course in subsequent periods, I would highly recommend them to pursue the route having in mind the effect it has on society. The course makes it even clear that the world needs a healing hand that can only come from an organization that works together by carrying out the necessary measures which are going green and management of the natural resources. As a unit of society, some of us are never conscious of the damages we cause to the community, but being equipped with the information I have, I believe every action in my family will lead to better the ecosystem.

References

Castle, A., & Fleck, J. (2019). The Risk of Curtailment under the Colorado River Compact. Available at SSRN.

Chugh, B., & Kamal-Eldin, A. (2020). Bioactive Compounds Produced by Probiotics in Food Products. Current Opinion in Food Science.

Destek, M. A., & Sinha, A. (2020). Renewable, non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, trade openness and ecological footprint: Evidence from organisation for economic Co-operation and development countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 242, 118537.

Hallman, W. K. (2018). Consumer Perceptions of Genetically Modified Foods and GMO Labeling in the United States. In Consumer Perception of Food Attributes (pp. 52-69). CRC Press.

Ussar, S., Fujisaka, S., & Kahn, C. R. (2016). Interactions between host genetics and gut microbiome in diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Molecular metabolism, 5(9), 795-803.

Wilkinson, J., Hooda, P. S., Barker, J., Barton, S., & Swinden, J. (2017). Occurrence, fate and transformation of emerging contaminants in water: An overarching review of the field. Environmental Pollution, 231, 954-970.