Man's Impact on the Environment

Land Pollution

Water Pollution

Air Pollution

Effects

Effects

Impacts

Effects

Causes

Oil spills

Acid rain, which could come from large amounts of acidic gases in the smoke

Causes

Smoke from vehicles. (e.g. cars, trucks)

Smoke from factories

Haze -- tiny dry particles of things like dust that cannot be felt or seen individually with the naked eye.

Can cause breathing problems and eye irritation

Litter and rubbish

Human waste

Oil spills or chemicals from factories dumped into water bodies could pollute the waters.

Causes

Unpleasant smells

leading to

Corrode materials and cause trees to die

Aquatic organisms (e.g. fish) would die when acid rain pollute the waters

Litter and rubbish

Human waste

Non-biodegradable substances in rubbish remain as pollutants for many years

Oil spills block sunlight and oxygen from reaching the under surface of the water.

Pesticides and fertilisers from farms could get into and pollute water bodies

leading to

Aquatic plants not being able to carry out photosynthesis and release oxygen

Chemical waste

Chemicals found in rubbish could affect the organisms living at the area

Negative Impacts

Positive Impacts

Man-made materials that last longer than natural materials (e.g. plastic)

Deforestation

Better food quality and new water treatment technologies

Conservation of natural resources (5R - Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle)

Reforestation

Pollution

Global Warming

Deforestation (Impacts)

Removal of large sections of forests by cutting down or burning trees

Soil Erosion

Loss of Living Things

Global Warming

Carbon dioxide traps heat and causes Earth's temperature to increase

When trees are burnt down, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released

Soil is directly exposed to wind and rain, which removes the top layer of the soil where most nutrients/mineral salts are found. Land becomes unstable for plants to grow in

Rain washes soil into water bodies and sunlight is blocked, unable to reach the aquatic plants. Hence, plants cannot carry out photosynthesis and die.

Living things are killed when trees are burnt down

Living things lose their shelter and food source

Global Warming

Causes

Effects

Deforestation (less trees, less oxygen, more carbon dioxide)

Release of carbon dioxide (humans, vehicles, factories)

Increase of Earth's temperature

Rising sea levels

Extreme weather conditions (e.g. floods or droughts)

Growth of plants affected

May lead to a shortage of food

due to

Melting of ice bergs