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