How Humans Affect the Environment

• People want a better standard of living
• We are using up non-renewable resources
• We are producing a lot of industrial waste
• The increase in the human population is affecting the ecology of the planet

Different ways we pollute:

• Sewage, toxic materials and fertiliser get into waterways
• Sulfur dioxide gets into the air and causes acid rain
• Pesticides and Herbicides get spread on the land and can then be washed into waterways

• Sewage must be treated to to remove gut parasites and toxic chemicals to prevent water and land pollution
• Large quantities of household and industrial waste in landfill can leak toxic chemicals, this can kill fish if it gets into water - land + water pollution
• Herbicides and pesticides can get into the food chain and rivers
• Fertilisers and untreated sewage can cause high levels of nitrates in water
• Power stations and cars release acidic gases. One of these, sulfur dioxide, causes acid rain.
• Acid rain can kill organisims such as trees
• Acid rain can change the pH scale of soil and release toxic minerals such as aluinium ions. This can damage roots.

Deforestation has caused:

• An increase in the release of Carbon Dioxide due to the burning of the trees or the decay of the wood
• A reduction in the rate carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere - no photosynthesis
• Reduced biodiversity due to loss of food and habitats
• An increase in methane from the cattle that are raised on fields the trees are cut down for

Peat Bog destruction has caused:

• An increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - peat contains the CO2 which is taken out when used for compost so CO2 is released when it decays.