ENVIRONMENT

The term ‘Environment’ means everything that surrounds us. It comes from the old french word ‘Environner’ which means to surround. It’s a vast and complex system.

Here’s what generally makes up the environment :-

Natural Environment – It refers to all living and non-living things. It includes land, air, water, plants, animals. This “Natural World” provides resources and services. Eg: oceans, forests, mountains, wild animals.

Human Environment – It refers to the human-made and human-influenced of the Earth. It is a product of our presence, activities, and interactions. Eg: a factory, a farm, a school. Click Here!!

Importance of Environment:-

It provides us clean air to breathe, raw material for shelter, fresh water to drink.
Biodiversity within ecosystems is crucial for their stability.
Protecting the environment from pollution can reduce the risk of various health problems, like respiratory diseases.
It boosts mental and physical well-being. Nature reduce stress, improves mood, encourages physical activity.
Ecosystem services provides water purification, flood regulation, pest control.

Human Impact On Environment:-

Pollution – In Air Pollution, vehicle exhaust, agriculture activities release pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3). This damages crops and forests.

In Water Pollution, fertilizers, chemicals, oils, pesticides, etc. It contaminates drinking water supplies and harms aquatic life.

2. Climate Change – It leads to rising global temperatures. Burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas for manufacturing, transportation. It releases large quantity of greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4, N2O.

In deforestation, when forest are cleared for agriculture, urban expansion, mining. When trees are cut down the carbon stored in their biomass is released back to the atmosphere.

3. Biodiversity Loss – On earth it decreases the varitey of life. The causes of biodiversity loss are overexploitation, habitat destruction, degradation, etc.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Environment:-

Advantages:

It gives various natural resources for clothing, also give material like wood.
It provides everything we need to survive i.e. clean water, clean air, food, resources, shelter.
Spending time in nature like parks, forests i.e. it improves mental health. Green spaces encourage outdoor activities like playing, walking, cycling.
It gives sunlight, produce vitamin D important for bone health and immunity.
Natural cycles like water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle which are fundamental for life.
A healthy environment protect are own health and future.

Disadvantages:

Impact on human health like mental health, waterborne disease, respiratory disease.
Global warming increased greenhouse gas emissions like CO2, methane from human activities like trap heat.
Fishing, agriculture suffer losses due to polluted water bodies and degarded soil.
Extreme weather events destroy roads, buildings, and other critical infrastructure.
In foul odors, pollution can lead to unpleasant smells.