Human Impact on Climate and Biodiversity

Vocabulary/new concepts:

Biodiversity: the whole variety of all living things, such as animals, plants and even small organisms, that live in a particular place on Earth. Biodiversity also includes the ecosystems in which living organisms coexist. It is important because all living things depend on each other to survive.

Fossil fuels: coal, petrol and natural gas which come from the remains of ancient plants and animals. They are sources of energy that are useful to humans but also cause pollution.

Carbon footprint: this is the amount of pollution we create when we use electricity, cars, aeroplanes, and various industrial or agricultural products. It is a measure of the greenhouse gases that each person or human activity releases directly or indirectly into the atmosphere, thereby affecting the environment and climate change.

Climate change: refers to long-term changes in the Earth’s climate in a way that is not normal, mostly due to pollution from human activities. This can lead to global problems such as rising average temperatures, and extreme weather events such as stronger storms, floods, hurricanes or prolonged droughts. This leads to a loss of biodiversity and the extinction of some species.

Deforestation: it occurs when people clear large areas of forest, usually to use these areas for other purposes – farmland, farms or housing. This can have serious negative consequences for the animals that live in the forests, as well as for pollution, soil erosion and landslides.

How do human activities contribute to climate change?

Climate change is becoming a serious threat to human health and well-being, and to potentially dangerous changes in the environment. It refers to long-term changes in the Earth’s climate in a way that is not normal, mostly due to pollution from human activities. This can lead to global problems such as rising average temperatures, and extreme weather events such as more violent storms, floods, hurricanes or prolonged droughts. The result is a loss of biodiversity and the extinction of some species.

Source: https://st5.depositphotos.com/3012463/75238/i/600/depositphotos_752388616-stock-photo-ladek-zdroj-poland-september-2024.jpg

Source: https://st.depositphotos.com/1016729/4812/i/600/depositphotos_48123941-stock-photo-severe-drought-forest-fires-in.jpg

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The main cause of climate change is human activity. Burning fossil fuels for energy production and transport releases large quantities of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, causing the Earth’s temperature to rise – a process known as global warming. Deforestation is making the situation worse by reducing the number of trees that can absorb carbon dioxide. As a result, the planet’s climate is changing, leading to more extreme weather, melting ice and rising sea levels. These changes are threatening the planet’s biodiversity, making it more difficult to grow crops, increasing disease, and wiping out territories and settlements.

Source: https://st5.depositphotos.com/2954445/75781/i/600/depositphotos_757818932-stock-photo-trees-uprooted-preparation-construction-site.jpg

Watch a short video about human impact on the environment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um-bo2MWDsQ

Causes and consequences of biodiversity loss

Biodiversity encompasses all life forms on the planet and their interactions in the ecosystems in which they coexist. The purity of air and water, the fertility of soil, and the richness of food crops depend on the normal functioning of ecosystems. Diverse ecosystems are more resilient to change and maintain ecological balance, allowing natural processes such as pollination and nutrient cycling to take place. Biodiversity helps us cope with climate change and reduce the risks of natural disasters, and its disruption can have serious consequences for the environment, human well-being and life on Earth.

The increasing extinction of plant and animal species worldwide as a result of human activities is a concerning trend. About one million of the approximately eight million species that currently exist on Earth are in danger of going extinct, according to a 2019 United Nations report. These include species that are essential to the creation of food, such as plants and insects. According to data, 5% of fish and fungi, 11% of birds, and 63% of plants are in danger of going extinct. It is impossible to regain species that are essential to our food chains once they are gone. The disappearance of bees worldwide is one of the most important issues.

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/earths-biodiversity-loss-by-region/

Watch a short video about bees:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5FxJl6-QaM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dunmK2xo50&t=9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilYBVrFiLA

The main causes of biodiversity loss are deforestation, pollution, over-hunting and over-fishing, improper soil treatment for agriculture, and urbanization. Habitat destruction, such as the clearing of forests for agriculture, leaves many species without a place to live. Air, soil and water pollution from chemicals, waste and other pollutants, as well as climate change, further disrupt ecosystems, making it harder for wildlife to survive.

Source: Created by AI

The consequences of biodiversity loss are severe and lead to:

• Weakening of ecosystems, food shortages and loss of important resources such as plants and herbs for medicine production, and it takes millions of years for ecosystems to recover
• the introduction of species that are external to an ecosystem (invasive species), which displace native species, reduce populations, can spread disease and cause adverse habitat changes
• Increasing the risk of natural disasters
• Economic losses, e.g. in tourism, agriculture, fisheries, food industry
• Social conflicts, population migration, lack of food diversity, deterioration of quality of life

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Solutions and strategies to mitigate the effects of these problems

The problems described above are serious and require strategic solutions to be taken at national, European and global levels. Each generation inherits the environmental challenges created by previous generations and bears responsibility for the next. Based on scientific studies, statistics and forecasts, long-term strategies have been developed and solutions proposed to restore biodiversity for the benefit of nature, people and the climate.

The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 outlines several key objectives and commitments, including:

• adopting international agreements and joint actions to tackle these problems
• building a harmonised network of protected areas across the EU – terrestrial, marine, and ecological corridors
• adopting legislative changes to limit global warming, reduce carbon emissions, restore nature, protect habitats, invest in green energy and green industries and establish sustainable practices
• protection of natural resources, use of renewable energy sources
• widespread public awareness of the problems and the measures to overcome them, to increase commitment and encourage behavioural change

Solutions and simple actions that each of us can contribute to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation:

• conserve energy, reduce fossil fuel consumption
• reducing and recycling waste
• reforestation, expansion of protected areas – national parks and reserves
• reducing personal carbon footprint, e.g. by using public transport, cycling, walking, changing unhealthy eating habits, participating in conservation and clean-up initiatives

Source: https://st5.depositphotos.com/3900811/67460/v/600/depositphotos_674600766-stock-illustration-recycling-our-responsibility-reduce-plastic.jpg