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Essay on Environment in Danger (876 Words)

March 3, 2018 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

“We’ve not inherited this world from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.”

But man has made progress all over the world and this development has endangered the environment around which the man is living.

The result is that big cities came into being and these cities have to accommodate millions of people because they work in these factories and industries.

This accommodation of large people in town and cities proved costly to man. The forest was cleared, the trees were cut down to open new industries.

Now large areas are converting into deserts due to shortage of water . There are droughts and floods. Not only man but animals are also suffering.

Table of Contents

Human Population & Pollution

As the population increases year after year, demands for natural resources increases. These demands eventually lead to pollution and contamination of resources.

Whenever man tried to progress and advance towards growth, pollution took place. The chimneys of the factories began to emit out smoke. This polluted the air.

This smoke is harmful not only for man but also for natural vegetation.

The means of transportation increased and they added greatly to air and noise pollution. Even our river Ganga is also contaminated. Several programs and projects are initiated for its cleanliness and purity.

Waste Material

Man didn’t just pollute air; he also spoiled the river water. The waste material of the industries and factories is thrown into the rivers thus making the water polluted.

It affects the animals which drink the water of the river. When forests were cleared, the cattle were left to graze in open fields. These animals change the grassy land into sandy lands.

Industries and factories emit out smoke and gases. These things make the environment so bad that it becomes difficult to breathe in open atmosphere.

Global Warming

Global warming eventually leads to hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes.

The temperature of Earth’s oceans is getting higher too. Melting glaciers, early snow melt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages and increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.

Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common.

Ozone Deterioration

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one atom of chlorine can destroy more than a hundred thousand ozone molecules.

Species Extinction

Species extinction is happening worldwide at an alarming rate. Endangered animals and plants are at risk of becoming extinct because of threats from changing environments.

To protect species, greater tactics, strategies and policies are needed.

Shocking Statistics about Earth

The population of planet Earth is more than 7.5 billion. To provide resources and absorb the waste of this increasing population we need another planet Earth.

Approximately more than 1 million tons of waste is dumped globally in a year in which approx. 78 lakh tons of plastic waste is dumped in water.

27 Lakh deaths are reported due to dirty water and related diseases globally. Only 30 % of wild forests are left globally and 1 lakh species have already gone extinct.

Every year 6 Lakh deaths are reported due to air pollution in the cities.

UN Initiatives (2016)

• KIGALI AMENDMENT : In October, nearly 200 countries struck a landmark deal to reduce the emissions of powerful greenhouse gases, hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), to prevent up to 0.5°C of global warming by the end of this century.
• WILD FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN : UN Environment led to the launch of a global campaign, Wild for Life, to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. The response has been swift: China has announced a total ban on commercial ivory.
• ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT : By the end of 2016, 11 countries including Brazil, Kenya and the Philippines had operational ecosystem accounts. 13 countries had taken steps to update their water quality frameworks.

Initiatives Taken By The Indian Government (2016 Reports)

The highlights of the initiatives include increase in forest cover, better pollution monitoring and control, 2000 approvals unlocking Rs. 10 lakh crores of investment and a job potential of 10 lakh.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Launched on October 2, 2014 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a campaign by the Government of India to keep the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country’s cities, towns and its rural areas clean.

Till date 3 Lakh individual toilets and 2 LAKH community and public toilets were constructed. Its initiative also includes 100% door to door waste collection.

Further this waste is converted to energy (88.4-megawatt current production) and compost (1 lakh metric ton production in year 2016).

Steps to Save Our Environment

Trees should be planted in bulk. Afforestation should be given top priority. It will balance the nature and help in making the environment pure. Man, and animal both will get proper atmosphere on the earth to live safely.

The government should make laws against those factories which do not adopt measures not to spoil the environment.

They should be strictly stopped from diverting their waste material into rivers or seas. Then only the environment can remain pure.

We all need to make an effort to make earth a better place & healthier place to live in.

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Environment

Destruction of nature is as big a threat to humanity as climate change.

By Michael Le Page

Farming and housing occupies large amounts of land globally

Steve Proehl/Getty

We are destroying nature at an unprecedented rate, threatening the survival of a million species – and our own future, too. But it’s not too late to save them and us, says a major new report.

“The evidence is incontestable. Our destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached levels that threaten our well-being at least as much as human-induced climate change.”

With these words chair Robert Watson launched a meeting in Paris to agree the final text of a major UN report on the state of nature around the world – the biggest and most thorough assessment to date, put together by 150 scientists from 50 countries.

The report, released today, is mostly grim reading. We humans have already significantly altered three-quarters of all land and two-thirds of the oceans. More than a third of land and three-quarters of freshwater resources are devoted to crops or livestock.

Around 700 vertebrates have gone extinct in the past few centuries. Forty per cent of amphibians and a third of coral species, sharks and marine mammals look set to follow.

Less room for wildlife

Preventing this is vital to save ourselves, the report says. “Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing,” says one of the the report’s authors, Josef Settele. “This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world.”

The main reason is simple. Our expanding farms and cities are leaving less room for wildlife. The other major causes are the direct exploitation of wildlife such as hunting, climate change, pollution and the spread of invasive species. Climate change is set to become ever more destructive.

Read more: Is life on Earth really at risk? The truth about the extinction crisis

But we can still turn things around, the report says. “Nature can be conserved, restored and used sustainably while simultaneously meeting other global societal goals through urgent and concerted efforts fostering transformative change,” it states.

It also says that where land is owned or managed by indigenous peoples and local communities, there has been less destruction and sometimes none at all.

The aim of the report, by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), is to provide an authoritative scientific basis for international action . The hope is that it will lead to the same pressure for action as the latest scientific report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), on limiting warming to 1.5°C.

“Good knowledge is absolutely essential for good governance,” says Watson, who chaired the IPCC from 1997 to 2002 . “I’m optimistic that this will make a difference.”

Bioenergy threat

But the challenge is immense. All countries except the US have ratified the 1992 UN Convention of Biodiversity and are supposed to be conserving biodiversity and promoting its sustainable use.

Despite this, more than 80 per cent of the agreed international targets for 2020 will not be met, says the report. In fact, as of 2016, half the signatory countries hadn’t yet drawn up plans on how to meet the targets .

The problem isn’t just our focus on economic growth regardless of the impact on the natural world. Current plans for reducing carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero to limit climate change rely heavily on bioenergy, which requires a lot of land. This will accelerate species loss as well as threatening food and water security, says the report.

Read more: Rewilding: Can we really restore ravaged nature to a pristine state?

In fact, the bioenergy push is already causing harm. For instance, rainforests are being cut down in Indonesia and Malaysia to grow palm oil to make biodiesel for cars in Europe .

Transforming our civilisation to make it more sustainable will require more connected thinking, the report says. “There’s a very fragmented approach,” says Watson. “We’ve got to think about all these things in a much more holistic way.”

For instance, there are ways of tackling climate change that will help biodiversity too, such as persuading people to eat less meat and planting more trees. But the devil is in the detail – artificial plantations would benefit wildlife far less than restoring natural forests.

Some of the solutions set out in the report may not be welcome to all. In particular, it effectively calls for wealthy people to consume less, suggesting that changing the habits of the affluent may be central to sustainable development worldwide.

Read more: Half the planet should be set aside for wildlife – to save ourselves

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Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth's natural life

Scientists reveal 1 million species at risk of extinction in damning UN report

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Human society is in jeopardy from the accelerating decline of the Earth’s natural life-support systems, the world’s leading scientists have warned, as they announced the results of the most thorough planetary health check ever undertaken.

From coral reefs flickering out beneath the oceans to rainforests desiccating into savannahs, nature is being destroyed at a rate tens to hundreds of times higher than the average over the past 10m years, according to the UN global assessment report .

The biomass of wild mammals has fallen by 82%, natural ecosystems have lost about half their area and a million species are at risk of extinction – all largely as a result of human actions, said the study, compiled over three years by more than 450 scientists and diplomats.

Two in five amphibian species are at risk of extinction, as are one-third of reef-forming corals, and close to one-third of other marine species. The picture for insects – which are crucial to plant pollination – is less clear, but conservative estimates suggest at least one in 10 are threatened with extinction and, in some regions, populations have crashed . In economic terms, the losses are jaw-dropping. Pollinator loss has put up to $577bn (£440bn) of crop output at risk, while land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of global land.

The knock-on impacts on humankind, including freshwater shortages and climate instability, are already “ominous” and will worsen without drastic remedial action, the authors said.

“The health of the ecosystems on which we and other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide,” said Robert Watson, the chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Ibpes). “We have lost time. We must act now.”

The warning was unusually stark for a UN report that has to be agreed by consensus across all nations. Hundreds of scientists have compiled 15,000 academic studies and reports from indigenous communities living on the frontline of change. They build on the millennium ecosystem assessment of 2005, but go much further by looking not just at an inventory of species, but the web of interactions between biodiversity, climate and human wellbeing.

Over the past week, representatives from the world’s governments have fine-tuned the summary for policymakers, which includes remedial scenarios, such as “transformative change” across all areas of government, revised trade rules, massive investments in forests and other green infrastructure, and changes in individual behaviour such as lower consumption of meat and material goods.

Following school strikes , Extinction Rebellion protests , the UK parliament’s declaration of a climate emergency and Green New Deal debates in the US and Spain, the authors hope the 1,800-page assessment of biodiversity will push the nature crisis into the global spotlight in the same way climate breakdown has surged up the political agenda since the 1.5C report last year by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

David Obura, one of the main authors on the report and a global authority on corals, said: “We tried to document how far in trouble we are to focus people’s minds, but also to say it is not too late if we put a huge amount into transformational behavioural change. This is fundamental to humanity. We are not just talking about nice species out there; this is our life-support system.”

The report shows a planet in which the human footprint is so large it leaves little space for anything else. Three-quarters of all land has been turned into farm fields, covered by concrete, swallowed up by dam reservoirs or otherwise significantly altered. Two-thirds of the marine environment has also been changed by fish farms, shipping routes, subsea mines and other projects. Three-quarters of rivers and lakes are used for crop or livestock cultivation. As a result, more than 500,000 species have insufficient habitats for long-term survival. Many are on course to disappear within decades.

What are the five biggest threats to biodiversity?

According to the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity there are  five main threats  to biodiversity. In descending order these are: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of natural resources; climate change; pollution and invasive species. 

1. For terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, land-use change has had the largest relative negative impact on nature since 1970.  More than a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production. Alongside a doubling of urban area since 1992, things such as wetlands, scrubland and woodlands – which wildlife relies on – are ironed out from the landscape. 

2. The direct exploitation of organisms and non-living materials, including logging, hunting and fishing and the extraction of soils and water are all  negatively affecting ecosystems .   In marine environments, overfishing is considered to be the most serious driver of biodiversity loss. One quarter of the world’s commercial fisheries are overexploited, according to a 2005  Millennium Ecosystem Assessment . 

3. The climate crisis is dismantling ecosystems at every level. Extreme weather events such as tropical storms and flooding are destroying habitats. Warmer temperatures are also changing the timing of natural events – such as the availability of insects and when birds hatch their eggs in spring. The distribution of species and their range is also changing. 

4. Many types of pollution are increasing. In marine environments, pollution from agricultural runoff (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) do huge damage to ecosystems. Agricultural runoff causes toxic algal blooms and even  "dead zones"  in the worst affected areas. Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species.

5. Since the 17th century, invasive species have  contributed to 40%  of all known animal extinctions. Nearly one fifth of the Earth’s surface is at risk of plant and animal invasions. Invasive species change the composition of ecosystems by outcompeting native species. 

Eduardo Brondizio, an Ibpes co-chair from Indiana University Bloomington, said: “We have been displacing our impact around the planet from frontier to frontier. But we are running out of frontiers … If we see business as usual going forward then we’ll see a very fast decline in the ability of nature to provide what we need and to buffer climate change.”

Agriculture and fishing are the primary causes of the deterioration. Food production has increased dramatically since the 1970s, which has helped feed a growing global population and generated jobs and economic growth. But this has come at a high cost. The meat industry has a particularly heavy impact. Grazing areas for cattle account for about 25% of the world’s ice-free land and more than 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Crop production uses 12% of land and creates less than 7% of emissions.

The study paints a picture of a suffocating human-caused sameness spreading across the planet, as a small range of cash crops and high-value livestock are replacing forests and other nature-rich ecosystems. As well as eroding the soil, which causes a loss of fertility, these monocultures are more vulnerable to disease, drought and other impacts of climate breakdown.

In terms of habitats, the deepest loss is of wetlands, which have drained by 83% since 1700, with a knock-on impact on water quality and birdlife. Forests are diminishing, particularly in the tropics. In the first 13 years of this century, the area of intact forest fell by 7%, bigger than France and the UK combined. Although the overall rate of deforestation has slowed, this is partly an accounting trick, as monoculture plantations replace biodiverse jungle and woodland.

Oceans are no longer a sanctuary. Only 3% of marine areas are free from human pressure. Industrial fishing takes place in more than half the world’s oceans, leaving one-third of fish populations overexploited.

Climate change, pollution and invasive species have had a relatively low impact, but these factors are accelerating. Emissions continue to rise. Last week, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere passed the 415 parts per million mark for the first time. Even if global heating can be kept within the Paris agreement target of 1.5C to 2C, the ranges of most species will shrink profoundly, the paper warns.

Population growth is noted as a factor, along with inequality. Individuals in the developed world have four times as much of an economic footprint as those in the poorest countries, and the gap is growing.

Our species now extracts 60bn tons of resources each year, almost double the amount in 1980, though the world population has grown by only 66% in that time. The report notes how the discharges are overwhelming the Earth’s capacity to absorb them. More than 80% of wastewater is pumped into streams, lakes and oceans without treatment, along with 300m-400m tons of heavy metals, toxic slurry and other industrial discharges. Plastic waste has risen tenfold since 1980, affecting 86% of marine turtles, 44% of seabirds and 43% of marine mammals. Fertiliser run-off has created 400 “dead zones”, affecting an area the size of the UK.

Andy Purvis, a professor at the Natural History Museum in London and one of the main authors of the report, said he was encouraged nations had agreed on the need for bitter medicine.

“This is the most thorough, most detailed and most extensive planetary health check. The take-home message is that we should have gone to the doctor sooner. We are in a bad way. The society we would like our children and grandchildren to live in is in real jeopardy. I cannot overstate it,” he said. “If we leave it to later generations to clear up the mess, I don’t think they will forgive us.”

The next 18 months will be crucial. For the first time, the issue of biodiversity loss is on the G8 agenda. The UK has commissioned Partha Dasgupta, a professor at Cambridge University, to write a study on the economic case for nature, which is expected to serve a similar function as the Stern review on the economics of climate change. Next year, China will host a landmark UN conference to draw up new global goals for biodiversity.

Cristiana Pașca Palmer, the head of the UN’s chief biodiversity organisation, said she was both concerned and hopeful. “The report today paints quite a worrying picture. The danger is that we put the planet in a position where it is hard to recover,” she said. “But there are a lot of positive things happening. Until now, we haven’t had the political will to act. But public pressure is high. People are worried and want action.”

The report acknowledges current conservation strategies, such as the creation of protected areas, are well-intended but inadequate. Future forecasts indicate negative trends will continue in all scenarios except those that embrace radical change across society, politics, economics and technology.

It says values and goals need to change across governments so local, national and international policymakers are aligned to tackle the underlying causes of planetary deterioration. This includes a shift in incentives, investments in green infrastructure, accounting for nature deterioration in international trade, addressing population growth and unequal levels of consumption, greater cooperation across sectors, new environmental laws and stronger enforcement.

Greater support for indigenous communities and other forest dwellers and smallholders is also essential. Many of the last holdouts for nature are in areas managed by such groups, but even here, the pressures are beginning to take a toll, as wildlife declines along with knowledge of how to manage it.

Josef Settele, an Ipbes co-chair and entomologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany, said: “The situation is tricky and difficult but I would never give up. The report shows there is a way out. I believe we can still bend the curve.

“People shouldn’t panic, but they should begin drastic change. Business as usual with small adjustments won’t be enough.”

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What are the threats to nature?

There’s no mystery about why nature is under threat. The assault on the natural world comes from all directions but especially from harmful human activity.

For thousands of years much of human civilisation and advancement has come at the expense of other species and our environment.

Not everyone has been responsible. Many cultures have always lived in step with nature. Many have understood that their lives today and tomorrow are entwined with having vibrant, abundant nature .

But in the main, humans have found clever ways to lay waste to the Earth and to push countless species to the edge of existence.

But we can use our supreme brain power and, if needed, self-interest. There is enough evidence of nature’s decline – and our knowledge of how we could put things right is becoming ever more sophisticated.

It is time to put human ingenuity to use in truly cleverer ways.

Habitat loss: getting out of the habit

For nature to thrive, not just survive, we now need to transform how land is used. This includes how we farm, how we live in cities, our use and re-use of energy and materials and how we tackle poverty without undermining nature.

First, let’s get the C-word out of the way. We can’t entirely predict how things will play out, but climate change is already affecting nature in the UK and globally – see our nature and climate article for more.

Apart from climate change, the main threat to nature starts with habitat loss. This is the number one threat to the diversity of species and to the healthy functioning of the natural systems we rely on for water, food, materials and more of the things we often take for granted. These natural systems are often referred to as eco-systems.

Habitat loss is not an activity in itself. You won’t see a company HQ or a warehousing somewhere with a ‘Habitat Loss “‘R” Us’ neon sign. But habitat is being lost all of the time because it has become implicit in how our economy, stock markets and businesses work and profit from a long list of daily activities we have grown used to as normal. For instance:

• How we farm land for food and others crops in intensive industrial ways is affecting wildlife and the quality of soils and water.
• The way we clear forests for timber, to grow palm oil and to make way for farming and cattle ranching.
• Mining for minerals and for fossil fuels is fundamentally dirty and destructive on land and, increasingly, at sea.
• Construction of leisure resorts, roads and dams all too often harms nature and turns beauty spots into tourist hotspots or industrial zones which then bring pollution and over-use of water.

Destroying nature for profit

It is unlikely that you will see any of this damage reflected in the price of goods in the shops. It is also rare for any of these true costs to appear in company annual reports or the FTSE or Dow Jones indices.

But make no mistake, the real costs are being passed on to someone somewhere.

Some in business, finance and government now realise that nature’s decline represents as much of a rising risk for investors as the funding of oil, coal and gas. Most such fossil fuels can never be burned if we’re to stay within safe global temperatures.

Meanwhile, the circulation of money between companies, banks, pension funds, insurance companies, and even by governments using our taxes, is driving nature’s demise.

It's doing so by funding destructive development and operations: dams harming entire rivers, road schemes cutting across fragile nature zones, oil palm plantations replacing rainforests and mining and oil and gas operations polluting and scarring landscapes and sea beds.

Some funds also find their way to corrupt regimes, black markets and hired hands who oppress and even murder people who seek to defend nature, land and livelihoods.

Indeed, the huge flows of money behind these and other activities could be the main driver of nature's decline.

Threats to nature globally

Species have been disappearing at 50-100 times the natural rate. Current trends indicate that 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species now face extinction. This includes 1 in 8 of the world's bird species. The world’s forests are home to many species but about 45% of the planet’s original forests have been cleared. This has happened mostly during the past century. Replanting trees can help, depending on how it’s done. But forests are still being lost especially in the tropics and other biodiversity hotspots.

Biodiversity loss in Borneo

Borneo is one of the globe's most precious nature hotspots. But here the creep of oil-palm plantations means a fifth of rainforests have been cleared to produce palm oil – that’s used as an ingredient in biscuits, cakes, margarine and other processed foods.

Not all trees are the same. The new oil-palm plantations cannot support the rich and diverse range of plants, insects and animals in a naturally diverse rainforest. Borneo’s altered landscape may look lush and green but it’s no longer supporting as many species. One sign of a healthy natural ecosystem is a wide range of predators. Borneo is losing predators such as mongoose, otters, civets and sun bears. For now the Monitor lizards rule.

Loss of coral reefs and mangroves

Coral reefs are among the richest of ecosystems. Some 10% of the world’s reefs have been destroyed by direct damage and by pollution. A third of remaining reefs face bleaching and collapse in the coming 10-20 years.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is dying. The cause is a combination of dumping of waste, and land clearances for development and sugar cane plantations which mean soils and pesticides run off into the sea.

This is self-inflicted harm. The reef has been estimated to be worth AU$52 billion to Australia’s communities and businesses. The loss of the reef as a tourist attraction will affect 90% of those.

Similarly, half of the world’s coastal mangroves have been lost to development and damage. Their loss ruins vital nursery habitats for countless species and undermines mangroves’ vital role in lessening the effects of storm surges.

Threats to UK nature

Are you ready for this? Nature is also in trouble in the UK. In the past 50 years more than half of our wild species have declined. If the prime minister told parliament that 56% of the nation’s assets had declined, it would be front page news for weeks.

Litter, pollution and nature

Even if you don’t live near the sea the chances are that the beaches you might like to visit are littered with stuff that was first discarded in your street. Much of the litter dropped in towns and on roads gets washed or blown into rivers to eventually reach the sea.

Plastic pollution and nature

Plastic gets everywhere. It comes in many hazardous shapes and sizes – from single-use drinks bottles to packaging for toys, cosmetics and food.

Turtles mistake plastic bags for jelly fish and eat them. This blocks their systems and causes them to starve.

Even clothes now contain tiny plastic fibres that get washed into soils, waters and wildlife when we do the laundry. Those and other plastics can harm wildlife – and even end up in the fish and seafood we eat.

Building, development and nature

The growth and design of our towns and cities drives inefficient, wasteful use of land. Too many roads and infrastructure schemes are still being routed through precious habitats. The new high speed rail link (HS2) threatens more than 90 irreplaceable ancient woodlands.

Chemicals and nature

The widespread use of artificial pesticides and herbicides is just one reason why current farming methods are a main driver of nature’s decline in the UK.

It is claimed that we need intensive farming to feed the world. But that looks absurd when so much nature is harmed and about a third of food that is grown is wasted in the supply chain, or dumped by consumers.

Invasive species

The health of natural systems is also threatened when invasive non-native species take over from native species.

For example, Himalayan balsam is a lovely plant when it’s in the Himalayas. But in the UK it dominates river banks and crowds out other plants needed by bees, birds and other UK wildlife. Invasive creatures such as the Harlequin ladybird and Asian hornet also prey on native species.

Of course, change is unavoidable. And competition between species is part of the natural order of things. Some species do just go extinct – their time is up.

The question is whether this is happening naturally and in a way that maintains a healthy diversity of species. Or is human activity hastening nature’s decline to such an extent that it will no longer furnish us with the fundamentals for a healthy life – clean air, water, food, and a stable climate?

Naturally-occurring forest fires help regenerate forests. But fires caused by a carelessly-discarded cigarette are not the same.

The benefits of protecting nature

There is no silver-bullet solution to halting and then reversing nature’s decline. Turning things around will require lots of actions by lots of players.

The United Nations’ Global Biodiversity Outlook report is clear that “continuing with … our present patterns of behaviour, consumption, production and economic incentives will not allow us to realise the vision of a world with ecosystems capable of meeting human needs into the future.”

The report adds that ending threats to nature would

• reduce hunger and poverty
• improve human health
• support sustainable supplies of energy, food and clean water
• combat desertification and land degradation
• reduce our vulnerability to natural and climate change-related disasters.

That sounds like a great deal. Besides which, healthy nature is a prize in itself.

Changing the way we live

It’s not inevitable that nature must suffer for us all to make a living. It makes no sense to allow an economy to surge at the expense of nature. If anything, it’s a false promise: our economy and quality of life ultimately depend on a healthy, functioning environment.

The good news is that many millions of people are making it their business to push companies and governments to change their practices and policies, to switch investments from fossil fuels to clean energy and, for example, help bees and pollinators.

Other clever people are exploring ways to make life on Mars possible in case we drop the ball we call home.

Friends of the Earth would rather the rest of us focused on making all life on Earth possible. We have the brains, we have the means and each of us can play a part in making this happen.

Why not join us to help us give nature a better chance?

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Earth in Danger

Introduction: the concept of global warming, the environmental impacts of global warming, the effects of global warming on health, global warming and social justice, global warming prevention.

The notion of global warming implies a complex environmental procedure, which evolves as a natural consequence of the harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The activity is inflicted by human activities. Specifically, the gasses are produced by the machinery and electricity processes.

According to the assessment of environmental problems in America, burning gasses and fuels accounts for 30% of power production in the country. The extensive use of automobiles, trucks, and the other machinery, which comes from diesel and gasoline, accounts for 27% of emissions.

Moreover, such factors as heavy industry reactions, residential, commercial, and land employment emissions ensure 40% of greenhouse gas utilization ( Sources of greenhouse gas emissions, 2010).

The problem of greenhouse emissions predetermined the tendencies of climate change. Mainly, the troubling tendency ensures rapid enhancements of temperatures. According to the scientists, the average temperature increased by 1% during the years 1996-2005 (Guoguang, 2010).

Due to the growth of the technology, the amounts of fuel emissions and industry resources get up annually, which accelerates the rates of temperature increase. The crisis of climate alteration inflicts a number of subsidiary nature catastrophes (Lehrer, 2010).

Specifically, it ensures droughts, violent storms, and high heat waves. One of the most threatening dangers, which is introduced by global warming, refers to glaciers melting. According to temperature growth, which is quite perceptible in the Arctic, serves as a precondition of basement water enlargement.

Moreover, it is acknowledged that the northern regions, which are characterized by broad ice congregations, possess their peculiar flora and fauna resources. The unique species disappear in the aftermath of global warming, which devastates the diversity of natural storages. The differences in meteorological conditions in separate areas can be perceived through the observations of sea level.

For example, it was proved that the impact of global warming on South Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean is considerably contrasting. It is ensured by the fact that an increase in water level in the latter is accomplished through glacioeustasy, and the growth of water in the former stems from man-made activities as well as the emergence of land (Vongvisessomjai, 2009).

The quality of human health is often hindered by global warming growth. Since the human organism is accustomed to stable environmental conditions, any alterations in the weather, which reach beyond the normal extends, can inflict some grave consequences for humanity.

First of all, extreme heat, which lasts for a long time, causes extensive perspiration. The experts claim that hyperhidrosis is connected with some serious health complications such as endocrine, cancer, and disreflexia. The rise of average temperatures creates a harmful environment, which is susceptible to allergen spreading.

Mainly, high temperatures stimulate the growth of many exotic plants, which produce an allergenic influence on some individuals. Disease spread is connected with the crisis of global warming through the water temperature change. The problem hinders the quality of food as well as contributes to the appearance of multiple bacteria, which can result in sudden outbreaks of cholera ( Climate hot map , 2014).

The leading governments of the world, which are concerned with the issue of global warming, think about the problem in the context of social distribution. The tendency especially refers to such wealthy countries as the USA and Germany.

Thus, the experts claim that the crisis of temperature increase applies to the global citizens of the whole world. Therefore, it might be useful to start solving the crisis through the application of joint recovery programs. It is claimed that some countries do not have the financial resources so that to launch the projections of greenhouse gas emissions elimination.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that the citizens of these states have to be abandoned and vulnerable to warming effects. Consequently, the politicians suggest that the successful economies could direct some costs to the poor countries so that they were used for environmental improvements.

After all, the follow-ups of the individual greenhouse gas treatments inflict the consequences on the other states. The strategy is known under the name of social justice program and was first offered by the ecologists from the USA (Posner & Sunstein, 2013).

Despite the general efficiency of the project, its implementation faces some considerate limitations. Mainly, some experts doubt the actual expenditures of transferred allocations. They claim that such poor countries as, for instance, India or Egypt fight some other top-priority problems that have much more severe implications than global warming.

These are, for example, AIDS/HIV and cancer treatment. Therefore, it would seem appropriate for the governments of the poor countries to find some optimal application of allocated costs rather than haunt the ecological problem that seems quite minor for them.

Moreover, it is suggested that separate countries do not have any interest in the program, for the effects of global warming might bring some actual benefits to their agriculture, which primarily concerns Russian Federation. Therefore, it is still a significant challenge for the global authorities to develop an all fit initiative, which might neutralize the threats of temperature increase.

The strategies of fighting the temperature increase have been long developed by the scientists from all over the world. The eradication of the crisis is connected with the decrease of energy and fossil fuels burning since they inflict the allocations of harmful carbon dioxide. One differentiates several lines of both personal and global behavior, which constitute a fundament of preventive projections.

First, it is recommended to switch to the usage of renewable energy such as the wind and solar power. Moreover, buying carbon offsets accounts for providing a consistent recompense for the fossil foils disruption. Second, one needs to call the global initiative so that to address the issue on the level of individual governments.

Specifically, it may be beneficial for the society groups to direct the petitions to the officials with the aim of encouraging them to implement the policies of carbon dioxide cap.

Third, the careful treatment of carbon dioxide control refers to the issue of smart driving. Thus, it is acknowledged that if the drivers keep their tires inflated and switch to purchasing high-automobiles, the harmful consequences of greenhouse gas production may fall down.

Fourth, the monitoring of carbon dioxide allocation is conducted through the sustainability of one’s housing conditions.

Mainly, the employment of facilities, which demonstrate energy efficiency, as well as changing the harmful light bulbs for neutral fluorescent sources of lights, may refer to the prerequisites of environmental effectiveness.

Finally, a human factor plays a critical role in the process of global warming reduction. Thus, if people would take an orientation on giving preference to walking over driving, the harmfulness of gas allocation might be reduced.

Climate hot map . (2014).

Guoguang, Z. (2010, Sept. 12). Observed climate changes and their causes . China Today, 59 (12), 14-17.

Lehrer, E. (2010). A practical approach to climate change .

Posner, E., & Sunstein, C. (2013). Global warming and social justice .

Sources of greenhouse gas emissions . (2010).

Vongvisessomjai, S. (2009). Effect of global warming in Thailand. Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology, 32 (4), 431-444.

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• ENVIRONMENT

One million species at risk of extinction, UN report warns

A landmark global assessment warns that the window is closing to safeguard biodiversity and a healthy planet. Yet solutions are in sight.

The bonds that hold nature together may be at risk of unraveling from deforestation, overfishing, development, and other human activities, a landmark United Nations report warns. Thanks to human pressures, one million species may be pushed to extinction in the next few years, with serious consequences for human beings as well as the rest of life on Earth.

“The evidence is crystal clear: Nature is in trouble. Therefore we are in trouble,” said Sandra Díaz, one of the co-chairs of the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. A 40-page “Summary for Policy Makers” of the forthcoming full report (expected to exceed 1,500 pages) was released May 6 in Paris.

Related: Iconic Endangered Species

Based on a review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources and compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries, the global report is the first comprehensive look in 15 years at the state of the planet’s biodiversity. This report includes, for the first time, indigenous and local knowledge as well as scientific studies. The authors say they found overwhelming evidence that human activities are behind nature’s decline. They ranked the major drivers of species decline as land conversion, including deforestation ; overfishing ; bush meat hunting and poaching; climate change; pollution; and invasive alien species.

The tremendous variety of living species—at least 8.7 million , but possibly many more —that make up our “life-supporting safety net” provide our food, clean water, air, energy, and more, said Díaz, an ecologist at the National University of Cordoba in Argentina, in an interview. “Not only is our safety net shrinking, it’s becoming more threadbare and holes are appearing.”

A world of green slime?

In parts of the ocean, little life remains but green slime. Some remote tropical forests are nearly silent as insects have vanished , and grasslands are increasingly becoming deserts. Human activity has resulted in the severe alteration of more than 75 percent of Earth’s land areas, the Global Assessment found. And 66 percent of the oceans, which cover most of our blue planet, have suffered significant human impacts. This includes more than 400 dead zones —where scant life can survive—that collectively would cover the state of Oregon or Wyoming.

The new report paints “an ominous picture” of the health of ecosystems rapidly deteriorating, said Sir Robert Watson, Chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which conducted the global assessment. IPBES is often described as the equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change for biodiversity and does scientific assessments on the status of the non-human life that makes up the Earth’s life-support system.

For Hungry Minds

“We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health, and quality of life worldwide,” Watson said in a statement.

“My biggest personal concern is the state of the oceans,” Watson told National Geographic. “ Plastics , dead zones, overfishing, acidification... We’re really screwing up the oceans in a big way.”

Saving more species

Protecting nature and saving species is all about securing the land and water plants and animals need to survive, said Jonathan Baillie , executive vice president and chief scientist of the National Geographic Society. Protecting half of the planet by 2050, with an interim target of 30 percent by 2030 , is the only way to meet the Paris climate targets or achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for the world, Baillie said.

Forests, oceans, and other parts of nature soak up 60 percent of global fossil fuel emissions every year, the report found. “We need to secure the biosphere to protect the climate and help buffer us from extreme weather events,” Baillie said.

Coral reefs and mangroves protect coastal areas from storms such as hurricanes. Wetlands reduce flooding by absorbing heavy rainfall. Yet each of these ecosystems has declined dramatically, with wetlands down to less than 15 percent of what they were 300 years ago and coral reefs facing a global bleaching crisis .

Nearly 100 groups around the world (including the National Geographic Society and the Wyss Campaign for Nature) have endorsed the goal of protecting half of the planet by 2050. Recently, 19 of the world’s leading scientists published a study to make a science-backed plan for an interim step that would protect 30 percent by 2030 under what’s called a Global Deal for Nature . The proposed protection does not mean “no go” areas, but rather areas protected from resource extraction and land conversion. Sustainable uses would be permitted in all but the most sensitive areas, the groups wrote.

“The international community has both the time and the tools to safeguard nature and slow the ongoing wildlife extinction crisis,” Brian O’Donnell, director of the Wyss Campaign for Nature, said in a statement.

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National Geographic Society and the Wyss Campaign for Nature are working together to inspire the protection of 30 percent of the planet by 2030 .

Such tools were under discussion during the week-long negotiations by IPBES country members who debated the key messages and policy options to be published in the “Summary for Policymakers.” The full Global Assessment report will be published later this year.

“The main message of our report is that transformative change is urgently needed. There are no other options” said David Obura, a marine biologist at the Coastal Oceans Research and Development – Indian Ocean in Mombasa, Kenya. “There’s so little time left to save corals. If we can save corals we could save everything.”

Value nature not stuff

In order to safeguard a healthy planet, society needs to shift from a sole focus on chasing economic growth, the summary report concludes. That won’t be easy, the report acknowledges. But it could get easier if countries begin to base their economies on an understanding that nature is the foundation for development. Shifting to nature-based planning can help provide a better quality of life with far less impact.

Putting that concept into practical terms, the report says countries need to reform hundreds of billions in dollars in subsidies and incentives that are currently given to the energy, fishing, agricultural, and forestry sectors. Instead of driving additional exploitation of the world’s natural resources, those monies should be shifted to incentivize protection and restoration of nature—such as underwriting new reserves or reforestation programs, the report said.

“We need to change what we value: nature, ecosystems, social equity, not growing the GDP,” Obura said.

The other evidence gathered by IPBES shows that nature managed by indigenous peoples and local communities is in generally better health than nature managed by national or corporate institutions, despite increasing pressures, said Joji Cariño, a senior policy advisor at the Forest Peoples Programme , a human rights organization.

At least a quarter of the global land area is traditionally owned, managed, used, or occupied by indigenous peoples. However, their land tenure and other rights are not always protected or recognized by all countries. Nor is their deep knowledge of the land and their values often considered in policies and decisions by governments. That needs to change, the Global Assessment noted.

“Indigenous peoples are key partners in the global transformation that’s needed,” said Cariño.

Yet countries still are slow to recognize this, she adds. As an example, she points to the Philippines. Forty years ago, indigenous people there stopped construction of dams on the Chico River because they were concerned about impacts on their land. Yet those dams are now being built by China under their trillion-dollar Belt and Road infrastructure initiative .

China has an important role to play in global discussions around biodiversity, because the country will host a major United Nations conference called the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in late 2020. Scientists hope a new, ambitious international agreement to protect the planet could happen there, akin to the Paris agreement around climate.

Assessment co-chair Díaz doesn’t yet know if a global agreement will arise as bold as protecting 30 percent by 2030. “If it were easy it would have already happened,” Diaz said.

“However, the evidence is clear: the future will be bad for us if we don’t act now. There is no future for us without nature.”

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• ENDANGERED SPECIES
• ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

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Earth is ‘really quite sick now’ and in danger zone in nearly all ecological ways, study says

FILE - A swan stands between dumped plastic bottles and waste at the Danube river in Belgrade, Serbia, on April 18, 2022. A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

FILE - Villagers gather during a visit by United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, in the village of Lomoputh in northern Kenya on May 12, 2022. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people.. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

FILE - This is aerial photo shows plastic bottles, wooden planks, rusty barrels and other garbage clogging the Drina river near the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad, Bosnia, on Jan. 5, 2021. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Eldar Emric)

FILE - A woman bathes her daughter in the Yamuna River, covered by a chemical foam caused by industrial and domestic pollution as the skyline is enveloped in toxic smog, in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 17, 2021. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

FILE - Charred trees stand as a forest fire sweeps through the Vila Nova Samuel region, along the road to the Jacunda National Forest near the city of Porto Velho, Rondonia state, part of Brazil’s Amazon, on Aug. 25, 2019. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

FILE - Dead fish float in a lake at Krishnarajapuram, on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, on May 15, 2005. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)

FILE - A Samburu man stands near a donkey carcass as he patrols to protect livestock from theft in Samburu County, Kenya, on Oct. 15, 2022. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

FILE - Saito Ene Ruka, right, who said he has lost 100 cows due to drought, and his neighbour Kesoi Ole Tingoe, left, who said she lost 40 cows, walk past animal carcasses at Ilangeruani village, near Lake Magadi, in Kenya, on Nov. 9, 2022. . A new study says Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for well-being of people living on it. The study, published Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for groups of people. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

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Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas , but for the well-being of people living on it, according to a new study.

The study looks not just at guardrails for the planetary ecosystem but for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for countries, ethnicities and genders.

The study by the international scientist group Earth Commission published in Wednesday’s journal Nature looks at climate, air pollution, phosphorus and nitrogen contamination of water from fertilizer overuse, groundwater supplies, fresh surface water, the unbuilt natural environment and the overall natural and human-built environment. Only air pollution wasn’t quite at the danger point globally.

Air pollution is dangerous at local and regional levels, while climate was beyond the harmful levels for humans in groups but not quite past the safety guideline for the planet as a system, the study from the Swedish group said.

The study found “hotspots” of problem areas throughout Eastern Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, parts of Africa and much of Brazil, Mexico, China and some of the U.S. West — much of it from climate change. About two-thirds of Earth don’t meet the criteria for freshwater safety, scientists said as an example.

“We are in a danger zone for most of the Earth system boundaries,” said study co-author Kristie Ebi, a professor of climate and public health at the University of Washington.

If planet Earth just got an annual checkup, similar to a person’s physical, “our doctor would say that the Earth is really quite sick right now and it is sick in terms of many different areas or systems and this sickness is also affecting the people living on Earth,” Earth Commission co-chair Joyeeta Gupta, a professor of environment at the University of Amsterdam, said at a press conference.

It’s not a terminal diagnosis. The planet can recover if it changes, including its use of coal, oil and natural gas and the way it treats the land and water, the scientists said.

But “we are moving in the wrong direction on basically all of these,” said study lead author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

“This is a compelling and provocative paper – scientifically sound in methodology and important for identifying the dimensions in which the planet is nearing the edge of boundaries that would launch us into irreversible states,” Indy Burke, dean of the Yale School of the Environment said in an email. She wasn’t part of the study.

The team of about 40 scientists created quantifiable boundaries for each environmental category, both for what’s safe for the planet and for the point at which it becomes harmful for groups of people, which the researchers termed a justice issue.

Rockstrom said he thinks of those points as setting up “a safety fence’’ outside of which the risks become higher, but not necessarily fatal.

Rockstrom and other scientists have attempted in the past this type of holistic measuring of Earth’s various interlocking ecosystems. The big difference in this attempt is that scientists also looked at local and regional levels and they added the element of justice.

The justice part includes fairness between young and old generations, different nations and even different species. Frequently, it applies to conditions that harm people more than the planet.

An example of that is climate change.

The report uses the same boundary of 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times that international leaders agreed upon in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The world has so far warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit), so it hasn’t crossed that safety fence, Rockstrom and Gupta said, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t being hurt.

“What we are trying to show through our paper is that even at 1 degree Centigrade (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) there is a huge amount of damage taking place,” Gupta said, pointing to tens of millions of people exposed to extreme hot temperatures.

The planetary safety guardrail of 1.5 degrees hasn’t been breached, but the “just” boundary where people are hurt of 1 degree has been.

“Sustainability and justice are inseparable,” said Stanford environmental studies chief Chris Field, who wasn’t part of the research. He said he would want even more stringent boundaries. “Unsafe conditions do not need to cover a large fraction of Earth’s area to be unacceptable, especially if the unsafe conditions are concentrated in and near poor and vulnerable communities.”

Another outside expert, Dr. Lynn Goldman, an environment health professor and dean of George Washington University’s public health school, said the study was “kind of bold,” but she wasn’t optimistic that it would result in much action.

Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Your Ultimate Guide to the Great Outdoors

Nature’s Dangers: How Deadly Are The World’s Most Common Natural Disasters?

The natural world is the most beautiful and wondrous thing to explore, but it must be respected at all times. This is not just to protect the delicate balance of nature, but also because it can be a dangerous place, filled with unforgiving climates, harsh landscapes and deadly creatures. All of these can be avoided with the help of expert knowledge and proper planning, though the same cannot be said for natural disasters.

Natural disasters are often completely outside of human control and are some of the most dangerous events to occur on planet earth. What’s more, with climate change disrupting the natural order of the elements, we’re beginning to see some natural disasters such as floods and fierce storms become ever more frequently occurring. Not only this, but as the world’s human population continues to grow to record levels, we are more than ever in need of environmentally stable areas to live.

With this in mind, we at Outforia wanted to investigate just how deadly natural disasters can be, and where in the world are you most likely to face the threat of one of these elemental calamities?

The Deadliest Disaster Types

To begin, we first wanted to find out which disaster types have historically been the most deadly. We’ve looked at data for the last 20 years as well as all-time records to reveal the types of natural disasters with the most recorded deaths.

Since Records Began

Here we can see the total number of deaths for each disaster since records began.

Droughts have caused the highest number of deaths, with more than 11.7 million fatalities attributed to a prolonged lack of rain. The second most deadly disaster type is floods, which have caused almost 7 million deaths worldwide. This is followed by earthquakes and storms in third and fourth place, causing 2.3 and 1.4 million deaths respectively.

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Taking a more recent view of the dangers of natural disasters is important as it takes into account humanity’s more recent levels of development and ability to respond to climate disasters, while also reflecting the effects of continued climate change.

Here we can see that earthquakes have caused the most deaths since 2000 with 721,311 fatalities attributed to these events, with storms taking second place on 201,485 casualties. Deaths by extreme temperatures are the third most common, with 172,266 fatalities, while floods are the fourth most deadly disaster type of recent years having killed 110,798 people.

Droughts have accumulated a much smaller share of overall deaths, with just 21,291 people dying as a direct consequence, suggesting that either droughts are becoming less common, or that we are more well-equipped to deal with the fallout of these events than we have been in the past.

The Most Dangerous Countries For Each Disaster Type Since 2000

Having looked at global figures for the death counts attributed to each type of natural disaster, we now take a more targeted approach by highlighting the parts of the world that have seen the most deaths caused by each disaster type from 2000 to 2020.

Deaths: 29,706

The country with the highest number of deaths caused by floods since 2000 is India, where 29,706 people have reportedly died from the effects of flooding. India is a country that experiences a heavy monsoon season, stretching from June to September, which can cause flash floods as well as other knock-on effects such as the destruction of homes, crops, and wildlife habitats.

2013 was the most deadly year on record for flooding in India with 6,453 recorded deaths, just exceeding the previous high of 6,452 deaths recorded in 1968. Floods can cause other environmental disasters such as landslides and rockfalls which in turn can cause further deaths and prevent aid from reaching isolated communities.

Earthquakes

Deaths: 222,587

The Caribbean country of Haiti, located on the western end of Hispaniola island, is the most dangerous country in the world when it comes to earthquakes. From 2000 to 2020 there have been 222,587 deaths caused by earthquakes in the country, with nearly all of these caused by the 2010 Haiti earthquake which devastated the country.

Haiti is still recovering from the monumental damage caused by the 2010 quake, and as recently as last year experienced another deadly seismic event that left at least 2,248 people dead, though these figures are too recent to be included in the above dataset.

Earthquakes happen on fault lines where the huge tectonic plates that make up the earth’s crust meet one another. When these plates move it can cause huge amounts of friction that sends tremors for hundreds of miles in every direction. Earthquakes often do little more than make the earth tremble slightly beneath your feet, but stronger events can cause buildings to collapse and even flatten entire hillsides.

If a large earthquake happens at sea, it can cause a huge tidal wave called a tsunami that can devastate coastal and island communities, such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan that killed just under 20,000 people.

Deaths: 138,716

Myanmar is the country that has been worst-affected by storm events in recent years, having attributed 138,716 deaths to these events from 2000 to 2020. Again, the vast majority of these fatalities (138,366) were caused by a single event, which in this case was the 2008 Cyclone Nargis.

This cyclone was incredibly destructive, making landfall in the Myanmar town of Wagon on the 2nd of May with wind speeds of 217 km/h before proceeding inland and along the Irrawaddy Delta. This was the greatest natural disaster Myanmar has ever experienced, causing immense structural damage in the former capital of Yangon as well as many other populated areas, and decimating the country’s rice paddies, a key part of Myanmar’s food production.

Deaths: 20,002

The country to have suffered the most deaths due to drought since 2000 is Somalia, which recorded 20,002 deaths between the years 2000 and 2020. Nearly all of these were recorded in 2010 when a severe drought struck the country, although the famine which was caused by this event is estimated to have killed almost 260,000 people from 2010 to 2012. This mirrors a similar drought that took place in the country in 1992 which led to a famine that saw 220,000 people die.

Droughts are caused by much drier atmospheric conditions than an area is used to, that lead to severe water shortages. These are most common in hot countries, which further exacerbates the problem as any existing water may dry up before the drought is over. Climate change and changes to jet streams and air currents can all increase the likelihood of droughts taking place, and they often lead to food shortages and famine as crops fail due to the lack of water.

Extreme Temperatures

Deaths: 57,350

Russia is the country that has recorded the most deaths from extreme temperatures since 2000, with 57,350 fatalities. The vast majority of these occurred in 2010 when the country experienced a massive heatwave that was completely uncharacteristic for the country’s normally cold climate. As well as causing over 55,000 deaths, the heatwave led to a 25% drop in annual crop production and cost the Russian economy in excess of $15 billion.

With the ever-mounting effects of climate change causing global temperatures to rise and extreme weather events to be more common, even well-developed countries in more temperate areas that are usually safe from natural disasters are now at risk. As we can see in the top 10 countries most affected by extreme temperatures, all are major economies, and nine are located in or adjacent to Europe. This highlights that countries that are unused to severe climate issues will have to rethink their approach to weather events and plan ahead for unforeseen disaster scenarios.

1. United States

Deaths: 302

The United States is the country that has seen the highest death toll from wildfires since 2000, recording 302 fatalities. A large portion of these occurred in 2018 during the California wildfires that swept through large swathes of the state along with parts of Oregon. The severity of these wildfires was attributed to a number of factors including a build-up of dead trees and plant matter from previous droughts that acted as fuel and accelerant, quickly spreading the fires over huge areas.

However it is Australia, which saw the second-highest number of wildfire deaths at 243, that recorded the highest annual death toll since 2000. 2009 saw the Black Saturday Bush Fires, a series of wildfires that were burning across the state of Victoria on and around Saturday the 7th of February. A total of 173 people lost their lives in these fires, bringing the country’s total number of wildfire deaths to 180 for the year.

Volcanic Activity

1. Indonesia

Deaths: 820

Indonesia is the country with the highest death toll from volcanic activity in the 21st century, having recorded 820 fatalities from 2000 to 2020. Over half of these occurred in 2018 with the eruption of Krakatoa, a volcano between the islands of Java and Sumatra. This eruption caused a tidal wave that affected more than 186 miles of coastline belonging to these two islands, with the tsunami leaving 437 people dead.

There is very little you can do to prevent the destruction that volcanic eruptions cause, other than implementing warning systems and moving people away from the area if an eruption seems imminent.

When a volcano erupts it can cause destruction in a variety of ways. These include the spewing of huge ash clouds into the air that can bury entire areas in hot ashes, tidal waves and tsunamis if the eruption happens at sea, as well as the dangers of rocks and debris being sent high into the air before falling down and crushing whatever they land upon. This is not to mention the dangers of lava flows pouring directly from breaches in the volcano itself that will bury and burn anything in their path.

Deaths: 3,710

China is the country with the most deaths caused by landslides this century with 3,710 people having lost their lives. The year with the heaviest death toll was 2010, when there were 2,137 reported deaths, with as many as 1,765 people losing their lives in the Gansu mudslide. This figure includes 294 missing people who were presumed dead as authorities ordered people to stop searching for bodies to prevent the spread of disease. The mudslide was reportedly five stories high and buried entire buildings while tearing apart blocks of flats and other large structures.

Methodology

• We wanted to find out which natural disasters are mostly deadly, and where in the world is most affected by each type of disaster. To do this, we used data from Our World In Data that gave us the death counts by year and country for a range of different natural disasters. We then totalled up this data to find the all-time figures for deaths by different natural disasters, as well as figures for the period 2000 to 2020.

Once we had this overview, we then split the data by country and calculated each nation’s total number of death for each disaster type since 2000. We chose this more recent timeframe as the number of deaths are more relevant to a modern-day scenario where rescue efforts could be aided with modern technology and strategies. It was also more relevant as recent natural disasters are more likely to have been influenced by climate change, which is now a feature of modern-day disaster planning.

We also used information from a variety of online sources to help to illustrate why each country which the most deaths for a disaster type experienced so many fatalities, highlighting specific events that occurred. These sources included the University of Oxford , the BBC , Hurricane Science , and Wikipedia, which we used for information on the 2010 Haiti earthquake , the 2018 California wildfires , the Black Saturday bush fires , and the Gansu mudslide .

Fair Use Statement

If you’re interested in covering this research, we encourage you to use any of the content included above. We just ask that you attribute  Outforia  fairly in your coverage and provide a link to our website so that your audience can learn more about our work.

About Carl Borg

Carl is the founder and strategist of Outforia. Annoyed by the lack of quality online outdoors publications willing to uphold high standards of value and ethics, he decided to make the resource he would have wished to read. Living by the beach in Norway, Carl is never far from outdoor adventure. When not curating Outforia, Carl spends his time kayaking, forest bathing, diving, and camping.

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Perspectives

The Power of Nature

While natural systems are under threat like never before, nature is not as fragile as we sometimes think.

August 31, 2020

This article was written by Giulio Boccaletti, former Chief Strategy Officer & Global Ambassador for Water with The Nature Conservancy.

We all have seen them: natural history documentaries that begin with a wonderfully pristine ecosystem, first on stage as a fragile, unstable thing of beauty. Complex habitats and rare animals mesmerize viewers with delicate, spellbinding behavior. Then, the story takes a dark turn as nature collides with the forces of mass production. The global economy, with its ruthless incentive structures and unrelenting search for growth, is the powerful nemesis to the fragile environment in need of a savior. The narrator urges us: Will we be, after all, the heroes of this story? Act, before it is too late.

There is truth to this story. There is no doubt humanity has inflicted untold damage on the world’s ecosystems. Our footprint is everywhere. As modernity chips away at the last great wild places, cutting down forests, polluting rivers, and spreading invasive species, the fossil fuels that power its march burn up the sky, altering the chemistry of the atmosphere, shifting the energy balance of the planet. When atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen baptized this human era as “the Anthropocene,” he crystallized into geological nomenclature a simple fact: Homo sapiens is the only species in Earth’s long history to have been able to fundamentally alter the geochemical cycles that regulate the planet in a mere few decades.

But who is the real hero of this story, and who is the victim? The narrative of nature’s fragility misses something important. Nature has agency. Nature acts on the planet on a scale that dwarfs most human processes. The Earth’s powerful climate system is a case in point. The impact it has on every person in the world makes clear one basic fact : We are small, we are fragile, we are the ones at risk. One of its principal components, the hydrological cycle of the planet, for example, is a system of extraordinary complexity and power. The energy released over the course of a few days by a single hurricane is equivalent to that used by the entire world economy in a year. And that is a single storm. For all of our ingenuity and power, recent human actions are a perturbation on the vast and complicated machine that is the Earth. A perturbation that has been able to throw this big machine off balance, for sure, but one whose perpetrators are also a primary victim.

The camera needs to turn around. Nature is looking at us. We are the fragile creatures that have chosen to undermine the very foundation that keeps our home from collapsing. We are the unwitting victims of our own success. And, if we are going to survive—and hopefully even thrive—we need to turn to nature for the answers.

That story needs telling, too. The good news is that a growing number of natural history documentaries are catching on to this revelation, capturing the complexities and power of nature, rather than just its frailties. The Age of Nature, a threepart series that I and my Nature Conservancy colleague Stella Cha helped the producer Brian Leith and his team conceive and that will air on PBS this October, explores the true potential of nature in shaping our future. Rather than looking at nature from an exclusively human perspective, the documentary frames people as they are embedded in the ecosystems that sustain them. In this way, we try to understand nature’s agency on us.

One of the most intriguing stories from the series, revealing our utter dependence on the power of nature, is that of the Chagres River, which feeds the Panama Canal. To keep the canal operational requires capturing water from the Chagres in an artificial lake, called Gatun Lake, at the center of the isthmus. A series of three locks on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the canal control the flow of that freshwater into the ocean. When a ship enters the locks, it is gradually raised up to the height of the lake, about 85 feet above sea level, and then is lowered back down on the other side.

The canal system—heralded as one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century—works well as long as there’s abundant freshwater coming in. But even before the canal opened, farmers were clearing forests in the Chagres watershed, and the river’s flow began to decline. Over time, the operators of the canal realized that there was a tight relationship between the amount of forest in the mountains and the amount of water replenishing the canal. The watershed was a pump maintaining this key economic asset that much of the world’s shipping trade was passing through. Recognizing the value at stake, a plan was devised to set aside the lands surrounding the river as national parks, which have become some of the best-protected and best-studied tropical forests in the world.

People often marvel at the sight of some of our accomplishments: skyscrapers, interstate highways or machines that fly. But these achievements are dwarfed by the awesome power of nature, working sometimes over millions of years, to create some of the most fundamental and sophisticated systems on the planet. Because many of these systems operate in the background, we often see nature as passive. But it is not. Nature shapes our landscapes and maintains crucial processes on which we all depend—from photosynthesis to pollination. The story of the Chagres shows that nature is an active agent, not just a place. It is the protagonist of the heroic journey of this planet. Nature has agency.

Nature acts on the planet on a scale that dwarfs most human processes...We are small, we are fragile, we are the ones at risk.

The agency of nature is not just reflected in its function. It is also expressed by its ability to recover. Another story in the series focuses on Bikini Atoll. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 23 nuclear bombs on the atoll in the Pacific Ocean as part of a weapons-testing program. The local coral reefs were annihilated and the islands were too contaminated for displaced residents to be resettled. In 2017, when scientists returned to scuba dive at the Bravo Crater— left behind by a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated by the U.S.—they discovered a coral community teeming with marine life. In some places, living coral covered 80 percent of the seafloor and scientists saw branching corals up to 25 feet tall. There were fewer species than there used to be prior to the nuclear tests, but the visit was proof of the resiliency of nature.

And Bikini Atoll is not an isolated case. From the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park to the recovery of fisheries in the North Atlantic, conservation success stories happen all the time when nature is given the chance.

This ability to recover is a powerful engine we can rely on to restore functions we critically depend on. One great example of this, also featured in the series, is TNC’s work on the water supply in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2018, the city came frighteningly close to running out of water . In the watersheds that provide water to Cape Town, invasive trees, including acacia, pine, and eucalyptus, were sucking up 14 billion gallons of water every year—about two months’ worth of the city’s supply. Working together with local partners, TNC is in the process of pulling out those destructive plants from one particular watershed. The resurgence of dry-adapted native vegetation will help ensure Cape Town has the equivalent of two more months of water a year. Nature, once again, has agency.

Undoubtedly, the most challenging problem humanity faces is climate change. Carbon dioxide concentrations are reaching dangerous levels in the atmosphere. To avert disastrous impacts on the conditions we depend on to inhabit this planet, we have to reduce fossil-fuel emissions. But TNC’s research has shown that reducing emissions alone will not be enough. We also need to take an enormous amount of carbon out of the atmosphere, urgently. The only thing on this planet that can operate on that scale are the ecosystems that TNC is trying to protect.

Our scientists have shown that by restoring our coastal wetlands to their 1990 extent, for example, we could offset the emissions generated by more than 2 billion barrels of oil. And we could achieve those gains while also reducing flood damage to oceanside communities by up to 29%. In Australia’s savanna, we’ve supported traditional fire management practices that will keep up to 13.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over the next 7 to 10 years by curbing out-of-control megafires. Expanding our early-season controlled burning programs to 29 countries in Africa, South America and Oceania could prevent 89.3 million metric tons from being emitted from savanna fires every year. Every day we’re learning more and more about nature’s capacity to heal itself, and our job as conservationists is really to learn to play to its strengths, so that we can all rely on its agency.

The title shot of The Age of Nature captures well the spirit of this story. The scene is that of a city, seen from a distance. In the foreground, dark leafy branches frame the image, suggesting that the city, glimmering in the sun, is seen from a clearing within a thick, dark forest. The camera has truly been turned around. It is not looking at nature. It is nature that is looking at us: people living as part of a fragile, unstable system in need of saving. We need nature to intervene before it is too late. We have entered an era in which the destiny of humanity depends on our ability to call nature to our aid. It is, as the title of the series suggests, The Age of Nature .

Nature-Based Solutions Are Protecting Cape Town’s Water Supply

After five years, the Greater Cape Town Water Fund is returning billions of liters of water to the city and surrounding areas.

Nature Based Solutions for European Water Security

Water stress is a serious problem across Europe, but nature-based solutions help address many water-related challenges.

Human Nature—Visualized: How do we balance development and conservation on a finite planet?

Balancing the protection of nature with growing human needs will require careful planning—and a more complete understanding of how we are changing the planet.

Global Insights

Check out our latest thinking and real-world solutions to some of the most complex challenges facing people and the planet today.

Natural Disasters Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on natural disasters.

A Natural disaster is an unforeseen occurrence of an event that causes harm to society. There are many Natural disasters that damage the environment and the people living in it. Some of them are earthquakes , cyclones, floods, Tsunami , landslides, volcanic eruption, and avalanches. Spatial extent measures the degree or severity of the disaster.

Levels of Disaster

The severity or degree of damage can be further divided into three categories:

Small Scale Disasters: Small scale disasters are those that extend from 50 Kms. to 100 Kms. So this kind of disasters does not cause much damage.

Medium-scale disasters: Medium Scale disasters extend from 100 Kms to 500 Kms. These cause more damage than a small scale disaster. Moreover, they can cause greater damage if they occur in colonial states.

Large Scale Disasters: These disasters cover an area of more than 1000 Kms. These cause the most severe damage to the environment. Furthermore, these disasters can even take over a country if the degree is high. For instance, the wiping out of the dinosaurs was because of a large scale natural disaster.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Types of Disasters

Causes: These can cause of releasing of the energy. This release is from the core of the earth. Furthermore, the release of energy causes seismic waves. Rupturing of geological faults causes earthquakes. But other events like volcanic eruptions, landslides mine blasts can also cause it.

Landslides: Landslides is the moving of big boulders of rocks or debris down a slope. As a result, landslides occur on mountains and hilly areas. Moreover, landslides can cause destruction to man-made things in many ways.

Causes: Gravitational pull, volcanic eruptions , earthquakes can cause landslides. Moreover, soil erosion due to deforestation is also a cause of landslides.

Avalanches: Avalanches are like landslides. But instead of rocks thousand tons of snow falls down the slope. Moreover, this causes extreme damage to anything that comes in its way. People who live in snowy mountains always have fear of it.

Causes: Avalanches takes places when there is a large accumulation of snow on the mountains. Moreover, they can also occur from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Furthermore, the chances of surviving an avalanche are very less. This is because people die of hypothermia in it.

Tsunami: Tsunami is the production of very high waves in oceans and seas. Moreover, the displacement of the ground causes these high waves. A tsunami can cause floods if it occurs near shores. A Tsunami can consist of multiple waves. Moreover, these waves have a high current. Therefore it can reach coastlines within minutes. The main threat of a tsunami is if a person sees a Tsunami he cannot outrun it.

Causes: Tsunami is unlike normal eaves that occur due to the wind. But Tsunami is waves that occur by ground displacement. Thus earthquakes are the main causes of Tsunamis.

FAQs on Essay on natural disaster

Q1.What are natural disasters?

A1. Natural Disasters are unforeseen events that cause damage to the environment and the people.

Q2.Name some Natural disasters.

A2. Some Natural Disasters are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, Landslides, floods, Tsunami, avalanches. Natural disasters can cause great damage to human society. But preventive measures can be taken to reduce the damage from these disasters.

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Essay on “Environment in Danger” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

ENVIRONMENT IN DANGER

Synopsis: Environment is in danger and so are life and its quality. Many species of animals and plants are already extinct and many more on the brink of it. The phenomenon known as ‘green house effect’ is one of the greatest dangers to our environment. Enormous emissions of carbon dioxide have assumed alarming proportions and must be addressed immediately.  It has helped spread and growth of our many dangerous diseases. It has also adversely affected the rainfall patterns. Our forest-cover is shrinking rapidly and giving rise to diverse complex problems. Water-pollution has been no less alarming. Discharge of various types of untreated chemical and other wastes are mainly responsible for pollution of our water resources. Industries have been the worst offenders in this respect. Both human and animals life have suffered a lot as a result of it. Foolish and excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has polluted our fruits, vegetables, dairy products and cereals. The residues of these neurotoxins ultimately reach human system causing several diseases. Mother’s milk too is not free from pollution. Some urgent and hard decisions are their implementations are imperative. Noise-pollution and international trade of toxic wastes are other areas of concern. Consequently, the Third World nations have been at the receiving end.

Environment is in danger and so life and its quality. Several factors like population explosion, industrial and technological developments in the last 200 years have done immense harm to environment which supports life and growth. Many species of plants and animals are already extinct and many more are on the road of extinction. Pollution has become a major problem of the present day society. There is too much addition of polluting substances to the environment causing a great imbalance in the elements of atmosphere. This imbalance in biosphere has not only deteriorated the quality of life but has also threatened its very survival. Environment and life are two very unique things found only on the planet earth. These make the earth the only living planet known so far. Environment and life are two aspects of the same coin. If environment is affected, life cannot remain unaffected and immune. As such, environmental pollution is a matter of global concern and needs global remedy. It is a threat to the whole world, nay to the very existence and survival.

            The every thickening blanket of carbon emission is one of the greatest dangers to our environment. It has already caused the warming up of earth’s atmosphere for minus 0.3 0 C in 1870 to plus 0.3 0 c in 1990. This dangerous phenomenon, known as green house effect, has resulted in 30 per cent more carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere today than 200 years ago. Advanced countries in Europe and America produce more than half of the world’s carbon-dioxide emissions. According to a study the U.S. alone has been causing 5.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per head. East-Europe is producing 3 tonnes per head of carbon dioxide, West Europe 2.1 tonnes, China 0.6 tonnes; Africa 0.3 tonnes followed by India 0.2 tonnes. One of the major factors for this emission is the large scale and indiscriminate use of fossil fuels. During the year 1996 alone, carbon emission from burning fossil fuels all over the worlds accounted for 6.1 million tonnes. It is increasing further rapidly as the number of cars, buses, trucks, scooters and such other vehicles plying on the road is increasing the world over.

            Such emissions cause bronchitis and various other respiratory diseases. The London smog of 1952 killed as estimated 4000 people. According to a WHO report increasing carbon emission has helped many tropical diseases like malaria, dengue, and cholera to assume serious dimensions in Africa and Asia. Besides, it also worsens the problems of malnutrition and water-scarcity. It also adversely effect the rainfall pattern and causes droughts and famines. It is reported that warming of the earth’s surface by 3 or 4 degrees may result in the elimination of 85 per cent of the remaining wetlands and many species of water birds and turtles.

            Records indicate that as a result of the emissions of these greenhouse gases, the year 1995 has been the warmest year so far since record-keeping began some 130 years ago. This increase in earth’s temperature has resulted in dwindling of food grain production, shrinking of forest cover, extinction of many plant and animal species and acid rains. The average global temperature during 1995 was 15.39 0 C, breaking the previous record 15.38 0 C in 1990. The constant rise in temperature makes oceans release more energy into the atmosphere, leading to more violent storms and cyclones.

            The environment is deteriorating rapidly which can be seen and experienced in many ways. For example, the deforestation of the planet continues unabated resulting in soil erosion, flash floods, droughts, the elimination of many species of animals and plants. About 40 per cent of the earth was covered with forests a few decades ago but not it has shrinked to just 20 per cent. And most of this damage has occurred since 1950. The tropical and sub-tropical regions have suffered the most in this respect. Large forest areas have been cleared for the purpose of cultivation and farming. Over-grazing, logging and felling of the trees indiscriminately on a large scale for timber and fuel has further worsened the situation. Rain forests are disappearing at an estimated rate of 4.6 million hectares per year which sustain and support a vast species of animal and plant life. Moreover, the destruction of forest causes soil-erosion which silts the rivers, lakes, canals, streams and other reservoirs.

            Water pollution has also been on increase alarmingly all over the world. Sewage and industrial waste have fouled our seas, rivers lakes and other sources of water. The norms regarding the discharge of industrial effluents are being flouted by the industries with impunity. Even the drinking water being supplied in towns and cities by the civic bodies is not safe. This has directly affected the health of people. They suffer from many diseases, deformities and illness. The destruction of wholesomeness of our water resources is causing havoc. The encroachment upon lakes, rivers and seas by industries is a serious threat to our environment. Since most of our cities are on the banks of the rivers or the coast of the seas, our rivers and seas have turned murky and polluted with industrial and human waste and effluents. The toxic chemicals, industrial wastes discharged into rivers, lakes and seas from mills and factories have proved fatal to all kinds of marine life. People often fall ill by eating fish etc. taken out of these rivers, lakes and seas and they are often poisoned by industrial wastes pumped into these natural sources of water.

            Industries, especially in developing countries, pay no attention towards pollution control measures and treatment of effluents before discharge into rivers and seas. Recently, the Supreme Court of India ordered out the hundreds of industrial units around the Taj Mahal. Similarly, in many States like Delhi, Gujarat etc. the courts have ordered the closure or immediate shifting of the hundreds of manufacturing industrial units. The ostrich-like approach to the problem of pollution by Indian industries is really condemnable. It is better that the industries in India immediately realize that the key to their survival lies not only in their ability to cope with competition but also in pressures of all sorts including that of following zero-pollution norms.

            The indiscriminate use of pesticides like DDT, BHC (Benzene hexachloride) etc. has seriously damaged the fragile ecology of soils by weakening the micro-organisms in it. These pesticides ultimately contaminate fruits, vegetables, cereals, and dairy products. The neurotoxins reach the human body through various food-stuff and severely impair the central nervous system and cause other disorders. The milder forms of pesticide poisoning result in migraine, dizziness, stomach-ache, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Dairy products have been found containing very high levels of pesticides residues. Mother’s milk too is not free from this contamination. Vegetables and fruits suffer from pesticide overload. Insecticides like carbofuran are used to quicken fruiting. Parathion is used to give fruits and vegetables a fresh look. Bananas, grapes, apples etc. are sprayed with harmful ripening agents, fungicides and pesticides.

            Urgent steps need to be taken to stop this deterioration in our atmosphere and environment. The balance of nature should be restored at the earliest. Some hard and effective decisions are the need of the hour. Something should be done to stop the damage caused to the ozone layer by the discharges from the rockets and airplanes besides the emissions of synthetic chemicals, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and such other substances. The developed countries should immediately phase out the use of these chemicals. With the rapid increase in consumerism and the use of white and brown goods, the demand of appliances that use ozone-depleting substances is growing fast. The cult of owning of refrigeration is spreading fast in the developing and underdeveloped countries.

            Noise pollution and international trade in toxic wastes are other areas of concern. The recyclers and processors of the toxic wastes expose the humanity at large to many hazards. People should be made aware of these hazards. Industrialized countries are dumping their toxic wastes in under-developed countries. All the countries should be obliged to accept the Base Convention to keep the environment clean of such wastes. There should be an effective ban and control on global trade in hazardous wastes. No country should be allowed bartering the health and well being of its people for a few dollars. During April 1996 to January 1997, over 15,000 tonnes of lead and battery wastes were imported in India. During this same period nearly 12,000 tonnes of zinc waste was also imported. In 1996 alone, Australia exported at least 8,500 tonnes of hazardous wastes and 1.9 million scrap batteries, and India, the Philippines and China were it major destinations.

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Essay on Destruction Of Nature

Students are often asked to write an essay on Destruction Of Nature in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Destruction Of Nature

Understanding nature’s destruction.

Nature’s destruction refers to the harm caused to the environment by human activities. This includes cutting down trees, polluting water, and releasing harmful gases into the air. These actions upset the balance of nature and lead to negative effects such as climate change, extinction of species, and loss of biodiversity.

The Cause: Human Activities

The main cause of nature’s destruction is human activities. People cut down trees for wood and to make space for buildings. Industries release harmful waste into water bodies, killing aquatic life. Cars and factories emit gases that pollute the air and cause global warming.

Effects on Wildlife

Nature’s destruction has a huge impact on wildlife. As trees are cut down, animals lose their homes. Water pollution kills fish and other aquatic creatures. Air pollution affects birds and insects. Many species are now in danger of extinction because of these problems.

Impact on Climate

Another effect of nature’s destruction is climate change. Cutting down trees and burning fossil fuels release carbon dioxide into the air. This traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. This can cause extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels.

Steps to Prevent

There are many steps we can take to prevent nature’s destruction. We can plant more trees, reduce waste, recycle, and use renewable energy sources. We should also educate others about the importance of protecting nature. Let’s all do our part to save our planet.

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• Speech on Destruction Of Nature

250 Words Essay on Destruction Of Nature

Introduction.

Nature is a beautiful gift given to us by the Earth. It is filled with colorful flowers, tall trees, and animals of all sizes. But, sadly, we are causing harm to nature. This is called the destruction of nature.

Causes of Nature’s Destruction

There are many ways we harm nature. One of the main ways is by cutting down trees, also known as deforestation. We do this to make space for buildings and farms. This not only destroys the homes of many animals but also reduces the amount of clean air we have.

Another way we harm nature is by polluting it. We throw trash in rivers and seas, and release harmful gases into the air. This makes the water and air dirty, hurting plants, animals, and even us.

Effects of Nature’s Destruction

When we destroy nature, we also hurt ourselves. For example, by cutting down trees, we have fewer plants to give us clean air. This can make us sick. Also, when we pollute the water, it becomes unsafe for us to drink.

Moreover, many animals lose their homes when we destroy nature. Some may even become extinct, which means they disappear forever. This is very sad and can also upset the balance of life on Earth.

In conclusion, the destruction of nature is a serious problem. It harms plants, animals, and even us. It is important for us to take care of nature. We can do this by not littering, by recycling, and by planting more trees. By doing these, we can help protect nature for ourselves and for future generations.

500 Words Essay on Destruction Of Nature

Nature is like a beautiful painting filled with vibrant colors and life. It gives us air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and many more things that we need to live. But, sadly, we are causing a lot of damage to nature. This damage is known as the destruction of nature.

There are many reasons why we are destroying nature. One of the biggest reasons is cutting down trees, known as deforestation. We cut down trees to make room for buildings and roads. We also cut them down to use the wood for making furniture and paper. This leads to fewer trees, which means less clean air for us to breathe.

Another reason is pollution. We throw our waste into rivers and seas, which harms the water and the creatures living in it. We also send harmful gases into the air when we drive cars and use machines. These gases can make the air dirty and cause diseases.

The destruction of nature has many harmful effects. When we cut down trees, we lose the animals and plants that lived in those forests. Many of these animals and plants are now in danger of disappearing forever.

When we pollute the water, we harm the fish and other creatures that live in it. This can lead to fewer fish for us to eat. Dirty water can also make us sick if we drink it or use it for cooking.

Polluted air can make us sick too. It can cause problems like coughing, difficulty in breathing, and even serious diseases.

What Can We Do?

Even though the destruction of nature is a big problem, there are things we can do to help. We can plant more trees and take care of the ones we have. We can also reduce, reuse, and recycle our waste instead of throwing it away.

We can use less water and electricity to save our resources. We can walk or ride a bicycle instead of using a car to reduce air pollution.

The destruction of nature is a serious issue that affects us all. We must understand that nature is not just a resource to be used, but a treasure to be protected. By making small changes in our daily lives, we can help to stop the destruction of nature and ensure a healthy planet for future generations.

Remember, it’s not just about us. It’s about every living creature on this planet. Let’s work together to protect our beautiful nature. It’s the only home we have.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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• Essay on Depression Cause And Effect
• Essay on Depression And Anxiety

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Environmental Changes Are Fueling Human, Animal and Plant Diseases, Study Finds

Biodiversity loss, global warming, pollution and the spread of invasive species are making infectious diseases more dangerous to organisms around the world.

By Emily Anthes

Several large-scale, human-driven changes to the planet — including climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the spread of invasive species — are making infectious diseases more dangerous to people, animals and plants, according to a new study.

Scientists have documented these effects before in more targeted studies that have focused on specific diseases and ecosystems. For instance, they have found that a warming climate may be helping malaria expand in Africa and that a decline in wildlife diversity may be boosting Lyme disease cases in North America.

But the new research, a meta-analysis of nearly 1,000 previous studies, suggests that these patterns are relatively consistent around the globe and across the tree of life.

“It’s a big step forward in the science,” said Colin Carlson, a biologist at Georgetown University, who was not an author of the new analysis. “This paper is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that I think has been published that shows how important it is health systems start getting ready to exist in a world with climate change, with biodiversity loss.”

In what is likely to come as a more surprising finding, the researchers also found that urbanization decreased the risk of infectious disease.

The new analysis, which was published in Nature on Wednesday, focused on five “global change drivers” that are altering ecosystems across the planet: biodiversity change, climate change, chemical pollution, the introduction of nonnative species and habitat loss or change.

The researchers compiled data from scientific papers that examined how at least one of these factors affected various infectious-disease outcomes, such as severity or prevalence. The final data set included nearly 3,000 observations on disease risks for humans, animals and plants on every continent except for Antarctica.

The researchers found that, across the board, four of the five trends they studied — biodiversity change, the introduction of new species, climate change and chemical pollution — tended to increase disease risk.

“It means that we’re likely picking up general biological patterns,” said Jason Rohr, an infectious disease ecologist at the University of Notre Dame and senior author of the study. “It suggests that there are similar sorts of mechanisms and processes that are likely occurring in plants, animals and humans.”

The loss of biodiversity played an especially large role in driving up disease risk, the researchers found. Many scientists have posited that biodiversity can protect against disease through a phenomenon known as the dilution effect.

The theory holds that parasites and pathogens, which rely on having abundant hosts in order to survive, will evolve to favor species that are common, rather than those that are rare, Dr. Rohr said. And as biodiversity declines, rare species tend to disappear first. “That means that the species that remain are the competent ones, the ones that are really good at transmitting disease,” he said.

Lyme disease is one oft-cited example. White-footed mice, which are the primary reservoir for the disease, have become more dominant on the landscape, as other rarer mammals have disappeared, Dr. Rohr said. That shift may partly explain why Lyme disease rates have risen in the United States. (The extent to which the dilution effect contributes to Lyme disease risk has been the subject of debate, and other factors, including climate change, are likely to be at play as well.)

Other environmental changes could amplify disease risks in a wide variety of ways. For instance, introduced species can bring new pathogens with them, and chemical pollution can stress organisms’ immune systems. Climate change can alter animal movements and habitats, bringing new species into contact and allowing them to swap pathogens .

Notably, the fifth global environmental change that the researchers studied — habitat loss or change — appeared to reduce disease risk. At first glance, the findings might appear to be at odds with previous studies, which have shown that deforestation can increase the risk of diseases ranging from malaria to Ebola. But the overall trend toward reduced risk was driven by one specific type of habitat change: increasing urbanization.

The reason may be that urban areas often have better sanitation and public health infrastructure than rural ones — or simply because there are fewer plants and animals to serve as disease hosts in urban areas. The lack of plant and animal life is “not a good thing,” Dr. Carlson said. “And it also doesn’t mean that the animals that are in the cities are healthier.”

And the new study does not negate the idea that forest loss can fuel disease; instead, deforestation increases risk in some circumstances and reduces it in others, Dr. Rohr said.

Indeed, although this kind of meta-analysis is valuable for revealing broad patterns, it can obscure some of the nuances and exceptions that are important for managing specific diseases and ecosystems, Dr. Carlson noted.

Moreover, most of the studies included in the analysis examined just a single global change drive. But, in the real world, organisms are contending with many of these stressors simultaneously. “The next step is to better understand the connections among them,” Dr. Rohr said.

Emily Anthes is a science reporter, writing primarily about animal health and science. She also covered the coronavirus pandemic. More about Emily Anthes

Explore the Animal Kingdom

A selection of quirky, intriguing and surprising discoveries about animal life..

Scientists say they have found an “alphabet” in the songs of sperm whales , raising the possibility that the animals are communicating in a complex language.

Indigenous rangers in Australia’s Western Desert got a rare close-up with the northern marsupial mole , which is tiny, light-colored and blind, and almost never comes to the surface.

For the first time, scientists observed a primate in the wild treating a wound  with a plant that has medicinal properties.

A new study resets the timing for the emergence of bioluminescence back to millions  of years earlier than previously thought.

Scientists are making computer models to better understand how cicadas  emerge collectively after more than a decade underground .

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• Nature Essay

Essay About Nature

Nature refers to the interaction between the physical surroundings around us and the life within it like atmosphere, climate, natural resources, ecosystem, flora, fauna, and humans. Nature is indeed God’s precious gift to Earth. It is the primary source of all the necessities for the nourishment of all living beings on Earth. Right from the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the house we live in is provided by nature. Nature is called ‘Mother Nature’ because just like our mother, she is always nurturing us with all our needs. 

Whatever we see around us, right from the moment we step out of our house is part of nature. The trees, flowers, landscapes, insects, sunlight, breeze, everything that makes our environment so beautiful and mesmerizing are part of Nature. In short, our environment is nature. Nature has been there even before the evolution of human beings. 

Importance of Nature

If not for nature then we wouldn’t be alive. The health benefits of nature for humans are incredible. The most important thing for survival given by nature is oxygen. The entire cycle of respiration is regulated by nature. The oxygen that we inhale is given by trees and the carbon dioxide we exhale is getting absorbed by trees. 

The ecosystem of nature is a community in which producers (plants), consumers, and decomposers work together in their environment for survival. The natural fundamental processes like soil creation, photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, and water cycling, allow Earth to sustain life. We are dependent on these ecosystem services daily whether or not we are aware.

Nature provides us services round the clock: provisional services, regulating services, and non-material services. Provisional services include benefits extracted from nature such as food, water, natural fuels and fibres, and medicinal plants. Regulating services include regulation of natural processes that include decomposition, water purification, pollution, erosion and flood control, and also, climate regulation. Non-material services are the non-material benefits that improve the cultural development of humans such as recreation, creative inspiration from interaction with nature like art, music, architecture, and the influence of ecosystems on local and global cultures. 

The interaction between humans and animals, which are a part of nature, alleviates stress, lessens pain and worries. Nature provides company and gives people a sense of purpose. 

Studies and research have shown that children especially have a natural affinity with nature. Regular interaction with nature has boosted health development in children. Nature supports their physical and mental health and instills abilities to access risks as they grow. 

Role and Importance of Nature

The natural cycle of our ecosystem is vital for the survival of organisms. We all should take care of all the components that make our nature complete. We should be sure not to pollute the water and air as they are gifts of Nature.

Mother nature fosters us and never harms us. Those who live close to nature are observed to be enjoying a healthy and peaceful life in comparison to those who live in urban areas. Nature gives the sound of running fresh air which revives us, sweet sounds of birds that touch our ears, and sounds of breezing waves in the ocean makes us move within.

All the great writers and poets have written about Mother Nature when they felt the exceptional beauty of nature or encountered any saddening scene of nature. Words Worth who was known as the poet of nature, has written many things in nature while being in close communion with nature and he has written many things about Nature. Nature is said to be the greatest teacher as it teaches the lessons of immortality and mortality. Staying in close contact with Nature makes our sight penetrative and broadens our vision to go through the mysteries of the planet earth. Those who are away from nature can’t understand the beauty that is held by Nature. The rise in population on planet earth is leading to a rise in consumption of natural resources.  Because of increasing demands for fuels like Coal, petroleum, etc., air pollution is increasing at a rapid pace.  The smoke discharged from factory units and exhaust tanks of cars is contaminating the air that we breathe. It is vital for us to plant more trees in order to reduce the effect of toxic air pollutants like Carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc. 

Save Our Nature

Earth’s natural resources are not infinite and they cannot be replenished in a short period. The rapid increase in urbanization has used most of the resources like trees, minerals, fossil fuels, and water. Humans in their quest for a comfortable living have been using the resources of nature mindlessly. As a result, massive deforestation, resultant environmental pollution, wildlife destruction, and global warming are posing great threats to the survival of living beings. 

Air that gives us oxygen to breathe is getting polluted by smoke, industrial emissions, automobile exhaust, burning of fossil fuels like coal, coke and furnace oil, and use of certain chemicals. The garbage and wastes thrown here and there cause pollution of air and land. 

Sewage, organic wastage, industrial wastage, oil spillage, and chemicals pollute water. It is causing several water-borne diseases like cholera, jaundice and typhoid. 

The use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture adds to soil pollution. Due to the mindless cutting of trees and demolition of greeneries for industrialization and urbanization, the ecological balance is greatly hampered. Deforestation causes flood and soil erosion.

Earth has now become an ailing planet panting for care and nutrition for its rejuvenation. Unless mankind puts its best effort to save nature from these recurring situations, the Earth would turn into an unfit landmass for life and activity. 

We should check deforestation and take up the planting of trees at a massive rate. It will not only save the animals from being extinct but also help create regular rainfall and preserve soil fertility. We should avoid over-dependence on fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products, and firewood which release harmful pollutants to the atmosphere. Non-conventional sources of energy like the sun, biogas and wind should be tapped to meet our growing need for energy. It will check and reduce global warming. 

Every drop of water is vital for our survival. We should conserve water by its rational use, rainwater harvesting, checking the surface outflow, etc. industrial and domestic wastes should be properly treated before they are dumped into water bodies. 

Every individual can do his or her bit of responsibility to help save the nature around us. To build a sustainable society, every human being should practice in heart and soul the three R’s of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In this way, we can save our nature.  

Nature Conservation

Nature conservation is very essential for future generations, if we will damage nature our future generations will suffer.

Nowadays, technological advancement is adversely affecting our nature. Humans are in the quest and search for prosperity and success that they have forgotten the value and importance of beautiful Nature around. The ignorance of nature by humans is the biggest threat to nature. It is essential to make people aware and make them understand the importance of nature so that they do not destroy it in the search for prosperity and success.

On high priority, we should take care of nature so that nature can continue to take care of us. Saving nature is the crying need of our time and we should not ignore it. We should embrace simple living and high thinking as the adage of our lives.  

FAQs on Nature Essay

1. How Do You Define Nature?

Nature is defined as our environment. It is the interaction between the physical world around us and the life within it like the atmosphere, climate, natural resources, ecosystem, flora, fauna and humans. Nature also includes non-living things such as water,  mountains, landscape, plants, trees and many other things. Nature adds life to mother earth. Nature is the treasure habitation of every essential element that sustains life on this planet earth. Human life on Earth would have been dull and meaningless without the amazing gifts of nature. 

2. How is Nature Important to Us?

Nature is the only provider of everything that we need for survival. Nature provides us with food, water, natural fuels, fibres, and medicinal plants. Nature regulates natural processes that include decomposition, water purification, pollution, erosion, and flood control. It also provides non-material benefits like improving the cultural development of humans like recreation, etc. 

An imbalance in nature can lead to earthquakes, global warming, floods, and drastic climate changes. It is our duty to understand the importance of nature and how it can negatively affect us all if this rapid consumption of natural resources, pollution, and urbanization takes place.

3. How Should We Save Our Nature?

We should check deforestation and take up the planting of trees at a massive rate. It will save the animals from being extinct but also help create regular rainfall and preserve soil fertility. We should avoid over-dependence on fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products, and firewood which release harmful pollutants to the atmosphere. We should start using non-conventional sources of energy like the sun, biogas, and wind to meet our growing need for energy. It will check and reduce global warming. Water is vital for our survival and we should rationalize our use of water. 

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Is the nature in danger? how ? discuss about the causes and solutions

IELTS essay Is the nature in danger? how? discuss about the causes and solutions

• Structure your answers in logical paragraphs
• ? One main idea per paragraph
• Include an introduction and conclusion
• Support main points with an explanation and then an example
• Use cohesive linking words accurately and appropriately
• Vary your linking phrases using synonyms
• Try to vary your vocabulary using accurate synonyms
• Use less common question specific words that accurately convey meaning
• Check your work for spelling and word formation mistakes
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• Check your writing for errors
• Answer all parts of the question
• ? Present relevant ideas
• Fully explain these ideas
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• ? Currently is not available
• Meet the criteria
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• 6.5 band Today more people are travelling than ever before. Why is this the case? What are the benefits of traveling for the traveller? Nowadays, numerous people are visiting a different place more than in the past. There are two reasons which are developing transportation technology and saving time. First, I believe that technology has grown extremely fast, and also transportation has been affected by it. They have invented new de ...
• 6.5 band Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs (for example working for charity, improving the neighborhood or teaching sports to younger children. Nowadays, minority of people trust that free services out to be come mandatory part of high school programs for instance charity work, developing the neighborhood or young children are being taught some kind of sports. I agree that young children should be taught like these things. In modern era, m ...
• If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world. Ludwig Wittgenstein
• 6.5 band Some people believe that parents should teach children how to be good person in society while others claim that teachers should do that. Some inhabitants trust that children ought to be taught by parents how to become intellectual human in nation while another people confirm that tutors should make that. It is often argued that this is a positive development whilst others disagree and think it will lead to adverse ramifications. In t ...
• 6.5 band Nowadays scientists and tourists can travel to remote natural environments such as the South Pole. What are the advantages and the disadvantages of this development? In recent years, poles are one of the most popular visiting places between travelers and scientists according to different sides. While tourist wants to explore unknown and mystery places, scientists have the aim to make new research studies. Although this situation includes some advantages such as ...
• To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world. Chinese Proverb
• 6.5 band Some people think that dangerous sports should be banned, while others disagree. Discuss both views People loves adventure and the feeling of threats. There is an argument about risky sports, should the government allow it or not. This essay will discuss both opinions with relevant examples. First of all, do the fact of risky sports can harm people some people assist that the government should ba ...
• 6.5 band It is important to all cities and towns to have large public outdoor places like square and park. It is not deniable that educational and work spaces are now more open and spacious as compared with the past. This trend brings many benefits but there are some drawbacks too, now I will discuss both views further. One of the biggest advantages of open space is that it creates natural environment. H ...
• Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going. Rita Mae Brown

Short essay on Wildlife in Danger

Species have been dying out since life began. In a way extinction is a part of the ecosystem. It is impossible to determine how many species have disappeared. Scientists estimate that go percent of the species that have ever lived have vanished. The rate of extinction went up during certain times in the earth’s history. It grew very much some 65 million years ago and the dinosaurs died out completely. The rate was gone up again in modern times. Since 1600 more than 200 species of mammals, birds and other creatures have vanished from the earth.

Now men are able to change the natural environment very rapidly. Many species of animals are not able to adapt to the changed conditions. They perish. This is the problem today. Such forces of change have to control to prevent extinction of wildlife.

In the past unregulated killing of wildlife caused the extinction of species. The North Atlantic Sea-bird, the auk was mercilessly killed for fish and fish bait. By 1844 it had vanished from the earth. Killing animals for hides and meat contributed largely to the extinction the gaggua, a South African Zebra. In the last century the North American bison was almost exterminated for similar reasons. Killing for commercial and food purpose continues to threaten various cats, whales, sea-turtles and certain other creatures.

Relentless killing of animals in no longer considered as hunting. Hunting in many countries now is a regulated activity. Hunting of rare species is forbidden by law. The annual number of species to be hunted is fixed by acts. This number is replaces by fresh breeding in the following season. Slaughter is not the only cause for species vanishing from the sea earth.

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The dodos once thrived on the island Mauritius. Many dodos were killed for food. Yet this was not the only threat to their survivals. The worst threat came from the rats and pigs that ate away the eggs of the dodos from their nests. The dodos built their nests on the earth. Wolves and tigers would have declined in numbers even if they had not been hunted. Many men have invaded the forests and destroyed the wilderness of the habit of wolves and tigers. Destruction of habitat is the greatest threat of wildlife. The other forms of thereat are overgrazing by live stock, population of air and water deforestation, the establishment of towns and factories.

There are many ways to find out to what extent a species is endangered. The most obvious is by numbers. There are about only six enchoparakeet living on Mauritius now. Their number has come down because of the destruction of their habitats. Poaching and deforestation has reduced the number of the Javah rhinoceros to a few dozen only. There are other ways to gudge the extent of thereat to the life of a species. The Tokyo bittering a small fresh water fish lives in the streams. There are about a thousand of them living now. The city is expanding. More and more land is needed for building purpose. Streams are being filed up with sand, stone and soil. Overcrowding has caused air and air pollution. The state of affairs has endangered the bettering.

International agreements play a major role in protecting imperiled wildlife. Many countries have agreed to prohibit trade the hides of vanishing species such as the cheetah and the snow leopard. Another international agreement attempts to regulate the hunting of whales.

Private organizations are working to protect wildlife. The world wildlife Fund and the International union for the conservation of nature and natural Resources are some such organisation. They are establishing parks and reservations. They are breeding wild animals in captivity. They are educating the public. Private groups helped the government of Peru establish a reserve in the Ades for the vicuna. Protection from poachers and maintenance of their habitat increased the number of the species. They were sent to other parts of the country. Not there are many vicunas. The vicuna wool is sold for the benefit of the local people.

People can help protect wildlife by keeping bird feeding station, confining the family dog at night and putting a bell on the cat to warn the birds of its approach. They can refuse to buy products made from rare animals. They can prevent extinction by becoming aware of events that affect wildlife. They can put pressure on the government to make and enforce sound conservation laws. They can join with others and support the organizations devoted to the preservation of nature and wildlife.

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the Nature of Crisis: a Multi-Dimensional Perspective

This essay about defining crisis examines its complex nature across multiple dimensions including psychology, society, economics, and the environment. It explores how crises manifest as pivotal moments of intense difficulty that demand significant decisions, highlighting the personal, societal, and environmental impacts. The essay discusses the stages of a crisis, from trigger events to resolution, and emphasizes the importance of effective management and response strategies. It also considers how crises can drive innovation and reform, suggesting that they test resilience and adaptability, ultimately leading to progress and development when managed successfully. Through a comprehensive examination, the essay reveals the multifaceted character of crises and the critical responses they necessitate.

How it works

Crisis is a term that often conjures images of turmoil and upheaval, affecting individuals, communities, or even nations. It represents a point of intense difficulty or danger, where the decisions made can result in significant change. The essence of a crisis lies not just in the events themselves but also in the responses they demand and the outcomes they precipitate.

The concept of crisis is multi-faceted, operating across various domains such as psychology, sociology, economics, and environmental studies, each adding layers to its definition.

In psychology, a crisis is a pivotal moment when an individual faces an obstacle that is, for the time being, insurmountable through usual problem-solving methods. This definition underscores the personal aspect of crisis, highlighting the intense emotional and mental stress that can occur when one’s standard coping mechanisms fail in the face of a challenge.

In a broader societal context, crises can manifest as economic downturns, political instability, or significant social unrest. Here, the term describes scenarios where the structures that support daily life are disrupted, creating widespread uncertainty and hardship. The economic crisis, for instance, involves a sudden and significant decline in financial stability, which can lead to job losses, homelessness, and a decrease in consumer confidence. This type of crisis not only impacts the immediate economic conditions but also affects long-term growth prospects and the overall well-being of a society.

Environmental crises, such as natural disasters or climate change, highlight another dimension where the term applies. These situations often require immediate, coordinated responses to mitigate damage and provide relief. The defining feature of environmental crises is their capacity to alter landscapes, displace populations, and necessitate significant shifts in how communities operate and governments function.

The complexity of a crisis can often be understood through its stages of development. Initially, there is a trigger event that disrupts the status quo. This is followed by a period of escalation, where the effects of the trigger event become more pronounced and potentially spiral out of control. The peak of the crisis is typically where the highest intensity and greatest uncertainty are felt. Subsequently, the de-escalation phase occurs, involving efforts to manage and contain the crisis, aiming to restore order and stability. Finally, there is the resolution phase, where strategies are implemented to address the root causes and to mitigate future risks.

Responses to crises are as varied as their causes. Effective crisis management often involves a blend of immediate action and long-term strategy. It requires clear communication, robust planning, and often, an innovative approach to problem-solving that considers both human and systemic factors. Leaders and decision-makers play crucial roles during crises. Their ability to make informed, empathetic, and decisive choices can greatly influence the outcome and recovery process.

Moreover, crises often catalyze reform and innovation. The adversity and urgency of a crisis can break bureaucratic inertia and economic complacency, paving the way for new technologies, policies, and practices. For example, the global financial crisis of 2008 led to increased regulatory reforms in financial markets around the world, aiming to prevent a similar catastrophe. Similarly, the ongoing challenges of climate change are driving innovations in renewable energy and sustainable practices that might not have received the same focus without the pressing need imposed by environmental concerns.

In conclusion, a crisis is not merely a moment of conflict or danger but a test of resilience and adaptability. Whether it impacts an individual or spans across global systems, the defining characteristic of any crisis is the need for an effective response. Through understanding the intricate dynamics of crises, we can better prepare for and respond to the inevitable challenges they present. This comprehension is crucial not just for survival but for the progress and development that often follows in the wake of successfully navigated crises.

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• Published: 25 March 1999

Is science dangerous?

• Lewis Wolpert 1  

Nature volume  398 ,  pages 281–282 ( 1999 ) Cite this article

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Does society need protecting from scientific advances? Most emphatically not, so long as scientists themselves and their employers are committed to full disclosure of what they know.

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Wolpert, L. The Unnatural Nature of Science (Faber, London, 1992).

Kevles, D. J. In the Name of Eugenics (Univ. California Press, Berkeley, 1985).

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Wolpert, L. Is science dangerous?. Nature 398 , 281–282 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/18543

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Crimes against nature: UN agency puts environmental legislation under scrutiny

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Global efforts to prevent crimes against nature and bring offenders to justice are being hampered by glaring differences in environmental protection laws among countries and regions, UN crime prevention experts said on Friday.

"Stronger legislation can help deter potential and repeat offenders and expand the range of investigative tools and resources for law enforcement to stop crimes that affect the environment," said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime ( UNODC ), presenting the report.

Launched in Vienna, 'The Landscape of Criminalization’ is Part One of the first-ever Global Analysis of Crimes that Affect the Environment report. UNODC examines how all 193 UN Member States define crimes against nature and the punishments they set for violating environmental laws.

Serious violations

The study covering nine areas of nature-related offenses - deforestation and logging, noise pollution, fishing, waste management, wildlife protection, and pollution of air, soil, and waste - established that no less than 85 per cent of UN Member States criminalize offenses against wildlife.

At least 45 per cent of countries impose penalties of four or more years in prison for some environmental offenses, categorizing them as "serious" crimes under the U N Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) , a universally recognized standard.

“Our review shows progress globally in advancing environmental protection laws," said Angela Me. However, she noted that legislation and enforcement remain uneven, creating "opportunities for criminal groups to exploit gaps in responses.”

Wildlife and waste are the areas where most countries (164 and 160, respectively) include at least one related criminal offense in their national legislation. In contrast, soil and noise pollution (99 and 97, respectively) are the areas where the fewest countries have criminal provisions.

Regional variations

The level of criminalization and penalties varies by country and region. For example, in Oceania, 43 per cent of countries regard illegal fishing as a serious crime (resulting in four or more years in prison), whereas in Europe, only two per cent of countries classify it as such. Meanwhile, 12 out of 18 countries in Eastern Africa consider wildlife offenses to be serious crimes.

Africa and Asia have the highest average percentage of Member States with penalties meeting the serious crime definition, indicating that the legislation is not necessarily weak but that there is a lack of enforcement.

Wildlife crime

Of the nine areas surveyed, offenses against wildlife are most frequently covered by criminal legislation, with 164 Member States maintaining such provisions. 

Many countries' national legislation even exceeds the requirements of CITES, the international convention regulating the transboundary trade in endangered species .

Globally, wildlife crime penalties span from a few days to life in prison, while fines can range from a few US dollars to three million.

Next to wildlife, crimes related to waste are highly criminalized, with 160 countries considering improper waste dumping a crime and including at least one related criminal offense in their legislation.

In contrast, soil and noise pollution are the least protected, with only 99 and 97 countries, respectively, considering these violations serious.

Legislative gaps

The report highlights discrepancies in how laws are applied to individuals versus enterprises, with businesses often getting away with fines, while individuals may face imprisonment. 

The authors suggest that countries could improve legislation to allow for the confiscation of means used to commit environmental crimes or proceeds from these offenses. The current lack of such provisions often leads to the prosecution of minor offenders rather than the large economic players committing environmental crimes.

According to the UNODC experts, there are several areas for improvement in environmental legislation and penalties. Member States could consider increasing penalties and expanding the use of international cooperation tools such as extradition or mutual legal assistance.

There is also a need for more data collection on these crimes, better enforcement of legislation, and more research on the penalties administered and their effectiveness, they said, adding that such information will help in understanding which extents of criminalization are most effective in preventing environmental crimes.

A new campaign wants to redefine the word ‘nature’ to include humans – here’s why this linguistic argument matters

Professor of Applied Ecology, University of Reading

Disclosure statement

Tom Oliver has received research funding from BBSRC, NERC and Natural England for quantifying climate change impacts on biodiversity and developing climate adaptation plans for humans and other species. He was affiliated with Defra as a senior scientific fellow on their Systems Research Programme, with the Government Office for Science working on long-term risks to the UK, and spent four years with the European Environment Agency on their scientific committee. He sits on the Food Standards Agency science council and Office for Environmental Protection expert college. He is author of The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of Our Connection To Each Other and the Natural World, published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson.

University of Reading provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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What does the word nature mean to you? Does it conjure visions of wild places away from the hustle and bustle of people, or does it include humans too? The meaning of nature has changed since the word was first used back as early as the 15th century .

Now a new campaign, We Are Nature , aims to persuade dictionaries to include humans in their definitions of nature. This campaign, a collaboration between a group of lawyers and a design company, involves a petition and open letter , as well as a collection of alternative definitions supplied by various thinkers and authors (including me). Here’s my definition of nature:

The living world comprised as the total set of organisms and relationships between them. These organisms include bacteria, fungi, plants and animals (including humans). Some definitions may also include non-living entities as part of nature – such as mountains, waterfalls and cloud formations – in recognition of their important role underpinning the web of life.

Derived from the Latin natura , literally meaning “birth”, nature used to only refer to the innate qualities or essential disposition of something. But over time, it also began to describe something “other” or separate to humans. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines nature as :

The phenomena of the physical world collectively; esp. plants, animals, and other features and products of the Earth itself, as opposed to humans and human creations.

But how did we arrive at such a definition, which hinges on us being apart from, rather than a part of, the natural world? Since the 17th century, a rationalist world view prompted by philosophers such as René Descartes increasingly saw things from a mechanical perspective, comparing the workings of the universe to a great machine. Rather than any kind of divine spirit inhabiting the natural world, this perspective emphasised the split between the human mind and physical matter.

Anything non-human fell into the latter category and was likened to clockwork machinery. But that view has since been found to lead to animal cruelty , and many environmental bodies including the European Environment Agency suggest this disconnect is accelerating the decline of nature.

Is it OK to change words in a dictionary through lobbying? There are two lines of thought here. One might argue yes, if the scientific evidence suggests the distinction between nature and humans is illusory – something I have argued based on findings in biology, ecology and neuroscience.

A dictionary definition represents society’s framing of the natural world. This in turn influences our perception of our place within it – and the actions we take to protect nature. So, the words we use have real-world impacts: they frame how we think and determine how we feel and act. Linguist George Lakoff has argued that they ultimately structure our society.

My children are growing up in a world where humans feel disconnected with nature – indeed, the UK ranks among the most disconnected countries. Research shows this leads people to make fewer positive environmental changes to their behaviour , such as reducing their carbon footprint, recycling, or doing voluntary conservation work.

Conversely, when people feel they are enmeshed with nature, they are not only greener in their behaviour but they tend to be happier . So I absolutely want my kids to grow up feeling they are part of nature.

There are some words that I certainly recommend we use less. I dislike the term “natural capital”, referring to nature as an asset that can be commodified and sold . These words have a place with professional environmentalists and policy, but they can also create psychological distancing and make us care less for natural world.

One sustainability-focused communications agency found the best way to motivate people about protecting nature is through messages based on awe and wonder , rather than the economic value of nature. Scientific studies back this up.

Dangers of controlling language

But I’m torn. Another line of thought suggests it’s not OK to change the meaning of words through lobbying, and that dictionaries should reflect how words are being used – the OED takes this position .

Dystopian fiction, including George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four , highlights the dangers of a world where controlling the language allows control of the population. Dictionaries bowing to pressure from lobbying seems to set a dangerous precedent.

With regards to the meaning of nature, if a word is too broad, it may lose its usefulness in communication, just like a blunt knife is a poor tool for carving food. People wanting to articulate the natural world may simply use other words, such as “environment”. This word is derived from the French environs , explicitly describing something surrounding us.

Environment has already been replacing nature in our modern lexicon. This may reflect a subtle cognitive shift towards increasingly seeing human beings as distinct entities, separate from the natural world.

Nature v environment: tracking the use of these words

But the We Are Nature campaign is not just lobbying the OED based on a preferred use of language. The organisers have collated many historical uses of the word nature from 1850 to the present day, some of which include humans in the meaning, and presented the dictionary with this evidence. In April 2024, as a result, the OED removed the label “obsolete” from a secondary, wider definition of nature comprising “the whole natural world, including human beings”.

But to change the primary definition of nature from “as opposed to humans” to “including humans” will require more people to use the word in a way that reflects how humans are intertwined with the whole web of life.

The great thing is, by doing this, we rekindle the bonds of care towards the living world around us. And by dispelling the illusion of our separation from nature, we can also expect to live happier lives . Words matter – there is restoration and joy from talking about how we are nature.

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