Problems of Human Activities - Term Paper Example

Biology Order No. 245354 No. of pages: 6 Premium 6530 Rapid Decline in Population: The decline in population brings about a wide range ofproblems which causes great apprehension among the people of that country. One of the primary concerns is that there won’t be enough number of people in the workforce who will be able to support the elderly and aged people. Even though smaller populations are advantageous to the environment they should be maintained at such levels so that the fertility rate does not come down. . A declining population also causes problems in society as it is always accompanied by an ageing population. The effect of baby-busters is being felt by the Americans. They are an important consumer group but they are also the most heavily taxed generation of Americans. A lion’s share of the industrial, cultural and academic leadership is made up of the baby boomers. The baby boomers also have the highest median household income in the United States of America. An undue burden is being placed by these baby boomers on their children’s economy. They are in a state of denial regarding their aging and death and thereby they do not plan for their retirement. Since there is a too rapid decline in population the immigrants help in maintaining the fertility rate and population of the country. This too leads to a plethora of problem. These immigrants sometimes do not join the mainstream of their adopted country and live in groups following their own culture and customs instead of assimilating the culture of the adopted country. The spreading of AIDS has also affected the population growth in America with particularly the African-Americans. They are the most affected by this fatal disease but in recent years there has been some containment. This too has led to an aging population of people who are also infected by the disease. 2. Immigration Problems: America today faces immigration problem which is of mammoth proportion. The problems are caused not only by illegal immigrants but also by legal immigrants. It causes varied problems and directly affects the rate of crime, standards of education and the character of the national language. There are around three million people crossing the border annually. These illegal immigrants drain the public funds and create unfair competition for jobs thereby causing harm to the legal residents. There are about 26 million legal immigrants in America. They too cause a major problem to the general populace by bringing in their family and relatives by misusing the loopholes in the immigration act. The immigration problem can be tackled by deterring illegal immigration. This can be done by increasing general security of the personal identification systems. Illegal immigrants should not be given any incentives and their children born on American soil should not be given rights of a natural citizen. All incentives given to asylum seekers should be withdrawn. Overstaying visitors should be tracked down and sent back to their home country. There should be a cap on the number of legal residents who can settle in America in a year. The borders need to be patrolled more effectively and the respective authorities should be given greater powers to deal with people trying to gain illegal entry into the country. Embassies overseas also need to be vigilant before issuing visas. The number of personnel who combat illegal immigration need to increased and due training should be given to them to handle the illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants need to be penalized strictly so as to set an example to other immigrants who try to smuggle themselves through illegal channels. Amnesty should not be provided to the illegal immigrants. The immigration authorities should be given single-minded support by the elected leaders so that they are able to fulfill their duties and succeed in deterring illegal immigration. 3. Degradation by Human activities: Forests: Forests pass through a very vulnerable stage and are heavily at risk especially during the summer season, when the temperatures are high and the air is dry and arid. The dry logs of wood and twigs act as potent tools for starting up a forest fire. The Fire Prevention Department work hard round the clock, not only to ensure the safety of the Forests or Parks but also spend valuable time in trying to inform and educate people on fire prevention and safety. Some of the other things that may contribute to the degradation of forests are human activities such as cutting down trees, lighting campfires and not putting them out properly after use, casually tossed cigarette butts, lighting fireworks, discharging of firearms, scattering broken glass and chain- saws that cause damage and spoil the natural ecosystem. Poaching or hunting is another human activity that threatens to make certain species of animals, birds and reptiles extinct. a) Deserts: Deserts are the world’s most harsh, spectacular and beautiful habitats with specialized but fragile eco- systems that support or house a unique and specialized diversity of flora and fauna. Due to their highly specialized nature, the species that live there, are essentially vulnerable to even the slightest disturbance in their habitat. It is often reported that deserts are facing dramatic changes because it is being increasingly threatened by adverse human activity. Some of these changes due to globalization, result in a high demand for water, climatic changes and contamination. Many of the herbs found in deserts and are being exported to other countries for their medicinal value are being threatened to extinction due to human activities such as inefficient irrigation practices causing salination. Another poor factor of human activity are very huge dam projects that strain the river sources. b) Grasslands: Human activities have long since had an adverse impact on the grassland areas, thereby causing widespread habitat loss. The alternate measures taken to put an end to this harsh impact are insufficient due to the conflict between temporal and spatial scales. The change in land use due to rapid urbanization and widespread intensification of agriculture has had an adverse impact on the bio-diversity in the grasslands. The shrinking of the grasslands due to major growth and development and thereby expansion has placed increasing pressure on wild species and the regular flora and fauna in the area. Another problem of human activity facing grasslands is the rapidly increasing human population and migration due to employment opportunities which is taking place both locally and globally which has raised the extinction rates still further. Moreover encroachment of the grasslands due to the necessity of more housing, and other related infrastructure, laying of roads and other demands contribute to the fact that natural resources become limited and puts added pressure on the ecosystem. c) Mountains: The mountains have a mystical and magnetic attraction for us humans despite the hard and strenuous conditions. Apprehensions have been raised regarding various human interventions that has made an adverse impact on the fragile mountain eco-systems. Environmental degradation has led to impending disasters which has captured worldwide attention. Large scale deforestation leading to degeneration of the ecosystem and depletion of resources that are vital and life supporting has impacted upon the ever growing populations in the mountains. Inhabitants in the mountains are the people to be blamed for this problem n addition to gorging out mountains to used for building and the extraction of metals and minerals. 4. The Coral Reefs: a) What are coral reefs and how are they formed? “Rainforests” of the ocean are called coral reefs. These reefs have very rich ecological ecosystems that are a rich source f food and medicine. According to the National Oceannic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Dept. of Commerce – “Coral is a general term used to describe a group of cnidarians, which indicates the presence of skeletal material that is embedded in the living tissue or encloses the animal altogether.” (Glossary of Coral Reef Terminology.) They also serve as a source of protection of the coast against wave erosion. Corals are nothing but Marine animals that belong to the group of Jellyfish and anemones. Through photosynthesis the algae provide these corals with food. The Coral Reefs are formed from the excretion of hard calcareous (aragonite) exoskeletons from the corals that give it its structural rigidity. These branched finger- shaped structures create huge masses of limestone which is spread for hundreds of miles. The variety of corals that form these reefs belong to the warm, shallow tropical waters and are present between 30 degrees North and 30 degrees South latitude. Coral larvae can thrive well if the conditions are favorable and spread into massive colonies. The Coral Reefs are so beautiful that it is a major tourist attraction for people who come from all over the world. b) They are very valuable in terms of trade and other commercial purposes. They also serve as a great tourist attraction attracting millions of people each year and raking in hgh revenues in terms of good tourism. The Coral Reefs that are found in about 100 other countries have very rich ecosystems which are fragile and endangered. Vulnerable to damage: The corals and the rest of the ecosystem are vulnerable to damage because they are very delicate and easily prone to even small disturbances that occur due to change in temperature, and global warming. These factors could grossly affect marine life and put an end to many of the organisms living there, sometimes making many of them extinct. Bleaching: If global warming continues, the marine environment will surely become a victim of what is called “bleaching”. If the temperature of the water tends to rise by about one or two degrees, the corals show signs of stress causing them to expel tiny micro- organisms called zooxanthellae which help to color their tissues ad at the same time provides them with very useful nutrients. In case the zooxanthellae do not return to the corals they would perish. Bleaching affects all the reef systems across the world and its intensity is said to rise further. If this goes on at this rate, many of the Coral Reefs around the world could be eliminated or wiped out. The world’s largest and most beautiful reef is the “Great Barrier Reef” of Australia. Harmful impacts on Reefs: Human activities are one of the most detrimental factors of the beautiful coral reefs. There is a lot of human activity in these areas which prove to be a threat to the extinction of the corals. Human wastes, garbage, plastic and oil are dumped into the reefs without due consideration to the plant and animal life beneath. Divers gauge out huge corals for commercial purposes thus bringing to a close some of the very delicate species. Though there are a good number of people whose livelihood depends on the reefs, there are others who pose as a threat to its beauty by making use of it for commercial purposes. References: America’s Immigration Quandry. www.people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=274 Busters and Boomlets: Baby Buster and Generation X - Associated www.associatedcontent.com/article/5871/busters_and_boomlets.html Check Against Delivery Speech by Mr. Eric Falt www.unep.org/wed/2006/downloads/PDF/Speech_Ghardaia_Algeria_Eng.pdf Human Activity Affects Biodiversity www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/biodiversity/pdf/FS2.pdf Subsistence Strategies and Environment Management. www.ignca.nic.in/cd_07005.htm Coral Reefs www.solcomhouse.com/coralreef.htm Read More