The Lithosphere and Pedosphere: The Crust of The Earth - Book Report/Review Example

Running head: SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN Something New Under the Sun Chapter 2: The Lithosphere and Pedosphere: The Crust of The Earth The chapter talks about the depleted nutrients from the earth’s surface as a result of farming and grazing due to agriculture. Early before, human reduced the soil nutrients with the commencement of agriculture and only came to be regained with the development of sewer systems, which returned the human waste into the soil. With time, the human activities related to urbanization swept all the nutrients to the rivers, sea and sewers making the situations worse than ever. It is true as the author claims that soil nutrients are being depleted by human activities to some extent, but this does not necessarily imply that they can only be regained by sewer systems. The advancements in technology have made it easier in reclaiming land and making them productive. The author overlooked the importance of microbial organism in ensuring the balance of nutrients in the earth surface as well as the role of fertilizers in ensuring soil fertility. The chapter relates to our daily lives on how we use the soil as some activities leads to its degradations leading to low supply of nutrients. It is also important to note the role of sewer and human excrement as a source of soil nutrients as the author has explained. As much as human beings practice organic farming, soil nutrients will never be depleted away but instead will be recycled, and the soil will regain its fertility as a result of microbial actions. Chapter 6: The Hydrosphere: Depletions, Dams and Diversions The chapter talks about the depleted wells and dams as a result of unsustainable activities of humankind. The drying of the wells leads to the introduction of irrigation in areas where it has never been practiced as the negative results are felt by the human beings. According to the author, irrigated fields accounted for sixteen percent of the total world cultivated areas by 1990 and contributed to about 30 percent of the total food production. However, the act of irrigation had its own challenges related to salinity which affected the irrigated land before coming up with new methods. Dams and seas play an important role in our lives and their depletion results to a number of challenges that can not be bared by the society. The author is right in elaborating on the important of the well as they provide water solutions without hustling much compared to other methods. It is also clear from the text that natural water sources are very essential because they do not have much degradation as compared to artificial ways of watering. This is essential in educating the public on the importance of preserving our natural water bodies as artificial ways of watering have challenges related to salinity. This may pose a problem and affect the wellbeing of the people. It is therefore very important for people to minimize the rate of depletion as they conserve the resources to reduce any alteration in the water bodies. Chapter 7: The Biosphere: Eat and Be Eaten The chapter elaborates on the evolution of man in the last four million years ago in a biota which was without our influence. As the man passed through various levels of civilization, very little was known of what was coming ahead as there was radical invention every time which shaped the human history. By this time, environmental control was very easy until the imperialism came to being. They introduced diseases which weakened the people and established their colonial empires which spanned the globe by 1900. The introduced pathogen diseases killed more colonial soldiers that it could be combated by the military doctors. The colonialist introduced diseases which latter killed the soldiers before they could get the medication which indicates that everything has its time. As much as there was more death from diseases, more death was recorded in World War I which proved that war is not good. It is therefore very important for humanity to focus on the impact of any technological advancement before putting it to use. The British and Japanese soldier who died of diseases and weakened them was as a result of man made disaster whose impact was not taken into consideration. It will be important to keep away from activities which pose a life time threat to the existence of humanity as diseases are now living with us perhaps the entire life. Chapter 8: The Biosphere: Forest, Fish and Invasions Many observers predict that about fifty percent of the terrestrial species will disappear in the next one to two centuries. This is because humanity has reached its high energy phase and refashioned the world. The level of oxygen has been increased in the air to a level that can not sustain some microbial organism, and it is therefore, a poison to them. It has also created room for the cyanobacteria to thrive which are tolerant to the high concentration of oxygen. Humanity has developed advance tools, which can not sustain terrestrial species hence they are likely to be eliminated. There is an urgent need for humanity to change the way it carries its activities as many terrestrial species are in danger ranging from forest, fish to microbial organism. These species plays important roles at ensuring our well being by providing raw materials used in industries, providing daily food among others. It is therefore, upon the human race to resolve to activities which are environmentally friendly such as reduced coal use, combustion, treating raw sewage, afforestation among others. This will help in conserving and balancing the ecosystem which will ensure the survival of the terrestrial species and other organisms at risk. All the degradation, which has been taking place on the earth’s surface, has been as a result of men activities hence there is the need to substitute them with sustainable activities which will keep the biosphere and promote it at whatever level. This will not only help at ensuring and maintaining our biosphere but also for the well being of man in a good environment. Chapter 10: Fuel, Tools and Economics The author argues on some of the impacts that have been felt as a result of the fuels we use and tools on the effect they have on the economy. Different sources of fuel have been used in aiding the movements and as well as combustion. This has largely had a negative impact to the environment. The author categorically pointed out at coal and the train economy which has depleted the trees as a result of pollution from exhaustion. The urban centers have been polluted from unsafe fuel as well as tools used leading emission of green gases. The author also notes that besides this pollution to the environment, the public or the people agreed to work in polluting the environment as long as it guaranteed their job as others worked at reducing the pollution. The modern world is full of technological advancement, which has impacted it both negatively and positively. Coal has been one of the most used form of energy and it has continuously affected the environment in a negative way leading to global warming, which is witnessed today. Green gases are very toxic and have adversely affected our environment making it not sustainable. This is a major societal concern since the more the action continues the more humanity and other living things will get hurt and destructed. It is therefore, upon the human generation to take into consideration what is sustainable in terms of economy and the tools we use. Chapter 11: Ideas and Politics This chapter focuses on the government policies which have facilitated environmental movements, as well as degradation. Different governments in the world politics share different ideas in relation to environmental conservation as others have no ideology in conserving the environment leading to its destruction. The author underscores the mixed consequences as a result of political decisions. He notes green revolution as one of the political policies which fed many people besides promoting monoculture and promoting the landed elites in most parts of Latin America and Asia. Different ideologies and politics have enhanced various impacts to the environment both positive and negative. From the above discussions, politics plays an important role in determining the fate of the environment. Different leaders who come into power have different ideology, which paves way for either in preserving the environment or destroying it at the expense of the people. As much as the country or the entire world wants to conserve the environment, leaders should share their ideologies at ensuring that the environment is conserved. This might call for joint effort among the countries as witnessed with United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). This helps in putting the countries at a level playing ground in conserving the environment as well as in developing policies based on the shared ideology. The humanity too has a role to play in ensuring politics do not take a centre stage in degrading the environment and should be prepared at opposing any ill motive of opposing the moves. This will ensure the politicians have respect for the environment since people have the power of deciding what is best for them. References McNeill J, R. (2000). Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World. New York: WW Norton & Company. Read More