Man Vs. Nature
It has been a gradual to exponential destruction of the natural habitat our Earth has provided. In the search for comfort and accessibility, we humans have built up an environment that is not sustainable and damaging to the rest of the residents of the world. Ice caps melting, massive temperature differences, extreme weather, global warming, oil spills, species extinction, and so many more side effects of human population growth.
It is no longer an active destructive pattern but a passive side effect of the population explosion. As our numbers increase exponentially, our requirements and reliance on natural resources have also increased, draining the planet of its ability to sustain life. There have been 81 volcano eruptions that have taken place in the year 2022, out of which 31 have never erupted before. This leads to several harmful gasses being released into the atmosphere, poisonous ash mixing in the air we breathe in, and climatic temperatures rising. Volcanoes have claimed over 250,000 lives in the past 2 centuries.
When the earth was formed, it became sustainable for habitation because it formed the perfect land and air conditions to let living organisms grow and survive. Due to man’s activities all over the globe, these temperatures are altered and the reactions are life-threatening. Places like India have seen extreme amounts of rain causing floods that the cities are not equipped for along with the highest ever temperatures recorded in over a century. The United Kingdom too recorded the highest-ever temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius this year.
At least 30 people have been declared dead in the US since the Bomb Cyclone hit. Texas has seen several tons of crops being destroyed due to drought. Although drought has always been around, the conditions have become severe. The droughts not are prolonged and have recorded higher temperatures. Hurricane Ian hit Cuba and moved up to affecting more than 50,000 people in Florida.
Approximately, losses of over $72 billion dollars were reported in the first half of 2022 whereas several billion dollars worth of losses is reported every year. The problem is that the reason for natural disasters has changed over the years and most of them are not weather-related disasters such as floods, cyclones, drought, wildfires, and sinkholes to name a few. As per the UN, humanity is spiraling into self-destruction.
These weather-related disasters again boil down to the way humans have shaped the surround. Industries and the continuously increasing number of vehicles on the road cause majority of the global temperature rise leading to an imbalance in ecosystems. Due to rising temperatures, water in lakes reduces due to evaporation and causes the humidity to increase in that area. This water precipitates on higher grounds or bigger water bodies such as a sea or the ocean due to their colder temperature and increases the level of water. In case of precipitation on hills or mountains, the water overflows through rivers and causes flash floods devastating life, habitat, and anything along its path.
It is not too late for us to adopt change and save not just our, but our future generations too. Plant trees so that they can help against floods and temperature imbalances that have already started to show their effects. Use biodegradable/compostable products that can support the environment in the long run. Reduce our reliance on non-renewable resources and understand the necessity of using resources as much as is required and not anything more that can be wasteful.