As global warming and climate change become increasingly pressing issues, the impact of humans on the environment cannot be ignored. The hidden chain formed by human activities in triggering climate change involves the destruction of ecosystems, overexploitation of natural resources, and loss of biodiversity. This change not only affects the current ecological environment, but also poses a serious threat to future survival.
The impact of human activities, through countless tiny changes, forms a huge ecological network.
Humanity's excessive consumption directly affects the sustainability of the ecosystem. According to the Global Footprint Network, current human demands on ecosystems are about 70% higher than the Earth’s renewable resource supply. This situation is not only due to the growth of the world's population, but is also closely related to lifestyle, resource utilization and the pollution generated.
In developed countries, resources are consumed 32 times faster than in developing countries, highlighting the severity of the uneven distribution of global resources.
Scientists are warning humanity to remain vigilant about a rapidly growing world population, which has been identified as a major driver of many of today's ecological crises, according to a report. With global meat consumption expected to grow to 76% by 2050, the resulting environmental challenges and biodiversity loss deserve attention.
Different agricultural practices have widely varying impacts on the environment, influenced not only by production rituals and climatic factors such as rainfall and temperature, but also by the form of agriculture itself. Agriculture’s contribution and impact on climate change cannot be underestimated, whether it is the decline in soil quality or the depletion of water resources.
The 2019 report identified overfishing as the main driver of mass extinction of marine species.
In fisheries, overfishing is a major problem, with a growing gap between global demand for fish and sustainable fisheries. This not only affects the sustainability of fisheries, but also puts the livelihoods of fishermen at risk. Therefore, governments and international organizations have begun to manage fishery resources in the hope of balancing demand with sustainable use of resources.
Meat production involves extensive fossil energy, water and land use, and releases large amounts of greenhouse gases. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, about 27% of anthropogenic methane emissions from beef production come from enteric fermentation in ruminants. These figures reflect the significant impact of meat production on the environment, which cannot be underestimated.
With 26% of the world’s land area used for meat production, biodiversity is increasingly under threat.
The production of palm oil has a huge impact on the global oil market, but the damage it causes to the environment is even more shocking. The cultivation of palm oil trees is often accompanied by large-scale deforestation, resulting in the loss of habitats for rare species and affecting the ecological balance.
ConclusionIt can be said that there is an intricate relationship between global warming, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. This is not only a policy and technical challenge, but also involves human lifestyle and consumption habits. As the global population continues to grow, how can we reduce the impact of these activities on climate change and work together to protect our planet's resources?