How man destroys the environment. Human impact on nature, negative impact

We all know that humanity has already caused irreparable harm to the environment. The post-industrial era has led to pollution, a reduction in the biodiversity of animals and plants, the industrialization of forest areas and climate change. Of course, plants, factories, production and even agriculture are largely responsible for what is happening to the environment today. However, people hardly think about the fact that the usual things that surround us every day can also become detrimental to our planet. These are everyday items that can become a deadly weapon against the environment.

Accumulators and batteries are in the house of every person, because today it is simply impossible to imagine your life without a huge number of gadgets and electronic devices. However, sooner or later the day comes when the battery runs out. Statistically, only about 15% percent of the billions of alkaline batteries are recycled after use. According to scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency, batteries account for more than 50% of toxic emissions from all household waste. At the same time, batteries account for 0.25% of all emissions. Used batteries contain mercury, cadmium, magnesium, lead, tin, nickel, zinc. When discarded, batteries corrode (their metal coating is destroyed), and heavy metals enter the soil and groundwater. From groundwater, these metals can get into rivers and lakes. Just one AA battery pollutes 400 liters of water and 20 square meters of soil with harmful components. Harmful substances accumulate in the human and animal body, affecting the work of almost all organs, blocking the work of enzymes and causing malignant tumors.

Discarded plastic bags do not decompose, meaning they can, in fact, remain in nature for an average of about 500 years! Around the world, people use about 4 trillion bags every year: this number kills millions of birds and untold schools of fish. Every year, more than a hundred thousand whales, seals, and turtles die from plastic bags in Newfoundland alone. For these reasons, in a number of countries the use of plastic bags as household packaging is limited or prohibited, and on August 23, the ECA Movement holds an annual action - “A Day Without Plastic Bags”.

Since the 1950s, global plastic production has doubled every eleven years, and about 300,000 tons of plastic waste end up in the seas and oceans every year. There, large fragments gradually break up into small bright pieces, which are often eaten by marine life and birds, mistaking plastic for food. But if in 1960 only 5% of the examined birds had plastic fragments in their stomachs, then in 2010 this figure reached 80%. Birds often mistake floating bottles, lighters and other objects for fish, and not only swallow them themselves, but also bring them as food to their chicks. That's just plastic consists of toxic components and absorbs harmful substances from the environment. In addition, such fragments do not always pass through the gastrointestinal tract and accumulate in the body, causing intestinal blockage. Often so much plastic accumulates in the stomach that there is no room for food, and the bird dies of starvation.

The gases used to put patients to sleep before surgery accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere, where they contribute to climate change. The results of recent analyzes of air samples showed the presence of anesthetics even in Antarctica. Over the past decades, concentrations of desflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane have been on the rise around the world. Like carbon dioxide, anesthetic gases allow the atmosphere to store more solar energy. However, unlike carbon dioxide, medical gases have proved to be much more powerful than greenhouse gases in this case: one kilogram of desflurane, for example, is equivalent to 2,500 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

It is estimated that out of the 6 trillion cigarettes smoked worldwide each year, more than 4.5 trillion are thrown onto the ground by smokers. So nicotine, toxins, carcinogens and pesticides, which pose a great danger to animals and people, get into the soil, and then into the water. American scientists note that the toxicity of tobacco smoke is four times higher than the harmful effects of car exhaust gases. In their opinion, cigarettes cause no less harm to the planet than cement and asphalt plants.

Paper

Paper is biodegradable, but as you know, each sheet is cut down trees and destroyed forests, as well as energy costs and environmental emissions during its production. Of course, wood is a renewable resource, but not all countries and companies follow its renewal, trying to use what they have to the maximum. Now many manufacturers offer paper from recycled materials, but this is also not a completely harmless solution. When the paper is processed, all of it is mixed into a pulp. This slurry is washed, cleaned and then pressed into sheets of paper. During this process, all waste such as paper fiber, inks, cleaning chemicals and paints are filtered out and sent to one huge pile - paper sludge. This sludge is then either incinerated or sent to a landfill, where it releases dozens of toxic chemicals and heavy metals that subsequently enter the groundwater.

The nature of our planet is very diverse and inhabited by unique species of plants, animals, birds and microorganisms. All this diversity is closely interconnected and allows our planet to preserve and maintain a unique balance between various life forms.

Human impact on the environment

From the very first days of the appearance of man, he began to influence the environment. And with the invention of more and more new tools, human civilization has increased its impact to a truly enormous scale. And at present, several important questions have arisen before humanity: how does a person affect nature? What human actions harm the soil that provides us with basic food? What is the influence of man on the atmosphere we breathe?

At present, the impact of man on the world around him not only contributes to the development of our civilization, but also often leads to the fact that the appearance of the planet undergoes significant changes: rivers dry up and dry up, forests are cut down, new cities and factories appear in place of the plains, for the sake of mountains are being destroyed by new transport routes.

With the rapid increase in the population of the Earth, humanity needs more and more food, and with the rapid growth of production technologies, the production capacities of our civilization are growing, requiring more and more resources for processing and consumption, the development of more and more new territories.

Cities are growing, capturing more and more new lands from nature and displacing their natural inhabitants from there: plants and animals.

This is interesting: in the chest?

Main reasons

The reasons for the negative impact of man on nature are:

All these factors have a significant and sometimes irreversible impact on the world around us. And more and more often a question arises before a person: what consequences will such an influence eventually lead to? Will we eventually turn our planet into a waterless desert, unsuitable for existence? How can a person minimize the negative consequences of his influence on the world around him? The inconsistency of human impact on the natural environment in our time is becoming a subject of discussion at the international level.

Negative and controversial factors

In addition to the obvious positive human impact on the environment, there are significant disadvantages of such interaction:

1. Destruction of large areas of forests by cutting them out. This influence is connected, first of all, with the development of the transport industry - a person needs more and more new highways. In addition, wood is actively used in the paper industry and other industries.
2. wide application of chemical fertilizers in agriculture actively contributes to the rapid contamination of the soil.
3. Widely developed network of industrial productions with its own emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and water are not only the cause of environmental pollution, but also contribute to the death of entire species of fish, birds and plants.
4. Rapidly growing cities and industrial centers significantly affect the change in the external living conditions of animals, the reduction of their natural habitat and the reduction of the populations of various species themselves.

Also, one cannot ignore man-made disasters that can cause irreversible harm not just to a separate species of flora or fauna, but to entire regions of the planet. For example, after the famous accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, to date, a large region of Ukraine is uninhabitable. The level of radiation in this area exceeds the maximum permissible norms by dozens of times.

Also, the leakage of water contaminated with radiation from the reactor of a nuclear power plant in the city of Fukushima could lead to an environmental catastrophe on a global scale. The damage that this heavy contaminated water could cause to the ecological system of the world's oceans would be simply irreparable.

And the construction of conventional hydroelectric power plants does no less harm to the environment. Indeed, for their construction it is necessary to build a dam and flood a large area of ​​adjacent fields and forests. As a result of such human activity, not only the river and the territories adjacent to it suffer, but also the animal world that lives in these areas.

In addition, many mindlessly throw away garbage, polluting not only the soil, but also the waters of the oceans with their waste products. After all, light debris does not sink and remains on the surface of the water. And given that the decomposition period of some types of plastic is more than a dozen years, such floating "dirt islands" make it much more difficult for marine and river inhabitants to obtain oxygen and sunlight. Therefore, entire populations of fish and animals have to migrate in search of new, more habitable territories. And many of them die in the process of searching.

Deforestation on the slopes of mountains makes them susceptible to erosion, as a result, the soil becomes loose, which can lead to destruction of the mountain range.

Yes, and a person treats vital fresh water reserves negligently - daily polluting freshwater rivers with sewage and industrial waste.

Of course, the existence of a person on the planet brings her considerable benefits. In particular, it is people who carry out activities aimed at improving the ecological situation in the environment. On the territory of many countries, people organize nature reserves, parks and reserves, which allow not only to preserve the surrounding nature in its natural original form, but also contribute to the preservation and increase in the populations of rare and endangered species of animals and birds.

Special laws have been created to protect rare representatives of the nature around us from destruction. There are special services, funds and centers that fight against the destruction of animals and birds. Specialized associations of ecologists are also being created, the task of which is to fight for the reduction of emissions into the atmosphere that are harmful to the environment.

Security organizations

One of the most famous organizations fighting for the conservation of nature is Greenpease is an international organization created to save the environment for our descendants. The employees of Greenpease set themselves several main tasks:

1. The fight against pollution of the world's oceans.
2. Significant restriction on whaling.
3. Reducing the scale of deforestation of the taiga in Siberia and much more.

With the development of civilization, humanity must look for alternative sources of energy: solar or space, to save life on Earth. Also of great importance for the conservation of the nature around us are the construction of new canals and artificial water systems aimed at maintaining soil fertility. And to keep the air clean, many factories install specially designed filters to reduce the amount of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere.

Such reasonable and careful attitude to the world around us definitely has a positive impact on nature.

Every day, the positive impact of man on nature is increasing, and this cannot but affect the ecology of our entire planet. Therefore, the struggle of man for the preservation of rare species of flora and fauna, the preservation of rare species of plants is so important.

Mankind has no right to violate the natural balance and lead to the depletion of natural resources by its activities. To do this, it is necessary to control the extraction of minerals, carefully monitor and carefully treat the fresh water reserves on our planet. And it is very important to remember that it is we who are responsible for the world around us and it depends on us how our children and grandchildren will live!

To the question How does a person harm nature? given by the author Victoria Okun the best answer is Well, firstly, a person destroys virgin nature, turning all its large areas into anthropogenic, as it is called in the social environment, creating a "second nature" .... this naturally violates the level of oxygen release into the atmosphere, since valuable trees and other plants are also destroyed by man ... secondly, this situation is aggravated by inventions in industry. With the development of various industries, new ways of manufacturing goods, etc., appear, which negatively affects nature, since as production progresses, a huge amount of hazardous gases are released into the atmosphere, and even modern filters installed on the pipes of factories do not save from harm and pollution... thirdly, from the above problem follows the problem with garbage, which appears in large quantities after consuming the same industrial products... water bodies are polluted by irresponsible factories that throw industrial waste directly into the seas and lakes, without thinking about their future ... again, a person exterminates many species of innocent animals for the sake of daily money and just for his own pleasure ... in fact, there are many such negative human influences on nature, you can even say that they are at every turn ...

Answer from flush[guru]
Dumps waste into rivers, lakes. Drains swamps, cuts down forests, exhaust gases into the atmosphere, creation of artificial reserves,
destruction of animals

Answer from Alla Mikhailets[newbie]
roman bitch

Answer from grow up[newbie]
1. Man is so constituted that he seeks to consciously change nature, adjust it to his needs, and this is the main harm that he does to her. A man builds huge factories that poison the atmosphere and hydrosphere with toxic emissions, a man cuts down forests, plows up fields, extracts underground natural resources, leaving voids underground and mountains of ugly rock on the surface, disturbing the ecological balance. Man has destroyed and is destroying various species of animals and plants. Man builds cities, lays roads, makes fires, litters. Sometimes it seems that the very presence of man is causing harm to nature.
But a person is still a rational being, and in recent years he began to think about the harm that he brings, and about how it can be corrected. If he acts consistently in this undertaking, soon the damage to nature can be significantly reduced.
2. As a conscious and more organized being, man causes great damage to nature (paradoxical as it may seem). Let's start with the banal garbage. Picnics in the spring in nature, after which, as a rule. garbage is not removed. The fire is not really extinguished. For example, plastic bags and bottles are not subject to decay and decay. And that means polyethylene hell. if this is not recycled, not far off. Exhaust gases from cars, a great attachment to cleaning chemicals that only cause harm, cutting down trees and destroying animals ... And this is only a small part of the harm that a person can bring ...

Answer from marriage[newbie]
1.Irrational use of water
Everyone knows that water in the water supply comes from natural sources. Now imagine the morning, the population of a large city and in each apartment, the shower and tap are turned on. Now just think how much water flows away in just one morning. And this is only the beginning of the day, how many times during the day the tap will open and water will flow. For example, all Muscovites taken together spend on average from 200 liters of water to 4 million cubic meters a day. A few years ago there was even a question of water shortages. And such a situation is quite possible, because the resources of the earth are not endless.
2. Toothpaste and hygiene products
Let's talk about water. Whatever you flush down the sink or toilet ends up in the wastewater. Today, a system for cleaning them has been developed, but it only concerns the central sewer. That is, before draining the wastewater into the reservoir, it undergoes several stages of purification. However, she cannot completely cope with the chemical components of hygiene products. The same toothpaste contains fluorine, which, like chlorine, interacts with organic substances and forms dangerous chemical compounds. What can we say about hygiene products that contain various dangerous flavors, surfactants, polymer molecules. All these components, one way or another, penetrate the environment.
3. Car
Everything about the car seems clear. Exhaust gases from a single car emit over ten thousand pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Due to the large number of vehicles, Moscow and St. Petersburg are considered one of the dirtiest cities in the country. Unfortunately, so far the share of alternative eco-mobiles accounts for only a small part.
4.Smoking
In addition to the fact that during smoking harmful substances enter the air, in order to dry tobacco, almost five million hectares of forest are destroyed every year.
5. Improper waste disposal
We have repeatedly written about the fact that improper waste disposal harms the environment. You can read about it on our website here and here.
6. Perfume
Musk is often used in perfumery compositions, it is he who causes the greatest concern among environmentalists. It can penetrate into the adipose tissue of aquatic species. Imagine you are on vacation, scented with your favorite fragrance (which, by the way, may contain a number of chemicals hazardous to health and nature) and plunged into the sea. Congratulations, all the harmful substances along with the musk got into the pond. You may want to have fresh fish for dinner afterwards. There is a chance that you will not only inhale all the harmful components of your perfume, but also eat them.
7. Home cleaning and laundry products
We also wrote about the dangers of such funds. Read this text.
8. Funds for the repair of premises
Today, there are environmental alternatives to unsafe paints, adhesives, varnishes and other repair products that contain hazardous ingredients. True, such funds are more expensive. If you resort to economical repairs, be prepared for the fact that your home will harm nature and your health.
9. Carcinogens from frying food
Craving fried meatballs for dinner? Stop. Think again and steam them, because frying produces a dangerous carcinogen that can cause cancer in humans and animals.

The AiF project "Explaining What's Happening" is dedicated to clarifying simple and at the same time complex issues about the life of Voronezh residents in society. The project is being implemented within the framework of the program “Improving media coverage of the problems of socially oriented NGOs and social (charitable) projects of representatives of the real sector of the economy (including support for NGOs)”.

From April 15 to June 5, All-Russian days of protection from environmental hazards are held. The correspondent of the AiF spoke with Victoria Labzukova, head of the department of activities in the field of ecology and nature management of the Regional Public Organization "Center for Environmental Policy", and learned shocking facts. An average family generates an average of 1.5 kg of garbage per day, about 10 kg per week and 40 kg per month. Now remember the arithmetic and multiply this figure by the number of families living in your high-rise building. And then on the number of high-rise buildings in the city. And then on the number of cities on the planet ...

Victoria Labzukova spoke about the Center's project - environmental classes "Lesson of Water", "Lesson of Cleanliness", "Environmental Problems of the City" - shared how communication with schoolchildren can help the environment in the future.

trash can pest

“Throwing another plastic bottle or piece of paper into the trash, few people think, but where does it end up? When you look at photographs of huge landfills for the disposal of household waste, you begin to come to a simple thought. If we do not collect waste separately, the number of landfills will increase, - says Victoria Labzukova. - Why not donate paper and plastic bottle separately? Plastic takes about 200 years to decompose, although it is possible that a bottle will not decompose during this period. Who knows? Anything that can be handed in separately must be handed over. Another problem is used batteries and mercury lamps, which many residents throw away with household waste. But these wastes are considered hazardous and cause irreparable harm to the environment, ending up at a waste disposal site.”

When he removed it himself, the next time you think about whether to throw a piece of paper or not. Photo: Center for Environmental Policy

- How to properly handle household waste?

In our opinion, one of the most competent ways of waste management is their separate collection. In large cities, this is easier - there are points that accept recyclables. You can donate glass, cardboard, waste paper, textiles, plastic bottles, polyethylene. It is desirable that such points be within walking distance for any resident of our city and region.

- What to do if you do not live in the regional center and want to hand over waste separately?

We do everything in our power. We leave for the districts of the Voronezh region, agree with the heads of municipalities on holding a campaign to collect secondary material resources. In advance, the participants of the action - the population, educational institutions, business entities - begin to collect waste paper, plastic bottles. On the day of the action, all waste collected separately is transferred to specialized organizations. For this purpose, such organizations specially go to the area on the day of the action. During the action, waste batteries are also collected - batteries, accumulators from mobile devices.

- What happens to the batteries that we sell at promotions?

Collected waste batteries are transferred for disposal. The only plant in Russia that recycles used batteries is located in Chelyabinsk. Few people know that you have to pay money for the disposal of batteries. Last year, the cost of this service was 110 rubles per 1 kg of batteries. In 2015, together with the Department of Ecology, a collection of used batteries was organized. For this, containers for collecting batteries were installed in all district administrations, as well as in universities, schools, and libraries. About 500 kg of batteries were collected. In carrying out the campaign, we were supported by partner organizations that paid for the transfer of batteries for disposal.

If you think that building near your home, dumping or cutting down trees is illegal, you can contact the Center for Environmental Policy for help.

- What to do with waste mercury lamps?

By decree of the Voronezh administration, companies that manage apartment buildings must accept used mercury lamps from residents of these buildings. You can take your used light bulb to your management company or homeowners association. There is, however, one requirement - the light bulb must be in the package so that it does not break. And management companies must transfer waste mercury lamps to specialized organizations licensed to collect this type of waste. If your management company has refused you, you can report this to the administration of the city district of Voronezh or contact us.

If you live in the private sector, the mercury bulb must be transferred directly to a specialized organization. The problem is that such organizations, as a rule, are located in the industrial zone, where it is not very convenient to get to. But if you throw away a mercury bulb with household waste, it will go to a landfill. During the burial process, the light bulb is likely to break, thereby the mercury compounds will enter the soil and water, causing great harm to nature.

Children's lessons for adults

Schoolchildren are taught rational environmental management and waste management rules. Photo: Center for Environmental Policy

- Is it possible to develop this habit in society - to think about what you throw away?

Every person must start with himself. Now each of us can, for example, stop using plastic bags and use paper or buy cloth bags. Paper bags can be handed over with waste paper, and fabric bags last much longer than a regular bag.

Automatic machines for receiving plastic and aluminum containers have long appeared in Moscow. Perhaps we will have them too. Solving issues in the waste management system requires an integrated approach, and here we cannot do without the support of our government. Now the legislation in the field of waste management is changing a lot. Soon, I hope, we will come to a more civilized approach. For our part, our organization is doing a lot of educational work in this direction.

- How can you tell the whole city about the ecological lifestyle?

The Center for Environmental Policy organizes and conducts various environmental events and actions, both in the city and in the region. For example, timed to coincide with significant environmental dates - Water Day, Earth Day, Bird Day, Forest Day, etc. We invite people of all ages to participate, but most of the events are aimed at working with the younger generation. We conduct environmental lessons "Lesson of Water", "Lesson of Cleanliness", "Ecological problems of the city". All meetings are held in an interesting game form. Children learn rational nature management, waste management rules, rules of behavior in nature. We also organize excursions for school students to enterprises that collect secondary material resources.

- Why do you focus on the lessons for children?

It is easier to communicate with children, they perceive new information with interest and try to apply the acquired knowledge in everyday life. Children tell their parents and relatives about what they learned during the classes. Again, students who take part in subbotniks develop a more careful attitude towards nature. When he removed it himself, the next time you think about whether to throw a piece of paper or not. Yes, and relatives will have the thought: “My child cleaned here, I won’t litter here.”

eco-active lifestyle

Taking care of the environment is easy - you can not use plastic bags or start making birdhouses. Photo: Center for Environmental Policy

- Where do you go if you want to become an eco-activist?

There are initiative groups of citizens and movements that are not indifferent to environmental issues. They create their pages in various social networks, for example, VKontakte, and inform about their events there. The Center for Environmental Policy is ready to share its experience. We have prepared presentations, handouts. We need volunteers who could carry out the environmental events we have developed.

And there are people who, without waiting for help, are trying to do something themselves in order to improve the environmental situation. So, in Voronezh, an active group of citizens appeared who bought containers for collecting plastic bottles and installed them in the courtyards of apartment buildings. The containers were labeled with phone numbers to call when they were full. This initiative has found a great response from the townspeople, calls are received several times a day. From this we can conclude that Voronezh residents are ready to collect waste separately. Such initiatives, of course, must be supported by the government of our region.

- What to do if you notice illegal dumping or felling of trees?

You see some kind of violation. For example, you think that construction near your house is illegal, or you find a garbage dump, or you notice that work is underway to cut down trees. You can contact our organization, call by phone, write an e-mail or leave information in the VKontakte group. To do this, you must indicate the exact address where, in your opinion, an environmental violation occurs, leave your coordinates, it is advisable to record the fact of the violation and send it to us. It happens that they call anonymously, report that something is happening somewhere and hang up. It is important to leave your contacts so that we have the opportunity to contact and clarify the necessary information. In turn, we send an appeal to the executive authorities, whose competence includes resolving these issues.

If you need to cut down trees in the city, you can contact the environmental department directly. There you will be answered whether there is a permit for felling or not. If there is no permission, the necessary measures will be taken to prevent this fact.

Our organization cooperates with social movements, initiative groups of citizens who are not indifferent to the problems related to environmental protection, and we also actively cooperate with the authorities to solve these problems.

The relationship between people and nature has always been quite complex - a person sought to subjugate it, use it for their own needs and change it in every possible way. Today, people everywhere talk about the negative consequences of global warming, but this is far from the only example of how human civilization and nature influence each other.

1. A warming climate is fueling violence

Many scientific studies over several decades have consistently suggested that the rate of violent crime always increases as you get closer to the equator, that is, as the climate gets hotter. But none of these studies have been able to determine why this is so. There are two main theories. First, hot weather makes people uncomfortable and irritable, and therefore more violent.

Secondly, people in warm weather are more likely to be outdoors and interact more actively, i.e., there are more opportunities for violent conflicts. But researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam believe that it's not so much the heat that's to blame for this behavior, but the slight change in temperature in these regions.

Without having to plan for upcoming seasons, people can focus on the present without worrying so much about the future. This "one-day strategy" can lead to a decrease in self-control and thus to an increase in the number of acts of violence.

2 Light Pollution Causes Early Springs In Cities

Light pollution caused by too much artificial lighting can actually be devastating to natural ecosystems. Over time, the bright lights in the cities gradually "deceive" the surrounding trees and plants, which begin to "believ" that spring has come earlier.

In a 12-year study of four different types of trees, British scientists found that in large cities with a lot of night light, trees bud a week earlier than similar species in rural areas. This has a natural multiplier effect on the surrounding ecosystem, causing disruptions to pollination cycles and bird and bee populations.

3. Cigarette butts are a threat to marine life

Of the billions of cigarette butts produced each year, only a fraction are properly disposed of. An insane amount of them end up in the ocean. In fact, cigarette butts are the most common type of debris in the oceans. They are made up of thousands of tiny plastic particles woven into a fiber that breaks down in the ocean environment.

One study found that the hazardous materials contained in a single cigarette butt could contaminate 1 liter of water sufficiently to kill any fish in that water.

4. People and evolution

Hunting, human encroachment on the natural habitat of animals, as well as other changes in the environment have contributed to the extinction of thousands of species over many centuries. But certain patterns of human behavior may end up giving rise to new species that would never have otherwise. For example, in London there are underground mosquitoes, whose DNA and breeding habits are different from ordinary mosquitoes.

They came from insects that escaped into artificial underground tunnels during World War II bombing raids. Since they are no longer able to breed with other mosquitoes, these mosquitoes are a separate species that was actually created by humans.

5. Nature improves mental health

In 2013, a study by the University of Essex found that clinical rates of depression dropped markedly (by 71 percent) in people who took at least a short walk in nature every day. These results are in stark contrast to the control group, whose participants walked once a day at the mall. Their depression levels dropped by 45 percent, while 22 percent actually felt even more depressed.

In addition, adolescents living within 1 km of green spaces showed a decrease in aggressive behavior. Either way, the authors of the study came to a rather specific conclusion: more green space in urban areas could lead to a 12 percent reduction in violent and aggressive behavior among teenagers.

6. Increase vegetation growth

The melting of glaciers and the gradual disappearance of perennial ice shelves caused by global climate change have had an unexpected secondary effect. In many places where the ice has receded, greenery has appeared in its place.

This long-term trend has been noted by NASA through satellite imagery. In addition to the retreat of ice and rising temperatures, another factor is the increase in the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere, which plants love.

7. Poor people in green areas get sick less

Scientists from the University of Glasgow conducted a study that substantiated the theory that the impact of nature is beneficial to people. After ruling out diseases such as lung cancer, circulatory diseases, and intentional self-harm, the researchers decided to survey the entire working population of England to determine if there was a pattern in the health status of people who could not afford health care living near green spaces.

It turned out that people who live near greenery are indeed healthier, even if they do not visit doctors at all.

8. Mothers living close to nature have big babies.

Ben Gurion University researchers in 2014 noted that mothers in greener areas tend to give birth to babies with much higher average body weights. The study also showed that a much lower birth weight threatens a child with many lifelong health problems.

It has been found that low birth weight is commonly found in economically underdeveloped areas with minimal green space.

9. Roads can have a positive impact on nature

Even though roads are vital to the infrastructure of any society, environmentalists actively protest against their construction. In fact, in 2013, University of Cambridge professor Andrew Balmford suggested that building roads or improving existing roads in some areas could be beneficial to surrounding areas.

In particular, in underdeveloped areas suitable for agriculture, roads clearly contribute to the conservation of vulnerable species of plants and animals, as people simply "stay away from them."

10. Animals adapt to the presence of humans

During the industrial revolution and as a result of the human population explosion, there was a clear effect on the diversity of animal species. Hunting and fishing, despite changes in habitat and migration patterns, have had a negative impact on many species, but not all. Some of them have adapted to thrive in the presence of humans, and learning how they managed to do so may be the key to mitigating the effect of future population growth.

Chipmunks and crows, for example, have completely changed their diet to adapt to city life. Many endangered birds began to settle on the flat roofs of shopping malls.