Habitats of the Environment
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The earth is in a crisis with trying to sustain the every growing population and the demand for resources. Americans want more consumer goods and manufactures are giving more and taking even more from the environment. This paper will discuss examples of production and consumption habits that humans have and how these habits are growing because the increase in population. Efforts need to be made to find ways to support the growth while also supplying the goods. From clothing to automobiles to the forest, Americans need to find ways to reduce the strain on the environment.
One example of consumption is the deforestation of the lands, which permanently destroys the forest. In todays society there has become an “Increasing demand for food, feed and biofuels” and this “Has become a major driver of deforestation” (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Chapter 3, sec.1). These forests that are being destroyed whether for urban development, crop placement or animal pastures is causing a major gap in the ecological system.
Wood has always been a hot commodity from the early years and to this day and with loggers cutting down trees for housing or for fuel. According to an article entitled “Issues in Global Education” Don Bragaw, the author, states that wood has always been the most sought after product used to create heating fuel (Bragaw, n.d.). The earth is losing trees faster than they can be replanted and with much of the wood going for paper production, society needs to find ways to cut down on paper waste and consumption.
Another reason forests are being destroyed is for farming of agriculture. Farmers are ransacking undeveloped land and leveling trees, so they can have prime land for grazing of their cattle. In the above mentioned article Don Brawgaw states that land “When used for this purpose, forests are cleared away entirely, then used as grazing land for 6 to 10 years, and then left for scrub growth” (Bragaw, n.d.). Think of all the land that is left uninhabitable and to never support tree life again.
To sustain the global population plans need to be put into action on how we can save the forest. One effort would be afforestation, which is the planting of trees on non-forest land. Society needs to start looking at all the unused land, whether it has been used for crop growing or for grazing, and take measurements to stabilize the land and bring it back to its natural soil state. Reforestation can also be put into motion, by making sure where there once was a forest, cut down for wood harvesting, that trees are replanted in the same land where others were taken from. If these efforts can be achieved forests may have a fighting chance to keep up with the growing population and the demand for wood.
Another example of a consumption of material resources is fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are “Natural fuels such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms” (Turk & Bensel, 2011, sec.i.3). These fossil fuels are being depleted every year and the consumption continues to rise and with land being overrun by housing or crops, fossil fuels will soon become extinct. Fossil fuels are a natural resource and they cannot be reproduced, because once they are gone they will be gone forever. Other forms of fossil fuels are petroleum, and natural gas. These fossil fuels are used for making motor oils, gas for automobiles and petroleum can be used to make plastics.
With all the uses for fossil fuels and the