| What Are the Consequences of Misusing the Environment? |
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Most cities develop a lot of trash every day. If it just sits on the roadside or gets put into a landfill, it may be around for decades, and could even release dangerous chemicals into the soil. These poisons can threaten the lives of the people that are living or working near there. If toxic, or poisonous, chemicals get into the water supply, it is possible to put large populations of people’s health at risk, even for people hundreds of miles away! |
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Nuclear waste from power plants lasts the longest. Whether it is stored above ground or below it could be deadly to live there for thousands of years to come! In some parts of the world the land is so polluted they can’t grow crops at all. |
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Farm land is being destroyed through another misuse of the environment. Planting the same crops for many seasons can use up the nutrients in the soil. Planting too much on the same land means the land gets no gets no rest, and soon it will be useless for farming. Irrigation can also harm the land when too much water floods the soil, rotting the roots of plants and letting top soil get away. |
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Cutting down forest destroys thousands of acres of land every day. The soil can easily be blown away and there is less soil. Even if new trees are planted they can not bring back the old forest that has gone through cycles of growth where the tall trees were part of a complex ecosystem that cleaned the air, trapped flood waters, and made a home for much wildlife. |
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