Man's Impact on the Environment

1. Human Accidents:Most of the time damage due to humans to the environment occur over many years however,some events could happen in an instant with long-lasting consequences.

1.1. The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska has had a lasting impact. Releasing almost 11 million gallons of crude oil into an otherwise unspoiled stretch of wilderness, the accident killed an estimated 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales and billions of salmon and herring eggs [source: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council]. At least two species, Pacific herring and pigeon guillemots, have not recovered from the disaster. As recently as 2006, scientists continued to find traces of oil on beaches around the Sound The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska has had a lasting impact.

2. Pollutions:

2.1. Water Pollution

2.1.1. Irresponsible discharge of wastes from industries such as fertilizer run off and oil spills damages the ecosystem.The pesticides used by farmers every year have now polluted nearly all of the nation's streams and rivers including the marine life with chemicals that causes cancer and birth defects.The 450 million kilograms of pesticides U.S. farmers use every year have now contaminated almost all of the nation's streams and rivers, and the fish living in them, with chemicals that cause cancer and birth defects.

2.2. Soil pollution

2.3. Air pollution

3. Our Everyday Lives:

3.1. The smallest actions done in our everyday lives contributes to the environmental changes that are happening today.For instance, how we warm our homes, power our electronic appliances, what do we do with our garbage, how we travel to and fro places and even where the food that we eat comes from matters and contribute to the environmental changes that are harmful to Mother Earth.

4. Overfishing:Today's advanced fishing technologies plays a main role in the depleting population of marine life in oceans all over the world. Commercial fishing boats are now readily equipped with large nets that can scoop up an entire school of fish within minutes.

5. Coal Mining: Coal not only introduces a great risk to the environments's climate change but also endangers local ecosystems.Mountain tops removal and strip mining and two of the worst environmentally catastrophic forms of mining.305 meters might be removed off the peak of a mountain to obtain the coal inside causing the mountain to hollow out as minerals are extracted in mountain tops removal.As for strip mining, it is used when coal is nearer to the surface of the mountain, the top layers are scraped off(including trees and any creatures living in them) to extract valuable minerals.