Currently, our habits of overutilizing the environment are damaging it to the point where it can no longer support the lives of multiple species, including humans. Humans are overutilizing the environment because we are consuming too much. We are consuming too many products, energy, and water which is causing the limited supply of resources that the earth has to diminish. Due to earth resources are constantly being used without the chance to replenish there are a variety of damages and harm being done to the entire earth ecosystem. Since the earth is being constantly damaged there are some forecast that is being made. Three forecasts that I consider include major loss of biodiversity, the oceans becoming acidified, and climate change not being stopped.
In the future, the earth will have a major loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the diversity found in an area or habitat. Earth will have a major loss of biodiversity because humans constantly take and take from the environment without giving it a chance to replenish. This continuous cycle of overutilizing the environment causes a loss of biodiversity among plants and animals. There is a loss of plant biodiversity because humans currently are destroying the forest to make more room for large monocultures, which is a type of agriculture that grows only one crop. There is a loss of animal biodiversity because humans are taking resources from the animal’s habitats that they depend on.
Since they depend on these resources, they can no longer survive without it, therefore, the animals will either have to find a new home, or they will die off. Therefore, humans overutilizing earth resources will contribute to the loss of biodiversity in the future because we have yet to stop consuming without consideration for the environment. Since humans are continuing this trend, despite the projection made by scientists, I have no hope that humans will change anytime soon.
Next, the overutilization of earth resources will contribute to the oceans becoming acidic in the future. Humans consuming many of earth resources, such as fossil fuels, is contributing to oceans becoming acidic. Fossil fuel consumption emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which comes back down into the oceans and make them acidic. When greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide combine with water a new compound call carbonic acid is formed. Carbonic acid is not stable, so it breaks into a bicarbonate ion which releases hydrogen into the ocean. This hydrogen molecule decreases the pH levels of the ocean which makes it more acidic.
Since humans have not stopped consuming fossil fuels and keep emitting greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, I have no hope that they will change anytime soon. If humans do not change now the oceans will become very acidic and cause coral reefs and organisms with calcium carbonate shell to die off. If these organisms being to die, then the entire marine ecosystem is a stake. However, even with this knowledge, many humans refuse to change which is why I believe that the oceans will only become more acidic in the future.
Lastly, climate change will not be stopped. Warning about climate change has been forecasted for years now and yet people still have not changed. Even with the recent forecast that we have less than 15 years to change our habits people are still not choosing to change. Although there are a variety of movements being done to increase knowledge about climate change, I think the system we have set in place will still not change. I project this belief because too many people in our culture only care about money. Since too many people who have power only care about money, they will not even try to change the system, even with life as we know it is at stake.
This is a direct consequence of the overutilization of earth's resources as a way to gain money. Climate change is occurring because of the overconsumption habits of humans because we are constantly being told that consuming is good and is needed to sustain our lifestyle. However, if humans choose to change and fight for change in the system to protect the environment then we might be able to avoid the major impacts of climate change.
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