Impacts Of Man On Earth Systems.docx

Impacts of Man on Earth Systems

Humans have become one of the most significant agents of change in the near-surface Earth system. And because all of Earth's subsystems are interconnected, changes in one system can produce unforeseen changes in others. Recorded history indicates that human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major impacts on the lithosphere. Large areas of land are being transformed by agriculture, mining, and the expansion of settlements, which cause erosion and soil movement annually that exceed all natural processes. The activities of modern society are having a severe impact on the hydrologic cycle. Air, thermal, and water pollution affect the condition on both the hydrosphere and the atmosphere with damaging effects in other species and human health. Human activities have a vital role on the alteration of the biosphere, changing or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of many organisms. Activities and advanced technologies that have built and maintained human civilizations have large consequences for the sustainability of these civilizations and the ecosystems with which they interact. As human population grow, the consumption of natural resources increases to provide people with more developed lifestyles, so do the human impacts on the planet.