HUMAN IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS - PART 1
May 9th, 2007 by admin
This segment of human impact on ecosystems, I thought, should start with describing some of the main culprits causing global warming, hence climate change.
One of my most interesting reads was about how large an effect cattle have on the pollution index scale. It gives another meaning to greenhouse gases altogether… pun intended.
1) carbon dioxide (CO2), caused by fossil fuel…
and wood burning
2) nitrous oxide (NO2), from the decomposition of animals wastes and fertilizer use
3) methane (CH4), produced by bacteria notably in animal guts, in sediments, flooded rice paddies, gas and oil wells, rice paddies, cows (belching, flatulation/gas and dung/feces).
4) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), famous for use as a refrigerant: Freon
Human involvement seems to be in almost all of the all of the above. For human impact on ecosystems to become less of a destructive force, we need to change our way of thinking, our habits and maybe even deny ourselves from some of the things we think we really need. A simpler lifestyle perhaps?
Peace.
GlobalWarmingHotSpot.com