1. Negative Effects of Humans on the Environment

2. Human activity can have a positive or a negative impact on the surface of our Earth.

3. Human activities can cause erosion.

4. Human activities can accelerate erosion.

5. Earth’s resources can be reduced or used up if humans don’t use conservation strategies.

6. When hydrocarbons are burned as fuel, they release a greenhouse gas (CO2) that is linked with global warming.

7. Burning hydrocarbons also releases pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons that contribute to air pollution.

8. Certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat in the lower atmosphere (troposphere). This phenomenon has been referred to as the greenhouse effect.

9. Greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons.

10. Ozone protects life on earth by absorbing most incoming solar ultraviolet radiation.

11. The hole in the ozone layer allows Ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth. Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer and has damaging effects on plants and wildlife.

12. Chloroflourocarbons (CFC) released by aerosol cans have damaged the ozone layer and this made a large hole in the ozone layer.

13. Statues are being damaged because of air pollution from burning coal.

14. Strip mining is the process some companies use to obtain fossil fuels
Strip mining is the process some companies use to obtain fossil fuels. They dig giant holes in the Earth, destroying forests, rivers, & lakes.

15. Strip mining can destroy entire ecosystems.

16. People lived on Greenland for hundreds of years until they slowly starved to death. Cutting down all their trees led to their destruction.

17. Cutting down trees ruined Easter Island.