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Collapse by Jared Diamond Chapter 16:
This is one chapter in a book that examines how societies chose to fail or to succeed. The author discusses the serious environmental problems that face us now and in the past. The fall into twelve groups. In the present we face problems that are increasingly serious. One is that we are losing natural habitats or making them human habitats such as cities and villages. Forests are disappearing at a fast rate in places not only in the amazon but places like Montana. When other habitats such as wetlands, ocean fisheries, and coral reefs are damaged it leads to the second problem which is the loss of wild foods. Especially fish and shellfish. Farmed fish are not the answer to the decline of wild fisheries. I did not know this before this chapter but farmed fish are actually fed wild fish so they are hurting the supply of wild fish. Aqua culture causes pollution and fish that have high toxin levels. Problem three is that genetic diversity and bio diversity are being lost as many small species become extinct. What people don't understand if you lose many small species it adds up to a big problem for humans. For example even a reduction in earth worms harms the ability of the soil to support crops. I have been reading about the disappearance of bees this may not seem serious but if bees decline flowers, fruits, vegetables and other important plants are not pollinated. For every loss of a species there is some effect up and down not only the food chain but in the environment such as the soil. Problem four the author describes as the erosion and loss of soil used for farm land. Other issues affecting our environment now and therefore the future of our societies is that we are running out of major resources. For example the easy to get at oil and gas fields are being depleted. Fresh water for drinking and irrigation and industry are shrinking in supply. Over a billion people today lack access to safe drinking water. Human beings are also using too much energy from the sun with not enough left over to support natural plants and forests. In addition to shrinking supplies of essential parts of our world we are also creating harmful things that impact the environment. On of the worst is the chemicals produced by industry that are toxic and go everywhere into our bodies, the air, the plants and other animals. They can cause birth defects and hormonal changes. Many chemicals are broken down only slowly and once released they are incredibly difficult to clean up. The developing nations such as China are some of the worst polluters to the point that their air in their larger cities is toxic. We are also transferring around alien species from places they are native to places where they are not natural where they can cause terrible damage. Lampreys have devastated the commercial fisheries of the great lakes. Air pollution of course is one of the massive problems directly causing global warming. Over population is another major threat and populations are growing often in places that are considered developing nations that are trying to reach a higher standing of living that consumes more resources. All these problems are interrelated and combined together and will cause catastrophes is certain actions are not taken. This article makes me pessimistic about the future.