Anthropogenic actions are the actions exercised by the men. This expression became known when we saw the need to talk about the changes caused by human beings in the environment and what were the impacts caused. O geographic space it is produced by the relationship between society and nature, therefore, human action has generated changes in the environment.
When we refer to the word impact, it is common to associate it with something negative. However, it is important to say that the term "impact” refers to the consequences of changes in the environment, whether positive or negative.
Anthropogenic actions have negatively impacted the planet, harming future generations.
Anthropogenic actions negative for the environment
Currently, society presents a mode of production and action on the environment increasingly unsustainablestable. Many natural resources have been used by man in an unruly way, showing a certain lack of concern with their availability. THE industrialization associated with the capitalist mentality of exaggerated production and consumption, it triggered actions aimed only at obtaining profit, thus increasing the socio-environmental problems, as producing more requires more exploration of resources natural.
THE man's action has accelerated the degradation from nature. Deforestation, pollution of rivers, seas and forests, and the misuse of water and energy, for example, have caused several changes. What once seemed far from our reality is now part of the daily lives of many people, such as water rationing, the hours of will see in some countries as an alternative to lower energy consumption, recurrent floods, devastating droughts and climate change.
Examples of environmental impacts aggravated by anthropic action are:
→ Aggravation of the global warming
The environment became the target of frequent discussions from the 20th century onwards, when global warming, the extinction of several species around the world and the depletion of natural resources have become the main focus of studies related to actions anthropogenic. Most scholars relate global warming to excess polluting gases (gases from the greenhouse effect) emitted into the atmosphere. The layer of gases that forms ends up preventing solar radiation from dispersing, which causes an abnormal heating of the planet. The causes of global warming are also associated with deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels.
→ Black Tide
The oil spill caused by failed extraction has harmed marine life. Algae cannot photosynthesize and, consequently, there is no production of oxygen, putting all marine life at risk.
→ Deforestation
One of the most seen anthropic actions refers to the removal of vegetation for agriculture and the timber industry. The consequences of deforestation are the loss of habitat for many species of animals, impoverishment of soils in the regions where vegetation is removed, changes in the climatic conditions of the affected region, among other problems environmental issues.
→ Inappropriate use of water resources
The lack of water is already a reality in many parts of the world due to the misuse of water resources by man. Examples of anthropic actions that can affect water are:
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1. Irregular use of water for irrigation of monocultures through the diversion of water from springs by farmers and ranchers;
2. Intense use of pesticides in crops, which end up reaching the soil and, with rainwater, can reach the groundwater, contaminating them and harming water quality;
3. Pollution of rivers and seas with sewage spillage.
→Process of urbanization
The multiplication of cities due to population growth has caused changes in the environment. Many cities were unplanned and end up occupying conservation areas, altering the course of rivers and reducing the green area, which is essential for the maintenance of human life.
It is a global need to seek initiatives that reduce the negative impacts caused to the environment by human action. Currently, there are inclinations towards actions aimed at sustainable development, that is, there is a development that uses the natural resources of in an adequate manner and without compromising its availability for future generations, in order to discuss what can be done to preserve the environment environment.
Nowadays, there are sustainable development trends to minimize the negative impacts caused to the environment.
Positive human actions for the environment
Anthropogenic actions aimed at preserving the environment are considered positive. It is already a reality in many speeches the concern to recover what was degraded in nature. Terms such as revitalizing and replanting are present in several studies that aim to minimize the effects caused by man on the environment. The proposal about the sustainable development started in the 1980s. In 1972, in Sweden, the first world conference on the environment, organized by the UN, took place. The second conference was held in Brazil and became known as ECO-92.
Examples of positive anthropic actions are:
1. Reforestation: this anthropic action aims to recover areas that have been degraded. Replanting brings benefits to the soil, the biodiversity of the area and the climatic conditions.
2. Use of filters in industries: using filters that reduce the emission of polluting gases is an important action that can be adopted by industries.
3. Use of biodegradable products: biodegradable products have a shorter decomposition time and do not generate polluting waste.
4. Encouraging policies for environmental education: changing the population's mentality is a big step for development and at the same time a big challenge.
5. Recovery of riparian forests: recovering riparian forests prevents flooding in big cities and possible landslides. Riparian forests are plant covers that play an essential role in the environment: they stabilize the soils, preventing erosion and, consequently, helping to maintain the water quality and biodiversity of the region.
Other actions with positive impacts on the environment not far from our reality are:
Save energy;
Use water resources conscientiously;
Create the habit of selective garbage collection;
Do not dispose of garbage in the streets and rivers, thus avoiding flooding and ecological problems;
Avoid using disposable products and plastic material.
See too: End of plastic bag in the name of the environment
by Rafaela Sousa
Graduated in Geography
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rafaela. "Anthropogenic actions in the environment"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/acoes-antropicas-no-meio-ambiente.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
