According to world-famous humanist and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the world is hit most by:\n \n1. POLLUTION - Chemical pollutants have been responsible for affecting the reproductive organs of fish, alligators and polar bears, preventing them from producing babies. \n\n2. HABITAT LOSS - Around half of the forests that once covered the Earth are now gone. Recent estimates suggest that at least 120 out of 620 living primate species (apes, monkeys, lemurs and others) will go extinct in the wild in the next 10 to 20 years. \n\n3. OVERHARVESTING - At least 70% of the world's important fish stocks are over-exploited already. Paper use has grown six times since 1961. Consumption of freshwater has tripled since 1950, and it is becoming a very scarce resource: one billion people world-wide don't have access to clean drinking water. All together, up to half of all new plant growth each year on the planet is taken for human use.\n(credit: BBC)\n\nWhat will you do to save our home?
119307
I was just wondering what more I could do this week.\n\nI recycle paper and plastics... buy reusable products instead of disposable versions.\n\nI would love to get an e-friendly car the next time around.\n\nI should lobby more.\n\nI also taught my students to THINK and care about the planet. That is probably my strongest contribution.
257353
There are many.  What follows are just a few, and I am certain many people would put them into different catagories:\n\nDeforestation is one.  Humans have cut down many areas of natural vegetation and either replaced it with crops or built cities on it.  Plants return oxygen to the atmosphere from carbon dioxide; they reflect light and adsorb heat from the sun.  Both plants and the soil help adsorb water and pollutants.  The more of the planet we pave, the fewer trees and less soil exist to regulate these functions.\n\nPollution is another.  We dump our trash on land and in the oceans.  We create chemical compounds that wouldn't exist in nature and spread them in the land, water, soil and air.  Some directly effect the health of living things; others effect things like the ozone layer, taking away natural system that protect life on this planet.  We dump the heat from our indutrial processes into the atmosphere and water.\n\nAnd, now, we're relatively certain we are creating enough waste of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in our atmosphere to trap excess heat in the atmosphere.  Enough of it to warm the entire globe just fast enough that plants cannot adapt.  Fertile zones will change.  Crops may fail.  Livestock (and wild animals) that depend on plants for forage may die.  Areas that we now comfortably inhabit - with suitable climates and drinking water may become desert.  Others may end up under rising oceans as glaciers melt.\n\nWhat can we do about it?  Everyone will likely have a different answer.  As an American, I have to say I am more guilty than many others who will read this.  The average American family (about 5 people) owns 9 internal combustion (gasoline or diesel) engines; in a still developing nation like China, there is one engine for every 159 people. If the Chinese lived like the American, how much soot, smog, waste heat, and carbon dioxide would be produced on a single summer day of driving, lawn mowing, and boating?  How much could our planet take?\n\nThe answers aren't easy.  In the short term, we can use applicance - from light bulbs to computers - that are more efficient in how they use the energy we make.  We can think about how to reuse things to create less waste; or not use them at all. (Seriously, how much of your groceries really need to be double bagged?  And does your produce really need to go in another bag inside that?) We can decide whether we really need to build a new 3 bedroom house for ourselves, or if an older, smaller place can be refurbished to suit our tastes. \n\nBut, ultimately, we use too much.  We burn too many things to create the energy we use.  Period.  But, what are the alternatives?  Deforest vast tracts of land to crate wind and solar farms?  I will leave you to draw your own conclusions, but it seems more and more like the future of our existence on Earth depends on the right answer.
105399
Exactly. A far bigger emphasis should be put on environment protection than it is getting now. Everybody and every country is only looking at their own interests while the amazing rainforests are being cut and the waters full of oil.. \nI'm from east Europe, air pollution is a big problem here too, still only few people think and talk about these. I hope they won't realise the importance of this when it will be already irreversible.
64225
Hi there, \n\nHere are 5 sentences about rainforests - \n\n(1) We are losing Earth's greatest biological treasures just as we are beginning to appreciate their true value. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years. \n\n(2) One and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries. \n\n(3) Rainforests are being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of its timber by short-sighted governments, multi-national logging companies, and land owners. \n\n(4) Nearly half of the world's species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation. \n\n(5) Experts estimates that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists. \n\nHope this helps. If not, I'd be glad to assist you further. Bye!!\n\nrule wid style n luv@vinny
418329
Yes the forests are disappearing but little is being done to address this issue. Lumber companies in all provinces are supposed to put money into reforestation and the companies are falling short. Government talks a big talk but over the last 25 years have cut funding drastically in this area.Trees do more than help clean the air. They support wildlife and prevent soil erosion and so on. Species  of wildlife will be extinct if something is not done and fast. Where is the governments new environment act..........Oh yeah, that was a lie too. If we all planted one tree a year it would be like a hug to the earth.
167585
There is definately a correlation between the increase in the population of the world and the destruction of the environment.  But remember that correlation is not causation.  Just because two things increase at a similiar rate, does not mean that one causes the other.  The causes of the destruction of the environment, stems from our inability to responsibly advance our society.  It comes from our poor practices as a global society and as local communities.  It comes from our inability to think about how to do things efficiently and effectively while taking into account the environment and our long term comfort and survival.  It also comes from our rapidly increasing technology, combined with our not so rapidly ability to deal with the waste and biproducts that come along with technology.  Simple example: car and smog.  I hope this can start your thought process in the right direction.
47198
We are hardwired to destroy this planet like termites destroy a piece of wood. Surely you have noticed that we are not the same as the other creatures who live here? We do not develope a sense of equalibrium with the environment around us, because we are no longer adapting to fit into our surroundings. Instead we change our surroundings to fit our wants and needs. I believe man is too easily distracted and caught up in his own drama to repair any of the damage he's done.
408672
A human baby. And I'm as liberal as they come. Trees are of course important, whales less so - but they play a vital role. However; humans have rights, animals and plants (largely) do not.
153513
Did you know frogs are good bio-indicators because...\n1. they spend part of their life cycle on land and some in water\n2. have a permeable skin (which allows substances to move relatively freely into its body) and\n3. absorb and concentrate (make stronger) toxins (poisonous substances) in their fatty tissues\n\nDid you know that humans are also animals?\n\nIs a world population of 6 billion too many? Compare that with animals. There are more than a million animal species. There are 6,000 species of reptiles, 73,000 kinds of spiders, and 3,000 types of lice. For each person there is about 200 million insects. The 4,600 kinds of mammals represent a mere 0,3% of animals and the 9000 kinds of birds only 0,7%. The most numerous bird specie is the red-billed quelea of southern Africa. There are an estimated 100 trillion of them.\n\nMammals are the only animals with flaps around the ears.\n\nAfrican elephants only have four teeth to chew their food with.\n\n There are about one billion cattle in the world of which 200 million are in India.\n\nA house fly lives only 14 days.\n\nA dog was the first in space and a sheep, a duck and a rooster the first to fly in a hot air balloon.\n\nThe oldest breed of dog is the Saluki.\n\nThe bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird in the world.\n\nAn ostrich can run up to 70 km/h (43mph).\n\nAn annoyed camel will spit at a person.\n\nThe world's smallest dog is the Chihuahua, which means "tiny dog in the sky."\n\nPea crabs (the size of a pea) are the smallest crabs in the world.\n\n75% of wild birds die before they are 6 months old.\n\nThe pig is rated the fourth most intelligent animal but are mentioned only twice in the Bible.\n\nHerbevores (plant-eating organisms) have more than 1 stomach. \ntry googling. http://www.didyouknow.cd/fastfacts/animals.htm
646148
u can write that government should ban hunting and many maore things...the future of the upcoming generations is in thier hand ....because NO WILD ANIMALS MEANS MORE HERNBIVORES AND MORE HERBIVORES MEAN LESS PLANTS..LES PLANTS MEAN LESS AIR AND WATER....AND IN THE END NO HUMAN......THIS IS TRUE....PLS ACCEPT MY ANSWER BEST$$$
210253
Oh sure then.\nAnd I'll tell you what...\nBetween weather changes and Global Warming, a substantial number of upheavals are occurring in the life styles of many species, some to their unfortunate extinction when they change patterns and can't survive within the changed environment anyway.\nMankind is both a blessing and a curse!
62409
It is Global Warming.  Geologically speaking we are still coming out of the last ice age.  We are on in a natural cycle which has been accerated by pollution.
293315
As is typical, loss of habitat is the greatest concern for AT as well as other special biomes.  For example, the polar bear has a yearly cycle in northern Manitoba and Ontario, in which it goes out onto the ice cover of the Hudson Bay in the fall to hunt, and returns in the winter- Recently, the freeze/thaw cycles have changed, and many of the bears are starving or being trapped on the ice.  Efforts are being made now to provide food and chase them off the early-thawing ice with helicopters, but obviously if the trend continues, it's likely a losing effort.  If the challenge is changing weather patterns, there isn't very much we can do, other than try to minimize the climate changes.  Other challenges include development of the area, especially for oil and coal exploration, which might seriously disrupt migration patterns of the large prey animals.  In general, though, the arctic tundra is not among the most threatened habitats, and so is not focused on as much as, for example, wetlands, rainforests, and coral reefs.
672615
definitely humans, no other species is known to cause so many other species go extinct or near extinct and change so large areas to worse. \n\nsome people say that human influence is natural influence because man is part of nature. than we have to face the fact that we are a perfect natural DISASTER, just like a masssive asteroid on collision course
596858
deforestation removes the protective layers of the earth ,and the soil dries out by the sun ,if the land has been used for agriculture ,the now dry and dusty soil impregnated with agro chemicals (.including pesticides) ,are easily washed into the rivers by the rains.\nhere the mud effects aquatic life because the waters PH levels are  raised in acidity.\nwhich can affect sexuality as well as kill marine life.\nso most of the Damage is in the rivers and coastal areas and lagoons.\nby the time it all reaches the seas things are too diluted to have a marked difference.\n\nbut there are always limits to tolerance .\nif things go on long anough and in increasing quantities ,the life in the sea will also be affected .it already has with the red killer algae(Red tide),a result of chemical contamination
28430
The world has become very overpopulated.  I can remember when they talked ZERO POPULATION GROWTH, but that seems so long ago.  Our large population certainly has a lot to do with our dwindling Natural Resources.  Large Cities and their pollution is causing the GREEN HOUSE EFFECT, which is in turn affecting all of us.  Most Governments will not take a stand on an official population policy because of different religous beliefs.  India that you mention is certainly a country that has religous beliefs that would cause a large population.  The problem is also genetic as it is in nearly every human being the urge to procreate.
237554
Anthropogenic impact means human impact. Even without human interference, the earth goes through natural warming and cooling cycles. Most recently there was an ice age (with glaciers that melted to form the great lakes), and that's why the earth is warming now. "Global warming," though significantly sped up by humans, is a natural process that's been happening since life first began on this planet.