Page 3 - SSW: Human-Environment Interaction in North America

Positive and Negative Interactions Pollution Week 8 of 32 • Page 3

When humans settle in an area, they begin to interact with the environment in many different ways. They use the land around Clearing the Air
them to help fulfill their needs. When people make changes to the environment, they modify it. These changes can have When there is a fire, there’s usually smoke, and smoke

positive and negative impacts. in the air can cause problems. Smoke that is a result
of burning fossil fuels can be especially harmful.
More than 25 percent of the electricity used in North
America comes from burning coal. In addition, we burn
enormous amounts of other fossil fuels. Here are some
Conserve energy ways that smoke and gases from burning fossil fuels
can be harmful.

• When fossil fuels burn, they give off greenhouse The Great Pacific

gases, which trap heat on the Earth and keep Garbage Patch 2019
it too warm.
• Acid rain is a result of gases that are trapped in the
air. When moisture collects, particles of chemicals
are collected as well. Acid rain can kill plants and
destroy metal and paint. How many different types of pollution can you think of? There may

• Smoke, or exhaust, can make it difficult for people be more than you think. There’s air pollution (outside and inside),
to breathe and sometimes causes skin sores. land and water pollution (trash and chemicals, like fertilizers), and
Recycle noise pollution (loud, unwanted noises, which can harm your ears),
For these and many other reasons, research just to name a few. Why should you care? Well, all of these pollutants
is being done to discover better ways to produce can affect your health and well-being. For example, air pollution
can cause short-term effects, such as headaches or allergies. It can
Positive Impacts on the Environment energy. Different car companies have released their also cause long-term effects, such as lung cancer and heart disease.
own versions of a hybrid car that has both a gasoline
People can have a positive impact on their environment. Some engine and an electric motor. It uses less than half the Pollution also harms other living things on our planet. Water pollution
ways to do this are by cleaning up litter, protecting endangered gasoline a normal car would but gets almost the same kills animals and harms our natural resources.
species, planting trees, and growing your own plants and power. Consumers will start seeing many new kinds of So, what can we do about it? There are a lot of things that you
vegetables. Other things that can have a positive impact on “cleaner” cars. In learning can do to slow down the effects of pollution on our planet. First of
the environment are conserving water and electricity, using to use their natural all, remember the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reduce your
waste by not throwing as many things in the trash. Reuse things you
reusable water bottles, and buying locally grown food. When resources more wisely, don’t need anymore. Can you give away that old toy instead
we use natural resources wisely, we positively impact the people will have a better of tossing it in the trash can? Recycle materials like plastic,
environment. Plant trees place to live. paper, and aluminum.
It is a good idea to use natural resources more responsibly. You can also choose to purchase environmentally safe products.
One example is implementing recycling programs in Look at the glass cleaner you have at home. Does it have ammonia
communities. About 70 percent of all the garbage we throw protect natural resources and have a positive impact on the in it? That could be harmful to your health. Look for products that list

away can be recycled. The best way to keep our landfills and environment. all the ingredients. It’s not too hard to find

garbage dumps from taking over the environment is to recycle Various efforts have been made to conserve resources and “green” products that are safer for us and
as many items as possible. People can work together to protect the environment in California. In 1999, the California for the environment. But don’t throw those
legislature passed the Marine Life Protection Act. This act old products in the trash or down the
established marine-protected areas throughout the state drain! That waste is hazardous and can
to protect marine animals, their natural habitats, and the cause land and water pollution. Your local
ecosystems in which they live. Organizations like Environment Department of Public Works can tell you
where and how to dispose of those things
California are working to create programs that promote clean properly. Take charge of your health and
air initiatives, drinking water conservation, and the the health of our planet. Everyone needs
development of cleaner energy sources. to work together to make our planet
pollution-free.
Negative Impacts on the Environment
In many ways, people’s interactions with the environment can
be negative. We change the environment when we cut down Adapting to and Modifying the Environment
trees, remove stone, and use natural resources. Agriculture
and mining can also pose a threat to the environment. These
activities can change the landscape in ways that make it no

longer usable. Gold mining has had a significant impact on
the environment of California. While many people came to People adapt to their environment to meet
California to seek their fortunes during the Gold Rush, some of their basic needs and survive. This means
the methods they used to look for gold had a negative impact people change how they live based on their
on the environment that can still be seen today. environment. Everything from plants and
People also produce a lot of trash. Trash often ends up in animals to the weather can change the way

landfills and garbage dumps. Trash can also produce harmful people live. People must adapt to the climate.
They must change the ways they live based
chemicals that can pollute the soil, water, and air. People have on the climate where they live. People around
Clean up litter to be careful to balance their needs with available resources the world wear different clothes, eat different
found in their environment. This helps people avoid having a foods, and live in different houses. People do Sattelite photo of
Salto Grande Dam
negative impact on the environment. all of this based on their environment. The on the Uruguay and A soybean

jobs they do relate to their environment, too. Argentina border field in Brazil
Forestry, mining, and drilling are examples
of jobs that were created based on a place’s
natural resources.
Garbage landfill People modify their environment to meet

their needs. This means they change the
place where they live. For example, people
build dams to provide water for growing food.
People also build homes and schools. They set
up irrigation and farming systems. They build
roads and bridges to travel from one area to
another. They cut down forests for lumber and
to make farmland for growing crops. All of
these interactions modify the environment in
some way.
Farmer repairing
irrigation system in
strawberry field