Environmental Health and Health Effects of Environmental

[HailieHills]

Environmental health and health effects of environmental change are issues that affect everyone in the world. There is a number of ailments that now influence the human race and are a result of environmental degradation. This environmental degradation is caused by nothing else than the activities that we partake of on a daily basis. Environmental health is highly affected by things like pollution, which adversely affect our health causing diseases like cancer and respiratory problems among others. Water, air and soil pollution is rampant in industrialized countries but their impact is being felt even by those who have little to do with it. Diseases and natural calamities due to global warming are more evident today than ever before. The aim of this paper is to highlight what the neglect of the environment has cost the human race in regard to the quality of life through good health.

Synopsis

The lesson learned is that good health is dependent on the environment a person or even any other living organism lives in. Our eco-system determines the quality of our lives and when we do not take care of the environment a lot of things go wrong. According to the research, air and waterborne diseases among other illnesses affect many people. Scientists have discovered that there is a relationship between environmental exposures and impaired cognitive development in kids. By-products of disinfectants are also suspected to be leading to bladder cancer.

The environmental degradation does not only result in natural calamities but has a strong connection with diseases such as asthma, cancer, stroke, waterborne diseases, neurological disorders, stress-related disorders, foodborne diseases among others. It has been documented that nearly a quarter of the people who die annually suffer from ailments that are a result of living in a poor environment. All the individuals seeking treatment are in one way or another sick because something is wrong with their surroundings. People who are already suffering are at greater risk if they are still living in the same environment, which puts their lives in great danger.

If nothing is done to improve the environment more and more people will be at risk of getting sick or even dying. Climate change has led to an increase in the number of storms, droughts, heat-waves and flooding cases, which affect health in a negative way. Many governments are caught unaware because they are not well-prepared for these disasters. This makes things worse as the lack of treatment or quick interventions lead to more deaths and suffering. Besides protecting the environment, governments should invest in infrastructure to be able to handle the hardships they will have to face from time to time. With the change in technologies used in agriculture among other fields, these environment-related diseases are expected to increase. New chemicals are being introduced every day and as a result, new health challenges are expected to arise.

With many people unaware of the consequences of the usage of these chemicals, which end in the food chain and rivers, there is a need to create awareness. Bodies which are supposed to monitor the environment are expected to do more and involve the masses to ensure that the health of the people is not put at risk. With the change in communication human beings are becoming more reliant to gadgets such as mobile phones, computers, television sets, fridges, and microwaves among other electronics. People are living in electromagnetic fields because they either do not know or they must use these gadgets. The impact might not be felt today but these individuals are at the risk of getting sick in the future.

The influence of environmental health cannot be ignored and new policies and legislation are required. This is the only way that governments can use to tackle the emerging challenges in an effective way. Action should be taken in good time or it will be too late to save lives and the planet. Population growth and urbanization put more people at risk considering that there is more environmental degradation. Besides that, a bigger number of people is exposed to danger. Lifestyle is also playing a major role in the health of the people and when all these factors are put together the future might be full of health problems. Poor diet, smoking, large numbers of individuals taking alcohol or using recreational drugs makes them more vulnerable. People are exposed to more than one toxic substance hence increasing their chances of becoming ill.

Environmental Factors

There are environmental factors that impact on human health. One of these issues is the quality of air where industrialization has reduced it. Air pollution is also occurring due to an increase in the number of vehicles and the use of energy sources that are unfriendly to the users. When the air is polluted people are at the risk of contracting airborne diseases such as asthma and respiratory allergies among others. Water is another factor which affects health. Many water bodies are polluted because a lot of chemicals are directed into them. Substances used in the farms, in the houses, and in the industries end up in water bodies. In some towns, sewage is directed into rivers putting the water users in the risk of waterborne diseases. These illnesses include typhoid and cholera.

When the environment is polluted the harmful substances get into the food chain posing a health risk. Chemicals that end in water bodies affect the quality of seafood. A lot of fruits, in their turn, are contaminated with insect sides which are harmful to the human body.

Human beings are also in danger due to manmade structures like the electromagnetic radiations, which originate from phones and other electronics. The number of individuals utilizing cell phones is increasing considering that they are more affordable and they have become more of a necessity. The world has witnessed an increase in soil salinity, higher sea levels, and temperatures. This has not only caused more natural calamities but it is also causing health problems. An example is a situation in India where hundreds of people die due to heat-waves. This can also be connected with poor health due to regular droughts which make many people vulnerable to starvation and ill malnutrition.

Hundreds of people are also exposed to health risks while at work. Those who work in noisy places or in industries, which produce hazardous wastes, are at risk. The jobless are unable to reject jobs which put them in danger hence many employers do not consider their working environment.

My Role in Improving the Environmental Barriers

The environment is suffering from the adverse effect of human beings. We are accustomed to dumping and using chemicals that affect the environment just to get proper yields in the fields or in the industries. Crops are being sprayed with very potent chemicals so as to mature faster and cover the food gap in the markets. Only a few people are aware that the chemicals end up in the water supply and in our glasses of water. The residues can be eaten as part of the groceries we purchase daily. The industries are not left behind in producing heavy smoke that destroys the ozone layer, which permits UV rays to get to the earth making it warmer than it should be. This causes diseases like cancer. Dumping cannot be ignored either. The plastic bags are killing millions of animals and ending up in drainage pipes causing clogged pumps and free sewers running.

My role in improving the environment would be to recycle the bags I already have in the house and try to use non-plastic eco-friendly carrier bags. Instead of dumping aimlessly, there are garbage collection points that could take care of the garbage and even go ahead to sort and recycle some of it. To promote my health while doing something for the environment, I would walk to work or ride a bicycle. The biggest step of all would be to make my own little forest by planting trees. Bringing the community together to plant trees would really help heal the environment. If one community had started then another one caught on, the trees planted would arrest most of the air pollution. The plants would help absorb the sun and clear the air so the ozone would also get some time to repair itself. Finally, breathing the cleaner air would go a long way in promoting the health of the people living around that catchment area.

As much as we could pretend and ignore the environment, nature makes sure this does not happen. Destroying the environment means the health conditions of the people are deteriorating along with it. In the paper above, different ways of environmental degradation and health deterioration have been highlighted. Quality of living has been compromised due to the bad environment. If each person was to take time and do a small deed toward improving nature then the world would offer us a better quality of life. A deed as simple as the planting of trees would go a long way in replenishing the environment. If we take care of the environment, it takes care of us.

About the author

Hailie dreams to be a famous writer. She decided to earn some money for publishing her book and started work as a writer for papermasters.org. It's a service of quality essay assistance which can help you to deal with challengeable writing tasks.