Environment

Environment means physical habitat which surrounds us like plants, animals, land, water, air, etc. Environment plays a vital role in our life. Our survival on this planet is due to suitable environment existing on Earth. Availability of air, water, land, trees, enhances life on Earth. Climate is governed by these entities present on Earth. Existence of life depends on various processes occurring in nature like water cycle, food chain, oxygen cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, etc. Nature tries to maintain equilibrium in itself. For example, we inhale oxygen and exhale CO 2 in atmosphere and plants do the reverse process in day time thereby maintaining equilibrium in CO 2 and O 2.

According to law of biodiversity, “Every species possess its own importance in maintaining equilibrium on Earth and we don’t have any right to take the lives for our benefit.” Nature possesses herbivores to control the growth of plants and trees and possess carnivores to protect forest and control the population of herbivores. Lack of any of these disturbs the equilibrium.

Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, landslides, tsunami, volcano eruptions, etc. are some phenomenon which gave rise to a new natural feature like formation of Himalayas took place by collision of Indian tectonic plate and Asian tectonic plate. Formation of Sahara desert is due to soil erosion. Formation of Andes mountain ranges is due to volcanic eruptions in that area which is the part of Pacific Ring of fire.

Pacific Ring of fire (Image: Universal Images Group Editorial)

These disasters are dangerous for some species and beneficial for other like meteor collision destroyed dinosaurs but enhance mammals on earth which shows the transition system of nature. Everything is dynamic in nature. Nothing is permanent on Earth. Transition process occurs every second.

Every disaster occurred of its own happens for good sake but disaster happened due to human activities results in destruction only. Environmental degradation happened due to privatization of nature 5000 year ago. This privatization led to major environmental problems like deforestation, global warming, loss in biodiversity, Urban sprawl, etc.

By Madhvik Chauhan