Four friends were arguing about the source of pollution that harms the environment. They each had different ideas about where the pollution comes form that harms the environment.
Leila: I think harm to the environment comes from human activities.
Purity: I think harm to the environment comes from natural processes.
Wyatt: I think harm to the environment both human activities and natural process.
Noana: I do not think it matters if harm to the environment comes from humans or natural processes. It depends on whether the source is non-biodegradeable.
Which friend do you think has the best idea about sources of harm to the environment. Explain why you think that is the best idea.
Scientists estimate that there were about 300 million humans on Earth a thousand years ago. Today, there are more than 7 billion on Earth, as shown below. By 2050, there could be over 9 billion.
Typically as the human population increases, so does the consumption of natural resources. A natural resource is something from Earth that living things use to meet their needs. Every human being needs certain things; such as, food clean water, and shelter to survive. As the human population grows, people need to build more houses and roads and clear more lands for crops. Land itself is a resource.
1
1
Question 3
3.
How does a growing population affect land as a resource?