Man Is the Greatest Enemy of His Environment

Our surroundings, especially air, water and the delightful greenery, are extremely important for human existence, but unfortunately most of us disregard this vital fact and are responsible for polluting the environment in several ways. We pollute the air in smoke in many ways through smoking tobacco, lightening fires here, there and everywhere, for good reasons and bad. Environments support life forms. Without the biosphere our planet, the only one endowed with an environment that supports life, would be lifeless and desolate. Scientists have told us that the biosphere is made of a rightly balanced mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour etc. Any action that disturbs this fine balance is not conducive to our welfare.

The irony is that man himself indulges in activities that tend to reduce the quantum of oxygen, increase carbon dioxide and other harmful ingredients of the air which consequently becomes dangerous for human existence. The pollution caused by the fantastic increase in the number of motor vehicles in larger cities has to be seen to be believed.

The villagers and other poor people fell trees to get fuel wood for cooking food and to build huts for themselves and their families. They rear goats and cattle for economic reasons but these animals eat up a good part of the greenery which is essential for the environment. Besides, many people kill animals for pleasure or to get hides and horns for selling them in the market. They kill birds for food. As a consequence of these actions the environment is ruined. Rapid industrialization also spoils the environment. Thus man himself in the enemy of his environment.

Multiple biological processes and the work of micro organisms in aquatic systems, as also the action of plants and animals, ensure the maintenance of the requisite balance in the environment. The hazards of environmental pollution have been known for a long time but lately greater importance is being given to the question of protecting the environment from destructive activity.

Many times I have been a mute witness to people cutting down trees for various reasons, and shooting birds and animals for pleasure without realizing that they are doing considerable damage to our environment. Allegation that we are ourselves responsible for spoiling the vital environment.