Ciencias de la salud

INSTITUTO ANDES

LAB REPORT

HOW DOES THE ENVIORAMENT AFFECT POPULATION?

TEACHER: RICARDO CABRERA

JOSE EDUARDO HERRERA GALEAZZI

2-B

2/08/11

As the century begins, natural resourcesare under increasing pressure, threatening public health and development. Water shortages, soil exhaustion, loss of forests, air and water pollution, and degradation of coastlines afflict many areas.As the world’s population grows, improving living standards without destroying the environment is a global challenge.
Most developed economies currently consume resources much faster than they canregenerate. Most developing countries with rapid population growth face the urgent need to improve living standards. As we humans exploit nature to meet present needs, are we destroying resourcesneeded for the future?
Environment getting worse
In the past decade in every environmental sector, conditions have either failed to improve, or they are worsening:
* Public health:
Unclean water,along with poor sanitation, kills over 12 million people each year, most in developing countries. Air pollution kills nearly 3 million more. Heavy metals and other contaminants also cause widespreadhealth problems.
* Food supply:
Will there be enough food to go around? In 64 of 105 developing countries studied by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the population has been growingfaster than food supplies. Population pressures have degraded some 2 billion hectares of arable land — an area the size of Canada and the U.S.
* Freshwater:
The supply of freshwater is finite, butdemand is soaring as population grows and use per capita rises. By 2025, when world population is projected to be 8 billion, 48 countries containing 3 billion people will face shortages.
*Coastlines and oceans:
Half of all coastal ecosystems are pressured by high population densities and urban development. A tide of pollution is rising in the world’s seas. Ocean fisheries are being...