Environmental Change Explained

• Environment change is explained

Environmental Balance

• Environmental balance can occur naturally if the components involved in the interaction can play a role according to the conditions of balance
• The process of energy transfer and biogeochemical cycles must be ongoing for the balance to remain
• Environmental balance can be disrupted if there is a change in the form of a reduction in the function of a component or the loss of a component
• This can cause the breaking of the food chain in the ecosystem
• Changes in the environment can occur naturally due to natural disasters, human activity, and animals
• Natural resources are available to support the survival of living things
• Humans are able to develop science to utilize natural resources
• Excessive use of natural resources risks affecting environmental balance

The Impact of Human Activities on the Environment

• Altering forest functions into agricultural land and plantations will impact the environmental balance
• Habitats of living things are threatened by exploitation in forests and waters

Types of Pollution

• Based on the type of pollutant, pollutants are divided into chemical, biological and physical pollutants
• Based on the environment affected, pollution is divided into water pollution, air pollution, and soil pollution

Pollution Process

• According to Indonesian Law No. 23 of 1997 concerning Environmental Management, pollution is the entry or inclusion of living things, substances, energy, and/or other components into the environment
• It means a change in the environmental order by human activities or natural processes, so that the quality of the environment becomes less or unable to function according to its designation
• Some chemical substances react in air, water, or soil, indirectly causing pollution
• Pollutants directly poison and disrupt the health of living things or disrupt the ecological balance of water, air, and soil

Water Pollution

• Direct pollution occurs due to the disposal of waste into water bodies, specifically chemical pollutants such as waste or physical pollutants such as household waste
• Elevated levels of nutrients, organic and inorganic waste, wastewater, and the use of explosives for catching fish are some causes
• Eutrophic conditions allow algae, micro-aquatic plants and water hyacinths to grow lushly and cover the surface of the waters

Air Pollution

• Air is polluted if there is one or more physical, chemical, or biological substances in the atmosphere in amounts that can endanger human, animal and plant health and reduce environmental quality
• Human activities that cause such pollution:
  • Power plants contribute 21.3% of air pollution
  • Industrial processes contribute 16.8%
  • Fuel use contributes 14.0%
  • Agricultural byproducts contribute 12.5%
  • BBM processes and distribution contribute 11.3%
  • Settlements contribute 10.3%
  • Biomass burning contributes 10.3%
  • Waste treatment contributes 3.4%
• Some types of gases that can cause air pollution:
  • Nitrogen oxides
  • Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • Sulfur oxide compounds
  • Particles

Nitrogen Oxides

• Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and nitrogen monoxide (NO) are needed by living things as protein building materials
• Nitrogen dioxide is naturally formed in the atmosphere and by plants, soil, and water
• This gas pollution results from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, as well as the food processing industry
• Nitrogen oxides will react with unburned gasoline fumes and other hydrocarbon substances to form low ozone or smog
• NO₂ in the air that humans breathe increases respiratory problems such as coughs, flu, and bronchitis
• In plants, it causes spots on the leaf surface as well as necrosis and interferes with photosynthesis

Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide

• Carbon dioxide gas together with dust and droplets of water will condense to form clouds
• Clouds have the property of absorbing sunlight so that the air temperature on the Earth's surface will increase
• Carbon monoxide gas is naturally formed in the atmosphere, mountains and natural electrical storms
• Human activities that produce CO are the combustion of fossil fuels and domestic waste
• This gas binds to blood haemoglobin, disrupting O₂ binding
• Increased levels can affect the central nervous system and cause decreased fetal weight & increase infant mortality and brain damage

Sulfur Oxide Compounds

• Sulfur dioxide gas (SO₂), sulfur trioxide (SO3) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is created
• Sulfur is produced by volcanoes and human activities such as the use of coal in industry and transportation
• SO₂ and H₂S gases can combine with water particles to form acidic substances
• Poisoning by large amounts of SO₂ gas can cause breathing difficulties, fainting, and death
• SO₂ pollution causes white or brown spots on leaves
• Acidic substances cause corrosion on buildings, metals, clothing, and plants

Particles

• Liquid particles: water droplets or mist cause shortness of breath
• Solid particles: dust, volcanic ash, imperfect combustion of carbon fuels, domestic and industrial waste combustion, solid particles from living things (spores and pollen)
• All particles can disrupt human health and cause chlorosis, necrosis, and black spots on plants

Soil Pollution

• Pollution occurs when pollutants such as man-made chemicals enter and change the natural soil environment
• Erosion of chemicals and solid waste reduces soil quality
• Chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides can settle and accumulate in the soil
• The effects of contaminated soil include disturbances to the central nervous system, kidney disorders, immune system disorders, and skin diseases
• The impact on the ecosystem can be the extinction of endemic species of soil insects and the entry of chemicals into the food chain, endangering the lives of many species

Effects of Pollution on Human Life

• Loss of several species of living things
• Trigger the emergence of diseases
• Global warming is occurring and is likely to continue if warming persists

The Greenhouse Effect

• Solar radiation is reflected back into space
• Some is absorbed by the atmosphere
• The atmosphere is an envelope of gases around the planet
• Some radiation is re-radiated back to the ground
• Some radiation becomes heat from the ground, and is radiated back through the atmosphere into space

Pollution Control Efforts

• It's important to reduce pollution from the source to prevent more severe environmental impacts
• Replacing household appliances or motorized vehicle fuels with environmentally friendly materials is a good approach
• Need to create standard environmental quality standards, environmental monitoring and use technology to solve environmental problems
• Need to implement sustainable management and development

Conclusion

• Human activity creates contamination
• Human Activities -> Waste
• Waste is broken down into categories
  • Industrial Waste
  • Transportation Waste
  • Household Waste
  • Agricultural Waste
• Waste that has been created leads to
  • Air pollution
  • Water pollution
  • Ground Pollution
• Prevention and mitigation efforts are available to address the impact of human activities and waste