Understanding Malnutrition and Overnutrition

A state of inadequate nutrition, characterized by insufficient food intake, leading to chronic hunger and poor nutritional status.

A condition resulting from consuming more food energy than the body uses, leading to excess body fat and associated health risks.

A modern agricultural system characterized by high input use, including heavy machinery, large amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, and water. This results in high yields but has significant environmental implications.

The process of altering an organism's genetic material by adding, deleting, or changing segments of its DNA to produce desirable traits or eliminate undesirable ones.

Industrialized food production requires large amounts of energy due to machinery use, irrigation, production of synthetic inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, and food processing and transportation.

Industrialized agriculture significantly impacts biodiversity by causing habitat loss, degradation of natural ecosystems, and loss of genetic diversity through monoculture practices.

A soil degradation process resulting from excessive irrigation in dry climates, where salts build up in the upper soil layers, making it difficult for plants to grow.

Excessive irrigation can lead to waterlogging, causing soil to become saturated and depriving roots of oxygen, damaging plants. It also increases the risk of salinity buildup.

Excessive irrigation can lead to the depletion of groundwater and surface water supplies due to increased usage, exceeding the rate of replenishment. Imagine a bathtub with a faucet always running and a drain barely open - the water level will keep rising but so will the water being wasted.

Waterlogging occurs when water accumulates underground due to excess irrigation, raising the water table and potentially harming plant roots and soil structure. Think of it like a sponge that's been soaked in water, becoming too saturated for proper function.

Genetically modified crops are engineered to be resistant to insects, diseases, frost, and drought. This genetic modification enhances resistance to various environmental challenges, enabling higher yields and potentially reducing reliance on pesticides.

The widespread use of genetically modified crops can lead to the development of pesticide-resistant insects and herbicide-resistant weeds, potentially increasing the need for stronger pesticides and herbicides. Imagine an arms race between plants and insects, where each side gets more powerful with each generation.

One concern related to GMOs is that the introduction and spread of genetically modified organisms into the environment could have unintended harmful genetic and ecological effects. Imagine introducing a new species into a delicate ecosystem with unknown consequences.

Genetically modified crops can crossbreed with wild crop varieties, leading to the introduction of new genes and potentially reducing the natural genetic biodiversity of wild strains. Imagine mixing different types of paint together, potentially losing the original colors.

Falling water tables, decreasing river flows, and disappearing wetlands are all environmental consequences of poor water resource management. Imagine a leaky faucet, slowly draining the water supply.

The three major global uses of freshwater are for residential purposes, agricultural activities, and industrial applications. Think of a house, a farm, and a factory - each needs a water source to operate.

The process by which mined land is returned to its original state or better.

The process of breaking down rocks into smaller particles through natural agents like wind, water, ice and temperature changes.

The supercontinent that existed in the Mesozoic Era, consisting of all present-day continents.

A deep valley in the ocean formed when oceanic plates collide, causing one plate to slide beneath the other.

The waste material left over from mining activities.

A mining method involving cutting terraces into the side of a hill using large machinery, to remove mineral deposits.

The three major rock types: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

A massive, comprehensive destruction of natural ecosystems over vast areas due to mining activities.

Pollution can attach to the materials in aquifers and contaminate the clean water.

Overpumping can lead to land sinking due to the loss of support from the groundwater.

These technologies are used to remove salt from seawater or brackish water to make it drinkable.

Desalination can negatively impact the environment by releasing large amounts of concentrated brine waste, a by-product of the process.

If the water is readily available and wastewater is properly managed, then using a large amount of water is not necessarily harmful.

Floods can spread disease, cause damage, and threaten human life.

Using water-thirsty crops in dry areas can worsen water scarcity issues.

The process of groundwater renewal can take a very long time, sometimes hundreds or thousands of years.