English 101

Research the effects of the environment on human health. Does the health of the environment affect the health of the human beings within it? Make an argument that supports your answer. Start your research by reading this article: https://orionmagazine.org/article/beyond-the-patient/.

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ANSWER

The Effects of the Environment on Human Health

Introduction

The environment plays a vital role in sustaining human life but at the same time, has the potential to destroy it. It exposes individuals to harmful conditions that lead to the development of diseases and associated conditions. The environment might limit access to basic necessities and cause human mortality. Environmental hazards also increase the danger of acquiring illnesses such as cancer, asthma, and other long-term diseases. Amidst these issues lies the participation of human beings in damaging the environment leading to its inability to cater to their health and welfare. Individuals undertake activities that harm and destroy natural habit. Elements such as pollution, burning fuels, and cutting down trees tamper with the ecosystem. In the long-run, the environment weakens, making it hard to fulfill the human population’s needs. This reveals that humans have a direct influence on the detrimental status of the environment. Even though the environment limits access to basic necessities causing mortalities and health hazards such as cancer and heart diseases, inappropriate management of the natural habitat is a key factor that tampers with the surrounding.

Human mortalities attributed to lack of basic necessities

The environment affects human health due to the inability of individuals to access necessities such as food and clean water for consumption. Environmental risks expose human beings to dangerous agents by upsetting life-sustaining ecosystems. The outcome has always been an increased level of mortalities. A study by Remoundou and Koundouri (2009) shows that “23% of the global premature mortalities are linked to environmental burdens.” Climatic conditions such as heatwaves, floods, and fires are often associated with a rising number of mortalities and morbidities. The same study by Remoundou and Koundouri (2009) reveals that lower greenhouse gas emissions can result in the avoidance of 64,000 premature deaths. The emissions emerging from greenhouse activities affect people’s health and well-being. The study reveals that the status of an environmental setting affects human health by causing increased mortalities. The toxicity that emerges from chemicals in the environment extensively affect the human body. These substances once assimilated to the body, damages body systems. For example, contaminated water is a threat to human life. Once consumed, vital body organs might fail to function appropriately and could lead to abrupt death. Besides generating increased mortalities, a harmful environment also leads to the development of health hazards.

Environmental health hazards such as cancer, heart diseases, and asthma are common health challenges that individuals develop when exposed to a harmful setting. The environment affects human health and well-being (Brusseau et al., 2019). Pollutants act as the key factor behind a poor environment. Human beings are exposed to contaminants, such as chemicals and pesticides that tamper with their health and welfare. Thirer (n.d) argues that nature is unwell and has affected the capacity of medical professionals from fulfilling their ancient duties. Today’s medical innovations have failed to protect patients due to environmental toxicity. Chemicals and pesticides are becoming vast environmental pollutants. “Documented surveys indicate that humans are exposed to more than one hundred synthetic chemicals that generate a wide array of illnesses” (Landrigan et al., 2016). Humankind continues being under the threat of terminal illnesses such as cancer, asthma, and other conditions. The exposure to harmful environmental conditions reveals that the health of the environment affects human beings’ health. However, they should bear the responsibility for their health since some of the activities they undertake directly or indirectly tamper with environmental health.

Humans are responsible for their health and well-being. The health of the environment relies on their daily activities. Myers et al. (2013) state that “human activity is rapidly transforming most of the Earth’s natural systems.” Human-based activities increase the magnitude of disease burdens. For example, activities such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation damage the ecosystem and expose them to diseases. Climatic disruptions continue to expose humans to heat stress, air pollution, and respiratory allergens (Myers et al., 2013). As humans create a strain on the ecosystem through a wide range of activities, the threat, and danger of multiple health impacts increases. Ecosystem degradation affects access to basic necessities such as food and clean water. In the long-run, humans develop deteriorating health and well-being because they are continuously being exposed to harmful environmental conditions. As Thirer (n.d) states, “trusting and helping nature maintains health.” Community members have a responsibility to protect and safeguard the natural habitat if they need to maintain quality health.

Conclusion

Humans tamper with the environment and are thus liable for their health. The deteriorating status of the modern natural habitat continues to expose humankind to mortalities and illnesses. The toxicity generated in the environmental setting at times exceeds the potential of provided medications. Also, terminal illnesses such as cancer and heart conditions emerge from a polluted environment. However, humans must learn to take action over their health and well-being. They carry out activities that adversely affect the environment. As much as the natural habitat affects their health, they directly or indirectly contribute to the harmful state of the environment through the pollution that emerges from fossil fuel burning, inappropriate disposal of wastes, deforestation, and other activities that damage the system.

References

Brusseau, M. L., Ramirez-Andreotta, M., Pepper, I. L., & Maximillian, J. (2019). Environmental Impacts on Human Health and Well-Being. In Environmental and Pollution Science (pp. 477-499). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814719-1.00026-4

Landrigan, P. J., Sly, J. L., Ruchirawat, M., Silva, E. R., Huo, X., Diaz-Barriga, F., … & Ahanchian, H. (2016). Health consequences of environmental exposures: Changing global patterns of exposure and disease. Annals of global health, 82(1), 10-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aogh.2016.01.005

Myers, S. S., Gaffikin, L., Golden, C. D., Ostfeld, R. S., Redford, K. H., Ricketts, T. H., … & Osofsky, S. A. (2013). Human health impacts of ecosystem alteration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(47), 18753-18760. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1218656110

Remoundou, K., & Koundouri, P. (2009). Environmental effects on public health: An economic perspective. International journal of environmental research and public health, 6(8), 2160-2178.

Thirer, L. (n.d). Orion Magazine | Beyond the Patient. Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://orionmagazine.org/article/beyond-the-patient/