Plants and Human well being

Plants have always played an important role in people's lives. Throughout the history, plants have been the source of food, building materials, fuel, medicine, paper products,cosmetic, fibres and spices. in recent years people have begun to realise that plants can also provided people with sense of well being. The following are some of the ways in which plants make our lives more pleasant.

• Plants provide us with clean air to breathe each day
• Plants can modify extreme climate such as high temperatures in the cities. Plants reflect most of the sun's radiation and give off moisture to the air through transpiration. The shady areas under trees are cooler due to a decrease in the intensity of sunlight and the cooling effect of transpiration
• Plants can help to control the glare from car headlights. This can be archived by planting trees or shrubs along the highway or road dividers. Plants can also reduce the glare caused by reflected sunlight from pavements or glass windows and walls.
• Plants can effectively control erosion. Tree, shrubs, ground covers and grasses help prevent erosion by intercepting and breaking the impact of raindrops and holding the soil in place with their roots.
• Plants can reduce noise by absorbing and breaking up the sound waves. Densely growing plants can be effective for controlling sound such as highway noise

 
  From the above, we can see that plants have numerous functional purposes as well as aesthetic value, all of which are of increasing importance to the physical and mental health of the modern man due to the change in life style and increasing urbanisation.

Role of human being in maintaining the balance of nature

Human being are a part of the ecosystem. Human beings interact with the ecosystem to obtain food, water and other resources. Human activities have consequences on the ecosystem. We have the intelligence and the means to exploit the environment to our advantage.In doing so, we may upset the balance of nature.It is the moral duty of everybody to look after the environment and ensure that every species has the right to live in harmoniously with the environment.If the environment deteriorates, the survival of humans and other living organisms will be seriously threatened.

The importance of maintaining a stable, productive and balanced ecosystem.

1)      A stable, productive and balanced ecosystem ensures a harmonious life.

2)     A productive  ecosystem means that the level of biodiversity is high and there is a large number of organisms. This, in turn, provides a lot of resources for human beings.

3)     A stable ecosystem means that natural resources are still available and the destruction of natural habitats does not take place. This will provide humans with various resources such as timber, fuels, raw materials and water.

4)     A balanced ecosystem means that each individual species lives harmoniously with one another. The presence of one species will not create problems for another species. There will not be depletion of any resources. Pollution will be kept to a minimum.

5)     An ecosystem like this will enable future generations inherit God’s wonderful gifts.  

Conservation and Preservation

Conservation and preservation are two responsibilities that go in tandem. We cannot conserve without making an effort to preserve, and we cannot preserve if we do not learn to conserve. Conservation and preservation are means to protect the ecosystem from destruction, prevent the natural resources from depletion, and maintain the population of endangered species.

1)      Conservation and preservation  involve our active participantion.

2)     Conservation and preservation:

a.      Allow future generation to learn, appreciate and understand how animals and plants struggle to survive under the pressure of environmental changes.

b.      Prevent the extinction of plants and animal.

c.       Discourage humans from destroying natural habitats when they are exploiting natural resources.

The importance of conservation and preservation of living organisms.

1)      Conservation and preservation ensure that we continue to get our foodstaples like vegetables fruits, rice, cereals, poultry, meat and fishes.

a)     Conservation refers to the intelligent, careful and systematic use of resources without bringing any harm to living organisms in the environment.

b)     Preservation refers to the measures taken to keep living things and their environment in their original and balanced state.

2)     Both efforts allow us to continue using natural resources like petroleum, natural gas and timber.

3)     These two measures ensure that we continue to get clean water and fresh, clean air.

4)     Conservation and preservation efforts will ensure that we have a favourable climate to live in.

5)     They ensure that future generations will have the chance to enjoy beaches and forests. Wildlife and exotic plants will continue to exist.

Solving Environmental Pollution

Some of the environmental problems can be solved easily and immediately by individuals. Others require the combined from various countries, over long periods of time.

What can you do to prevent pollution

• Throw all solid waste that cannot be recycled into litterbins, not into drains or on the ground. 
• Pour all liquid wastes into sewers and not into open drains, rivers or the sea.
• Stop using products that contain harmful substances such as CFCs which can damage our environment
• Use products that are made from recycled materials such as recycled paper.
• Take part in project such as caring for the environment such as tree planting campaigns and cleaning-the beach-beach projects.
• Use public transport such as public buses and trains.

What the community can do to prevent pollution

• Organise campaigns and talks to make the public more aware of the need to care for the environment and how environmental problems can be solved or avoided.
• Organise and sponsor environmental projects on a large scale such as reforestation projects and river cleaning projects.
• Support or carry out scientific research to find the best ways of protecting the environment and solving its problems.
• Work together with other communities and organisations in sharing experience or expertise in caring for the environment.

What the government can do to prevent pollution

• Act and sustain the country's high standards of clean and green environment.
• Educate citizens to care for both the local and global environment.
• Carry out checks and monitor industries that pollute the environment.
• Promote the use of environment-friendly products and devices such as unleaded petrol.
• Encourage its citizens to recycle.
• Set up governmental bodies that are responsible for controlling water, air and soil pollution and for managing the disposal of solid waste effectively.

Air, Soil and Water pollution

Air Pollution

Air pollution occurs when harmful substances called air pollutants are released into the air leading to:

• Global climate changes caused by greenhouse gases such as global warming which brings strong winds, droughts, flash floods and heavy rains that destroy the habitats and their occupants
• Toxins in the air such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide released from industries and vehicles. They result in the formation of acid rain that corrodes stonework and metalwork of buildings, destroys trees in the forest and kills plants and animals on land and in water.
• Thinning of the ozone layer.

Soil pollution

Soil pollution occurs when harmful substances called soil pollutants are released into the soil. Soil pollutants, such as toxic chemicals, pesticides, fertilisers and waste from dumping grounds can seep into the water  and surrounding soil. The toxin in the soil may be absorbed into the plants that eventually poison the animals that feed on them.

Water pollution 

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances called water pollutants are found in the water.

Examples are:

• The release of untreated sewage into the water due to poor solid waste management. This may harm humans and other living things organisms and cause diseases such as cholera.
• Oil spills or discharge from tankers and factories into water. Fish and other marine life will be killed. Marine animals and seabirds may drown or freeze to death because the oil causes their fur or feathers to stick together.