Ecosystems And Human Well-Being - Millennium Ecosystem: Fill & Download for Free

Well, when everybody is thinking about the positive changes on our planet and that is we wish should happen, I would speculate the negative effects that could change our planet if humans suddenly disappear.At that second, chaos will begin. Cars, aeroplanes, trains, LPG cylinders, ships, controlled processes in factories would crash and explode causing wild fires. Human indulgence could only stop these but sorry we are extinct. Eventually, it will be the scenario all over the world, each city and production sites. Until these small fires (yes small compared to what is coming next) spread to gas stations and their pipelines, coal mines, refineries, oil-wells, thermal power stations, nuclear plants, weapon arsenals and all other sources of combustible energy.In Kuwaiti oil fires, Iraqi sources burned 605 to 732 oil wells along with an unspecified number of oil filled low-lying areas, such as oil lakes and fire trenches. The fires started in January and February 1991, and the first well fires were extinguished in early April 1991, with the last well capped on November 6, 1991. (Edit: Darvaza gas crater - Wikipedia, burning since 1971)Smoke plumes from a few of the Kuwaiti Oil Fires on April 7, 1991. The sky filled with smoke for months and it resulted into 2% annual increase of carbon dioxide in the world.Imagine if there is accidentally fire in few out of 1.7 million oil wells only in United States and in some estimated 1.1 trillion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide. Also in a few of the 450 nuclear power plants on our planet (Don’t forget Chernobyl tragedy). Any of the 14,485 nuclear warheads and other lethal weapons in the world could blast. Keep in mind we have disappeared to control or stop any of it.Forget about an increase in the number of wildlife, half of them would burn in wild fires and others would suffocate in the smoke. The sky would turn black in the smoke of oil, plastic and rubber killing plants with toxicity. If not smoke than poisonous gases from chemical industries (e.g. Bhopal gas tragedy) will do the rest.Now as these fires increase, there would be oil spills, chemicals and toxic wastes entering in the water bodies. Processes to prevent water pollution in industries will fail and it will pollute all water bodies with toxic wastes destroying aquatic ecosystem. The problems are still not ending. Smoke from fires will lead to acid rain. It will literary rain acid killing plants and destroying fertility of soil. These will also ultimately end up in water sources leaving no drinkable water.Whales killed in oil spills.It is a hypothetical situation but the extent to which humans have prevented the destruction by our own inventions if we disappear these creations would unleash destroying the whole planet in months.Edit: Another big problem is plastic.Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world. 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year, half of which is for single use. Over 1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean.Over 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year so rest of 292 million every year has not entered the ecosystem because most of it is still in our use and after disposable most probably recycled. But if we disappear all of it will enter the ecosystem. And no one is there to stop animals to eat it.It takes centuries or even a millennium for plastic to decompose depending on its type. Imagine over one million animals dying each year for that period.We assume large man-made structures could take hundred of years to destroy but it is not true. The strongest structures like dams and bridge only hold because of continuous maintenance by humans. Without it their life is shortened. Also, there is a limit of a dam to hold water during floods. If the water goes above the capacity of a dam, it can break. That is why humans open the doors of dam to release the water during floods and save the dam. But if we leave these doors closed, the flood water will break the dam washing everything that comes in its way.We still have time to correct our mistakes done in turning the course of nature before nature gives up holding it together.Follow S Rohit for more interesting answers.

Well, if speaking hypothetically, change is inevitable. If humans were born to destroy the ecosystem, then why should humans die in the first place.We destroy the ecosystem, and the planet just reacts or tries to defend itself. If we take this point, then there should be an explanation of how the earth recreated itself before the existence of human kind itself.Earth has been recreating itself since millenniums even without the ‘help’ received from the humans.If it were so, in the ages to come, humanity would cease to exist and it'll pave way to new species.And no creature would want to have it's sole purpose to destroy it's own kind.So, there's no way human’s ultimate purpose is to destroy the ecosystem.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets are broader in scope and will go further than the MDGs by addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people. The goals will cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection.Building on the success and momentum of the MDGs, the new global goals will cover more ground, with ambitions to address inequalities, economic growth, decent jobs, cities and human settlements, industrialization, oceans, ecosystems, energy, climate change, sustainable consumption and production, peace and justice.The new Goals are universal and apply to all countries, whereas the MDGs were intended for action in developing countries only.A core feature of the SDGs is their strong focus on means of implementation—the mobilization of financial resources—capacity-building and technology, as well as data and institutions.The new Goals recognize that tackling climate change is essential for sustainable development and poverty eradication. SDG 13 aims to promote urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.