Impact of Human Activities on Environment: Understanding Climate Change, Extinction, and Natural Disasters

Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding, and prediction of natural phenomena. The environment is the surroundings or a home which includes humans, plants, animals, insects, bacteria, fungi, water, air, soil, etc. Natural Science is the science that is surrounded by physical, biological, and chemical aspects. Without these aspects,  the environment is incomplete. It helps in exploring the complex relationship between humans and the environment. With the rapid increase in population, the exploitation of natural resources is accelerating. 

Increasing temperatures are primarily driven by excessive carbon consumption, making it a critical factor in snow accumulation. Carbon, a major greenhouse gas, plays a vital role in supporting life on Earth. It is released into the atmosphere during the decomposition of living organisms and absorbed by terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This natural carbon cycle sustains our planet. However, human activities have disrupted this balance by releasing large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere that cannot be effectively recycled by the biosphere. In addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), human activities also release methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons, which have varying lifetimes and potent heat-trapping capabilities. For instance, methane can trap 28 times more heat than CO2, nitrous oxide has a trapping potential 273 times greater, and fluorocarbons can absorb heat at a staggering rate 1000 times higher than CO2. These emissions have disturbed the Earth's natural carbon cycle, with atmospheric CO2 persisting for up to 800,000 years. Scientists have long warned about the heat-trapping nature of greenhouse gases, dating back to the 19th century. Unfortunately, the consequences of our actions have led to environmental havoc. Furthermore, recent days have seen the alarming spread of the Dengue pandemic throughout Kathmandu.

Every year, landslides and floods create chaos not only in Nepal but also in other countries. Nepal has suffered significant losses from Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), with devastating incidents occurring in Bhote Koshi and Sunkoshi in 1964 and 1981. The largest GLOF event was witnessed at Tsho Rolpa. Tragically, the effects of these disasters extend beyond human impact. Species such as the Pangolin, Clouded Leopard, Bengal Tiger, and others face the threat of extinction. Meanwhile, plant species like Callirhoe, Sabriuscula, Puzzle, Sunflower, Hinckley Oak, and many more are vanishing due to the loss of their natural habitats.