Urbanization and Environment

Urbanization is basically an act. Human have made it happened since ancient times until where it reaches its peak at industrial revolution during the 19th century, when world economy started growing and expanding. There has been drastic change of humans activities going on in this process that up to date, human feel the impact, or rather, human actually have felt its impact less than a century ago.

This urbanization process started with cutting down trees, more trees and more trees to come. Deforestation is needed especially for industry purposes, which most of the time, regardless nature and with vested interests. Human build countless factories with enormous chimneys, sky-high office buildings, skyscrappers, pave way for blacktop or always greens replace with something else. With our growing populations, urbanization is always in demand. The impact of rising demand can be seen in the clearing of forests to produce beef and soya beens in South America and palm oil in Southeast Asia. People will always seek more land and more space to support the increasing populations. Then what about the price?

Amazon basin’s forests take in nearly 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which rainforests across the globe absorb around 15 per cent of the carbon emissions released through human activities. With ongoing and unstoppable deforestation, CO2 which is the main pollutants for air contamination will increase its concentration in the atmosphere. This in turn will result in environmental issues by setting in motion of climate change, and environmental pollutions. Without forests, our ecosystem will be disrupted and become imbalance. Nature living things will have to move in search of new breeding grounds or just lose habitats. Consequently, plants and animals will be known as endangered species or human just wipe them off the face of the earth.

Urbanization also revolves around economic purposes. After all, what’s the point of building more factories and producing products? The manufacturing industry has contributed more poisonous and hazardous gases ever. Products and services are always increased in demand and so keep them busy. Keeping up with the consumer demands meaning more coal, gas and oil are being burned. While these fossil fuels are close to use-up, its gases primarily CO2 which emitted will eventually lead to heat being trapped by the atmosphere. That heat causes glaciers to melt, alters the climate and brings about floods, droughts and even affects delicate habitats and animal species. The fact is, atmospheric CO2 used to be 280ppm (part per million) before industrialisation; it’s now over 380ppm. It is the cumulative effect of emissions over time, for which developed countries are responsible. Developing countries are increasing their emissions but their contribution to the concentration is still very small.