Urbanization and Human Influence Essay -- Environmental Geology Essays

Urbanization and Human InfluenceIt is estimated that by the stratum 2000, half the world population will live in urban surrounds (Porter and Brown, 1996). The US Bureau of the Census defines an area as being urbanised if a central city and its closely settled surrounding ground are of a certain size with 50,000 people and density of at least 1,000 people per square mile (Knox, 1994). A component of the exposition denotes that human influence is a main aspect of urbanized areas in the process of urbanization. Unfortunately in order to create an urbanized area, a rude(a) environment moldiness be destroyed. Urbanization and human cloakion at law within an urban system produces many destructive and irreversible personal effects on natural environments such as climate change, air pollution, deposit and soil erosion, increased flooding magnitude, and loss of habitat. Cities in an urban environment change the local climate dramatically. Temperatures are always warmer in the city tha n it is in the surrounding areas creating a sort of heat-island (Harms, 1994). In a city, the suns energy is not used in the aforesaid(prenominal) way as in open landscapes with vegetation and trees. Concrete, stone, asphalt, and roofs tend to act as solar collectors and emit and absorb heat. The burning of fossil fuels excessively emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that heat up the ambience around the source and usually the source is within urban environments. Cities withal tend to be cloudier, rainier, and less humid than their surrounding areas. Cities are 10 pct rainier and 10 percent cloudier and have a 25 percent lower average wind speed, 30 percent more spend fog, and 100 percent more winter fog than nonurban areas (Keller, 1996). Average relation humidity is six percent... ...an up and rebuild cities in balance with character (Merrifield and Swyngedouw, 1997) rather than destroy natural environments. With more and more people accompaniment and moving to cities, the problem will extend beyond existing boundaries and take in more damage to the natural environment. The effects of urbanization on the environment are permanent and extensive and urban policy must change in order to save what is left in the natural world. Literature CitedHarms, Valerie. 1994. The National Audubon Society Almanac of the Environment. G.P. Putnams Sons New York Keller, Edward A. 1996. environmental Geology. Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River. Merrifield, Andy and Erik Swygedouw. 1997. The Urbanization of Injustice. New York University shorten New York. Porter, Gareth and Janet Welsh Brown. 1996. Global Environmental Politics. Westview Press Boulder.