Environmental Science: Water Campaign and Sustainability Analysis

This essay critically examines a water campaign, focusing on the complex issues of sustainability. It delves into the impact of human activities on the nitrogen cycle, exploring factors such as burning fossil fuels, the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, deforestation, ranching waste, and sewage issues. The essay analyzes the consequences of these activities, including eutrophication and the saturation of nitrogen in the environment. It highlights the implications of these changes on both human populations and the environment, discussing the creation of dead zones, soil degradation, and the impact on water quality and aquatic life. The paper also explores the role of nitrogen in various biological processes and the impact of human interventions on this crucial cycle. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and emphasizes the importance of understanding and mitigating the negative impacts of human actions on the environment.

Critically discuss one water
campaign that demonstrates the
complex issues of sustainability.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Factors responsible and their consequences....................................................................................1
Impact of man's activities on nitrogen flow................................................................................1
Burning fossil fuels.....................................................................................................................2
Nitrogen based fertilizers............................................................................................................3
Deforestation...............................................................................................................................3
Ranching waste producing stuff and sewage issues....................................................................4
Saturation of the nitrogen............................................................................................................5
Implications .....................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Nitrogen cycle is considered as a cycle in which nitrogen is being converted in various
chemical forms while surrounding the environment. The whole process of conversion can be
carried by either the physical or the biological processes (Fowler and Vitousek, 2013). Nitrogen
has a very important role in various activities such as growing of plants etc. but there are a huge
range of human activities that have an influence on the flow of the nitrogen in the complete
cycle. So, the report involves the factors or human activities that have some impact on the
nitrogen flow. Also, it includes the consequences of those changes on humans as well as on the
environment.
Factors responsible and their consequences
Impact of man's activities on nitrogen flow
The impact of the basic activities that are being done by humans on the whole flow of the
nitrogen cycle is quite wide. The influence can be very well observed by some activities such as
many times, it can be seen that the human waste has been directly discharged in the water bodies
such as in rivers, lakes etc. Also, there are enormous number of industries that along with
causing air pollution, pollutes the water as well because the wastes from the pipers etc. from the
industries and the waste from it directly goes in the river bodies. So, in water bodies, the
presence of nitrogen can be because of such activities of humans only. Nitrogen is considered as
a very versatile element that exists in both organic and in inorganic form. Along with this, its
presence has also been observed in various oxidation states. There are different layers of
atmosphere and the movement of nitrogen within these layers such as between the biosphere,
atmosphere and geosphere is considered as the nitrogen cycle. There are various activities
happen in which nitrogen also takes place (Mosier, Syers and Freney, 2013). There are various
sources which includes nitrogen. Also, the microorganisms has their own participation in the
process of transformation of nitrogen. Also, there are some physical forces available that has
their own impact and they act on nitrogen. So, like these, there are various other factors as well
in which the nitrogen acts as an essential component of the environment but in some cases, it
has some negative factors as well. There are a range of basic activities that are been taken by the
humans and they have an impact on the overall nitrogen flow of the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen is
also considered as one of the most important nutrient available for managing the survival of the
humans. Also, it is classified as one of the essential component of various biomolecules such as
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DNA, proteins etc. There are various human activities that have an impact on the nitrogen flow
of the whole cycle and these are discussed as under :
Burning fossil fuels
The combustion of organic material is also considered as one of the essential part of the
nitrogen cycle. It has been observed that whenever these fossil fuels are burnt such as coal,
petroleum, natural gases etc., so it releases a huge amount of various gases such as sulphur,
oxygen and even nitrogen also in the atmosphere. Also, in case of burning of the organic
materials as well such as the trees, brushes etc., it also makes the release of various gases
including nitrogen in the atmosphere. Thus, it can be said that humans have made a huge
alteration in the flow of the nitrogen cycle. The alteration here refers to the disruption of the
nitrogen cycle because these activities make a sort of alteration in the level of nitrogen present in
the biosphere. Out of all the activities that are somehow responsible for having an impact on the
nitrogen cycle, burning of the fossil fuels have been considered as one of the major factor that
might have much more effect on the flow of the nitrogen in cycle. It is considered so because
when these fossil fuels are being burnt, nitric oxides are being released in the atmosphere and
there, it gets mixed with some other elements as well which are further responsible for causing
factors such as smog or acid rain.
On burning the organic component as well, usually various greenhouse gases are being
released which are responsible for causing global warming. In this, a huge amount of the energy
from the sun is being trapped in the atmosphere. People and various basic activities of life are
quite dependent on the burning of the fossil fuels so it cannot be avoided as well. So, they
continuously release the amount of carbon that is being stored in it, which means adding much
more carbon dioxide in the environment (Erisman and de Vries, 2013). As we know that nitrogen
is considered as a very important part of life because it has involved within it various nucleic and
amino acids. There is also a very important energy molecule for the living beings which is
classified as the ATP. There is a process known as nitrogen fixation, which is the only way for
providing the nitrogen directly to the animals and plants. Also, in various processes, the nitrous
oxides are being penetrated in the soil which makes some loss to the nutrients such as potassium
and calcium. These two nutrients are responsible for managing a level of balance in the
ecosystem. When there becomes a loss in these nutrients, the fertility of the soil starts decreasing.
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Also, the level of acidity in it increases to an extent which is not good for maintaining the quality
of the soil.
Nitrogen based fertilizers
Nitrogen is a very important element that is required by the plants to grow. The growth of
the plants is dependent on the rate of nitrogen present in it. So, for increasing the growth rate of
the plants, it has been observed in various cases that people involves various methods for
converting the nitrogen from the atmosphere into nitrogen fertilizers. Then, adding the same to
the plants can be considered as one of the best and efficient ways for increasing the overall
growth rate of the plants. Usually, in areas where the soil has lost all its fertility, people use these
transformed fertilizers there for starting a growth of the plants there as well. But if these also are
being overused by the humans, it can actually have a negative impact on the environment. In
various cases, when the quantity of nitrogen fertilizers has been used in excess in the soil, it leads
to the growth of weeds rather than that of plants (Hietz and Wright, 2011). In such conditions,
the amount of nitrogen is being washed that causes the nutrients in a surplus quantity which
further results in a process known as eutrophication. Often water from one body flows to some
other water body, so when the water bodies that have nitrogen in excess travels to some other
water bodies such as oceans, lakes, it has a negative impact on the same. It is because often they
are responsible for making a dead zone in which the level of oxygen comes to a very low rate
and also to sometimes zero, which becomes further responsible for the fact that water animals
does not feel able to live in such environment, resulting in death of these. It is because the dead
zone created has very lesser or no level of oxygen so it is obvious enough that an environment
like this is hard to be lived in, whether it is about the humans, animals or water bodies. So, it can
affect the life of water bodies as well.
Deforestation
Deforestation is also considered as one of the reasons for causing some changes in the
flow of the nitrogen in the cycle. Deforestation is a process in which the tress are being cut for
the personal use of the people such as some use it for their cattle's etc. So, when trees are being
excluded more, carbon dioxide in lesser levels is being taken up as well (Clough and Condron,
2010). It means the rate of carbon dioxide is being increased in the environment, which is further
responsible for causing global warming. Deforestation is also responsible for causing some
minimizations in the organic nitrogen. Because of fewer trees on the environment, the chances
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for soil pollution also increases to a huge extent. After excluding the trees from the environment,
the carbon dioxide is taken up in quite lesser amounts which leads to global warming.
Deforestation is also responsible for making some minimizations in the organic nitrogen. In this
whole process, soil erosion along with leaching act as important role. The production of nitrate
can become less as well after which it actually has a negative impact on the growth of the plant.
Plants and trees are being burnt and the burning produces the nitrogen oxides and that are
actually the green house gases. From the soil, different types of nitrates are being eroding and
leaching inside the supply of water. It has a very negative impact on the quality of water. Also, it
is bad for the water bodies that are living inside the water such as various marine animals , fishes
etc. So, in such an atmosphere, it is quite difficult to survive, so more than half of the marine
population that stays inside the water dies.
Ranching waste producing stuff and sewage issues
The main issue with the wastes that are being excluded from the industries, factories and
even from the household chores usually causes sewage issues and also affects the bodies of
water. Also, it causes water pollution on a huge extent. A very major factor that can relate to it is
the fact that the water pollution is considered as very dangerous because it leads to the process of
eutrophication. The algae that is being developed minimizes the amount of sunlight for all the
marine plants and animals inside the water bodies and it is very important element to survive
inside the water. After some time, when the algae is being rotten, the process of decomposition
takes place and it damages the whole quality of water inside the water body, whether it may be
the ocean or lake etc. The quality of water is being depleted and various dead zones have been
created. In these dead zones, it is quite hard to survive for the water bodies such as fishes, all
other aquatic animals etc. However, it causes a sort of dis balance in the ecosystem. Thus, algae
makes up the food chain and if the same is being consumed by the humans, it can actually have
much effect the health of the individuals. It is because these involve various types of toxins that
may be further responsible for causing various diseases in the environment such as various
respiratory infections, an impact on the nervous system, respiratory system etc. Also, it directly
impacts the functioning of the brain because in this, the brain starts sending and receiving
messages completely, because of which the person is not able to understand and realise things
properly. This all is being done by the toxins that have impacted the brain and other parts of the
body.
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Saturation of the nitrogen
There are various areas where the soil has lost its nutrients and in such areas for initiating
the plant growth, various nitrogen fertilizers have been used. Also, they throw a quite positive
impact on the soil and makes it capable enough that the plants can grow on that. But one stage
comes, when that soil becomes deficient of all the other nutrients that are required for the plant
growth such as potassium and calcium (Canfield, Glazer and Falkowski, 2010). That time is
considered as the nitrogen saturation. At the time when the soil has become deficient of all these
nutrients, it is considered that it requires all the nitrogen nutrients again because the soil uses that
to recover.
Implications
It can be implicated that if some factors and basic human activities stay in the limits, then
it can actually have a very positive impact on the environment as well as on the flow of nitrogen
in the nitrogen cycle. Also, there are some factors that cannot be controlled as these are
important for some operations such as burning of the fuels etc. Burning of fuels is completely
unavoidable because it comes as a very important process for various functions. So, it cannot be
stopped. But what one can do is to involve some replacements of the same such as less smoke
coal, fuel etc. because of which it can have a less impact on the nitrogen level and also on the
environment. Also, if industries try to organise all their wastage in some pits etc., it cannot be
transferred in the water bodies, destroying their quality because when these are being transferred
inside the water bodies, dead zones are being created inside the marine or the water body. Also,
deforestation can be reduced as well because trees are a very important part of the life as it helps
in providing oxygen to all the living beings and in response, gets the carbon dioxide that is being
produced by the human bodies. If deforestation is being reduced, then it can actually help in
minimizing the alterations in the nitrogen level in the cycle. In areas where the soil completely
lacks in nutrients that are essential for the plants to grow, people generally use the nitrogen
transferred fertilizers there but at the same time, it is very important to ensure the fact that the
fertilizers are to be used within sufficient quantities because excess rate of fertilizers if being
used, can actually make the quality of the soil bad for carrying away the process of growth of the
plants. So, these fertilizers should be used within an efficient amount.
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CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the report that nitrogen acts as a very important part for all the
living beings. Although there are various factors that causes some changes and alterations in the
nitrogen cycle, but these can be prevented as well. These human activities involve deforestation
in excess rate, use of fertilizers in a huge extent, wastes from the industries or by household
chores etc. All these activities have an impact on the operations and these are also responsible for
making alterations in the level of nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle. So, some preventive measures
can be used in order to reduce the rate of alterations in the nitrogen flow in the cycle so that the
ecosystem can stay balanced and maintained as well.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Canfield, D .E., Glazer, A. N. and Falkowski, P. G., 2010. The evolution and future of Earth’s
nitrogen cycle. Science. 330(6001). pp.192-196.
Clough, T. J. and Condron, L. M., 2010. Biochar and the nitrogen cycle: introduction. Journal of
environmental quality. 39(4). pp.1218-1223.
Erisman, J. W. and de Vries, W., 2013. Consequences of human modification of the global
nitrogen cycle. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 368(1621). p.20130116.
Erisman, J.W. and de Vries, W., 2013. Consequences of human modification of the global
nitrogen cycle. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 368(1621). p.20130116.
Fowler, D. and Vitousek, P., 2013. The global nitrogen cycle in the twenty-first century. Phil.
Trans. R. Soc. B. 368(1621). p.20130164.
Hietz, P. and Wright, S.J., 2011. Long-term change in the nitrogen cycle of tropical
forests. Science. 334(6056). pp.664-666.
A., , J. K. J. R. eds.,c. Agriculture and the nitrogen cycle: assessing the impacts of fertilizer use
on food production and the environment (Vol. 65). Island Press.
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