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Through a greater awareness of ecological principles and
application of these principles to our natural environment,
humans can help assure there will be suitable environments for
succeeding generations of life on our planet.
Individuals in our societies will always have to make
decisions on proposals involving the introduction of new
technologies. Individuals in these societies
need to make decisions which will assess the risks, benefits,
trade-offs, and costs of these new
technologies. The economic rewards of these
technologies must be properly balanced with any adverse
consequences these new technologies may have on the
environment. It may be impossible to
completely assess the consequences of introducing a new
technology, but critical questions in reference to its
introduction must be asked.
While the overall impact of humans on the planet's ecosystems
have been negative, humans have done many things to improve
the overall quality for living things in ecosystems we have
damaged or destroyed. Activities having
possible adverse effects on the environment in New York State
are subject to review by SEQR (State Environmental
Quality Review Act). Some other ways in which
humans have attempted to minimize negative impacts or improve
the ecosystems we are all a part of are listed in the table
which follows.
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Some Positive Influences of Humans on
the Ecosystem |
- Sustaining endangered species by using habitat
protection methods such as wildlife refuges and national
parks.
- Passing wildlife management laws, such as game laws
and catch restrictions.
- Adding lime to Adirondack lakes in an effort to
neutralize their
acid pollution so the original living things in these
lakes can be reintroduced.
- Design new products which meet basic needs without
generating pollution.
- Inspection of all materials before entering the
country to prevent pest introduction.
- Increased use of biodegradable packaging
materials which will recycle themselves quickly to the
environment.
- Use fuels which contain less pollutants, such as low
sulfur coal and oil.
- Remove pollutants by using such devices as
afterburners or catalytic converters before they enter
the air.
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