‘The environment is the main cause of our health woes today.’ Discuss.
Important definitions to note/address before attempting the question:
Health Woes: Health conditions that impact human health and cause them distress.
The question asks how environmental issues cause humans to suffer from health problems which can have detrimental effects.
Points to note:
The question requires one to analyse the relationship between human health and the environment (Earth).
The question points to the fact that damage to the environment will ultimately impact humans and their health.
Agree:
- Industrial pollution sources, such as power plants, factories and chemical plants contribute significantly to air pollution which leads to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
- The increase of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels causes a greenhouse effect that is potentially dangerous to human health in the long run.
- Air pollution causes a significant impact on people's health. Climate change and ultraviolet radiation, contribute to more than 100 diseases and injuries.
- Water pollution leads to people contracting diseases as they ingest contaminated water which leads them to suffer from diseases like diarrhoea and cholera.
Against:
- Apparent exaggerations of environmental problems - the government takes significant actions to solve the environmental issues that cause health problems. For example, the UK government deterred polluting vehicles from city to cut levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution.
- Man has addressed some of the problems he has inflicted – eg. technology has reduced the impact of industrialism/pollution.
- People are responsible for their own lifestyle and significant health woes like obesity and hypertension is caused by erratic lifestyle patterns like diet, sleep and lack of exercise.
