Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 58

increasing intensity of cropping, more and more species of flora and fauna were annihilated and the process is continuing even now. According to the recent report of International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 15589 species of mammals, amphibians, turtles, tortoises, fishes and plants are threatened with extinction, mainly because of environmental damage caused by 'mankind. Craig Hilton Taylor of IUCN said that this number is greatly underestimated as only a fraction of known species have been assessed. Even apparently robust species from tigers to horse, sparrows are threatened because of habitat destruction from depredations by humans. Extinction rates have increased 1000 fold in last few decades.
Erosion, water logging, salinity-alkalinity, water pollution:
The extent of damage done to environment in disturbing its ecological symbiotic balance, decreasing the diversity and more so by severe pollution of soil, water and air, is so immense that if quantified in terms of money it will be several hundred trillions of dollars every year. The tilling of soil for cultivation dislodges soil and accelerates erosion by water and wind in absence of permanent green cover of forests. The annual loss of soil by erosion is colossal. Indiscriminate irrigation has rendered vast areas useless as a result of water logging, salinity and alkalinity. The use of chemical fertilisers particularly those containing nitrogen has polluted not only rivers, wells, tanks and other water sources but also the oceans where the number and size of oxygen starved dead zones is increasing and almost doubled to 150 since 1990. The size of the dead zones in oceans varies from one sq km to several thousand sq kms. These are graveyards for fish and plant life. According to Klans Toepfer and Marion Cheatle of UNEP the problem is escalating with serious economic and climatic consequence for the planet earth. Most of the water sources, rivers, lakes, tanks, wells are polluted many times more than permissible or tolerance limits with harmful metals viz. lead
43