How does farming affect the environment?

Question

Hi,

Please reply quickly as i need a reply in seconds because i'm at school!

Answer 1

Though this may be too late to use, in short, farming affects all aspects of the environment but it is dependent on how intensive and whether any care is given to that environment. Given the natural balance of air, land, water, and general climate (all can be reduced to interlocking cycles) any and all inputs cause change. Case in point: nitrogen chemical fertilizer. It comes from natural gas, converted into ammonia and other products similar in chemistry. It is not solely the one and only source, but cheap. Natural gas is a reservoir in one aspect of the nitrogen cycle, a cycle involving the atmosphere (78% nitrogen), plants, mineralization, and quite complex. To use one of the forms of nitrogen on the soil we then interrupt and change the whole dynamics of the cycles involved in the soil (life) and the plants that feed on soil solution. Soil cycles and soil life are thrown out of balance, the natural process of mineralization and dispersion of nitrogen, derived from the nitrogen cycle of the atmosphere, are now disturbed and out of balance. We make changes then in the water cycle and the chemical nitrogen that was mineralized in resevoirs, or stripped from the air, or taken from petrolium resevoirs now becomes an inadvertant passenger. Water needed for life is higher in levels of nitrates and that water is low level toxic (links to stomach cancer in animals). These fertilizer components now cause algae blooms in the lakes and pond and oceans and the delicate balance is thrown off. Now there are fish die-offs due to low dissolved oxygen. One species affects another in that ecosystem and this cycle in now interrupted. The sea, the ocean is the resevoir for carbon dioxide on the planet and now this gets changed (carbon cycle). So one by one, the simple act of chemical nitrogen, or even organic nitrogen not utilized with a far reaching understanding, has a cascade effect in all the interlocked cycles. Using the knowlege we have to employ this one aspect of farming in a careful way allows the impact to be minimised. This is just one of a hundred agricultural acts we do and it is just very basic but a good example.

Answer 2

yes because The farmers tear down forest and habitats to make farms.

Answer 3

farming affects the environment positively if done correctly. if farmers grow a different crop in the same soil every season change then the soil becomes extremely fertile if they don't it becomes unfertile and they must use ferteliser which damages the environmen. It can also negatively effect the environment by clearing trees which are the habitat to many animals.

Answer 4

Hi,

Agriculture and Farming as we know is used in many varieties of ways. But some have positive affects while other have negative affects, on the environment. But if I were to sum everything, and equal everything out, I would say the one that affects the environment more, is I think positively. Due to farming and agriculture, there isn’t that many negative affects but even thought this is, there are still some. Before I go on, I would like to educate you with some information on what is happening in Canada’s farmland right now, in the present time compared to the past and the future affects upon the farmlands.  

Not only that, agriculture requires lots of work. It requires long, irregular hours & low incomes in which made people leave the job farming itself. Even the children of farmers, that can inherit the land from their father’s are leaving the farming industry and are trying to find a new, ‘better’ job. It is even known that the average age of farmers are very high considering that most farmers are above the age of 45. As you can clearly see, people give less importance to farm growing; but don’t seem to notice the problems that can collide with a human’s life, when no agriculture happens in life. Luckily, we do have some young people out there that understand the consequences of not having agriculture in the world, and are ready to do farming, but they won’t be able to reach the large expenses that need to be spent.

An amazing fact that I didn’t even expect was the great amount of costs for the land needed to buy. These lands used for farming cost a very large amount. Their start-up costs are $ 500 000- More than $ 1 000 000,and this is just the cost without additional fees for the equipment, mortgage etc. If we look at these farmers can run into many problems. If their crops go at a lower rate than what they bought all the other things for, there can be severe problem occur. There can be loss of land and the farmer can even get bankruptcy from the banks. But luckily there are companies and organizations that help to prevent this, by either making sure that the farmers and farms have enough money or help them by making then share equipment. Now that I have given you some information on how farms and etc are dealt with, I would like to go back to the environmental issues.      

One main environmental issue is the infection of crops. Farmers are using some spray to make sure no pests eat away on their crops. They aren’t to be blamed because all they want to do is protect their hard work, but they should be protecting it in a different way. They should take care of the pests in a different way, because they poisonous spray is not only getting to some of the pests but also the crops that are being grown. Whether you understand or not, the crops we are using may even be infected because of some farmers not taking so much good care of the land, or should I say properly. This can infect the environment because the people that eat the crops may get infected and also many other. The bug spraying may also damage soil, which is a great issue. I think, that farmers should make sure even though they want know pests there, that they should not spray poisonous sprays into the soil and crops.  

Next environmental concern or issue is that requires a lot of proper weathering, and so if the weather is not right, than there can be problems. Farming we know can be a lot of problems. It requires a lot of money that is used for other concerns, in the world. Instead of working on and building so much money on farming, it can be used for other things, like making building. As I mentioned previously, a lot of money is being wasted upon the farming land it self-etc, the farming is way too much and there can be some problems. If all our money is taken there? What will we do for the rest of the stuff? This is what I have to say about the second environmental concern.

Lastly, the last concern looking toward it environmentally, it would be farmers are having lots of trouble maintaining agriculture. You and me may think that keeping agriculture is easy but there are many difficulties towards it. If you have poor practicing skills, and weren’t taught how to crops and plant properly, we may be big trouble. Farmers have a lot on their hand, and if they don’t do it right everything can get ruined. One major thing we wouldn’t want to get ruined is the soil. The soil is a good resource if it stays on the ground and is reusable, but if used wrong, it can totally go wrong. Soil is our most important resource, and we should keep it safely. If not used properly there can be major problems, because agriculture major depends on soil and it’s value. These are the three environmental problems I have found.

  

This was used for my presentation abotu agriculture! Best of luck!!

Answer 5

When stupid F***in farmers drive there f***in tractors on the road at 3 MPH  it makes people late for work and that kills production which kills the economy which kills the environment. F**k the farmers

Answer 6

It can impact the soil, the land, and even the air we breathe if not correctly farmed.

Answer 7

well when they crop dust

it pollutes the air]

Answer 8

it doesnt

Answer 9

It gives us food to eat and prevents thousands of dead bodies (from starvation) smelling up the Earth!  So in that way, it prevents nasty gasses and odors.

Answer 10

It allows us "Humans and Animals" a way to live on this earth cause without it the Human Race would dissapear !!!!!!!!. I mean, people living in cities and suburbs would starve cause our yards couldn't grow enough food to sustain us