Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: pollution, burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and more. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, mass extinction, and undrinkable water, among other effects.

This endangered mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) was photographed by National Geographic Photographer Joel Sartore on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, in his ambitious project to document every species in captivity—inspiring people not just to care, but also to help protect these animals for future generations. Before drills disappear, like this webpage has, learn how …

2024年11月15日 · Global warming—a phenomenon caused by anthropogenic air pollution—refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Greenhouse gasses trap heat energy in the Earth’s atmosphere.

2025年1月22日 · Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land.

2024年4月1日 · Light pollution, the excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light, is affecting human health, wildlife behavior, and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects. That Earthly Sky Glow. Light pollution is a global issue.

2024年9月18日 · Marine pollution is a growing problem in today’s world. Our ocean is being flooded with two main types of pollution: chemicals and trash. Chemical contamination, or nutrient pollution, is concerning for health, environmental, and economic reasons.

2023年10月19日 · Litter is spilling out of glaciers, and camps are overflowing with piles of human waste. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed .

2020年11月20日 · Scientists are now utilizing the samples and data they collected during the Expedition to gain unique insights into how climate change and human populations are affecting even the highest reaches of our planet.

2024年4月1日 · People all over the world are living under the nighttime glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and everyone can help.

2023年10月19日 · Plastic pollution is most visible in less-wealthy Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But wealthy nations, especially those with low recycling rates, also have trouble properly collecting discarded plastics.