On Environmental Degradation

By Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope

I remember waking up as a child to the sound of birds chirping in the trees outside our small house. The mornings were cool, and the rivers nearby flowed clearly. You could sit under a tree and smell the sweet scent of fresh grass. That was a long time ago. Now, when I walk around many parts of the city—or even some provinces—I no longer hear those birds. The rivers are brown, the air is hot even before noon, and plastic wraps itself around everything like a second skin we can’t remove.

Something is wrong.

That “something” has a name. We call it environmental degradation—but don’t worry, I won’t fill this essay with complex definitions or scientific jargon. Let’s talk about it like people—like stewards of this earth who’ve forgotten a bit about how to take care of our home.

What Is Environmental Degradation?

In the simplest terms, environmental degradation is what happens when we damage nature—when the land, air, water, and all living things are harmed by human actions. It’s the slow breaking down of the earth’s natural resources. It’s like scratching a wound until it never heals.

Imagine your own home. If you keep throwing garbage in the living room, never fix broken pipes, and burn things inside, soon enough you won’t want to live there anymore. That’s what we’re doing to our planet. We’re poisoning the soil, heating the air, drying up rivers, cutting down forests, and filling oceans with plastic.

And here’s the truth: Earth is our only home. We have nowhere else to go.

How Did It Start?

It didn’t happen overnight. At first, it was small—cutting a few trees, dumping a bit of waste, burning a little coal. But it kept growing. Factories were built. Cities expanded. Mountains were mined. And soon, the planet couldn’t keep up.

We started taking more than we gave back. We acted like Earth’s resources were endless. We thought nature would forgive us, no matter how much we hurt it.

But now, it’s speaking—and not in whispers anymore. Flash floods, rising heat, stronger typhoons, landslides, food shortages, dirty air—these are the Earth’s way of crying out.

What Are the Main Causes?

Let’s simplify it into five main problems:

1. Deforestation – Cutting trees faster than we plant them. Forests give us oxygen, shade, food, and protection from floods. Without trees, landslides happen, and animals lose their homes.

2. Pollution – Throwing garbage everywhere: on the streets, rivers, seas. Burning plastics. Dumping chemicals into water. The air becomes thick, the water undrinkable, and the land infertile.

3. Overpopulation and Overuse – More people means more consumption—more food, more land, more energy. But the Earth has limits. If we keep taking, one day there will be nothing left.

4. Mining and Industrial Activities – These give us materials to build things, but if done irresponsibly, they destroy entire mountains, poison rivers, and leave scars on the earth that may never heal.

5. Climate Change – Caused by too much greenhouse gases from cars, factories, and coal. It makes the planet hotter, melts ice in the poles, and causes irregular weather patterns.

How Does It Affect Us?

You may think, “I’m just one person. How does this affect me?”

The answer is—in every way possible.

• Our Health – Breathing polluted air leads to asthma, heart disease, and even cancer. Drinking dirty water causes stomach problems and deadly diseases.

• Our Food – When the soil is weak, crops don’t grow. When the seas are dirty, fish die. Farmers and fishermen suffer first. We suffer next—through higher prices and food shortage.

• Our Homes – Natural disasters are becoming more violent. Flash floods in areas that never used to flood. Typhoons breaking roofs. Landslides burying lives. That’s environmental degradation at our doorstep.

• Our Future – If we destroy nature now, the next generations—our children and grandchildren—will inherit a broken world. They won’t have the same beauty, resources, or safety that we once enjoyed.

What Can We Do?

Sometimes, when the problem seems too big, we feel small and helpless. But we are not powerless. Change begins with awareness, then action—no matter how small.

Here are some practical, doable things:

1. Plant and protect trees – Not just in tree-planting ceremonies. Protect existing forests. Support reforestation. Even growing plants in small spaces helps the air.

2. Avoid plastic – Use eco-bags. Say no to plastic straws and cups. Bring your own containers. Support stores that promote refillable or zero-waste systems.

3. Dispose of waste properly – Segregate garbage. Learn composting. Don’t litter—because every piece of trash has a price.

4. Conserve energy and water – Turn off lights when not needed. Fix leaking faucets. Use electric fans instead of air conditioning when possible. These simple acts reduce your environmental footprint.

5. Support clean energy and local produce – Solar, wind, and hydro power are better alternatives. Buying local reduces transport pollution. Plus, it helps small farmers.

6. Educate and advocate – Talk to your children. Join community efforts. Support policies and leaders who prioritize the environment.

7. Walk the talk – People don’t change from lectures. They change from examples. Let your habits inspire others.

A Final Reflection: Nature Is Not Our Enemy

We often treat nature like an enemy we must conquer. We build over it, destroy it, extract from it—as if it owes us something. But the truth is, we owe nature everything. It provides us life.

Environmental degradation is not just an ecological issue—it’s a human issue. It reflects how we live, what we value, and how we relate to each other and the Earth. A dying planet is a dying humanity.

But there’s still time.

If we shift our hearts, not just our habits—if we see the Earth not as a resource, but as a living home—we can still heal what has been broken. The birds may sing again. The rivers may flow clear. The air may be light on our skin, and the trees may once again tell stories in the wind.

But it starts with us. Today. We must take one step at a time.

Let us not wait for the Earth to scream. Let us act while it still whispers.