What Does an Environment Include?

What Does an Environment Include?

Natural environments are those which exist in their natural state without human interference. In other words it encompasses all living and non-living objects existing naturally, which means without any human intervention. The word is commonly used to describe the Earth or parts of the Earth. It also covers the environment of the planets, Moon, and the Sun. It is a broad umbrella term that can be applied to a vast number of disciplines that involve how living things relate to the environment, including human society and culture.

The vast majority of natural environments are unplanned. Human activities are a significant cause of alterations in the natural environments. Manmade environments are the opposite of natural environments and they are built or constructed deliberately. In order for constructed environments to be termed as such, there must be some degree of planning, whether by government, private enterprise, or a variety of other groups.

Natural environments, on the other hand, are frequently complex systems. They are usually comprised of interacting organisms and structures that support themselves. In this sense an environment could be considered as an entire physical and chemical system with all of its processes and functions fully operational. A non-natural environment is one in which a system is designed or contrived but it lacks a biological or physical component. It is often self-organized but not self-sustaining. A great example of such a system would be a solar powered generator instead of a solar panel.

Non-natural environments are those created artificially by humans through design or fabrication. A good example of this would be an artificial landscape constructed for park maintenance. This type of construction would be considered to be in a completely managed environment because it is part of a well-designed plan that was carefully put together. There are no living organisms in the system and it has full ecological functionality.

Man-made environments can also be categorized according to their degree of complexity. A natural environment might include the entire Earth, including the atmosphere, oceans, landmasses, glaciers, and oceans, the biosphere, the solar system, and the galaxy. An artificial environment can include a space ship, an aircraft, a nuclear power plant, a mining operation, a dam, a ship, or a computer network. It can also encompass any system that was designed and built specifically for human life. A managed environment includes a virtual environment, one that is controlled and managed by humans and their interaction with it, or by other external factors.

The point of view that an environment includes everything that encompasses a human life is a very broad and important concept. It is an acknowledgment of the delicateness of the world and the potential damage that humans can create when they destroy the environment. It is a way of thinking that underlines the importance of protecting the natural habitat and leaving a future for human beings that is free from the threat of environmental destruction. Humans should work together in order to protect the natural environment and leave for future generations a beautiful planet that we all can enjoy.