Knowra Human activities Human activities Human activities are actions and processes carried out by people, individually or collectively. They shape societies and can alter ecosystems, climate, and other natural systems.
Agriculture : The cultivation of plants and the raising of animals for food, materials, and other products. It transforms land and water to produce food and other goods.
Land-use change : The conversion or modification of land for activities such as farming, settlement, or forestry. It links human decisions about land to changes in habitats and carbon storage.
Climate change : Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, from natural causes or human influence. Human greenhouse gas emissions are the dominant cause of recent global warming.
Natural processes : Physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur without being caused by human action. They provide a baseline for distinguishing human-caused change from background variation.
Urbanization : The growth of cities and the increasing share of people living in urban areas. City growth concentrates people, infrastructure, and environmental pressures.
Greenhouse gas emissions : The release of gases that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation into the atmosphere. Fuel use and land changes release gases that contribute to human-driven warming.
Biodiversity loss : The decline in the variety of genes, species, and ecosystems across places or over time. Land conversion, exploitation, and pollution contribute to declining biodiversity.
Natural climate variability : Climate fluctuations arising from internal Earth-system dynamics and natural external influences. It differs from the persistent warming pattern attributed primarily to human emissions.
Industrialization : The expansion of machine-based manufacturing and related economic production. Industrial production has greatly increased energy use and material extraction.
Resource depletion : The reduction of natural resources through extraction or use faster than they are replenished. Demand for materials and energy can diminish stocks that societies rely on.
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