Basic 9 · Religious and Moral Education · The Environment
Human Activities That Destroy the Environment
In this topic you will identify and describe human activities that negatively affect the environment in Ghana, such as deforestation, bush burning, mining, pollution and poor waste disposal.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Identify activities that destroy the land and forests
- Identify activities that pollute air and water
- Explain the moral issues involved
What you already know
- Purpose of creation
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- God, His Creation & Attributes
- Sub-strand
- The Environment
- Indicator
- B9.1.2.1.1 – Describe human activities that destroy the environment
Introduction
In 1900, forests covered much of southern Ghana. Today, a large part of that forest has gone. This did not happen by accident.
1. What Is the Environment?
Environment: The natural world and the surroundings in which we live.
The environment includes land, water, air, plants, animals and the human-made surroundings. Religious teaching calls it creation or a sacred trust. Yet human activity is causing serious damage. Greed, poverty, ignorance and poor law enforcement are among the reasons. Each of these has a moral side, and so the environment is a religious and moral issue, as well as a scientific one.
2. Destructive Activities
| Activity | Effect |
|---|---|
| illegal logging | loss of trees and wildlife |
| charcoal burning | loss of trees, especially in the transition zone |
| bush burning | loss of soil fertility and crops |
| galamsey | polluted rivers, ruined farms |
| sand winning | holes, erosion and damage to farmland |
| overgrazing | bare land and soil loss |
| poor farming | exhausted soil |
| building on waterways | floods |
3. Galamsey
Illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey, has destroyed large areas of farmland and forest, including in forest reserves. Pits left open have caused deaths. Rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra and Birim are heavily polluted. Religious bodies such as the National Catholic Bishops' Conference, the Christian Council and Muslim leaders have spoken out against it. Those who make money from it may not see the harm, but it is shared by whole communities and future generations. Moral teaching says that it is wrong to enrich yourself by harming others.
4. Bush Burning and Charcoal
Bush fires are started by farmers clearing land, by hunters and by careless smokers. In the dry season, they can destroy crops, trees and homes, particularly in the northern and transition zones. Charcoal production is a source of income for many people, but where trees are not replanted, the land becomes bare. Many people do these things to survive. So we should not simply blame the poor. Society needs alternatives, such as improved stoves, better jobs and support for farmers.
5. Who Is Responsible?
Responsibility is shared. Individuals cut trees, companies pollute, officials may fail to act and consumers buy without thinking. Moral thinking asks each of us: What is my part? Have I wasted, littered or stayed silent? It is easy to blame others, but real change begins with honest self-examination.
New words
- environment
- The natural world around us.
- deforestation
- The clearing of forests.
- galamsey
- Illegal small-scale mining.
- erosion
- The wearing away of soil.
Summary
- Logging, bush burning and galamsey destroy land.
- Poverty and greed drive such activities.
- Responsibility for the environment is shared.
Class activity: Community Map
- Map environmental damage in your area.
- Note the causes.
- Discuss who is responsible.
You need: Printed observation checklist, Used sachet-water bag, Printed photograph of a locally degraded site
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Illegal small-scale mining is called…
- A. galamsey
- B. kente
- C. kenkey
- D. aboakyir
Show answer
Answer: galamseyTerm.2. Which activity causes soil loss?
- A. overgrazing
- B. tree planting
- C. composting
- D. terracing
Show answer
Answer: overgrazingEffect.3. Bush fires can destroy crops.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueEffect.4. The clearing of forests is ______.
Show answer
Answer: deforestationTerm.5. State three destructive activities.
Show answer
Answer: Illegal logging, galamsey and sand winning.Any three.6. Why should we not simply blame poor charcoal burners?
Show answer
Answer: They do it to survive, so society needs to provide alternatives.Fairness.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- God, His Creation & Attributes
- Sub-strand
- The Environment
- Indicator
- B9.1.2.1.1 – Describe human activities that destroy the environment
Introduction
Drive through some of our towns after rain, and you will see plastic in the gutters and the streets under water. Our waste has become a moral issue.
1. Types of Pollution
| Type | Source | Example |
|---|---|---|
| water | mining, sewage, factories | rivers turned brown |
| air | vehicles, burning waste, factories | smoke in cities |
| land | plastics, dumps, chemicals | littered streets |
| noise | loudspeakers, generators, traffic | sleepless nights |
2. Plastic and Waste
Plastic bags, sachet water wrappers and bottles fill the gutters and block drains, and this contributes to floods. Plastic does not rot away, and it can stay in the environment for hundreds of years. In the sea, fish and turtles eat it. Open dumps attract flies and rats, and they spread diseases. Burning waste produces poisonous smoke. Agbogbloshie in Accra has become known internationally for electronic waste, as people burn old cables to get the metal inside, harming their health.
3. Noise Pollution
Noise may not seem as serious as chemical waste, but it harms health and peace. Loudspeakers at night from churches, mosques, bars and funerals can disturb sick people, babies and learners. The Environmental Protection Agency and assemblies have rules on noise. Religious leaders have a moral duty to respect their neighbours, and to keep their worship from harming others. Loving your neighbour includes letting them sleep.
4. Overfishing and Hunting
Fishing with light, chemicals or dynamite destroys fish stocks. Ghana has set a closed season for fishing to allow fish to breed. Illegal hunting threatens bushmeat species and other wildlife. When a species disappears, it is gone for good, and we lose part of creation. Every religious tradition teaches that animals should be treated with care, and that resources should be used in moderation.
5. Moral Issues
| Moral idea | Application |
|---|---|
| greed | taking more than you need |
| selfishness | ignoring how your actions affect others |
| justice | the poor suffer most from pollution |
| responsibility | caring for what is shared |
| respect | valuing God's creation |
The Bible says, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1). The Qur'an warns against spreading corruption on earth after it has been set in order (Surah 7:56). Traditional belief treats the earth as a mother. All of these teachings call for restraint.
New words
- pollution
- Harmful substances or noise in the environment.
- e-waste
- Discarded electronic items.
- closed season
- A time when fishing is banned.
- moderation
- Avoiding excess.
Summary
- Pollution harms water, air, land and peace.
- Plastic and e-waste are serious problems.
- Greed and selfishness are moral roots of damage.
Class activity: Waste Audit
- Record the waste produced at school in a day.
- Sort it by type.
- Suggest ways of reducing it.
You need: Printed photographs of Ghanaian galamsey, Bush burning, Clean used sachet-water bag, Chart paper with markers
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which is a type of pollution?
- A. noise
- B. prayer
- C. rest
- D. gratitude
Show answer
Answer: noiseType.2. A time when fishing is banned is a…
- A. closed season
- B. holiday
- C. festival
- D. harvest
Show answer
Answer: closed seasonTerm.3. Plastic rots quickly.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseIt lasts for centuries.4. Discarded electronics are called ______.
Show answer
Answer: e-wasteTerm.5. Why is noise a moral issue?
Show answer
Answer: It harms neighbours' rest, health and peace.Respect.6. Explain Psalm 24:1 in relation to pollution.
Show answer
Answer: The earth belongs to God, so people have no right to spoil it.Application.
Homework
- Write a letter to a friend on one environmental problem in your area.