Human Activity and the Earth

There is no doubt that human activity has an effect on the planet. We see the evidence of mankind’s endeavors all around us. While some of man’s accomplishments, such as the building of transportation systems and the consistent supply of potable water, have made Earth a better place for people to live, they have not come without cost. Overall, it seems that human activity harms the Earth more than it benefits it.

For example, the transportation systems that benefit mankind also create pollution and use up valuable energy resources. While we cannot do without transportation these days, we cannot ignore the fact that it has an adverse effect on the planet. Furthermore, those advances that benefit people do not benefit al the life on Earth. Deforestation endangers many animals, and mankind’s great thirst for water and other resources leads to the extinction of many plant forms. In addition, accomplishments such as the supply of potable water to a community are only response to problems that mankind created in the past. It was man that made the water unfit to drink in the first place. Finally, the damage that human activity causes will eventually have a negative effect on people. They will also suffer the effects of pollution and diminishing natural resources.

In conclusion, it seems apparent that man’s activity benefits primarily himself, not the Earth. Moreover, those benefits are only short-term advantages, and man will also suffer the negative effects of his activity in the future. The Earth does not have an inexhaustible supply of resources, so every effort should be made to conserve resources and limit the impact of human activity on the planet.

參考譯文：

人類活動與地球

人類活動無疑會對地球造成影響。我們周圍隨處可見人類活動的跡象。雖然人類某些成就，如運輸系統的建立以及飲用水持續的供應等，使得地球成為一個更適合的人類居住的地方，但這些成就的取得也付出了代價。總體上，對地球而言，人類的活動似乎弊多于利。

例如，運輸系統對人類有利，卻會制造污染，并用盡珍貴的能源。現在我們雖然不能沒有運輸工具，卻也不能忽視運輸工具對地球有不良影響的事實。此外，使人類獲益的這些進步不一定能使地球上所有生物都獲益。砍伐森林危及許多動物，而人類對水和其他資源的需求極大，因而導致許多植物絕種。再者，像供應社區飲水的這類成就，就只是人類在為過去所制造的問題做出回應而已。是人類自己首先使水變得不適合飲用的。比較后，人類活動所導致的損害終究會對人類本身產生負面的影響。污染及日益減少的天然資源所造成的影響也會使人類受害。

總之，人類的活動顯然主要僅對人類自己有利，但卻對地球不利。而且，那些益處是短暫的，將來人類還是會因自己的行為所造成的負面影響而受害。地球上的資源并不是取之不盡、用之不竭的，所以我們應該盡全力保存資源，限制人類活動對地球的沖擊.