The Earth is thought to be the only planet in our solar system that is capable of sustaining life. In their quest for food and territory, all living organisms exert pressures on the environment.
Humans stand alone, however, in terms of their colossal impact across the surface of the globe.
While much of this has been favourable, the increasing demands generated by a rapidly growing population have caused problems that have brought us to the brink of ecological disaster on a number of occasions. Perhaps the greatest exploitation of the environment by man has occurred in the last hundred years. This unit explores the delicate equilibrium that exists in the biosphere. These changes themselves can often be attributed to an increase in global population and advances in technology.