▁increasing ly ▁rapid ▁pace . ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁technology ▁by ▁the ▁human ▁race ▁has ▁allowed ▁the ▁greater ▁explo itation ▁of ▁natural ▁resources ▁and ▁has ▁helped ▁to ▁alle vi ate ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁risk ▁from ▁natural ▁ha z ards . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁this ▁progress , ▁however , ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁human ▁civil ization ▁remains ▁closely ▁linked ▁to ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁environment . ▁There ▁exists ▁a ▁highly ▁complex ▁feedback ▁loop ▁between ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁advanced ▁technology ▁and ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁environment ▁that ▁are ▁only ▁slowly ▁becoming ▁understood . ▁Man - made ▁thre ats ▁to ▁the ▁Earth ' s ▁natural ▁environment ▁include ▁poll ution , ▁def or est ation , ▁and ▁dis aster s ▁such ▁as ▁oil ▁sp ills . ▁Hum ans ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁ext inction ▁of ▁many ▁plants ▁and ▁animals . ▁ ▁Hum ans ▁employ ▁nature ▁for ▁both ▁le is ure ▁and ▁economic ▁activities . ▁The ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁natural ▁resources ▁for ▁industrial ▁use ▁remains ▁a ▁s izable ▁component ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁economic ▁system . ▁Some ▁activities , ▁such ▁as ▁hunting ▁and ▁fish ing , ▁are ▁used ▁for ▁both ▁su sten ance ▁and ▁le is ure , ▁often ▁by ▁different ▁people . ▁Agricult ure ▁was ▁first ▁adopted ▁around ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁mill en ni um ▁B CE . ▁R anging ▁from ▁food ▁production ▁to ▁energy , ▁nature ▁influ ences ▁economic ▁wealth . ▁ ▁Although ▁early ▁humans ▁gathered ▁un c ult iv ated ▁plant ▁materials ▁for ▁food ▁and ▁employed ▁the ▁medic inal ▁properties ▁of ▁veget ation ▁for ▁he aling