Structures and

the Environment

Vocabulary

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Humans build many types of structures. They build office towers and shopping malls. They also build bridges and steel towers that support electrical lines. All of these structures affect the environment.

Negative Effects of Structures

Building a structure can damage the environment.
Here are some examples:

• Natural environments can be destroyed when the land is prepared for construction. These environments provide habitats for plants and animals.
• Building materials have to be brought to the site, sometimes from places far away. The trucks that bring the materials pollute the air. They also cause noise pollution.
• The materials used in construction can damage the environment. For example, steel is made from iron, which comes from mines. The stone used to create concrete comes from quarries. Mines and quarries damage the beauty of natural environments and create pollution.
• Materials such as iron and stone are turned into steel and concrete in large factories. These factories use a lot of energy and create pollution.

Positive Effects of Structures

Some of the structures people build have a positive effect on the environment.

• Bridges and boardwalks help protect fragile environments, such as marshes and sand dunes, that would be damaged by visitors’ footsteps.
• Wind generators are giant windmills. They produce electricity from the force of the wind. Wind generators make little pollution. That is why they are sometimes called a source of “clean energy” or “green energy.”
• What grows on a solar farm? Nothing! Solar farms are large areas covered with large structures called solar panels. These structures turn sunlight into electricity. They do not put any pollution into the air.
• Tunnels under roads let animals travel safely to other areas of their habitat without being hit by a car.

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