The adaptation to the environment plays an important part in the birth of human civilization. However, some people believe that humans are a superior being in the world and the environment is only a passive factor in human history. Such an idea is largely limited. In fact, the idea of environment is not confined to nature, but also extends to living and family environment. Through adaptation to the environment, different material and spiritual wealth are being created as a response.

Natural, ethnic, and scientific cultures are thus created. One of the most important factor to determine the development of humans in history is the different layers of cultures, which is possessed by no other species. Through generations, the cultures are passed on and humans get to benefit from the accumulation of wisdom by the previous generation. Tracing back to the origins, it is the natural environment that shaped the perception of humans and sparkled the creation of culture.

Cultures are then used to both adapt to and modify the environment, leading to artificial environments that most people live in today. In a broader sense, the idea of the environment also includes the mental and spiritual aspects, which are mainly embodied in the family and social structures of humans. In this essay, it is argued that natural, living, and family environments are more important than the intrinsic traits of humans in determining the fate of both humans as a race and individuals.

The human culture is deeply influenced by the natural environment and a result of human-nature interactions. Different cultures are created in the process of understanding and alteration of nature (Peterson, 471). In the different stages of development of human culture, every stage is closely correlated with nature. In the primitive stage of all cultures, humans were dependent on the environment for food and shelter. Therefore, nature becomes the basis of cultural development. natural phenomenon and elements were worshipped, such as plants, water, wind, and rain.

The initial vulnerability of humans and lack of understanding of nature have determined the passive role of human-faced with the natural environment. With the development of human culture, a deeper understanding of nature has help humans to be more adaptive to nature, leading to the divergence of cultures. As a result, tribe culture was replaced by ethnic culture, which then became the fundamentals of different racial groups.

The development of language and science further diversified human cultures and moved human civilization ahead. Although many people consider the natural environment as only one of the conditions for human civilization, it is much more important. From the ecological perspective, all actions of civilization can be traced back to the adaptation to nature. Human beings possess both the traits of nature and society, and the nature aspect has been so deeply rooted in humans that the environment is still an important subject after hundreds of thousands of years of evolution.

Entering the age of modernization, many believe that the connection between humans and nature has been diminished. However, the urban environment is still vital for the quality of life. Although most humans live in cities, trees and grass are still crucial elements in the urban environment. Nowadays, the percentage of greenery has become an indicator in the evaluation of the urban environment.

Trees in the urban environment carry multiple functions. Firstly, most of the land areas in cities are occupied by buildings, leaving little space for other parts of the ecology system (Townsend, 149). Trees thus become the remaining habitat for birds and other species. Trees can also provide shelter and fresh air necessary for the health of the people. Such functions will significantly reverse the detrimental effects of air pollution caused by vehicle emissions.

Greenery is regarded as the lungs for cities because it can effectively consume carbon dioxides and produce oxygen. Trees will also alleviate the “heat island” effect of cities by reducing the density of buildings and bring the flow of air into cities. Finally, humans are naturally attracted by green color. Being able to see trees and grass in cities will significantly reduce the stress of urban life and relax the mind of the people. Improvement in the mood can bring intricate influences on the mood of the people, improving their living standards. Therefore, greenery should not be only the auxiliary element in the city landscape, but an integral part of urban planning.

The promotion of a healthy environment, both natural and artificial, is crucial for an aging society. Entering the 21st century, the percentage of senior citizens in many countries has been increasing fast. The rapidly aging society is creating new needs for the living environment. There are multiple areas that need reconsideration under the trend, including housing, healthcare, recreation, and transportation (Sykes, 68).

The increasing number of older adults are choosing to live in dedicated facilities since they provide better care for them. Therefore, the government is responsible for evaluating future demands and make plans to build more elderly homes. For the older adults living in ordinary residents, improvement in the facilities should be made for their convenience, such as the installation of elevators. More comprehensive and affordable healthcare plans should be promoted in the future. This concerns the health of the older adults themselves and should not be overlooked in the construction of a healthy environment. Public facilities such as handrails, buses, and subways should also be more considerate for the elderly.

In addition to making the lives of the elderly easier, it should also be noted that loneliness is a major problem for the aging population. Without necessary social interactions, the elderly group is more susceptible to depression and other health problems. Therefore, more care from society, as well as increased social interactions should be promoted so that the elderly can become an active part of the population.

It is not only the right of the elderly, but the entire human race to seek a better living environment because the environment can have both positive and negative influences on individuals. The word “environment”, in the literal sense, is what surrounds people. However, the effect of the environment will not only be external, but internal for individuals. The environment in which a person is exposed will be the determining factor in the way he or she interacts with the world, and the ability to acquire happiness (Ristevski, 102).

In any form of social organization, the family is considered the most influential in the development of children. The structure, functionality, heritage, ethic and religion backgrounds, economic status, cultural influences, personal relationship, as well as the education levels and attitudes of parents are all elements of the environment that is crucial for children. The two major responsibilities of a family are a safe and healthy place to protect the children from negative influences and the preparation for the children to enter society with appropriate behaviors and social capabilities.

The success in performing these two functions will make the children confident in the supportive environment, and able to contribute actively to society. Although single parenthood is faced with difficulty to fulfill such duties, there are still occasions where successful construction of a healthy environment is observed. The family environment can also have negative impacts on children, leading them to be untrusting, unconfident over-sensitive, and lack self-pride. The social functions will be significant impaired for these children to enter society.

The influence of single parenthood on the family environment and the children is profound. Before the formation of single-parent families, many of the parents go through long-term animosity and arguments, which directly leads to a negative atmosphere in the family. Such negativities are easily projected onto the children, causing a sense of insecurity and emotional disturbances.

Parents are often unconsciously the teachers for their children, determining how their children would perceive the world (Hampden-Thompson, 239). Thus, the psychological damages caused by the conflicts before the divorce are much more detrimental than the divorce or separation itself. There are also distinctions between children from single-parent families. Those children whose parents had more conflicts often suffer more by expressing aggressiveness and problems of anger management.

It usually takes a year or longer before the children can find peace after the divorce. They experience a process from rejection, anger, disappointment, to tolerance and indifference. The longer-term influences, however, are largely dependent on the method of family education. Parents should reflect on their own methods when the nurturing do not work as expected. In addition to single parenthood, financial difficulties are also a source of negativity in the family environment.

A decreased quality of life is the most direct outcome of financial difficulties. More importantly, many of the parents in such families are too busy making a living and feeding their children, that they completely ignore the emotional needs of children. The lack of communication will diminish the bond between family members, leading to inappropriate behaviors of children in the future and completely changing their course of life.

Some people argue for the nature of humans as the predominant factor in shaping their behaviors. However, it should be noted that nurturing is even more important. The construction of a caring and supportive family environment is crucial for all children. In fact, there are multiple factors, macro, micro, subjective, objective, long and short-term, that shape the environment, making it difficult to quantify the benefits of each.

In research conducted by Zappe (147), 92 adolescents of both genders participated were assessed between the ages of 11 and 19. The results have shown that children living with supportive families exhibited much less risky behaviors. In comparison, children who suffered from violence have a negative perception of their family and society. Antisocial behaviors are observed in some cases. It is thus important for parents to be more caring and encouraging to their children. Methods of reasoning, praise, and discipline should be used, instead of punishment and criticism.

In addition, a friendly neighborhood will also make up for the lack of a supportive family environment. As children grow older, schools and teachers will play a more important role in shaping the environment. Association with peers is also important to help children get out of the negative emotions. Supportive friendships will nurture the ability of children to engage in effective social interaction. In contrast, bullies in schools and uncaring teachers will further isolate children from society. With adequate care, some children from single-parent families can be even more successful in their future lives.

With the development of civilization for thousands of years, people have acquired the ability to alter the environment and move things in positive directions. Solid waste has become a problem in many cities, especially when the population keeps growing. There is not a successful waste recycling model to be adopted by modern cities (Lo, 441). In Hong Kong, waste management has become the key problem hindering urban development. the government has proposed waste collection policies, but the effects are not visible.

In addition to individual and household practices, the local communities should also be involved to promote the reduction of waste generation. A promising future of waste management is visible with the joint forces of environmentalists, social researchers, and designers as well as common households. The success of such an effort has already happened in Japan, where the streets are among the cleanest in the world. The improvement in the living environment and the cleanliness of public areas, initiated by citizens, have had an influence on the people in return.

Living in a clean community will significantly increase the sense of belonging and pride for the residents, forging a harmonious atmosphere and culture in the long term. improvement of the natural environment is also gaining increasing attention with the preservation of natural habitats and the ecosystem. In addition to the physical environment, people are also focusing more on the importance of family and schools in establishing a supportive and healthy environment for children.

Despite the level of development of humans in both ancient and modern times, they should be regarded as products of natural evolution, instead of the master of nature. To maintain the advantage that humans have over the natural environment, they must comply with the natural laws. The ambitions to conquer nature will only destroy the natural environment and pose danger to humans in the end. As a product of adaptation to nature, civilization will also perish with a damaged natural environment.

Therefore, sustainable development is important for the continuation of civilization. Nowadays, humans are still largely dependent on natural resources that are not renewable, making efforts in reducing and recycling necessary for sustainable development. The ability of alternation of the environment should be applied more on the artificial environment, such as the cities. A significant increase in living quality will be obtained through added greenery and facilities for the convenience of the elderly.

Finally, the construction of a healthy mental environment is just as important as the physical environment, especially for children. Family, community, school, teachers, and peers are all crucial elements for the environment and should be better managed as they can determine the future lives of the children. In conclusion, natural, living, and family environments are more deeply rooted in the lives of all humans than commonly perceived, and should be given much more attention for the continuing development of human civilization.