British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Environmental Stressors definition

Description: Environmental stressors are factors that persist over an extended period of time. Examples are chronic air pollution from car exhausts, chimneys or factories which people then have to endure and masks might have to be worn. Under certain weather conditions this pollution can result in smog; where pollution is persistent, inhabitants might feel they have to move elsewhere. Noise pollution can also be an environmental stressor. For people living under a flight path the noise can be unbearable and cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. Natural disasters also act as environmental stressors - floods and earthquakes may mean that people feel they have no choice but to leave their homes. The problems caused by rising sea levels mean that some streets of houses and towns close to the shoreline are threatened by coastal erosion and again, inhabitants are forced to leave.

Environmental stressors can also occur when land is continually farmed with a single crop; the result can be a drop in yield or even crop failure. The surrounding population may then be forced to leave in search of more productive land, especially if what food there is makes them ill. Where environmental stressors persist they cause considerable stress for those affected.