Environment

A broad concept for identifying the external influences that can affect an individual’s health and general wellbeing. They include the physical, social, and economic conditions in which they live. The concept is often extended to cover the external influences that can affect the planet as a whole, as a survivable environment for the human race. Here the focus is on factors which degrade the environment through depletion or pollution of resources such as air, water, and soil; also, the destruction of ecosystems and wildlife habitats.