<P> Some impacts of meat - producing livestock may be considered environmentally beneficial . These include waste reduction by conversion of human - inedible crop residues to food, use of livestock as an alternative to herbicides for control of invasive and noxious weeds and other vegetation management, use of animal manure as fertilizer as a substitute for those synthetic fertilizers that require considerable fossil fuel use for manufacture, grazing use for wildlife habitat enhancement, and carbon sequestration in response to grazing practices, among others . Conversely, according to some studies appearing in peer - reviewed journals, the growing demand for meat is contributing to significant biodiversity loss as it is a significant driver of deforestation and habitat destruction . </P> <P> Palm oil, produced from the oil palm, is a basic source of income for many farmers in Southeast Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America . It is locally used as a cooking oil, exported for use in many commercial food and personal care products and is converted into biofuel . It produces up to 10 times more oil per unit area as soyabeans, rapeseed or sunflowers . Oil palms produce 38% of vegetable oil output on 5% of the world's vegetable - oil farmland. Palm oil is under increasing scrutiny in relation to its effects on the environment . </P> <P> Introductions of species, particularly plants into new areas, by whatever means and for whatever reasons have brought about major and permanent changes to the environment over large areas . Examples include the introduction of Caulerpa taxifolia into the Mediterranean, the introduction of oat species into the California grasslands, and the introduction of privet, kudzu, and purple loosestrife to North America . Rats, cats, and goats have radically altered biodiversity in many islands . Additionally, introductions have resulted in genetic changes to native fauna where interbreeding has taken place, as with buffalo with domestic cattle, and wolves with domestic dogs . </P> <P> The environmental impact of energy harvesting and consumption is diverse . In recent years there has been a trend towards the increased commercialization of various renewable energy sources . </P>

Explain the impact of the environment on human development