Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.
Ecosystems provide people with a variety of goods and services; food, clean water, clean air, flood control, soil stabilization, pollination, climate regulation, spiritual fulfilment and aesthetic enjoyment, to name just a few. Most of these benefits either are irreplaceable or the technology necessary to replace them is prohibitively expensive. For example, potable fresh water can be provided by desalinating sea-water, but only great cost. The rapidly expanding human population has greatly modified the Earth’s ecosystems to meet their increased requirements of some of the goods and services, particularly food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel. These modifications have contributed substantially to human well-being and economic development. The benefits have not been equally distributed. Some people have actually been harmed by these changes. Moreover, short-term increases in some ecosystem goods and services have come at the cost of the long-term degradation of others. For example, efforts to increase the production of food and fibre have decreased the ability of some ecosystems to provide clean water, regulate flooding and support biodiversity.
The passage mentions that ‘some people have actually been harmed by these changes.’ What does it imply?
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct. The passage explicitly links the "rapidly expanding human population" to "greatly modified the Earth’s ecosystems" and subsequently states that "The benefits have not been equally distributed. Some people have actually been harmed by these changes." This directly implies that the demographic expansion and its resultant ecosystem alterations have negatively impacted certain individuals or groups.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The passage indicates that "efforts to increase the production of food and fibre have decreased the ability of some ecosystems to provide clean water, regulate flooding and support biodiversity." This suggests that considerable efforts have been made to increase food and fibre production, rather than implying a lack of sufficient effort.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The passage states, "Moreover, short-term increases in some ecosystem goods and services have come at the cost of the long-term degradation of others." This contradicts the notion that harm is only short-term or that all individuals will ultimately benefit from ecosystem modifications; instead, it highlights the risk of long-term environmental degradation.