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Environmental Issues

it's 07 Dec, 2024 7:03 am

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Environmental Issues

Background

This information is about the specific health area mentioned above. It comprises a combination of textual and video information, on our site and on external sites.  We will be adding new specific health areas and further information continually.

The idea is for you to understand more about the health area you are addressing before you get too far building your action plan.

General Information

Environmental issues are harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural environment on the individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the environment and humans. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.

The Blue Green Blog states: Our environment faces several problems, and many of these seem to be worsening with time, bringing us into a time of a true environmental crisis. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to raise awareness of the existence of these issues, as well as what can be done to reduce their negative impact. Some of the key issues are:

  1. Pollution – Pollution of the air, water and soil caused by toxins such as plastics, heavy metals and nitrates, caused by factors such as toxins and gases released by factories, combustion of fossil fuels, acid rain, oil spill and industrial waste.
  2. Global warming – The emission of greenhouse gases due to human activity causes global warming, which in turn causes an increase in temperature that then leads to rising sea levels, melting of polar ice caps, flash floods and desertification.
  3. Overpopulation – We are facing a shortage of resources such as food, water and fuel to sustain the rising global population, particularly in developing countries. Intensive agriculture attempting to lessen the problem actually leads to more damage through the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides.
  4. Waste disposal – An excessive amount of waste is produced and dumped in the oceans. Nuclear waste is particularly dangerous, as well as plastics and electronic waste.
  5. Ocean acidification – The increase in the production of carbon dioxide by humans causes the oceans’ acidity to rise, which has a negative impact on marine life.
  6.  Loss of biodiversity – Species and habitats are becoming extinct due to human activity. This causes an imbalance in natural processes like pollination and poses a threat to ecosystems – coral reef destruction is particularly affected.
  7. Deforestation – Loss of trees in order to make space for residential, industrial or commercial projects means that less oxygen is produced, and temperature and rainfall are affected.
  8. Ozone layer depletion – Pollution caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the air creates a hole in the ozone layer, which protects the earth from harmful UV radiation.
  9. Acid rain – Pollutants in the atmosphere such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides cause acid rain, which has negative consequences for humans, wildlife and aquatic species.
  10. Public health issues – Lack of clean water is one of the leading environmental problems currently. Pollutants in the air also cause issues such as respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease.

Source:
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/15-current-environmental-problems.php

Background Information

There is information available which will help you formulate your action plan – both on our site and on external sites.

On our site

GreenDrive

GreenDrive is all about what we can do to help. In our busy lives we have little free time as it is. What can we do to with the environment, Well, its not just down to recycling but down to the circle. you garden. your street, your village, your workplace.

If you don’t see bees, birds, butterflies moths, ladybirds,frogs, etc etc then you should be worried its part of the circle.

This is a modern trend;

Small Modern Garden | Floral & Hardy | London | UKHit and Miss Fence panels create modern garden design | The Edit | Jacksons Fencing

Thank god for the neighbours trees. this garden does nothing for nature of wildlife but saves humans time. No colour, nothing.

Plants trees, plant shrubs that attract bees, butterflies, moths, food for birds. for nesting, for feeding young – no water, no feeders

We have relevant information on GreenDrive
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On external site(s)

We share this world with others.  Whether you’re religious or not, everyone agrees that our Earth is an incredible place. It’s precious. It has been said that we are not in charge of the ecosystem but a part of it and that all things play a part; how many times have we thought ‘what good do mosquitoes or earwigs do?’. Well, they are all part of the system. With any circle if we break the chain, we get a reaction. We don’t always see the reaction immediately and a chain reaction may take years to come into effect.

This garden has everything for all animals and insects

RESTORE NATURE IN YOUR BACK GARDEN

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The good news is that you can help boost wildlife populations where you live. Here are 5 top tips on restoring your back-garden into a place that welcomes nature.

1. PLANT NATIVE VEGETATION

One of the best things you can do for your local patch is to introduce native plants. Often immaculate gardens will harbour a wide array of non-native species that could outcompete native wildflowers. These plants might look great but what our pollinators really want are native plants that they have evolved to feed from. So, this Spring try planting some common knapweed or Bellflower seeds and give our pollinators a helping hand. You could also plant some native British herbs such as wild garlic or corn mint, which would be beneficial for you and local wildlife!

2. BUILD A HEDGEHOG HIGHWAY

Hedgehogs are easily one of the nation’s favourite mammals, but it is estimated that hedgehog numbers have declined by 98% since the 1950s – they desperately need our help. One way to help our beloved hedgehogs is to make a hedgehog highway through fenced gardens in your neighbourhood. Working with your neighbours you could create a clear pathway for your local hedgehog population so they don’t get stuck in urban gardens! Hedgehogs can travel upwards of one mile per night, so having the ability to travel freely through our gardens hugely helps them go about their nightly business.

3. LET YOUR GRASS GROW

Letting your grass grow not only encourages wildflower growth, but also helps protect the wildlife that calls your garden “home”. Frogs, newts, door mice and slow worms are just some of the smaller animals that could be harmed by mowing your lawn. Having longer grass allows for a better shelter for creepy crawlies and provides habitats for amphibians and small mammals. So #GrowForYourWorld today!

 

Ola Jennersten
4. CARE FOR LOCAL BIRDS

Putting out a variety of different bird feed is a great way to attract different birds to your garden and help out bird populations at the same time. After introducing a food source into your garden, you will notice very quickly that all sorts of birds appear in your garden. Prioritising times of year when extreme weather events occur, such as droughts or extremely cold spells, will ensure that birds are cared for in these difficult times. With nearly 30% of birds in Great Britain being threatened with extinction and the likelihood of extreme weather events to increase due to climate change, providing extra food could really help local bird populations flourish.

5. LET IT BE

Perhaps the key tip to restoring your garden is simply to just let it be. Nature was around long before human management – and it will be around long after us. The natural world has its own way of overcoming problems and thriving when left to its own devices. So no more de-weeding or caring for pristine flower beds, just let nature do its thing. Much of what we mistake for weeds actually grow into wildflowers which can benefit a wide array of wildlife. So put those hedge clippers down and put your trust in nature.

If your garden is already buzzing with bees and home to hedgehogs, why not share your photos and top tips for creating a wildlife-friendly patch with us? Simply share on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #GrowForYourWorld.

But if you’re not quite there yet you can take a pledge to restore nature today

Go to external site

The environment is – rightly so – on everyone’s minds, and if you have a garden, you have an opportunity to contribute to protecting the natural world. But what does a eco-friendly garden actually look like, and what features does it have? You might imagine an untamed, overgrown jungle teeming with wildflowers and insects. Nowadays, however, even the slickest contemporary garden designs can be environmentally friendly, thanks to a combination of ethically-sourced materials and innovative technology. Plan the perfect eco-friendly garden with the help of horticulturalist Matt James’ advice.

Go to external site

Video

Sometimes the owner of a video will not allow the video to be played on external sites.  If you see the video is unavailable on the left just click the ‘WATCH NOW’ link on the right and the video will play in a new window.

We all have to contribute

Ella grew up in Germany, Italy, the U.S. and Israel. At 17, she received the Bavarian Environmental Award for significantly lowering the water consumption of her home town. As part of Fossil Free Berlin, she is campaigning for the city of Berlin to divest its capital reserves from the fossil fuel industry. In 2016, she funded an association and recently launched a platform for members of German pension funds to demand divestment of their pensions. Divestment fills her with hope to tackle climate change: As a pragmatic environmentalist, as a responsible parent, as a hands-on optimist. Ella carries a communication design degree and a Master of Art. She started out with a four letter yahoo email address and helped shape the advance of digital services in agencies in Hamburg, New York, Berlin – and at betterplace.org. She has tought in several media schools, such as the Springer Akademie and the EMS Babelsberg. Today, she works as a Berlin based expert on service strategy and design.

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Questionnaire

In order for you to assess what you know about this health area, we suggest using a questionnaire. This might help you understand your situation in this area, or taking it might improve your understanding of the area.

You may be able to take this questionnaire online – either here on our site or on an external site – or download it and complete it on paper – it depends on copyright (and whether we’ve managed to build it on our site!).

The ways you can take a questionnaire:

Questionnaire on our site

Take Questionnaire on our site

You can take a questionnaire on our site. This will score the questions automatically and give you a summary showing what your score means.

You will see our questionnaire first, possibly followed by a tab which may contain a second questionnaire (see above).  If you scroll down you will see links to external questionnaire(s) or downloads if there are any. Scroll down until you get to the right place for you!

Our Questionnaire

This is a simple 10 question questionnaire from National Geographic, which is more aimed at giving you some useful information.  You might find it contradicts what you think in some areas!

This quiz is no longer available.

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A Butterfly Life: 4 Keys to More Happiness, Better Health and Letting Your True Self Shine

Times of change can be a challenge, no doubt! Whether it’s a relationship breakup, job loss, or being diagnosed with a serious health issue. Or you may WANT things to be different, but it feels a little scary or overwhelming. The butterfly reminds us change can be beautiful, even necessary, in order to realize our full potential and live our best life.

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