The 4 Biggest Environmental Threats

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For the past few years, several environmental issues have been attributed and gave birth to the different environment policies, laws, and green advocacies created by government and various environmental organizations from different parts of the world. Different countries across the globe are participating in various environmental campaigns to help in the preservation and protection of our Mother Earth. In fact, several affordable prices of solar panels in the Philippines are available since many Filipinos are now environmentally conscious and have been installing solar panels on their roofs.

 

But, what environmental threats are we talking about? What are the alarming issues that we need to resolve? Asking these questions and knowing the threats to the diversity of life on Earth will help us know the different ways on how we can get involved in the conservation of our environment. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest environmental threats that we should start addressing.

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Climate Change

One of the common environmental threats we are now facing is climate change. Climate change refers to the change in climate patterns – may it be regional or global – and the rise in average surface temperature on Earth. Some of the effects of climate change are melting of polar ice-caps, rising of sea levels, extreme heat events, droughts, fires, and extreme rainfall and floods, which cause significant risks to our forests, natural resources, and human health.

 

Deforestation

The continually loss of our forest has been one of the extreme issues the Earth is facing. Our forest covers about 30% of the Earth’s land, which provides a natural habitat for the wildlife, serves as a protection from flooding and sandstorms, and plays a vital role in water cycle. This is why the destruction of forests is accompanied by various negative effects on the planet. Deforestation may lead to the loss of habitat for millions of species, damages the quality of the land, extreme temperature swings, pollution, and drives climate change.

 

Loss of Biodiversity   

Every species has its own role in our environment that makes the ecosystem balance. However, with the arrival of the environmental problems, such as climate change and deforestation, biodiversity will be put at risk.

 

Loss of biodiversity negatively affects the environment, the same way climate change and deforestation do. An imbalanced ecosystem and the decrease of natural resources are some of the significant changes that occur when there’s a loss of biodiversity.

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Rapid Growth of Population

It has been said that the more the merrier. However, when it comes to the rapid growth of world population, it is not the case. The current human population is extremely high and it continually grows that our system can’t handle it. As the population increases every year, the demand for the Earth’s natural resources also increases. According to World Wild Life, we are currently using 1.5% of the Earth’s resources to produce all the renewable resources that we need. This instance can result to food shortage and limited resources.

 

 

Tackling the threats to the environment is essential so we can properly address how we can stop these environmental issues and preserve the state of the Earth not only for us, but for the future generation as well.

 

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4 Jobs in the Environment and Sustainability Industry

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Sustainable lifestyle is becoming popular because of the initiative of people to support various green movements promoted by different environmental organizations. You can start switching to the sustainable lifestyle by doing practical habits, such as, reducing your electricity and water consumption, opting for organic food, and purchasing and installing solar panels. In the Philippines, green jobs are emerging because of the growing concern of the citizens to the worldwide problem—climate change.

 

Do you see yourself as an agent in the conservation and protection of Mother Earth? You can help preserve it by jumping to careers in the environment and sustainability industry.

 

Atmospheric Scientist

The Atmospheric Science is a branch of Science that deals with the study of the atmosphere of the Earth and anything that is related to it. This branch of Science covers meteorology, too. Atmospheric scientist studies the air pollution, effects of a company’s operation on the environment, and weather. He or she also studies and predicts atmospheric conditions and events, which enables him or her to understand the climate patterns and effects of the pollution.

 

A bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Science is the suitable course to take if you want to delve in this type of career. On the other hand, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology, and Online Geoscience degrees are also preferable courses to take if you desire to work as an atmospheric scientist.

Conservation Scientist

The promotion of the safe, ecological, and responsible interactions with the natural land is done by a conservation scientist. He or she manages the uses of the natural resources and makes sure that these are still maintained and protected. A conservation scientist may choose his or her area of focus, such as natural forest protection and soil and water conservation.

 

An aspiring conservation scientist may take degrees, such as Agricultural or Environmental Science courses.

 

Ecotourism Guide

The growth of global travel has been seen in the past ten years. Good thing, most of these travel adventure promotes environmental awareness, low carbon travel events, and operates strong ecological theme. The specialist that has the knowledge of sustainability and environmental issues in a travel organization is called ecotourism guide. The duty of the ecotourism guide is not only to join their guests to their travel destination but to inform them as well as how local history and origin of the place relates to the ecology and environment.

 

There is no specific degree to be an ecotourism guide. However, relevant courses, such as tourism would be an ideal option. A deep understanding of the cultural anthropology, environmental studies, and sustainability is also important to be an efficient ecotourism guide.

Sustainability Researcher

A sustainability researcher is responsible for conducting surveys and interviews about various economic or social factors, writing of reports that contain research findings, and finding ways to how companies can practice sustainability.

 

A degree related to economic, environment, and social sustainability is an ideal path when you want to be a sustainability researcher.

 

 

We all know that we need to do our part to conserve and protect the environment. One efficient way to do this is to live sustainably. Switching to the sustainable lifestyle is a lifetime commitment. However, you can start small. Start simple by encouraging ecological habits at your own home. And if you really want to make a difference, explore the environment and sustainable careers!

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The Many Ways Climate Change Affects You

 

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Climate change has constantly been affecting every part of the world, slowly but surely. There has been increase in the average global temperature, extreme rising sea levels, contaminated water, floods, droughts, and increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such changes are not only harmful to the environment but also for the health of all living things in it.

Fortunately, the availability of affordable prices of solar panels in the Philippines is an evident that the country is doing its best to fight the climate change. To convince you to join the green movement, note these negative effects of climate change to the health of your loved ones.

 

On the Air We Breathe

The extreme changes in our environment directly affect the quality of air that we breathe—both indoors and outdoors. The rapid changes in temperature may worsen the condition of the air quality and bring about various diseases. For example, frequent rain can increase the presence of fungi, mold, and other indoor air pollutants. The chemical air pollutants from various power plants and from burning fossil fuel could cause several respiratory conditions, such as asthma, lung cancer, pulmonary disease, and emphysema, among others.

On the other hand, air pollution can also be obtained through various household chores, such as cooking and heating using solid fuels. Hence, it is a more sensible choice to opt for sustainable alternative of solid fuels. 

On the Water We Drink

Contaminated water is definitely harmful to humans for obvious reasons. The changes in climate could increase the temperature and will lead to frequent rainfalls that cause the water level in oceans and seas to rise. The rising sea levels could lead to saltwater intrusion into groundwater drinking supplies, resulting in contaminated water 

On the Food We Eat

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can directly affect the food safety and its distribution to the people. For example, the exposure of the ocean to various chemicals can affect the contamination of seafood, such as fishes and shrimps. Frequent droughts and floods also affect the agricultural and yield production that may compromise the food supply.

Changes in Temperature

Did you know that for every degree centigrade that the temperature raises, the death rate can increase by 2% to 5%? Either extreme heat or cold is harmful to humans. Whether there is higher humidity or hotter temperature, both conditions could encourage the reproduction of more ticks, a bloodsucking insect, which spreads infections.

 

Climate change is definitely changing the way we live in this world. Various negative effects are evident with the continually increasing of air and ocean temperature around the world. Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.

Fortunately, several preventive measures are being promoted by various environmental organizations to inform and persuade people to join the movement in saving and protecting our environment. How well we survive will only depend on how well we adapt on these changes and how well we are doing our part to stop such destructive changes. Get involved now and start living a sustainable life.

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