10 Terrible Ways We Harm Our Environment

We all make mistakes, from leaving the tap water running while brushing our teeth to tossing dead batteries
in the trash, but once we become aware of the harm we are doing, it’s easy to make changes.

1. Littering. Most people do not deliberately trash the environment, but almost everyone carelessly litters now and
then. It takes a conscious effort to put refuse in its place, from cigarette butts and plastic water bottles to food
packaging seen on the sides of roads and often within several feet of waste bins.

2. Wasting Food. Most leftovers can be frozen and reheated for future meals. Most packaged goods can be used
long after their supposed expiration dates. Nevertheless, up to 14% of all food purchased in the United States ends
up in the trash.

3. Wasting Paper. Although it can be recycled, most paper isn’t. We still use disposable paper bags, diapers,
napkins and towels instead of reusable cloth ones, utility bills sent by mail instead of digitally, books purchased from
stores rather than borrowed from libraries… the list is virtually endless.

4. Wasting Water. Apart from letting the water run while brushing our teeth, we don’t use low-flow showerheads to
reduce water usage or water filters to purify tap water for drinking. We landscape with thirsty lawns instead of
xeriscaping.

5. Wasting Electricity. Power plants are the biggest polluters on the planet. When we leave lights and appliances on
unnecessarily, heat or cool unoccupied rooms, or fail to insulate homes and water heaters, we add to the pollution.

6. Toxic Chemicals. Most homes contain detergents, degreasers, stain removers, pesticides and a variety of
hazardous chemicals. Even when used properly, they eventually return to the environment, contaminating
groundwater, lakes and oceans. The solution is to use natural, eco-friendly products.

7. Improper Disposal. Toxic garbage must be taken to a hazardous waste collection site. That includes batteries,
light bulbs, paint, chemicals and even CDs and DVDs. Recyclable materials such as plastic and aluminum need to be
separated and sent to the appropriate recycling facilities.

8. Car Travel. – Rather than bicycle, walk, carpool or use public transport, we hop in the car, even for short trips,
wasting fossil fuels and adding to pollution. The solution, of course, is to leave the car in the garage as often as
possible.

9. Air Travel. Flying produces almost as much CO2 emissions per passenger per mile as driving the same distance
alone in a car. Planes also emit nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide directly into the atmosphere at high altitudes,
perhaps doubling their overall climate warming effect. Avoid flying whenever possible.

10. Ignorance. It is hard to make changes for the better when one’s own contributions to the problem are unknown. A
good place to start learning is by knowing the size of your own Carbon Footprint. The result provides an indicator of
where meaningful adjustments can be made.
10 Daily Habits That are Killing the
Environment
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, and many of us have daily habits that are slowly
destroying the environment. Here is a list of 10 things we can easily change to reduce our
impact on the planet, with suggestions for ways to develop new, environmentally-friendly
habits instead.

1. Leaving The Lights On

You’ve probably heard this a million times before but turning the light off when you leave
the room, even if you’re only going for a few minutes, really does make a difference to the
environment, since it saves a finite source of energy that can’t be replaced. There is
more information here on the energy benefit of turning off the light when you leave the
room (savings vary depending on the lighting source). If you’re forgetful or other people in
your household are, you might benefit from putting stickers, or post-it notes next to light
switches to remind householders to save energy by turning lights off when leaving the
room.

2. Boiling The Kettle

Many people guess the amount of water they need when they boil the kettle, and they end
up boiling too much. Boiling a kettle actually uses a lot of power- enough to light a whole
household- which also costs the householder money. There are energy efficient kettles
available that can help to reduce energy usage, and kettles that measure how much water
is needed for a single mug or a pot of tea. An easy way to ensure that you aren’t boiling
away this valuable resource is to measure the amount of water you need first, for example
with the mug you are going to drink out of or the pot you are planning to cook with.

3. Eating Farmed Meat

Maybe you’re not ready to take a step in the veggie or vegan direction, but if you’re eating
farmed meat, you’re supporting an incredibly environmentally damaging industry. Many
acres of rainforest are cleared to grow soy crops and grains to feed cattle, and
overgrazing of cattle is a major reason for global soil depletion and source of climate
pollution. This is partly why box schemes for meat boxes are on the rise all over the world,
but you might also consider going vegan or vegetarian on alternate weeks, or specific
days, which will reduce your carbon footprint significantly. This is the general idea
behind Meat Free Mondays.
4. Commuting
Whether you’re flying away on business trips or commuting to work on a daily basis, the
way we travel is one of the biggest environmental polluters in our lives. You may not be
able to give up these habits, but taking steps to reduce them will impact the environment,
local pollution levels, and your health. Consider ditching the car once or twice a week and
cycling or walking to work instead, and lift sharing or carpooling with work colleagues on
alternate days. Fuel economy decreases rapidly over 60 mph, so keep within the speed
limit when you drive, and make sure your tyres are inflated, as fully-functioning tyres can
also save the amount of fuel your vehicle uses.

5. Wasting Paper
We live in a world of mass paper usage, where recycling can easily ease an otherwise
guilty conscience and prompt even the most devoted reusers to waste paper. We may all
be guilty of throwing away pieces of paper that could otherwise be reused at least once, if
only for note-taking purposes and to-do lists, but it’s easy to forget that recycling still uses
energy, which can be reduced if you decide to reuse. Take a look at our handy guide to
reducing paper waste at home and at work, and see what other small changes you can
make to change this daily habit.

6. Leaving The Tap Running

Whether you’re washing the dishes or brushing your teeth, leaving the tap running while
you do so wastes a vast amount of water. It may seem like a small water saving, but soaking dishes before
washing them and turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth really does reduce the amount of water you use.
Again, stickers or post-it notes placed next to taps can help to remind you to save water when you can.

7. Sending Biodegradables To Landfill Sites

It’s remarkably easy to compost at home, and you don’t need a garden to do it. A small
container with a lid, placed in the kitchen, will suffice. Some composting enthusiasts will
pick up your compost material for free and add it to their own compost bins, because they
understand the value of biodegradable material rather than seeing it as waste. You can
obtain a composting bin for free via networks like Freecycle, or make one at home using
scrap materials and an online tutorial. When you stop throwing food peels, tea bags and
reusable other items from the kitchen into the landfill bin, you’ll wonder why you didn’t
stop earlier. This small lifestyle change will drastically reduce your carbon footprint, the
amount of waste your household produces, and the amount that you send to landfill sites.
It also creates a rich compost that will benefit the soil in your garden or someone else’s.
Many home-composters who do not have gardens choose to donate, exchange or sell
their compost to other gardeners, as it is immensely superior to the mass-produced
product.

8. Using Plastic Bags

It’s hard to make the connection between the single plastic bag you get at the grocery
store once a week, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. However, there is a strong
likelihood that the plastic bags you bring home end will end up in the ocean, or worse.
Consider buy a tote or cloth bag instead and make a habit of keeping it in your pocket or
bag. Onya is just one company that sells durable and reusable bags that come with
keyring attachments, so that you can keep them ‘on ya’.

9. Ignoring Plastic Packaging

For many environmentalists, food packaging is the elephant in the room. This is because
so many of our lifestyle choices involve buying goods that may only be available in plastic
packaging. One step you can take to counter this is to contact the product manufacturer
and ask them directly whether they might consider reducing the amount of packaging they
use. Chances are that if it’s a small or ethical company they will take your thoughts on
board. You can also check the recycling numbers on the products you buy that are
packaged in plastic to see whether you can recycle them locally, and commit to buying
only those products in future.

10. Flushing The Toilet

This is not the easiest habit to change, although the use of compost toilets is on the rise
worldwide. However, flushing your toilet just once or twice less a week will make a
difference to how much water your household uses (diluted urine is purported to be a safe
and excellent liquid fertiliser), and adding a brick to your toilet cistern will reduce the
amount of water the toiler uses with each flush.

This may all seem overwhelming but remember, taking small steps to change daily habits
will significantly reduce your carbon footprint. The question that remains is – which habit
will you tackle first?
10 Commonly Used Products that Damage our Environment

Today’s lifestyle is brutally damaging our environment in one way or the other. The speed
by which people’s never ending needs and demands are exceeding, our environment is
being ruined at the same pace. Not only the scenic beauty, like forests, rivers etc are
getting disturbed but also animals, birds and humans themselves are adversely affected
by their own actions. Almost every day, we harm our surroundings at a minor level which
in turn accumulates and damages the environment at a major level. The need of the hour
is to observe our own activities that are posing threat to our environment and rectify them.
But we are neglecting this aspect and consistently using the products that damage our
earth and its environment. We generally ignore our duties towards the environment in
which we live thinking others would work on it. It goes same for all and as a result we
bring destruction to the very place we live in. Some of the generally used products in our
daily lives that keep on destroying the elements of the earth i.e. land, water and air are
explained as follows.

10. Leather Products – shoes, belts

Leather is directly made from the skin of animals like cows, buffaloes, snakes. Therefore,
its production involves killing of thousands of animals as leather products are so
commonly used that we cannot even pass a day without their use. Not only killing of
animals at large number is posing threat to our ecosystem and thus in turn to our
environment but also the waste products formed in the making of leather products like
purses, shoes etc is hazardous as they contain phosphorus and nitrates that contaminate
water bodies as well as the land where they are dumped. Thus, these products create an
imbalance in the nature by killing of animals and also contaminate the environment.

9. Paper

Use of paper is indirectly damaging our environment as paper is obtained from the bark of
the tree and for the manufacture of paper; ceaseless cutting of trees is being carried out.
As it is known, that trees are the provider of oxygen and also they claim the primary and
the most important role in keeping the ecosystem balanced and pure. Due to constant
cutting of trees, the harmful ultraviolet radiations are not absorbed by the atmosphere and
they directly reach us harming our bodies. Also bleaching of paper is done by chlorine
which acts as a danger to the environment. A number of efforts are being done to
discourage the use of papers so as to save our earth such as using electronic media in
place of newspapers, e-tickets, online examinations etc.

8. Disposable and Ceramic Plates

Using disposable and ceramic utensils in place of metal ones has become a popular trend
these days. Ignoring the consequences, though knowing about them, people aptly keep
on using these items. Disposable plates are for one time use only and then they are
dumped here and there polluting the surroundings initially and as they are non-
biodegradable, they are never disposed off, thereby polluting the whole environment.

7. Paints and Varnishes

Paints and varnishes are among the generally used products. They come in use even at
indoors but they are hazardous for human health as well as environment. The fumes
produced in paints and varnishes are quite toxic and they become even more dangerous
when not handled or stored properly. Since their use is inevitable as they are used for
painting walls and furniture, we need to be more careful in their use and storage.

6. Insecticides and Pesticides

These products are also contributing to damage the environment. Insecticides and
pesticides are sprayed during farming for the eradication of insects and pests that grow
with the crops on them. But the situation becomes worse when these chemicals enter the
natural food chain. After rains, the contaminated water from the farms mix into the water
bodies thereby poisoning their water and brings death to the water life. Those water
animals who luckily survive, when eaten up by the humans, disease their bodies. Thus,
these chemicals in place of protecting the crops from the pests disturb the whole
ecological system.

5. Cigarettes and Hookahs

Cigarettes and hookahs are the most popular trend among today’s generation. These are
not just destructive for human body but also for the entire environment. The smoke
exhibited from them contains certain chemicals that are bad for the air we breathe. The
suffocating air around the smoking zone proves its damaging tendency very easily. The
oxygen content of that area tends to decrease as the whole atmosphere becomes
contaminated by the smoke. Despite knowing the fact that they are injurious to health as
well as environment, people’s lavish lifestyle is refraining them to quit their use.

4. Motor Vehicles

The use of motor vehicles these days has become a part of life. People are so much
reliable on them that without their presence their live look paralysed. But the emissions
from these vehicles are quite dangerous in nature. The smoke emitted by them contains
harmful gases and carbon particles that create a hindrance in breathing and leads to
many respiratory problems and also these gases encourage the increasing green house
effect in the environment. There is a constant threat to the environment because of motor
vehicles due to the emissions and also petrol, diesel used to run them are depleting.
Thus, in both the ways the motor vehicles are damaging our environment. Measures are
being adopted to save the environment like promoting the use of CNG which is quite
effective on its part.

3. Soaps and Detergents

These are the daily used products. Soaps and detergents contain sulphates and
phosphates that harm the environment. After washing is complete, the detergent water
goes out of houses and factories, which in turn mixes with the water bodies and pollutes
them. The water gets contaminated and is rendered useless for drinking purpose. Also
due to the presence of phosphates, a layer of algae is formed over the surface of water
which suffocates the life beneath it as the supply of oxygen is cut off and the useful plants
and other water animals die due to no supply of oxygen. Therefore, it is necessary to
keep a check on the way of this detergent rich water so that it doesnot harm the
environment.

2. Mobiles phones

Where the invention of mobile phones came out as a boon for the entire world, its
disadvantages have become a matter of apprehension. It is said that the radiations
emitted from mobiles are harmful to health. Also the metallic body of mobiles contain
large proportion of tin and lead that are heavy metals and not easily disposed off. So, the
biggest threat from mobile phones is that, according the present needs and luxurious
lifestyle of people, the production of mobile phones is increasing rapidly but there is no
way discovered for their disposal. Number of mobile phones in a house always exceeds
the number of family members. And then it becomes very difficult to dispose their bodies
and they keep on existing even without coming into use. Thus, mobile phones can
damage the land and its surroundings.

1. Polythene and other Plastic products

Plastic products are made from polymers that are non-biodegradable in nature. These are
not disposed off even after thousands of years and as a result they contaminate the land
and soil. If tried to dispose by burning, the smoke emitted contains dioxins that are
extremely hazardous for health as the smoke contaminates the air we breathe, thereby
causing several lung diseases. Also the poly bags frequently used in shopping choke the
drains which become a cause of pollution. Since they do not degrade so, being for long
term in environment, are swallowed by animals which in turn cause their death because
choking. A number of revolutionary movements are taken up by various organisations to
retard the use of poly bags, so as to keep our environment clean and safe.
TOP 10 Causes Of Environmental Damage
From the immense amount of propaganda that goes around in the media these days, it is
clear that there is a lot of environmental degradation all around us. Such is the depth of the
situation that conferences are being held every year, and new tools like CDM (Clean
Development Mechanism) and Carbon credits are being created to prevent further damage
and to encourage protection of the environment. But what exactly is going wrong? What is it
that creates all this fuss? Look no further, if you find anything familiar from the following
then you might want to think again!

Top ten causes for The Environmental Damage

1) High quantity of Exhaust gases: The biggest reason by far for all kinds of
environmental degradation is the exorbitant amount of gases, harmful to the environment,
which is released by the various industries. Prime amongst these gases are C02, S02 and
NH3. Of course there are many more, and these are the main culprits for ozone holes and
global warming.
2) Deforestation: Close second comes the deforestation all over the world, to harness
forest resources, to clear land, for wood and for various other reasons. Deforestation causes
major problems for one simple reason; it decreases the number of trees, which clean the
environment, provide oxygen and also affect rain patterns. This is the major reason why
there are calls for tree plantation; it is to make up for this loss.
3) High number of industries such as mining: Mining creates a lot of pollution,
mainly because it releases particulate matter, which qualifies as Respirable Particulate
Matter (RPM); the particulate matter which can enter our lungs and can harm the entire
respiratory system. This form causes the most direct harm to humans, also particulate
matter can come from indoor pollution, as can be seen in cooking on traditional ‘choolahs’
and cottage industries like ‘bangle-making’.
4) Chemical effluents: Effluents are another by-product of industries which poses threat
to the environment, leather and tanning industries, petroleum industries and chemical
manufacturing industries create major waste products which are released directly into
nearby streams without treatment, creating river pollution and causing harm to aquatic life.
5) Transport: As the spending power of the population increases and as cars become
available more, the number of vehicles on the road increases. The amount has grown
exponentially in countries like India, Brazil and China and this is a point form of pollution
which directly affects humans. Smog is a nuisance that is created because of vehicular
pollution, and Hydro-Carbons released from engines are the cause of creation of lower level
ozone that is harmful to humans.
6) Unprecedented Construction: Urban Heat Island is a direct cause of the
unprecedented construction activities that are being carried out right now, and urban heat
island causes trapping of pollutants. Urban Heat island is an effect caused due to trapping of
solar radiation by concrete and cement which are materials which trap heat extremely well.
Construction causes removal of vegetative cover which usually allows for better exchange of
heat. This heat island effect causes constricted circulation of air, which traps pollutants
released in urban areas and does not allow for mixing of the air, thus decreasing the air
quality.
7) Secondary Pollutants: Secondary pollutants are ones that are not directly emitted;
however they get created when primary pollutants react amongst themselves. Major
amongst them is the creation of ozone from reaction between non-burnt Hydrocarbons and
Nitrous Oxides. There are various other secondary pollutants and the reaction between
these pollutants cause reactions that lead to formation of ozone holes. Stratospheric clouds
are the main reaction sites for such pollutants.
8 ) Ruinous agricultural policies: Overloading the land with fertilizers, overgrazing and
shifting agriculture are ruinous agricultural policies that degrade land, creating soil erosion
that leads to silting in major rivers and reservoirs. Soil degradation is a continuous cycle and
it ultimately leads to desertification and degradation of land quality by allowing the direct
action of eroding agents on cultivable land.
9) The Population Explosion: The increasing population creates a load that the entire
environment has to support, not only in terms of food and lodging, but also in terms of the
amount of waste that it generates and the ability of the environment to sustain this growth.
All major activities are carried out to support this growing population, and whilst this is
unavoidable, what is required is the proper planning that should come with this explosion.
10) Unplanned Land-use policies: Land models are available these days which help in
proper planning and use of land resources. However, failure to use these models and land
management policies can lead to land pollution and degradation of the worst kind.
Extraction from mines renders them unusable for habitation and if rehabilitation work is
not carried out, the piece of land is sure to lose all its value and become unusable. Land
classification is one of the major activities that help in proper land use, and it should be
followed with utmost care.

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How Do Humans Affect the Environment| 6 Negative Ways
Human is the only living being on the earth that is responsible for the destruction of the environment.

This is because of his ability to exploit the natural resources beyond the limits of safety.

Due this there is a direct reflection in terms of change of climate. Even the so called countries like France, England are not
having snowfall in winters.

Similarly, the hot countries near equator are experiencing higher temperatures in summer than before.

This is thought to be due to global warming and rise in pollution and deforestation.

This climate change was not seen till 50 years before. But with the advancement of technology, increase in reliance on
technology by humans, this change is seen.

The rise in human population, desire for luxurious life and dependence on technology impacts the environment. Besides there
certain aspects which have environmental impact on regular basis seen below
How do humans affect the environment?
1. Polluting
2. Non-Veg diet
3. Technology
4. Deforestation
5. Excess usage of commodities
6. Wastage of resources: water, power, petroleum etc.
Pollution: Humans pollute a lot and contribute to air pollution, water, sound, radiation, light and even soil pollution.
This is due to many of the human activities like travel, power generation, industrial waste dumped into rivers, polyethylene
waste, artificial methods used in agriculture, cell phones, wifi etc.

This pollution is harmful not only to humans but also to animals and plants around. This pollution decreases the healthy life span.

By:Vlado/freedigitalphotos

Hence we can see that there is an extinction of many types of birds, plants, marine animals etc. We can even notice many animals
die due to consumption of polyethylene covers. This polyethylene cover pollution is the result of litter by human use of poly
bags.
Also, carbon emission is increased due to growth in vehicles and leading air, water and soil pollution.

Non-Veg diet: Humans digestive tract is a long one like that of the herbivorous animal. While that of the gut of carnivorous
animals is small & less unfolded. This indicates that humans are suitable for vegetable diet. Even evolution theory says humans
are from monkeys which are herbivores. But interestingly most of the human population relies on the non-veg diet. This reliance
on the non-veg diet is expensive in terms of environment. Because to grow a hen of I kilo weight we need many kilos of wheat.
Instead, a kilo of wheat is sufficient for a diet of more than two individuals. So we grow animals for food at the cost of many
kilos of herbal diet. This requires growing cereals in many acres of land by use of manures, pesticides etc. which is again
polluting to nature.

Similarly, we kill many birds, deer and other mild animals from the forest for sake of diet. This decreases their population
drastically and is a cause of extinction.

Technology: Though technology is making lives of humans easier and comfortable. It poses a great threat to the environment.
The threat is due to pollution, radiation hazards, exploitation of natural resources etc.
Radiation hazard is increasing day by day due use of mobile phones and Wi-Fi around us. Hence we can notice that many small
birds and insects like honey bees are not found around these days. Even governments are promising to give free Wi-Fi without
realizing its harmful effects. If you wish to know the harsh effects, sit in a library or conference room with Wi-Fi enabled inside.
You will notice to be having stomach acidity or a headache there. Wi-Fi reduces the use of wired internet connectivity. Still, it
has untoward effects on the humans and environments.

By:Vlado/freedigitalphotos

Deforestation: Deforestation and widespread destruction of trees and plants in the name of expansion and urbanization
drastically effect the environment around.
Even we can see that there are some companies building resorts as a means of holiday trip into the deepest woods in the world.

Thus we are exploiting the nature and environment beyond the safe limits. Hence we can see wild animals getting into villages
and attacking humans.

Deforestation is decreasing the forest area and endangering the lives of wild animals. They have no place to hide, no proper lakes
or ponds for drinking water etc. Hence animals die due to dehydration, starvation, and even accidents.

See more details one why we need trees for survival.

Excess usage of commodities: We use many commodities out of fantasy than really required. We tend to own a hundred pairs of
leather shoes, purses, belts etc. All of them are made of skin and hides of animals. Many animals like cows, buffaloes, ox, pig are
killed for their skin though not for food. This way the unlimited desire for commodities is, in fact, causing a great pain and
suffering to the normal animals. Even the tigers, elephants are killed in large numbers for their hide, nails, and tusks in the name
of decorative items. Thus, the human’s greed for more is causing them to be extinct in few more years.
Wastage of resources: We have been exploiting coal, petroleum for our needs by digging the earth crest for decades. Most of the
extraction of petroleum is done in the name of storage for future needs. In future, if technology reverts to hydrogen fuels this
petroleum stored might go waste. Also instead of natural methods, we use coal for power generation. This coal once dug leaves
cavities in the earth surface. These cavities can be troublesome in times of floods and also cause of earthquakes. Also, we have
been wasting many resources including soils, water.