Today, there is an increased awareness of environmental impacts of agriculture, with heavy criticisms made on the amount of inefficient water usage, as well as harmful pesticides, herbicides and fungicides used in farming. Many unsustainable farming methods are the source of eutrophication and soil degradation in the environment. On the other hand, farming is a necessity, and although it could be improved and made more sustainable, no one can say that we don't need farms. However, many golf courses are currently coming under the same criticism; their construction may result…

Waterfalls may be seen as some of the most beautiful river formations in the world. They are essentially places where the river water drops sharply, due to a sudden change in the river gradient. There are many different types of waterfalls of various forms. There are many notable waterfalls for tourists to visit, and they can be found across the globe. All it takes is a search of notable waterfalls to get a list hundreds of waterfalls worth visiting. For example, the world's tallest water fall, Angel Falls in Venezuela,…

It is common when travelling to areas with large numbers of insects, mosquitoes etc. to apply insect repellent. In fact, it is often advised; especially in areas where diseases such as typhus and malaria are prominent. The key ingredient of many insect repellents seems to be a N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, known mainly through its acronym, DEET. Although considered generally safe when used responsibly, it is considered ‘slightly toxic', and does cause damage to freshwater fish. Additionally, some regular uses of insect repellents with high concentrations of DEET (70% and above) were shown…

Mangroves are being exploited and destroyed today to be converted to farmland; other causes for destruction include logging and shrimp farming. Destruction of mangroves not only damages the immediate ecosystem, it may also affect habitats such as coral reefs located further into the sea by raising sediment levels. When visiting mangrove forests, we must be sure not to litter, as discussed in previous articles. We must also be sure not to feed or interfere with animals, as this may cause them to act unnaturally and potentially threaten the balance of…

As we all know, approximately 71% of the world's surface is covered in water, with the oceans making up almost all this figure. Sadly, today's oceans are being stripped of life through various destructive practices; these include overfishing and waste disposal. Problems of littering have already been discussed in previous articles, but one of the main concerns for oceans is overconsumption. The world's huge demand for fish has lead fish being removed from the ocean faster than they can reproduce. Ironically, we even take their eggs, and turn it into…

Of all natural habitats on earth, rainforests have some of the highest biodiversity. This means that they hold the largest ranges of plant and animal species; a single section of rainforest may have a higher biodiversity than an entire temperate forest. With such a large ecosystem, rainforests are sources of massive advances in medicine; such as the rosy periwinkle, or Catharanthus roseus, which provides combatants for cancer. Rainforests also provide a means of flood control, absorbing and intercepting rain and floodwater, reducing the potential of destructive flash-floods that may be…