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What's your take on the term "Environment"?

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Alright, let me break this down for you. The environment is a really deep and profound concept, way more than just the physical conditions or plants and animals around us. It's the whole world we live in, the space that surrounds us at every moment, the air we breathe - it's everything!

If you really think about it, we're not separate from this universe; we're a part of it. We're connected to everything - the air we inhale, the water we drink, the ground we walk on. Nothing exists in isolation. It's all interlinked. The plants and trees are around us, but we're also around them, right? We breathe from them, and they get their nutrients and whatnot from us. Same deal goes for animals and all that. When you look at it this way, life itself is just one continuous flow where each and every single element plays a crucial role. We humans are just blended right into this environment like salt dissolving into water. So, the environment really is our everything – we cannot survive without it, period.

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How do our surroundings affect our well-being?

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Okay, our environment has a massive, MASSIVE impact on our health, so ignoring it would be pretty dumb. I'm talking the air around us, the water situation, noise levels, even the smoke billowing from cars and trucks on the roads - our bodies and minds get messed up by all of it.

First up, a clean environment means fresh, breathable air which is obviously great. But when the air is too polluted and gross, it straight up damages our lungs, leading to coughing, wheezing, and all sorts of respiratory issues. Excessive noise is also super disturbing and can negatively impact our mental health.

Clean water, on the other hand, keeps us healthy. But if we drink contaminated water, we're opening ourselves up to a world of stomach issues, life-threatening diseases like hepatitis, and just a bunch of other problems that ain't no fun. So having access to clean water is absolutely crucial, let's be real.

Plants are also super important for our well-being. They purify the air and basically gift us fresh oxygen to breathe. No plants = rising CO2 levels = we all struggle to breathe, it's simple math. Oh, and let's not forget plants bring that lush, gorgeous greenery that keeps our minds feeling so refreshed and good.

So, you see, our surroundings have a significant effect on our health. If the environment is clean and green, we stay healthy and happy. But if it's polluted, the consequences can be pretty bad.

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Can you tell us some ways pollution impacts our health?

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Sure, let's start with air pollution. Nowadays, there are just way too many vehicles on the roads in cities, leading to crazy levels of smoke. Add to that the emissions from factories, and you've got a toxic mix of gases like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.

Inhaling these poisonous gases is seriously bad news for our health. They damage our lungs and can cause deadly diseases like bronchitis, asthma, and even lung cancer. Kids and older people are especially vulnerable to these effects.

Water pollution is no less dangerous. Waste from factories and households is being dumped into drains and rivers, contaminating the water with nasty chemicals like lead, mercury, pesticides, and whatnot.

This makes the water completely unfit for use. If you end up drinking or bathing in this polluted water, you're risking skin diseases, stomach problems, and who knows what else. It can even kill wildlife in these water bodies.

But that's not all – air and water pollution also make our food and drink unpalatable. The gases in the air can spoil food and leave harmful particles in it. Similarly, contaminated water can ruin our drinks. So, our health gets compromised in multiple ways.

Basically, having clean air and water is crucial for our well-being. People living in polluted areas are at an even higher risk.

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What daily actions do you take to protect the environment?

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Protecting and improving the environment is super important, so I try to do my part through some daily actions:

• First off, Islam teaches us that cleanliness is half of faith. Keeping that in mind, I always ensure there's no dirt or mess anywhere in my house. I never litter and always use a dustbin because I really dislike that habit of littering.

• I also try to keep the area around my house clean. So, if I ever spot some litter outside, I'll go and properly dispose of it myself without feeling any shame.

• I minimize my use of plastic bags as much as possible too. Whenever I go shopping, I carry a reusable cloth bag to put all my stuff in instead of taking multiple plastic bags.

• I'm conscious about not wasting electricity and water too. Just the other day, one of our taps was leaking slightly, and I made sure my parents got it fixed right away.

These are just a few small habits, but every little bit helps in protecting the environment, right? 🙂

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How can education promote environmental awareness?

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Education and awareness play a huge role in promoting environmental health. If people truly understand how important the environment is and what benefits it brings, they'll naturally want to take care of it.

First thing, this topic needs way more emphasis in schools and colleges. Kids should be taught from a young age about why the environment matters and why we need to protect it. They should get practical demos on what they can do.

Like, they can work on planting more trees in their school grounds, avoid littering at all costs, and reduce their electricity and water usage. Learning by doing will make it so much easier for them to continue these habits later on. Colleges and universities should host seminars, workshops, and open discussions on environmental issues too. This will raise awareness among youngsters. Science students especially need more exposure since they'll be working in relevant fields.

And finally, the government has to take this issue just as seriously as it deserves. They should launch public awareness campaigns and make people understand the consequences of damaging the environment.

If the government and developmental agencies work together to educate the masses, I highly doubt anyone would even think of harming the environment. Because everyone would know just how much damage that can cause.

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I trust that you enjoyed reading my article. 😊

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^{Author: @waqarahmadshah | Date: 20-Mar-2024 | Achievement 1}