Achievement 4 by @felichi Task: Applying Markdowns

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Environmental degradation refers to the changes, mostly negative, that occurs in the environment due to the depletion of natural resources. This can be as a result of natural causes, but also it can be caused by human activities.

The effects of environmental degradation can be felt in various ways such as: poor air quality, increased flood incidents, increased atmospheric temperature, wildfires, decreased soil fertility etc.

Natural causes of environmental degradation include disasters such as earthquakes, storms, avalanches, etc.
Some practices that lead to environmental degradation.

1. Excessive use of fertilizers during farming: This can increase soil acidity and harm some of the micro-organisms that are beneficial to the soil. Some of these acids may also get into the water in the ground and pollute it.

2. Indiscriminate dumping of refuse: Refuse dumps (also called landfills in some countries) can also lead to water pollution, rise in soil acidity.

3. Excessive use and improper disposal of plastic: Plastics are non-biodegradable. This means that they cannot be broken down naturally. The plastic bottle you threw away three years ago is probably still around somewhere today. Plastics lead to blockage of drainages and cause flooding.

4. Unprofessional exploration of mineral resources: Classical example is Nigeria’s Niger Delta region where drilling of crude oil has greatly devastated the environment.

5. Excessive felling of trees which can lead to deforestation:

source

Ways you can help to combat environmental degradation

1. Reduce your use of plastic or stop it entirely if you can. Use paper bags instead of polythene bags. Say no to single use plastic containers. Promote recycling of plastics.

2. Reduce waste. Buy only what you need. Give out your old clothes, shoes and stuff instead of dumping them in the refuse.

3. Raise your voice. Draw attention to actions that help preserve the environment, like sharing this article, for instance.

4. Read up and take action. There are tons of materials on the internet that can help you with practical steps about preserving the environment. Take action, regardless of how little it might seem.

Below are causes and effects of environmental degradation in tabular form.

Causes	Effects
Pollution of the environment especially the water and air we breath	This can lead to death of aquatic life and lung and liver infection
Man made disasters for instance flooding	This can lead to lose of lives and property
Improper dumping of refuse	Can affect the health quality of people and make the environment inhabitable.