The Environmental Risks of Improper Medicine Disposal

With more people leaning on prescription medication to fix their diseases and ailments, it becomes an issue when they don’t know how to properly dispose of it. During 2015-2016, it was proven that just under half of the population of America had used prescription drugs in the past 30 days. Many people tend to just forget about their prescription medication which leaves it available for children to find accidentally. However, others will casually throw away their drugs or flush them. The result of this can have an awful impact on the environment. This is why we must understand how to … Continue reading

The Role of Water Treatment in Environmental Sustainability

Water scarcity is one of the largest threats facing humanity today due to constant water shortages being experienced all over the world. Only a small percentage of the world’s water (about 3%) is fit for human consumption with two percent of this amount present in glaciers and ice caps. The United Nations has given water due prominence by making it one of its millennium development goals. Such is the importance of water that governments have started developing new technologies and projects to cushion its effects on the world population. These initiatives include desalination, rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment and water location … Continue reading

The Health Impacts of Drinking Contaminated Water

Drinking dirty or contaminated water causes numerous health problems, all of which one should be aware of. The contamination of water sources can start from the main water sources such as city water supplies, rivers, streams, and lakes, or well water supplies. Moreover, the main water source such as groundwater might get contaminated from toxic chemicals found underground, such as fluoride or arsenic, if the water is not filtered properly. Furthermore, contamination can occur from something as dangerous as a badly designed hazardous waste site or industrial site, exposing the water to numerous dangerous chemicals. As previously mentioned, contaminated water … Continue reading

The Environmental Impacts of Industrialization

Everything we do, from the food we eat to the electricity we use, affects the world around us — but it wasn’t always that way. The Industrial Revolution changed the way that we created everything, from food and energy to sanitation and manufacturing technologies, apart from the way we study. Amount of  “do my paper” messages from students to experts did not decrease even at that time. How has industrialization impacted the environment, and what can we do in the future to reduce these environmental impacts? The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution started sometime in the middle of the 1700s, when … Continue reading

7 Insights into Diamond Mining and its Environmental Impact

To make diamond jewelry, the gems we covet need to be mined. This practice is not without its problems, especially from an environmental perspective. So with that in mind, let’s look at what consumers need to know about the mark that mining leaves on our planet, and the alternatives that are out there for anyone who wants to minimize their own carbon footprint. Unveiling the Glitter: The Diamond Mining Process Diamond mining is a process shrouded in mystery for many. It starts with prospecting, where geologists search for kimberlite pipes, which are ancient pathways of volcanic activity that have carried … Continue reading

Common Water Pollutants and Their Effects on the Environment

English poet W.H. Auden once said, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water,” and how true that is. Water is what keeps us alive and sustains us. Why, then, do we have such a problem keeping water clean, and what does water pollution do, not only to us but to the environment? Let’s delve into the subject of water pollution so we can better understand it and its effects on the whole world. Water Pollution Facts Water pollution is caused when a toxic substance gets into the water supply, whether that be a river, ocean, or the underground … Continue reading

Water Pollution Worries in the Developing World

Water pollution has become a major concern worldwide, especially in developing countries where around 3.2 million children die each year as a result of unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. Access to adequate wastewater treatment facilities in the developing countries is very limited. For example, only 209 of India’s 3,119 towns and cities—less than one in ten—have even partial sewage systems and treatment facilities. As a result water bodies in developing nations are often used as open sewers for human waste products and garbage, which is evident at the Ganges River in India which receives over 1.3 billion liters of domestic waste, … Continue reading

Can Atmospheric Water Generators Resolve Egypt’s Water Crisis?

Egypt faces an imminent water crisis which could jeopardize the country’s stability and regional dominance. Egypt is currently below the United Nations threshold of water poverty. The current water shortage in Egypt is 13.5 Billion Cubic Meters per year which is expected to continuously increase. According to hydrologists, a country is considered to be facing water scarcity if supplies drop below 1,000 cubic meters per person annually. Egyptian officials state there are currently around 570 cubic meters (150,000 gallons) of water available per person per year. This figure is expected to drop further to 500 cubic meters by 2025. The … Continue reading

Environmental Impact of Olive Oil Processing

More commonly known for its popular culinary and medicinal benefits, olive cultivation, olive oil production and oil packaging are a part of the local heritage and rural economy throughout the North African and Mediterranean regions. In 2012, an estimated 2,903,676 tons of olive oil was produced worldwide, the largest olive oil producers being Spain, Italy, and Greece followed by Turkey and Tunisia and to a lesser extent Portugal, Morocco and Algeria. Within the European Union’s olive sector alone, there are roughly 2.5 million producers, who make up roughly one-third of all EU farmers. The olive oil industry offers valuable opportunities to … Continue reading

Why Water Pollution Is a Major Worry in the USA: 4 Water Contamination Events and Their Effects

According to a Gallup poll, the majority of Americans are deeply concerned about water pollution. 56% are concerned about drinking water quality and 53% are concerned about the water quality of rivers, reservoirs, and lakes. Americans have cause for concern. Over the years, there have been multiple water contamination events in the US. Why Water Pollution is a Major Worry in the USA Water pollution in the US is actually a growing problem, though it has been a problem for a long time. In the nineteenth century, water quality was improved in many bodies of water thanks to new mining … Continue reading

The Islamic Principles on Sustainable Development

A huge number of verses in Qura’n and several sayings of the Prophet Muhammad indicate the great importance that has been given to environmental concerns and the responsibility of man to the environment. The concept of sustainable development in Islam can be defined as “The balanced and simultaneous realization of consumer welfare, economic efficiency, attainment of social justice, and ecological balance in the framework of a evolutionary knowledge-based, socially interactive model defining the Shuratic process”. The Shuratic process is the consultation or participatory ruling principle of Islam. The over arching principle in the use of nature is derived from the prophetic … Continue reading

5 Biggest Environmental Problems Ukraine is Facing

In the last few years, global awareness of environmental problems has increased. The Ukrainian government has not been successful in meeting EU standards for air pollution, and there is little progress in reversing the trend. Read on to know the top environmental issues being faced by Ukraine: 1. Air Pollution This is the most well-known pollution problem in Ukraine. It usually occurs on hot summer days when air from forest fires pollutes cities near forests and peat bogs near industrial areas. The thickness of smog in the air in these cities makes it impossible to see any buildings in the … Continue reading