Must-Watch Environmental Stories of 2022

Environment

Climate change is actually felt everywhere. In fact, there are wider coverage of it which includes all forms of media. However, there are still important stories that get missed or dismissed. The good thing is that media spend some of their time to show stories regarding pollution, endangered species or environmental sustainability.

Here are some of the best environmental stories that everyone should watch in 2022.

List of Environmental Stories to Watch in 2022

The following stories below are most likely ignored issues of the past. Yet, they are concerns that need to be attended with.

Critical Biodiversity

There is already an extinction of great numbers of species. Unfortunately, there is no expected slow down of this problem this year. But, government are trying to do their best to solve this issue.

Expecting the Extremes

Extreme weather is generally felt all over the globe. There are hail storms now and then there are wildfires immediately afterwards. In average, there are about 7 events of weather changes in the US. But, nowadays, there are already 16 of it. So, expect to see more of these changes in the coming years.

Messing Up with Plastic

More plastic wastes are generated in the year 2016 and the problem will still expect to continue. That’s why it is very important to keep an eye on this issue.

Youth Surveys on Environmental Protection

Ecology, Environment

environment-farming

 

Young people are concerned about the use of pesticides in agriculture and are calling on politicians to take action. They want more ecosystems in the field and are working on greater support for their farms. They give and show importance to the environment by conducting surveys for environmental protection.

Consumers put pressure on politicians

Agricultural chemicals are a continuing topic of environmental controversy. For years, many consumers in EU-wide surveys have listed pesticides as one of the greatest food risks. The lack of synthetic crop protection is also well-studied as a reason to buy organic foods.

Initiatives to reduce the use of pesticides, such as in Switzerland and France, show considerable potential for support among the population. And the growing awareness of the problem of insect protection also suggests that environmental risks are becoming more important.

Young people particularly concerned

Current youth studies and the Fridays for Future movement show a high level of climate protection awareness among young people and young adults. Due to a lack of studies, it was largely unclear to what extent pesticides still pose a problem for this age group. How do the majority of young people in Germany see agriculture and its effects on environmental protection and species protection?

Is the use of pesticides even an issue for the under30 generation? To find the answer, in October 2021, 1,131 young adults were interviewed, especially for the pesticide atlas. The interviews and surveys are posted online, on different websites, etc. to show and study different results. Online surveys of the 16-29 age group are presented according to respondents’ gender, education, and regional distribution.

Wide range

The result is a picture of a generation that recognizes the limits of the planet and demands more commitment from politicians so that agriculture can produce food in an environmentally friendly way. There is a great deal of interest in production. Only a few (7.2%) of the young respondents said they were not interested in this subject.

There is a high awareness of the risks of using pesticides in agriculture. A good two-thirds are concerned about this and consider the operation to be dangerous. It is surprising that the main concerns are directed towards water and groundwater protection.

Skepticism about the chemical industry, appreciation for organic farming

The image of chemical plant protection and the plant protection product industry is rather bad. Organic farming, on the other hand, is considered to be sustainable and modern: many of those surveyed believe that it is particularly respectful of nature and has advantages when it comes to protecting insects.

Overall, organic is associated with clear advantages for the environment and species protection. Almost 60% say they buy organic foods for these reasons. Looking at the situation of farmers, young people face major challenges. 70% find it difficult to farm in today’s situation. People’s performance in agriculture is valued and it shows a high degree of relevance associated with the topic of fair wages.

 

PPE for Covid-19 and the Environment

Environment

PPE has been a crucial component in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV2 and COVID 19. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the number of people who are wearing protective equipment, such as masks and gloves. This increased usage has caused them get dirty or lost before their time – much like how Fashion victims often end up with torn clothing after a night out clubbing!

Researchers from United Nations Environment programme studied recycling habits across 11 countries including Ireland where they found that 84 times more PPE was collected for recycling preCOVID 19 levels compared postpandemic period when there were large increases reported around Europe (especially Italy).

The Solution: Proper Disposal and Reusable PPE

The improper disposal of personal protection equipment can lead to a variety of negative impacts including but not limited too:

  • environment contamination  (e.g., littering) & infrastructure damage
  • injury or illness from contacting hazardous materials found on old clothing/equipment that may have been used during working hours without being properly cleaned between uses
  • littered PPE can cause SARS-CoV2 to spread easily
  • clogs sewage systems, polluting streams and rivers with its remains as well. The slippery surface of these pieces makes them hazardous for animals too

If you find yourself surrounded by clutter don’t forget about the potential dangers first hand when trying to remove your own personal protection equipment (PPE).

5 Small Things You Can Do For The Environment

Environment

While everyone is talking big about protecting the environment, we, on the other hand, can do some small things for the environment. And these small things, when done simultaneously can make a huge difference.

1. Bring your own washable cup

When you need a coffee, you can always bring with you your tumbler or your own cup at the coffee shop. You can even use it in your office pantry so that you don’t have to use those throwable cups and plastic cups.

2. There are still some good ones in leftovers.

Open up bottles of shampoo and cut out toothpaste tubes. You will be surprised that there’s still more to use at the bottom. Old bar soaps are still usable to the end, stick it to the new one and it still becomes usable. Old clothes can still be recycled to cleaning rags and torn clothes can be sewn.

3. Keep the electric outlet free of plugs when not in use

You might as well remove the plug out of the electric outlet. It still consumes power while it remains plugged in. Turn off your gas stoves. Turn off the lights during the daytime. Keeping watch on this can save you some money with electric consumption.

4. Don’t ignore it, trash it out properly

There’s a candy wrapper on the street, pieces of paper on the drain, plastic at the playground, and other trash here and there. Do care for the environment. Have the goodwill to pick it up and put it in its proper waste bin.

5. bring your own bag when shopping

Imagine how many plastic bags you can save from clogging the drain? Having your own bag while shopping saves you all of the plastic used for packaging.

These are just a few things you can do. But if everyone does the same thing, what a wonderful world we could be living in.