Tag: protection

Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

CONSERVATION

Environmental conservation is an activity that paves the way for the protection of the environment and natural resources at the individual, organizational and governmental levels. Various basic environmental problems are weighing on people’s lives. From overpopulation to hydrological problems, including ozone depletion, global warming, deforestation, desertification, and pollution, all these problems seriously threaten the existence of mankind. Unless environmental conservation becomes an effective mass movement, it is futile to expect positive growth, especially in an age of digital media that has the potential to bring about a revolution. revolution to save our destroying planet.

It has become important for the conservation of the environment in modern times. The following guidelines explain the essential need to protect the environment from further degradation:

To reduce pollution of air, water and soil,

Facilitating the conservation of natural resources for our future generations

To ensure the protection of biodiversity

To realize sustainable development To restore ecological balance

To save our planet from the harmful effects of global warming

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND DEGRADATION

Environmental degradation is the decomposition or degradation of the environment due to the consumption of assets, such as air, water and soil; the destruction of the environment and the extinction of animals. It is characterized by any alteration or exacerbation of a natural territory that is considered cruel or undesirable. Ecosystem effects or degradation produced by the amalgamation of a substantial and effectively expanding human population, expanding monetary development or wealth per capita, and applying technologies that cause depletion and pollution.

It occurs when the earth’s natural resources are depleted, and the environment is compromised in the form of extinction of species, pollution in the air, water and soil, and rapid growth in population.

Environmental degradation is one of the biggest threats currently under consideration in the world. The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Mitigation describes environmental degradation as the shrinking of the earth’s limits to meet social and environmental needs and destinations. Environmental degradation can occur in many ways. The moment the environment is destroyed or depleted of commons, the environment is considered broken and damaged. There are a number of different techniques used to prevent this, including environmental resource protection and general conservation efforts. There are number of types of environmental degradation- Land and soil degradation, Water degradation, air pollution, noise pollution etc.

ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESMENT

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of assessing the possible environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account the socio-economic, cultural and environmental impacts of the project. and human health are associated with both benefits and negatives. UNEP defines an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tool used to determine the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project before making a decision. It aims to predict environmental impacts at an early stage of project planning and design, seek to reduce negative impacts, shape projects to the local environment, present projects reporting and options for decision makers. Environmental impact assessment in India is legally supported by the Environmental Protection Act 1986, which contains different provisions on EIA methods and procedures.

The Environment Impact Assessment includes the steps mentioned below.

The EIA process is cyclical with interactions between different phases. Review: The project plan is reviewed based on the size of the investment, location and type of development, and whether the project requires statutory approval. Scope: Potential project impacts, impact areas, mitigation possibilities, and monitoring needs. Baseline data collection: Baseline data is the environmental condition of the study area. Impact prediction: Positive and negative impacts, reversible and irreversible, temporary and permanent impacts must be anticipated, assuming the rating agency has a good understanding of the project. Mitigation Measures and EIA Report: The EIA report should include actions and steps to prevent, minimize or ignore impacts or compensation for possible damage or loss to with the environment. Public Hearing: Once the EIA report is completed, community and habitat groups near the project site may be notified and consulted. Decision making: the impact assessment authority and experts consult with the project manager and consultant to make the final decision, keeping in mind the EIA and EMP (plan Environmental Management). Monitoring and implementation of the environmental management plan: The different phases of the project implementation are monitored. Evaluation of alternatives, identification of mitigation measures and EIA report: For each project, possible alternatives should be identified and environmental attributes compared . Alternatives must include both project location and process technology. After the alternatives have been considered, a mitigation plan must be developed for the selected alternative and supplemented by an environmental management plan (EMP) to guide the proponent towards improvement. environment friendly. Risk assessment: Inventory analysis and probabilistic and risk metrics are also part of the EIA procedure.

WHAT REALLY ARE VACCINES?

BY: VAIBHAVI MENON

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body’s immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and to further recognize and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with that agent that it may encounter in the future. Vaccines can be prophylactic (to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection by a natural or “wild” pathogen), or therapeutic (to fight a disease that has already occurred, such as cancer).

The administration of vaccines is called vaccination. Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases; widespread immunity due to vaccination is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and the restriction of diseases such as polio, measles, and tetanus from much of the world. The effectiveness of vaccination has been widely studied and verified; for example, vaccines that have proven effective include the influenza vaccine, the HPV vaccine, and the chicken pox vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that licensed vaccines are currently available for twenty-five different preventable infections. The terms vaccine and vaccination are derived from Variolae vaccinae (smallpox of the cow), the term devised by Edward Jenner (who both developed the concept of vaccines and created the first vaccine) to denote cowpox. He used the phrase in 1798 for the long title of his Inquiry into the Variolae vaccinae Known as the Cow Pox, in which he described the protective effect of cowpox against smallpox. In 1881, to honor Jenner, Louis Pasteur proposed that the terms should be extended to cover the new protective inoculations then being developed. The science of vaccine development and production is termed vaccinology. There is overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines are a very safe and effective way to fight and eradicate infectious diseases. The immune system recognizes vaccine agents as foreign, destroys them, and “remembers” them. When the virulent version of an agent is encountered, the body recognizes the protein coat on the virus, and thus is prepared to respond, by first neutralizing the target agent before it can enter cells, and secondly by recognizing and destroying infected cells before that agent can multiply to vast numbers. Limitations to their effectiveness, nevertheless, exist. Sometimes, protection fails because of vaccine-related failure such as failures in vaccine attenuation, vaccination regimes or administration or host-related failure due to host’s immune system simply does not respond adequately or at all. Lack of response commonly results from genetics, immune status, age, health or nutritional status. It also might fail for genetic reasons if the host’s immune system includes no strains of B cells that can generate antibodies suited to reacting effectively and binding to the antigens associated with the pathogen.

Even if the host does develop antibodies, protection might not be adequate; immunity might develop too slowly to be effective in time, the antibodies might not disable the pathogen completely, or there might be multiple strains of the pathogen, not all of which are equally susceptible to the immune reaction. However, even a partial, late, or weak immunity, such as a one resulting from cross-immunity to a strain other than the target strain, may mitigate an infection, resulting in a lower mortality rate, lower morbidity, and faster recovery. Adjuvants commonly are used to boost immune response, particularly for older people whose immune response to a simple vaccine may have weakened.

DARK WEB

BY: VAIBHAVI MENON

The dark web is the hidden collective of internet sites only accessible by a specialized web browser. It is used for keeping internet activity anonymous and private, which can be helpful in both legal and illegal applications. While some use it to evade government censorship, it has also been known to be utilized for highly illegal activity. The dark web refers to sites that are not indexed and only accessible via specialized web browsers. Significantly smaller than the tiny surface web, the dark web is considered a part of the deep web. Using our ocean and iceberg visual, the dark web would be the bottom tip of the submerged iceberg. The dark web, however, is a very concealed portion of the deep web that few will ever interact with or even see. In other words, the deep web covers everything under the surface that’s still accessible with the right software, including the dark web. It is not illegal to access the dark web. In fact, some uses are perfectly legal and support the value of the “dark web.” On the dark web, users can seek out three clear benefits from its use. User anonymity, Virtually untraceable services and site, Ability to take illegal actions for both users and providers As such, the dark web has attracted many parties who would otherwise be endangered by revealing their identities online. Abuse and persecution victims, whistleblowers, and political dissidents have been frequent users of these hidden sites. But of course, these benefits can be easily extended to those that want to act outside of the constraints of laws in other explicitly illegal ways.

When viewed through this lens, the dark web’s legality is based on how you as a user engage with it. You might fall to the wayside of legal lines for many reasons that are important for the protection of freedom. Others may act in ways that are illegal for the protection and safety of others. On the network end, the dark web is a bit more of a grey area. The use of the dark web usually means that you are attempting to engage in activity that you could not otherwise carry out in the public eye. For government critics and other outspoken advocates, they may fear backlash if their real identities were discovered. For those who have endured harm at the hands of others, they may not want their attackers to discover their conversations about the event. If an activity is deemed illegal by the governing bodies you fall under, then it would be illegal. That said, anonymity comes with a dark side since criminals and malicious hackers also prefer to operate in the shadows. For example, cyberattacks and trafficking are activities that the participants know will be incriminating. They take these actions to the dark web to hide for this reason. The Tor network makes it easier to hide your identity and allows people to anonymously create and host onion services. As a result, criminals often use the dark web to buy and sell illicit goods and services. Darknet marketplaces can be surprisingly similar to sites you find on the surface web—complete with limited-time sales, customer reviews and advertisements for organic products. However, criminals use these marketplaces to sell illegal products and services, including drugs, weapons and hacking software. Many identity thieves and hacking groups make money selling the information they steal on the dark web. The value of the information can vary greatly depending on what’s being sold.

While there’s no way to ensure all your information stays private, putting protective measures in place can help. Knowing if and when your information is compromised can also help you respond quickly—before too much damage is done. 

IMPORTANCE OF SEX EDUCATION

BY: VAIBHAVI MENON

“Everyone has bodies, right? It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Sex education is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, age of consent, reproductive health, reproductive rights, safe sex, birth control and sexual abstinence. Sex Education is something that should be taught to individuals from a young age. Due to it being a sensitive topic not a lot of people are comfortable learning or teaching the subject because of which much importance isn’t given and this causes negative effects. Most people get aware of the word “sex” during their teen years but they dont get proper education on it and that negatively impacts their life. Sex education talks about protection from diseases like STD’s which could range from AIDS TO HIV, how to avoid teen pregnancies through different methods such as surgical methods or physical methods.

In India especially, enough significance is not given cause unwanted pregnancies or getting a disease. Therefore Evidence-based sexual health education can improve academic success; prevent dating violence, and bullying; help youth develop healthier relationships; delay sexual initiation; reduce unplanned pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs.  Evidence-based sexual health education reduces sexual risk behavior by delaying sexual initiation, reducing pregnancy and STIs, and increasing contraceptive use thereby protecting student health. There’s nothing simple about teaching kids about sex. In these times of precocious pre-teens, pregnancy among teenagers, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), children and adolescents need much more than a one-time chat about the birds and the bees. Pregnancy prevention and safe sex really should be ongoing, age-appropriate topics. Ideally, children will get all of the information they need at home from their parents, but school should also be an important source of information. Research has shown time and time again that abstinence-only education doesn’t work. Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have consistently demonstrated that teaching comprehensive sex education in schools doesn’t have the downside most people are afraid of. In other words, providing condoms in schools doesn’t encourage adolescents to start having sex earlier, or even more often. Having those condoms available does seem to encourage teens to use them, but only if they would be having sex anyway. Only 20 states require sex and HIV education be taught in schools. Sex is a fundamental part of being human; but less than half of our states require sex and HIV education, and most of what is taught is sub-par. Just because we refuse to talk about sex doesn’t mean it’s just going to go away. Only 20 states require sex and HIV education be taught in schools. Sex is a fundamental part of being human; but less than half of our states require sex and HIV education, and most of what is taught is sub-par. Just because we refuse to talk about sex doesn’t mean it’s just going to go away. Sex education is important. It’s been proven time and time again. We know students who receive formal sex education in schools are shown to first have sexual intercourse later than students who have not had sex education. Sex education does not encourage teenagers to have sex, it does quite the opposite. Every teenager should have sex education incorporated into their schooling. It shouldn’t be opt-in or opt-out but mandatory. Why should parents be able to opt their children in or out of a subject that they’ll need later in life, one way or another?

Sex education should be mandatory, comprehensive, medically accurate, and taught throughout student’s school years, just like math. It’s been shown to help students, not hurt. Not only is having access to sex education that is not only comprehensive but medically accurate a human right; it’s our fundamental duty as a society to educate the next generation. Currently, we are failing.