Many of you remember the lovely weather and seasons from when you were small kids, we are sure. In the past, every season descended on time. Most of you must have danced in the rain during the monsoon season, which was one of the best.
It was a joy for your eyes to see the snowfall on schedule. After several chilly winters, you were finally able to enjoy the summer with its warm sunlight, greenery, and chirping birds.
But right now, everything is out of sync with the seasons. The monsoon has been delayed, causing a drought, but when it does come, it's typically accompanied by a flood-like situation. The only summer features these days are high temperatures and heat waves. By now you all are aware of the causes behind such drastic change and how to cope with them.
On this World Environment Day (05 JUN 2023), we bring forth some interesting facts about the environment so that you start embracing it more and take some steps to conserve it for future generations to come.
5 Interesting Facts about The Environment
1) Paper can be recycled five to seven times: All of you are aware that paper is made from cutting down trees. By recycling one ton of paper you can actually save seventeen tons of fully-grown trees. A paper can be recycled five to seven times after which, its fibers become too weak to hold together.
But at least, cycling it this many times can save about 75,000 trees.
2) The world's largest desert is the Antarctic desert: You must have assumed up until this point that the Sahara Desert was the world's largest desert, but in actuality, the Antarctic Desert is the biggest in terms of area. The Antarctic Desert is 5.4 million square miles larger than the Sahara Desert, which is around 3.5 million square miles.
3) A Sperm whale’s poop is very beneficial to the environment: About 50 tonnes of iron are released annually from each whale's excrement. This iron encourages the growth of phytoplanktons (microscopic marine algae), which are known to absorb carbon dioxide. Eventually, it provides benefits to the environment.
4) Bats are not blind: Since childhood, you have heard that bats are blind but no this is not the case. They have small eyes with very sensitive vision.
During the day, they mainly utilize their eyes to find food, while at night, they rely on their hearing and echolocation (clicking noises as they fly).
5) Beetroot a plant-based road salt alternative: Beetroot juice can be used as a deicer on the road instead of a salt deicer. It freezes at -20ºC rather than -5ºC and is considered less harmful to the environment.
Besides harming vehicles and infrastructures, salt-based deicers in excess can also flow into freshwater and disturb local ecosystems. On the contrary beet juice is an eco-friendly road management solution.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. The environment is full of mysteries. The more you read the more you become aware that you know very little about your surroundings. And you finally understand that to live peacefully you simply need to live in harmony with nature.
Disclaimer: The content (video/text) presented on this page should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. Please "DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE" and seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Practo will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.