How to get a “Distinction” in General Paper (G.P)

I've seen many students focus on researching on new topics very often.But they totally ignore their grammar! Formation is important. If you REALLY want to get this ' Distinction ', the first step you should do is to check your dictionary.

Many do the error of focusing into only some topics for the examination. That's totally WRONG! You should cover the maximum topics. All knowledge is necessary for an examination. I highly recommend you use your own thinking rather than just 'copy paste' whatyou learned from books, teachers and the internet.

Do you know how to choose what essay you’re going to do? If you think that you should do the topic that you ‘like’ then you’re wrong. You should do the topic on which you have more knowledge, even if you dislike the topic.

Important sources of information are: local newspaper, magazines, books specialised in essays (wide choice at your local library) and the internet.

The examiner will expect: -fluent style and demonstration of the use of appropriate idiom.-grammatically correct, good paragraphing and good punctuation and spelling-an introduction with clarity and without unnecessary detail-a conclusion sufficiently referencing to major points and pulling thethreads of the arguments together

Some tips from an examiner:

-take time to read all questions very carefully before making your choice-scrutinise the wording of the chosen questions-If you are not absolutely sure of the precise meaning of the question, do not attempt it-do not write all you know about the topic - answer the question-prepare an essay plan which remains focused on the question as set

-ensure the plan shows that you have sufficient/knowledge to meet the requirements of the question-check and edit the essay structure regarding introduction, main body and conclusion-illustrate your major points with appropriate examples (local/national/international)-leave enough time to check your work-ensure you have answered the question as set without superfluous digression-check your English systematically correcting any careless errors.

A common error by candidates: they write in fact and at least and it’s totally wrong. They are written like this: in fact and at least.

Next is choosing between comprehension and data response. I would suggest you don’t gamble in the exams. Comprehension is the best option. Again here, NEVER copy the words in the passage. Put them in your own words. Unless you have practiced at least 10 Data Response questions (and had good marks), do not attempt Data Response in the examination.

Always write for what has been asked. Be careful not to be irrelevant by writing more than necessary just to show that you have ‘a great knowledge’. Questions are often tricky. Be sure to read them 3 times before answering.

When answering the ‘what is meant by the following words’ question, donot answer by giving another difficult word.

When writing your summary, underline the main points first. Be sure not to include any details as this will give you minus points!

Which type of questions should I attempt? Selecting a question to attempt can be a tough task for you because of many alternatives given in the GP exam papers. Below are basic factors to consider:

You should evaluate the given questions on the basis of yourknowledge of the subject matter. You need to know what you are good at, at first.

You need to evaluate which questions best match your capability and conscience.

You should go for those essays which you can write better than any other ones.

You will excel more at this with some experience, knowledge and other skills like good interpretation and language skills.

Good language skills will help you understand the question betterand thus you can be able to figure out which questions to attemptmore easily.

In most of the circumstances, I recommend you to choose those questions which have a familiar topic, and on which you can give your best arguments with as many examples, and facts possible. Choosing more familiar topic reduces the risk of uncertainty and boosts your confidence as you are sure of what you write. However, with unfamiliar topics you just think you have an argument but you won't be able to generate more ideas and moreover, you won't be much confident in what you write.

Since general paper is a multi-disciplinary subject you are likely to get questions from subjects like physics, economics, business studies, mathematics, arts, etc. In such a case, which is quite likely, directly attempt the question related to one of your subjects. However, you should not underestimate it as easy and do not forget to make sure that you understand what the question is really about. Essay ChecklistUse this checklist to ensure that you considered the important aspectsStructure1. Have you answered the question?2. Have you answered every part?3. Does your essay stay focused on the question and have a clear point of view?

4. Does your essay have a logical progression, with every paragraph proceeding clearly from the last?IntroductionHave you defined the key terms?Body paragraphs1. Is the main idea introduced directly?2. Are the important concepts discussed clearly?3. Does the evidence provide relevant and credible support?4. Do the sentences flow coherently or have I wedged some ill by side?5. Does every paragraph stick to a clear topic?Style and Genre1. Have you used the correct genre type: report, essay, reflection etc?2. Have you used formal language?3. Have you used the terminology of your discipline appropriately?4. Have you used appropriate evidence for your discipline?5. Is there any repetition?6. Are your sentences concise?7. Have you cut out anything unnecessary?Presentation1. Have you followed the presentation instructions in your unit

outline? Check to make sure!2. Have you stayed within the word limit?Finally, do you like your assignment?What grade would you give it?

Approaching the vague questions in GP?

There are certain questions in GP which create confusion in students. For example:To what extent is design important in your society ?What does “your society” mean in this question?

Think for a second and you’ll find out that this is totally subjective. Your society can mean:

Your locality (the immediate geographical place where you live e.g., your village, town, city, etc)

Your community (related to your race, culture, religion: e.g., Christian community, Muslim community, and the like.)

Your country Your region (for example, East Africa, Uganda, and so on),

etc

Here, the term “your society” has multiple meanings, which makes the whole question “vague”! So, doesn't this create confusion?

Yes, it does. So, what’s the workaround?

Upon evaluating the mark schemes and examiner reports, I have found out that such GP questions can be attempted very flexibly! I mean, you can interpret the meaning of the terms like 'your society' to mean any of those meanings I have mentioned above or whatever you understand by society! That definition should be somehow agreeable and your essay will be fine.

Similarly, in the following question:How are young offenders dealt with in your country?What is the meaning of the word “young” here? Isn't a 25 years old offender, young? If he is then, is it the sensible question? Just think!

However, I guess you already know that “young” here means the ageat which we one cannot be held accountable legally for his/her illegal act. Generally, the offenders under the age of 18 years are considered minor; however this is not a universal rule. Laws in different countries have defined “minor” differently. Moreover, different acts within the same country define it differently. This confusion provides you an opportunity to interpret the meaning of the phrase “young offender” as you wish.For example, you can interpret the term as less than 14 years! However, linking it to your country and using the knowledge aboutyour country can help you deduce the closer meaning of such vaguewords and get more marks. However, you still have the freedom to interpret the meaning on your own and write an essay accordingly.

Some Popular General Paper TopicsGP essay topics would really focus on anything that is really being highlighted in the news. Either way, the general paper topics will invariably revolve around several topic headings as suggested by the Examining body.

Why are these topics so common?These topics are fairly common as students would not only gain knowledge from the various disciplines during the course of their academic career, but these are topics that are perpetual in nature andaffect us all as human beings. This essentially means that these are topics that no matter the year there will invariably be an issues, development or discussion on some occurrence or event that has occurred.  For instance, the economic recession that has been plighting the world since 2007 and can easily be presented as a social, economical or even political topic.

Other popular topics that can quite possibly be covered because of their importance on the world stage would be Climate Change, Global Warming and the Environment.  There is also the topic of Terrorism, War and Social Instability, Health and Life Styles and even Foreign Aid.

General Paper essay questions come under a wide range of topics. Here are some essay questions from past exams for an understanding of what to expect for the Paper.

Historical, social, economic, political and philosophical topics.

1. 'Women rights violation is still on the rise.' How far do you agree?

2. What roles can the mass media play in creating awareness among the people in social issues?

3. Employment is the most important factor of every economy. Doyou agree?

Science, including its history, philosophy, general principles and applications; environmental issues; mathematical topics

1. Will AIDS be completely curable?2. Will classrooms vanish in the near future?3. Cancer is emerging as the most dangerous disease. How far do

you agree?4. What is the possibility of alternative energy sources, if

fossils fuels get exhausted all of a sudden?

Literature and language, arts and crafts.

1. Digital arts will eventually take over traditional arts. Do you agree?

2. Which of the art forms do you like most?3. Which is the most impressive book you have ever read?4. “Literature, drama and art  all amount to making something out

of nothing.” Is this a fair assessment of the arts?

CRIME & PUNISHMENT  

1. Society is mostly to blame for juvenile delinquency. Towhat extent is this true?    

2. Are harsh punishments the best answer to rising crime?    3. Greed is largely to blame for the rise in crimes today.’ How

true is this?    4. ‘Be gentle with the young.’ To what extent is this an

effective way to deal with a rise in juveniledelinquency?   

5. Crime is an inevitable feature in a society. Do you agree?  6. ‘‘All civilised societies should abolish capital punishment.’

Discuss this view with regards to your country.  EDUCATION

   1. ‘Education has never been more essential in the world

today’. Do you agree?    2. ‘Education is the only effective instrument in bringing

about changes in society.’ Is this true?    3. To what extent can education bridge the income gap in your

society?    4. He who opens a school door, closes a prison." Is education a

sufficient safeguard against crime?   

5. “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Should your society adopt this view in educating the young?   

6. To what extent should schools use examinations to evaluate students?

ENVIRONMENT

1. Can we rely on science and technology to solve ourenvironmental problems?    

2. “The threat of global warming is exaggerated.” Is this afair comment?   

3. 'The environment must be sacrificed for economicdevelopment.'  Do you agree?   

4. Do you agree that environmental protection is a luxury ofthe rich?   

5. “What lessons can we learn from today’s environmentalcrisis?   

6. Discuss the important steps that must be taken to protectour environment   

7. How far do you agree that our current environmental woes areof our making?   

8. To what extent is sport an environmentally-unfriendly endeavour?  

GENDER & FAMILY ISSUES

1. ‘Too much importance is placed on achieving equality betweenmen and women.’ Do you agree?   

2. Is gender equality a problem or a solution?    3. Today, more than ever, it is increasingly difficult to

maintain a happy and stable family life.” Do you agree?    4. “Singlehood is a regrettable state.” Is this true?    5. The quality of family life has deteriorated in today's

world. Discuss this in relation to your country.    6. Is there a necessity for marriage in this time and age?     7. “The pursuit of gender equality will do more harm than good.”

Discuss.GENERAL (SOCIAL)

1. ‘In spite of more information, man is not more informed.’Comment   

2. ‘People should be free to say and do as they wish.’Discuss.   

3. There is no such thing as privacy today. Comment.     4. ‘Addiction is the bane of the modern world.’ Discuss.    5. Without our past, our future would be a tortuous path

leading to nowhere.’ Do you agree?    6. Account for the increasing fascination with celebrities in

modern society. 7. “Increasingly, money is the prime motivator for many people

in the world today.” Discuss.    8. ‘There is nothing wrong with being individualistic'. What is

your view on this?    9. ‘More must be done to protect the rights of children.’

Discuss.    10. Foreign talents are detrimental to a country’s social

cohesion. What are your views?    11. Travel is the best form of leisure. How valid is this

statement?    12. “Equality is still a myth.” Discuss      13. How ready are the young in your country for the real

world?   14. To what extent has your society pursued economic progress at

the expense of morality today?  15. “Religion has only resulted in divided societies.” What is

your view?  16. How should the spread of AIDS be combated?

POLITICS /GOVERNMENT/TERRORISM

1. Our personal lifestyles should not be the concern of the government. Discuss   

2. How far do you agree that war is a necessary tool for peace?3. Violence to end violence’. Is this the solution to

terrorism?    4. “The cure for terrorism is democracy.” Do you agree?    5. Sports and politics should never be mixed.’ Do you agree?    6. “A nation’s economic competitiveness is largely determined

by the quality of its people.”  Do you agree?    7. Governments should take steps to keep their threatened

languages alive. Do you agree?   

8. The study of history will enable Man to be wiser.Comment.   

9. ‘Never think that war, no matter how necessary nor justified, is not a crime.’ Do you agree?  

10. “Fine in principle but a failure in practice.” How far do youagree with this assessment of democracy?.   

11. “The United Nations has proven itself incapable of solving both regional and global problems and should be dismantled.” Do you agree?

 POVERTY

 1. Technological advancement has worsened the problem of

poverty. Do you agree?2. “People who are in poverty have only themselves to blame.”

Comment.3. Should rich nations stop giving aid to poorer nations?5. "Out of sight, out of mind." Is this the way people deal

with the problem of poverty?6. Should developed countries be responsible for the plight of

developing ones?  

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY  

1. Can the use of surveillance technology ever be justified?    2. It is not the business of science to deal with ethical

issues.’ Discuss.    3. As Science progresses, mankind regresses’. Comment.    4. Technological advancement has worsened the problem of

poverty. Do you agree?    5. Today’s technology is dividing us as much as uniting us.’

Comment    6. Should scientific research be restricted in any way?    7. "Modern technology always improves the quality of people's

lives." How true is this?    8. Can we rely on science and technology to solve our

environmental problems?   

9. Have the issues faced by scientists become more complicated in recent times? Comment.   

10. Science solves physical problems but religion remains the best answer to life’s challenges. Discuss.   

11. Science and ethics should be kept separate.’ Is this wise advice?    

12. How important is it to be at the cutting edge of technology?   

13. Should ethical concerns be second to pragmatism in Science?   

MEDIA 

1. ‘Cyberspace is a powerful cultural force.’ Discuss   2. To what extent are our perceptions manipulated by the

media?   3. Have the new media changed our lives for the better? To what

extent are the values of teenagers in Uganda today shaped bythe mass media?   

4. "Censorship has no place in modern society." Do you agree?   

5. Do you think the media should be held responsible for the growing violence and crime in society today?  

6. ‘The new media is a mixed blessing.’ Discuss 7. A country’s press is the voice of its people. What do you think? 

Data Response - Study SkillsData response papers aim to test the ability of candidates to apply their knowledge to unseen data. It can be a Paper with questions presented in two main ways: statistical data, displayed as graphs, tables, charts or diagrams and textual data, such as extracts from newspapers or journals.

Examiners report that many candidates underperform on this paper primarily because they tend to launch into writing answers without taking sufficient time to interpret the information provided first.

How to improve your technique: some general principles

Read the title of the data carefully and note the source o Be on the look out for selective or biased evidence

Spend some time 'getting a feel' for the data

units used? £millions; thousands of workers;real or nominal headings to columns? percentages; index numbers identify the highest and lowest values; rank the data note the time trends; cyclical; seasonal note relationships between variables; causal; lagged

Look at the mark allocation carefully

the questions set by many boards require only brief answers e.g. 'In which country is.........?' one word!

do not write 'essay style' answers completely unrelated to the data

Note the key directive words

'describe' requires a less detailed answer than 'analyse' 'evaluate' requires you to weigh up both sides of an

argument and to give a judgement

Aim for a balanced answer

the skill is to extract from the data not to reproduce it use the data to support a point made in your own words,

written evidence should be indicated by quotation marks

Don't forget the economics!

look for the economic concepts involved or inherent in a setof data or economic information, e.g. multiplier

relate relevant theories like theory of the firm to the information given

diagrams should be used if appropriate A strategy for success

Sources of data for practice

It is important to gain confidence in handling and interpreting data by familiarising yourself with typical examples.

Data is a fundamental tool - don't be afraid of this type of question!

Assess the harms caused to environment by human beings.

We the human beings are being affected by flood, landslides, risein temperature and many more related things. But have we ever realized about the cause of this? We have gained quite less but destroyed a lot. We construct a road but the same time we destroythe trees, rocks etc which later leads to calamities and finally the deterioration of life and property. If all these trends aren’t completely stopped then our earth will no more a home as sweet home.

    The natural condition of the earth is debasing day after day.And for this the only responsible creature is human beings. They are involved in one or the other way. Humans through their several activities like deforestation, pollution, industrialization, urbanization etc. are harming the earth. We can often hear about floods taking life of thousands of people, landslides carrying down someone’s home and likewise.  These are

all the results of the irritating habits of humans.

    The main cause of degradation of natural state of earth is deforestation. Humans cut down the trees for the self-need. They just go on, without minding out the nearby things. And finally what happens is there will be no trees to hold down the soil leading to slides and erosion. This not only leads to the naturalcalamities but also to extinction of plants and animals. And It too causes rise in temperature.

    The other major factor that has caused negative impacts on the nature is pollution. Humans have polluted the water, the air and the land. They eat, serve themselves and the final thing thatthey do is they just throw the things haphazardly. And this leadsto pollution. A few months back, the whole ocean near to Mexico got contaminated after the leakage of the crude oil. This destroyed lot aquatics and the creatures nearby. Syringes, papers, plastics etc are thrown haphazardly which is leading to pollution of water and land. And industries are being set up without planning which has led to air pollution and deteriorationof the land around the industry. The non-biodegradable wastes arenot being properly disposed which has led to further pollution.

    Industrialization and urbanization has further aided to causenegative impacts on the earth. The harmful gases coming out of the industries have led to depletion of ozone layer leading to rise in temperature. Urbanization too has aided to cause pollution that may be water pollution due to the mixing of wastesin water sources or land pollution due to haphazard disposing of wastes.

All the above mentioned activities have more or less helped to degrade the condition of the earth leading to imbalance in ecosystem, natural calamities like floods, slides and so on. In addition, they too have aided to raise the temperature of the earth. Now we can finally conclude that this becomes our sole responsibility of humans to improve the condition of the earth through balanced and controlled preventive methods. Sustainable

development works, without harming the environment should be done. Forestation and the related activities should be carried out. All people must be made aware regarding the harms caused on the earth due to their activities. All must be conned about the preservative methods. Only after these, humans will be able to call themselves a social creature.

“The environment is being harmed more by human activity”. DiscussOne factor, which affects the environment, is humans. The negative ways, which we affect the environment are, through building, farming, pollution, and quarrying. We hurt the environment in more ways than you could possibly imagine. Misguided construction, irrigation and mining can deface the natural landscape and disrupt important ecological processes. Aggressive fishing and hunting can deplete entire stocks of species. Human migration can introduce alien competitors to native food chains. Greed can lead to catastrophic accidents and laziness to environmentally destructive practices.

Humans multiplied resulting in population increase. They needed to expand their area of living, so they encroached the woodlands and forests. This resulted in the deforestation, a loss of living things which intake carbon dioxide. When human development began in that area, through building roads, vehicles, industries, residential areas and commercial areas, the carbon dioxide level increased due to the emissions from motor vehicles and factories. As it increased, a layer of CO2 was formed in the air which trapped heat, resulting in global warming. Global warming caused the ice caps and glaciers to melt, thuscausing the sea level to rise. Now when it rained, it caused the already high sea level to increase more, thus creating a hazard; flood. It was a disaster for the humans living on sea sides and islands, because the flood destroyed their homes, it could’ve been prevented and the loss would have been decreased if the humans hadn’t destroyed the mangrove vegetation which help decrease, if not prevent,the effect of floods. Now did this flood, a natural disaster, harm theenvironment? It was a disaster for humans, but for the environment it turned out to be quite beneficial because it fertilized the soil whichwill become the cause of growth of vegetation on that land. Now here we see that how simple multiplication of humans did caused their own

part to be destroyed and suffer losses. It would not have been this way if we one link from this chain was different from it actually were, that is, if instead of developing factories and using motor vehicles we would have used more environment friendly things, but there wasn’t a choice.

Humans created global warming. It is because of their dumping of chemical waste into water which results in the death of under-water wildlife. When the same water evaporates, mixing with sulphur dioxide emitting from factories, it results in acid rain destroying vegetationand buildings, and if mixed with rivers and lakes it can kill aquatic and marine life. Therefore humans are not just the cause of the rise in natural disasters (which do not always harm the environment), they have also played a major role in damaging the environment, and are continuing to do so. At this point, Mr Meacher is also reported to have stated that though mass extinctions have been the result of asteroids or intense glaciations, this will be the first time in the history of the Earth that species themselves by their own activities are at risk of generating their own demise.

The human impact on the environment has been documented by credible scientists for hundreds of years. Examples are:  

1. Habitat destruction

In both the Amazon Rain Forest and other natural areas of the world over logging and conversion of forests to agriculture has resulted in the loss of native habitat for numerous plants, birds, animals and insects. This is a major reason of extinction in most species.  

2. Erosion

Erosion of topsoil by wind and water caused by poor farming practices has stripped tons of fertile soil from the land. This has led to conditions such as the great dust bowl in the USA in

the 1930s  

3. Global warming

With the exception of a very limited number of scientists the world wide community of scientists has recognized that man made emissions of green house gases has altered the worlds climate. This has already led to species transference, loss of habitat in the north, and an upward spiral of methane (a powerful greenhousegas) being emitted from the permafrost in Siberia and Canada. Predicted and observed impacts may include drought, famine, changes in ocean currents and a cooling in Europe.  

4. Acid Precipitation

The emission of sulfur and nitric oxides from ore smelting and coal burning changed the soil and water pH in much of Europe and North America with the degradation of forest and lake biota.  

5. Species extinction and Introduction

Human activities have introduced several new species in to the environments locally (Zebra Mussels, fire ants, killer bees, starlings) which cause harm to the local human population and local (native) plants and animals. The near extinction of the bison and cod fish and the extinction of the dodo, geat auk, and others by direct human intervention  

6. Human Health Impacts

Photochemical smog, sulfur dioxides, mercury emissions, chlorinated hydrocarbons have all been shown by epidemiological studies to increase human death rates.

Plastic Water Bottles Causing Flood of Harm to Our Environment. Water bottles are made of completely recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, but PETs don't biodegrade they photodegrade, which means they break down into smaller fragments over time. Those fragments absorb toxins that pollute our waterways, contaminate our soil, and sicken animals (which we then eat). Plastic trash also absorbs organic pollutants like BPA and PCBs. They may takecenturies to decompose while sitting in landfills, amounting to endless billions of little environmentally poisonous time bombs.

Garbage is a blemish on the landscape, and sometimes hazardous waste ends up in landfills as well.

Causes of Environmental DegradationEnvironmental degradation is a process through which man’s surroundings is compromised in some way, reducing biological diversityand the general health of the surroundings. This process can be entirely natural in origin, or it can be accelerated or caused by human activities.

The primary cause of environmental degradation is human disturbance. The degree of the environmental impact varies with the cause, the habitat, and the plants and animals that inhabit it.

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation carries long term environmental impacts, some of which can destroy entire ecosystems. An ecosystem is a distinct unit and includes all the living and non-living elementsthat reside within it. Plants and animals are obvious members,

but it will also include other components on which they rely on such as streams, lakes, and soils.

Habitats become fragmented when development breaks up solid stretches of land. Examples include roads which may cut through forests or even trails which wind through prairies. While it may not sound all bad on the surface, there are serious consequences.The largest of these consequences are initially felt by specific plant and animal communities, most of which are specialized for their bioregion or require large areas of land to retain a healthy genetic heritage.

Area Sensitive Animals

Some wildlife species require large stretches of land in order tomeet all of their needs for food, habitat, and other resources. These animals are called area sensitive. When the environment is fragmented, the large patches of habitat no longer exist. It becomes more difficult for the wildlife to get the resources theyto survive, possibly becoming threatened or endangered. The environment suffers without the animals that play their role in the food web.

Aggressive Plant Life

A more critical result of habitat fragmentation is land disturbance. Many weedy plant species, such as garlic mustard andpurple loosestrife, are both opportunistic and invasive. A breachin the habitat gives them an opportunity to take hold. These aggressive plants can take over an environment, displacing the native flora. The result is habitat with a single dominant plant which doesn't provide adequate food resources for all the wildlife. Entire ecosystems are threatened with extinction, according to the National Resources Defense Council.

Human Sources of Environmental Deterioration

Humans and their activities are a major source of environmental degradation.

Water and Air Pollution

Water and air pollution are unfortunately the common causes of environmental degradation. Pollution introduces contaminants intothe environment that can maim or even kill plant and animal species. The two often go hand in hand.

Acid Rain

Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide from coal plant emissions combines with moisture present in the air. A chemical reaction creates this acid precipitation. Acid rain can acidify and pollute lakes and streams. It causes similar effects to the soil.According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if enough acid rain falls in a given environment, it can acidify thewater or soil to a point where no life can be sustained. Plants die off. The animals that depend upon them disappear. The condition of the environment deteriorates.

Agricultural Runoff

Farming creates agriculture runoff issues.

Agricultural runoff is a deadly source of pollutants which can degrade environments, so much so that the EPA identifies agriculture as the primary source of water pollution.

Surface water washes over the soil and into lakes and streams. When it does so, it carries the fertilizers and pesticides used on the farm lands into water resources. Introducing poisons into waterways will have dire consequences. Fertilizers, whether or not they are organic, carry equal risks.

Fertilizers containing large amounts of phosphorus can cause explosions of algae in lakes. As the algae die, bacteria start tobreakdown the organic material. It soon develops into a situationwhere bacteria are using up the available dissolved oxygen in thewater. Plants, fish, and other organisms begin to die off. The water becomes acidic. Like acid rain, lakes become dead zones

with conditions so toxic that neither plants nor animals can livein these environments.

Urban Development

According to many noted ecologists, including those at Cornell University, urban development is one of the primary causes of environmental degradation. As populations increased, so did the need for land for homes and farms. Wetlands were drained. Prairies were plowed over. Today, less than 50 percent of the nation's wetlands still exist, according to the North Carolina State University Water Quality Group. National Geographic states that only five percent of the native prairie remains.

Pollution is another cause of environmental degradation. When theenvironment becomes polluted, it means that toxic substances haverendered it unhealthy. Pollution can come from a variety of sources, including vehicle emissions, agricultural runoff, accidental chemical release from factories, and poorly-managed harvesting of natural resources. In some cases, pollution may be reversible with costly environmental remediation measures, and inother instances, it may take decades or even centuries for the environment to cope with the pollution.

Environmental degradation is one of most urgent of environmental issues. Depending upon the damage, some environments may never recover. The plants and animals that inhabited these places will be lost forever. In order to reduce any future impacts, city planners, industry, and resource managers must consider the long term effects of development on the environment. With sound planning, future environmental degradation can be prevented.

Deforestation and land clearing

Fuel wood extraction

The impact of fuel wood use by local rural populations and the more distant urban centres on wood resources and vegetation structure is a major pressure on the environment. In rural Africa, 80-90 per cent of the energy demand is derived directly

from woody vegetation and wood-derived charcoal is an important source for food preparation and heating in the urban sector.

encroachment of wetlands and rangelands for cultivation Poverty and environment in Uganda Uganda depends heavily onenvironment and natural resources. Over 90% of the population directly or indirectly depends on the products and services from agriculture, fisheries, forests, wetlands etc. Natural resources account for 85 % of export earnings and more than 80% of the workforce is active in agriculture.

About 96 per cent of those beyond the poverty line live in rural areas. According to the poor, the quality of natural resources is declining; soil fertility and productivity of land, depletion of fish stocks, wetland encroachment end reclamation and pollution of water resources. Common property resources for cultivation or grazing are declining. Limited access to land is the second most cited cause of poverty and the poor perceive that the wealthy are gaining more control over environmental resources

Ugandan authorities have identified the main causes of environmental degradation as: poor farming methods; unequal gender relations; demographic pressures leading to land scarcity, limited non-farm income generating opportunities; lack of efficient energy sources and armed conflicts.

Human activities for settled agriculture and itsimpact to environmental Peoples Cut down vast forest to supply woodfor fuel and building material soil erosion Plowed up large expanses of grassland to

grow crops turning fertile land to desert

Built irrigation systems to transfer water fromone place to another continous avaibility ofwater for plants

Such activities cause extensive land clearing

which degraded the quality of ecosystems

Modern agriculture has harmful impacts on

air, soil, water, and biodiversity resources

Raising livestock to produce meat by open

grazing could destroyed ecosystems

Controlling pest population by sprayinga pesticides About 2.5 million tonsof pesticides are use yearly indeveloped and developingcountries to control pests such asinsects The use of pesticides threathuman health:-According WHO , nearly 3 million agriculturalworkers in developing countries are seriouslypoisoned by pesticides each year, estimated 180,000deaths-In developed country such as USA, 300,000 farmsworker suffer from pesticides related illnesses each

year

Overload wastes into water cause

degradation of water quality The use of too much water by human mayeffect to the avaibility of fresh water Due to large population, human withdrawunderground water faster than it is replenished depletion of fresh water If it is happened near a coast, salt water canintrudes into aquifer and contaminate drinking

water along coastal area

Too much water: flooding Natural flooding primarily caused by heavy rain anddegradation of water holding capacity of soil Natural flooding have benefits:- provide productive farmland- recharge groundwater- refill wetland However, each year flood kills thousands of people andcause property damage Since 1960 human activities have contributed a severeflood damage by:-removing water-absorbing vegetation (hillsides)-25draining wetland that absorb floodwater

-living on flood plain

Nuclear power Produce energy: produce electricity at much lower cost than coal

High-level radioactive wastes (stored in pool of water at plant site) Nuclear disaster happened at Ukraine (Chernobyl nuclear powerplant) in 1986:- killed 3,576 ~ 32,000 people- a series of explosions caused a hugeradioactive d cloud spread over Ukraine,Russia and other parts of Europe- forced 40,000 people to leave their homes,probably never to return Global nuclear power plant peaked in the 1990s and isprojected to

Decline

Information and globalizationrevolution Technologies such as telephone,radio, television, computers, theinternet, remote sensing satellitesproviding people to access people tohave much more information on a

global scale

Negative affect of informationand globalization revolution IT could cause confusion, distraction andsense of hopelessness as rapidlygrowing environmental information Increase environmental degradation anddecrease cultural diversity as aglobalized economy spreads over mostof the earth and homogenizes the

world’s cultures including disease Creating and introducing newtechnologies much faster than we ca

evaluate their impacts

Infectious disease Spread by air, water, food, body fluids,some insects, and other nonhumancarrier (vector) Human activities such as Internationaltraveling can rapidly spread diseasessuch as flu, measles, chlorella, TB,smallpox and AIDS Migration to uninhabited rural areas anddeforestation in tropical country canexpose to disease spread by vectors

such as malaria

Kill endangered animal cause

depletion of biodiversity

City development andurbanization Urbanization: the formation of villages,town, and cities. Some villages grew intotowns and cities, which served as centerfor trade, government and business Towns and cities concentrated sewageand other wastes, polluted the air and

water

Effects of extracting, processing and using of

mineral / fossil fuels

Using fossil fuels can leak intothe ocean ecosystems a large amount Liquid fossil fuels canseeps into ocean◦ Tanker accidents◦ Waste oil dumped from activities on landOil spill onto the ocean and kill a

number of organisms

Surface and subsurface mining causepollution and degradation of stream and

groundwater by runoff of acids

Burning fossil fuels produces billions tones ofCO2, one of greenhouse gases that contribute

global warming climate change

Building roads is one of human activities thatcause destruction and degradation land and

ecosystem

Natural Causes

Mother Nature causes environmental problems, too.

While environmental degradation is most commonly associated with the activities of humans, the fact is that environments are also constantly changing over time. With or without the impact of human activities, some ecosystems degrade over time to the point where they cannot support the life that is "meant" to live there.

Things like landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and wildfires can completely decimate local plant and animal communities to the point where they can no longer function. This can either come about through physical destruction via natural disaster, or by the long-term degradation of resources by the introduction of an invasive alien species to a new habitat. The latter often occurs after hurricanes, when lizards and insects are washed across small stretches of water to foreign environments. Sometimes, the environment cannot keep up with the new species, and degradation can occur.

Understanding Degradation

There are a number of reasons that ecosystems degrade over time. While it may not always be the fault of humans, humans still needto recognize the extent to which they rely on the resources that the natural world provides. In this sense, environmental responsibility and stewardship are very much a matter of self-preservation, and are an integral part of healthy resource management practices.

Pollution is another cause of environmental degradation. When the environment becomes polluted, it means that toxic substances have rendered it unhealthy. Pollution can come from a variety of sources, including vehicle emissions, agricultural runoff, accidental chemical release from factories, and poorly-managed harvesting of natural resources. In some cases, pollution may be reversible with costly environmental remediation measures, and in other instances, it may take decades or even centuries for the environment to cope with the pollution.