Category: General

As a result of organic detritus becoming fossilized over aeons has resulted in earth containing vast reserves of natural gas, petroleum and other associated by-products. In short, the natural gas that you use for cooking food was actually a living organism that lived millions of years ago, which later on got fossilized and got turned into fossil fuel– hence the term. But it is our quest to tap more of this natural resource that has resulted in impacting us in ways we never thought were possible which is why we are taking a closer look at some of the associated negative effects of natural gas.

Drilling: One of the processes by which we are able to obtain natural gas is by drilling into the bedrock. And while like other fossil fuels, natural gas does release a certain amount of air pollutants into the atmosphere on burning, it seems that the process to obtain the same is fast becoming a danger to our world at large. As these oil and energy companies drill for natural gas, they end up releasing vast amounts of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas, directly into the atmosphere. To put it in perspective, methane is thirty-four times more effective than carbon dioxide in blocking sunlight and in warming the earth. What’s more, once released, methane can be an active component for a very long time. Prolonged drilling can result in vast amounts of trapped methane being released back into the atmosphere directly.

Health: Residents, who live in and around areas where active drilling is being carried out, often find out that their health is being compromised, as a result of close proximity to the drilling zone. Companies use various tools and techniques for drilling and extracting natural gas trapped underneath and as a result, often release various air pollutants directly into the atmosphere. These pollutants can include anything from sulfur dioxide to arsenic. Since most energy companies use hydraulic fracturing as a way to access the tapped gas underneath, they often release these by-products directly into the local water system. As a result, most of the local residents often experience several health issues ranging from cardiovascular issues (as a result of air pollutants) to an impaired nervous system as a result of prolonged exposure to high levels of chemicals and even arsenic poisoning in a few cases.

Environmental impact: As a result of drilling for natural gas, most of the local water bodies get polluted. This often results in a knockdown effect on the local environment with several species disappearing overnight with the loss of their natural habitat.

These are some of the associated negative effects of natural gas which is why it is important that we come up with an alternative source of energy. Our natural gas reserves are not infinite and continual prospecting for the same is having a detrimental effect on the world around us, as we know it today.

All of us have procrastinated at one point or the other, and chances are that you have done the same. Procrastination is the act of delaying a certain action until later but the problem is that the ‘later’ in question never arrives.  And while this is not a character trait that you should seek to emulate the fact remains that procrastination comes with its own negative effects that can have lifelong consequences for you as an individual.

• Loss of opportunities: As a result of procrastination, you are bound to lose out on several opportunities that come across your way. While at that point it may have seemed like a great idea to shelve the opportunity for later, the problem is that the ‘later’ never comes and you are bound to blow out a precious opportunity, one that could have helped to set your career on a new trajectory altogether.
• Loss of time: Often, you are bound to become aware that you are procrastinating and as a result, you realize that you have lost valuable time that you could have better utilized for something else altogether. While it is a good thing to become aware of when you are procrastinating, the fact remains that you cannot go back in time and any time you have lost as a result of your procrastination, is lost forever.
• Shoddy time management: If you happen to procrastinate regularly, then chances are that you would suck at time management or any activity that requires you to finish tasks in a given period.
• Goal setting: As a result of your tendency to procrastinate often, you would not be able to accomplish most of your goals. As a result of this action on your part, you would not be able to achieve your complete potential and would have to make do with what you can, for the moment.
• Career: If you continue to procrastinate regularly, then chances are that your career will take a hit. NO company likes to retain employees who cannot manage the most simple of tasks or schedules, and are not motivated enough to improve themselves or their career. A proven ability to meet deadlines on time or even monthly targets can result in your termination and soon it will only be a matter of time before you find it hard to land a job anywhere.
• Lowered self-esteem: Often when you procrastinate, you are bound to ask yourself why you feel that you cannot do a certain task and as a result, both desperation and lowered self-esteem sets in. And if you are a habitual procrastinator, then this can result in chronic depression and total lack of self-esteem.

These are some of the negative effects of procrastination; the fact remains that no one is immune to this and everyone would have procrastinated at one point of time or the other. You need to do all you can to combat the insidious effects of procrastination and take effective measures at the earliest.

Online dating is the perfect way for shy and reserved people to meet their viable partners; the setup is fairly simple. All you would have to do is to register and upload a recent picture or video of yourself, enter relevant information and the dating site, will use its algorithm to pick out a viable partner for you. Once it does, both the users would receive notification of viable match and then they use the platform to further communicate with each other and even set up a date so that they can meet in person. All of that sounds like a dream and in most cases, such online dating sites do help provide an essential service by enabling extremely reclusive couples to meet their viable partners. But of late, the dangers of online dating seem to be on an increase as well.

One of the dangers of online dating is that most of these dating sites utilize little by way of account authentication and verification. So you never know who the other person is since most users lie on their dating profile. But a disturbing trend had shown up on these online dating sites, wherein certain criminal elements had taken to these sites to prey on the vulnerable and the young. In fact, a recent study highlighted the fact that many sexual predators have started moonlighting on these dating sites, in order to prey on the vulnerable. And the fact that the victim is either too young or not aware of her rights or is extremely reclusive often results in the crime going unreported for years on end. Such incidences sadly seem to be on the rise, more so in the last few decades despite the advanced account authentication protocols that the dating sites can use to protect their members.

This is why it is important that you take effective measures to both protect yourself and your loved ones when sharing information with someone through online dating sites like Tinder. You can always ask the other party to provide more information, of the verifiable kind that can help you authenticate his or her identity. And never choose to meet on a blind date, rather try to establish a rapport and discover what you can about the other person before you agree to meet up for a dinner or a movie and always take someone along with you on that first date.

It is important that you are aware of the dangers and limitations of online dating; it is not as if online dating is dangerous and that using such a site can cause you to be attacked. Rather, most online dating sites use little to verify the identity of its users and this can increase your risk of being attacked and taken advantage of, by predators. In the end, you are responsible for your actions and you will have to take additional measures to ensure that you are meeting a real person one who is just looking to connect with you and for a fun date, no more, no less.

While multitasking may seem like an ideal talent to have, the fact remains that not everyone can multitask effectively and no one can do it all the time. On the outset, multitasking enables you to accomplish several tasks at the same time and that should result in increased productivity. The problem though is that multitasking comes with its own baggage and that’s why we need to take a closer look at the negative effects associated with multitasking.

• Lack of focus: One of the handicaps of attempting to do many tasks at once is a loss of focus and concentration. You will find that you are unable to concentrate solely on any one task and as a result, you find that you are either unable to carry out some of the simplest tasks or commit errors due to the fact that you have undertaken to multi-task
• Memory impairment: This is serious enough to merit medical attention for if you find that in the course of a day, you forget important tasks that you had to carry out as a result of continuous distraction because of multitasking. Then it is perhaps time you slimmed down on some of those tasks and concentrated on important ones. This should help you to focus better on the key task at hand rather than get distracted endlessly because of multiple tasks and run the risk of forgetting important details. While this may not seem that important, the fact remains that memory impairment can even end up blighting your very career.
• High-stress levels: As a result of multitasking and trying to handle several tasks at once, you are bound to risk your very health. Since you have taken on additional responsibilities, you would be under enormous pressure to carry out those tasks within a stipulated time period. And if that was not enough, you would also be required to be the point person for several of these tasks and you would have to handle the same on your own. This is why it is important to make sure that you know enough to recognize when you are stressed out and need to cut back on all activities before those high-stress levels result in you developing a chronic health condition. High levels of stress have often been cited as one of the causative factors behind heart attacks and strokes. And if you continue to multitask despite high-stress levels, chances of developing a serious health condition are more of a certainty.
• Cost: Often prolonged bouts of multitasking can result in a high cost to you both personally and professionally. This is also the reason why so many employees burn out within a few years. As a result of multitasking your health goes for a toss, resulting in expensive medical care and since your health has taken a hit you may find it impossible to return to work as well.

These are some of the associated negative effects of multitasking, which is why you should avoid multitasking until absolutely necessary.