Humanity's concern towards the environment has become a constant issue nowadays. The technological and scientific progresses of the 20th Century has given man the power to both destroy and save the planet; greed and ambition have characterised the economic expansion of the last two centuries, to the detriment of the natural environment, which was exploited in various ways, one more damaging than the other. The first step when learning how to write an environmental sciences essay is to be aware of the importance of ecology and the concern for the future of the planet. Environmental science deals with the improvement of the attitudes of humanity towards nature, by understanding and emphasising the effects our actions have.
Consequently, in order to learn how to write an environmental sciences essay, you must take into account the fact that you are dealing with a blend of social, physical and biological sciences:
- Physics, Biology, Geology, Geography and other related sciences are studied when understanding how the environment works and how man can damage or repair it through his actions.
- Environmental sciences deal with the understanding of the perceptions and policies towards the environment, and aim to improve the general attitude regarding ecology.
The Research Stage
It is advisable to perform thorough research in order to have a certain level of understanding of the sciences your essay is concerned with. Depending on the subject you have chosen or have been assigned with, the extent of your research may vary. For example, if you have to study how the atmosphere is affected by pollution, you need to have at least some basic notions of meteorology, chemistry and physics in order to understand how toxic gases get into the atmosphere; furthermore, you will have to observe the attitudes people towards the respective phenomena. Obviously, to obtain a high mark you need more than one bibliographical source. Online sources are good to begin with when learning how to write an environmental sciences essay. The web is full of materials on ecology, many of which are free to view or even download: you can begin with Google Books, Google Scholar or the Journal of Applied Ecology (a website focused on environmental sciences, as its name already suggests). Nevertheless, a student who wants to know how to write an environmental sciences essay and gain a top mark will pay a visit or two to the local library; in any major city, the library is bound to have almost every bibliographical source your essay might require.
It is important to use updated information! Environmental sciences are a relatively new set of disciplines in the academic environment, so pay attention to how recent and relevant the information you have acquired is. Moreover, get acquainted with the specific terminology, e.g. chemistry symbols, geological notations or binomial nomenclature for plants and animals. The use of scientific terminology strengthens your credibility and offers an aura of professionalism to your paper.
The Writing Stage
Once you begin writing the essay, a first rule is to use simple and clear language, characteristic to scientific writings. Therefore, it is a good idea to organise all the gathered materials and highlight whatever pieces of information are most relevant to your thesis.
- Scientific studies usually begin with an abstract. Yours should be no longer than ten lines, and it should specify what you aim to prove in your essay and a brief explanation of the main issue, mentioning the main sources you have consulted.
- A good introduction is important for a student who knows how to write an environmental sciences essay. With a little work and a little inspiration, you can retain the attention of your reader through a well-written introductory paragraph, emphasising the relevance of your study in relation to the pressing matters described by your thesis. Use clear and concise language, and refrain from going into too much detail.
- The main body of your paper should be organised into several sub-sections; use lists and bullet points in order to be more eloquent and professional. Charts, figures and graphs may be included in your essay, or added in an appendix at the end of your paper. A good structure model for the student who knows how to write an environmental sciences essay would be the following:
- The presentation and interpretation of the primary literature;
- An analysis of the current methodology and solutions, backed up by facts and case studies;
- The current state of research together with possible future developments;
- Personal opinions, if available.
Construct logical and concise paragraphs, discussing every point in a natural and coherent flow of ideas. Expand on each idea with relevant information, citing your sources accordingly, and backing your facts up with numbers, formulas and case studies. A scientific attitude is very important when learning how to write an environmental sciences essay; to be convincing is your main target, so try to offer as much evidence for your facts as you can find. After exhausting every argument and setting up a convincing case for the chosen thesis, it is time to conclude your paper.
- The conclusion re-states the thesis and the results of your study, highlighting the relevance of your finds, together with their strengths and limitations as well. Recap your ideas and arguments, and be explicit, in order to clarify the acquired results. Knowing how to write an environmental sciences essay also includes the ability of convincing the reader of the importance of your scientific study.
- The sources list and appendix come at the end of the essay; the sources list provides a detailed description of every cited paper or book, in accordance with the formatting style requested by your instructor. If no formatting style has been requested, use either the APA or the Harvard style, which are the two most often used in scientific papers. The appendix is optional: as stated earlier, you may insert the graphs, charts and figures within your text, or list them in your appendix.
Revision and Final Adjustments
Do not skip the revision of your paper; even the most skilled writers make typos and tend to forget important pieces of information. The spell-check will detect typos and grammatical errors but consider also employing one of our professional editors within the Proofreading and Editing section of Academic Sciences. Moreover, if you are unsure about how to write an environmental sciences essay, our Essay Writing service can help you by offering a custom, high-quality paper tailored exactly to your needs and specifications.
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