am as cynical as the next woman about seemingly never-ending written tirades ordering me to consider the effects of global warming. The same goes for the 'hard-hitting' articles suggesting in only a slightly less than imperative tone that I should forego all of a nation's products to persuade its government not to test nuclear bombs or that I should boycott a certain brand of American hamburger to encourage the salvation of the South American rain forests.

It is not the causes themselves which have come to annoy me, but the way their advocates fail to admit that there is a vast gulf between what I can possibly do and any positive outcome to the issue in question.

Of course the future of all parts of the environment is important - to every single one of us and of course, so too are these issues, but surely to capture the imagination of readers all over the world the environmentalists have to start a little closer to home. Wherever they live, people are parochial: in the United Arab Emirates, they are interested in the plight of turtles or dugongs off the coast; in Dubai they want to prevent the build up of rubbish in the Creek; and in Jumeira, their cause can be as obvious as how many cans and plastic bags are spoiling the beach and the view.

A simplistic approach, I admit, but then perhaps simple is best - and more realistic. There is a danger that individuals are encouraged to spend too much time worrying about things they have little chance of changing. Without wanting to sound defeatist, surely it is far more likely people will be willing to act in a way that will make a difference to their immediate environment.

How about not taking your four-wheel drive on to the beach? That way you would not be killing the eggs of birds and crabs who have laid them in the mudflats. And when you are walking back from the beach to your car, why not take the plastic bags you brought with you. That would mean they would not threaten the lives of young turtles who mistake them for jellyfish and try to eat them.

At best it is ignorance which allows people's consciences to go ahead with their own lives with little regard for the immediate world around them, but at the other end of the scale there is also a good deal of complacency.

"Too many people here think, 'We've got plenty of coast, plenty of desert, plenty of birds, so why worry?"' says the UAE's Bird Recorder, Colin Richardson. "In fact that is not the case at all. Take the Socotra Cormorant for example, there are only thirty-four thousand pairs left now in the UAE. Five years ago there was 10 times that number."

The bird is only found in the Arabian Peninsula. Putting it in simple terms, that means if we do not look after it here, the species will no longer exist.

What the cormorants (and other of the UAE's 'flagship' bird breeds like the crab plover and the white-collared kingfisher) need is a helping hand rather than an environmental kick in the teeth. But, if the declining figures are to be believed, it is a foot rather than a hand the cormorants are getting. Instead of protecting them as an endangered species, we routinely disturb their habitat with our development.

"They need a bird sanctuary or a recognised area where they can live and breed undisturbed," says Richardson. "By that I mean a site of special scientific interest where they are guaranteed peace and quiet and all disturbance is avoided."

There are areas of desert which when viewed from the city of Dubai can appear the very essence of peace and quiet - in other words for city dwellers, it appears the wildlife there is allowed to continue uninterrupted.

"Not so," say the experts. "The roads, bore holes and camps which are increasing in number in the desert mean that the areas of true wilderness are getting smaller all the time," explains Dr Richard Hornby, an independent Environmental Consultant. "That of course helps the adaptable species that live in the environment, but it is not good for those which find it more difficult to adapt, like the desert eagle or the long-legged buzzard."

People in the desert or the mountains - either those who live there or who are visiting - can do more damage than good by not really thinking, according to Head of the Zoo Section, at Dubai Zoo.

"Quite often we get calls at the Zoo from people who have seen and caught an animal they think is dangerous or unusual," says Dr Rezakhan. "They want to know what to do with it. The answer really is just to leave the animal alone."

If animals are brought to the Zoo, more often than not, they are simply re-released into the wild in a suitable area. Of course, other animals are not so lucky because their human hunters have killed them out of fear.

"Few snakes or lizards commonly found in the deserts of the UAE are dangerous if they are just left to their own devices. It is ignorance that causes their demise," says Rezakhan.

Some animals can also put their demise down to hard cash. The sale of exotic animals is a lucrative business whether they be caged birds like the African grey parrot, cheetahs or desert foxes.

The UAE does subscribe to international agreements which aim to prevent the trade in such animals, but many people would like to see more being done.

"There is a great need for legislation to prevent the international trade of animals caught in the wild and sold," says Hornby. "Ideally that would be ideal at a Federal level, but if not at an Emirate level. It definitely needs to be done."

It is not just terrestrials which are at risk from the illicit sale of animals. Think about the penchant in the Far East and Australia for shark's fin soup. Then think about the number of sharks found dead in the Arabian Gulf. Perhaps you also ought to consider the fact that it is only the shark's fins and tails that are valuable and that they are cut off of the live animal. It is then thrown back into the sea to sink and die.

"It is a very reckless practice and should be banned," says Jonathan Ali Khan, the Project Director of the Arabian Seas Expedition. "As well as being a cruel practice in itself, it is also causing an imbalance in the habitat, by wiping out the top predator in the food chain."

The Arabian Seas Expedition aims to bridge the gap on environmental information for scientists, governments and the public.

"I do not think the information we collect should be solely in the hands of the academic world," explains Ali Khan. "We are trying to create a user-friendly format to reach the public, to educate everyone. Then the scientists can use the detailed information to find solutions to environmental problems. It is then that the government becomes involved."

That is often way into the future of any single project, but in the meantime there is plenty that individuals can do to become involved. And often it is far more realistic - and more rewarding to become active in a local project rather than being a minute cog in a global wheel.

So, why not be realistic? Stop fretting about global warming from the comfort of your balcony and start worrying about the tangible damage to the beaches, mangroves and desert happening here and now. There is no mistaking the fact that there are plenty of things to do nearer to home. Ignorance is no longer a factor. Do you have an excuse?