Ecology environmental protection. Problems of ecology: environmental protection in modern Russia

Man and nature are not a parity relationship, since the dominant role belongs to nature. Nature is the whole world that surrounds a person, it is the cradle of life in various forms and meanings. Everything that exists, the environment around us can exist in living and inanimate form, but this world in various manifestations affects our life.

Relationships and patterns of interaction of all things were noticed in ancient times and were part of human philosophy. The rapid development of technological progress, the desire to subjugate nature - all this brought to the fore the issues of conservation ecology and protection environment .

The most powerful plants are being built, gigantic stations are being erected, the length of gas and oil pipelines is growing every day. All this is part of technological progress for the benefit of mankind, but the reverse side of this progress is the death of forests, the change of landscapes.

For many years we have consoled ourselves with the idea that man is the master of nature, but it is his "management" that leaves behind lifeless spaces, barren deserts, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated water bodies. deplorable state ecology and environmental pollution does not allow modern human society enjoy the freshness of the sea tide, the pure breath of the forest space, the crystal water of the source.

This is how we changed nature. Explosions of nuclear power plants, rivers of running gasoline, wastewater from factories and factories, exhaust smog, depletion of blue ribbons of rivers, deforestation. And if a reasonable person does not realize the responsibility for state of ecology and environment, what will he leave behind on the blue planet?

Today, these issues are of concern to many people who unite in "green" societies, ecological unions. After all, only by joint efforts can we revive and preserve natural resources and be responsible for all life on our planet, for our home - the cradle of life.

Environment and its protection

The current state of the environment requires protection through the law and a whole system of environmental regulations. Environmental protection and ecology must limit the harmful and destructive influence of man on the environment. Many countries and communities modern world introduced special measures to ensure environmental protection.

Strict restrictions on emissions of substances and harmful gases into the hydrosphere and atmosphere have been introduced. The creation of specialized unique reserves, national parks, and wildlife preserves is being organized and financed. Restrictive measures are being introduced to catch fish, as well as the seasons and sizes of hunting are being reduced. The problem of garbage and industrial waste is solved using modern methods and processing technologies.

Since 1972, the United Nations Global Assembly has declared the date of June 5 as a day of celebration world day environment. The choice of this date is not accidental, because it was in 1972 that the Stockholm Conference considered serious Environmental issues. This day is a call for the annual holding of special events by states and organizations aimed at preservation of ecology and environment.

On June 5, Russia also celebrates the Day of the Ecologist, but every inhabitant of the Earth must remember that a healthy environmental ecology These are not holidays, but actions. Failure to comply with the ecological balance can lead to tragic consequences.

Depressing forecasts

The annual increase in the area of deserts is 27 million hectares, which leads to a catastrophic loss of fertile soil for all mankind. All together, the wheat fields of Australia - that's the area of land that agriculture loses annually.
Only 3% of the population in 1800 lived in cities, 50% of urban residents were recorded by statistics in 2008, and by 2030 the concentration of people in cities will be 60%.
Information technologies are already the result of 2% CO2 entering the Earth's atmosphere, which exceeds the volume of emissions carbon dioxide from aviation activities. The expected forecasts are disappointing and it is assumed that developments in the field of Internet technologies by 2020 will increase CO2 emissions to the atmosphere up to 20%.
Biologist Wilson of Harvard University argues that 30,000 species of various living organisms disappear from the face of the Earth every year, and the end of the millennium at this rate will be marked by the irretrievable loss of half of the current biodiversity.
The irrational development of various deposits by the end of this century may cause the complete depletion of the Earth's minerals.
Areas of primeval forests that are the habitat of 3/4 for everyone species planet, have declined by 20% over the past 40 years, and continue to decline rapidly.
The planet's coral reefs have shrunk by 30% and the destruction of unique ecosystems continues.
Natural disasters and catastrophes on the planet from 2000 to 2006 inclusive increased by 187% compared to the previous decade. And this is the answer of the planet to our attitude towards it.
Z pollution of groundwater ecology becomes a potential threat to pollute 97% of fresh water resources on the planet.
Influence ecological situation on the environment will lead to the complete disappearance of snow on Kilimanjaro by 2033.
Global warming has an intense effect on permafrost, which causes Russia to lose 30 square kilometers of land every year.

Ecology, environment and industrialization

The above facts show how industrial progress affects ecology and pollution environment. Our planet can no longer be proud of clean air, fertile soil and "living" water. Almost every city is similar to one another with a huge number of cars, factories and plants.

Industrial activity, producing by-products, kills all life on the planet. Acid rain, global warming, the thinning of the ozone layer - the list is quite long, which consists of many small violations, non-compliance, negligence.

All this negativity, and the processes associated with it, are caused by a huge amount of pollutants that enter the atmosphere from industrial enterprises. Cities devoid of vegetation are suffocated by smog. Diesel and gasoline engines of road transport poison the air every day.

Huge tracts of forests - the lungs of the planet - are ruthlessly destroyed in favor of the growth of industry. The oxygen balance is disturbed not only in a single country, but throughout the planet.

Many animals, birds and plants are listed in the Red Book, others are teetering on the brink of extinction, because animal world not only became a source of food for mankind, but a product of greed and entertainment.

Floodplains of rivers and lakes turn into deserts, salt marshes, fetid puddles. Birds no longer find shelter along the rich food banks of rivers and lakes. Fish stocks are depleted or killed by oil spills. We can partially observe the once rich fish populations only in aquariums.

And for this there is no need to read frightening press reports, at each nearby reservoir we can observe a depressing picture of pollution and irresponsible attitude to ecology and environment. What other “horror stories” are needed so that every person understands that destroying nature is not ethical, not fashionable, but dangerous?

environmental education

Undoubtedly, problems of ecology and environment should be solved at the global level, using legislative, organizational, sanitary-hygienic, engineering and other measures and levers. But, you can start now to take care of your home - the Earth within your home, district, city.

For example, in the Murmansk region, on the basis of the children's and youth library, activists from the Nature and Youth organization held a mass master class on making ecological bags using the Japanese Furoshiki technique.

The Furoshiki technique allows using a square piece of fabric as a container for carrying various items of various sizes and shapes. The purpose of this event was the great desire of the younger generation to abandon plastic bags as objects that pose a danger to the environment.

A little imagination, and a lot of money and resources for the production of unnecessary plastic is saved, without harming the environment. "Let's save the planet together" - this was the slogan of this day, where the employees of the organization informed children and parents about the devastating impact anthropogenic impact on nature and the need environmental protection from ourselves.

It is possible to start small, and even such a contribution to protecting the environment and improving the environment will make our future healthier.

Currently environmental issues a lot, a lot, but if everyone starts to contribute a little bit, it will significantly affect the health of our planet! Children today have more opportunities than ever before to help save our planet from pollution and waste. Thanks to the Internet, you have more resources at your fingertips than your parents your age could find in an entire library. Read this article and you will learn about some interesting and useful things what you can do for our planet.

Steps

Houses

Help with recycling. Recycling programs are becoming more popular and accessible. They can be used to clean and recycle certain types of waste. In this way, materials can be reused, and manufacturers no longer need to extract more natural resources. Help adults sort waste and recycle it regularly.

Different areas have different recycling options, so find out what can and can't be recycled in your area. Typically, at least paper, thin cardboard (such as milk cartons and shopping bags), thin metal (such as soda cans), and glass can be recycled. In some regions, it is possible to recycle thick cardboard, foam and other materials.
Organize recycling. Make sure bottles, glass jars and cans are clean enough. They don't have to be sparkling clean, but at the same time they don't have to be half full. Then sort the waste by type. If you have separate containers for each type of waste in your home, it will be easier for you to properly sort your waste for recycling. Even if you don't have such containers at home, you can still sort the waste to get an idea of how much of each type of material your family uses every day.
Do it regularly. Depending on how big your family is, this may become your weekly task, or you may need to dedicate a little time to it every day.
- If a special machine regularly picks up waste for recycling, be sure to put the sorted waste outside in advance.

Think about what you personally use and wear out. Children grow out of clothes, grow up and stop using toys and other things. Try to wear things and use other items as long as possible. If you decide to buy yourself a new backpack, just because you are tired of the old one, you should know that by doing so you are wasting the precious resources of our planet. The same can be said for literally everything you use. Cherish and appreciate what you have.

Reduce your energy consumption. The energy that is used in your home for things like hot water, air conditioning, and electricity is produced in various power plants that process a certain type of fuel to turn it into energy. Some fuels are cleaner than others, such as hydroelectricity (energy from running water) is cleaner than coal-fired energy; but regardless of the method, extracting energy increases the burden on the environment. Contribute to environmental protection using as little energy as possible.
- Turn off lights and electronic devices (such as TV and game console) when you are no longer using them. However, before you turn off the family computer, ask your parents - sometimes the computer needs to be left on for various reasons. During the day, open curtains and blinds and use natural light instead of electric light.
- Keep the temperature in your home at a moderate level. If you have air conditioning at home, ask your parents to set it to at least 22°C in summer. If you have a thermostat at home, don't set it above 20°C in winter (blankets and warm clothes will keep you warm when the house is cool.) At night, set the thermostat to 13 degrees in rooms where no one sleeps.
  - If you live in a cold region, don't set your thermostat below 13 degrees in winter, otherwise the pipes may freeze at night.
- Use less water. Take short showers instead of baths, and turn off the faucet when not in use, such as when brushing your teeth. Even little things like this count!
- Ride your bike. The bicycle is arguably the most environmentally friendly form of transportation ever invented (after walking). By cycling to and from school and anywhere else, you are doing a great service to our planet.
Start reusing a lot of things. Ask your parents to buy 3-4 reusable shopping bags. They are inexpensive, but will help reduce the amount of paper or plastic bags you bring home from the grocery store. As for your personal belongings, start using a reusable lunch box at school, unless you already do. They also look cooler than paper bags. Also ask for a refillable drink bottle. A bottle made of metal or durable plastic is great.
- Be sure to rinse and launder reusable bags and shopping bags about once a week to keep them from getting dirty and greasy. Give them a quick scrub in the sink with a rag or sponge and leave them on the dish dryer for a couple of hours.
- Use waste plastic bags as garbage bags in the bathroom or in your room. They fit perfectly into small waste baskets, and thus there is no need to buy special plastic waste bags.
- When choosing plastic water bottles, make sure it's made without BPA (Bisphenol A). Then it can be used repeatedly. BPA plastic bottles are not safe to use for long periods of time.
Pull out weeds instead of spraying chemicals. Some people use herbicides to control weeds in their garden or flower bed. Since the earth is softer there, there is no need for chemicals. Take gardening gloves, a hoe, and a garden shovel and weed the weeds by hand. Do this every weekend. It's a good opportunity to spend time outdoors with the family, and it's much cleaner and safer than herbicides.

Populate your garden with beneficial insects. Along with insect pests (such as aphids), there are other insects that feast on pests. In some gardening stores you can order such insects, such as lacewings (which love to eat aphids and also look beautiful). Rely on natural remedies, and then you will have to use pesticides much less often.
- Leave beneficial insects where you found them. In many cases, there are already guardian insects in the garden. For example, garden spiders eat all sorts of pests, and at the same time they are absolutely safe for plants. When you find such insects, do not get rid of them - let them help you.

Family and school projects

Put things in order in the nearest park. Gather a group of friends or choose a day when your whole family can go to a nearby park in the morning. Grab a few large trash bags and gardening gloves. Start in the parking lot and walk along each path in the park, picking up any rubbish you can find. In a couple of hours the park will be immaculately clean!
- If you see garbage not on the path, do not hesitate - go and collect it. If it is difficult to get it, find a branch and pull it up.
- It may not look like something exciting, but it is actually a wonderful experience. You may even enjoy it so much that you want to do it on a regular basis and clean the park again once or twice a year.
Join a larger cleaning operation. If you ask the teachers and watch the local news, you may very well know that there are other groups of people who are doing cleanup operations like the park cleanup project. In most cases, these people are happy when children and families join them. Thus, you can participate in cleaning the beach, campground or mountain trail. Being part of a larger movement is very inspiring.
Join other volunteer groups. Whether you enjoy planting trees, clearing trails, or just spreading the word about environmental change in your hometown, there may well be a local group that shares your interests. Reach out to them and ask how you can help. If there is no such group, why not talk to the parents or the school about creating one yourself? After all, you can't be too young to change the world for the better.
- If your friends share your interests, ask them to sign the application for the principal. If the director knows that many people are interested in the project, the likelihood that he will consider your proposal will increase.
- One program that many schools can use but few schools actually do is the composting program. Compost helps reduce waste. Composting separates food waste and garden debris, which then decompose and turn into soil. With enough interest, your school's composting program can be a big success, so start spreading the word and build support among your classmates and their parents.
- Yes, balloons are usually made from biodegradable material, but at various events it is better to inflate them rather than use those filled with helium. Inflating balloons is not only fun, but much more environmentally friendly than using helium.

In the 1980s, people for the first time became seriously concerned about the state of their natural environment. Such fears concerned both the present of our planet and the future of those people who will live on our planet in a few centuries. In addition, scientists, biologists began to worry about the issue of ecology.

Today, ecology has become a very popular word. And what does this word mean? Ecology is a science that studies the relationships between all forms of life on our planet and in the environment. The word ecology comes from the Greek word "oikos" (oikos), which means "house". Caring for "home" in this case includes our entire planet, all the creatures living on the planet, as well as the atmosphere of our planet. Quite often the word ecology is used to describe the environment and the people who live in that environment. However, the concept of ecology is much broader than just the environment. Ecologists consider people as a link in a rather complex chain of life, including the food chain. This chain includes mammals, amphibians, invertebrates and protozoa, as well as plants and animals, including humans. Today, the word ecology is often used to describe the problems of environmental pollution. This use of the word ecology is not entirely correct. The fact is that the causes of pollution and ways to prevent or reduce the level of environmental pollution are quite an important part in the study of ecology, however, this is not the whole subject of study. Equally important in terms of the use of our environment are ways that safeguard the heritage of fertile soil, clean air, fresh clean water and forests for those who will live on our planet after us. Think about whether animals, birds, fish and insects live happily and well in our common home now? Unfortunately, the answer to this question will be negative.

Ever since the first ancient people appeared a long time ago, nature has given man everything he needs - air in order to breathe, food in order not to die of hunger, water in order to quench his thirst. , wood, in order to build houses and heat the hearth. For many thousands of years, man lived in harmony with his natural environment, and it seemed to man that Natural resources planets are inexhaustible. But then came the twentieth century. As you know, the twentieth century was a time of scientific and technological progress. Those achievements and discoveries that a person could make in the mechanization and automation of industrial processes, in the chemical industry, the conquest of space, the creation of stations capable of generating nuclear energy, as well as steamships that could break even the thickest ice - all this is truly amazing. With the advent of this industrial revolution, the negative impact of man on the environment began to increase exponentially. This industrial progress has caused a very serious problem. Everything on our planet – soil, air and water – has become poisoned. Today, in almost all corners of the planet, with rare exceptions, you can find cities with a large number of cars, plants and factories. The by-products of human industrial activity affect all beings living on the planet. Lately there has been a lot of talk about acid rain, global warming, the thinning of the ozone layer of the planet.

All these negative processes are caused by tons of harmful pollutants that are emitted into the atmospheric air by industrial enterprises. Just imagine, every year about a thousand tons of industrial dust and other pollutants enter the atmospheric air. Big cities suffer from smog, they are downright suffocating. The situation is complicated by the fact that in large cities, as a rule, there is practically no greenery, trees, which, as you know, are the lungs of the planet. Transport is one of the main environmental pollutants. Today, automobiles, with their petrol and diesel engines, have become the main sources of air pollution in industrialized countries. Huge areas of forests that grew in Africa, South America and Asia, began to be destroyed, providing for the needs of various industries in Europe and the United States of America. This is very scary, because the destruction of forests disrupts the oxygen balance not only in these countries, but throughout the planet as a whole. As a result, some species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappeared almost overnight. Many of the animals, birds and plants today are on the verge of extinction, many of them are included in the "Red Book of Nature". Despite everything, people still continue to kill animals so that some of the people can wear coats and furs. Think about it, today we do not kill animals in order to finish off our food and not die of hunger, as our ancient ancestors did. Today people kill animals for fun, in order to get their fur. Some of these animals, such as foxes, are in real danger of disappearing forever from the face of our planet. Every hour, several species of plants and animals disappear from the face of our planet. Rivers and lakes dry up. One of the most striking examples of negative human impact is the Aral Sea, which has become much smaller due to negative human impact. Pollution atmospheric air and the world's oceans, the depletion of the ozone layer and other problems that have arisen are the result of a careless attitude of man to ecology and the environment around us.

Environmental protection has become the problem that scientists around the world are working to solve. The most active measures must be taken in order to create international system environmental safety. To date, quite a lot of steps have already been taken to ensure the environmental safety of the entire planet. 159 countries, all members of the United Nations, have united in the office for the protection of the natural environment. Quite a lot of conferences were held at which environmental problems were discussed, the solution of which in no case should be postponed. In Russia and most of the republics of the former Soviet Union Socialist republics there are some areas where the state of the natural environment is in a downright distress. Places of disaster, practically places of ecological catastrophe, are the Aral Sea, Lake Baikal, Kuzbass, Semipalatinsk and Chernobyl, to name but a few of these terrible areas. The main source of pollution in these areas is radiation.

Radiation is insidious in that it is not visible, like dust, for example, and the consequences of this pollution are truly monstrous. More than twenty years ago, a pulp and paper mill was built on the shores of Lake Baikal. As a result of almost uncontrolled pollution of the lake with sewage, the main supplier of which was the pulp and paper mill, more than fifty percent of fresh water, one of the cleanest waters on the planet, was lost. Due to pollution, the entire ecological system lakes. In 1986, a nuclear power plant located in Chernobyl, not far from Kyiv, exploded. During the explosion, a very dangerous radioactive cloud was thrown out. The situation was complicated not only by the presence of such a dangerous explosion, but also by the fact that due to the prevailing winds, many European countries were affected by this radioactive cloud. This, and the righteous indignation of countries affected by radiation, was the starting point for curbing the production of such deadly industrial and military by-products. After the terrible catastrophe that occurred in Chernobyl, residents of nearby towns and villages had to be urgently evacuated. Quite a lot of people who fell under the deadly effects of radiation died, and, also, a lot of people remained disabled. Environmental disasters cause very great harm to nature and the environment, but environmental disasters cause more harm to humans. Humanity needs to make the right decision - whether it wants to live or die.

One of the pressing problems of modern Russia is our country is facing a number of difficulties. The most accurate information on this topic was presented in the early 90s. Environmental structures are underfunded, which is reflected in the amount of equipment for monitoring and controlling hazardous industries. For this reason, the services responsible for ecology and environmental protection do not receive sufficient information about emissions of harmful substances, emergency conditions.

Air pollution

The most important task in ecology and environmental protection is the control of air pollution in major cities. special attention deserve metallurgical enterprises, chemical and petrochemical industries, timber processing. Also, experts in ecology and environmental protection deal with the issue of the negative impact of vehicles, which is the cause of air pollution by more than 200 types of harmful substances. In large industrial centers, the situation is aggravated by a combination of high density of vehicles and the presence of hazardous industries. According to experts in ecology and environmental protection, the increase in green spaces plays a crucial role in reducing the harm from air pollution. This is especially true for plants that have adapted to the high concentration of chemical compounds in the urban air.

Water pollution

Recently, water pollution is one of the most important problems of ecology and environmental protection. Deterioration is observed in all aspects: rivers are degrading and depleted, water quality is declining. In every fifth water supply system in Russia, the content of harmful chemical compounds is exceeded. Water quality is affected by construction in sanitary zones, violation of agricultural practices, as well as wastewater discharges by enterprises. Chlorination of water helps to cope with bacterial contamination, but it is powerless against heavy metals and toxins.

Soil pollution and degradation

The increase in eroded and eroded agricultural land is another important issue that ecology is concerned with (environmental protection also concerns the condition of soils). In our country, this is more than half of all agricultural land. The reasons for this situation are plowing with heavy machinery, disturbance of natural vegetation, pesticides, overgrazing and deforestation.

Measures to protect the environment

An effective method for cleaning contaminated soils is to breed special worms that neutralize dangerous compounds. Erosion is helped by planting green spaces. Ecologists and environmentalists recommend that, whenever possible, the natural regeneration of tree populations be preserved so that genetic diversity is not disturbed. An important way to combat air pollution is the gradual transition to vehicles with regenerative braking - electric vehicles. Wastewater treatment and the transition of industrial enterprises to waste-free technologies also contribute to improving the environmental situation.