From elementary grades, we are taught that man and nature are one, that one cannot be separated from the other. We learn the development of our planet, the features of its structure and structure. These areas affect our well-being: the atmosphere, soil, water of the Earth are, perhaps, the most important components of normal human life. But why then every year pollution environment goes further and goes to ever greater proportions? Let's look at the main environmental problems.
Environmental pollution, which also refers to the natural environment and the biosphere, is an increased content of physical, chemical or biological reagents in it that are not typical for this environment, brought in from outside, the presence of which leads to negative consequences.
Scientists have been sounding the alarm about an imminent environmental catastrophe for several decades in a row. Conducted studies in various fields lead to the conclusion that we are already facing global changes in climate and the external environment under the influence of human activity. Pollution of the oceans due to leaks of oil and oil products, as well as debris, has reached enormous proportions, which affects the decline in populations of many animal species and the ecosystem as a whole. The growing number of cars every year leads to a large emission into the atmosphere, which, in turn, leads to the drying of the earth, heavy rainfall on the continents, and a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the air. Some countries are already forced to bring water and even buy canned air, as the production has spoiled the environment in the country. Many people have already realized the danger and are very sensitive to negative changes in nature and the main ecological problems, but we still perceive the possibility of a catastrophe as something unrealizable and distant. Is this really so or the threat is close and something needs to be done immediately - let's figure it out.
Types and main sources of environmental pollution
The main types of pollution classify the sources of environmental pollution themselves:
- biological;
- chemical
- physical;
- mechanical.
In the first case, environmental pollutants are the activities of living organisms or anthropogenic factors. In the second case, there is a change in the natural chemical composition contaminated sphere by adding other chemicals to it. In the third case, change physical characteristics environment. These types of pollution include thermal, radiation, noise and other types of radiation. The latter type of pollution is also associated with human activities and waste emissions into the biosphere.
All types of pollution can be present both separately by themselves, and flow from one to another or exist together. Consider how they affect individual areas of the biosphere.
People who have come a long way in the desert will surely be able to name the price of every drop of water. Although most likely these drops will be priceless, because a person's life depends on them. In ordinary life, we, alas, do not attach such great importance to water, since we have a lot of it, and it is available at any time. But in the long run, this is not entirely true. In percentage terms, only 3% of the total world fresh water supply remained unpolluted. Understanding the importance of water for people does not prevent a person from polluting an important source of life with oil and oil products, heavy metals, radioactive substances, inorganic pollution, sewage and synthetic fertilizers.
Polluted water contains a large number of xenobiotics - substances that are alien to the human or animal body. If such water enters the food chain, it can lead to serious food poisoning and even death of all participants in the chain. Of course, they are also contained in the products of volcanic activity, which pollute water even without human help, but the activity of the metallurgical industry and chemical plants is of predominant importance.
With the advent of nuclear research, quite significant harm has been done to nature in all areas, including water. Charged particles that get into it cause great harm to living organisms and contribute to the development oncological diseases. Waste water from factories, ships with nuclear reactors and just rain or snow in the venue nuclear testing can lead to contamination of water with decomposition products.
Sewer drains that carry a lot of garbage: detergents, food leftovers, small household waste and more, in turn, contribute to the reproduction of other pathogenic organisms, which, when they enter the human body, give a number of diseases, such as typhoid fever, dysentery and others.
Perhaps it does not make sense to explain how the soil is an important part of human life. Most of the food that people eat comes from the soil: from cereals to rare types of fruits and vegetables. For this to continue, it is necessary to maintain the state of the soil at the proper level for a normal water cycle. But anthropogenic pollution has already led to the fact that 27% of the planet's land is subject to erosion.
Soil pollution is the ingress of toxic chemicals and debris into it in high quantities, preventing the normal circulation of soil systems. The main sources of soil pollution:
- residential buildings;
- industrial enterprises;
- transport;
- Agriculture;
- nuclear power.
In the first case, soil pollution occurs due to ordinary garbage that is thrown out in the wrong places. But the main reason should be called landfills. Burning waste leads to clogging of large areas, and combustion products spoil the soil irrevocably, littering the entire environment.
Industrial enterprises emit many toxic substances, heavy metals and chemical compounds that affect not only the soil, but also the life of living organisms. It is this source of pollution that leads to man-made pollution of the soil.
Transport emissions of hydrocarbons, methane and lead, getting into the soil, affect food chains - they enter the human body through food.
Excessive plowing, pesticides, pesticides and fertilizers, which contain enough mercury and heavy metals, lead to significant soil erosion and desertification. Abundant irrigation also cannot be called a positive factor, since it leads to soil salinization.
Today, up to 98% of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is buried in the ground, mainly products of uranium fission, which leads to degradation and depletion of land resources.
The atmosphere in the form of a gaseous shell of the Earth is of great value, since it protects the planet from cosmic radiation, affects the relief, determines the climate of the Earth and its thermal background. It cannot be said that the composition of the atmosphere was homogeneous and only with the advent of man began to change. But it was after the beginning of the vigorous activity of people that the heterogeneous composition was "enriched" with dangerous impurities.
The main pollutants in this case are chemical plants, the fuel and energy complex, agriculture and cars. They lead to the appearance of copper, mercury, and other metals in the air. Of course, in industrial areas, air pollution is felt most of all.
Thermal power plants bring light and heat to our homes, however, in parallel, they emit a huge amount of carbon dioxide, and soot into the atmosphere.
Acid rain is caused by waste from chemical plants, such as sulfur oxide or nitrogen oxide. These oxides can react with other elements of the biosphere, which contributes to the appearance of more destructive compounds.
Modern cars are quite good in design and technical specifications, but the problem with the atmosphere has not yet been solved. Ash and fuel processing products not only spoil the atmosphere of cities, but also settle on the soil and make it unusable.
In many industrial and industrial areas, use has become an integral part of life precisely because of the pollution of the environment by factories and transport. Therefore, if you are concerned about the state of air in your apartment, with the help of a breather you can create a healthy microclimate at home, which, unfortunately, does not cancel the glider problems of environmental pollution, but at least allows you to protect yourself and loved ones.
The fact that it is necessary to consume less and recycle garbage, that it is necessary to preserve nature, they say in recent times more and more. This topic was even raised in a recent speech by Pope Francis. However, no matter how much people heed this advice, the damage to our planet has already been done, and the damage is huge.
1. Garbage from electronics from around the world is taken to Ghana, where the local population takes it apart for valuable parts and burns the rest
2. Mexico City is one of the most populous cities in the Western Hemisphere
3. In the Eastern Hemisphere, New Delhi has the same problem, with a population of about 25 million people.
4. Los Angeles is famous for having more cars than people.
5. Oil field in California
Two organizations - The Foundation for Deep Ecology and the Population Media Center - released a series of photographs that illustrate the shocking consequences of human consumption of natural resources, as well as environmental pollution. " This is what primarily worries people, and at the same time, what is not talked about in the top news of the press.," explains Missy Thurston, co-director of the Population Media Center.
6. Once an old forest was completely cut down in Oregon
7. Coal-fired power plant in the UK
8. Due to global warming, the environment is changing dramatically and irrevocably
9. The world's largest diamond quarry
10. Burning the Amazon jungle to create fields for cattle grazing
In everyday life, it's hard to predict the consequences of our usual choices - whether it's a plastic bottle of water in the supermarket or another TV or computer. However, if we consider that the world's population is almost 7.5 billion people, and each of them, on average, throws out 2 kg of garbage every day (these data have changed by almost 60% since 1960), then it becomes obvious that the problem is really very, very is important and should be addressed by all together.
11. Tar sands and open pit mines cover so much territory that they can be seen from space
12. Nevada tire dump
13. Vancouver Island, once covered in coniferous forests
14. Industrial agriculture in Spain, stretching for many kilometers
15. Tar sands in Canada
In September 2015, world leaders will gather to discuss the human development challenges that need to be addressed before 2030. In December, a meeting of the United Nations is to take place in Paris, at which restrictions on environmental pollution will be set. Much depends on influential people who will solve global problems, but no less depends on ordinary person in whose hands there is every opportunity to help nature by his own example.
Man is called the main and only cause of environmental pollution. It would seem that nature has created an intelligent two-legged creature that could support and protect it. But something went wrong.
Today, conscious people around the world are sounding the alarm, because the pollution of the planet is growing at a terrifying pace. If we do not change anything, then we will leave our grandchildren not a beautiful "blue planet", but a lifeless dump.
And today we will discuss. In this case, we will talk about such a seemingly harmless thing as a plastic bag. Yes, the same bags with which we see thousands of people on the streets every day.
nature pollution
Plastic bags became popular in the US only a couple of decades ago. Buyers quickly appreciated the convenience of the new material and "plastic" firmly entered the everyday life. Plastic bags seemed like a revolution - strong, convenient, cheap. Only years later it became clear what huge harm they cause to the environment.
The fact is that discarded used bags do not decompose for more than 100-150 years. In other words, the very first plastic bags, released in the 50s, have not decomposed even by half. It is not surprising that many places and bodies of water on the planet have turned into real plastic dumps.
Scientists say that every year humanity uses about 4 trillion plastic bags. All this huge mass gets into the ecosystem and destroys it. Plastic bags kill more than 1 million birds, 100,000 marine mammals and countless fish every year.
About 6.5 million tons of garbage enters the oceans every year. most which is plastic waste. The marine research organization Algalita says that about a quarter of the water surface is already covered with floating plastic waste.
Such a frightening circumstance cannot but cause concern, therefore, in many countries they are already seriously restricting and even prohibiting the use of plastic bags in everyday life, offering instead of them more eco-friendly analogues: Durable cloth bags or paper bags (which decompose in a couple of weeks).
How plastic waste is dealt with in different countries
Since October 1, the use of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 15 microns has been limited in Georgia. Each company was required to put its name and logo on the package produced.
But from April 1, 2019, a law came into force, according to which plastic bags were completely banned. Moreover, you can neither produce, nor sell, nor distribute them for free. All containers that are not subject to biodegradation are now outlawed.
For the use of plastic bags in Georgia today there is a fine of 500 lari (about 200 dollars). For repeated violations, the penalty is doubled.
I am glad that the majority of ordinary citizens support such an initiative of the government and deliberately sacrifice their comfort in order to stop environmental pollution.
Perhaps we should stop inventing a second life and stop using
When you think about the many environmental issues facing modern world What ways of solving them come to your mind? Perhaps you are thinking about the latest warnings from scientists about global warming, about endangered species of animals and plants, about deforestation, or about air and water pollution. Of course, the list of environmental threats is endless, and your children have no doubt already learned about many of them at home or at school.
For many adults, it can be intimidating to study scientific data detailing the state of environmental conservation. How to teach your children the importance of caring for the environment and not put into them the idea of the inevitable end of the world and universal catastrophe? To begin, encourage your children to look at what your family and friends can do to protect the environment. If you help your children take care of environmental protection from a very early age, they will be able to see that their actions actually make a difference, and if they act together with other people, they can play an important role in changing and improving the whole world.
This article provides simple, easy-to-do activities for kids to incorporate into your daily schedule that will help them manage their environment responsibly.
save water
Did you know that one person consumes, on average, about 200 liters of water per day? You might guess that people use more water in the bathroom than in any other room in the house, or that a dripping faucet can spill up to 7,500 liters of water a year. But while you are most likely aware of these statistics, your children probably have no idea how much water is wasted every day.
How to teach children to save our water resources? Consider the following suggestions:
- when brushing your teeth, washing your face or washing your hands, turn off the water, and do not pour it constantly;
- make it a rule to reduce the time spent in the shower (use a timer if necessary);
- if it is the children's turn to do the dishes, don't let them pour water all the time when they are soaping or rinsing the dishes;
- if you ask children to mop garden paths, give them a mop, not a hose;
- have your children water the plants early in the morning in spring and summer to avoid evaporation and therefore use less water;
- do not throw garbage into the toilet, because in this case you have to drain the water every time.
Waste recycling
In all likelihood, your bins are much lighter now than they were a few years ago. Today, recycling bins are already in many cities, and most homes also have garbage cans with such waste, which are taken away by special cars once a week.
Your children may also have participated in school recycling programs and world day environmental protection (celebrated annually around the world on June 5), which promote the protection of the environment. Maybe they even help their family collect and recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles and get paid for it. Since recycling has become so widespread in last years What else can be done to reduce pollution?
Reduce Waste
Perhaps the simplest thing your family can do in the first place is to reduce the amount of garbage you produce. Because the handful of garbage that each individual produces adds up to huge mountains of universal garbage, and reducing the amount of your personal garbage can have a significant impact on the environment. The following ideas will help you:
- save paper, write letters and do homework on both sides of the sheet;
- make a stack of note paper that your kids can use for their drafts - it helps to use the paper twice;
- when preparing dinner, use reusable dishes;
- encourage children to use reusable containers rather than plastic bags, wrapping paper or aluminum foil;
- put clipped grass, leaves and food scraps in your garden compost pit instead of throwing them out with the garbage, which will also reduce the amount of garbage sent to city landfills;
- buy things made from recycled paper and other recycled materials;
- show your children how much packaging material is wasted when you buy individually wrapped items, instead of taking large packages and then portioning your purchases into reusable containers;
- buy rechargeable batteries and other devices that are ultimately less harmful to the environment and last much longer than conventional batteries;
- if you're in a store and you're shopping for something small, put it in your pocket, purse, or other shopping bag instead of asking for a separate bag for it;
- Bring along a reusable shopping bag that your family can use for weeks on end, or just a shopping bag.
Reuse of old things
Old unwanted clothes, toys, or household items can get a second or even third life if they are misused. For example, an old tire can make a great garden bed, and torn clothes can be used as a rag. Parts of broken toys can be given new life as craft material. You can also donate a still useful item to a charitable society.
Recycling outside the home
Many people carefully collect garbage at home and completely forget about it outside of it. For example, what do you do with empty plastic bottles and soda cans? Do you dispose of them in a recycling bin if there is one nearby? Or just send it to the trash?
Remind your children that all they need to do is make sure the jar or bottle is empty, put it in their backpack, and then throw it in the recycling bin at home. You can also consult with the administration of gardens and parks in your city if it is possible to place such containers in areas of heavy urban traffic. Some gardens and parks and beaches already have special containers for plastic bottles and metal cans.
Reducing air pollution, slowing down global warming
If your kids are in middle or high school, they may have already been taught about global warming in class. While it may seem like only governments and big businesses can do anything to reduce emissions, there are things you and your family can do, not to mention that it will help you at the same time. and save money. For example, you could offer your children the following:
- If you need to get somewhere, walk, bike, or take a bus instead of driving. Maybe you live close enough to the school that your kids can walk to it? Can you arrange with neighbors to take turns delivering children by car? Can your kids go to a friend's house on foot or by bike instead of using a car?
- Save electricity (turn off the TV, lights, radio and other electrical appliances when not in use).
- Help conserve energy and raw materials by recycling, reusing and reducing the amount of food consumed.
- Plant trees and other plants to help absorb excess carbon dioxide (they also provide shade and wind protection, which helps keep houses more or less at a constant temperature and therefore reduce energy costs for heating or cooling them).
Less effort - more results
Our small daily actions in a variety of ways can have a significant positive impact on the environment. To get your kids thinking about the environment all the time, let them see everything you do to protect it day in and day out and explain why you're doing it. For example, children may not understand why using energy saving lamps or a mechanical lawnmower is better for the environment until you explain it to them. Show your children that you don't litter and explain the impact pollution has on the environment. Do not throw away unnecessary things, but give them to charities. Stay up to date on conservation projects in your area, and you might be able to plant a tree or clean up trash at a local park with your kids.