They say that we should protect the
world we live in. It's our home, our wealth. But these are only words. And the
world today really needs actions of everyone of us.
Since ancient times Nature has
served Man, being the source of his life. For thousands of years people lived
in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were
unlimited. But with the development of civilization man's interference in
nature began to increase. Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial
enterprises appear all over the world today. The by-products of their activity pollute
the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables
on.
Every year world industry pollutes
the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful
substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burnt in
fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result some rare
species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of
rivers and lakes dry up. The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison:
industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Pollution is not a new phenomenon. But
in the past, without numerous people contaminating land, water and air, nature
had time to adapt and develop a self-cleansing atmosphere that helped plants
and animals to survive and evolve. Air pollution became a problem when the greater
use of fossil fuels began to pollute the air. The burning of fossil fuels
releases the pollutants which lead to health problems, causing pneumonia,
bronchitis and worsening existing heart problems. Air pollution became a more
serious problem in the middle of the 20th century when a great number of cars
appeared on the roads.
Overpopulation, pollution and energy
consumption have created such planet-wide problems as massive deforestation, loss
of biodiversity, ozone depletion, acid rains and the global warming that is
believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect. The average temperature of the
earth is rising, but that’s not the only way we can tell the climate is
changing. In fact the signs are all around us! Ice caps at both poles are thinning
and melting, causing sea levels to rise. Extreme weather conditions, such as
floods, landslides, hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves are becoming more
common and threatening many lives. One of the burning environmental issues
today is to stop or slow down global warming through reducing the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Environmental protection is of a
universal concern. That is why serious measures to create a system of
ecological security should be taken. Some progress has been already made in
this direction. As many as 159 countries — members of the UNO — have set up
environmental protection agencies. The international organization Greenpeace is
also doing much to preserve the environment. Scientists and engineers can find
the ways to reduce pollution from automobiles and factories. Government can
pass the laws that would make enterprises take measures for reducing of
pollution. But there’s a lot each of us can do, lots of these small things to
bring down our emissions significantly without changing our lifestyle
radically, the small things - the energy saving light-bulbs, using more public
transport, using trains, recycling things instead of wasting them by just
throwing them away. These things can really make a big difference.
Ecological problems have no borders.
However, environment disasters can be avoided if people broaden ecological
education and every person understands that the beauty of nature is extremely
fragile.
