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Presentation on the topic: Environmental problems
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The interaction of man and nature is so close that each of his, even the smallest, action is reflected in the state of the environment that surrounds him. Unfortunately, in recent times people began to intervene more actively in the measured life of the nature around them. In this regard, humanity faces the environmental problems of our time. They demand an immediate solution. Their scale is so great that it affects not a single country, but the whole world.
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Atmospheric pollution One of the most acute environmental problems today is environmental pollution. In the early stages of the development of the biosphere, only volcanic eruptions and forest fires polluted the air, but as soon as a person lit his first fire, anthropogenic impact on the atmosphere began. As early as the beginning of the 20th century. the biosphere coped with those combustion products of coal and liquid fuel that entered the air. It was enough to leave industrial enterprises for several kilometers to feel the clean air.
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However, in the future, the rapid development of industry and transport led to a sharp deterioration in the state of the atmosphere. Currently, as a result of human activities, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, methane (CH4) and other hydrocarbons enter the atmosphere. The sources of these pollutions are the burning of fossil fuels, the burning of forests, emissions from industrial enterprises and the exhaust gases of cars and other vehicles. However, in the future, the rapid development of industry and transport led to a sharp deterioration in the state of the atmosphere. Currently, as a result of human activities, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, methane (CH4) and other hydrocarbons enter the atmosphere. The sources of these pollutions are the burning of fossil fuels, the burning of forests, emissions from industrial enterprises and the exhaust gases of cars and other vehicles.
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Greenhouse effect Increasing concentration in the atmosphere carbon dioxide and methane creates the so-called greenhouse effect. These gases transmit sunlight, but partially delay the reflected thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the relative concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 20%, and methane - by 100%, which led to an increase in temperature on average on the planet by 0.5 °C.
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If in the coming years the concentration of these gases will increase at the same rate, by 2050 the Earth will become warmer by another 2-5 °C. Such warming could cause glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise by up to 1.5m, flooding many populated coastal areas.
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Acid rain Near the copper smelters, the air contains a high concentration of sulfur dioxide, which causes the destruction of chlorophyll, the underdevelopment of pollen, and the drying of needles. Dissolving in droplets of atmospheric moisture, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide turn into the corresponding acids and fall to the ground along with rain. The soil acquires an acidic reaction, the amount of mineral salts in it decreases. Getting on the leaves, acid precipitation destroys the protective wax film, which leads to the development of plant diseases.
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Small aquatic animals and caviar are especially sensitive to changes in acidity, so acid rain causes maximum damage to aquatic ecosystems. In the most developed industrial areas, acid rain destroys the surface of buildings, spoiling monuments of sculpture and architecture.
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Smog Substances contained in the exhaust gases of cars, under the influence of sunlight, enter into complex chemical reactions, forming toxic compounds. Together with water droplets, they form a poisonous fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body and plants.
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Ozone holes At an altitude of more than 20 km above the Earth's surface is the ozone layer (03), which protects all living things from excess ultraviolet radiation. Some wavelengths of ultraviolet are good for humans because they produce vitamin D. However, excessive sun exposure can lead to skin cancer.
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Substances that are used as refrigerants in refrigerators and solvents in aerosols - chlorofluorocarbons - rise into the stratosphere, where they decompose under the action of solar radiation with the release of chlorine and fluorine. The resulting gases cause the conversion of ozone into oxygen, destroying the protective shell of the Earth.
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Water pollution Fresh water makes up less than 1% of the world's total water supply, and humanity is wasting and polluting this priceless wealth. Population growth, improvement of living conditions, development of industry and irrigated agriculture have led to the fact that water overspending has become one of the global environmental problems of our time. In most cases, freshwater pollution remains invisible because the contaminants are dissolved in the water. But there are exceptions: foaming detergents, as well as oil products floating on the surface and untreated effluents. There are several natural pollutants. Aluminum compounds found in the ground enter the fresh water system as a result of chemical reactions. Floods wash out magnesium compounds from the soil of meadows, which cause great damage to fish stocks.
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For centuries, groundwater washed out cavities in the bowels of the earth, a kind of underground reservoirs. Numerous springs that feed rivers and lakes are places where groundwater comes to the surface. Excessive consumption of groundwater reduces the number of springs and causes a gradual subsidence of the land surface, the so-called subsidence of the soil. The soil falls into the formed underground voids, and if this happens suddenly, it leads to catastrophic consequences.
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Discharges from industrial enterprises, surface runoff from landfills are often polluted with heavy metals and synthetic organic substances. Lead is found in fresh water in dissolved form. One source of lead pollution is fishing sinkers, which are constantly thrown away when the line is tangled. Swans, swallowing weights along with algae, suffer greatly from lead. It remains in the stomach of birds, gradually dissolving and causing their death. A "broken neck" (when the muscles cannot support the bird's long neck and as a result it slowly starves to death) is a sign of lead poisoning. Another heavy metal, cadmium, penetrates into the freshwater environment, affects fish, and through them enters the human body.
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Soil pollution and depletion. fertile soil is one of the most important resources of mankind, providing food production. Upper fertile layer Soil is formed over a long time, but can collapse very quickly. Every year, together with the harvest, it is removed from the soil great amount mineral compounds - the main components of plant nutrition. If fertilizers are not applied, complete depletion of the soil can occur within 50-100 years.
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Soil pollution and depletion is currently a specific type of land degradation. There are two main reasons for such negative changes. The first is natural. The composition and structure of the soil can change as a result of global natural phenomena. For example, due to movement lithospheric plates, permanent exposure to significant air masses or water element. In connection with all the above causes of natural destruction, the solid shell of the Earth is gradually changing its appearance. As a second factor, which results in soil pollution and depletion, anthropogenic impact can be called. It is currently doing the most damage. Let's consider this destructive factor in more detail.
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Human activity as a cause of soil degradation Negative anthropogenic impact often occurs as a result of agricultural activities, the operation of large industrial facilities, the construction of buildings and structures, transport links, as well as household needs and needs of mankind. All of the above are the causes of negative processes called "Soil pollution and depletion". Among the consequences of the impact on land resources of the anthropogenic factor are the following: erosion, acidification, destruction of the structure and change in composition, degradation of the mineral base, waterlogging or, conversely, drying out, and so on.
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Agriculture Perhaps it is this type of anthropogenic activity that can be considered the key to the question of what causes soil pollution and depletion. The causes of such processes are often interconnected. For example, first comes the intensive development of land. As a result, deflation develops. In turn, plowing is able to activate water erosion processes. Even additional irrigation is considered a negative impact factor, since it is it that causes salinization of land resources. In addition, soil pollution and depletion can occur due to the application of organic and mineral fertilizers, unsystematic grazing of farm animals, destruction of vegetation cover, and so on.
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Chemical pollution The soil resources of the planet are significantly affected by industry and transport. It is these two directions in the development of human activity that lead to the pollution of the earth with all kinds of chemical elements and compounds. Heavy metals, oil products and other complex organic substances are considered to be especially dangerous. The appearance of all of the above compounds in the environment is associated with the work of industrial enterprises and internal combustion engines, which are installed in most vehicles.
Extraordinarily expanded. Now, along with biology, these are economic and geographical sciences, medical and sociological research, atmospheric physics and mathematics and many other sciences. The environmental problems of our time in terms of their scale can be conditionally divided into local, regional and global ones and require for their solution different means of solution and different in nature ...
No matter how much they pour out, the task will never be completed. With any, the most incredible costs, the result will always be zero. Therefore, all attempts to solve environmental problem are doomed to failure by standard methods. Contrast material interest absolutely nothing. Saving the disparate parts of an indivisible organism is pointless. Save the whole body, not ...
Placement of production and use of natural resources. Ministry of Public and vocational education. Magnitogorsk State University. Ecological problems of the present and ways of their solution. Abstract on OBZh. Completed by: student of PiMNO, 2nd year, 202 gr., UNK, ...
Ecological systems for self-purification and regeneration. As a result, the natural circulation of substances in the biosphere was disturbed, and the health of the present and future generations of people was threatened. The environmental problem of the modern world is not only acute, but also multifaceted. It manifests itself in almost all branches of material production (especially in agriculture, chemical industry, ...
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Global environmental issues
What global problems? One of the definitions refers to the global "problems arising as a result of the objective development of society, creating threats to all mankind and requiring the combined efforts of the entire world community for their solution." The correctness of this definition depends on which problems are classified as global. If this is a narrow circle of higher, planetary problems, then it is fully consistent with the truth. If we add here such problems as natural disasters (it is global only in the sense of the possibility of manifestation in the region), then this definition turns out to be narrow, limiting, which is its meaning.
What are global issues? Yuri Gladkiy made an interesting attempt to classify global problems, singling out three main groups: 1. Problems of a political and socio-economic nature. 2. Problems of a natural and economic nature 3. Problems of a social nature.
Major global problems. Destruction of the natural environment. At all stages of its development, man was closely connected with the outside world. But since the emergence of a highly industrialized society, the dangerous human intervention in nature has increased dramatically, the scope of this interference has expanded, it has become more diverse and now threatens to become a global danger to humanity. The consumption of non-renewable raw materials is increasing, more and more arable land is being withdrawn from the economy, as cities and factories are built on them. Man has to intervene more and more in the biosphere - that part of our planet in which life exists. The Earth's biosphere is currently undergoing increasing anthropogenic impact.
Major global problems. Destruction of the natural environment. The most large-scale and significant is the chemical pollution of the environment by substances of a chemical nature unusual for it. Among them are gaseous and aerosol pollutants of industrial and domestic origin. Oil pollution of this size can cause significant disruption of gas and water exchange between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere. There is no doubt about the importance of chemical contamination of the soil with pesticides and its increased acidity, leading to the collapse of the ecosystem.
Air pollution. The main air pollutants today are carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. It is now generally accepted that industrial production pollutes the air the most. Sources of pollution - thermal power plants, which, together with smoke, emit sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the air; metallurgical enterprises, especially non-ferrous metallurgy, which emit nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, fluorine, ammonia, phosphorus compounds, particles and compounds of mercury and arsenic into the air; chemical and cement plants. Harmful gases enter the air as a result of fuel combustion for industrial needs, home heating, transport, combustion and processing of household and industrial waste.
Information about some sources of technogenic dust is given below: INDUSTRIAL PROCESS EMISSION OF DUST, MMT/YEAR 1. Combustion of hard coal 93.60 2. Iron smelting 20.21 3. Copper smelting (without purification) 6.23 4. Zinc smelting 0 .18 5. Tin smelting (without purification) 0.004 6. Lead smelting 0.13 7. Cement production 53.37
Soil pollution. The soil cover of the Earth is the most important component of the Earth's biosphere. It is the soil shell that determines many processes occurring in the biosphere. Almost all pollutants that are initially released into the atmosphere end up on land and water. Settling aerosols may contain toxic heavy metals - lead, mercury, copper, vanadium, cobalt, nickel. Usually they are inactive and accumulate in the soil. But acids also get into the soil with rain. By combining with it, metals can turn into soluble compounds available to plants. Substances that are constantly present in the soil also pass into soluble forms, which sometimes leads to the death of plants.
Water pollution. The third factor, no less important than the sky above your head and the earth under your feet, is the factor of the existence of civilization - the water resources of the planet. Mankind uses mainly fresh water for its needs. Their volume is slightly more than 2% of the hydrosphere, and the distribution water resources across the globe is extremely uneven. In Europe and Asia, where 70% of the world's population lives, only 39% of river waters are concentrated. The total consumption of river waters is increasing from year to year in all regions of the world. It is known, for example, that since the beginning of this century, fresh water consumption has increased 6 times, and in the next few decades it will increase by at least 1.5 times. The lack of water is exacerbated by the deterioration of its quality. The waters used in industry, agriculture and everyday life are returned to water bodies in the form of poorly treated or generally untreated effluents. Thus, pollution of the hydrosphere occurs primarily as a result of the discharge of industrial, agricultural and domestic wastewater into rivers, lakes and seas. According to the calculations of scientists, at the end of the 20th century, 25 thousand km 3 of fresh water, or almost all the actually available resources of such a runoff, may be required to dilute these wastewaters! It is not difficult to guess that this, and not the growth of direct water intake, is the main reason for the aggravation of the problem of fresh water.
Water pollution. Currently, many rivers are heavily polluted - the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Ohio, Volga, Dnieper, Dniester, etc. Pollution of the World Ocean is growing. And here a significant role is played not only by sewage pollution, but also by the ingress of a large amount of oil products into the waters of the seas and oceans. In general, the most polluted inland seas are the Mediterranean, North, Baltic, Inland Japan, Java, as well as the Biscay, Persian and Mexican Gulfs. One of the main sanitary requirements requirements for water quality is the content of the required amount of oxygen in it. Harmful effects have all the pollution, which, one way or another, contribute to the reduction of oxygen in the water. Increasing pollution of water bodies and drains is observed in all industrial countries. Information on the content of some organic substances in industrial wastewater is provided below: POLLUTANTS AMOUNT IN THE WORLD FLOW MN.T/YEAR 1. Petroleum products 26.563 2. Phenols 0.460 3. Wastes from the production of synthetic fibers 5.500 4. Plant organic residues 0.170 5. Total 33.273
The problem of the ozone layer. The ecological problem of the ozone layer is no less complex in scientific terms. As you know, life on Earth appeared only after the protective ozone layer of the planet was formed, covering it from cruel ultraviolet radiation. For many centuries, nothing foreshadowed trouble. However, in recent decades, intensive destruction of this layer has been noticed. The problem of the ozone layer arose in 1982, when a probe launched from a British station in Antarctica detected a sharp decrease in ozone at an altitude of 25 to 30 kilometers. Since then, an ozone "hole" of varying shapes and sizes has been recorded over Antarctica all the time. According to the latest data for 1992, it is equal to 23 million square kilometers, that is, an area equal to the whole of North America. Later, the same "hole" was discovered over the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, over Svalbard, and then in different places of Eurasia, in particular over Voronezh.
The problem of acid rain. Acid rain causes not only acidification of surface waters and upper soil horizons. Acidity with downward water flows extends to the entire soil profile and causes significant acidification of groundwater. Acid rain is caused by economic activity man, accompanied by the emission of colossal amounts of oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, carbon. These oxides, entering the atmosphere, are transported over long distances, interact with water and turn into solutions of a mixture of sulfur, sulfur, nitrogen, nitrogen and carbonic acid, which fall in the form of "acid rain" on land, interacting with plants, soils, waters. One of the causes of forest death in many regions of the world is acid rain. To solve this problem, it is necessary to increase the volume of systematic measurements of atmospheric pollutant compounds over large areas.
Energy problem. As we have seen, it is closely related to the environmental problem. Ecological well-being also depends to the greatest extent on the reasonable development of the Earth's energy, because half of all gases that cause the "greenhouse effect" are created in the energy sector. The fuel and energy balance of the planet consists mainly of "pollutants" - oil (40.3%), coal (31.2%), gas (23.7%). In total, they account for the vast majority of the use of energy resources - 95.2%. "Clean" types - hydropower and nuclear energy - give less than 5% in total, and the "softest" (non-polluting) types - wind, solar, geothermal - account for fractions of a percent.
Energy problem. It is clear that the global task is to increase the share of "clean" and especially "soft" types of energy. First, let's consider the possibility of increasing the share of "soft" types of energy. In the coming years, "soft" types of energy will not be able to significantly change the fuel and energy balance of the Earth. It will take some time until they economic indicators will become close to "traditional" types of energy. In addition, their ecological capacity is measured not only by the reduction of CO2 emissions, there are other factors, in particular, the territory alienated for their development.
Raw material problem. The issues of providing raw materials and energy are the most important and multifaceted global problem. The most important because, even in the age of scientific and technological revolution, minerals remain the fundamental basis for almost the rest of the economy, and fuel is its circulatory system. It is multifaceted because a whole knot of "subproblems" is intertwined here: * availability of resources on a global and regional scale; * economic aspects problems (higher production costs, fluctuations in world prices for raw materials and fuel, dependence on imports); * geopolitical aspects of the problem (the struggle for sources of raw materials and fuel; * environmental aspects of the problem (damage from the mining industry itself, energy supply issues, regeneration of raw materials, choice of energy strategies, and so on).
Raw material problem. Resource use has increased dramatically in recent decades. Only since 1950, the volume of mining has increased 3 times, ? of all minerals mined in the 20th century were mined after 1960. One of the key issues of any global models has become the provision of resources and energy. And much of what until recently was considered endless, inexhaustible and “free” has become resources - territory, water, oxygen ...
Ways to solve environmental problems. The main thing, however, is not in the completeness of the list of these problems, but in understanding the causes of their occurrence, nature and, most importantly, in identifying effective ways and means to resolve them. The true prospect of a way out of the ecological crisis is in change production activities man, his way of life, his consciousness. Scientific and technological progress creates not only "overloads" for nature; in the most advanced technologies, it provides a means to prevent negative impacts, creates opportunities for environmentally friendly production. There was not only an urgent need, but also the opportunity to change the essence of technological civilization, to give it an environmental character. One of the directions of such development is the creation of safe industries. Using the achievements of science, technological progress can be organized in such a way that production waste does not pollute the environment, but re-enters the production cycle as a secondary raw material. Nature itself provides an example: the carbon dioxide emitted by animals is absorbed by plants, which release oxygen, which is necessary for the respiration of animals.
Ways to solve environmental problems. A waste-free production is one in which all raw materials eventually turn into one or another product. If we take into account that modern industry converts 98% of the feedstock into waste, then the need for the task of creating waste-free production becomes clear. Calculations show that 80% of the waste from the heat and power, mining, and coke industries are suitable for use. At the same time, the products obtained from them are often superior in quality to products made from primary raw materials. For example, ash from thermal power plants, used as an additive in the production of aerated concrete, approximately doubles the strength of building panels and blocks. Of great importance is the development of nature restoration industries (forestry, water, fisheries), the development and implementation of material-saving and energy saving technologies.
Ways to solve environmental problems. The ecological situation makes it necessary to assess the consequences of any activity related to interference with the natural environment. An environmental review of all technical projects is required. Even F. Joliot-Curie warned: “We must not allow people to direct those forces of nature that they have managed to discover and conquer to their own destruction.” Time does not wait. Our task is to stimulate by all available methods any initiative and entrepreneurship aimed at creating and implementing the latest technologies contributing to the solution of any environmental problems. Contribute to the creation of a large number of control bodies, consisting of highly qualified specialists, on the basis of clearly developed legislation in accordance with international agreements on environmental issues. To constantly convey information to all states and peoples on ecology through radio, television and the press, thereby raising the ecological consciousness of people and contributing to their spiritual and moral revival in accordance with the requirements of the era.
Conclusion. For thousands of years, man lived, worked, developed, but he did not even suspect that the day might come when it would become difficult, or maybe impossible, to breathe clean air, drink clean water, to grow something on the ground, as the air is polluted, the water is poisoned, the soil is contaminated with radiation or other chemicals. But a lot has changed since then. Mankind has come to understand that the further development of technological progress is impossible without assessing the impact of new technologies on the ecological situation. New connections created by man must be closed in order to ensure the invariance of those basic parameters of the planet Earth system that affect its ecological stability. Nature protection is the task of our century, a problem that has become a social one. Again and again we hear about the dangers that threaten the environment, but still many of us consider them an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization and believe that we will still have time to cope with all the difficulties that have come to light. However, the impact of man on the environment has assumed alarming proportions. To fundamentally improve the situation, purposeful and thoughtful actions will be needed. Responsible and efficient environmental policy will only be possible if we accumulate reliable data on state of the art environment, substantiated knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if he develops new methods to reduce and prevent the harm caused to Nature by Man.
Conclusion. Nature, untouched by civilization, should remain a reserve, which over time, when most of the globe will serve industrial, aesthetic and scientific purposes, will become increasingly important as a standard, criterion, in particular aesthetic, in the future, other unknown values may also appear. these zones. Therefore, a rational, scientifically based approach is needed to the practice of expanding areas of virgin nature, reserves, especially since as the scientific and technological revolution develops, the volume of negative influences on natural aesthetically valuable objects increases so much that cultural activities aimed at compensating for the damage caused sometimes cannot cope. with your tasks. Therefore, there is a need, firstly, to create a system of environmental measures, secondly, scientific justification and inclusion of criteria for the aesthetic assessment of nature in this system, thirdly, the development of a system of environmental education, the improvement of all types of artistic creativity associated with nature. Each person should be aware that Humanity is on the verge of death, and will we survive or not? the merit of each of us.
We live in an information society, a world highest achievements and high technologies. Over the past decades, the lives of billions of people on Earth have changed dramatically. First of all, this is due to the intensive development of scientific and technical knowledge, the development of industry and cities, the emergence of more and more new technologies.
The ever-increasing influence of civilization on the environment is rapidly approaching a global environmental catastrophe. It should be emphasized that, according to many scientists, this catastrophe can occur much earlier than a crisis due to the lack of any fossil resource.
The main amount of ozone is formed in the upper atmosphere of the stratosphere, at altitudes from 10 to 45 km. The ozone layer protects all life on Earth from the harsh ultraviolet radiation of the sun. By absorbing this radiation, ozone significantly affects the temperature distribution in the upper atmosphere, which in turn affects the climate.
The depletion of the planet's ozone layer leads to the destruction of the existing biogenesis of the ocean due to the death of plankton in the equatorial zone, inhibition of plant growth, a sharp increase in eye and cancer diseases, as well as diseases associated with a weakening of the human and animal immune systems, an increase in the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere, corrosion of metals, etc. .d.
The problem of water pollution (seas, rivers, lakes, etc.) is one of the most urgent. Man, through his activity, irrevocably changes the natural regime of water bodies with waste and discharges. There is a lot of water on Earth, fresh water - only 3%, the remaining 97% - the water of the seas and oceans. Three quarters of fresh water is not available to living organisms, as it is the water of glaciers. Glacial water is a reservoir of fresh water.
Almost all the mass of water is concentrated in the oceans. Evaporating water from the surface of the oceans provides moisture to all terrestrial ecosystems. The land returns water to the ocean. Before the development of human civilization, the water cycle on the planet was in equilibrium. The ocean from the rivers received such an amount of water that it expended during its evaporation. With a constant climate, the rivers did not become shallow, the water level in the lakes did not decrease. With the development of human civilization, this cycle was broken. Ocean pollution has reduced the amount of water that evaporates from the oceans. Shallow rivers in the southern regions. All this has led to a deterioration in the water supply of the biosphere. Droughts and various environmental disasters are becoming frequent.
A previously inexhaustible resource - fresh water - is now becoming exhaustible. In many parts of the world there is not enough water for drinking, irrigation, industrial production. This problem is very serious, as water pollution will affect future generations. Therefore, this problem needs to be solved as soon as possible, the problem of industrial discharges needs to be radically reconsidered.
Second half of the 20th century was marked by the rapid development of industry and the growth of power supply, which could not but affect the climate on the entire planet. Modern scientific research it has been established that the impact of anthropogenic activity on the global climate is associated with several factors, in particular with an increase in: the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, as well as some other gases entering the atmosphere in the course of economic activity and enhancing the greenhouse effect in it; masses of atmospheric aerosols; thermal energy generated in the process of economic activity entering the atmosphere.
Second half of the 20th century was marked by the rapid development of industry and, accordingly, the growth of the power supply, which could not but affect the climate on the entire planet. Modern scientific research has established that the impact of anthropogenic activity on the global climate is associated with several factors, in particular with an increase in: the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, as well as some other gases entering the atmosphere in the course of economic activity and enhancing the greenhouse effect in it; masses of atmospheric aerosols; thermal energy generated in the process of economic activity entering the atmosphere.
The main contribution (65%) to warming is made by carbon dioxide formed as a result of burning coal, oil products and other fuels. Stopping this process in the coming decades seems technically unfeasible. In addition, in the developing world, energy consumption is growing rapidly. An increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has a noticeable effect on the Earth's climate, changing it towards warming. The general trend towards an increase in air temperature, which was observed in the 20th century, is intensifying, which has already led to an increase in the average air temperature by 0.6 °C.
The following consequences are predicted global warming: sea level rise due to the melting of glaciers and polar ice (it has already risen by 1025 cm over the past 100 years), which in turn will lead to flooding of territories, displacement of marshes, increased salinity of water in estuaries, as well as potential loss of places human residence; change in precipitation (it will increase in the northern part of Europe and decrease in the south); change in the hydrological regime, quantity and quality of water resources.
Of course, we have not reflected all the environmental problems of our time (in fact, there are many more of them). All these global problems lead to the formation of the global ecological crisis we have already mentioned. The modern ecological crisis is dangerous because if timely and effective measures are not taken, it can result in a global ecological catastrophe, which will lead to the death of life on the planet.
It is necessary to solve these problems in as soon as possible and this should be the task of all mankind, the entire world community. An attempt at unification on an international scale was made at the beginning of the 20th century, when in November 1913 the first international meeting on nature conservation was held in Switzerland. The conference was attended by representatives of 18 most major countries peace.
Today, cooperation between states is reaching new level: joint developments and programs, conclusion international conventions for the protection of nature. The activities of many well-known public organizations involved in the protection of environment: Greenpeace, and Green Cross and Green Crescent, which are developing a program to address the issue of holes in the Earth's ozone layer. Nevertheless, it can be seen that international cooperation in the field of ecology is far from perfect.
What measures are being taken to solve these problems? First of all, hopes for solving problems are associated with the development of energy-saving technologies and bringing environmentally friendly energy sources to the level of industrial capacities. The development of electric vehicles, the expansion of public electric transport will gradually clean the air of cities. Solar panels and wind farms should reduce, and in the future even reduce to zero, fuel combustion in thermal power plants, which now produce the lion's share of electricity in the world.
Any attempts to reuse garbage or waste-free recycling is now very valuable. Especially considering that a significant part of the garbage, these are things that are quite suitable, thrown away simply because they were replaced with new ones. Everything that can be made from recycled materials must be made from recycled materials – this is now the main slogan. Of course, household waste is only a small part of the problem. Much more waste gives the industry. The recycling of plastic and rubber remains an unresolved issue. Here, great hopes are pinned on biotechnologies, which, I would like to believe, will either recycle these debris or somehow integrate them into the environment.
An important fact must be noted. Whatever programs are carried out by states, whatever is propagated to us from TV screens and on city streets, the salvation of our planet depends on each of us. Let everyone's contribution be small, but together we can make this world a better place, save our planet!
The main environmental problems of our time
Performed:
Boyandinova Aliya
Air pollution. Air pollution. One of the most acute environmental problems at present is environmental pollution. In the early stages of the development of the biosphere, only volcanic eruptions and forest fires polluted the air, but as soon as a person lit his first fire, anthropogenic impact on the atmosphere began. As early as the beginning of the 20th century. the biosphere coped with those combustion products of coal and liquid fuel that entered the air. It was enough to drive a few kilometers away from industrial enterprises to feel the clean air. However, in the future, the rapid development of industry and transport led. However, in the future, the rapid development of industry and transport led to a sharp deterioration in the state of the atmosphere. Currently, as a result of human activities, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, methane (CH4) and other hydrocarbons enter the atmosphere. The sources of these pollutions are the burning of fossil fuels, the burning of forests, industrial emissions, and vehicle exhaust fumes. Acid rain. Acid rain. Near the copper smelters, the air contains a high concentration of sulfur dioxide, which causes the destruction of chlorophyll, the underdevelopment of pollen, and the drying of needles. Dissolving in droplets of atmospheric moisture, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide turn into the corresponding acids and fall to the ground along with rain. The soil acquires an acidic reaction, the amount of mineral salts in it decreases. Getting on the leaves, acid precipitation destroys the protective wax film, which leads to the development of plant diseases. Small aquatic animals are especially sensitive to changes in acidity, and small aquatic animals and caviar are especially sensitive to changes in acidity, so acid rain causes maximum damage to aquatic ecosystems. In the most developed industrial areas, acid rain destroys the surface of buildings, spoiling monuments of sculpture and architecture. Greenhouse effect. Greenhouse effect. An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere creates the so-called greenhouse effect. These gases transmit sunlight, but partially delay the reflected thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the relative concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 20%, and methane - by 100%, which led to an increase in temperature on average on the planet by 0.5 °C. If in the coming years the concentration of these gases will increase at the same rate If in the coming years the concentration of these gases will increase at the same rate, by 2050 the Earth will become warmer by another 2-5 °С. Such warming could cause glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise by up to 1.5 meters, flooding many populated coastal areas. Smog. Smog. Substances contained in the exhaust gases of cars, under the influence of sunlight, enter into complex chemical reactions, forming toxic compounds. Together with water droplets, they form a poisonous fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body and plants. Suspensions of solid particles and liquid droplets (mists and fogs) significantly Suspended solid particles and liquid droplets (mists and fogs) significantly reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. AT winter months in major cities ultraviolet radiation is significantly weakened. Ozone holes. Ozone holes. At an altitude of more than 20 km above the Earth's surface is the ozone layer (03), which protects all living things from excess ultraviolet radiation. Some wavelengths of ultraviolet are good for humans because they produce vitamin D. However, excessive sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. Substances that are used as refrigerants in refrigerators and Substances that are used as refrigerants in refrigerators and solvents in aerosols - chlorofluorocarbons - rise into the stratosphere, where they decompose under the action of solar radiation with the release of chlorine and fluorine. The resulting gases cause the conversion of ozone into oxygen, destroying the protective shell of the Earth. In 1987, for the first time, it was discovered that over Antarctica, over a territory. In 1987, for the first time, it was discovered that over Antarctica, over an area equal in area to the United States, the ozone layer had almost completely disappeared. In subsequent years, the thinning of the ozone layer was regularly observed over the Arctic and some parts of the land. Pollution and waste natural waters. Pollution and waste of natural waters. Fresh water makes up less than 1% of the world's total water supply, and humanity is wasting and polluting this priceless wealth. Population growth, improvement of living conditions, development of industry and irrigated agriculture led to the fact that water overrun has become one of the global environmental problems of our time. Entire rivers are taken apart for irrigation and the needs of large cities, and along them Entire rivers are taken apart for irrigation and the needs of large cities, while natural communities perish along their channels and at their mouths. Water diversion for the city of Los Angeles virtually destroyed the Colorado River. The place where it once flowed into the Gulf of California has become a dry channel. The analysis of the water of the rivers of Central Asia led to the fact that the Aral Sea actually ceased to exist. Salt from its dry bottom is carried by the wind, causing soil salinization for many hundreds of kilometers around. For centuries, groundwater washed out cavities in the bowels of the earth; Numerous springs that feed rivers and lakes are places where groundwater comes to the surface. Excessive consumption of groundwater reduces the number of springs and causes a gradual subsidence of the land surface, the so-called ground subsidence. The soil falls into the formed underground voids, and if this happens suddenly, it leads to catastrophic consequences. No less dangerous phenomenon - water pollution. From fields and pastures into the water No less dangerous phenomenon - water pollution. Organic matter, mineral fertilizers, animal waste, pesticides and herbicides enter the water from fields and pastures. Sewage that is discharged into the sea without prior treatment poses a threat to human health. Due to tanker and pipeline accidents, a huge amount of oil is annually poured into the ocean - about 5 million tons. Discharges from industrial enterprises, surface runoff from landfills are often discharges from industrial enterprises, surface runoff from landfills are often polluted with heavy metals and synthetic organic substances. Salts of heavy metals (lead, mercury, copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium, etc.) cause poisoning in humans with severe physiological and neurological consequences. Many artificial organic compounds are so similar Many artificial organic compounds are so reminiscent of natural ones that they are absorbed by the body, but, being included in the metabolism, completely disrupt its normal functioning. As a result, diseases of the kidneys, liver, infertility and many other physiological disorders occur. Especially dangerous are toxic compounds that do not decompose and, passing through food chains, accumulate in organisms. And in the early 1970s. in the small fishing village of Minamata in Japan a tragedy happened. The chemical plant dumped waste, containing mercury into water. Mercury settled to the bottom, was absorbed by bacteria, and then, gradually concentrating, it passed through the levels of the food chain and accumulated in fish. A few years before the clarification of the causes of the tragedy people began to notice that in the village cats often had convulsions, which led to partial paralysis, and later to death. At first they thought it was some kind of specific cat disease, but soon similar symptoms began to appear in people. There were cases of mental retardation, mental disorders and birth defects. Besides the time when the cause (acute mercury poisoning) and the situation were found out took control, more than 50 people have already died and another 150 became disabled people. Mercury entered the human body with fish. The cats got hurt the first, because they ate mainly only fish. Soil pollution and depletion. Soil pollution and depletion. Fertile soil is one of the most important human resources for food production. The top fertile soil layer is formed for a long time, but can collapse very quickly. Every year, along with the harvest, a huge amount of mineral compounds, the main components of plant nutrition, are removed from the soil. If you do not apply fertilizer, within 50-100 years, complete exhaustion soil. The most devastating effect on soil erosion. Plowing of the steppes, destruction of forests, overgrazing make the soil unprotected, and the top layer is washed away by water (water erosion) or blown away by the wind (wind erosion). The soil carried away from the surface of the earth clogs the riverbeds, causing disturbances in the structure of aquatic ecosystems. In irrigated agriculture, excessive irrigation in hot climates leads to salinity soils. At present, the entire territory of our planet is to one degree or another. At present, the entire territory of our planet is, to one degree or another, subject to anthropogenic influence. Rapid population growth requires a constant expansion of production. Construction of cities and industrial enterprises, development Agriculture and the development of minerals have led to the fact that already almost 20% of the land is completely transformed by man. Mineral reserves are depleted, which are non-renewable natural resources. Pollution of the atmosphere and natural waters, erosion and depletion of soils, destruction of natural ecosystems can lead mankind to ecological disaster. That is why environmental protection measures aimed at preserving the biosphere are becoming increasingly important. Let's save the planet!
- Let's save the planet!