It's lunchtime, but there's no food at home, so you get behind the wheel and drive to the nearest grocery store.
You walk among the stalls hoping to buy something. In the end, you choose chicken and a prepared salad and return home to enjoy your meal.
Let's look at how a seemingly harmless trip to the store impacts the environment.
First, driving a car contributed to carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The electricity in the store is nothing more than the result of burning coal, the mining of which has devastated the Appalachian ecosystem.
The salad ingredients were grown on a farm and treated with pesticides, which then ended up in water flows, poisoning fish and aquatic plants(which help keep the air clean).
The chicken was raised on a very remote poultry farm where animal waste releases large amounts of toxic methane into the atmosphere. When delivering goods to the store, many modes of transport were involved, each of which caused its own harm to the environment.
Even the most insignificant human actions initiate changes in the environment. How we heat our homes, power our electrical appliances, what we do with our garbage and the origins of our food all place enormous pressure on the environment.
Looking at public level The problem can be noted that human behavior had a significant impact on the environment. The earth's temperature has increased by one degree Fahrenheit since 1975, the amount polar ice decreased by 9 percent in just one decade.
We have caused enormous damage to the planet, much more than you can imagine. Construction, irrigation, mining significantly spoil natural landscape and disrupts the flow of important ecological processes. Aggressive fishing and hunting can deplete species, and human migration can introduce alien species into established food chains. Greed leads to catastrophic accidents, and laziness leads to destructive practices.
10. Public projects
Sometimes projects public works are not really working for the benefit of the public. For example, dam projects in China that were designed to produce clean energy have devastated everything around them, causing cities and public places to environmental waste floods occurred, which significantly increased the risk of natural disasters.
In 2007, China completed 20 years of construction of the world's largest hydroelectric dam, called the Three Gorges Dam. During the implementation of this project, more than 1.2 million people had to leave their usual habitats, as 13 major cities, 140 regular cities and 1350 villages. Hundreds of factories, mines, dumps and industrial centers were also flooded, plus the main reservoirs were heavily polluted. The project altered the ecosystem of the Yangtze River, turning the once mighty river into a stagnant basin, thereby wiping out much of the native flora and fauna.
Diverted rivers also significantly increase the risk of landslides along banks that are home to hundreds of thousands of people. According to forecasts, about half a million people living along the river are planning to be resettled by 2020, as landslides are inevitable and the ecosystem will continue to be depleted.
Scientists have recently linked dam construction to earthquakes. The Three Gorges Reservoir was built on top of two major fault lines, with hundreds of minor tremors occurring since its opening. Scientists have suggested that catastrophic earthquake 2008 in Chinese province The Sichuan earthquake, which killed 8,000 people, was also caused by the accumulation of water near a dam located less than half a mile from the center of the earthquake. The phenomenon of dams causing earthquakes is due to the water pressure created beneath the reservoir, which in turn increases the pressure in the rocks and acts as a softener for fault lines that are already under stress.
9. Overfishing
“There are a lot of fish in the sea” is no longer a completely reliable statement. Humanity's appetite for seafood has devastated our oceans to such an extent that experts fear for the ability of many species to rebuild their populations on their own.
According to the World Federation wildlife, the global fish catch exceeds the permissible limit by 2.5 times. More than half of the world's fish stocks and species have already been depleted, and one quarter of species are overdepleted. Ninety percent large species fish - tuna, swordfish, cod, halibut, flounder, marlin - have lost their natural habitat. According to forecasts, if the situation does not change, the stocks of these fish will disappear by 2048.
It is worth noting that the main culprit is advances in fishing technology. Today, commercial fishing vessels are mostly equipped with fish-finding sonar. Once they find the right spot, fishermen release huge nets, the size of three football fields, that can sweep up all the fish within minutes. Thus, with this approach, fish populations could be reduced by 80 percent in 10-15 years.
8. Invasive species
Throughout the founding era, man himself has been a distributor of invasive species. Even though it may seem like your beloved pet or plant is doing much better in its new location, the natural balance is actually being disrupted. Invasive flora and fauna have been proven to be the most destructive thing humanity has done to the environment.
In the United States, 400 of the 958 species are listed as endangered because they are considered at risk due to competition with invasive alien species.
Invasive species problems mostly affect invertebrate animals. For example, in the first half of the 20th century, the Asian fungus destroyed more than 180 million acres of American chestnut trees. As a result, more than 10 species dependent on chestnuts have become extinct.
7. Coal mining industry
The biggest threat posed by coal mining is climate change, but it also threatens local ecosystems.
Market realities pose serious threats to coal, especially in the United States. Coal is a cheap source of energy - one megawatt of energy produced by coal costs $20-30, as opposed to one megawatt produced by natural gas– 45-60 dollars. Moreover, one quarter of the world's coal reserves are located in the United States.
Two of the most destructive forms of the coal mining industry are mining coal from mountaintops and using gas. In the first case, miners can "cut down" more than 305 meters of a mountain peak in order to reach a coal deposit. Mining using gas occurs when the coal is closer to the surface of the mountain. In this case, all the “inhabitants” of the mountain (trees and any other creatures living in them) are exterminated to extract valuable minerals.
Every practice of this kind creates a large amount of waste along the way. Extensively damaged and old forest areas dumped into nearby valleys. In the US alone, in West Virginia, it is estimated that more than 121,405 hectares of hardwood forests have been destroyed by coal mining. By 2012, they say that 5180 will cease to exist square kilometers Appalachian forests.
The question of what to do with this kind of “waste” still remains open. Typically, mining companies simply dump unwanted trees, dead wildlife, etc. into nearby valleys, which, in turn, not only destroys natural ecosystems, but also affects drying large rivers. Industrial waste from the mines find refuge in river beds.
6. Human disasters
Although most of the ways in which humans harm the environment develop over several years, some events can happen in an instant, but that instant will have far-reaching consequences.
The 1989 oil spill in Prince Williams Sound, Alaska, had devastating consequences. About 11 million gallons of crude oil were spilled and killed more than 25,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 seals, 250 eagles, about 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring. At least two species, the Pacific herring and the guillemot, did not recover from the disaster.
It's too early to assess the damage to wildlife caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but the scale of the disaster is unlike anything seen before. American history. For several days, more than 9.5 million liters of oil per day leaked into the Gulf - the largest spill in American history. By most estimates, damage to wildlife is still lower than the 1989 spill due to lower species density. However, despite this, there is no doubt that the damage from the spill will continue for many years to come.
5. Cars
America has long been considered the land of cars, so it's no surprise that one-fifth of all emissions greenhouse gases in the USA it is the share of cars. There are 232 million cars on this country's roads, very few of which are powered by electricity, and the average car consumes about 2,271 liters of gasoline annually.
One car emits about 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the form of exhaust fumes. In order to clear the air of these impurities, 240 trees will be needed. In America, cars emit about the same amount of carbon dioxide as coal-burning factories.
The combustion process that occurs in a car engine produces fine particles nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and sulfur dioxide. In large quantities, these chemicals can harm a person's respiratory system, causing coughing and suffocation. Cars also generate carbon monoxide – poisonous gas, produced by burning fossil fuels, which blocks the transport of oxygen to the brain, heart and other vital organs.
At the same time, oil production, which is necessary to create fuel and oil to move a car, in turn, also has a serious impact on the environment. Land-based drilling is displacing native species, and offshore drilling and subsequent transportation has created an incredible amount of problems over the years, with more than 40 million gallons of oil spilled around the world since 1978.
4. Unsustainable Agriculture
In all the ways humanity harms the environment, there is one common theme: we are failing to plan for the future. But nowhere is this more evident than in our method of growing our own food.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, agricultural practices are responsible for 70 percent of the pollution in the country's rivers and streams. Drains chemical substances, contaminated soil, animal waste, all of this ends up in waterways, of which more than 173,000 miles are already in poor condition. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides increase nitrogen levels and decrease oxygen levels in water.
Pesticides used to protect crops from predators threaten the survival of some species of birds and insects. For example, the number of bee colonies on US farmland fell from 4.4 million in 1985 to less than 2 million in 1997. When exposed to pesticides the immune system bees are weakened, making them more vulnerable to the enemy.
Large-scale industrial agriculture also contributes to global warming. The vast majority of meat products in the world are produced on factory farms. On any farm, tens of thousands of livestock are concentrated in small areas to save space. Among other things, when unprocessed animal waste is destroyed, harmful gases are released, including methane, which, in turn, has a significant impact on the process of global warming.
3. Deforestation
There were times when most of The earth on the planet was covered with forests. Today, forests are disappearing before our eyes. According to the United Nations, 32 million acres of forest are lost annually, including 14,800 acres of primary forest, that is, land not occupied or affected by human activity. Seventy percent of the planet's animals and plants live in forests, and, accordingly, if they lose their home, they themselves will be at risk of extinction as a species.
The problem is particularly acute in tropical rainforests with humid climates. Such forests cover 7 percent of the world's land area and provide homes for about half of all species on the planet. At current rates of deforestation, scientists estimate that tropical forests will be wiped out in about 100 years.
Deforestation also contributes global warming. Trees absorb greenhouse gases, so fewer trees mean emissions more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. They also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor to the atmosphere. Without trees, forests will quickly turn into barren deserts, leading to even greater fluctuations in global temperatures. When forests burn, trees release carbon into the atmosphere, which also contributes to global warming. Scientists estimate that the trees of the Amazon forest processed the equivalent of 10 years of human activity.
Poverty is one of the main causes of deforestation. Majority tropical forests are in third world countries, and politicians there regularly stimulate the economic development of weak regions. Thus, loggers and farmers are slowly but surely doing their job. In most cases, deforestation occurs due to the need to create a farm plot. A farmer typically burns trees and vegetation to produce ash, which can then be used as fertilizer. This process called slash-and-burn agriculture. Among other things, the risk of soil erosion and flooding increases as nutrients from the soil evaporate over several years, and the land is often unable to support the crops planted for which the trees were cut down.
2. Global warming
The average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 130 years. Ice caps are melting at an alarming rate—more than 20 percent of the world's ice has disappeared since 1979. Sea levels are rising, causing floods and having a significant impact on the catastrophic natural disasters that are increasingly occurring around the world.
Global warming caused greenhouse effect, in which some gases send the resulting heat from the sun back into the atmosphere. Since 1990, annual greenhouse gas emissions have increased by about 6 billion tons worldwide, or 20 percent.
The gas most responsible for global warming is carbon dioxide, which accounts for 82 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Carbon dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels, mainly when running cars and when factories are powered by coal. Five years ago global atmospheric concentrations gases were already 35 percent higher than before the industrial revolution.
Global warming could lead to development natural Disasters, large-scale food and water shortages, and devastating impacts on wildlife. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels could rise by 17.8 - 58.4 cm by the end of the century. And since most of the world's population lives in coastal areas, this is a very big danger, both for people and for ecosystems.
1. Overcrowding
"Overpopulation is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about," says Dr John Guillebaud, professor of family planning and reproductive health at University College London. "Unless we can do humane family planning ourselves reduce the population, nature will do it for us through violence, epidemics and famine,” he adds.
Over the past 40 years, the world population has grown from 3 to 6.7 billion. 75 million people (equivalent to the population of Germany) are added annually, or more than 200,000 people daily. According to forecasts, by 2050 the world population will exceed 9 billion people.
More people means more waste, more demand for food, more production of goods consumer consumption, more demand for electricity, cars, etc. In other words, all the factors that contribute to global warming will only get worse.
Increasing demand for food will force farmers and fishermen to increasingly harm already fragile ecosystems. Forests will be removed almost entirely as cities continually expand and new areas for farmland are needed. The list of endangered species will become longer and longer. In rapidly developing countries such as India and China, increased energy consumption is expected to increase carbon emissions. In short, than more people, the more problems.
Do not forget that harm to nature is caused not only harmful emissions production, mountains of garbage, pollution of rivers and seas, deforestation, destruction of animals and plants, but also our weekend trips to barbecue or pick mushrooms. Naturally, the harm to the environment caused by the fire we make is incommensurate with what a chemical plant or landfill “gives” to nature. household waste, but it is still noticeable.
Have you ever noticed how a mother, walking with her child in the park, suddenly exclaims “ugh, what disgusting!” Is he diligently pressing something with his foot? The child is receptive and will quickly learn that a butterfly fluttering in a clearing is cute and beautiful, but something crawling underfoot is disgusting and not worthy of life. A lesson learned in childhood will remain for life: “I myself determine what and who is worthy to live and grow on this earth.”
IN Lately nature is increasingly letting us know that it is offended by our stupid activities: either snow will fall where it has never been seen before - in Africa or southern Asia, then rains will flood Europe, or drought will leave vast regions without crops.
Recently, more and more people are beginning to understand that we must learn to live in harmony with nature, to obey the laws of ecology - the science of our common house.
The term “ecology” was proposed in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel, who defined it as the science of the relationship of all living things to the environment. On Greek“oikos” means dwelling, house, place of residence, and “logos” means word, teaching.
Let’s not delve into the scientific jungle; the essence of ecology can be formulated in one way: in a short phrase: “Man, do no harm.” But, unfortunately, we do much and sophisticated harm, causing irreparable harm to nature. We are already accustomed to the fact that every summer television shows a lot of fires that destroy thousands of hectares of forests. And most fires are the work of man.
An unextinguished cigarette butt or coal, a bottle of clear glass thrown onto dry grass (the effect of a magnifying glass) in dry, windy weather, can in a few minutes turn a calm green forest into a fiery hell in which a lot of living things will die.
Scientists have calculated that 1 hectare of forest absorbs at least 5 tons of carbon dioxide per year, releasing 10 tons of oxygen during the same time. For example: in one hour, a hectare of forest will absorb all the carbon dioxide released by the breathing of 200 people.
Convincing numbers, aren't they? AND similar examples many can be cited.
Do not forget that in city parks and squares there are perhaps not much fewer living creatures than in the wild forest, but they are much more vulnerable and are entirely dependent on human whim. Our ancestors long ago formulated the basic principles of human behavior in relation to nature. Let's follow them too.
Try not to keep wild animals at home. In most cases, turning them into pets will not work. Most often, your inept “care” is disastrous for them. If you decide to help a wild animal, think about whether you can do it without harming it.
Under no circumstances should you bring grown chicks or young animals from the forest. In the vast majority of cases, they are not abandoned by their parents, the parents are simply busy looking for food.
You should not approach animal holes and bird nests if they contain young animals, which usually give themselves away by squeaking.
If your dog is poorly trained, in the spring and early summer do not let it off the leash in the park, forest, or vacant lots where there may be bird nests or young wild animals. Try not to create unnecessary noise during this period, which scares away birds and animals. Cubs that do not have time to run away after the adults may get lost and die.
Treat the smallest inhabitants of the forest with care. Don't cut the webs, just walk around them. Do not destroy anthills or step on ant paths.
Unnecessarily, do not turn over stones, snags, old logs, or break mossy stumps. A large number of living beings live under them and in them. If you want to make sure of this, sit aside for a while. The anxiety caused by your steps will subside, and lizards will crawl out onto the stumps, centipedes will rush about their business, beetles will appear, birds will fuss, a mouse will crawl out of its hole - the forest will begin to live its normal life.
For nature, all living beings are important and necessary; they all have their own niche and complex relationships with others. There are no “vile and nasty” people among them, so there is no need to put pressure on anyone or step on anyone. Tomorrow, a scary-looking hairy caterpillar will turn into a beautiful butterfly and pollinate flowers.
Try not to unnecessarily disturb the forest soil. Do not forget that a passing car compacts it with its wheels, leading to the death of many living beings. Exhaust gases also do not benefit the forest. It is advisable to walk through the forest along existing paths, without unnecessarily creating new ones. If you go off-road, try not to break or trample plants.
There is no need to pick plants just to admire them. To do this, just bend over to a flower, which in its natural environment will always look better than in your hands. If there is a need to pick plants - for example, when collecting medicinal herbs, do not do a “total weeding”, pick them little by little in different places, trying not to harm other plants.
When collecting mushrooms, berries, and nuts, try not to cause unnecessary harm to nature. Don't destroy everything around to get to the coveted mushroom or berry cluster. Don’t pick every single berry and nut - there are many other people who have their sights on them besides you. Do not forget that in nature all plants are needed, this applies to fly agarics, and toadstools, and to various tinder fungi.
By the way, collecting our beloved birch sap is by no means harmless to trees. It’s difficult to give up this delicacy, but don’t overdo it, and be sure to cover up the wounds on birch trees, preferably with garden varnish, or with regular plasticine.
It is clear that the harm that a particular tourist, hunter or mushroom picker can cause to nature is usually small, but if possible we should try to minimize it to the limit. Nature generously shares its gifts with us, but also expects careful treatment and care. Don't forget the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
“We’re all...on the same planet—we’re all the crew of the same ship.”
We all know that humanity has already caused irreparable harm to the environment. The post-industrial era has led to pollution, a decrease in animal and plant biodiversity, and industrialization forest areas and climate change. Of course, plants, factories, manufacturing and even agriculture are largely responsible for what is happening to the environment today. However, people hardly think about the fact that the familiar things that surround us every day can also become destructive for our planet. These are everyday items that can become deadly weapons against the environment.
There are batteries in every person’s home, because today it is simply impossible to imagine your life without a huge number of gadgets and electronic devices. However, sooner or later the day comes when the battery runs out. According to statistics, only about 15% percent of the billions of alkaline batteries are recycled after use. According to scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency, batteries account for more than 50% of toxic emissions from all household waste. Batteries account for 0.25% of all emissions. Used batteries contain mercury, cadmium, magnesium, lead, tin, nickel, and zinc. Once thrown away, batteries corrode (their metal coating breaks down) and heavy metals leach into the soil and groundwater. From groundwater, these metals can enter rivers and lakes. Just one AA battery contaminates 400 liters of water and 20 square meters soil. Harmful substances accumulate in the body of humans and animals, affecting the functioning of almost all organs, blocking the work of enzymes and causing malignant tumors. 
Discarded plastic bags do not biodegrade, meaning they can, in fact, remain in nature for an average of 500 years! Around the world, people use about 4 trillion bags every year, a quantity that kills millions of birds and countless schools of fish. Every year, more than a hundred thousand whales, seals, and turtles die from plastic bags in Newfoundland alone. For these reasons, in a number of countries the use of plastic bags as household packaging is limited or prohibited, and on August 23, the ECA Movement holds an annual event - “Day without Plastic Bags.” 
Since the 1950s, world production plastic doubles every eleven years, and every year about 300 thousand tons of plastic waste ends up in the seas and oceans. There, large fragments gradually disintegrate into small bright pieces, which are often eaten by marine life and birds, mistaking the plastic for food. But if in 1960 only 5% of birds examined had plastic fragments found in their stomachs, then in 2010 this figure reached 80%. Birds often mistake floating bottles, lighters and other objects for fish, and not only swallow them themselves, but also bring them as food to their chicks. But plastic consists of toxic components and absorbs harmful substances from the environment. Moreover, such fragments do not always pass through gastrointestinal tract and accumulate in the body, causing intestinal blockage. Often so much plastic accumulates in the stomach that there is no room left for food, and the bird dies of starvation. 
Gases used to sedate patients before surgery accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere, where they contribute to climate change. The results of recent analyzes of air samples showed the presence of anesthetics even in Antarctica. Over the past decades, concentrations of desflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane have been increasing worldwide. Like carbon dioxide, anesthetic gases allow the atmosphere to retain more solar energy. However, unlike carbon dioxide, medical gases In this case, they turned out to be much more powerful than greenhouse gases: one kilogram of desflurane, for example, is equivalent to 2500 kilograms of carbon dioxide. 
According to estimates, of the 6 trillion cigarettes smoked in the world every year, more than 4.5 trillion are thrown onto the ground by smokers. This is how nicotine, toxins, carcinogens and pesticides, which pose a huge danger to animals and people, get into the soil and then into the water. American scientists note that the toxicity of tobacco smoke is four times higher than the harmful effects of car exhaust gases. In their opinion, cigarettes cause no less harm to the planet than cement and asphalt factories. 
Paper
Paper is biodegradable, but as you know, every sheet means felled trees and destroyed forests, as well as energy costs and environmental emissions during its production. Of course, wood is a renewable resource, but not all countries and companies monitor its renewal, trying to use what they have to the maximum. Many manufacturers now offer paper made from recycled materials, but this is also not a completely harmless option. When the paper recycling process takes place, all of it is mixed into pulp. This pulp is washed, cleaned and then pressed into sheets of paper. During this process, all waste, such as paper fiber, ink, cleaning chemicals and paints, is filtered out and sent into one huge pile - paper sludge. This sludge is then either incinerated or sent to a landfill, where it releases dozens of toxic chemicals and heavy metals that eventually leach into groundwater.
When the last tree is cut down, when the last river is poisoned, when the last bird is caught, only then will you understand that money cannot be eaten.
Cree prophecy
- The man appeared on unique planet, where there was plenty pure water And fresh air- everything that is so necessary for life. Centuries passed, and it seemed to people that it would always be this way, that the gifts of nature were inexhaustible. But lately we have noticed more and more that the air has become completely different from what it was before - it is becoming difficult for us to breathe. What have our water sources - rivers and lakes - become? They have become shallow, overgrown with mud and become so dirty that even “purified” water has to be drunk with caution...
What did we enter the 21st century with? What awaits us?
The environmental forecast based on facts is extremely disappointing. Scientists believe that humanity has reached such a level of technical development, at... in which his unbridled economic activity can irreversibly change natural environment on Earth, as a result of which an ecological apocalypse will occur, that is, the death of all life on our still blue and green planet.
Formally, here in Russia, and in other countries, measures are being taken to protect the natural environment, international symposia are held, and agreements are signed between countries. For example, in 1972, agreements were signed between the USSR and the USA on cooperation in the field of environmental protection. But there are no visible improvements. On the contrary, the severity of the environmental problem is increasing every year: the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing, and the amount of free oxygen is decreasing; tropical forests are being destroyed before our eyes, disappearing rare species animals and plants are declining fertile lands, inventories of clean fresh water. In a word, nature is degenerating. And if nature deteriorates, people begin to suffer from diseases...
One of essential components natural environment - atmosphere. According to researchers, industrial enterprises and thermal power plants annually emit earth's atmosphere many billions of tons (!) of harmful chemical compounds, ash and dust. In countries with high level With industrial development, pollution emissions approximately double every 12 years. Over 40% of all pollution comes from road transport.
Atmospheric pollution has no boundaries. Today, within the troposphere, air is polluted throughout the entire Earth. Compared to 1965, pollution has approximately tripled. According to geochemists, more than 300 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere every year from the burning of oil, coal, gas and wood! With an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide, the thermal balance of the planet changes: the Earth absorbs more infrared (thermal) radiation, the outflow of heat into space decreases and increases average temperature ground layer of air. Consequently, “thermal” pollution causes climate change on a planetary scale.
Some of the warming that is currently observed is causing the melting of ice in Antarctica and Greenland, which inevitably leads to a rise in sea levels. In the future, this process may become irreversible, and then an increase in ocean level by 5-6 m (due to increased melting of continental glaciers) will pose a serious threat to the population living in low-lying coastal regions of the Earth.
In cities, pollution is usually 5-10 times greater than in rural areas. This is facilitated by industrial and household waste dumps that form around cities. Such landfills have become a real disaster for the surrounding nature and people. They are a source of pollution not only of the atmosphere, but also of the soil, water basins, and even groundwater.
Recently, the danger has begun to come even from rural areas and is associated with the widespread use in agriculture of so-called pesticides - highly toxic chemicals that are used to control crop pests. Air currents and waterways these substances are distributed throughout the Earth. Suffice it to say that DDT has even been found in the stomachs of chinstrap penguins.
Pollution of water sources poses an equally serious danger to humanity. We are talking not only about the cleanliness of our rivers, lakes and reservoirs, but also about the cleanliness of salty sea water. For some reason, it is considered normal to release spent fuel oil directly over the side of the ship. Every year, its waste from all ships amounts to tens of thousands of tons (this is in addition to the 10 million tons of oil leaking into the World Ocean as a result of oil tanker accidents). You can imagine what this leads to if every ton of fuel oil or oil spreads but water surface thin film on an area of 12 km2, and yet the ocean is the main supplier of oxygen! In satellite images taken from orbital stations, it is visible: many thousands of square kilometers of the coastal waters of the World Ocean and seas are covered with a dark oil film...
The famous French aquanaut scientist Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) was concerned about the results of his research depths of the sea: due to constant pollution of the World Ocean, arose real threat complete destruction of many of its inhabitants. Over the past 50 years alone, more than a thousand species of marine fauna have disappeared.
If pollutants are present in the atmosphere, iodine and soil, they will inevitably accumulate in plants and animals. A person eats plant and animal foods. Consequently, many harmful substances such as lead and mercury enter the human body through food.
Currently, it is very difficult to find a place on Earth that is not exposed to human influence. But when changing natural conditions, a person often does not take into account how this will affect his own health. In an effort to obtain immediate economic benefits, people do not think at all about the irreparable harm they cause not only to themselves, but also to future generations.
Thus, thoughtless human economic activity leads to negative changes in the entire environment and ultimately to the complete devastation of nature. In turn, a polluted environment—a dying nature—becomes the cause of mass diseases of people with chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, and disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
All living beings on Earth have always been exposed to ionizing radiation, the source of which is natural radioactive isotopes. They create the natural radioactive background of the planet, to which humans have adapted quite well.
But in 1945, in connection with the first tests nuclear weapons appeared in the atmosphere radioactive substances created by people themselves. And along with air and water, the man began to swallow them. Radioactive isotopes of strontium and uranium turned out to be especially dangerous for living organisms. Over the years, they accumulate in human bone tissue, which becomes a source of ionizing radiation, causing leukemia - a serious incurable disease.
Currently, there are about 500 nuclear power units operating at nuclear power plants around the world. And if disasters like the Chernobyl one on April 26, 1986 are repeated, then the possibility of contamination of the entire Earth with the most dangerous strontium-90 cannot be ruled out...
As we see, the problem of nature conservation has acquired global significance these days. To cope with the looming threat, people around the Earth must look at their planet as one. Therefore, to successfully solve a global environmental problem, it is impossible to do without space sensing. For timely detection of sources of pollution, their localization and neutralization, special patrol observations of the Earth from space are needed. Such observations are already being established.
Space methods for operational control monitoring the state of the natural environment are very effective. And only thanks to this further development space research should be recognized as an absolutely necessary matter. By for complete solution the environmental problem will require an offensive along the “entire front.”
First of all, it is necessary to take urgent measures to reduce environmental pollution. A promising way is to establish industrial enterprises waste-free technological process. But even if we create a waste-free land-based industry, it will still not bring desired result: Pollution of the planet will continue to some extent. There is only one way out: to relocate all our industrial production to space.
Some supporters of the environmental movement, the so-called “greens,” believe that space technology has a detrimental effect on the natural environment: it pollutes the earth’s atmosphere harmful products combustion of rocket fuel and destroys ozone layer. Of course, this happens to some extent. But a complete rejection of further space research will not save the nature of our planet from destruction. The most favorable development strategy should be based on a reasonable combination of conflicting demands: on the one hand, to preserve the earth’s nature, on the other, to ensure not only human survival, but also his further progress.
Russian scientist-philosopher Arkady Dmitrievich Ursul put forward a hypothesis about the division and future of social production into terrestrial and cosmic ones. The first should be predominantly agricultural, the second industrial. If it is not possible to create closed technological cycles completely, then it is important to develop such an option so that space production waste does not pollute near space - near-Earth space, did not affect the Earth’s atmosphere and its nature.
Currently, our planet is undergoing intensive accumulation of radioactive waste, which are formed at nuclear power plants. These wastes pose a mortal threat to humans and terrestrial biosphere. Disposal of containers with radioactive isotopes in deep exhausted mines and on the ocean floor - the options are not the best. All this for the time being. Trouble can strike at any time and will be worse than Chernobyl!
A solution has long been asking: the place of nuclear energy is space! And while it continues to operate on Earth, we should better think: where to put radioactive waste? There are projects for space disposal of this very dangerous waste. For example, moving beyond the boundaries with the help of missiles solar system- into interstellar space. Nose ecological point From our point of view, the best option is considered to be burning radioactive waste in the plasma shell of the Sun.
Removal industrial production beyond the Earth and the creation of orbital satellites in space industrial complexes- this is a task that humanity must begin to solve in the second half of the 21st century. Only from the standpoint of space exploration can we solve the problem that is approaching us ecological disaster and save the nature of the Earth. There is no other way.
“All wealth begins from the earth, and the earth loves care,” says the Russian folk proverb. The wise meaning of these words is clear to everyone: a person must, in a fatherly way, take care and protect nature - our priceless wealth, the source of all our earthly blessings.
To the question How do people harm nature? given by the author Victoria Okun the best answer is Well, firstly, man destroys virgin nature, turning more and more of it into anthropogenic, as it is called in the social environment, creating a “second nature” .... this naturally disrupts the level of oxygen release into the atmosphere, since valuable trees and other plants are also destroyed by humans... secondly, this situation is aggravated by inventions in industry. With the development of various industries, new methods of manufacturing goods, etc., appear, which negatively affects the environment, since as production proceeds, a huge amount of dangerous gases are released into the atmosphere, and even modern filters installed on factory pipes do not protect from harm and pollution... thirdly, from the above problem follows the problem with garbage, which appears in large quantities after consuming the same industrial products... water bodies are polluted by irresponsible factories that throw industrial waste directly into the seas and lakes, without thinking about their future... again, man exterminates many species of innocent animals for the sake of daily money and simply for his own pleasure... actually such negative influences There are a lot of people in nature, one might even say that they are at every step...
Answer from Flush[guru]
Disposes waste into rivers and lakes. Drains swamps, cuts down forests, releases exhaust gases into the atmosphere, creates artificial reserves,
destruction of animals
Answer from Alla Mikhailets[newbie]
Roman bitch
Answer from Grow up[newbie]
1. Man is designed in such a way that he strives to consciously change nature, to adapt it to his needs, and this is the main harm that he causes to it. Man builds huge factories that poison the atmosphere and hydrosphere with toxic emissions, man cuts down forests, plows up fields, extracts underground natural resources, leaving voids underground and mountains of ugly rock on the surface, violates ecological balance. Man has destroyed and is destroying different kinds animals and plants. Man builds cities, lays roads, makes fires, litters. Sometimes it seems that the very presence of humans causes harm to nature.
But man is still a rational being, and in recent years he has begun to think about the harm he is causing and how it can be corrected. If he acts consistently in this endeavor, soon the damage to nature can be significantly reduced.
2. As a conscious and more organized being, man causes great damage to nature (Paradoxical as it may seem). Let's start with banal garbage. Picnics in the spring in nature, after which, as a rule. garbage is not removed. The fire doesn't really go out. For example, plastic bags and bottles are not subject to decay and rotting. Which means polyethylene hell. If something like this isn't recycled, it won't be far off. Exhaust gases from cars, a great addiction to cleaning chemicals that only cause harm, cutting down trees and killing animals... And this is only a small part of the harm that humans can cause...
Answer from Marriage[newbie]
1.Irrational use of water
Everyone knows that water comes into the water supply system from natural sources. Now imagine the morning, the population large city and in each apartment, a shower and faucet are included. Now just think how much water flows away in just one morning. And this is only the beginning of the day, how many times during the day will the tap open and water flow. For example, all Muscovites taken together spend on average from 200 liters of water to 4 million cubic meters per day. A few years ago there was even a question of shortage water resources. And such a situation is quite possible, because the earth’s resources are not endless.
2. Toothpaste and hygiene products
Let's continue about water. Everything you flush down the sink or toilet ends up in wastewater. Today, a system for their purification has been developed, but it only concerns the central sewerage system. That is, before wastewater is discharged into a reservoir, it is subjected to several stages of purification. However, it cannot completely cope with the chemical components of hygiene products. The same toothpaste contains fluoride, which, like chlorine, interacts with organic substances and forms dangerous chemical compounds. What can we say about hygiene products that contain various dangerous fragrances, peahens, and polymer molecules. All these components, one way or another, penetrate into the environment.
3. Car
Everything seems clear about the car. A single vehicle's exhaust releases over ten thousand pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thanks to, a large number motor transport Moscow and St. Petersburg are considered one of the most dirty cities countries. Unfortunately, so far the share of alternative eco-mobiles accounts for only a small part.
4.Smoking
In addition to the fact that harmful substances are released into the air during smoking, almost five million hectares of forest are destroyed every year in order to dry tobacco.
5. Improper waste disposal
We have written repeatedly about the fact that improper waste disposal harms the environment. You can read about this on our website here and here.
6. Perfume
Musk is often used in perfume compositions; it is musk that causes the greatest concern among environmentalists. It can penetrate adipose tissue aquatic species. Imagine you are on vacation, perfumed yourself with your favorite scent (which, by the way, may contain a number of chemicals hazardous to health and nature) and plunged into the sea. Congratulations, all harmful substances, along with musk, have entered the reservoir. You might want to have a fresh fish dinner afterwards. There is a possibility that you will not only inhale all the harmful components of your perfume, but also eat it.
7. Household cleaning and laundry products
We also wrote about the dangers of such products. Read this text.
8. Means for repairing premises
Today, there are environmental analogues to unsafe paints, adhesives, varnishes and other repair products that contain hazardous components. True, such funds are more expensive. If you resort to economical renovations, be prepared for the fact that your home will harm the environment and your health.
9. Carcinogens produced by frying foods
Do you want fried cutlets for dinner? Stop. Think again and steam them, because frying creates dangerous carcinogen, which can cause cancerous tumors in people and animals.