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Ecological crisis of its causes. General concept of environmental crisis

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Almost every day, scientists bring in terrifying new data that indicate a global environmental crisis. And if in the coming years humanity does not change its priorities, its thinking and lifestyle, for all living things this will turn into a real catastrophe. In this article we will try to figure out what is the environmental crisis? What are the basic and how to help nature?

An environmental crisis is a gross change in natural processes in the biosphere, as a result of which an almost irreversible change takes place in the environment. Today, the environmental crisis is considered one of the most difficult problems that affect all spheres of human activity.

Among the main causes of the environmental crisis are demographic situation. According to official UN information, today the world's population is more than 6.5 billion people. According to experts, by 2050 this figure will increase to 13 billion. The main cause of the crisis in the situation with overpopulation of the planet is the lack of natural resources that are necessary for a normal existence. In addition, due to the high birth rate, as well as advances in medicine, which has reduced the level of death on planet Earth and an overpopulation problem has formed. If you look at the statistics, the annual population growth of 77 million people is mainly observed in the poor countries of Asia and Africa. In order to stabilize the demographic situation, it is necessary to increase the level of life throughout the world.

The causes of the ecological crisis in abundance of transport. Cars with gasoline and diesel engines are the main sources of environmental pollution. When fuel liquids are burned in a car, an emission occurs carbon monoxide.This is a very dangerous substance that affects the cerebral cortex. In addition, almost all cars emit into the atmosphere solid particles, which adversely affect the planet’s eco-system and are the main cause of the environmental crisis. Dust from solid particles settles in water, killing all living plants. Hydrogen sulfide It is a toxic gas that affects the vascular and nervous systems. Serious poisoning can occur with prolonged human contact with this suffocating gas. One of the most harmful substances that cause the ecological crisis is the unutilized elements of the combustion of petroleum products. The consequences of this sad phenomenon are a sharp jump in cancer patients, since this substance has the ability to accumulate in the body, and there is no way to remove it. 17% of the greenhouse gases enter the world from automobiles.

The causes of the environmental crisis are uncontrollable deforestation.One hectare of forest absorbs up to 300 kilograms of carbon dioxide in one day, and emits up to 200 kilograms of oxygen. According to UN experts, if deforestation continues to continue, then in 40 years the planet’s main biological resource will disappear. One of the main causes of the ecological crisis, deforestation upsets the water balance on the planet. After all, trees are not only a source of air, they release moisture from the soil into the atmosphere.

The causes of the environmental crisis global warming.Due to global warming, the temperature of the entire planet has increased, and the amount of precipitation has decreased. In the coming years, scientists predict that annual rainfall will be reduced by 40%, resulting in a failure at the hydroelectric power station. Due to global warming in the coming decades, grain harvest will be reduced by 45%. As a result, food prices will rise. In addition, global warming will bring a large number of hurricanes and floods to the most vulnerable regions and coastal zones.

The causes of the environmental crisis destruction of the ozone layer. The main cause of the destruction of the ozone layer is human activity. Over the past 20 years, scientists have observed the most severe destruction of the ozone layer, which occurs from ultraviolet radiation, space travel and toxic emissions. One small particle of chlorine, after entering the atmosphere, destroys a huge number of ozone molecules. And life on Earth, as you know, is not possible without the ozone layer. The destruction of the ozone layer negatively affects people, plants and the underwater world. Each decrease in ozone by 1% leads to an increase of 10 thousand patients for cancer, and approximately 100 thousand patients with cataracts.

How to help nature?

Each of us has a chance with little effort to help nature:

Try to use disposable plastic utensils as little as possible. After use, do not be lazy and discard it in a special container. When relaxing in nature, clean up after yourself.

When buying products in a store, pay attention to weighted ones that are sold without packaging. Use purchased bags for trash.

Try to discard toxic detergents. There are a lot of environmental remedies that will perfectly cope with any problem.

Reduce water consumption, do not drive once again, plant a tree and turn off all household appliances at night.

Environmental crisis

Environmental crisis - A special type of ecological situation when the habitat of one of the species or population changes so that its further survival is called into question. The main causes of the crisis:

Abiotic: environmental quality degrades compared to the needs of the species after changing abiotic environmental factors (e.g., increasing temperature or decreasing rainfall).
Biotic: the environment becomes difficult for a species (or population) to survive due to increased pressure from predators or due to overpopulation.

A crisis may be:

global;

local.

To deal with the global environmental crisis is much more difficult than with the local one. The solution to this problem can only be achieved by minimizing the pollution produced by mankind to a level that ecosystems will be able to cope on their own. Currently, the global environmental crisis includes four main components: acid rain, the greenhouse effect, pollution of the planet with super-ecotoxicants, and the so-called ozone holes.

The evolutionary theory of intermittent equilibrium suggests that rare environmental crises can be the engine of rapid evolution.

Abiotic factors

Climate change is beginning to strongly affect ecosystems. Due to global warming, there is a decrease in snowfall and sea level rises. Ecosystems will have to change to coexist with rising temperatures. As a result, many species can leave their habitats.

Polar bears are in danger. They need ice to hunt their main food - fur seals. At the same time, ice caps are melting, making the hunting season shorter every year. As a result, they do not gain enough fat for wintering; and therefore can not multiply in the amount necessary to preserve the population.

Freshwater and bog ecosystems are also strongly affected by temperature increases. Climate change can be fatal for some species of fish (salmon, trout, etc.).

Many species will be able to adapt by moving their habitats closer to the poles, while others are less fortunate. For example, polar bears or salmon will have nowhere to move.

The disappearance of species diversity

A huge number of species disappears. Every year from 17 to 100 thousand species disappear. The speed with which species become endangered has grown tremendously in recent years.

The extinction of species from the ecosystem will sooner or later affect everyone. In the United States and Canada, an unusual decline in shark populations along the east coast has been recorded. At the same time, an increase in the population of stingrays was recorded, which, in turn, reduced the number of crustaceans in the same region by an order of magnitude. A reduction in the number of crustaceans has led to a deterioration in water quality and a reduction in underwater fields. The variety of species is declining at tremendous speed. Seven million square kilometers of rainforest have disappeared over the past 50 years. Two million of them were subsequently used for agriculture, the remaining five are not suitable for this. To return the forest to them requires about five billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year for 10-20 years. Afforestation, however, will greatly benefit the diversity of species.

Overpopulation

In the wild, the problem of overpopulation is solved with the help of predators. Predators perfectly notice the traces of the disease in their victims and eat mainly old and sick. A side effect is the survival of the strongest and limitation of population growth.

In the absence of predators, species are limited by the resources that they can find in the habitat, but this does not always constrain overpopulation. In fact, an abundance of resources can cause fertility boom which will result in more consumers in the region than it can feed. In this case, hunger and fierce competition for impoverished resources will lead the population to collapse, and very quickly. Lemmings and some other rodents are known for such periods of rapid growth and their subsequent fall.

Ideally, along with population growth, the population of predators that feed on it is growing. Animals that are genetically weak or have birth defects also die soon, being unable to compete for survival with healthy ones.

In reality, animals that appeared in the region from outside have an advantage over local ones, for example, they can be "inedible" for local predators. In the absence of control, such animals can instantly grow in number and virtually destroy the ecosystem.

Examples of overpopulation caused by species introduced into the ecosystem.

In Argentina (Patagonia), alien species such as trout and sheep imported from Europe turned out to be worse than the plague, displacing local fish and ruminants.

In Australia, when European immigrants brought rabbits there, they bred in such a way that they got out of control and began to eat plants needed by local species to survive. Farmers staged a real rabbit hunt to protect their farms. They also brought cats to protect against rats. Cats turned out to be another problem, as they began to eat local animals.

References

(English) Canada (# 49495)
Global Warming Said Devastating Aquatic Ecosystems by Brad Bohlander
(English) “The Ecological Crisis as Part of the Present Multidimensional Crisis and Inclusive Democracy” by Takis Fotopoulos, (International Journal of Inclusive Democracy, vol 3, no 3, June 2007)
(English) “Myths on the Ecological Crisis” by Takis Fotopoulos
(English) "Polar Bears Send an" SOS "" by WWF

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what the "Environmental Crisis" is in other dictionaries:

See ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS. Antinazi. Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009 ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

See Environmental Crisis. EdwART Glossary of the Ministry of Emergencies, 2010 ... Emergency Dictionary

ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS - ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS, disturbances in the interconnections within ecological systems (or irreversible phenomena in the biosphere) caused by human activities and threatening his existence. Distinguish between local and global E. to. In the 1980s. the concept of E. to. ... ... Encyclopedic Demographic Dictionary

environmental crisis - - [A.S. Goldberg. English-Russian energy dictionary. 2006] Topics energy in general EN ecological crisis ... Technical Translator Reference

environmental crisis - The tense state of the relationship between society and nature, when the development of human society does not correspond to the ecological capabilities of the biosphere ... Geography Dictionary

ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS - the result of the negative impact of human energy and production activities on the environment, as well as an illiterate or predatory attitude towards it. Damage to the environment (pollution or contamination of air, water, soil ... Big Polytechnical Encyclopedia

Violation of interconnections within the ecosystem or irreversible phenomena in the biosphere caused by anthropogenic activity and threatening the existence of man as a species. According to the degree of threat to the natural life of a person and the development of society, they stand out ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

environmental crisis - ekologinė krizė statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Pagrindinių biosferos elementų (azoto, deguonies, anglies, vandenilio, fosforo, kalio, kalcio, sieros), neorganinių bei organinių medžioge apiimid… ir energ Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

Environmental crisis - (see Ecological crisis) ... Human ecology

Violation of interconnections within the ecosystem or irreversible phenomena in the biosphere caused by anthropogenic activity and threatening the existence of man as a species. By the degree of threat of natures. human life and the development of society stand out ... ... Natural History. encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

The global environmental crisis. Based on the materials of the lecture course Environmental Protection. Biological foundations, simulation models, social applications, V. S. Fridman. The book is written on the basis of the author's lectures on the course Environmental Protection, read at the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University named after MV Lomonosov. The central task of work is to help everyone understand their own ...
The global environmental crisis. Based on the materials of the lecture course "Environmental Protection: Biological Foundations, Simulation Models, Social Applications", V. Fridman. The book is written on the basis of the author's lectures on the course "Environmental Protection", delivered at the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University named after MV Lomonosov. The central objective of the work is to help everyone understand ...

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………… ..p.3

2. What is an environmental crisis ...................................... page 4

3. The threat of environmental crisis ...................................... p. 4-6

4. Causes of the ecological crisis .............................. p.6-9

5. Atmospheric pollution ………………………………………………… ..p.11-15

6. Water pollution …………………………………………………………… .p.15-17

7. Animal welfare ……………………………………………………… .p.17-19

8. Vegetation protection ………………………………………………… p.19-20

9. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………… p.20-21.

Introduction

Man is part of nature, and as a biological species of his life, his activity has long influenced nature, but no more than many other organisms. The development of society occurs in the process of constant interaction with nature. The transforming influence of man on nature is inevitable. The changes in nature introduced by his economic and other activities intensify with the development of productive forces and an increase in the mass of substances involved in economic turnover. Particularly large changes in nature have been introduced by man under capitalism with its high industrial technology and private ownership of the means of production. The development of industry required the involvement of a wide variety of new natural resources in the economy. In addition to expanding the use of land, forests, wildlife, the intensive exploitation of mineral resources, water resources, etc. began. The ever-increasing exploitation of nature in its pace and scale led to its rapid depletion. In addition to the depletion of natural resources, the development of industry has created a new problem - the problem of environmental pollution. It turned out to be heavily polluted mainly by industrial wastes and car exhaust gases, atmospheric air, water bodies, soil. These pollution not only negatively affected soil fertility, vegetation and wildlife, but also began to pose a significant danger to human health. The impact of man on nature has reached its greatest strength lately, during the period of high growth rates of all types of material production and scientific and technological progress. For a long time, man looked at nature as an inexhaustible source of material wealth necessary for him. But, faced with the negative results of his impact on nature, he gradually came to the conclusion that it was necessary to use and protect it more wisely.

In my essay, I will highlight the environmental problem as a whole and its solutions.

What is an environmental crisis.

Ecological crisis, disruption of interconnections within the ecosystem or irreversible phenomena in the biosphere caused by anthropogenic activities and threatening the existence of man as a species. According to the degree of threat to the natural life of a person and the development of society, an unfavorable environmental situation, environmental disaster and environmental disaster are distinguished. The impact of society on nature has by now reached a large scale. This influence affects not only individual natural resources, but, as we have seen, the course of the most important global processes of the biosphere, the violation of which can lead to very dangerous consequences for life on the planet. It is this situation that has caused the emergence and spread of the concept of "environmental crisis" in developed countries lately. The origins of the "environmental crisis" lie in the irrational use of natural resources. For example, in the United States, according to some estimates, from 1929 to 1963, from 47 to 56% of the gross national product was produced without taking into account the actual needs of society. Consequently, about half of the natural resources utilized by the USA during this period were spent without taking into account real social needs. The development of natural resources in the interests of competing owners, an exorbitant increase in military spending, and an orientation toward unlimited consumption inevitably lead to a chaotic expenditure of the wealth of nature and, ultimately, result in severe hardships for society.

The threat of environmental crisis.

The growth of human economic activity, the rapid development of the scientific and technological revolution intensified the negative impact of man on nature, led to a violation of the ecological balance on the planet. In the sphere of material production, the consumption of natural resources has increased. For 40 years after the Second World War, as much mineral raw materials were used as in the entire previous history of mankind. But the reserves of coal, oil, gas, copper, iron and other natural resources important for people are non-renewable and, as scientists have calculated, will be exhausted in a few decades.

Even forest resources, which seemingly are constantly being updated, are actually rapidly decreasing. Deforestation on a global scale is 18 times its growth. More than 11 million hectares of forest is destroyed annually, and in three decades the area of \u200b\u200bdestroyed forests will be approximately equal to the area of \u200b\u200bIndia. A significant part of the territory on which forests previously grew, turn into agricultural land of poor quality, which can not feed the people living in this territory. The main reason for reducing the forest area on our planet is the direct deforestation for the harvesting of industrial wood and obtaining fuel, taking into account the steady growth of the population in developing countries, clearing land for farmland and pastures, environmental pollution with various toxicants, etc.

The humid - tropical forests are cut down especially intensively, and the rate of their information is increasing every year. If in the mid-80s of the XX century 11.3 million hectares were annually destroyed, then in the 90s - already 16.8 million hectares. Currently, the tropical rainforests of Latin America are reduced by 37% of the original area, in Asia - by 42%, in Africa - by 52%. The largest areas of primary forests were preserved in Brazil, Zaire, Indonesia, Colombia, and boreal forests in Russia and Canada. The smallest primary forests remained in China and Australia, and in Western Europe (with the exception of the Scandinavian countries) there were practically none. Deforestation leads to negative environmental consequences: the albedo of the earth's surface changes, the balance of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere is disturbed, soil erosion is increased, the hydrological regime of rivers is disturbed, etc. No less dangerous is pollution of the oceans. The oceans are constantly polluted mainly due to the expansion of oil production in offshore fields. Huge oil spills are detrimental to ocean life. Millions of tons of phosphorus, lead, and radioactive waste are also dumped into the ocean. For every square kilometer of the ocean space now accounts for 17 tons of various harmful wastes from land. And the dead ocean, scientists say, is a dead planet. Fresh water has become the most vulnerable part of nature. Wastewater, pesticides, fertilizers, disinfectants, mercury, arsenic, lead, zinc in large quantities fall into rivers and lakes. In the CIS republics, untreated wastewater containing millions of tons of harmful substances is discharged into rivers, lakes, reservoirs and seas annually. The situation is not better in other countries of the world. The Danube, Volga, Mississippi, Great American Lakes are heavily polluted. According to experts, in some regions of the Earth 80% of all diseases are caused by poor-quality water, which people are forced to consume. It is known that a person can live without food for five weeks, without water for five days, without air for five minutes. Meanwhile, air pollution has long exceeded acceptable limits. The dust content and carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere of a number of large cities have increased tenfold compared with the beginning of the 20th century. 115 million passenger cars in the United States absorb twice as much oxygen as it is created on the territory of this country by all natural sources. The total emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere (industry, energy, transport, etc.) in the United States is about 150 million. tons per year, in the CIS countries more than 100 million tons. In 102 cities of the CIS with a population of more than 50 thousand people, the concentration of harmful substances in the air exceeds medical standards by 10 times, and in some more. Acid rains containing sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, which appear during the operation of power plants in Germany and the UK, fall in the Scandinavian countries and cause death to lakes and forests. The territory of the CIS receives with acid rain from the West 9 times more harmful substances than they are transported in the opposite direction. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986 showed the environmental threat posed by accidents at nuclear power plants that exist in 26 countries. Household garbage has become a serious problem: solid waste, plastic bags, synthetic detergents, etc. Clean air drunk with plant aroma disappears around cities, rivers turn into gutters. Piles of cans, broken glass and other garbage, landfills along the roads, cluttering up the territory, mutilated nature - this is the result of the long domination of the industrial world.

The causes of the environmental crisis.

Currently, many contradictions, conflicts, problems outgrow the local framework and acquire a global global character.

The main causes of the crisis:

1. The Earth’s climate change as a result of natural geological processes enhanced by the greenhouse effect caused by changes in the optical properties of the atmosphere by emissions of mainly CO, CO2, and other gases.

2. Reducing the power of the stratospheric ozone screen with the formation of so-called "ozone holes", which reduce the protective capabilities of the atmosphere against the arrival of hard short-wave ultraviolet radiation, which is dangerous for living organisms, to the Earth's surface.

3. Chemical pollution of the atmosphere with substances that contribute to the formation of acid precipitation, photochemical smog and other compounds hazardous to biosphere objects, including humans.

4. Ocean pollution and changes in the properties of ocean waters due to oil products, their saturation with carbon dioxide of the atmosphere, which, in turn, is polluted by vehicles and heating systems, the dumping of highly toxic chemical and radioactive substances in ocean waters, the influx of pollution from river runoff, and the violation of the water balance of coastal territories due to with river regulation;

5. Depletion and pollution of land water.

6. Radioactive pollution.

7. Soil pollution due to precipitation, the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers.

8. Change in the geochemistry of landscapes in connection with the redistribution of elements between the bowels and the surface of the Earth.

9. Continued accumulation of all kinds of solid waste on the Earth's surface.

10. Violation of the global and regional environmental balance.

11. The increasing desertification of the planet.

12. Reducing the area of \u200b\u200btropical forests and northern taiga - the main sources of maintaining the oxygen balance of the planet.

13. The absolute overpopulation of the Earth and the relative demographic re-consolidation of individual regions, the extreme differentiation of poverty and wealth.

14. The deterioration of the living environment in crowded cities.

15. Exhaustion of many mineral deposits.

16. The intensification of social instability, as a consequence of the increasing differentiation of the rich and poor parts of the population of many countries, an increase in the level of armament of their population, and criminalization.

17. The decline in the immune status and health status of the population of many countries of the world, the repeated repetition of epidemics, which are increasingly widespread and severe in nature. One of the major global challenges is environmental conservation. Its beginning lies in the distant past. About 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic agricultural culture arose. The expansion of cultivated land, felling of trees for household purposes, the spread of slash-and-burn agriculture - all this led to the replacement of the natural landscape with a cultural one, and the increased influence of man on the environment. A rapid population growth began - a population explosion - a sharp increase in population associated with an improvement in socio-economic or general historical living conditions. The population of the Earth is growing exponentially: if from 8000 BC before the beginning of the new reckoning, the population increased from 5 million to 130 million, that is, 125 million people over 8 thousand years, from 1930 to 1960, that is, in just 30 years, the world's population has already increased 1 billion people (from 2 billion to 3 billion people). Currently, it is more than 6 billion people. From 1830 to 1930, the population of Europe and North America grew, and in recent years, a population explosion has been observed in the countries of Asia and Latin America.

The industrial revolution began about 200 years ago and over the past 100-150 years the face of Europe and North America has completely changed. An inextricable connection arose between nature and society, which is of a mutual nature. On the one hand, the natural environment, geographical and climatic features have a significant impact on social development. These factors can accelerate or slow down the pace of development of countries and peoples, affect the social development of labor. On the other hand, society affects the natural human environment. The history of mankind testifies both to the beneficial effects of human activities on the natural habitat, as well as to its harmful consequences. Man carried out such chemical reactions that were not previously on Earth. Iron, tin, lead, aluminum, nickel, and many other chemical elements were isolated in pure form. The amount of metals mined and smelted by humans reaches enormous proportions and increases every year. The extraction of combustible minerals is even more significant. When burning coal and other fuels, the formation of oxides of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and other products. The earth's surface turns into cities and cultural land and dramatically changes its chemical properties.

Air pollution has exceeded all permissible limits. The concentration of harmful substances in the air exceeds medical standards in many cities by tens of times. Acid rains containing sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, resulting from the operation of thermal power plants, transport and factories, cause death to lakes and forests. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant showed the environmental threat posed by accidents at nuclear power plants, they are operated in 26 countries.

The principles of the natural structure that are violated by humans and lead to an environmental crisis:

1. The use by a person in his economic activities of internal sources of energy in relation to the biosphere (fossil fuels). This leads to an increase in the entropy of the biosphere, disruption of the ecological cycles of carbon dioxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and thermal pollution.

2. Open business cycles lead to a large number of waste polluting the environment. The use, along with natural ones, of a multitude of artificially synthesized substances causes a disturbance in the ecological balance, and leads to an increase in environmental toxicity.

3. With the direct participation of man, the structural diversity of the biosphere is destroyed, and many species die. An excessive increase in pressure on the human biosphere is noted, which leads to serious violations of environmental stability and a decrease in the stability of the biosphere.

Air pollution.

There are two main sources of air pollution: natural and man-made.

The natural source is volcanoes, dust storms, weathering, forest fires, decomposition of plants and animals.

Anthropogenic, mainly divided into three main sources of air pollution: industry, domestic boiler houses, transport. The share of each of these sources in total air pollution varies greatly from place to place.

It is now generally accepted that industrial production is the most polluting air. Sources of pollution are 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 mercury and arsenic compounds into the air; chemical and cement plants. Harmful gases enter the air as a result of burning fuel for industrial needs, heating homes, transport, burning and processing household and industrial waste.

According to scientists (1990), annually 25.5 billion tons of carbon oxides, 190 million tons of sulfur oxides, 65 million tons of nitrogen oxides, 1.4 million tons as a result of human activities in the world Chlorofluorocarbons (freons), organic compounds of lead, hydrocarbons, including carcinogens (causing cancer).

The most common atmospheric pollutants enter it mainly in two forms: either in the form of suspended particles (aerosols), or in the form of gases. By mass, the lion's share - 80–90 percent - of all emissions into the atmosphere due to human activities are gaseous emissions. There are 3 main sources of gaseous pollution: the burning of combustible materials, industrial production processes and natural sources.

Consider the main harmful impurities of anthropogenic origin /

Carbon monoxide. It turns out with incomplete combustion of carbon substances. It enters the air as a result of burning solid waste, with exhaust gases and emissions of industrial enterprises. Annually, this gas enters the atmosphere of at least 1250 million tons. Carbon monoxide is a compound that actively reacts with the constituent parts of the atmosphere and helps to increase the temperature on the planet and create a greenhouse effect.

Sulfur anhydride. It is released during the combustion of sulfur-containing fuel or the processing of sulphurous ores (up to 170 million tons per year). Some of the sulfur compounds released during the burning of organic residues in mining dumps. In the United States alone, the total amount of sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere was 65% of global emissions.

Hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. They enter the atmosphere separately or together with other sulfur compounds. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing artificial fiber, sugar, coke, oil refining, as well as oil fields. In the atmosphere, when interacting with other pollutants, they undergo slow oxidation to sulfuric anhydride.

Oxides of nitrogen. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing nitrogen fertilizers, nitric acid and nitrates, aniline dyes, nitro compounds, viscose silk, celluloid. The amount of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere is 20 million tons per year.

Fluorine compounds. Sources of pollution are enterprises producing aluminum, enamels, glass, ceramics, steel, phosphorus fertilizers. Fluorine-containing substances enter the atmosphere in the form of gaseous compounds - hydrogen fluoride or dust of sodium and calcium fluoride. Compounds are characterized by toxic effects. Derivatives of fluorine are strong insecticides.

Chlorine compounds. They come into the atmosphere from chemical plants producing hydrochloric acid, chlorine-containing pesticides, organic dyes, hydrolysis alcohol, bleach, and soda. Chlorine molecules and hydrochloric acid vapor are found in the atmosphere as an admixture. Chlorine toxicity is determined by the type of compounds and their concentration.

In addition to gaseous pollutants, a large amount of particulate matter enters the atmosphere. These are dust, soot and soot. A great danger is the pollution of the environment by heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, mercury, copper, nickel, zinc, chromium, vanadium have become almost constant components of the air in industrial centers.

Permanent sources of aerosol pollution are industrial dumps - artificial embankments from redeposited material, mainly overburden, formed during the extraction of minerals or from wastes from processing enterprises and thermal power plants.

The source of dust and toxic gases are massive blasting. The production of cement and other building materials is also a source of dust pollution. The main technological processes of these industries - grinding and chemical processing of semi-finished products and products obtained in the flow of hot gases is always accompanied by emissions of dust and other harmful substances into the atmosphere.

The main pollutants of the atmosphere today are carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.

Water pollution

It is clear to everyone how great the role of water is in the life of our planet, and especially in the existence of the biosphere.

The biological need of humans and animals for water per year is 10 times their own mass. Even more impressive are household, industrial and agricultural human needs. So, "to produce a ton of soap, 2 tons of water, sugar - 9, cotton products - 200, steel 250, nitrogen fertilizers or synthetic fiber - 600, grain - about 1000, paper - 1000, synthetic rubber - 2500 tons of water are required".

The water used by man ultimately returns to the natural environment. But, except for evaporated, it is no longer pure water, but domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater, usually not treated or not sufficiently treated. Thus, there is pollution of freshwater bodies of water - rivers, lakes, land and coastal areas of the seas.

Modern methods of water purification, mechanical and biological, are far from perfect. “Even after biological treatment, 10 percent of organic and 60–90 percent of inorganic substances remain in wastewater, including up to 60 percent of nitrogen, 70 percent of phosphorus, 80 percent of potassium and almost 100 percent of toxic heavy metal salts.”

There are three types of water pollution - biological, chemical and physical.

Biological pollution is created by microorganisms, including pathogens, as well as organic substances that are capable of fermentation. The main sources of biological pollution of land and coastal waters of the seas are household effluents that contain feces, food waste, wastewater from food industry enterprises (slaughterhouses and meat plants, dairy and cheese factories, sugar factories, etc.), pulp and paper and chemical industry, and in rural areas - the runoff of large livestock complexes. Biological contamination can cause epidemics of cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid and other intestinal infections and various viral infections, such as hepatitis.

Chemical pollution is created by the entry into the water of various toxic substances. The main sources of chemical pollution are blast furnace and steel production, non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, mining, chemical industry and, to a large extent, extensive agriculture. In addition to direct wastewater discharges into water bodies and surface runoff, it is also necessary to take into account the ingress of pollutants to the water surface directly from the air.

So, the most large-scale and significant is chemical pollution of the environment with substances of a chemical nature that are unusual for it. The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also progresses. Further development of this process will intensify the undesirable trend towards increasing the average annual temperature on the planet.

The continuing pollution of the oceans with oil and oil products, which has already reached, according to environmentalists, 1/10 of its total surface, is alarming. Oil pollution of this size can cause significant disruption to gas and water exchange between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.

Formally, one cannot say yet that we are experiencing a global ecological catastrophe, since there are still areas on Earth where there are no serious traces of anthropogenic pollution. But such areas are becoming less and less, and some types of pollution are noted even in the most remote places from their sources, for example, in Antarctica.

Recently, more and more often in the press, on radio, television, environmental has become one of the main topics. The general public, aware of the critical state of the environment, must actively act. The “greening” of the legislative and executive branches is now especially important, since the primary task is to make environmentally friendly production profitable and, conversely, any neglect of environmental standards is economically disadvantageous. Without this, appeals to ordinary citizens to protect nature will look demagogic and are unlikely to reach their goal. At the same time, the broadest educational work among citizens of all ages is also necessary.

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Problems of sustainable development of civilization inXXI century
Conclusion
Bibliography

Problems of sustainable development of civilization in the XXI century

According to scientists, humanity currently lives on through future generations who are prepared for much worse living conditions, which will inevitably affect their health and social well-being. To avoid this, people need to learn to exist only at a "percentage" of fixed capital - nature, without spending capital itself.

Starting from the twentieth century, this capital has been squandered at a steadily increasing pace, and by now the nature of the Earth has changed so much that global environmental problems have been discussed at the international level for several decades. In the ecosystem used, even the latest environmental management technologies do not allow biodiversity to be preserved.

In the history of mankind there has never been a shortage of problems of varying degrees of complexity and drama, but there has never been an era in which problems of one another, larger and more difficult, have arisen almost at the same time in front of humanity as a whole, and even with a categorical, posing society on the brink of death in the event of an insufficiently prompt and correct answer to this historical challenge.

Humanity is entering a new era in its history. Its most characteristic sign is the emergence of global problems.

Almost all human activities have become global in their possible and actual impact on the biosphere.

Modern problems of nature conservation

The initial causes that appeared at the end of the XX century. global environmental problems were a population explosion and a simultaneous scientific and technological revolution.

The population of the Earth was equal to 2.5 billion people in 1950, doubled in 1984 and reached 6.1 billion in 2000. Geographically, the population of the Earth is uneven. In Russia, the population has been declining since 1993, but growing in China, countries in southern Asia, throughout Africa and Latin America. Accordingly, over half a century, spaces taken away from nature by cultivated areas, residential and public buildings, railways and roads, airports and marinas, kitchen gardens and landfills increased 2.5-3 times.

At the same time, the scientific and technological revolution has given mankind possession of atomic energy, which, in addition to good, has led to radioactive contamination of vast territories. Jet high-speed aviation arose, destroying the ozone layer of the atmosphere. The number of cars polluting the atmosphere of cities increased by tens of times. In agriculture, in addition to fertilizers, various poisons, pesticides, have begun to be widely used, the flushing of which polluted the surface water layer of the entire oceans.

All this led to the emergence of many major environmental problems. Global environmental problems are the objective result of the interaction of our civilization and the environment in the era of industrial development. The beginning of this era is considered to be 1860, at about this time, as a result of the rapid development of Euro-American capitalism, the industry then reached a new level. Global environmental problems are divided into several groups that are closely related to each other:

demographic problem (negative consequences of population growth in the 20th century);

energy problem (energy shortage gives rise to a search for its new sources and pollution associated with their extraction and use);

food problem (the need to achieve a full level of nutrition for every person poses questions in the field of agriculture and the use of fertilizers);

the problem of conservation of natural resources (raw materials and mineral resources have been depleted since the Bronze Age, the conservation of the gene pool of mankind and biodiversity, fresh water and atmospheric oxygen are limited);

the problem of protecting the environment and humans from the effects of harmful substances (the sad facts of the massive ejection of whales on the coast, mercury, oil, etc. disasters and the poisoning caused by them are known).

In the last quarter of the XX century. A sharp global warming began, which in the boreal regions is affected by a decrease in the number of frosty winters. The average temperature of the surface air layer over the past 25 years has increased by 0.7 ° C. The ice water temperature in the area of \u200b\u200bthe North Pole increased by almost two degrees, as a result of which ice melting from below began.

It is possible that this warming is partially of a natural nature. However, the rate of warming makes us recognize the role of the anthropogenic factor in this phenomenon. Now mankind burns annually 4.5 billion tons of coal, 3.2 billion tons of oil and oil products, as well as natural gas, peat, oil shale and firewood. All this turns into carbon dioxide, the content of which in the atmosphere increased from 0.031% in 1956 to 0.035% in 1996 (9. P.99). and continues to grow. In addition, emissions of another greenhouse gas, methane, sharply increased.

Now most climatologists in the world recognize the role of the anthropogenic factor in global warming. Over the past 10-15 years, many studies and meetings have been conducted that have shown that sea level rise is indeed occurring, at a speed of 0.6 mm per year, or 6 cm per century. At the same time, the vertical rise or lowering of coastlines reaches 20 mm per year.

Currently, the main environmental problems that have arisen under the influence of anthropogenic activities are: violation of the ozone layer, deforestation and desertification of territories, pollution of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, acid rain, and a decrease in biodiversity. In this regard, the broadest research and in-depth analysis of changes in the field of global ecology is necessary, which could help in making cardinal decisions at the highest level in order to reduce damage to natural conditions and ensure a favorable living environment.

Ecological crisis. Ecological disasters

The ecological crisis of the biosphere, which scientists are talking about, is not a crisis of nature, but of human society. Among the main problems that caused its occurrence are the volume of anthropogenic impact on nature in the 20th century, which brought the biosphere closer to the limit of stability; contradictions between the essence of man and nature, his alienation from nature; the continuation of the development of a “civilization of consumption” - the growth of the optional needs of people and society, the satisfaction of which leads to an increase in the excessive technogenic load on the environment.

Efforts to protect the environment in all countries are made, however, locally within the framework of the generally accepted paradigm of “mismanagement.” It is considered possible to rectify the situation by investing additional funds in improving technologies. The Green movement advocates prohibitions of atomic, chemical, oil, microbiological and other industries, most of which environmental scientists and practitioners are not engaged in “knowing the economy of nature”, but in developing particular issues - technologies for reducing HAVO and discharges of companies, preparation of rules, regulations and laws. There is no agreement of scientists in the analysis of the causes and consequences of the “greenhouse effect”, “ozone holes”, in determining the permissible boundaries of the withdrawal of natural resources and population growth on the planet. A panacea for the global greenhouse effect at the international level is the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, which will require billions of dollars of investment, but, as will be shown below, it will not solve the problem, and the senseless expenditure of funds will only aggravate the crisis.

The greenhouse effect and ozone holes

The greenhouse effect, as some scientists believe, is a modern physicochemical process of disturbing the thermal balance of the planet with an accelerating increase in temperature on it. It is generally accepted that this effect is caused by the accumulation of “greenhouse gases” in the Earth’s atmosphere, which are generated mainly during the burning of fossil fuels. The infrared (thermal) radiation of the Earth’s surface does not go into outer space, but is absorbed by the molecules of these gases, and its energy remains in the atmosphere of the earth.

Over the past hundred years, the average surface temperature of the Earth has increased by 0.8 ° C. In the Alps and the Caucasus, glaciers have decreased by half, on Mount Kilimanjaro - by 73%, and the level of the World Ocean has increased by at least 10 cm. According to the World Meteorological Service , by 2050, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere increases to 0.05%, and the increase in the average temperature on the planet will be 2-3.5 ° C. The results of this process are not accurately predicted. It is supposed to increase the level of the World Ocean by 15-95 cm with the flooding of densely populated areas of river deltas in Western Europe and Southeast Asia, a shift in climatic zones, a change in the direction of winds, ocean currents (including the Gulf Stream) and rainfall.

Reducing the area of \u200b\u200bglaciers in the mountains will reduce the average value of the Earth's albedo (the coefficient of reflection of the Sun's rays from the surface), the thawing of permafrost on the marshy plains of Eastern Siberia will release methane accumulated there, the rise in ocean temperature will lead to the release of dissolved carbon dioxide and an increase in humidity on the planet. All these factors will accelerate and increase the greenhouse effect.

The stability of the biosphere is ensured only if the rate of carbon uptake by biota is proportional to its growth rate in the environment. This balance is upset. The situation is exacerbated by a decrease in the area of \u200b\u200bphotosynthesis due to the destruction of forests (for example, in the Amazon river valley) and a decrease in the mass of phytoplankton in the World Ocean. With an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the process of biomass growth should accelerate, but scientists noted that at the beginning of the last century, land biota ceased to absorb excess carbon from the atmosphere and, moreover, it began to emit it. The sign of stationary systems is violated - Le Chatelier-Braun principle: “With an external action that takes the system out of a state of stable equilibrium, this equilibrium shifts in the direction of weakening the effect of external influence”.

Another global effect is the destruction of the ozone layer of the Earth. The ozone layer is air at altitudes of 7-18 km with a high concentration of O3 ozone, which absorbs the ultraviolet radiation (UV) of the Sun, which is harmful to the living. When it is depleted, the UV-flux on the Earth's surface increases, which will lead to eye damage and suppression of the human immune system, and a decrease in plant yields.

The main reason for the decrease in ozone concentration is considered to be emissions of chlorine and fluorine-containing compounds into the atmosphere: refrigerant from refrigeration equipment, cosmetics sprayers (another hypothesis is the change in the Earth's magnetic field due to human activity). The actually observed result is “ozone holes” over Antarctica (the maximum decrease in ozone concentration is 3 times), over the Arctic, Eastern Siberia and Kazakhstan.

Recently, as the technical power of mankind has intensified, the evolution process has been transferred to the field of minerals, and the composition of soil, water and air has changed. The evolution of species goes into the evolution of the biosphere. For example, powerful earthquakes became more frequent. For the first half of the 20th century, 15 earthquakes were recorded with a capacity of over 7 points (740 thousand people died), and in the second half - 23 (more than a million people died). In the last decades, earthquakes of a technogenic nature have been noted in non-seismic areas (Tatarstan, Stavropol Territory). The number of powerful hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, catastrophic floods of rivers (Rhine, Lena) is increasing.

The intensification of human activity leads to disruption of the ecosystems of the biosphere. Of the 150 million km2 of land area under the direct control of a person (agricultural complexes, cities, landfills, roads, mining, etc.), 28% is located. This leads to a reduction in forest area (at the beginning of the agricultural era, the forest area was 75% of land, and now - 26%, desertification (average speed - 2600 ha / h), dehydration of rivers and seas.

Soil is poisoned with “acid rain”, contaminated with heavy elements and emissions of other harmful substances. Soil erosion, loss of humus, and salinization are increasing. Every year, 20 million hectares of land lose productivity due to erosion and the onset of sand.

The oceans are the most important regulator of processes in the biosphere and the source of bioresources suffers from oil pollution. Their film disrupts photosynthesis, leading to the death of eggs, fish, birds and other animals. Annually, due to leaks from ships, accidents, and river discharge, 12-15 million tons of oil gets into the World Ocean, which leads to a total pollution of the area of \u200b\u200b150 million km2 out of a total of 361 million km2.

During the 2000 years of our era, 270 species of large mammals and birds disappeared, and a third of them - over the past century (Pyrenean mountain goat, Berber lion, Japanese wolf, marsupial wolf, etc.). But each living species is associated with other species, therefore, with the extinction of the species, restructuring always occurs in the entire system. According to scientists, by the end of this century, 50-82% of the land species of Earth's inhabitants will disappear in different countries of Europe and America.

The causes of the environmental crisis

In the literature, the causes of the crisis are considered the growth of the Earth's population and its scientific and technological power. This gives rise to the illusion that “prudent household management”, environmental education, birth control or the World Government can prevent the development of the crisis. To dispel this misconception, consider the causes of the environmental crisis, dividing them into three groups: scientific, technical, biological, psychological and social political.

The main reasons for the degradation of the biosphere are the excessive withdrawal of the living and mineral resources of the planet and its poisoning by industrial waste of human activity.

The biosphere can remain stable when withdrawing up to about 1% of its net primary production. As shown by the calculations of VB Gorshkova, biomass production in the entire biosphere in energy equivalent corresponds to a power of 74 TW (74 * 1012 W), and a person takes over 16 TW, or 20%, into his anthropogenic channel for using bioproduction. Extraction of bioproducts from the natural circulation of substances destroys systemic bonds in food chains and impoverishes the species composition of natural biocenoses.

Thus, one of the causes and components of the ecological crisis is about twenty times the human consumption of biosphere products over the acceptable level for stable biosystems.

Ecological catastrophe is understood as a natural anomaly, often arising on the basis of direct or indirect human exposure, or an accident in a technical device, leading to adverse catastrophic changes in the environment, mass death of living organisms and economic damage.

Recently, in connection with the development of the theory of sustainable development, the term socio-ecological disaster has been increasingly used, which is understood as an event that threatens the viability of the population in a given territory, produced by various sources of risk.

According to modern scientific ideas, the following processes lead to a socio-ecological disaster:

depletion of natural resources ("collapse" of industrial and agricultural production);

genetic degeneration of the population due to direct or indirect (through mutations of pathogens) exposure to chemical pollution;

excess of ecological capacity of regional ecosystems.

Thus, the concept of "environmental disaster" may include:

destructive and irreversible changes in natural ecosystems;

various adverse consequences of such changes for society;

significant violations of the territorial complexes of the population and economy with their natural and ethnocultural basis.

environmental crisis ozone layer

At the same time, territorial complexes of the population and economy can have different sizes - from a single settlement to a state and a group of states.

The system of criteria for assessing environmental disadvantages can be divided into four groups, taking into account the following characteristics:

negative changes in the environment;

public health response to environmental changes;

deterioration of the conditions of economic and other human activities.

When determining the ecological status of a specific territory, these criteria are used taking into account regional natural, economic, historical, ethnic and other features, as well as the geographical location of the territory (to take into account the influence of neighboring territories on the state of its natural environment).

For environmental disasters of technological origin, the following classification is used:

disasters associated with environmental pollution;

catastrophes associated with mechanical disturbances of the environment;

disasters associated with the loss of gene pool and biodiversity.

There are a number of environmental disasters caused by purely natural phenomena. By genesis, they belong to the solar-cosmic, climatic and hydrological, geological and geomorphological, biogeochemical and biological. The most typical of them include hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, squalls, earthquakes, mudflows, landslides, caving, floods, etc. It should be noted that often man-made environmental disasters arise as a result of natural disasters. For example, this could be the destruction of a nuclear power plant due to an earthquake, followed by radioactive contamination of the natural environment.

In the eyes of just one generation, the sea disappears. The Aral, the mother of many nations, disappears, and only a person can save it.

Conclusion

The emergence of global problems has led to the fact that humanity must rally to ensure the global security of modern civilization. The transition to sustainable development requires coordinated actions in all spheres of society, social, economic, environmental institutions of the state, the regulatory role of which is fundamental. The most important factor in solving environmental problems is the increasing role of science. Humanity needs to focus on the solution of a two-fold task: not only to feed hundreds of millions of starving earthlings in the coming years and to eradicate widespread poverty in the world, satisfying the basic needs of all living people, but also to stop destitute the next generation of earthlings. If this decision is put at the forefront of the "corner", then perhaps humanity will avoid a global natural disaster.

Environmental rights and obligations. Environmental economics.

Environmental rights and obligations of citizens - one of the most important institutions of environmental law

The central place among the principles of environmental law, as noted above, is the priority of protecting human life and health. In this regard, the most important feature of modern environmental law is the establishment and development of the institute of environmental rights of citizens as one of the determining ones in its system.

The fundamental rights of citizens of the Russian Federation in the field of ecology are enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Article 42 proclaims one of the inalienable human rights - the right to a favorable environment, which is complemented by other interconnected environmental rights: to reliable information about the state of the environment and to compensation for damage caused to the health and property of citizens by an environmental offense.

In accordance with Article 18 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the rights and freedoms of man and citizen are directly applicable. They determine the meaning, content and application of laws, the activities of the legislative and executive authorities, local self-government and are provided with justice.

At the same time, the norms of the Constitution of the Russian Federation are specified in the current environmental legislation. The Law of the RSFSR "On Environmental Protection" establishes that every citizen has the right to protect his health from the adverse effects of the environment caused by economic or other activities, accidents, catastrophes, natural disasters. This right is ensured by:

planning and rationing the quality of the environment, measures to prevent environmentally harmful activities and improve the environment, preventing and eliminating the consequences of accidents, catastrophes, natural disasters;

social and state insurance of citizens, organization of medical services to the population;

providing real opportunities for living in an environment conducive to life and health;

compensation in a judicial or administrative manner for harm caused to the health of citizens as a result of environmental pollution, the consequences of accidents and disasters;

state control over the state of the environment and compliance with environmental laws, prosecution of those responsible for violating the requirements for ensuring the environmental safety of the population.

The right to protect health from adverse environmental effects is exercised through the exercise of specific citizens 'powers in the field of environmental protection, the contents of which are disclosed in the RSFSR Law "On Environmental Protection" (Article 12), the Fundamentals of the Law on the Protection of Citizens' Health (Article 17 , 19, 66), Federal Laws “On the Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-Being of the Population” (Art. 8), “On the Radiation Safety of the Population” (Art. 22, 23, 26), “On the Environmental Examination” (Art. 19) and others normative acts.

In accordance with the norms of these laws, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right:

create public associations, foundations and other public organizations for the protection of the environment;

take part in meetings, rallies, marches, demonstrations, referenda on environmental protection, apply with letters, complaints and statements on these issues to the competent authorities;

require the relevant authorities to provide timely, complete and reliable information about the state of the environment and measures to protect it;

require administrative or judicial cancellation of decisions on the placement, design, construction, operation of environmentally harmful facilities, limitation, suspension and termination of activities of such facilities;

raise the question of bringing to justice the guilty legal entities and citizens, file lawsuits in court on compensation for harm caused to the health and property of citizens by an environmental offense;

put forward proposals for conducting a public environmental review and receive information on the results of its conduct;

to exercise other rights in the field of environmental protection provided for by law.

These rights correspond to the obligations of citizens established by law (Article 58 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 12 of the Law of the RSFSR "On Environmental Protection"):

to preserve nature and the environment, take care of natural resources;

take part in environmental protection;

comply with the requirements of environmental legislation and environmental quality standards;

improve their environmental culture, promote the environmental education of the younger generation.

Citizens of the Russian Federation can exercise environmental rights and obligations both individually and through participation in public environmental associations. The latter have also been granted a number of powers to exercise their functions in the field of environmental protection. According to Article 13 of the Law of the RSFSR "On Environmental Protection", they are entitled to:

to develop and promote their environmental programs, protect the environmental rights and interests of the population, develop the ecological culture of the population, involve volunteers in active environmental activities;

at the expense of their own funds and voluntary participation of the population, to carry out work on the protection and reproduction of the natural environment, to assist state bodies in the fight against environmental violations;

recommend their representatives to participate in the state environmental review, conduct a public environmental review;

require administrative or judicial cancellation of decisions on the placement, construction, operation of environmentally harmful facilities and the limitation, suspension, termination or reprofiling of their activities;

to require the provision of timely, reliable and complete information on environmental pollution and measures for its protection;

organize meetings, rallies, marches, demonstrations, collection of signatures, enter with proposals for discussion of projects, referenda on environmental protection;

to raise the question of bringing the guilty officials to justice, to file lawsuits in court for redressing the health and property of citizens caused by an environmental offense.

The state guarantees environmental and other public associations performing environmental functions, and citizens the opportunity to exercise their rights in the field of environmental protection in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

State bodies, their officials are obliged to provide all possible assistance to public associations and citizens in the implementation of their environmental rights and obligations, to take the necessary measures to implement their proposals and requirements in organizing environmental activities.

Bibliography

2. Alimov A.F. Options for solving environmental problems // Salvation. - 2003. - No. 6.

3. Antsev G.V., Elfimov V.G., Sarychev V.A. On the approach of a global environmental disaster // Monitoring - 2000. - No. 1.

4. Alekseev V.P. Nature and society: stages of interaction // Ecology and life. - 2002. - No. 2.

5. Snurikov A.P. Rational nature management. - M .: Nauka, 1996.

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Task 2 Causes of the environmental crisis

The ecological crisis is a difficult transitional state of ecological systems and the environment as a whole. The environmental crisis suggests significant structural changes in the environment. It is significantly different from an environmental disaster, which means the complete destruction of the social system: in the event of an environmental crisis, the possibility of restoring the disturbed state remains.

Let us characterize the main crisis directions in the development of the environmental situation.

Extinction of plant and animal species, species diversity, the gene pool of the flora and fauna of the Earth, and animals and plants disappear, as a rule, not as a result of their direct extermination by humans, but as a result of changes in the habitat. The early 1980s one animal species dies out daily, and one plant species weekly. Extinction threatens thousands of species of animals and plants. Every fourth amphibian species, every tenth species of higher plants, is endangered. And each of the species is a unique, unique result of evolution that has been going on for many millions of years.

Mankind is obliged to preserve and transmit to the descendants the biological diversity of the Earth, and not only because nature is beautiful and delights us with its splendor. There is an even more significant reason: the preservation of biological diversity is an indispensable condition for the life of man himself on Earth, since the stability of the biosphere is the higher, the more its species.

The disappearance of forests (especially tropical) at a speed of several

About 50% of the land surface is under strong agricultural influence, and every year at least 300 thousand hectares of agricultural land is absorbed by urbanization. The area of \u200b\u200barable land per one person decreases from year to year (even without taking into account population growth).

Depletion of natural resources. More than 100 billion tons of various rocks are extracted annually from the bowels of the Earth. For the life of one person in modern civilization, 200 tons of various solid substances are needed per year, which he uses 800 tons of water and 1000 watts of energy to turn into products of his consumption. At the same time, humanity is living off not only the exploitation of the resources of the modern biosphere, but also the non-renewable products of former biospheres (oil, coal, gas, ores, etc.). According to the most optimistic estimates, the existing reserves of such natural resources will not last long for humanity: oil for about 30 years; natural gas for 50 years; coal for 100 years, etc. But renewable natural resources (for example, wood) become non-renewable, since the conditions for their reproduction are fundamentally changing, they are brought to extreme exhaustion or complete destruction, i.e. all natural resources on Earth are finite.

Continuous and rapid growth of human energy expenditures. The energy consumption (in kcal / day) per person in a primitive society was approximately 4,000, in a feudal society - about 12,000, in an industrial civilization - 70,000, and in developed post-industrial countries it reaches 250,000 (i.e. 60 times higher and more than that of our Paleolithic ancestors) and continues to grow. However, this process cannot last long: the Earth’s atmosphere warms up, which can have the most unpredictable adverse consequences (climatic, geographical, geological, etc.).

Pollution of the atmosphere, water, soil. The source of air pollution is primarily ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, thermal power plants, automobile transport, the burning of garbage, waste, etc. Their atmospheric emissions contain carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, metal compounds, and dust. About 20 billion tons of CO2 are emitted annually into the atmosphere; 300 million tons of CO; 50 million tons of nitrogen oxides; 150 million tons of O 2; 4-5 million tons of N 2 and other harmful gases; more than 400 million tons of soot, dust, ash particles.

An increase in the atmospheric content of CO 2 causes the formation of "acid rain", causing an increase in the acidity of water bodies, the death of their inhabitants.

Automobile exhaust gases inflict enormous damage to the life of animals and plants. The components of automobile exhaust gases are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, lead compounds, mercury, etc.

Hydrosphere pollution. Water is widely, although not universally, distributed on our planet. The total supply of water is about 1.41018 tons. The bulk of the water is concentrated in the seas and oceans. Fresh water accounts for only 2%. Under natural conditions, a constant cycle of water is carried out, accompanied by processes of its purification. Water carries huge masses of dissolved substances into the seas and oceans, where complex chemical and biochemical processes occur that contribute to the self-cleaning of water bodies.

However, water is widely used in all areas of the economy and in everyday life. In connection with the development of industry, urban growth, water consumption is constantly increasing. At the same time, water pollution with industrial and household waste is increasing: annually about 600 billion tons of industrial and domestic wastes, over 10 million tons of oil and oil products are discharged into water bodies. This leads to a violation of the natural self-cleaning of water bodies.

Radioactive pollution of the environment as a result of nuclear tests, accidents at nuclear energy enterprises (Chernobyl disaster in 1986), accumulation of radioactive waste.

All these negative trends, as well as the irresponsible and improper use of the achievements of civilization, have a detrimental effect on the human body and create another set of environmental problems — medical and genetic. Previously known diseases become more frequent and completely new, previously unknown, appear. There was a whole complex of “diseases of civilization” generated by scientific and technological progress (an increase in the pace of life, the number of stressful situations, physical inactivity, malnutrition, abuse of pharmaceuticals, etc.) and an environmental crisis (especially environmental pollution by mutagenic factors); addiction is becoming a global problem.

The scale of environmental pollution is so great that the natural processes of metabolism and the diluting activity of the atmosphere and hydrosphere are not able to neutralize the harmful effects of human production. As a result, the ability to self-regulate the biosphere systems that have developed over millions of years (during evolution) is undermined, and the biosphere itself is destroyed. If this process is not stopped, the biosphere will simply die. And with it, humanity will disappear.

Task 3. The ecological situation of the city of Krasnodar

Everywhere we find people caring for the Earth. They are eager to do something to create a stable environment. They ask themselves: “What can I do? What can the government do? What can industrial corporations do? ”

Environmental protection and the rational use of its resources in the face of rapid growth in industrial production has become one of the most urgent problems of our time.

You can solve these problems by buying a car with an economical engine. take bottles and cans. All of these steps will help. All of them are necessary. But, of course, they are not enough.

Almost any industrial product begins with raw materials extracted from the bowels of the planet or growing on its surface. On the way to industrial enterprises, raw materials lose something, a significant part of it turns into waste.

It is estimated that at the current level of technology development, 9% or more of the raw materials go to waste. Therefore, mountains of waste rock are piled up, the sky is covered with the smokes of hundreds of pipes, water is poisoned by industrial effluents, millions of trees are cut down.

Modern industry lays the material foundation for human life. Most of the basic human needs can be met through the goods and services provided by industry.

The environmental impact of industry depends on the nature of its localization, the consumption of raw materials, materials and energy, the possibility of waste disposal and the degree of completion of energy production cycles.

All industrial units, centers and complex industries differ in the "bouquet" of pollutants. Each industry and sub-industry in its own way "breaks" into the environment, has its own levels of toxicity and the nature of the impact, including human health.

The enterprises of the city of Krasnodar annually emit 16.6 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide, 17.7 thousand tons of carbon monoxide, 2.5 thousand tons of hydrocarbons, including 477.2 tons of oxide of the city’s chemical plant. carbon, 145 tons of furfural, 16 tons of sulfuric acid, etc.

The environmental situation in the city of Krasnodar remains quite tense, more and more environmental problems of the city arise.
There is a high level of atmospheric air pollution over the territory of the city, which is created due to emissions from thermal power plants, petrochemical, oil refining, as well as fuel and wood processing industries. In the central part of the city, the content of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide in the air is 1.5–2 times higher than in other areas of the city. This is due to the constant flow to the city center of emissions of the above, enterprises located on the outskirts of the city with prevailing west, northeast and east winds.

Architectural issues. Architectural requirements were placed above natural ones. The landscape-ecological substantiation is now concentrated in the direction of identifying such measures that would best respond to natural processes and improve the natural landscape. This is much better than previous methods, when nature was simply ignored or considered a hindrance.

At the time of the founding of the city of Yekaterinodar, the founders coped with their task satisfactorily. Only the swampiness and the microclimate associated with it and, to some extent, the threat of an earthquake represented a real environmental threat.

It is known that the “trigger” of earthquakes is often the anthropogenic factor, for example, the additional load on the rocks after the construction of the reservoir. In this regard, the location of the city of the Krasnodar reservoir turned out to be very unsuccessful. The zone of the reservoir is almost halved by a deep fault, the load in the form of a shock wave along it can serve as a “trigger”, triggering an earthquake mechanism. This fault divides the territory of the city into two tectonic blocks, while the western block is facilitated by water withdrawal by 200 thousand tons per day, and the eastern one is overloaded with water from the reservoir. A stress zone forms along the fault.

The microclimate features are formed under the influence of meteorological phenomena, they affect the state of the air basin, reducing or increasing the content of harmful impurities in the air of the city. The direction and speed of the wind, the temperature stratification of the atmosphere are the most important environmental factors. Conditions for stagnation most often occur with anticyclones: high pressure presses heavy cold air to the ground, conditions are created for the formation of temperature inversions, when the ascending air flows carrying pollutants are weak or absent. In strong winds, inversions usually do not occur. The average wind speed in the city is 2-3 m / s, which favorably affects the dispersion of air impurities.

But in certain months (February, August) sometimes strong winds blow, there can be 200 - 220 windy days per year. In summer, in windy weather, the city can literally suffocate from dust.

Precipitation (rain, snow, dew, frost, hail) tend to leach part of the harmful impurities from the atmosphere. The self-cleaning mechanism of air during thunderstorms works especially well. The amount of precipitation in the city and the conditions for their precipitation (600 millimeters per year with an average relative humidity of 50-70%, the driest month is August) can be considered satisfactory. Precipitation is distributed evenly throughout the year. Most often it rains when the winds are west and south-west. The city has 10% more rainfall than in its environs, as the conditions of air circulation, cloud cover and thermal conditions are altered in it. It is relatively rare for us to have foggy days during which air stagnates. Best of all, the natural self-cleaning mechanism of air works in sunny weather immediately after rain.

Among other anthropogenic forms of influence on the urban microclimate, reservoirs can be mentioned, near which the humidity of the air, the regime of speed and direction of local winds that form similar to the breeze, but inferior to them in speed and intensity, change.

The current environmental situation in the city and its suburbs, in suburban areas, requires not to burn foliage, but to enrich the soil with it. Having lain in the winter under snow or just in the top layer of soil, foliage, especially if it is raked under the crowns of trees or placed in compost pits, will not destroy, but enrich the soil. The systematic cleaning of foliage and litter in parks and on boulevards brings only harm, causing soil compaction, deterioration of its water-physical properties and thermal conditions, disrupts the biological cycle of nutrients.

Now in the city the green area is several times smaller than the destroyed primary oak grove. The forest fund in the city totals 271 hectares, and the daily load on forest parks reaches 100 people per hectare, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of plantings, reduces the diversity of the landscape and threatens with its destruction.

Within the city limits, there are the following forest parks: Krasnodar in the southeastern part of the city with an area of \u200b\u200b683 hectares, with prevailing branches and pyramidal poplars; Pansky (Red) Kut with an area of \u200b\u200b119 hectares in the southern part of the city on the right bank of the Kuban with the remains of the floodplain forest from willow and willow in this category can also be attributed the park “40 years of October” (Old Kuban) with plantings of birch, pine, linden, oak, sycamore tree, poplar tree, Arboretum Arboretum and University Botanical Garden.

Most importantly, green areas are concentrated mainly in the old, central part of the city. And in the new outlying districts, landscaping is weak. Particularly unlucky was the Jubilee Microdistrict. This lowland part is built on alluvial sands. If they are not fixed by vegetation, then wind and water erosion will lead to local dust storms and simply make the area unsuitable for habitation. The conditions of the urban environment, and especially in the Jubilee microdistrict, will noticeably improve if the outer green belt is restored on the left bank of the Kuban, closing the green suburban zone from the south.

The creation of urban gardening and the creation of an external green belt, being a single landscape and environmental event, at the moment can be practically the only way to solve the main environmental problems of the city without attracting significant financial investments.

In the park, the temperature in hot weather can be 10-12 C lower than on a non-landscaped street, and air dust in the summer is 40% lower.

Forest is a fine dust filter, a hectare of beech forest holds 68 tons of dust, which is then washed away by the first heavy rain. A hectare of larch holds up to 100 tons of dust. Of urban plantations, lilac is especially active in holding dust.

In addition, green spaces are a good noise absorber, the green area absorbs up to 20% of street noise.

Asphalting has a negative effect on the soil, so they should not be abused, especially in parks and on boulevards. It prevents the natural evaporation of moisture, leading to its excessive accumulation in soil horizons. In combination with other adverse factors, this can initiate the flooding process.

Currently, air pollution in the city is mainly provided by car exhaust. An average car burns about 200 kg of oxygen per year, emits more than 2 kg of sulfur oxide and 100 kg of unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Automobile exhausts coexist in the air mass with industrial gases, dust and domestic emissions, sometimes entering into complex photochemical reactions with each other, forming new, more toxic substances. Under adverse weather conditions, they accumulate in the surface air layer, acting as consolidation nuclei. As a result, an increase in convective cloudiness is observed in the atmosphere of the city, the number of days with fog increases, and the amount of precipitation increases by 20-30 millimeters. Since the paved streets and stone masses of buildings are poorly retained and do not absorb moisture, in the summer the microclimate of the city approaches the desert climate with its heat and extreme dry air. Humidity in the city is 6% lower than in the surrounding area.

The harmful effect of air pollutants is manifested in a decrease in solar activity by 20-30% compared with the suburbs, exposure to buildings (decay of facades, loss of protective properties of paint), increased corrosion rate (for iron by 20 times, for aluminum by 100 times), disease and the death of plants and animals.

The biggest danger is the effect of polluted air on the human body. The most dangerous pollutants are carbon monoxide (which causes blood poisoning and suffocation), phenol (destroys the nervous system), nitrogen dioxide (carcinogen), acid, most often sulfur dioxide, formed when sulfur dioxide comes into contact with water vapor (corrodes the lung tissue), hydrogen cyanide and sulfur dioxide, ammonia and formaldehyde (causes lacrimation and damage to the mucous membranes), benzpyrene (a powerful carcinogen), dioxin (carcinogen and mutagen).

In recent years, previously unknown types of pollution of the air have become widespread: magnetoelectric and radiation.

In the basements and lower floors of buildings, radioactive gas radon sometimes accumulates, usually coming through fault zones in the earth from natural sources. Sometimes its presence is explained by the use of uranium-containing clays as building materials. The adverse effects of dust and gaseous emissions are more easily tolerated by humans if there are many rivers, ponds, and water basins in the city. Unfortunately, the number of our reservoirs during the existence of the city decreased, the water quality deteriorated. The location of the city at the confluence of the Kuban and Karasun rivers caused domestic and industrial pollution of these water arteries. Their landscape appearance has significantly changed, right up to the destruction of the Karasun River in the city.

It has already been said that air pollution is more easily tolerated if there are many water bodies in the city. In addition to the Kuban River, Krasnodar also has Karasun lakes. Currently, Karasun represents 15 stagnant lakes that are separated from each other at different distances, which would be more correct to call ponds. Two Pokrovsky lakes are separated by the Dmitrievskaya dam, three lakes of the Kalinin beam between the streets of Seleznev and Stavropol. Ten Pashkov lakes lie on the eastern outskirts of the city. The length of the lakes is from 150 to 800 meters with a maximum depth of 3.5 m. Finally, they are not allowed to rot underwater keys. At one time, enormous efforts and funds were spent to erase the river that determined its location from the city map. Nature herself gave it to us. The remaining ponds did not improve the appearance of the city.

Much can be said about another man-made reservoir near the city - the Krasnodar Reservoir, which has a significant impact on the ecological situation in the city. The main goal when creating the reservoir was to provide water resources for the rice-growing system, which was intensively introduced at that time in the Kuban. Such a powerful transformation of nature cannot be carried out from the standpoint of only agrarians. Another justification was the ability to regulate the flow of the Kuban to prevent flooding, sometimes affecting river sections of the city. One of them in the early 60s and gave impetus to finance the construction of the reservoir. It must be borne in mind that the life of any reservoir is strictly limited and does not exceed 60-80 years. The Krasnodar Sea, therefore, remains no more than 40 years old, after which it will turn into a swamp or disappear. The siltation process is in full swing, the volume of sediment in the bowl is about 120 million cubic meters. Along with siltation, overgrowing of the reservoir occurs due to the violation of the ecological balance due to enrichment with nutrients.

The influence of the reservoir on the microclimate occurs in a zone 4-8 km away from the water. In summer, it has a cooling effect, in winter it warms, but this effect is hardly noticeable. In total, 576,000 hectares are flooded and swamped in the Krasnodar Territory.

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