Environmental problems of modern Russia. Environmental problems in the modern world

The goal of the science of ecology is to study the relationship between plants and animals and their physical and biological environment. The task of ecology today is not only the study of various living organisms and the environment in which they live, but also careful conservation of the ecosystem with its natural cycle.

Deterioration of the general environmental situation in modern world poses a great risk not only to fauna and flora, but also to people. Examples of environmental problems are numerous. Pollution of water bodies is the greatest danger to the life and health of the entire population of the planet. The water is polluted by wastewater: pathogens, chemicals and toxic substances. Dirty drains cause infectious diseases and other diseases. How are these and other problems solved?

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Relevance of the environmental problem

The further we go, the more environmental problems in the vast modern world become more open. Their relevance is obvious, so ecology has become public term, despite its original scientific nature. The term "ecology" was first used in 1866 by the German biologist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel, has its root in the Greek word for "house" and refers to the study of economy in nature.

To understand the state of the environment, you need to establish the difference between physical and biological environment. The term "physical environment" means:

• light;
• warm;
• atmosphere;
• water;
• wind;
• oxygen;
• the soil;
• carbon.

The biological environment consists of plants and animals.

The role of ecology in the modern world

Modern ecology is associated with Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution and natural selection, where Darwin pointed out the strong connection between animals and natural habitats.

But this connection is weakening because people are thinking more about how to satisfy their needs. Takes over consumer attitude to natural resources. People's plans usually do not include caring for plants and animals.

What is the role of ecology today? Lack of care for our planet is the main reason why so many endangered species.

Pollution can be seen in every corner of the world. But still, the number of supporters of environmental protection in the modern world is growing, and we can also join and make our small contribution to the common cause.

The environmental situation has a quantitative, emotional or qualitative assessment. If the environmental situation requires improvement or prevention, then this is an environmental problem. Each person can make a small contribution to eliminating the environmental problem in their locality by sorting garbage before disposal. Everything starts small. We have one planet, and we cannot change it.

Important! Ecology is a complex and comprehensive discipline, very demanding of other areas of science: hydrology, climatology, oceanography, chemistry, geology.

Environmental problems of our time can be briefly presented in the form of the following list:

1. Insufficient water supply.
2. Wastewater.
3. Radioactive waste.
4. Loss of green areas.
5. Expansion of urban areas.
6. Soil pollution poisons and chemicals.
7. Air pollution from industrial waste.
8. Vehicle exhaust gases.
9. Railway noise.

All these problems occur in countries where there is conflict between short-term economic plan and environmental protection.

Local environmental problems

Environmental pollution occurs local, regional and global, depending on the scale of pollution. Local environmental problems include several types:

Loss of biodiversity

It took millions of years for the ecosystem to perfect its natural processes. Natural pollination of plants is essential for the survival of the ecosystem.

With deforestation now are under threat individual species animal and flora . An example of a problem is the destruction of coral reefs in the oceans, which support abundant marine life.

Human activity is leading to extinction individual species animals, plants and their habitats, which leads to loss of biological diversity.

Recycling

Excessive consumption of resources by humans is creating a global crisis - waste management.

• In the process of human life, an excessive amount of garbage is produced, which ends up in underground and open water bodies.
• Disposal of military waste (nuclear waste) poses a huge threat to public health.
• Plastic and electronic waste also threaten human health.

Recycling them remains life problem for the environment.

Air and water pollution

Huge concentration of industrial production, road transport has environmental problems in cities with high density population. Water bodies are polluted by industrial and domestic wastewater. Consumption of contaminated water is a source of infectious diseases. Today, ferrous metallurgy, chemical industrial enterprises and other facilities provide Negative influence on air condition which we breathe. Grow oncological diseases Therefore, environmental problems at enterprises of this kind should be given special attention.

Overpopulation

The inhabitants of the planet are faced with lack of natural resources: fuel, food, water. Population growth in less developed countries is exacerbating the situation. Overpopulation of the continents is worsening environmental problems.

Deforestation

Forests produce oxygen and are natural absorbers of carbon dioxide, and also help regulate temperature and rainfall. Currently, forests cover 30% of the land. Every year the number of trees is decreasing as a result of growing population demand. Deforestation means the destruction of fauna and the loss of entire ecosystems.

These are local environmental problems. But there are also those that cover vast territories. These are regional environmental problems.

Environmental problems on a regional scale

The main problem of the regions remains the state polluted atmospheric air. Regional environmental problems are pollution that occurs within large areas, but does not cover the entire planet.

Emissions enter and natural waters . If the process is prolonged, the atmosphere is damaged, which causes regional environmental pollution.

Local environmental problems become regional with the expansion of urban boundaries and the formation of huge megacities.

General problems

Global environmental problems have large scale of negative consequences.

World Warming

Greenhouse evaporation is result of human activity which influences global warming. The Earth is losing its snow cover, and Arctic flora and fauna are on the verge of extinction. Increasing temperatures of the world's oceans and the Earth's surface are causing polar ice formations to melt and sea levels to rise. Happening unnatural forms of precipitation(excessive snow, rain), in connection with this, floods and inundation of the mainland are becoming more frequent.

Change in the ozone layer

Life began on Earth after the formation of the ozone layer. The ozone shell around the Earth is depleted in volume (compared to 1980), and ozone holes. They exist over Antarctica and Voronezh. The reason for the change is the active launches of rockets, aircraft and satellites.

Important! Changes in the ozone layer are a threat to humans as well as animals. The ozone layer protects us from ultraviolet rays. Without the ozone layer, all people will be susceptible to a number of skin diseases, including skin cancer.

A large number of exhaust gases highlighted by vehicles and various industries. Gas contamination goes beyond acceptable level. When the gases: nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide react with water, the corresponding acid is obtained. If this happens in , then we have acid rain.

Acid rain

The second cause of acid rain is operation of power plants. This problem leads to the pollution of water bodies and soils with cobalt and aluminum compounds, nitric and sulfuric acid.

If you follow the current path, it may come deterioration of the environmental situation, then people will be afraid to go outside in the rain so as not to damage their skin.

Acid rain contributes loss of crops and forests. Because of them, entire ecosystems are disrupted.

For example, in Great Britain, Czechoslovakia and Greece, more than 65% of forests were destroyed by such rains. To fight this, humanity plants trees.

Climate change on the planet

Warming occurs as a result of the combustion of fuel from thermal power plants and the emission of harmful gases by industry. Climate change is having harmful effects on nature. Along with the melting of polar ice, seasonal changes have appeared, new diseases, frequent natural disasters, changes in general weather conditions.

Solving environmental problems in poor countries

In poor countries, the environmental situation is deteriorating. People on the brink of survival. The attitude of destruction must be changed to preserving peace and harmony with nature. However, the situation will not change if developed countries are busy solving only their own global problems, ignoring the terrible conditions in poor countries. Environmental protection issues should not be the last thing people worry about.

How environmental problems are solved in the modern world

The state of the environment is catastrophic– Issues are being resolved slowly. People still need environmental consciousness. We are all responsible together for saving our planet. We must correct the mistakes before it is too late. Some small steps have already been taken, but many more steps are required at the global level.

Important!Modern technologies should take advantage of a peaceful coexistence between ecology and industry, in which the main emphasis is on the use of energy resources with the least negative impact on the environment.

The state of the environment will improve today if the main energy resources are wind, water and sun. The environmental crisis requires appropriate legislative support, which should prohibit modern technologies with a negative impact on the environment. Only those technologies should be allowed that save the environment.

The influence of humanity on the planet's ecosystems

Pollution and environmental protection

Conclusion

We have already witnessed many environmental disasters on the planet. Passive observation is not enough. Who knows, maybe this is our only chance to save the Earth. So what are we waiting for?

To follow the right path to solving environmental problems, you need understand the nature of natural crises in general and its individual manifestations, draw conclusions from the mistakes made. Otherwise, the crisis will develop into an irreversible ecological disaster with complete destruction of the biosphere. Environmental problems are at the top of the list of urgent tasks.

According to world studies, the country is included in the list of the most polluted countries in the world. The difficult environmental situation entails a poor quality of life and negatively affects the general condition of citizens. The reason for the emergence of problems of environmental pollution is the dynamic desire of man to influence the environment. In response to the selfish actions of the most intelligent being, nature aggressively rewards what it deserves. The environmental situation in Russia requires an early resolution, otherwise there will be a serious imbalance between man and the environment.

The geographic environment must be divided into two component categories. The first includes the habitat of living beings, the second includes nature as a colossal storehouse of resources. The task of humanity is to learn how to extract minerals without violating the integrity of the objective environment.

Pollution of the environment, irrational use of materials, thoughtless destruction of flora and fauna - these mistakes are a priority for the Russian Federation and have existed for a long time. Large industrial enterprises, agricultural corporations and the individual desire of a person to maximize their needs become the main argument in the case of an extremely alarming environmental situation (see). Insufficient desire to resolve a difficult situation drags the state into a larger crisis. The main environmental problems of Russia are:

The government has left virtually no control over the activities of corporations engaged in... Today, the situation has sharply worsened in the north-west of the country and in areas of Siberia, where hundreds of hectares of trees are being destroyed. Forests are being modified to create agricultural areas in their place. This provokes the displacement of many species of flora and fauna from the areas that are their real home. With any form of cutting down a green zone, 40% of wood is irreversible loss. Reforestation is difficult: a planted tree needs 10 to 15 years to fully grow. In addition, legislative approval is often required for restoration (see).

Energy objects are among the bases that intensively depress the biosphere. Currently, methods for extracting electrical or thermal resources are focused on the prospect of exploitation, whereas in former periods the course was aimed towards minimizing financial costs. Each energy facility accumulates a huge risk of causing significant harm to our planet. Even regulating the limits of negative impacts cannot fully eliminate the danger.

Mining useful resources, humans pollute groundwater, soil and atmosphere. Animals and plants are forced to live in unsuitable conditions. Oil transported on ships spills, resulting in the death of many creatures. A colossal amount of harm is caused by the process of coal and gas extraction. Radiation pollution poses a threat and changes the environment. These environmental problems in Russia will cause irreparable damage to the country if significant measures are not taken.

Interesting! The country's largest oil dump is located in the Gulf of Finland. Contamination affects nearby soils and groundwater. Alarming statements are emerging: a large percentage of drinking water in the state is no longer suitable for consumption.

Polluted water bodies do not allow the use of the life-giving element to feed creatures. Industrial enterprises discharge waste into the aquatic environment. In Russia there are a small number of treatment facilities, and much of the equipment is out of order, and this aggravates the problem. As water becomes polluted, water becomes scarce, which leads to the death of ecosystems.

Industrial facilities are the main sources of air pollution. According to indications special services a quarter of all production waste is released into the environment. Most residents of large metallurgical cities breathe air full of heavy metals every day. The fly in the ointment in this matter is added by vehicle exhaust gases.

There are more than four hundred nuclear reactors in the world, 46 of them are located in the Russian Federation. Nuclear explosions that irradiate water, soil and organisms produce radioactive contamination. The danger also comes from the operation of the stations, and leakage is possible during transportation. Dangerous rays also come from certain rocks (uranium, thorium, radium) lying deep underground.

Only 4% of all Russian garbage is recycled, the rest is transformed into huge landfills, which provoke epidemics and infectious diseases in animals living nearby. People don't care about keeping things clean own home, cities, countries, therefore there is a huge risk of infection (see).

Poaching in Russia is the most important issue, the essence of which is the unauthorized extraction of natural resources. Criminals, despite the state’s attempts to suppress any untruth, cleverly disguise themselves with fake licenses and avoid punishment. Fines for poaching are fundamentally inconsistent with the harm caused. Many breeds and varieties of nature are difficult to restore.

How are environmental problems solved in Russia?

In our state, supervision over the extraction of mineral resources has been significantly weakened, despite the fact that the preservation and improvement of the environment comes first. The laws and local documentation being developed do not have sufficient power to work effectively, completely leveling or reducing the main environmental problems of Russia.

Interesting! The Ministry of Ecology of the Russian Federation, reporting directly to the government, has existed since 2008. It has a large scope of activities in the direction of quality improvement local systems. However, there is no body in the country that would monitor the implementation of laws, so the ministry remains in limbo and passive.

The government, however, is taking organized measures aimed at resolving the situation in the most unfavorable industrial areas of the Russian Federation. It uses innovative technologies, strengthen monitoring of large-scale structures, and also introduce energy-saving procedures into production.

An integrated approach to the problem is needed, including long-term actions in all areas of human life and society. Fundamental resolution of the environmental situation in the Russian Federation includes the following categories:

The legal system creates a large body of laws to protect the environment. international experience plays a vital role here.

Eliminating the consequences of irrational use of the planet's resources requires considerable financial support.

The use of new technologies in industry will reduce environmental pollution. The main goal of the development is to create environmentally friendly energy. Special plants allow you to dispose of waste with the highest percentage of usefulness. Consequently, excess territory is not occupied, and the energy from combustion is used for industrial needs.

Greening populated areas will be beneficial. It is necessary to plant trees near places of high pollution, and also to take measures to protect the soil from erosion. (cm. )

The plans include reducing the amount of household waste and treating wastewater. Modern technologies make it possible to achieve a transition from oil and coal to sources based on solar and hydropower. Biofuel significantly reduces the concentration of harmful elements in the atmosphere.

An important task seems to be to teach the population of the Russian Federation careful attitude to the surrounding world.

The decision to switch vehicles to gas, electricity and hydrogen will reduce emissions of toxic exhaust. A method for producing nuclear energy from water is at the development stage.

Expert opinion - Environmental issues and corporations

These days, the topic of environmental protection is heard more and more often; many countries are concerned about water, soil and air pollution, deforestation and global warming. In Russia, new standards are emerging in the field of construction and emissions regulation, social movements and programs. This is certainly a positive trend. However, all this solves only part of the problems. It is necessary to develop and stimulate voluntary efforts to reduce the burden on the environment, including among large companies.

Environmental responsibility of mining and manufacturing corporations

Mining and manufacturing corporations have a particularly high potential for environmental damage, so they typically devote significant resources to environmental programs.

For example, the SIBUR corporation holds numerous cleanup days throughout Russia, and the Gazprom group invested more than 22 billion rubles last year. on environmental protection, the AVTOVAZ group reported success in reducing harmful industrial emissions and reducing the volume of solid waste. Environmental responsibility is an international practice.

For the last 5 years, the international corporation 3M has been conducting an annual environmental audit to assess the effectiveness of its sustainable development policy. One of its first points is the economical use of wood and mineral resources, including through increased use of recyclable materials. 3M, a member of the international association The Forest Trust, also motivates many other companies to protect the Earth's resources by increasing environmental requirements for their suppliers.

On the other hand, manufacturing corporations can help preserve the environment by inventing and introducing environmentally friendly products. An example is special coating for solar panels , invented by 3M, which improves the efficiency and lifespan of these renewable energy sources.

Application of an integrated approach while preserving the environment

Tangible results are achievable by implementing an integrated approach, which involves leveling out all controllable factors that negatively affect the environment.

For example, it is not enough to organize tree planting in the fight against global warming. Companies must also reduce their consumption of greenhouse gases that remain in the atmosphere for years, including refrigerants used in refrigeration, firefighting and chemical production.

Example. An adult tree absorbs on average 120 kg of CO2 per year, and the release of 1 cylinder with fire extinguishing refrigerant will amount to several tons of CO2 equivalent. That is, choosing an ecological fire extinguishing system, for example, with GOTV Novek® 1230, which has minimal global warming potential, will have the same effect as planting a small park of trees.

The challenge of an effective nature conservation program is taking into account and prioritizing all factors affecting the environment. The task of the professional community is to form a center of competence, a set of ready-made environmental solutions, which will be convenient for companies to implement and use.

International environmental organizations in Russia

A whole range of specialized structures for environmental protection operate in the country. These organizations coordinate security specifics regardless of the political situation. Russia are involved in the work large number international structures for environmental protection. These organizations are strictly divided by areas of interest. Below is a list of systems operating in the Russian Federation.

• The UN has developed a special UNEP program that protects nature from inappropriate use.
• WWF – International is the largest organization protecting biological resources. They provide financial support for the protection, development and training of such structures.
• GEF - created to help developing countries solve environmental problems.
• Operating since the early 70s, UNESCO supports peace and environmental safety in the country, and also deals with regulations on the development of culture and science.
• The FAO organization works towards improving the quality of agricultural crafts and the extraction of natural resources.
• "Ark" is an environmental movement that promotes the idea of ​​selling food and goods that do not litter or pollute the environment.
• WCP is a program that develops methods for long-term climate change and its improvement.
• WHO is an organization whose goal is to achieve humanity better conditions life on the planet by monitoring the use of resources.
• WSOP - the program accumulates the experience of all states and builds ways to resolve problems.
• WWW is a service that collects information about weather conditions in all countries.

The work of international environmental organizations in Russia helps to increase national interest in cleaning up the native land and increase the overall level of cleanliness of the environment.

Interesting! Mistrust of the authorities, accusations of espionage, and a ban on receiving proper information complicate the activities of these structures. Domestic systems do not want to spend money on environmental protection measures and do not accept the essence of environmental management, for which international institutions are convened.

Social structure specialists conducted a survey on this topic. Based on the results, lists of favorable and unfavorable cities were compiled. The course of the study was shaped by the opinions of residents who distributed 100 items. The respondents rate the situation as a whole at 6.5 points.

• The most environmentally friendly city in Russia is Sochi. Armavir takes second place. These settlements have excellent climatic conditions with clean air, sea and plenty of vegetation. In these cities, the desire of the residents themselves to erect gazebos, flower beds or front gardens is noted.
• Sevastopol took third place. The metropolis is characterized by a variety of flora, little traffic and a fresh atmosphere.
• The top ten environmental favorites include: Kaliningrad, Grozny, Stavropol, Saransk, Nalchik, Korolev and Cheboksary. The capital is in 12th place, and St. Petersburg is in the middle of the third ten.

Rating of Russian cities by ecology 2017 – the dirtiest megacities

Here are settlements that were originally planned as industrial. Despite the efforts of the authorities, the situation in these cities remains virtually unchanged.

• Those surveyed placed Bratsk in last, 100th place on the list. Respondents note a huge amount of garbage on the streets and a minimal number of green spaces. People living here smell emissions all the time.
• Novokuznetsk is in 99th place. The “coal capital” of Russia is experiencing a glut of heavy metals in the atmosphere. Residents find it difficult to breathe in windless weather; there is always thick smog here.
• Chelyabinsk closes the top three outsiders in the environmental rating. Respondents note poor water quality and dirty oxygen. Magnitogorsk, Makhachkala, Krasnoyarsk and Omsk are nearby on the list.

Expert opinion - Experience of other countries in eliminating environmental problems

Alexander Levin, Executive Director Fund for Support of Foreign Economic Activity of the Moscow Region

In my opinion, when solving environmental problems in our country, it is necessary to adopt the experience, first of all, of the countries of the European Union, especially such as Denmark, Germany, and Austria. These states are focusing on improving plant efficiency, cleaning up air emissions and recycling wastewater.

In addition, in European countries a lot of attention is paid to the recycling of raw materials, as well as the creation of renewable energy sources. In Russia, the problem is the basic lack of industrial treatment facilities and stormwater treatment facilities. There is also a technological backwardness of the processes of reconstruction of existing ones. I think that now we need to increase the amount of funding for activities related to the reconstruction of such facilities in the housing and communal services and road infrastructure, as well as subsidize the creation of new treatment infrastructure where it does not exist. This is the only way we can preserve water resources in our country.

Solving environmental problems in Russia is a priority task not only for government agencies, but also for the population, who must reconsider their own views on the preservation and protection of the environment.

Environmental problems of the earth– these are environmental crisis situations that are relevant for the entire planet, and their solution is possible only with the participation of all humanity.

It should immediately be noted that any environmental problems of the earth are closely related to other global world problems, they influence each other and the emergence of some leads to the emergence or aggravation of others.

1. Climate change

First of all, we are talking here about global warming . This is precisely what has been worrying ecologists and ordinary people Worldwide.

The consequences of this problem are completely bleak: rising sea levels, a decrease in agricultural production, a shortage of fresh water (primarily this concerns lands that are located north and south of the equator). One of the main causes of climate change is greenhouse gases.

Ecologists have proposed the following solutions to this problem:

– reduction of carbon dioxide emissions

– transition to carbon-free fuels

– development of a more economical fuel use strategy

2. Overpopulation of the planet

During the second half of the 20th century, the world's population grew from 3 to 6 billion. And according to current forecasts, by 2040 this figure will reach 9 billion people. This will lead to shortages of food, water and energy. The number of diseases will also increase.

3. Ozone depletion

This environmental problem leads to an increase in the flow of ultraviolet radiation to the Earth's surface. To date, the ozone layer over countries with temperate climate has already decreased by 10%, which causes irreparable harm to human health and can cause skin cancer and vision problems. Depletion of the ozone layer can also harm agriculture, as many crops are damaged by excessive ultraviolet radiation.

4. Declining biodiversity

Due to intense human activity, many animals and plants have disappeared from the face of the earth. And this trend continues. The main reasons for the decline in biological diversity are considered to be loss of habitat, overexploitation of biological resources, environmental pollution, impact biological species, brought from other territories.

5. Pandemics

Lately, new ones appear almost every year dangerous diseases caused by previously unknown viruses and bacteria. Which caused outbreaks of epidemics around the world.

6. Freshwater crisis

About a third of people on earth suffer from a lack of fresh water. At the moment, practically nothing is being done to preserve existing water sources. According to the UN, most cities around the world do not properly treat their wastewater. Because of this, nearby rivers and lakes are susceptible to pollution.

7. Widespread use of chemicals and toxic substances, heavy metals

Over the past two centuries, humanity has been actively using chemicals, toxic substances in industry, heavy metals which causes great harm to the environment. An ecosystem contaminated with toxic chemicals is very difficult to clean, and even real life Rarely anyone does this. Meanwhile, reducing the production of harmful compounds and minimizing their emissions is an important part of preserving the environment.

8. Deforestation

Deforestation around the world is occurring at alarming rates. Russia ranks first in this environmental problem: from 2000 to 2013, 36.5 million hectares of forest were cut down. This problem causes irreparable harm to the vital habitat of many plants and animals and leads to loss of biodiversity and deterioration of important ecosystems, as well as an increase in the greenhouse effect due to reduced photosynthesis.

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Ecological problem- one of the global problems of our time. It is closely related to issues of resource scarcity. environmental safety and environmental crisis. One of the ways to resolve the environmental problem is the path of “sustainable development”, proposed as the main alternative for the development of human civilization.

Global environmental problems

Scientific and technological progress has confronted humanity with a number of new, very complex problems that it had not encountered before at all, or the problems were not so large-scale. Among them, a special place is occupied by the relationship between man and the environment. In the 20th century, nature was under pressure from a 4-fold increase in population and an 18-fold increase in global production. Scientists claim that since about the 1960-70s. environmental changes under human influence have become worldwide, i.e. affecting all countries of the world without exception, which is why they began to be called global. The most relevant among them are:

• Earth's climate change;
• air pollution;
• ozone layer destruction;
• depletion of fresh water reserves and pollution of the World Ocean;
• land pollution, destruction of soil cover;
• depletion of biological diversity, etc.

Environmental changes in the 1970s-90s. and forecast for

2030 are reflected in table. 1. Secretary General UN Kofi Annan at the meeting of heads of state and government of UN member countries (September 2000) presented the report “We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century.” The report examines the priority strategic areas facing humanity in the new millennium and emphasizes that “the challenge of ensuring a sustainable future for future generations will be one of the most challenging.”

Table 1. Environmental changes and expected trends until 2030

Characteristic	Trend 1970-1990	Scenario 2030
Reduction of area of ​​natural ecosystems	Reduction at a rate of 0.5-1.0% per year on land; by the beginning of the 1990s. about 40% of them have survived	Continued trend, approaching almost complete elimination on land
Consumption of primary biological products	Consumption growth: 40% onshore, 25% global (1985 est.)	Consumption growth: 80-85% on land, 50-60% global
Changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere	Increase in greenhouse gas concentrations from tenths of a percent to a few percent annually	Increased concentration, accelerated growth of CO and CH 4 concentrations due to accelerated destruction of biota
Depletion of the ozone layer, growing ozone hole over Antarctica	Depletion of the ozone layer by 1-2% per year, increase in the area of ​​ozone holes	The trend will continue even if CFC emissions cease by 2000.
Declining forest area, especially tropical forests	Reduction at a rate from 117 (1980) to 180 ± 20 thousand km 2 (1989) per year; reforestation refers to the clearing of forests as 1:10	Continuation of the trend, reduction in forest area in the tropics from 18 (1990) to 9-11 million km 2, reduction in the area of ​​temperate forests
Desertification	Expansion of desert area (60 thousand km 2 per year), increase in technogenic desertification. toxic deserts	The trend will continue, the rate may increase due to a decrease in moisture turnover on land and the accumulation of pollutants in soils
Land degradation	Increased erosion (24 billion tons annually), decreased fertility, accumulation of pollutants, acidification, salinization	Continuation of the trend, growth of erosion and pollution, reduction of agricultural land per capita
Rising sea levels	Sea level rise by 1-2 mm per year	The trend will continue, the level rise may accelerate to 7 mm per year
Natural disasters, man-made accidents	Increase in numbers by 5-7%, increase in damage by 5-10%, increase in the number of victims by 6-12% per year	Maintaining and strengthening trends
Species extinction	Rapid extinction of species	Increasing trend towards destruction of the biosphere
Qualitative depletion of land waters	Increase in the volume of wastewater, point and area sources of pollution, the number of pollutants and their concentrations	Preservation and growth of trends
Accumulation of pollutants in environments and organisms, migration in trophic chains	An increase in the mass and number of pollutants accumulated in environments and organisms, an increase in the radioactivity of the environment, “chemical bombs”	Continuation of trends and their possible strengthening
Deterioration in quality of life, increase in diseases associated with environmental pollution (including genetic), emergence of new diseases	Rising poverty, food shortages, high infant mortality, high level morbidity, lack of clean drinking water in developing countries; an increase in genetic diseases, a high accident rate, an increase in drug consumption, an increase in allergic diseases in developed countries; AIDS pandemic in the world, decreased immune status	Continuing trends, growing food shortages, growing diseases associated with environmental disturbances (including genetic ones), expanding the territory of infectious diseases, emergence of new diseases

Environmental problem

Environment (natural environment, natural environment) is called that part of nature with which human society directly interacts in its life and economic activity.

Although the second half of the 20th century. - this is a time of unprecedented rates of economic growth, but it is increasingly being carried out without proper consideration of the possibilities of the environment natural environment, permissible economic loads on it. As a result, degradation of the natural environment occurs.

Irrational environmental management

An example of environmental degradation as a result of unsustainable environmental management is deforestation and depletion of land resources. The process of deforestation is expressed in a reduction in the area under natural vegetation, and primarily forest. According to some estimates, during the emergence of agriculture and cattle breeding, forests covered 62 million km2 of land, and taking into account shrubs and copses, 75 million km2, or 56% of its entire surface. As a result of deforestation, which has been going on for 10 thousand years, their area has decreased to 40 million km 2, and the average forest cover has decreased to 30%. Nowadays, deforestation continues at an increasingly rapid pace: about 100 thousand are destroyed annually. km 2. Forest areas are disappearing as the cultivation of land and pastures expands, and timber harvesting increases. A particularly dangerous situation has developed in the tropical forest zone, primarily in countries such as Brazil and the Philippines. Indonesia, Thailand.

As a result of soil degradation processes, about 7 million hectares of fertile land are lost annually from global agricultural production. The main reasons for this process are growing urbanization, water and wind erosion, as well as chemical erosion (contamination with heavy metals, chemical compounds) and physical (destruction of soil cover during mining, construction and other work) degradation. The process of soil degradation is particularly intense in drylands, which occupy about 6 million km2 and are most characteristic of Asia and Africa. The main desertification areas are also located within the arid lands, where, due to the high growth rate of the rural population, overgrazing of livestock, deforestation and unsustainable irrigated agriculture lead to anthropogenic desertification (60 thousand km 2 annually).

Pollution of the natural environment with waste

Another reason for the degradation of the natural environment is its pollution with waste from industrial and non-industrial human activities. These wastes are divided into solid, liquid and gaseous.

The following calculations are indicative. Currently, on average, about 20 tons of raw materials are mined and grown annually per inhabitant of the Earth. At the same time, 50 km 3 of fossil rocks (more than 1000 billion tons) are extracted from the subsoil alone, which, using an energy power of 2500 W and 800 tons of water, are converted into 2 tons of the final product, of which 50% is thrown away immediately, the rest goes into delayed waste.

The structure of solid waste is dominated by industrial and mining waste. In general and per capita, they are especially large in Russia and the USA. Japan. In terms of per capita indicator of solid household waste, the lead belongs to the United States, where each resident produces 800 kg of garbage per year (400 kg per resident of Moscow).

Liquid waste primarily pollutes the hydrosphere, with the main pollutants here being wastewater and oil. The total volume of wastewater at the beginning of the 21st century. amounted to about 1860 km 3. To dilute a unit volume of contaminated wastewater to an acceptable level for use, an average of 10 to 100 and even 200 units is required clean water. Asia, North America and Europe account for about 90% of the world's wastewater discharges.

As a result, degradation aquatic environment These days it has become global. Approximately 1.3 billion people use only contaminated water at home, and 2.5 billion experience a chronic lack of fresh water, which causes many epidemic diseases. Due to the pollution of rivers and seas, fishing opportunities are reduced.

Of great concern is the pollution of the atmosphere by dust and gaseous waste, emissions of which are directly related to the combustion of mineral fuels and biomass, as well as from mining, construction and other earthworks(2/3 of all emissions come from developed Western countries, including the USA - 120 million tons). Examples of major pollutants are typically particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Every year, about 60 million tons of particulate matter are emitted into the Earth's atmosphere, which contribute to the formation of smog and reduce the transparency of the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide (100 million tons) and nitrogen oxides (about 70 million tons) are the main sources of acid rain. A large-scale and dangerous aspect of the environmental crisis is the impact of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, on the lower layers of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere mainly as a result of the combustion of mineral fuels (2/3 of all receipts). Sources of methane entering the atmosphere include biomass combustion, some types of agricultural production, and gas leaks from oil and gas wells. The international community has decided to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2005 and by 50% by mid XXI V. In developed countries of the world, appropriate laws and regulations have been adopted for this purpose (for example, a special tax on carbon dioxide emissions).

Depletion of the gene pool

One aspect of the environmental problem is the decrease in biological diversity. The biological diversity of the Earth is estimated at 10-20 million species, including 10-12% of the total in the territory of the former USSR. The damage in this area is already quite noticeable. This occurs due to the destruction of plant and animal habitats, overexploitation of agricultural resources, and environmental pollution. According to American scientists, over the past 200 years, about 900 thousand species of plants and animals have disappeared on Earth. In the second half of the 20th century. the process of reduction of the gene pool has sharply accelerated, and if current trends continue over the last quarter of a century, the disappearance of 1/5 of all species currently inhabiting our planet is possible.

Ecological situation in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century.

The environmental situation in our country is determined by two factors: a decrease in environmental protection costs, on the one hand, and a smaller scale of economic activity than before, on the other.

For example, in 2000, there were almost 21 thousand enterprises operating in Russia that emitted emissions into the atmosphere. These emissions amounted (including cars) to more than 85 million tons, of which almost 16 million were without any treatment. For comparison, in the USSR, emissions from stationary sources and road transport were in the mid-80s. 95 million tons, in Russia in the early 90s - about 60 million tons. The largest air pollutants in modern conditions are Siberian and Ural federal districts. They accounted for about 54% of total emissions from stationary sources.

According to the State Water Cadastre, in 2000 the total water intake from natural objects will be 86 km 3 (of which more than 67 km 3 was used for domestic drinking, industrial needs, irrigation and agricultural water supply). The total volume of discharge of contaminated wastewater into surface water exceeded 20 km\ of which 25% occurs in the Central Federal District. In the USSR this figure was 160 km 3, in Russia in the 90s. - 70 km 3 (40% of them are unrefined or insufficiently purified).

In 2000, more than 130 million tons of toxic waste were generated throughout Russia. Only 38% of the waste was fully used and neutralized. The largest number of them was formed in the Siberian Federal District (31% of the entire Russian Federation). If speak about solid waste in general, in the USSR about 15 billion tons of them were formed annually, in Russia in the early 90s. — 7 billion tons.

Thus, although in Russia in the 90s. because of economic crisis there was a sharp decrease in emissions of all types of waste, subsequent the economic growth leads to an increase in the volume of waste that pollutes the environment.

Currently, most of humanity is simply a consumer of the generous gifts of nature, destroying what the planet has protected for millions of years. But there is a limit to everything, and our current ecology is an example of this.

The rapid development of industry, the emergence of new synthetic materials and the thoughtless use of natural resources by people have led to the fact that the environmental situation of the planet is steadily deteriorating. And environmental problems have already assumed global proportions.

Nature is dying for metal

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The pride of our country, some of the best diamonds in the world, are mined in the SAHA Republic of Yakutia. Before becoming precious diamonds, stones undergo a long period of technological process production

Soil, the fertile layer of the earth, thanks to which most living organisms on the planet, including humans, feed. Preserving it is the most important task of people.

Environmental pollution is an inevitable consequence of the progress of human civilization. This phenomenon poses a threat to both the environment as a whole and the life and health of people.

What is it like to be in hothouse conditions?

The greenhouse effect is the overheating of the planet's inner atmospheric layers.

It is caused by increased volumes of fuel consumption, during the combustion of which dust, methane, CO2 and other harmful compounds are released into the atmosphere. Accumulating there, they miss Sun rays, but do not allow heat to dissipate (like plastic film). Results: an increase in the Earth's temperature, smoothing out the difference between day and night temperatures, melting glaciers, a sharp change in climate.

What harms nature the most?

The most environmentally harmful industries are:

• enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy;
• chemical industry enterprises;
• oil refineries;
• pulp and paper production.

Each of us makes a daily contribution to environmental degradation by throwing out and pouring into the environment:

• household synthetic waste;
• vehicle exhausts;
• waste water containing detergents, detergents and pesticides.

The scale of the environmental problem

All of the above factors lead to the following:

• About 20 billion hectares of soil are depleted annually;
• 6 million hectares of formerly cultivated land are becoming deserts;
• there is an expansion of desert areas (the Sahara covers 50 km of land per year);
• over 60 years, forest areas have decreased from 15% to 7%;
• annually destroys 11 million hectares;
• the area of ​​tropical forests burned per year is 1/2 the area of ​​France;
• The 20 billion tons of CO2 emitted annually into the atmosphere has increased by 10% since the beginning of the last century, which contributes to the development of the greenhouse effect;
• The planet's ozone layer is destroyed by 9%, this is the area equal to size USA;
• 30 billion tons of petroleum products, 50,000 tons of pesticides and 5,000 tons of mercury enter the waters of the World Ocean every year;
• In the Russian Federation alone, vehicle emissions account for 30% of the total amount of air pollutants.

And this is not a complete list of the results of anthropogenic activities.

What will the greenhouse effect lead to?

According to scientists' forecasts, if during this century the temperature increases by another 1-3°, then due to the melting of Greenland's glaciers, the water level in the World Ocean will rise, which will lead to desalination of the current on a planetary scale (the Gulf Stream). Its salty waters warm the whole of Europe, but desalination causes the Gulf Stream to slow down, and as a result the average annual temperature and climate change.

Abnormal heat in summer and arctic cold in winter will turn fertile lands into deserts. Species of plants and animals living in narrow temperature ranges will die, destroying links in food chains. The number of earthquakes, floods and hurricanes will increase. It will be very difficult for both flora and fauna to survive in such conditions.

When will the Earth become a garbage dump?

The accumulation of household waste and toxic substances in the habitats of living organisms will lead to the complete destruction of their habitats and the destruction of food. Poisoned waters and soils will turn plants poisonous and unsuitable for food. Some living beings mutate due to radiation substances accumulated in the environment. However, such individuals will not be able to leave full-fledged offspring. Therefore, the chances of normal conditions habitat and survival will not be left to anyone.

• limit the population;
• reduce energy consumption and use;
• reduce emissions into the atmosphere;
• use natural energy sources;
• Use cleaning filters in heavily contaminated areas.

It is also possible to stop the greenhouse effect, and for this it is necessary:

• replace fossil fuels with hydro, solar, and water energy;
• apply waste-free technologies;
• achieve minimization of methane emissions;
• develop technologies for CO2 absorption;
• stop massive deforestation;
• increase the amount of green space.

Provided that these measures are observed by absolutely all states and countries of the world, with close international cooperation, our planet will be able to get out of the impending environmental disaster.

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