Summary of the lesson "consequences of human economic activity for the environment." The main environmental problems of our time

Anthropogenic impact strongly changes natural processes. The global consequences of pollution are the greenhouse effect, the destruction of the ozone layer, the disruption of natural cycles, and acid rain.

Greenhouse effect and global warming .

The greenhouse effect is an increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere as a result of an increase in the concentration of "greenhouse gases" (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, etc.) in it, which prevent the normal heat exchange of the Earth.

The cause of the greenhouse effect is the release into the atmosphere large quantities"greenhouse gases". Containing in the atmosphere in large quantities nitrogen and oxygen almost do not delay the thermal radiation emanating from the heated surface of the Earth. But "greenhouse gases" - water vapor and carbon dioxide - keep 84% of this radiation. The most important of the greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The increase in its content in the atmosphere began in the 19th century and continues to this day. Over the past 100 years, the content of CO 2 in the atmosphere has increased by 25%. During the same period, the content of methane increased by 2 times. Billions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere every year as a result of fuel combustion (in transport engines, in energy production). Methane enters the atmosphere during the extraction of natural gas, as a result of the decomposition of organic remains.

An atmosphere saturated with greenhouse gases, like a glass roof in a greenhouse, allows the sun's rays to pass through, but does not allow heat to escape, delaying the thermal radiation of the Earth. This increases the average ambient temperature. An increase in temperature leads to a decrease in the solubility of CO 2 in the World Ocean, which causes the appearance of new portions of gas in the atmosphere.

As a result of the warming of the atmosphere, the glaciers melt and the water expands, which leads to an increase in the level of the World Ocean. Already now there is an intensive melting of the ice of Antarctica. Over the past decades, the thickness of ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased by 40%. By 2030-2050, at the current production rates, there should be an increase in temperature by 1.5 - 4.5 0 С, which will cause a rise in the level of the World Ocean by 50-100 cm, and by the end of the century - by 2 m.

The rise in the level of the World Ocean means the flooding of vast coastal areas, the disappearance of small islands, and the swamping of lands in many areas. This will be a serious blow to the global economy, since most of the world's population lives near oceans and seas.

Another consequence of climate warming will be severe hurricanes, droughts, monsoon rains, forest fires. There is speculation that a sharp increase in temperature could change the global ocean circulation, resulting in the rapid onset of the next ice age(i.e. rapid global cooling).

Even very small, within 1-2 0 C, climate change leads to droughts in some areas, the expansion of deserts, and an increase in rainfall and floods in other areas. Over the past 50 years, the total area of ​​​​deserts has increased by about 9 million km 2 - an area equal in size to half South America. With climate change, the normal change of seasons is disrupted, biological rhythms change, which leads to the death of many organisms.

In 1992, at a conference on environmental protection in Rio de Janeiro, the UN convention on climate change was adopted, according to which 25 developed countries and countries with developing economies should take on the following obligations: to return to greenhouse gas emissions at the level of 1990, provide financial resources and safe technologies to other countries, etc.

Destruction of the ozone layer .

Another global consequence pollution is the destruction of the ozone layer, which protects the biosphere from powerful cosmic radiation. The first ozone holes were discovered in 1975 over Antarctica. The ozone layer is currently being depleted over many areas of the globe. The ozone layer over Antarctica over the past few decades has decreased by 40%, over the North Pole - by 10%. There are many "holes" in the protective ozone layer. Ozone holes have also been found over Russia, especially over its cold part - Siberia.

A decrease in the amount of ozone in the atmosphere affects the planet's climate and human health. Ultraviolet radiation penetrating through the ozone holes has sufficient energy to destroy most of the organic compounds of a living cell. In areas with low ozone, there is an increase in the incidence of eye diseases in people, suppression of the immune system, as well as an increase in the number of cancers. Thus, American scientists have found that a decrease in the ozone layer by 1% leads to an increase in ultraviolet radiation by 2% and, as a result, an increase in cases of skin cancer by 2.5%. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, plants gradually lose their ability to photosynthesis. This has a particularly strong effect on the photosynthetics of the ocean - small plankton, which is the food of most fish. The death of plankton disrupts all trophic chains in aquatic systems, which inevitably leads to degradation of the biosphere.

The reason for the appearance of ozone holes is the destruction of ozone upon contact with certain pollutants (fluorochlorocarbons - freons, nitrogen oxides), as well as nuclear weapons testing. Freons are used in large quantities in the form of refrigerants in refrigerators, as solvents, sprayers in aerosol cans. These light gases rise to the upper layers of the atmosphere, where they are destroyed with the release of very active chlorine and bromine radicals that interact with ozone. In addition to destroying ozone, freons also enhance the greenhouse effect, playing a double negative role in the atmosphere.

Freon production in the world is very large. Only the United States produces 800-900 thousand tons per year - half of the total.

Acid precipitation over large areas .

The main cause of acid rain is the emission of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which form acids when interacting with water. Gaseous substances are carried by air currents over long distances. As a result, precipitation becomes acidic in many areas (рН = 5−6; precipitation with pH=2−3 has also been registered). The consequence of this is the acidification of soils and water bodies in large areas, the death of aquatic organisms, the inhibition of vegetation and the degradation of natural ecosystems. Washed out of the soil nutrients, as well as toxic compounds that come back to living organisms. As a result of acid rain, forests are dying all over the world. Under the influence of acidic compounds, buildings, structures are destroyed, bridges, various metal structures are corroded, and people's health is harmed.

Smog formation over industrial centers .

Smog is a mixture of smoke, fog and dust that forms a poisonous haze over the city. There are two main types of smog: winter (London type) and summer (Los Angeles type).

Winter (London) smog formed over large industrial centers in winter, in the absence of wind. At the same time, the concentration of pollutants reaches large values, which leads to a deterioration in the health of people.

In 1952, as a result of the formation of this type of smog over London, from December 3 to December 9, more than 4 thousand people died in the city, about 10 thousand were hospitalized. Later, a similar type of smog was observed over other cities. Only the wind can dissipate the smog, reducing the concentration of pollutants contributes to a decrease in their release.

Summer (LA) smog also called photochemical. It occurs in the summer as a result of the intense effect of solar radiation on air supersaturated with car emissions. Under the influence of solar energy, some pollutants (for example, nitrogen oxides) form very toxic substances that irritate the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and organs of vision. This smog is typical for cities located in the lowlands.

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INSTRUCTIONS
For use in the educational process of this study guide students must complete the following activities: 1. Perform practical work for the development of terminological concepts

Lecture.
Topic: Introduction to general ecology. Basic terms and concepts 1. Ecology is the science of the interaction of living organisms with their environment. classical ecology

Thermodynamics of living nature processes. Negentropy
It also follows from the second law of thermodynamics that only processes accompanied by energy dissipation and an increase in entropy occur spontaneously - measures of disorder (DS> 0)

Homeostasis and sustainability of ecological systems. Succession
The ecosystem is affected by a large number of factors that tend to bring it out of balance. But nature has mechanisms to maintain balance. So for

An environmental factor is any environmental condition that can have a direct or indirect effect on living organisms.
All environmental factors can be divided into two groups: I) factors of inanimate nature - II) abiotic factors of wildlife; - biotic.

Biotic factors are a combination of the influence of the vital activity of living organisms on other living organisms and on the environment.
1) phytogenic - factors of influence of plant organisms; Any plant community strongly influences abiotic conditions. (for example, forest plants create a microclimate in the forest.) Plants create

Tolerance
Shelford also owns the formulation of the law of tolerance, as if summing up the laws of maximum and minimum: the limiting factor for the prosperity of an organism can be both a minimum and a maximum

Adaptations. life forms
Each species of organisms has its own optimal parameters of environmental factors (its own range of tolerance). With the constant impact of any environmental factor in excess of the limited

Ecological niche of an organism
Plants and animals can only live where conditions are suitable for them. Each organism has its own habitat - the place where it lives or where it can usually be found. In ecology, there are more

Principles of rational nature management. Wasteless technologies
In the transition from the biosphere to the noosphere milestone is the development and implementation of the principles of rational environmental management. A person needs to learn how to regulate his economic

MPE is set for each source of air pollution. At the same time, the limiting emissions are selected so that the surface concentration of harmful substances does not exceed the MPC, i.e. MPE is established taking into account

Environmental monitoring
For the transition of the biosphere into the noosphere, it is necessary to eliminate all the negative consequences of nature management and correct those that have already taken place. To effectively manage the quality of natural

Information methods of environmental management
Environmental management scheme:

A model is a physical or symbolic similarity of a real object, phenomenon or process.
For the organization of rational nature management, models of interaction between human society and the environment are needed in order to foresee the consequences of anthropogenic impact. When modeling

State ecological expertise; environmental licensing. Certification. Ecological passport of the enterprise
Ecological expertise is usually carried out by special executive bodies (State Committee for Ecology, various departments) and is defined as a check of compliance with the planned economic

Biosphere, its structure
The habitat of all living organisms on Earth, including humans, is the biosphere. The biosphere is all the living matter of the Earth and the area of ​​​​its distribution. The biosphere is the

Evolution of the biosphere. Living, inert and bio-inert matter
The doctrine of the biosphere received its formation in the works of the outstanding Russian scientist Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (1863-1945). Vernadsky emphasized that the biosphere is in constant b

and abiotic environment
The main subject of ecology as a science that studies the interaction of living organisms with the environment is an ecological system or ecosystem. An ecosystem is a dimensionless mouth

Levels of organization of life on Earth
The biosphere of the Earth is a complex structure, consisting of a large number of elements. The biological systems that make up the biosphere vary greatly in terms of

Organism and habitat
Organismic is the first level of life organization studied by ecology. A separate living organism is included in higher-level systems (populations, biocenoses, biotic communities) as a subsystem

Systematics of plants and animals
A large number of living organisms live on Earth, differing greatly in their structure and functions. The unit of classification for organisms is a species - a set of similar organisms that have

Biogeocenosis, its structure
The main structural components of the biosphere are biogeocenoses. Biogeocenosis is a macro- or meso-level ecosystem on a certain area of ​​the earth's surface. The concept of biogecenosis is already the concept of e

Biogeochemical cycles of substances
Between living and inert matter in the biosphere, under the influence of the radiant energy of the Sun, there is a constant exchange of chemical elements. If all matter on Earth were not involved

Biogeochemical nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is the main atmospheric gas, where its volume fraction is 78%. The biospheric nitrogen cycle is well regulated and slow. Most living organisms are

Biogeochemical cycle of oxygen
The oxygen cycle plays important role in the functioning of the entire biosphere. The presence of free oxygen is a prerequisite for the life of most living organisms. On the other hand

Biogeochemical carbon cycle
Of all the known biogeochemical cycles, the carbon cycle is the most intense. The duration of one cycle in this case is only 300 years. A chain of carbon atoms

Biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus
Phosphorus is a part of cell membranes, enzymes of bone tissues, that is, it is an essential element of the protoplasm of all living organisms. The phosphorus cycle is less perfect,

Biogeochemical sulfur cycle
Sulfur is part of the proteins of all living organisms. Unlike phosphorus, there is a sufficient amount of gaseous sulfur compounds in the atmosphere: hydrogen sulfide H2

Energy flows in the biosphere
3.1. Thermodynamics of living nature processes. Negentropy. One of the main properties of matter is energy - the ability to do work. Creature

The concept of energy quality
Energy is characterized not only by quantity, but also by quality. Many forms and types of energy are known: solar, chemical, thermal, mechanical, electrical, atomic, etc. Prich

The processes of photosynthesis and chemosynthesis
Living organisms are able to create complex organic substances, increasing their own order. The primary organic matter of the biosphere is created by plants and some microorganisms.

Breathing process
Organic substances formed during photosynthesis are characterized by a high supply of internal energy. But this energy is not available for direct use in the reaction.

Transfer of energy along the food chain
Not all living organisms are able to synthesize organic matter from inorganic. Living organisms living on Earth can be divided according to the type of receipt and accumulation of substances by them.

Ecosystem productivity
In the process of vital activity of various organisms in the ecosystem, organic matter is created and consumed. Therefore, each ecosystem has a certain productivity.

Energy types of ecosystems
All ecosystems, depending on the type of energy used, can be divided into the following types. 1 type. Ecosystems for which I am the main source of energy

Abiotic factors
The following groups of abiotic factors (factors of inanimate nature) are distinguished: climatic, edaphogenic (soil), orographic and chemical. I) Climatic factors: these include

Biotic factors
There are phytogenic, zoogenic, microgenic and anthropogenic factors. I) Phytogenic - factors that characterize the influence of plant organisms. They affect the

limiting factors. Laws of minimum and maximum
Each organism has its own optimal parameters of environmental factors, under which the vital activity of individuals proceeds normally. Acceptable environmental fact ranges

Law of Tolerance
The law of tolerance summarizes the laws of maximum and minimum. Its formulation belongs to Shelford: the limiting factor can be both a minimum and a maximum of environmental impact.

Adaptations. life forms
With the constant impact of any environmental factor beyond the limiting limits, the organism must either adapt to new parameters or die. adaptations

Ecological valence (plasticity)
Organisms differ in their ability to adapt: ​​some adapt slowly, others easily and quickly. The ability of a species to adapt to environmental factors is called ecological

ecological niche
Plants and animals can only live where conditions are suitable for them. Each organism has its own habitat suitable for life. In ecology, there is a more capacious concept

Sustainability and development of ecosystems
The sustainability of ecosystems is their ability to withstand fluctuations in external factors and maintain their structure and functional features. A sustainable ecosystem returns to its original state

Ecosystem homeostasis
Let's consider the mechanisms of balance maintenance operating in open natural ecosystems. Any ecosystem is constantly affected by a large number of environmental factors, tending to

ecological succession
Even in stable ecosystems, slow, irreversible changes are constantly taking place. To a greater extent, they concern living organisms. In this case, one biocenosis is replaced by another. Follower

Environmental pollution
Technological progress The rapid growth of production in recent decades has led to a high level of environmental pollution. It is almost impossible to find a place on the globe where

Among the many sources of pollution, the most important are the following. 1) Transport. When fuel is burned, a large amount of

Destruction of natural ecosystems
The release of a large number of pollutants and the changes that take place in the environment inevitably lead to disruption of normal biological cycles and the destruction of natural ecosystems.

Demographic Issues
Demography is a science that studies the dynamics of population growth. Despite the deterioration of the environment and the reduction in the amount of fertile land, the embankment is currently

Global Energy Issues
In addition to the listed problems associated with a sharp deterioration in the quality of the environment, the problem of energy is acute for humanity. The main cause of the energy crisis is the

Environmental monitoring
If the quality of the natural environment does not meet regulatory requirements, it is necessary to carry out special events for environmental protection. This requires information about

Environmental pollution is understood as the ingress of harmful substances into the external space, but this is not a complete definition. Environmental pollution also includes radiation, temperature increase or decrease.

In other words, global environmental pollution and environmental problems humanity are caused by any material manifestations present in an undesirable place in an undesirable concentration.

Even beneficial substances of natural origin in excess concentration can be harmful. For example, if you eat in one sitting 250 grams of ordinary table salt death is inevitable.

Consider the main types of pollution, their causes and consequences, as well as ways to solve the problem of environmental pollution.

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Objects of environmental pollution

A person and everything that surrounds him is exposed to harmful effects. Most often, the following objects of environmental pollution are highlighted:

• air;
• soil layer;
• water.

Main types of environmental pollution

1. Physical pollution of the environment. It causes a change in the characteristics of the surrounding space. These include thermal, noise or radiation pollution.
2. Chemical. Provides for the ingress of impurities that can change the chemical composition.
3. Biological. Living organisms are considered pollutants.
4. Mechanical pollution of the environment. This refers to pollution.

All pollutants in the most general form can be divided into two groups:

• natural;
• anthropogenic.

Causes of environmental pollution can occasionally be part of natural natural phenomena. With rare exceptions, natural pollution does not lead to disastrous consequences and is easily neutralized by the forces of nature itself. The remains of dead plants and animals rot, becoming part of the soil. The release of gases or polymetallic ores also does not have a significant destructive effect.

For many thousands of years, even before the advent of mankind, nature has developed mechanisms that contribute to countering such pollutants and effectively coping with them.

Of course, there are natural contaminants that create serious problems, but this is the exception rather than the rule. For example, the famous Death Valley in Kamchatka, located near the Kikhpinych volcano. The local ecology suffers greatly from it. Hydrogen sulfide emissions periodically occur there, causing environmental pollution. In calm weather, this cloud kills all life.

Death Valley in Kamchatka

But, nevertheless, the main cause of pollution is a person. Most intensively it occurs as a result of human activity. It is called anthropogenic and requires more attention than natural. Most often, the concept of environmental pollution is associated precisely with the anthropogenic factor.

Anthropogenic environmental pollution

Anthropogenic pollution of the environment, which we see today, is often associated with industrial production. The bottom line is that its avalanche-like growth began to occur when a person chose the path of industrial development. Production factors of environmental pollution played a decisive role. Then there was a sharp jump in production and consumption. Human economic activity was inevitably accompanied by undesirable changes not only in its habitat, but also in the entire biosphere.

The intensity of environmental pollution has constantly increased over a number of historical epochs. Initially, people did not even think about the dangers of industrial emissions, but over time, the problem of environmental pollution has acquired impressive dimensions. Only then did we begin to realize the consequences of environmental pollution and think about how to solve these global problems, how to avoid turning our planet into a garbage dump, what chances our descendants have to survive.

Petrochemical complex in Bashkiria

It cannot be argued that a person has been polluting the environment since the advent of industry. The history of environmental pollution goes back tens of thousands of years. This happened in all eras, starting with the primitive communal system. When a person began to cut down forests for building dwellings or plowing, to use an open flame for heating and cooking, then he began to pollute the surrounding space more than any other biological species.

Today, more than ever, the urgency of environmental problems has increased, the main of which is global human pollution.

The main types of environmental pollution associated with human activities

All biological species taken together that cause environmental pollution are not capable of causing such damage to it as is caused by human activity. To understand how a person pollutes the environment, consider the main types of anthropogenic pollutants. It should be borne in mind that some of the main types of environmental pollution are difficult to attribute to a specific category, since they have a complex effect. They are of the following types:

• aerosols;
• inorganic;
• acid rain;
• organic;
• thermal effect;
• radiation;
• photochemical fog;
• noises;
• soil pollutants.

Let's take a closer look at these categories.

Aerosols

Among these types, aerosol is perhaps the most common. Aerosol pollution of the environment and the environmental problems of mankind are caused by production factors. This includes dust, fog and smoke.

The consequences of environmental pollution by aerosols can be deplorable. Aerosols disrupt the functioning of the respiratory system, have a carcinogenic and toxic effect on the human body.

Catastrophic air pollution is produced by metallurgical plants, thermal power plants, and the mining industry. The latter affects the surrounding space at various technological stages. Blasting operations result in a significant release of large amounts of dust and carbon monoxide into the air.

Development of the Bisha gold deposit (Eritrea, Northeast Africa)

Dumps rocks also cause air pollution. An example is the situation in coal mining areas. There, next to the mines, there are waste heaps, under the surface of which invisible chemical processes and combustion constantly occur, accompanied by the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

When coal is burned, thermal power plants pollute the air with sulfur oxides and other impurities present in the fuel.

Another dangerous source of aerosol emissions into the atmosphere is automobile transport. The number of cars is increasing every year. The principle of their operation is based on the combustion of fuel with the inevitable release of combustion products into the air. If we briefly list the main causes of environmental pollution, then vehicles will be in the first lines of this list.

Everyday life in Beijing

Photochemical fog

This air pollution is more commonly known as smog. It is formed from harmful emissions that have been affected by solar radiation. It provokes chemical pollution of the environment with nitrogen compounds and other harmful impurities.

The resulting compounds adversely affect the respiratory and circulatory systems of the body. Significant air pollution from smog can even cause death.

Caution: increased radiation

Radiation emissions can occur during emergencies at nuclear power plants, during nuclear tests. In addition, small leaks of radioactive substances are possible in the course of research and other work.

Heavy radioactive materials settle into the soil and, together with groundwater, can spread over long distances. Light materials rise up, are carried along with air masses and fall to the earth's surface along with rain or snow.

Radioactive impurities can accumulate in the human body and gradually destroy it, so they are of particular danger.

Inorganic contaminants

Wastes generated during the operation of plants, factories, mines, mines, vehicles are released into the environment, polluting it. home life is also a source of pollutants. For example, daily tons detergents get through the sewers into the soil, and then into the water bodies, from where they return to us again through the water supply system.

Arsenic, lead, mercury and others chemical elements contained in household and industrial waste, are very likely to enter our body. From the soil, they enter the plants that animals and people feed on.

Harmful substances, which have not entered the sewer from water bodies, can enter the body along with sea or river fish eaten.

Some aquatic organisms have the ability to purify water, but due to the toxic effects of pollutants or changes in the pH of the aquatic environment, they can die.

organic contaminants

The main organic pollutant is oil. As you know, it has a biological origin. The history of environmental pollution with oil products began long before the appearance of the first cars. Even before it began to be actively extracted and processed, oil from sources at the bottom of the seas and oceans could get into the water and pollute it. But some types of bacteria are able to quickly absorb and process small oil slicks before they harm marine life and flora.

Oil tanker accidents and leaks during production lead to massive pollution of the water surface. There are numerous examples of such man-made disasters. Oil slicks form on the surface of the water, covering a vast area. Bacteria are not able to cope with this amount of oil.

The largest in terms of environmental pollution is the wreck of the Amoco Cadiz supertanker off the coast of France

This pollutant kills all plants and animals living in the coastal zone. Fish, waterfowl and marine mammals are especially affected. Their bodies are covered with a thin, sticky film, clogging all the pores and holes, disrupting the metabolism. Birds lose their ability to fly because their feathers stick together.

In such cases, nature itself is not able to cope, so people must fight against environmental pollution and eliminate the consequences of oil spills themselves. it global problem, and the ways to solve it are connected with international cooperation, because no state is able to find ways to cope with it alone.

Soil contaminants

The main soil pollutants are non-landfills and industrial wastewater, although they also make a significant "contribution". The main problem is the development Agriculture. To increase productivity and control pests and weeds, our farmers do not spare their habitat. A huge number of pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers enter the soil. Intensive farming, aimed at quickly maximizing profits, makes the soil poisoned and depleted.

acid rain

Human economic activity has caused the occurrence of the phenomenon of acid rain.

Some harmful substances entering the atmosphere react with moisture and form acids. Because of this, the water that falls in the form of rain has an increased acidity. It can poison the soil and even cause skin burns.

Harmful substances mix with groundwater, eventually entering our body and causing various diseases.

Thermal pollutants

Wastewater can be a pollutant even if it does not contain foreign matter. If the water performed the function of cooling, it returns to the reservoir heated.

Elevated wastewater temperature can slightly increase the temperature in the reservoir. And even a slight increase can upset the balance of the ecosystem and even lead to the death of some biological species.

Consequences of wastewater discharges

The negative impact of noise

Throughout its history, mankind has been surrounded by a variety of sounds. The development of civilization has created noises that can cause serious damage to human health.

Particularly significant harm is caused by the sounds emitted by vehicles. It can interfere with sleep at night, and annoy during the day nervous system. People living nearby railways or freeways, are in a state of constant nightmare. And near airfields, especially those serving supersonic aviation, it can be almost impossible to live.

Discomfort can be created by the noise produced by the equipment of industrial enterprises.

If a person is regularly exposed to loud noises, they are at great risk of premature aging and death.

Pollution control

As strange as it may sound, but pollution and environmental protection are the work of the same hands. Mankind has brought the planet to a state of ecological catastrophe, but only man is able to save it. The main cause of the current state of ecology is various pollution. These problems and ways to solve them are in our hands.

All in our hands

Therefore, the fight against environmental pollution is our primary task.

Let's look at three ways to combat pollution that help solve the problem:

1. construction of treatment facilities;
2. planting forests, parks and other green spaces;
3. population control and regulation.

In fact, there are many more such methods and methods, but they will not lead to high results if you do not fight the cause. It is necessary not only to deal with cleaning, but also to solve the problem of how to prevent environmental pollution. According to Russian folk wisdom, it is clean not where they sweep, but where they do not litter.

Prevention of environmental pollution is a top priority. To solve the problem and prevent further disfigurement of the planet, it is necessary, for example, to apply financial leverage. Solving the problems of environmental pollution will be more effective if it is beneficial to respect nature, to provide tax incentives enterprises that strictly comply with environmental safety standards. The application of substantial fines to violating enterprises will simplify the solution of the problem of environmental pollution.

The use of more environmentally friendly energy sources is also the prevention of environmental pollution. It is easier to filter wastewater than to clean the reservoir from impurities.

Make the planet clean, ensure comfortable conditions for the existence of mankind - these are priority tasks, and the ways to solve them are known.

Remember!

What global environmental problems do you know?

Give examples of environmental problems in your region.

Air pollution. One of the most acute environmental problems at present is environmental pollution. In the early stages of the development of the biosphere, only volcanic eruptions and forest fires polluted the air, but as soon as a person lit his first fire, anthropogenic impact on the atmosphere began. As early as the beginning of the 20th century. the biosphere coped with those combustion products of coal and liquid fuel that entered the air. It was enough to drive a few kilometers away from industrial enterprises to feel fresh air. However, in the future, the rapid development of industry and transport led to a sharp deterioration in the state of the atmosphere.

Currently, carbon dioxide (CO 2) enters the atmosphere as a result of human activities. carbon monoxide(CO), chlorofluorocarbons, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, methane (CH 4) and other hydrocarbons. The sources of these pollutions are the burning of fossil fuels, burning forests, emissions from industrial enterprises and vehicle exhaust gases (Fig. 178).

Acid rain. Near the copper smelters, the air contains a high concentration of sulfur dioxide, which causes the destruction of chlorophyll, the underdevelopment of pollen, and the drying of pine needles. Dissolving in droplets of atmospheric moisture, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide turn into the corresponding acids and fall to the ground along with rain. The soil acquires an acidic reaction, the amount of mineral salts in it decreases. Getting on the leaves, acid precipitation destroys the protective wax film, which leads to the development of plant diseases. Small aquatic animals and caviar are especially sensitive to changes in acidity, so acid rain causes maximum damage to aquatic ecosystems. In the most developed industrial areas, acid rain destroys the surface of buildings, spoiling monuments of sculpture and architecture.

Greenhouse effect. An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere creates the so-called greenhouse effect. These gases transmit sunlight, but partially delay the reflected thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the relative concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 20%, and methane - by 100%, which led to an increase in temperature on average on the planet by 0.5 °C. If in the coming years the concentration of these gases will increase at the same rate, by 2050 the Earth will become warmer by another 2–5 °С. Such warming could cause glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise by up to 1.5 meters, flooding many populated coastal areas.

Rice. 178. Air pollution: industrial and motor vehicle emissions

Smog. Substances contained in vehicle exhaust gases sunlight enter into complex chemical reactions, forming toxic compounds. Together with water droplets, they form a poisonous fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body and plants.

Suspensions of solid particles and droplets of liquids (mists and fogs) significantly reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. During the winter months, ultraviolet radiation is significantly weakened in large cities.

Ozone holes. At an altitude of more than 20 km above the Earth's surface is the ozone layer (O 3), which protects all living things from excess ultraviolet radiation. Some wavelengths of ultraviolet are good for humans because they produce vitamin D. However, excessive sun exposure can lead to skin cancer.

Substances that are used as components of aerosols and refrigerants in refrigerators - chlorofluorocarbons - rise into the stratosphere, where they decompose under the action of solar radiation with the release of chlorine and fluorine. The resulting gases cause the conversion of ozone into oxygen, destroying the protective shell of the Earth, which arose about 2 billion years ago.

In 1987, it was first discovered that over Antarctica, over an area equal in area to the United States, the ozone layer had almost completely disappeared. In subsequent years, the thinning of the ozone layer was regularly observed over the Arctic and some parts of the land.

Pollution and waste natural waters. Fresh water makes up less than 1% of the world's total water supply, and humanity is wasting and polluting this priceless wealth. Population growth, improvement living conditions, the development of industry and irrigated agriculture led to the fact that water overrun has become one of the global environmental problems of our time.

Entire rivers are taken apart for irrigation and needs big cities, and natural communities perish along their channel and at the mouth. Water diversion for the city of Los Angeles virtually destroyed the Colorado River. The place where it once flowed into the Gulf of California has become a dry channel. The analysis of the water of the rivers of Central Asia led to the fact that the Aral Sea actually ceased to exist (Fig. 179). Salt from its dry bottom is carried by the wind, causing soil salinization for many hundreds of kilometers around.

Rice. 179. Reduction of the water area of ​​the Aral Sea. Satellite imagery taken in the summer of 2002. The red line shows the water boundary as of 1960.

For centuries, groundwater washed out cavities in the bowels of the earth, a kind of underground reservoirs. Numerous springs that feed rivers and lakes are places where groundwater comes to the surface. Excessive consumption of groundwater reduces the number of springs and causes a gradual subsidence of the land surface, the so-called soil subsidence. The soil falls into the formed underground voids, and if this happens suddenly, it leads to catastrophic consequences.

A less dangerous phenomenon water pollution. Organic matter, mineral fertilizers, animal waste, pesticides and herbicides enter the water from fields and pastures (Fig. 180). Sewage that is discharged into the sea without prior treatment poses a threat to human health. Due to tanker and pipeline accidents, a huge amount of oil is annually poured into the ocean - about 5 million tons. Discharges from industrial enterprises, surface runoff from landfills are often polluted with heavy metals and synthetic organic substances. Salts of heavy metals (lead, mercury, copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium, etc.) cause poisoning in humans with severe physiological and neurological consequences. Many artificial organic compounds are so reminiscent of natural ones that they are absorbed by the body, but, being included in the metabolism, completely disrupt its normal functioning. As a result, diseases of the kidneys, liver, infertility and many other physiological disorders occur. Especially dangerous are toxic compounds that do not decompose and, passing through food chains, accumulate in organisms.

Rice. 180. Defects in the limbs of tree frogs, the development of which took place in the ponds of Pennsylvania (USA), are caused by exposure to pesticides

In the early 1970s A tragedy has occurred in the small fishing village of Minamata in Japan. A chemical plant was dumping waste containing mercury into the water. Mercury settled to the bottom, was absorbed by bacteria, and then, gradually concentrating, passed through the levels of the food chain and accumulated in fish. A few years before the cause of the tragedy was clarified, people began to notice that in the village, cats often had convulsions, which led to partial paralysis, and later to death. At first they thought that this was some kind of specific feline disease, but soon similar symptoms began to appear in people. There were cases of mental retardation, mental disorders and birth defects. By the time the cause was found out (acute mercury poisoning) and the situation was brought under control, more than 50 people had already died and another 150 became disabled. Mercury entered the human body with fish. The cats were the first to suffer because they ate mostly only fish.

Soil pollution and depletion. Fertile soil is one of the most important human resources for food production. The top fertile soil layer is formed for a long time, but can collapse very quickly. Every year, along with the harvest, a huge amount of mineral compounds, the main components of plant nutrition, are removed from the soil. If you do not apply fertilizer, within 50-100 years, complete soil depletion.

The most devastating effect on soil erosion. Plowing of the steppes, destruction of forests, overgrazing of livestock make the soil unprotected, and the top layer is washed away by water (water erosion) or blown away by the wind (wind erosion). The soil carried away from the surface of the earth clogs the riverbeds, causing disturbances in the structure of aquatic ecosystems. In irrigated agriculture, excessive irrigation in hot climates leads to soil salinization.

Archaeologists have found that the decline of many ancient civilizations was caused not by external causes and not by wars, but by slow ecological suicide - the inability to maintain their land and water resources. The loss of soil fertility led to the decline of the once prosperous Maya civilization in Central America. North Africa, once feeding the entire Roman Empire, is today mostly desert.

At present, the entire territory of our planet is subject to anthropogenic influence to one degree or another. Rapid population growth requires a constant expansion of production. The construction of cities and industrial enterprises, the development of agriculture and the development of minerals have led to the fact that already almost 20% of the land is completely transformed by man. Mineral reserves, which are non-renewable natural resources, are being depleted. Pollution of the atmosphere and natural waters, erosion and depletion of soils, destruction of natural ecosystems can lead mankind to an ecological catastrophe. That is why environmental protection measures aimed at preserving the biosphere are becoming increasingly important.

Review questions and assignments

1. What is the cause and what are the consequences of air pollution?

2. How does human economic activity affect the structure and fertility of the soil?

3. What are the consequences of pollution of the waters of the oceans?

4. What is the direct influence of man on the flora and fauna of the Earth?

5. What impact does the expansion of agricultural production have on biogeocenoses and the biosphere as a whole?

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The main sources of environmental pollution are artificial and man-made. Speaking facts, here are just some of the consequences of a thoughtless attitude towards nature:

• Thermal pollution of the environment and harmful gases from cars have led to the fact that about 250 thousand people in Europe alone die annually from diseases associated with this phenomenon;
• Every year, about 11 million hectares of tropical forests are cut down on Earth, while the rate of reforestation is ten times lower;
• 9 million tons of waste is dumped annually into Pacific Ocean, and in the Atlantic - more than 30 million tons;
• For 40 years, the number drinking water per capita of the planet has decreased by 60%;
• Discarded glass will take 1000 years to decompose, plastics 500 years.

Consequences of an oil spill

In recent years, environmental pollution is only gaining momentum, and many scientists around the world have begun to turn to this problem. Until recently, nothing like this was observed, since the level of consumption of goods by the population of the entire planet was at a low level. But with the constant increase in the standard of living, the purchasing power of people, the construction of more and more dangerous industries, the issue of preserving nature began to manifest itself more and more acutely.

Today, the problem of environmental pollution is an edge - a person negatively affects the whole world in many areas and there are no unambiguous solutions for this situation yet. In progressive countries they are already trying to fight this by creating advanced waste processing plants, but in most countries they have not yet reached this level of culture.

Interesting fact. One a car produces in a year such an amount of carbon dioxide, which is equal to its own weight. This gas contains about 300 substances hazardous to people and nature.

Environmental pollution - what does it mean

Due to deforestation, many animals lose their homes and die out - like this koala

Under the pollution of nature, it is customary to understand such human behavior, as a result of which dangerous and harmful substances and materials, chemical compounds and biological agents are introduced into nature. The consequences of environmental pollution affect not only the properties of soil, water, vegetation, air quality, but can also affect a lot of other factors, including the overall quality of life of people.

The release of hazardous substances into nature can occur in natural, artificial or anthropogenic ways. Examples of the first option include volcanic eruptions, when dust and magma cover the earth, destroying all life, disruption of the population of any animals in a certain area, which leads to problems in the existing food chain, increased solar activity, provoking droughts and similar phenomena.

Artificial ways of negative impact on the environment are inextricably linked with humans: the ever-growing number of hazardous industries, the accumulation of non-recyclable garbage and household waste, vehicle emissions, deforestation and urbanization. It is even difficult to enumerate all the negative factors that affect the normal state of nature as a result of human actions.

Classification of types of environmental pollution

penguin caught in dirty water after the oil spill

In addition to the above division into artificial and natural, types of environmental pollution are also divided into the following categories:

• Violation of normal biocenosis or biological impact. Occurs as a result of uncontrolled catching or hunting of certain types of animals, the negative impact on animals by anthropogenic activities. Uncontrolled activity of hunters and fishermen, poachers leads to forced or spontaneous migration of a large number of animals to other habitats, etc. As a result of such processes, the normal biocenosis is disrupted, which sometimes provokes catastrophic problems. This also includes cutting down forests, drying up rivers or changing their course, the development of huge quarries, large forest and steppe fires;
• Mechanical, implying the release into nature of a huge amount of garbage obtained as a result of human activity, which negatively affects both the inhabitants of the region and the physico-chemical structure and properties of soil, groundwater, etc.;
• Physical pollution of the environment is a complex of impact factors, as a result of which some physical parameters change: its temperature, the level of radioactive, light, noise state. This also includes electromagnetic influence from satellites, antennas;
• Chemical negative impact, which manifests itself in a change in the normal chemical composition in the earth, water, air, which provokes destructive processes in it and deprives organisms of normal habitual conditions for their life.

Interesting fact. Due to excessive electromagnetic radiation in some developed countries, the number of insects has changed dramatically. The negative impact of electromagnetic radiation on bees, which prefer to migrate to places cleaner from radiation, has been noticed.

Environmental tax payment

Many countries, especially in the civilized world, have come to the conclusion that companies must pay certain taxes for environmental pollution by their activities. The money collected in this way is used to combat the consequences of the problem in one area or another, for example, in the country's water management.

Pollution of the environment occurs everywhere, so it is reasonable for the state to develop a unified approach and a common tax in this matter. However, at the moment there is still no clear definition of the environmental tax.

Usually, the interaction between the government and the owners of hazardous production goes like this: the facility checks for compliance with environmental safety standards and, in case of exceeding the established standards, undertakes to pay a certain tax, for example, on each ton of hazardous substances generated.

Therefore, it is worth talking rather not about some common tax for the entire state, but different kind payments from the manufacturer to the state in case of generation of harmful substances by the facility. Let's take a closer look at the situations in which this happens.

What taxes are related to environmental taxes?

• Transport tax. In 2016, it must be paid if it is proven that the vehicle is harmful to the environment.
• Mining tax. For example, in the extraction of natural resources, including coal and oil, which are among the exhaustible.
• Water tax. Paid in Russia for introducing an imbalance into the environment when using water resources.
• Fee for the exploitation of aquatic biological resources in Russia, objects of the animal world. This tax is paid if the damage to nature is caused as a result of hunting or other types of catching animals.
  Land.

How does all this affect the human body?

Wave with debris on the island of Java - the most populous island of the planet

Many people treat this issue rather superficially and do not take any action to protect the environment from pollution, believing that the problem does not concern them. In fact, this is a completely wrong and unconscious approach.

The result of a changed environment affects a person very strongly, since he is an inextricable part of nature. It is possible to single out the most important areas that, due to the negative influence of man, have undergone changes that are dangerous:

Climate. The constant increase in temperature, the melting of glaciers, the change in some global currents in the oceans, the presence of dangerous chemical compounds- this is only a small part of what everyone faces. Even the most minimal changes in climate: temperature, pressure, precipitation or strong gusts of wind can bring with them a lot of problems of a very different nature: from exacerbated rheumatism to destroyed crops, drought and hunger strike (see);

Biological and chemical factors . Harmful substances enter the soil, penetrate into groundwater, into the air in the form of vapors, are absorbed into plants, which animals and people then feed on. Dangerous chemicals, even in small concentrations, can provoke allergies, coughs, diseases, rashes on the body, and even mutations. At chronic poisoning the person becomes weaker and tired;

Nutrition also has a strong effect on human health. Cultures grown on impure land, saturated with a large amount of chemical fertilizers and poisons, lose many of their positive properties, becoming a real poison. Bad food causes obesity, loss of taste and appetite, lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the body.

Environmental pollution, as defined above, can have a very negative impact on the health of millions of people.

Genetic danger

Mutations among animals caused by environmental change

One of the most important nuances The issue under consideration is the so-called genetic hazard. It lies in the fact that under the influence of harmful chemical substances, various mutations can accumulate in the body that can provoke cancerous tumors and introduce into future generations serious defects, sometimes even incompatible with life.

The manifestation of mutations and changes in the body and its descendants does not appear immediately. This may take years or decades. That is why eating GMO food, being exposed to radiation and strong radiation, smoking, which also causes cell mutations, manifests itself in the form of the same cancer and other pathologies not immediately, but after 10-20 years.

Fighting a problem

Waste recycling plant Spittelau in Vienna, Austria

Anthropogenic pollution of the environment, the causes and consequences of which in in general terms already discussed above, is a matter of serious concern to many thinking people around the world. It is enough to visit at least once on which there is no end in sight to understand that the situation is going too far and it is necessary not to hide it in abandoned quarries, but to radically solve it.

Since nature has no boundaries, the fight against the problem of its pollution is international. There are now many organizations around the world that are trying to influence manufacturers, governments and people in order to educate them in a more conscious attitude towards nature and their actions. In some countries, green energy sources are being actively promoted, popular car companies are starting to produce electric cars that should replace gasoline and diesel engines.

Important components of the struggle for the conservation of nature:

Promotion of abandoning the consumer lifestyle and the constant purchase of things that can be completely abandoned and which will quickly end up in the nearest garbage dump;

Construction of waste processing plants capable of producing new materials from recycled materials, which will be re-used in production;

Garbage sorting. In cultural countries, this issue has already been practically resolved and people throw away different type garbage in different containers. This simplifies the process of their disposal and recycling.

One of the serious causes of environmental pollution is the irresponsible attitude of the inhabitants to the problem and their unwillingness to understand these issues.

How to prevent the problem

The fight against environmental pollution is a complex task that must be solved in the following complex:

• Bringing the issue to the attention of governments of all countries;
• Enlightenment of the masses in order to educate them in consciousness in this matter;
• Impact on manufacturers and their control. All this should be regulated by thoughtful and rigid legislation;
• Prevention of environmental pollution should also be accompanied by the creation of a full-fledged infrastructure for the removal, disposal and processing of waste.

Only all these points together can produce a positive effect and reverse the current negative trend, make our world cleaner.

General consequences of nature pollution

Garbage-filled territories of Bangladesh

At the moment, the consequences of the constant increase in consumption, the development of the industry and the corresponding amount of waste and garbage are already quite tangible, and this applies to the whole world. Suffice it to recall the recently erupted "garbage" riots in the suburbs of Moscow, when people began to massively complain about the terrible smell from the landfill next to their homes, the deterioration of air and water quality.

Interesting fact. About 40 million Russians living in cities live in conditions of 10 times the level of air pollution exceeding what is prescribed by sanitary standards.

As a conclusion, it is worth noting that the environmental consequences of environmental pollution are catastrophic for every person on Earth. But only a conscious approach to the problem can change something.

The main factors of environmental pollution depend on the person, so if all people unite to solve this problem, then you can be sure that a solution will be found. The matter remains for small things - for the strong-willed decision of the authorities of all countries to start moving in this direction.

Environmental pollution is a topic that is regularly discussed in the news and scientific circles. Numerous international organizations have been set up to combat the deterioration natural conditions. Scientists have long sounded the alarm about the inevitability in the very near future.

At the moment, much is known about environmental pollution - a large number of scientific papers and books have been written, numerous studies have been carried out. But in solving the problem, mankind has advanced very little. Pollution of nature is still important and topical issue, the postponement of which in the long box can turn out tragically.

History of biosphere pollution

In connection with the intensive industrialization of society, environmental pollution has become especially aggravated in recent decades. However, despite this fact, natural pollution is one of the most ancient problems in human history. Even in the era of primitive life, people began to barbarously destroy forests, exterminate animals and change the landscape of the earth to expand the territory of residence and obtain valuable resources.

Even then, this led to climate change and other environmental problems. The growth of the planet's population and the progress of civilizations was accompanied by increased mining, drainage of water bodies, as well as chemical pollution of the biosphere. Industrial Revolution marked not only new era in the social order, but also a new wave of pollution.

With the development of science and technology, scientists have received tools that make it possible to accurately and thoroughly analyze the ecological state of the planet. Weather reports, monitoring of the chemical composition of air, water and soil, satellite data, as well as smoking pipes everywhere and oil slicks on the water, indicate that the problem is rapidly aggravating with the expansion of the technosphere. No wonder the appearance of man is called the main ecological catastrophe.

Classification of nature pollution

There are several classifications of environmental pollution based on their source, direction, and other factors.

So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:

• Biological - the source of pollution is living organisms, it can occur due to natural causes or as a result of anthropogenic activities.
• Physical - leads to a change in the corresponding characteristics of the environment. Physical pollution includes thermal, radiation, noise and others.
• Chemical - an increase in the content of substances or their penetration into the environment. Leads to a change in the normal chemical composition of resources.
• Mechanical - pollution of the biosphere with garbage.

In fact, one type of pollution may be accompanied by another or several at once.

The gaseous shell of the planet is an integral part of natural processes, determines the thermal background and climate of the Earth, protects against destructive cosmic radiation, affects relief formation.

The composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the planet. The current situation is such that part of the volume of the gas envelope is determined by human economic activity. The composition of the air is heterogeneous and differs depending on the geographical location - in industrial areas and large cities high level harmful impurities.

• chemical plants;
• enterprises of the fuel and energy complex;
• transport.

These pollutants cause heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, and copper to be present in the atmosphere. They are permanent components of the air in industrial areas.

Modern power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day, as well as soot, dust and ash.

Increasing the number of cars in settlements led to an increase in the concentration of a number of harmful gases in the air, which are part of the engine exhaust. Anti-knock additives added to vehicle fuels release large amounts of lead. Cars produce dust and ash, which pollute not only the air, but also the soil, settling on the ground.

The atmosphere is also polluted by very toxic gases that are emitted by enterprises. chemical industry. Wastes from chemical plants, such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, are the cause and are capable of reacting with components of the biosphere to form other hazardous derivatives.

As a result human activity forest fires regularly occur, during which huge amounts of carbon dioxide are released.

The soil is thin layer lithosphere, formed as a result natural factors, in which most of the exchange processes between living and non-living systems take place.

Due to the extraction of natural resources, mining, the construction of buildings, roads and airfields, large-scale areas of soil are being destroyed.

Irrational human economic activity has caused the degradation of the fertile layer of the earth. Its natural chemical composition changes, mechanical pollution occurs. The intensive development of agriculture leads to significant losses of land. Frequent plowing makes them vulnerable to flooding, salinization and winds, which cause soil erosion.

The abundant use of fertilizers, insecticides, and chemical poisons to kill pests and cleanse weeds leads to the ingress of toxic compounds that are unnatural for it into the soil. As a result of anthropogenic activity, chemical pollution of lands by heavy metals and their derivatives occurs. The main harmful element is lead, as well as its compounds. When processing lead ores, about 30 kilograms of metal is thrown out from each ton. Automobile exhaust containing a large amount of this metal settles in the soil, poisoning the organisms living in it. Drains of liquid waste from mines contaminate the earth with zinc, copper and other metals.

Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, research centers for the study atomic energy are the cause of radioactive isotopes entering the soil, which then enter the human body with food.

The reserves of metals concentrated in the bowels of the earth are dissipated as a result of human production activity. Then they concentrate on top layer soil. In ancient times, man used 18 elements, from those found in earth's crust, and today - all known.

Today, the water shell of the earth is much more polluted than one can imagine. Oil slicks and bottles floating on the surface are just what you can see. A significant part of the pollutants is in a dissolved state.

Water damage can occur naturally. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out of the mainland soil, which enters water bodies and harms fish. As a result of chemical transformations into fresh water aluminum penetrates. But natural pollution is negligible compared to anthropogenic pollution. Through the fault of man, the following fall into the water:

• surface-active compounds;
• pesticides;
• phosphates, nitrates and other salts;
• medicines;
• oil products;
• radioactive isotopes.

The sources of these pollutants are farms, fisheries, oil platforms, power plants, chemical industries, and sewage.

Acid rain, which is also the result of human activity, dissolves the soil, washing away heavy metals.

In addition to the chemical, there is a physical, namely, thermal. Most of the water is used in the production of electricity. Thermal stations use it to cool turbines, and the heated waste liquid is drained into reservoirs.

Mechanical deterioration of water quality household waste in settlements leads to a reduction in the habitats of living beings. Some species are dying.

Polluted water is the main cause of most diseases. As a result of liquid poisoning, many living beings die, the ocean ecosystem suffers, and the normal course of natural processes is disrupted. Pollutants eventually enter the human body.

Pollution control

In order to avoid an ecological catastrophe, the fight against physical pollution must be a top priority. The problem must be solved at the international level, because nature has no state borders. To prevent pollution, it is necessary to impose sanctions on enterprises that emit waste into the environment, to impose large fines for placing garbage in the wrong place. Incentives to comply with environmental safety standards can also be implemented through financial methods. This approach has proven effective in some countries.

A promising direction in the fight against pollution is the use of alternative sources energy. Usage solar panels, hydrogen fuel and other saving technologies will reduce the release of toxic compounds into the atmosphere.

Other pollution control methods include:

• construction of treatment facilities;
• creation of national parks and reserves;
• increase in the number of green spaces;
• population control in third world countries;
• drawing public attention to the problem.

Environmental pollution is a large-scale global problem, which can only be solved with the active participation of everyone who calls the planet Earth their home, otherwise ecological catastrophy will be inevitable.