Thanks to centuries-old achievements of science and technology, we now have powerful tools to influence nature. Our achievements enable humans to invade the macrocosm and microcosm, influence the life of the biosphere, transform millions of virgin untouched lands into agricultural fields and monoculture gardens, randomly genetically modify many animal breeds and plant varieties, and create urban landscapes. Invading life nature, a person often violates eternal natural patterns, leading to changes in life that are undesirable for him environment. Now people are faced with the urgent task of preventing the environmental crisis, strengthening nature conservation and the competent use of its infinite resources.

The progress of mankind is associated with the scientific and technological revolution. It was born slowly and gradually, so that now, in the new millennium, it can give rise to a gigantic ecological collapse. On the one hand, we are witnessing a qualitative leap in the scientific and technical capabilities of humanity, on the other hand, we are observing a qualitative leap in the terrible means of destruction nature, in military affairs, which is capable of wiping out all life from the face of the Earth.

The modern age of computer science and electronics, computers and robots leaves millions of people unemployed; the young and educated are forced to go to the market to trade. Wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of bankers and oligarchs. Militarism is swelling in the arms race, which ultimately seeks to seize the political levers of control. He really becomes a terribly ugly and extremely dangerous monster of the 21st century. Through the efforts of the arms race, the most advanced scientific and technological achievements are turning into weapons of mass destruction of people. Both the people themselves and everyone suffer from this. environment.

Today one thing becomes clear - scientific and technological progress is obliged to find an answer to the question: how to radically improve the use of non-renewable natural resources environment, materials, raw materials, energy and fuel at all stages of production - from the extraction and processing of raw materials to the release of finished products. Environmental protection should be a top priority. It's time to reduce energy, material and metal intensity of production. Careful use of resources should become an important source of meeting people's needs for raw materials, fuel and energy.

A completely different environmental policy is being pursued in many countries where people and nature are objects of merciless exploitation. No environmental protection not here. The policy of the ruling circles of these countries pursues very specific class goals, protects the interests of monopolies, and is aimed at ensuring maximum profits for the oligarchs.

The progressive public in developed countries is increasingly concerned about the growing environmental pollution, namely: atmospheric air, forests, rivers, lakes and soil. The same applies to the irrational use of natural resources for an unbridled arms race. According to experts, the arms race accounts for half of the world's biosphere pollution, with the lion's share of it coming from military production. Fight for conservation natural environment is reflected in the struggle for peace. The success of measures to preserve the Earth's biosphere depends on progress in the field of disarmament.

Environmental protection in Russia

General condition environment in Russia not significantly better than in other countries. We have created and operate a state system for monitoring and controlling pollution environment, covering more than 450 cities, about 1,900 land water bodies, all inland and marginal seas, as well as soils in areas where chemicals are used in agriculture and forestry. Environmental the measures give a pitiful economic effect. However, the main benefit from the costs of nature conservation will be social. The air and water will become cleaner, the number of wild animals and birds will increase, and many landscapes will be transformed for the better. All this should create favorable conditions for people to work and rest.

In Russia it is a rather neglected business. TO environmental students are little involved in the work. Passive work of schoolchildren in circles of young ecologists, and the ineffective activities of “green” and “blue” patrols, which unite a small number of children. Who now, tell me, monitors the cleanliness of rivers, lakes and ponds, protects fish resources? In recent years, operations “Rodnichok” and the movement “Small rivers - full flow and purity”, during which certification and security small rivers, equipment of springs.

Great value in environmental protection previously carried out such operations as “Ant”, “Living Silver”, “Forest Day”, “Bird Day”. Where have they gone now? A big role in introducing children to nature conservation, their environmental education used to be played by school forestries, of which there were about 7 thousand in the former Union. More than 313 thousand schoolchildren worked in them.

IN nature conservation Only a few people actively participate. Particular attention is paid to attracting young people to greening villages and cities. Boys and girls carefully look after the parks they planted with their own hands. It has become traditional to hold forest and garden months and plant trees on the day of entering and graduating from school. In technical schools of the Astrakhan, Bryansk, Voronezh regions, elective classes are practiced in nature conservation. Students from a number of technical schools in the Altai, Krasnodar territories, Vladimir, Kalinin regions take an active part in raids on environmental protection, rational use of land, protection forests, monuments nature, animal world.

Nature- the primary source of satisfying the material and spiritual needs of people. Human society is surrounded everywhere nature. We continuously interact with nature in all possible directions. Nature for a person has a variety of meaning: production, scientific, health, aesthetic and educational.

Production meaning of nature obvious enough. Nature and labor are the only primary sources of material goods needed by man. Any products that a person consumes are created through the use of resources nature, be it plants or animals, soil, minerals, air, water, solar radiation or the heat of the earth's interior.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of scientific knowledge, the birth and development of all possible branches of science.

We all know wellness meaning of nature for a person. Air in the forest, with its aroma, beneficial ozone and phytoncides, crystal water of mountain rivers, varied climate and many other manifestations nature have a positive effect on the human body, which uses them for medicinal purposes.

It is difficult to overestimate the educational meaning of nature. Communication with nature, the skills of caring for it, caring for living beings are of very great educational importance for people of any social system, and especially in young years, when the traits of a new person are formed.

Already at the age of 7-8, such concepts as environment, combating pollution of rivers, lakes, forests. The children take care of gardens and parks, install birdhouses in them, and take good care of nature, animal world. In high school geography classes, students discuss the problems and consequences of urbanization and industrialization.

For the spiritual development of every person, it is important to accustom him from early childhood to communicate with nature. Subsequently, its ennobling influence will repeatedly affect the kindness in a person’s character for the rest of his life. From the moment when the child trustingly reached out to the dog and picked up a sparrow with a broken wing, kindness towards the world settled in his heart. Notice with what shining, happy eyes the baby now freezes on the street at the sight of a horse - for a little city dweller this is such a rare and therefore unforgettable meeting.

Beneficence of influence nature Great writers have always understood a person at the time of his formation.

“Childhood of Bagrov the Grandson” by S. T. Aksakov, “Childhood and Adolescence” by L. N. Tolstoy, “Ship Thicket” by M. M. Prishvin, “Childhood” by I. S. Sokolov-Mikitov, “My Family and Animals” "J. Darrell - in all these autobiographical books, writers recall how the mysterious, wise and unconsciously attractive world excited their imagination, sharpened the inquisitiveness of their minds, gave rise to the desire to overcome all kinds of obstacles and their own fear nature.

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin recalls in “Poshekhon Antiquity” that he was already over thirty years old when he read “The Childhood Years of Bagrov the Grandson” and read it almost with envy. He describes how nature, which cherished Bagrov’s happy childhood, was much richer in warmth, light, and variety of content than the hateful reality of his gray city backwater. So, in order to be colorful nature illuminated the innocent soul of a child with its pristine light, it is necessary, from the earliest years, not to limit communication with the green element, which, having captured the baby in the cradle, fills his entire being with joy and then passes through his entire adult life as a bright thread.

Human spiritual needs are closely related to the development of feelings and the awareness of eternal and inexhaustible beauty nature.

Awareness meanings of nature in the development of personality is based on a comprehensive moral, ethical, cognitive and material assessment nature. From this follows the right of every person to nature, which is realized through nurturing care for the condition natural environment. This approach is associated with the formation of moral convictions about the inadmissibility of theft of natural resources.

It should be emphasized that moral actions of a person in relation to nature become only when they are consistent with public morality. In the process of moral improvement of a person, an assessment is formed environment as a source of material wealth and physical development of a person.

Hugely aesthetic meaning of nature. In all centuries, she has been an inspiration for people of art, the source of their creative impulse. The best works of painting and literature reflect unforgettable pictures environment. Brightness of images nature promotes creative insight, evokes positive emotions in people, and subtly cultivates feelings and taste.

In folk art, gentle poetic images taken from nature: White Birch, Weeping Willow, Mighty Oak, Swans, Killer Whale Swallows, etc. All these symbols relate to people and serve as a measure of goodness and beauty, modesty and unpretentiousness, strength and prowess, courage and nobility.

In the formation of moral qualities of the individual, it is expressed in the cultivation of empathy and kindness, warning against a predatory, thoughtless attitude towards environment; in the formation of a moral attitude: nature- our common property; in understanding the prospects for the development of society in conditions of harmonious interaction with environment.

Formation of a harmonious attitude towards nature should be based on assessment nature as a planetary good, a public property of the entire global community.

Natural historical basis environmental education is the perception of the relationship environment and humanity, awareness nature as a single and indivisible whole - living organism on earth. Understanding the vital necessity of a harmonious combination of the laws of the biosphere with the interests of society is an important condition for rational environmental management.

Another important condition for overcoming the environmental crisis is the rapprochement between man and nature, searching for ways for them to live together. This is, first of all, expressed in the desire of many people to leave the city and live on their own land, to cultivate it with their own hands, and not with terrible agricultural machinery. This is how true love is born nature and friendship with her. This is how a new generation of people is born, capable of not only exploiting nature, but also to give oneself, one’s work, one’s life for the good environment, for the good nature.

Russian Vulcan - it seems that Fortune is playing for you now!

Environmental protection is one of those global problems, the solution of which requires a comprehensive and widespread solution, the introduction of a set of effective measures to restore natural resources, prevent pollution of the world's oceans and atmosphere, etc. For centuries, people have been thoughtlessly wasting natural resources, and today the time has come when we realize that the planet’s reserves are not endless and require not only rational use, but also restoration.

The main factors that environmentalists pay attention to are the provoking thinning of the ozone layer of the atmosphere and leading to the “greenhouse effect”, the discharge of harmful substances into the world ocean, which causes the death of its inhabitants, and an increase in the volume of industrial waste that does not decompose. The incident at the BP oil development that led to this one showed how much more extensive protection is needed in the oil and gas complex. After all, it is in this sector of industry that any accident leads to horrific consequences from which nature cannot recover for years.

Today, environmental protection is one of the most important issues addressed by governments and most countries of the world. Scientists are looking for more gentle technologies for the production and processing of raw materials, developing complexes for their subsequent recycling or reuse, exploring the possibilities of reducing the amount and concentration of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, trying to use safe energy sources and more environmentally friendly fuels.

It is the unfavorable environmental situation that affects not only natural

resources, but also on human health: the average life expectancy of people is decreasing, the number of babies born with developmental pathologies or congenital diseases is increasing, the number of infertile couples and cancer patients is growing. It was these disappointing statistics that became the reason for developing a set of measures aimed at changing the current situation.

Protection in Russia in recent years has become one of the priority areas of the state’s domestic policy. It involves the development and implementation of new, safe production technologies, measures for the restoration of natural resources (new forest plantings and limitation of logging, restoration of the number of inhabitants of reservoirs, rational use of subsoil, reuse of various raw materials, etc.). Along with these measures, the number of environmental protection zones, national parks and reserves is increasing.

The State Committee for Nature Protection is called upon to regulate and control the use of resources. His direct responsibility is to develop regulations, requirements and rules. Only in our country are environmental law norms included in the basic law of the state - the Constitution. In addition, in order to properly use resources in various sectors, the Subsoil Law, as well as the Water, Forestry and Land Codes, have been developed. Despite the fairly large number of environmental departments, environmental protection in our country is not yet sufficiently developed. And this is not so much a shortcoming of state power as each person’s own attitude towards the world in which he lives.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION- a system of government measures aimed at rational use of natural resources, conservation and improvement of the environment in the interests of living and future generations of people. O. o. With. includes, therefore, a set of measures, some of which are aimed at optimizing environmental management processes, and some - at preventing and eliminating undesirable impacts from the environment on humans, i.e. measures of a sanitary-hygienic, sanitary-technical nature, supported by state legislation.

Environmental management in a broad sense refers to the direct (or indirect) human impact on the environment. In this case, we are talking about the use not only of material natural resources (energy, mineral, water, land, forest, etc.), but also of natural resources necessary to ensure rational (namely rational, and not any needs generated by the development of the so-called . consumer society) needs of people, including their healthy physical and spiritual life.

The goals and objectives of environmental management are formulated in Article 18 of the Constitution of the USSR (1977) as follows: “In the interests of present and future generations in the USSR, the necessary measures are taken for the protection and scientifically based, rational use of the land and its subsoil, water resources, flora and fauna, for maintaining clean air and water, ensuring the reproduction of natural resources and improving the human environment.”

Measures of a sanitary and sanitary-technical nature include dignity. protection of the air basin (especially populated areas) in connection with the intensive development of industry and transport; protection from the action of pesticides and other chemicals. funds in connection with their widespread use in agriculture; combating the influence of radioactive substances, which are increasingly used in the national economy, industry, medicine, and biology; development of maximum permissible concentrations of toxic substances and protection from the effects of these substances on the human body, etc.

Scientific and technological progress, permeating the industrial and agricultural sectors of the national economy, is impossible without influencing nature, without using up its resources. Increasing industrial production capacity is always associated with a greater use of raw materials, significant consumption of water for industrial needs and an increase in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. Therefore, one cannot underestimate the dangers of the negative consequences of increased human impact on nature. Bearing in mind the chaotic use of natural resources that takes place in the capitalist world, F. Engels wrote: “Let us not, however, be too deluded by our victories over nature. For every such victory she takes revenge on us. Each of these victories, it is true, first of all has the consequences that we were counting on, but in the second and third place completely different, unforeseen consequences, which very often destroy the significance of the first ones” (Marx K., Engels F. Soch., vol. . 20, pp. 495-496). In a socialist society, the state legislatively regulates the use of natural resources and establishes rules for nature conservation. Therefore, the problem of reasonable, rational use of nature and its conservation in the interests of present and future generations is quite feasible. In a socialist society, the rational use, conservation and reproduction of natural resources and respect for nature are an integral part of the construction of a communist society, in which the optimal quality of the environment is an element of the material well-being of people. This applies equally to both the external natural environment and the environment surrounding a person in the conditions of production, his life and recreation.

The problem of environmental pollution caused by the direct impact of human activity arose especially acutely in the second half of the 20th century. Environmental pollution in the USA, England, Japan, France and other caps. In countries with high concentration of industry, it has reached critical proportions that are dangerous to the life and health of the population. Unregulated and uncontrolled use of natural resources leads to the disappearance of green areas, intense pollution of the atmosphere, water sources, accumulation in the soil and vegetation, as well as in animal organisms that consume this vegetation, of substances, the entry of which into the human body through food has become dangerous for it. life.

Of particular danger are the combustion products of coal and petroleum products, suspended particles of dust and metals, car exhaust gases, etc. The total amount of various types of harmful substances entering the environment per year worldwide has exceeded 30 billion tons. Hundreds of millions of tons of carbon monoxide are emitted into the Earth's atmosphere, approx. 150 million tons of sulfur oxides, more than 50 million tons of nitrogen oxides. Hundreds of millions of tons of ash are released into the environment every year; Millions of cubic meters of untreated wastewater containing large amounts of various toxic substances enter open water bodies. Potent toxic chemicals, metal salts, and numerous, stable, and previously non-existent substances accumulate in the water of these reservoirs. Pollution of water bodies leads to a reduction in natural fresh water reserves, disrupts the vital activity of aquatic plants, planktonic organisms, fish, etc.

Soil pollution from industrial, household and agricultural waste is occurring at an alarming rate. Around many industrial productions, artificial biogeochemical provinces (see) with increased levels of lead salts, cadmium, mercury and other chemical elements in the soil have formed. Numerous observations have shown that these highly toxic substances, dangerous to human life, can accumulate in plants, insects, birds, fish, and various livestock products. When assessing the degree of danger of environmental pollutants according to the so-called system. In stress indices (i.e., indicators of the most dangerous pollutants), pesticides took first place in the 70s (see). The widespread use of these substances in the national economy has led to the fact that they have become a permanent component of the natural environment - they accumulate in ecological systems and migrate on a global scale. These substances cause profound changes in ecological systems, contribute to the emergence of forms of pests resistant to pesticides, and the death of beneficial organisms.

Modern industry creates fundamentally new materials that do not exist in nature and are largely alien in their physical properties. and chem. properties of living organisms. The human body is evolutionarily unprepared for the action of many of them. Their impact on humans has led to the emergence of previously unknown diseases - genetic, toxicological, allergic, endocrine, etc.; At the same time, one should take into account the possibility of the emergence of certain forms of pathology across generations. Honey. Studies have shown that polluted atmospheric air has become one of the leading factors in the etiology and pathogenesis of respiratory diseases, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema, and malignant neoplasms of the respiratory system. So, for example, according to Japanese researchers for 1975-1976, the increased content of nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons and suspended particles in the air of Tokyo led to massive diseases of the respiratory system of urban residents.

One of the consequences of scientific and technological progress is the appearance of mutagenic physical factors in the environment in alarming quantities. and chem. nature. From physical factors, first of all, it should be noted various types of ionizing radiation of high penetrating power. It has been established that the mutagenic effect of ionizing radiation is universal and non-threshold, i.e. any dose can cause genetic damage. Genetic studies conducted in the 60-70s showed that even small doses of radiation can lead to a 2-fold increase in the number of patients with hereditary diseases.

Many chemicals also have mutagenic properties. compounds, and a number of them have a mutagenic effect that exceeds ionizing radiation. In the 60s Even the term “supermutagens” appeared, which began to mean substances whose mutagenicity is tens and hundreds of times greater than the mutagenicity of ionizing radiation (see Mutagens).

Many pesticides have cytogenetic activity; mutagenic and carcinogenic activity of many nitrogen oxides, nitrosamines and other nitro compounds has been revealed. The mutagenic effect of alkylating compounds formed from industrial waste and open technological processes, etc., has been studied. Once in the environment, mutagenic substances interact with each other, resulting in high concentrations of unstudied dangerous carcinogenic complexes being created in the atmospheric air and water sources.

The development of canning technology and the widespread use of canned food products has placed consumers in direct contact with chemicals. mutagens - formalin, propylene glycol, various nitro compounds, etc. Taken together, the modern canning industry in many countries has become due to insufficient government authority. supervision of the source of chemicals entering the human body. mutagens.

An increasingly serious problem has become the “contamination” of the environment with such substances harmful to human health. factors such as vibration (see), noise (see), electromagnetic fields of various ranges (see Electromagnetic field), etc., which is associated with the wide distribution of various vehicles, electrical household products, the growth in the number and power of radio and television stations, radar installations, etc. It has been established that by the end of the 70s. The noise level in all major cities increased by 12-45 dB, and subjective loudness doubled. Noise interferes with rest and leads to insomnia. It causes diseases of the nervous system, hypertension, etc. Noise contributes to the weakening of attention, memory, reaction speed, reduces labor productivity, and is one of the direct causes of injuries. It is estimated, for example, that in France noise is the cause of 11% of accidents at work and 15% of lost working time. After soundproofing the work premises of the offices of one American insurance company, errors by calculators were reduced by 52%, and errors by typists by 29%.

Until the end of the 60s, research by ecologists and hygienists concerned Ch. arr. problems san. protection of environmental objects on a national scale, studying the phenomena and consequences of local pollution of the environment. In the 70s The attention of scientists and the public was switched to studying the global consequences of environmental pollution. The fight against the onset of the environmental crisis has become a necessity for all countries and peoples and has become one of the factors in international politics and international cooperation.

Some bourgeois scientists, when discussing the current situation, come to the conclusion that modern society has crossed the threshold of natural self-defense of nature and that it can no longer be saved by human efforts. The scientific and technological revolution is increasingly presented by bourgeois theorists as a force hostile to human society. Representatives of this movement predict the inevitability of the death of all human civilization, all life on earth. Others believe that the scientific and technological revolution will itself resolve the environmental crisis, regardless of the nature of the social system. Still others, identifying real crisis situations in the modern capitalist world, limit themselves to abstract calls to overcome such situations through a “revolution in human consciousness.” Science, technology and man are considered by bourgeois theorists in isolation from the social organization of people's life, in isolation from society. They separate science and the scientific-technical revolution, their functions and orientation from social conditions, which differ depending on the existing social system.

The modern environmental crisis is determined by the social conditions of the capitalist system. The practice of socialist society shows that the destructive impact of the scientific and technological revolution on nature is not a fatal inevitability.

Environmental protection in the USSR.

The environment is inextricably linked with man, who is an active object of nature. In this regard, I.M. Sechenov wrote: “An organism without an external environment that supports its existence is impossible, therefore the scientific definition of an organism also includes the environment that influences it.”

In the field of environmental protection, the CPSU and the Soviet government proceed from the recognition of the vital importance of this problem for all mankind. The party and personally V.I. Lenin, in the extremely difficult conditions of the development of the economy, attached great importance to the issues of protecting the natural environment and related issues of preserving and strengthening the health of workers. In the first years of Soviet power alone, V.I. Lenin signed more than 100 documents aimed at O. o. With. and rational use of natural resources. In 1918, in the work “Sketch of a plan for scientific and technical work” V.N. Lenin emphasized that the matter of nature conservation should be set in accordance with the tasks of socialist construction.

The first legislative act of the Soviet government, signed by V.I. Lenin, was the decree on land, according to which all land and its subsoil were declared state property. This act legally stopped the predatory use of land. On May 27, 1918, V.I. Lenin and Ya.M. Sverdlov signed the law “On Forests,” which obligated local authorities to take care of the renewal and systematic use of forests. In February 1919, the Supreme Economic Council adopted a special resolution “On the Central Committee for Water Conservation - Tsentrvodoohrany”, which outlined a broad program of measures to protect water bodies from pollution by wastewater from industrial and municipal enterprises. In the same year, signed by V.I. Lenin, decrees of the Council of People's Commissars “On the bowels of the earth” were issued, and in 1921, “On the protection of fish and animal lands in the Arctic Ocean and the White Sea.” Careful attitude towards natural resources, reflected in decrees and resolutions, has become the principle of socialist environmental management and environmental protection.

In recent years alone, a number of resolutions have been adopted by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR: “On strengthening nature protection and improving the use of natural resources” (1972), “On measures to prevent pollution of the Volga and Ural river basins with untreated wastewater” (1972), “ On measures to prevent pollution of the basins of the Black and Azov Seas" (1976), "On measures to further ensure the protection and rational use of the natural resources of the Lake Baikal basin" (1977), "On additional measures to strengthen nature protection and improve the use of natural resources" ( 1978).

The Supreme Council of the USSR adopted the “Fundamentals of the legislation of the USSR and Union republics on health care”, which also reflects issues of environmental protection, “Fundamentals of the water legislation of the USSR and Union republics”, “Fundamentals of the legislation of the USSR and Union republics on subsoil”, “Fundamentals of forest legislation of the USSR and Union republics”, as well as the Law of the USSR “On the protection of atmospheric air”. In addition, in relation to individual regions of the country, in recent years the Council of Ministers of the USSR has adopted a number of resolutions aimed at strengthening measures for environmental protection and rational use of the country's natural resources.

For the first time in the history of mankind, questions of O. o. With. were included in the basic law of the country - the Constitution of the USSR (1977). It regulates the principles of rational, scientifically based use of natural resources, defines tasks for preserving and improving the environment, and protecting public health. A necessary condition for protecting people from adverse environmental factors was the development of criteria, the excess of which is associated with the risk of harm to human health.

The Soviet state became the first state in the world to establish scientifically based maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) of various harmful substances in the atmospheric air of industrial premises, in the water of reservoirs, in food products, etc. The first MPCs relating to sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrogen chloride , were approved by the People's Commissar of Labor of the RSFSR in 1922. By the fifties, MPCs in the air for sulfur dioxide, chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead and its compounds, metallic mercury, dust ( non-toxic) and soot.

The maximum permissible concentrations developed by research institutes and approved by M3 of the USSR were included in a special section in the construction standards SN 245-71 “Sanitary standards for the design of industrial enterprises”, and the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances in the air of the working area were the basis of GOST 12.1.005.76 “Air of the working area » system of occupational safety standards. In the USSR, gigabytes were approved. standards for chemical substances that can pollute water bodies (approx. 800), atmospheric air (over 400), air in industrial premises (over 1000), soil (over 20), food products (approx. 200).

The enormous challenges of national economic development necessitate strengthening environmental protection measures, primarily to protect water bodies from pollution, as well as to reduce the harmful effects of pollution on human health. This will be solved by further expansion of the construction of treatment facilities, the development and implementation of technological schemes for waste-free production and the widespread use of recycled water supply. In 1975 alone, 1,580 complexes of treatment facilities were put into operation to protect fresh water from pollution; Much work in this direction is being carried out in large cities of the Volga basin. A significant place in protecting and improving the environment (protecting water and air basins, reducing noise and improving the microclimate) is given to urban planning measures (see Urban Planning). This is primarily the removal outside the city limits or the repurposing of enterprises, emissions from which cannot be significantly reduced, the creation of scientifically based sanitary protection zones (see) around industrial enterprises.

In order to protect the population from noise, large highways are being built to bypass residential areas; narrow streets are being replaced by highways isolated from residential buildings by green spaces; the flow of freight vehicles is regulated, the time for transporting goods to the trade network of densely populated areas is regulated. Legislative acts of the Soviet government on nature conservation and rational use of natural resources are reflected in government capital investments for these purposes.

Thus, for the implementation of a complex of environmental measures for the period 1981 -1985. In general, it is planned to allocate more than 10 billion rubles of government capital investments throughout the country.

Of great importance for solving problems in O. o. With. in the USSR it is the development of general schemes for the location of sectors of the national economy, regional planning projects and large industrial complexes both for the coming years and for the long term of development. These plans provide for the rational use of the territory and natural resources, as well as improving the working, living and recreational conditions of people. They contain scientifically based measures for the placement of settlements, industrial and agricultural enterprises, engineering structures, public recreation areas and protected areas.

In accordance with the resolutions of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR “On strengthening nature protection and improving the use of natural resources” (1972) and “On additional measures to strengthen nature protection and improve the use of natural resources” (1978) in the practice of state planning of economic activities for environmental protection . O. With. new provisions have been introduced. Regularly, current and long-term state plans for the development of the national economy of the USSR for sections of the relevant sectors of the economy provide for various types of work and ever-increasing appropriations for O. o. With. Measures for nature protection and rational use of natural resources in state plans for the development of the national economy are allocated as a separate section. State reporting on the implementation of relevant activities by the Ministries and departments has been established. All projects for the construction of new and reconstruction of existing enterprises must undergo state examination, taking into account the impact on the environment.

The USSR State Committee for Science and Technology, together with the USSR Academy of Sciences and other departments, is developing a scientific and technical forecast of possible changes in the biosphere as a result of the development of sectors of the national economy in the future for 20-30 years.

Our country has created a wide system of state bodies and public organizations for nature protection (see Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Sanitary Supervision). State authorities approve plans for the development of the national economy, specifically hear and resolve issues related to improving the use of natural resources, analyzing the state and further improving environmental protection. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR has permanent commissions for nature protection under the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities. Reports and proposals of these commissions, in appropriate cases, are discussed at sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR or, on its instructions, by the Council of Ministers of the USSR, ministries and departments of the USSR. Commissions for nature protection under the Councils of People's Deputies also exist at the level of union and autonomous republics, territories and regions, districts, and settlements.

The Council of Ministers of the USSR directs, leads, coordinates, and controls the activities of the ministries and departments of the USSR and directs the activities of the councils of ministers of the union republics in the field of public relations. pp., develops comprehensive measures to improve environmental protection both for the country as a whole and for individual large districts and adopts appropriate resolutions. The councils of ministers of the union and autonomous republics carry out their activities in the same direction.

A number of ministries and departments are entrusted with the functions of state environmental control over the activities of all enterprises and organizations, regardless of their departmental subordination. Thus, M3 of the USSR exercises state authority. supervision over the implementation of established rules and regulations in the field of municipal improvement, water supply, food, everyday life and recreation of the population, placement of industrial facilities, provision of water protection measures, etc.; The Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR exercises state control over compliance with land legislation and the procedure for land use, over the correct management of hunting, the preservation and enrichment of beneficial flora and fauna, as well as over the nature reserve business; The Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the USSR carries out state control over the rational use of water, the implementation of measures to protect water bodies, the operation of treatment facilities and the discharge of wastewater into water bodies.

USSR State Committee for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Control together with state institutions. supervision of the USSR Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Management ensures control over the level of environmental pollution. For this purpose, the National Service for Observation and Control of the Level of Environmental Pollution has been organized. A number of other ministries and departments are vested with the functions of state control over the use and protection of natural resources in accordance with their specialization. Each such ministries has corresponding state inspections. Laws on nature protection have been adopted in all union republics. Individual union republics created state republican committees for nature protection under the councils of ministers. Such committees were created in the Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Lithuanian and Moldavian SSR.

For the scientific substantiation of important decisions made and the development of technical policy in the field of environmental protection, the Interdepartmental Scientific and Technical Council on Complex Problems of Environmental Protection and the Rational Use of Natural Resources was organized under the USSR State Committee for Science and Technology. He is entrusted with coordinating and preparing proposals for solving major government problems in this area, as well as performing a number of important advisory functions.

The USSR Academy of Sciences has a Scientific Council on Biosphere Problems, designed to unite efforts and guide the work of many scientific institutions developing the scientific foundations for the rational use and protection of natural resources and methods for economic and environmental assessment of their use. In recent years, the development of principles for environmental and economic assessment of the most important types of natural resources has been intensified. A large range of work is being carried out to study the World Ocean and atmosphere. In the future, research into the World Ocean should lead to better use of its vast biological, mineral, energy and other resources, and contribute to the improvement of means of protecting the ocean from pollution.

Much attention in our country is paid to the organization of state reserves, which are essentially zones for the conservation and study of the genetic fund of the biosphere. The activities of state reserves are carried out in accordance with the principles of preserving representative standards of nature and the gene pool. State reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, along with forestry, fishing, and hunting enterprises, do a lot of work to restore stocks of valuable plants and animals, including those that are on the verge of extinction.

The problem of nature conservation today raises many complex issues that require workers in the field of environmental protection. With. special knowledge. Therefore, along with the creation of a technical base, prof. training of specialists on various issues of O. o. With. Taking this into account, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the USSR has developed measures to improve educational and research work in the field of educational activities. With. Since 1973, a section “Nature Conservation” has been introduced into the curricula of a number of universities in the USSR in order to provide future specialists with basic information about the problem of nature conservation and ways of its practical solution. Many technical universities have begun training engineers, technologists, architects, and other specialists in operational issues. With. It is important to promote knowledge about nature and cultivate a sense of respect for nature among the population through the press, radio, and television.

A lot of work is being done by public organizations - voluntary associations for nature conservation, the Moscow and other associations of nature explorers, geographical societies, the Knowledge society, etc. People's high fur boots and nature conservation associations are being organized . An important role in instilling a caring attitude towards nature and its riches is given to schools and youth circles.

A powerful impetus to resolving issues of O. o. With. became the historical decisions of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU. The “Main Directions of Economic and Social Development of the USSR for 1981-1985 and for the Period until 1990” adopted at the congress provides for a broad and comprehensive program of measures to manage environmental quality (Section IX “Nature Protection”). The tasks of strengthening the protection of nature, the earth and its subsoil, atmospheric air, water bodies, flora and fauna are listed among the priorities, and when considering urgent issues of the development of science, the relevance of increasing the effectiveness of activities in the field of environmental protection is noted. With.

When setting the main goal of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan - ensuring further improvement in the well-being of the people - special attention is paid to improving public health, as well as protecting and improving the environment in the interests of preserving and strengthening the health of the population. An extremely important role is given to preventive work aimed at preventing diseases. Taking this into account, a comprehensive program of theoretical and practical research was developed on the problem of “Scientific foundations of environmental hygiene”, which began in the Tenth Five-Year Plan. This program plans to accelerate, expand and deepen the study of the general patterns of adaptation processes, the mechanisms of interaction of the human body with a complex of favorable and harmful environmental factors of anthropogenic and natural origin, as well as socio-economic factors in order to substantiate a system of national measures aimed at optimizing living conditions , labor and rest of Soviet people.

International cooperation in the field of environmental protection. Taking effective measures to protect and improve the environment in the country, the Communist Party and the Soviet government have attached and continue to attach great importance to expanding comprehensive international cooperation in this area. Soviet

The Union proceeds from the fact that the most rational approach to successfully solving environmental problems, which are global and complex in nature, can only be the united efforts of all states. From the first days of its existence, the Soviet state has been active in this direction. Back in 1922, a bilateral agreement was concluded between the RSFSR and Finland on water use and regulation of fishing in border water systems. A similar convention was signed in 1927 with Turkey. In the same year, the USSR signed an agreement with Iran on the joint exploitation of fisheries on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Agreements on water protection and fisheries were signed by the Soviet Union with neighboring countries, and with some countries, in addition, agreements were concluded on joint fight against forest fires and carrying out quarantine measures.

Development of international cooperation in the field of O. o. With. and rational use of natural resources is an integral part of the Peace Program adopted at the XXIV Congress of the CPSU. Speaking at the congress with a report, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Comrade. JI. I. Brezhnev spoke on this issue: “Our country is ready to participate together with other interested states in solving such problems as the preservation of the natural environment, the development of energy and other natural resources, the development of transport and communications, the prevention and elimination of the most dangerous and widespread diseases, research and exploration of space and the World Ocean."

Implementing the Peace Program, the Soviet Union entered into agreements on cooperation in the field of O. o. With. with the USA, France, Sweden, Canada, Germany, England, Italy, Iran and other countries.

Even earlier, in August 1963, in Moscow, representatives of the governments of the USSR, USA and England signed the “Treaty Banning the Testing of Nuclear Weapons in the Atmosphere, Outer Space and Under Water”. This agreement was joined by St. 100 states.

In 1966, an agreement on scientific, technical and economic cooperation was concluded between the USSR and France. The topics of long-term (10-year) cooperation included the development of methods for calculating and predicting pollution levels and the search for means of protecting atmospheric air, methods for studying surface and groundwater resources, methods and equipment for wastewater treatment and other problems.

In 1972, an agreement on cooperation in the field of O. was signed in Moscow between the USSR and the USA. With. This agreement provided for the study of the impact of pollution on the human environment, the development of a framework for regulating the impact of human activity on nature and measures to prevent air, soil and water pollution.

The USSR and other socialist states initiated broad collective measures to solve the environmental problem. The draft General Declaration on the foundations of European security and the principles of relations between states in Europe, proposed by the Soviet Union at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, specifically spoke of the need for all states of the continent to develop bilateral and multilateral ties in the field of environmental protection. A section devoted to the development of such ties was included in the project proposed by the meeting participants, the delegations of the GDR and Hungary. The proposals of the USSR, East Germany and Hungary were unanimously supported by the participants of the All-European Conference and were fully reflected in the Final Act of this historical forum, signed in Helsinki on August 1, 1975 by the leaders of 33 European states, as well as the USA and Canada. This document proclaims: “... the protection and improvement of the environment, as well as the conservation of nature and the rational use of its resources in the interests of present and future generations, is one of the tasks of great importance for the well-being of peoples and the economic development of all countries, and that many Environmental problems, particularly in Europe, can only be effectively addressed through close international cooperation.”

The participating states of the Pan-European Conference clearly defined the specific goals of cooperation on this issue, outlined the most important areas, possible progressive forms and methods of this cooperation. They agreed, inter alia, to cooperate in areas such as combating air pollution; protection of water from pollution and use of fresh water; marine environment protection; soil conservation and land use; protection of nature and reserves; improving the environment in populated areas; fundamental research, observations, forecast and assessment of changes in the environment; legal and administrative measures on O. o. With.

The successful completion of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe gave a powerful impetus to the development of international cooperation on the problems of protecting and improving the environment. These problems are planned to be resolved both on a bilateral and multilateral basis, including regional and subregional. At the same time, it is expected to make full use of the existing and potential capabilities of existing international organizations dealing with public health issues. pp., in particular the UN Economic Commission for Europe, and the UN Environment Programme, in which the Soviet Union actively participates and makes a constructive contribution to the development and implementation of their programs.

In accordance with the recommendation of the UN conference on environmental problems, which went down in history as the Stockholm Conference (1972), and by decision of the XXVII session of the UN General Assembly in 1972, the international “UN Environment Program” (UNEP) was created. This program included 7 priority areas of activity: 1. The problem of developing human settlements, maintaining human health and well-being (environmental problems caused by the increasing urbanization process, issues of combating air pollution, as well as the problem of recycling solid and liquid waste); 2. Problems of soil and water protection, as well as the fight against the spread of deserts (studying issues of rational use of water resources and preventing their pollution, improving wastewater treatment technology, introducing advanced water use technologies); 3. Problems of education, professional training, information transfer (conducting international symposiums and seminars on the training of specialists in the field of environmental protection, the creation of an international reference service on environmental issues); 4. Trade, economic and technological aspects of the environmental problem (studying and searching for the most effective ways to combat environmental pollution, as well as developing methods for the most rational exploitation of natural resources); 5. Protection of the World Ocean from pollution (the main direction at first is the fight against pollution of the World Ocean with oil and petroleum products); 6. Protection of flora and fauna, conservation and maintenance of the genetic resources of the globe (issues of protection of endangered plants and animals, as well as issues of changes in natural ecological systems as a result of human impact on them); 7. The problem of energy and energy resources (initially only an assessment of the available information on this problem with an emphasis on the economic side).

The USSR actively cooperates in the field of environmental protection with socialist as well as capitalist countries and a number of international organizations - the UN, UNEP, WHO, UNESCO, etc. The scientific and technical cooperation of the USSR with the CMEA member countries on the complex problem of “Development of measures” is successfully developing for Nature Conservation". The main areas of cooperation are: coordination of methodological approaches to solving such issues as protecting public health, protecting ecological systems and landscapes, protecting atmospheric air, improving methods of recycling and neutralizing waste, socio-economic, organizational, legal, and pedagogical aspects of O. o. With. for the purpose of planned distribution of tasks between individual partner countries. More than 30 institutions of socialist countries take part in this cooperation on environmental hygiene issues alone.

Active international cooperation on medical aspects of O. o. problems. With. carried out through WHO. In accordance with the resolutions of the World Health Assembly, since 1973, a broad program has been implemented to assess the impact of environmental factors on human health called the WHO Environmental Health Criteria Program. Within the framework of the Program, groups of experts from various countries, including the USSR, work to analyze the world's available data on the toxicity and danger of various environmental pollutants and develop recommendations regarding acceptable levels of their impact on human health.

In May 1978, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR ratified the convention prohibiting military or any other hostile use of means of influencing the natural environment. This convention was signed in 1977 in Geneva by representatives of 33 UN member states. The most important feature of the new convention is that it affects such activities and such processes (meteorological and geographical), which have never previously been the scope or subject of international agreements. The Convention expressed the most important task of our time - to preserve our earth - the planet of people - in all its beauty and diversity, so that it will continue to serve people in the future.

Upon ratification of the convention, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Comrade. JI. I. Brezhnev said: “The Soviet Union is doing everything possible to protect nature, its flora and fauna, mineral resources... But we are not alone on the planet, and preserving nature requires the efforts of all people inhabiting the globe” (“Pravda”, 1978, May 17).

Bibliography: Ananichev K.V. Problems of the environment, energy and natural resources, M., 1975; Anuchin V. A. Fundamentals of environmental management, Theoretical aspect, M., 1978; Bochkov N.P. Genetic monitoring of human populations in connection with environmental pollution, Cytology and Genetics, vol. I, No. 3, p. 195, 1977, bibliogr.; Influence of the environment on human health, M., WHO, 1974; Genetic consequences of environmental pollution, ed. N. P. Dubinina and others, c. 2, p. 14, M., 1977; Environmental hygiene in the USSR, ed. G. I. Sidorenko, M., 1981; Hygienic aspects of environmental protection, ed. E. I. Korenevskaya, V. 6-7, M., 1978-1979; Dubinin N.P. and Pashin Yu.V. Mutagenesis and the environment, M., 1978, bibliogr.; Carcinogenic substances in the human environment, ed. JI. M. Shabad and A.P. Ilnitsky, Budapest, 1979; Criteria for necessary and sufficient test systems for identifying mutagenic and carcinogenic factors in the environment, ed. N. P. Dubinina et al., p. 4, M., 1978; Criteria for the sanitary and hygienic state of the environment, I. Mercury, trans. from English, Geneva, WHO, 1979; M e l e sh k i n M. T., Zaitsev A. P. and Marinov X. Economics and the environment, M., 1979; Nikitin D.P. and Novikov Yu.V. Environment and people, M., 1980; Pokrovsky V. A. Hygiene, M., 1979; Guide to monitoring air quality in cities, ed. M. J. Sewess and S. R. Craxford, trans. from English, M., 1980; Collection of regulations on nature conservation, ed. V. M. Blinova, M., 1978; T i-b o r B. Environmental protection, trans. from Wenger., M., 1980; Shabad JI. M. On the circulation of carcinogens in the environment, M., 1973; Ekholm E. Environment and human health, trans. с" English, M., 1980; Environmental health criteria, 4, Oxides of nitrogen, Geneva, WHO, 1977; Environmental pollution and carcinogenic risks, ed. by C. Rosenfeld a. W. Davis, P., 1976; Handbook of muta-geneity test procedures, ed. by B. J. Kil-bey, Amsterdam, 1977.

P. N. Burgasov.

Pollution is the introduction of pollutants into the natural environment that cause adverse changes. Pollution can take the form of chemicals or energy such as noise, heat or light. Components of pollution can be either foreign substances/energy or natural pollutants.

Main types and causes of environmental pollution:

Air pollution

Coniferous forest after acid rain

Smoke from chimneys, factories, vehicles, or from burning wood and coal makes the air toxic. The effects of air pollution are also clear. The release of sulfur dioxide and hazardous gases into the atmosphere causes global warming and acid rain, which in turn increases temperatures, causing excessive rainfall or droughts around the world and making life more difficult. We also breathe every contaminated particle in the air and as a result, the risk of asthma and lung cancer increases.

Water pollution

Caused the loss of many species of flora and fauna of the Earth. This happened because industrial waste discharged into rivers and other water bodies causes an imbalance in the aquatic environment, leading to severe pollution and death of aquatic animals and plants.

In addition, spraying insecticides, pesticides (such as DDT) on plants, contaminates the groundwater system. Oil spills in the oceans have caused significant damage to water bodies.

Eutrophication in the Potomac River, USA

Eutrophication is another important cause of water pollution. Occurs due to untreated wastewater and the run-off of fertilizers from the soil into lakes, ponds or rivers, due to which chemicals penetrate into the water and prevent the penetration of sunlight, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen and making the water body uninhabitable.

Pollution of water resources harms not only individual aquatic organisms, but also the entire water supply, and seriously affects the people who depend on it. In some countries of the world, due to water pollution, outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea are observed.

Soil pollution

Soil erosion

This type of pollution occurs when harmful chemical elements enter the soil, usually caused by human activities. Insecticides and pesticides suck nitrogen compounds from the soil, making it unsuitable for plant growth. Industrial waste also has a negative impact on the soil. Since plants cannot grow as required, they are unable to retain soil, resulting in erosion.

Noise pollution

This pollution occurs when unpleasant (loud) sounds from the environment affect a person's hearing organs and lead to psychological problems including tension, high blood pressure, hearing loss, etc. It can be caused by industrial equipment, airplanes, cars, etc.

Radioactive contamination

This is a very dangerous type of pollution, it occurs due to malfunctions of nuclear power plants, improper storage of nuclear waste, accidents, etc. Radioactive pollution can cause cancer, infertility, loss of vision, birth defects; it can make the soil infertile, and also negatively affects air and water.

Light pollution

Light pollution on planet Earth

Occurs due to noticeable excess illumination of an area. It is common, as a rule, in large cities, especially from billboards, gyms or entertainment venues at night. In residential areas, light pollution greatly affects people's lives. It also interferes with astronomical observations, making the stars almost invisible.

Thermal/heat pollution

Thermal pollution is the deterioration of water quality by any process that changes the temperature of the surrounding water. The main cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a refrigerant by power plants and industries. When water used as a refrigerant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature reduces the oxygen supply and affects the composition. Fish and other organisms adapted to a particular temperature range can be killed by a sudden change in water temperature (or a rapid increase or decrease).

Thermal pollution is caused by excess heat in the environment creating undesirable changes over long periods of time. This is due to the huge number of industries, deforestation and air pollution. Thermal pollution increases the Earth's temperature, causing dramatic climate change and the extinction of wildlife species.

Visual pollution

Visual pollution, Philippines

Visual pollution is an aesthetic problem and refers to the effects of pollution that impair the ability to enjoy the natural world. It includes: billboards, open garbage storage, antennas, electrical wires, buildings, cars, etc.

Overcrowding of the territory with a large number of objects causes visual pollution. Such pollution contributes to absent-mindedness, eye fatigue, loss of identity, etc.

Plastic pollution

Plastic pollution, India

Involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that have an adverse effect on wildlife, animal habitats or people. Plastic products are inexpensive and durable, which has made them very popular among people. However, this material decomposes very slowly. Plastic pollution can adversely affect soil, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. Living organisms, especially marine animals, become entangled in plastic waste or suffer from chemicals in plastic that cause disruptions in biological functions. People are also affected by plastic pollution by causing hormonal imbalance.

Objects of pollution

The main objects of environmental pollution are air (atmosphere), water resources (streams, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans), soil, etc.

Pollutants (sources or subjects of pollution) of the environment

Pollutants are chemical, biological, physical or mechanical elements (or processes) that harm the environment.

They can cause harm in both the short and long term. Pollutants come from natural resources or are produced by humans.

Many pollutants have toxic effects on living organisms. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an example of a substance that is harmful to humans. This compound is absorbed by the body instead of oxygen, causing shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and in severe cases can lead to serious poisoning, and even death.

Some pollutants become dangerous when they react with other naturally occurring compounds. Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are released from impurities in fossil fuels during combustion. They react with water vapor in the atmosphere, turning into acid rain. Acid rain negatively affects aquatic ecosystems and leads to the death of aquatic animals, plants, and other living organisms. Terrestrial ecosystems are also affected by acid rain.

Classification of pollution sources

Based on the type of occurrence, environmental pollution is divided into:

Anthropogenic (artificial) pollution

Deforestation

Anthropogenic pollution is the impact on the environment caused by human activities. The main sources of artificial pollution are:

• industrialization;
• invention of automobiles;
• global population growth;
• deforestation: destruction of natural habitats;
• nuclear explosions;
• overexploitation of natural resources;
• construction of buildings, roads, dams;
• creation of explosive substances that are used during military operations;
• use of fertilizers and pesticides;
• mining.

Natural (natural) pollution

Volcanic eruption

Natural pollution is caused and occurs naturally, without human intervention. It can affect the environment for a certain period of time, but is capable of regeneration. Sources of natural pollution include:

• volcanic eruptions, releasing gases, ash and magma;
• forest fires emit smoke and gaseous impurities;
• sandstorms raise dust and sand;
• decomposition of organic matter, during which gases are released.

Consequences of pollution:

Environmental degradation

Photo on the left: Beijing after the rain. Photo on the right: smog in Beijing

The environment is the first victim of air pollution. An increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere leads to smog, which can prevent sunlight from reaching the earth's surface. In this regard, it becomes much more difficult. Gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can cause acid rain. Water pollution in terms of oil spills can lead to the death of several species of wild animals and plants.

Human health

Lung cancer

Decreased air quality leads to several respiratory problems, including asthma or lung cancer. Chest pain, sore throat, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases can be caused by air pollution. Water pollution can cause skin problems, including irritation and rashes. Similarly, noise pollution leads to hearing loss, stress and sleep disturbance.

Global warming

Male, the capital of the Maldives, is one of the cities facing the prospect of being flooded by the ocean in the 21st century

The release of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, leads to global warming. Every day new industries are created, new cars appear on the roads, and trees are cut down to make way for new homes. All these factors, directly or indirectly, lead to an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere. Rising CO2 is causing the polar ice caps to melt, raising sea levels and creating dangers for people living near coastal areas.

Ozone depletion

The ozone layer is a thin shield high in the sky that blocks ultraviolet rays from reaching the ground. Human activities release chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere, which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Badlands

Due to the constant use of insecticides and pesticides, the soil can become infertile. Various types of chemicals generated from industrial waste end up in water, which also affects soil quality.

Protection (protection) of the environment from pollution:

International protection

Many are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to human influence in many countries. As a result, some states are joining together and developing agreements aimed at preventing damage to or managing human impacts on natural resources. These include agreements that affect the protection of the climate, oceans, rivers and air from pollution. These international environmental treaties are sometimes binding instruments that have legal consequences in the event of non-compliance, and in other situations they are used as codes of conduct. The most famous include:

• The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), approved in June 1972, provides for the protection of nature for the present generation of people and their descendants.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed in May 1992. The main goal of this agreement is “to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”
• The Kyoto Protocol provides for the reduction or stabilization of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. It was signed in Japan at the end of 1997.

State protection

Discussions of environmental issues often focus on the government, legislative and law enforcement levels. However, in the broadest sense, environmental protection can be seen as the responsibility of the entire people, not just the government. Decisions that impact the environment will ideally involve a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, indigenous groups, environmental groups and communities. Environmental decision-making processes are constantly evolving and becoming more active in different countries.

Many constitutions recognize the fundamental right to protect the environment. In addition, in various countries there are organizations and institutions dealing with environmental issues.

Although protecting the environment is not simply the responsibility of government agencies, most people consider these organizations paramount in creating and maintaining basic standards that protect the environment and the people who interact with it.

How to protect the environment yourself?

Population and technological advances based on fossil fuels have severely impacted our natural environment. Therefore, we now need to do our part to eliminate the consequences of degradation so that humanity continues to live in an environmentally friendly environment.

There are 3 main principles that are still relevant and more important than ever:

• use less;
• reuse;
• recycle.

• Create a compost heap in your garden. This helps to dispose of food waste and other biodegradable materials.
• When shopping, use your eco-bags and try to avoid plastic bags as much as possible.
• Plant as many trees as you can.
• Think about ways to reduce the number of trips you make using your car.
• Reduce vehicle emissions by walking or cycling. Not only are these great alternatives to driving, but they also have health benefits.
• Use public transportation whenever you can for daily transportation.
• Bottles, paper, used oil, old batteries and used tires must be disposed of properly; all this causes serious pollution.
• Do not pour chemicals and waste oil onto the ground or into drains leading to waterways.
• If possible, recycle selected biodegradable waste, and work to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste used.
• Reduce the amount of meat you eat or consider a vegetarian diet.

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Man and nature are not a parity relationship, since the dominant role belongs to nature. Nature is the whole world that surrounds man, it is the cradle of life in different forms and meanings. Everything that exists, the environment around us, can exist in living and inanimate form, but this world influences our lives in various manifestations.

The interconnections and patterns of interaction of all things were noticed in ancient times and were part of human philosophy. The rapid development of technological progress, the desire to subjugate nature - all this has brought to the fore issues of conservation ecology and environmental protection.

The most powerful factories are being built, giant stations are being built, the length of gas and oil pipelines is growing every day. All this is part of technological progress for the benefit of humanity, but the flip side of this progress is the death of forests and changes in landscapes.

For many years we have consoled ourselves with the thought that man is the master of nature, but it is his “management” that leaves behind lifeless spaces, barren deserts, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated water bodies. Deplorable condition ecology and environmental contamination does not allow modern human society to enjoy the freshness of the sea tide, the clean breath of the forest space, and the crystal water of the source.

This is how we changed nature. Explosions of nuclear power plants, rivers of flowing gasoline, wastewater from factories and plants, smog from exhaust gases, depletion of blue ribbons of rivers, deforestation. And if a reasonable person does not realize responsibility for state of ecology and environment, what will he leave behind on the blue planet?

Today, these issues concern many people who unite in “green” societies and environmental unions. After all, only through joint efforts are we able to revive and preserve natural resources and bear responsibility for all life on our planet, for our home - the cradle of life.

Environment and its protection

The current state of the environment requires protection through the law and a whole system of environmental regulations. Environmental protection and ecology must limit the destructive and destructive influence of humans on the environment. Many countries and communities in the modern world have introduced special measures to ensure environmental protection.

Strict restrictions on emissions of substances and harmful gases into the hydrosphere and atmosphere have been introduced. The creation of specialized unique reserves, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries is organized and financed. Restrictive measures on fishing are being introduced, and hunting seasons and sizes are being reduced. The problem of garbage and industrial waste is solved using modern methods and processing technologies.

Since 1972, the UN Global Assembly has declared June 5th as World Environment Day. The choice of this date is not accidental, because it was in 1972 that the Stockholm Conference considered serious environmental problems. This day is a call for annual special events by states and organizations aimed at preservation of ecology and environment.

On June 5, Russia also celebrates “Ecologist’s Day,” but every inhabitant of the Earth must remember that a healthy environmental ecology– these are not holidays, but actions. Failure to maintain the ecological balance can lead to tragic consequences.

Depressing forecasts

• The annual increase in the area of ​​deserts amounts to 27 million hectares, which leads to catastrophic losses of fertile soil for all humanity. All of Australia's wheat fields combined represent the amount of land lost to agriculture every year.
• Only 3% of the population in 1800 lived in cities, 50% of urban residents were recorded in statistics in 2008, and by 2030 the concentration of people in cities will be 60%.
• Information technologies are already a consequence of the entry of 2% CO2 into the Earth's atmosphere, which exceeds the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from aviation activities. Expected forecasts are disappointing and it is expected that developments in the field of Internet technologies will increase CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 20% by 2020.
• According to biologist Wilson from Harvard University, 30,000 species of diverse living organisms disappear from the face of the Earth every year, and the end of the millennium at this rate will be marked by the irreversible loss of half of the current biodiversity.
• Irrational development of various deposits by the end of this century may cause the complete depletion of the Earth's mineral resources.
• The area of ​​primary forests, which provide habitat for 3/4 of all biological species on the planet, has decreased by 20% over the past 40 years, and continues to decline rapidly.
• The planet's coral reefs have shrunk by 30% and the destruction of unique ecosystems continues.
• Natural disasters and catastrophes on the planet from 2000 to 2006 inclusive increased by 187% compared to the previous decade. And this is the planet’s response to our attitude towards it.
• Z pollution of groundwater ecology becomes a potential threat to pollute 97% of the planet's fresh water supplies.
• Influence ecological situation on the environment will lead to the complete disappearance of snow on Kilimanjaro by 2033.
• Global warming is intensely affecting permafrost, causing Russia to lose 30 square kilometers of land each year.

Ecology, environment and industrialization

The above facts show how industrial progress affects ecology and pollution environment. Our planet can no longer be proud of clean air, fertile soil and “living” water. Almost every city is similar to one another with a huge number of cars, factories and factories.

Industrial activity, producing by-products, kills all life on the planet. Acid rain, global warming, thinning of the ozone layer - the list is quite long, which consists of many minor violations, non-compliance with standards, and negligence.

All this negativity, and the processes associated with it, are caused by a huge amount of pollutants that enter the atmosphere from industrial enterprises. Cities devoid of vegetation are suffocated by smog. Diesel and gasoline engines of automobile transport poison the air every day.

Huge tracts of forests - the lungs of the planet - are mercilessly destroyed in favor of industrial growth. The oxygen balance is disrupted not only in a single country, but throughout the entire planet.

Many animals, birds and plants are listed in the Red Book, others are teetering on the brink of extinction, because the animal world has not only become a source of food for humanity, but a product of greed and entertainment.

Floodplains of rivers and lakes turn into deserts, salt marshes, and stinking puddles. Birds no longer find refuge along the food-rich banks of rivers and lakes. Fish stocks are depleted or killed by oil spills. We can partially observe the once rich fish populations only in aquariums.

And for this there is no need to read frightening press reports; at every nearby body of water we can observe a depressing picture of pollution and irresponsible attitude towards ecology and environment. What other “horror stories” are needed so that every person understands that destroying nature is not ethical, not fashionable, but dangerous?

Environmental education

Undoubtedly, problems of ecology and environment must be resolved at the global level, using legislative, organizational, sanitary, hygienic, engineering and other measures and levers. But, you can start now to take good care of your home - the Earth within your home, district, city.

For example, in the Murmansk region, at the children’s and youth library, activists from the organization “Nature and Youth” held a mass master class on making ecological bags using the Japanese Furoshiki technique.

The Furoshiki technique allows you to use a square piece of fabric as a container for carrying various objects of various sizes and shapes. The purpose of this event was the great desire of the younger generation to abandon plastic bags as items that pose a danger to the environment.

With a little imagination, a lot of money and resources are saved on the production of unnecessary plastic, without harming the environment. “Let's save the planet together” - these were the slogans of this day, where employees of the organization informed children and parents about the destructive impact of anthropogenic impact on nature and the need environmental protection from ourselves.

You can start small, and even such a contribution to protecting the environment and improving the environment will improve our future.