Environmental ProtectionEnvironmental
Protection
Some hundreds of
years ago people lived in harmony with nature, because industry was not much
developed. Today, however, the contradictions between man and nature are
dramatic.
The twenty first
century is a century of the scientific and technological progress. The
achievements of the mankind in mechanization and automation of industrial
processes, in chemical industry and conquering outer space, in the creation of
atomic power stations and ships are amazing. But at the same time, this
progress gave birth to a very serious problem – the problem of environment.
Ecology and the
contamination of environment, is concerned with climate, over-population in
certain areas, deaths of plant and animals, chemical contamination of seas,
lakes and rivers as well as atomic experiments and dumping of atomic waste from
power stations. Floods, unexpected draughts, and the greenhouse effect are the
next reasons.
There are many
consequences of damaging the environment. One of them is acid rain. Another one
is water shortage resulting from abuse of arable lands in agriculture. The
third one is destroying the ozone layer of the Earth through pollution from
factories and plants. The fourth problem is damage o water and soils. The fifth
one is damage to wildlife: numerous species of animals and plants can
disappear. At last, the most serious danger arising from damaging the
environment is the result of the abovementioned consequences. This is the
danger for the life and health of the man.
The protection of
natural resources and wildlife is becoming a political programme in every
country. Numerous anti-pollution acts passed in different countries led to
considerable improvements in environment. In many countries purifying systems
for treatment of industrial waters have been installed, measures have been
taken to protect rivers and seas from oil waters.
But the
environmental problems have grown beyond the concern of a single country. Their
solution requires the co-operation of all nations.
If we are unable to
learn to use the environment carefully and protect it from damage caused by
man’s activities, very soon we’ll have no world to live in.
|