A great concern in almost all countries of the world is caused by the threat of environmental pollution - one of the manifestations of an irreversible imbalance between man and nature. The impact of material production on nature has become so intense that it fails to compensate for violations of the ecological balance using its own forces and mechanisms.
The pollution of the atmosphere and water by industrial emissions is threateningly growing. The main sources of emissions into the atmosphere are the production and consumption of energy. For 1970-2000 the growth rate of total emissions has somewhat decreased, but their absolute size is growing and reaching huge volumes - 60-100 million tons of suspended particles, nitrogen oxides, sulfur, 22.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide (1990 - 16.2 million tons). In this regard, in recent decades, the concentration of gases, particulate matter in the atmosphere, as well as chemical elements that reduce ozone layer. The concentration of gases causing the greenhouse effect - methane, nitrogen, carbon compounds - has increased significantly. Before the industrial revolution, the concentration of greenhouse gases remained relatively stable (0.0028% of the volume of the atmosphere). Recently, it has been 0.036%, which is caused by various types of production activities. It is believed that greenhouse gases persist in the atmosphere for a hundred years or more.
A serious environmental problem is the risk of climate change. The climate of the Earth was relatively stable, temperature changes during the century did not exceed 1 ° C. In the twentieth century. compared with six centuries, the climate has warmed - the temperature has risen by 0.5 °. Terrestrial and water ecological systems, socioecological systems ( Agriculture, fisheries, forestry and water resources) are vital to human development and are all sensitive to climate change. Rising temperatures could lead to a further rise in ocean levels, which have risen by 10-25 cm over the past century. But since more than a third of humanity lives within 60 km of coastline, then the number of people who will find themselves in the position of migrants may reach unprecedented proportions.
There was a threat of destruction of the ozone layer in the lower layers of the atmosphere. Water systems and soil are polluted. AT last years about 150 million tons of mineral fertilizers and over 3 million tons of pesticides are scattered on the fields a year. With the increase in the number of people in the environment various kinds chemical compounds, there is a real threat of their joint action as a result of mutual reactions involving unforeseen catalysts. According to experts, even at low concentrations, the accumulation of negative effects from the action of various chemical compounds is possible.
Simple water is vital for the development of man and his production activity. It is also of particular importance for the normal life of nature. In many parts of the world, there is a general shortage, gradual destruction and increasing pollution of fresh water sources. This is caused by an increase in untreated Wastewater, industrial waste, loss of natural water intake areas, disappearance of forest areas, improper management practices, etc. Only 18% of the population have access to clean water (in 1970 - 33%), 40% of the population suffers from its shortage. In developing countries, approximately 80% of all diseases and 1/3 of deaths are caused by the consumption of contaminated water.
Modern production poses a threat of destruction of the initial conditions of human life on Earth, and in some cases it has crossed a possible boundary. An example of this is the destruction of valuable objects of nature, the disappearance of a number of varieties flora and some wild animals. According to estimates, after 1600 more than 100 species of birds, invertebrates, mammals, about 45 species of fish, 150 species of plants disappeared. Decreasing biodiversity poses a serious threat to development human society. The availability of necessary goods and services depends on the diversity and variability of genes, species, populations and ecosystems. Biological resources feed and clothe a person, provide housing, medicines, spiritual food. Thus, about 4.4% of US GDP is obtained from wild species. The greatest economic benefit from biodiversity is found in medicine.
An important impact on the state of the environment and nature management is exerted by technogenic emergencies and industrial disasters. In 1984, 2,500 people died and tens of thousands were poisoned in India when a toxic gas was released from a nearby densely populated area in Bhopal of the American chemical corporation Union Carbide. Two years later there was an explosion nuclear reactor in Chernobyl. 135 thousand people were evacuated, and radioactive contamination affected a large area. Some time later, another incident at a chemical plant in Sandoz, Switzerland caused an environmental disaster in Western Europe.
Military operations and the use of weapons of mass destruction cause enormous damage to the environment. During the Vietnam War american aviation dropped over 15 million liters of defoliants. The affected area is 38 thousand square meters. km for several decades turned into a lifeless desert, over 2 million people were affected by toxic substances.
A number of economists believe that if the pace of economic growth, the nature of economic activity, and the ways of resolving conflicts continue, then the increase in losses may exceed the benefits of this type of development, and this will mean the beginning of an era of “anti-economic” development, leading to poverty, not to wealth.
Scientific awareness of the consequences economic activity belongs to the 16th century. and is associated with the name of the German naturalist G. Agricola. He noted that as a result of the development of mining activities, fertile lands began to deteriorate, forests were cut down, rivers were polluted, and more damage to people results from digging mines than benefits from the ores that are extracted from them. However, unlike India and China, the concepts of Albert the Great and Roger Bacon prevailed in Europe, asserting the unlimited domination of man over nature. They dominated the economic outlook of society until the last quarter of the 20th century.

With the advent of life on earth, the spread of living beings, the change in relief, one can observe the influence of man and nature on each other. It is worth noting that in ancient times this influence was not so significant, because the surrounding world was a kind of helper, a way of survival for ancient people. With the development of intelligence, civilization pressure on environment gradually increased. And today it has reached such a point that a person looks at his future with apprehension.

From the famous Kazakh writer Olzhas Suleimenov there is a poem "Earth, bow to man!". It should be recognized that the earth, unable to withstand many years of struggle, has long been at the feet of man.

Nevertheless, it is unfair to say that there is only a negative impact on nature, a considerable number of positive aspects.

The positive impact of man on nature

• For the protection and preservation of natural resources, for a century now, nature reserves and sanctuaries. By prohibiting all human activity in such areas of the territory, states are able to carry through time the original views and landscapes created by nature. So, on the territory of the Caucasian Reserve of the Russian Federation there are mountains Elbrus and Kazbek, on the slopes of which there is snow all the time. And the Valley of Geysers in the Kronotsky Reserve is a truly amazing sight.
• Intensive creation and use of irrigation systems. What are these systems? Irrigation available a set of measures that allows you to deliver water to the arid regions of our planet. The simplest example of irrigation is watering beds in gardens and summer cottages. But if we talk about large volumes of land that need watering, today a number of technical structures have been invented that amaze with their architecture.
• Beneficial human activities include invention of powerful cleaning structures for detention of organic and mineral waste. Found wide application in the industry, sewer constructions, production stations.
• Optimal use of agricultural land are among the most important problems of nature management today. Rational and efficient use of land includes a number of measures that can prevent depletion and pollution of the soil; preserve and enhance useful qualities and properties.

The negative impact of humanity

• Air pollution toxic substances, the main source of which are industrial enterprises and cars. Due to the release of industrial waste into the atmosphere, such as carbon and nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, the living shell of the Earth, including man himself, suffers. About four million people die from air pollution every year.
• Sometimes trying to help, humanity causes considerable harm. An example of such assistance is soil fertilization. Thus, there is a possibility that due to the use of potash and phosphorus fertilizers, the concentration of radioactive substances in the soil increases significantly. The accumulation and lack of proper processing of household waste also destroys the soil cover. Surface layer land suffers from industrial waste, toxic emissions into the atmosphere, oil products. Such human activity leads to the fact that the soil loses its ability to self-purify itself from harmful microorganisms and becomes a source of many diseases.
• The hydrosphere, like other shells of the Earth, suffers primarily due to discharge of industrial and agricultural wastewater. Particular attention should be paid to the pollution of the oceans during the extraction and processing of oil. Satellite photographs show that a third of the water surface is covered with an oil film, which disrupts its interaction with the atmosphere, disrupting the water cycle in nature. The globe is almost 70% covered with water, but according to a study, only 1% is suitable for human consumption.
• Poaching, illegal hunting, fishing. Destroying and shooting ordinary or endangered representatives of the fauna, poachers cause ecological imbalance in individual regions. The restoration of the number of animals is much slower than their destruction. Large-scale fishing with nets can only be explained by a thirst for profit. The use of fishing spears and electric fishing rods leads to the devastation of water bodies, which is fraught with consequences for the biosphere.
• Negative impacts on flora and fauna include deforestation. Once under direct sunlight, shade-loving plants wither away. Herbaceous and shrubby tiers of flora due to change external conditions change, and some disappear altogether. In addition, mass hikes of tourists, trampling and compaction of the soil turn out to be a bad side for the vegetation cover.

Time to take stock

The future of mankind directly depends on the state of nature. Preservation of the natural balance is necessary first of all for the full existence of man. Environmental protection and efficient use of natural resources are the most relevant activities today.

Many countries support environmental policy through the development of special laws and bodies for the protection of the environment. For example, in the UN system, a UNEP program has been created that unites all countries and is designed to protect nature at the system-wide level. In solving these problems, an important role is played by the upbringing of the population, decent education and training of qualified specialists in the field of ecology.

From critical issues modernity, human problems, human ecology has become especially acute. A person turned out to be vulnerable under the powerful onslaught of the consequences of his own transformative activity.

These consequences were revealed not only in the processes of functioning of the natural and biological basis of his nature, but also in his social and spiritual qualities. Human ecology is in crisis. Currently, there is a variety of opinions about the general state of the ecology of society, including the subject of human ecology, its main aspects and methodological principles.

Today, the problem of environmental protection is particularly acute due to the ever-increasing pace of urbanization, as well as increasing population density. Due to the significant growth of cities and the increase in the number of inhabitants in them, there is a very intensive accumulation of household waste and human waste. If it is not enough to dispose of them or recycle them with high quality, then this process can lead to a real environmental disaster.

The main trends of today are aimed at exploring possible ways of more optimal disposal of household waste, as well as exploring new opportunities for their further processing. Since the previously widely used method of disposal by burning waste caused even more harm to the environment. The main issue today is the removal of household waste to special landfills.

In any city, there is one or more companies involved in the removal of municipal solid waste (MSW). Their activity is aimed at cleaning the streets from household waste accumulating there. The main problem here is the irresponsibility of citizens who often throw household waste past containers, do not perform primary sorting of garbage, and even sometimes arrange spontaneous dumps within the city. The solution of this particular problem can further increase the scale of the processes of further processing of household waste, because at specialized enterprises for the further processing of waste, they should come already sorted.

water pollution

Pure water is transparent, colorless, odorless and tasteless, inhabited by many fish, plants and animals. Polluted waters are cloudy, foul-smelling, unsuitable for drinking, and often contain large amounts of bacteria and algae. The water self-purification system (aeration with running water and sedimentation of suspended particles on the bottom) does not work due to an excess of anthropogenic pollutants in it.

Decreased oxygen content. The organic matter contained in the wastewater is decomposed by the enzymes of aerobic bacteria, which absorb the oxygen dissolved in the water and release carbon dioxide as the organic residues are assimilated. Common end products of decomposition are carbon dioxide and water, but many other compounds can be formed. For example, bacteria process the nitrogen contained in the waste into ammonia (NH3), which, when combined with sodium, potassium or other chemical elements, forms salts of nitric acid - nitrates. Sulfur is converted into hydrogen sulfide compounds (substances containing the radical -SH or hydrogen sulfide H2S), which gradually turn into sulfur (S) or sulfate ion (SO4-), which also forms salts.

In waters containing faecal masses, plant or animal residues coming from the food industry, paper fibers and cellulose residues from the pulp and paper industry, the decomposition processes proceed in almost the same way. Since aerobic bacteria use oxygen, the first result of the decomposition of organic residues is a decrease in the oxygen content dissolved in the receiving waters. It varies with temperature, and to some extent with salinity and pressure. Fresh water at 20°C and intensive aeration in one liter contains 9.2 mg of dissolved oxygen. As the water temperature rises, this indicator decreases, and when it cools, it increases. According to the standards in force for the design of municipal wastewater treatment plants, the decomposition of organic substances contained in one liter of municipal wastewater of normal composition at a temperature of 20 ° C requires approximately 200 mg of oxygen for 5 days. This value, called Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), is taken as the standard for calculating the amount of oxygen needed to treat a given amount of wastewater. The value of BOD of wastewater from enterprises of the leather, meat processing and sugar refinery industries is much higher than that of municipal wastewater.

In shallow streams with a fast current, where water is intensively mixed, oxygen coming from the atmosphere compensates for the depletion of its reserves dissolved in water. At the same time, carbon dioxide, which is formed during the decomposition of substances contained in wastewater, escapes into the atmosphere. Thus, the period of adverse effects of organic decomposition processes is reduced. Conversely, in low-flowing water bodies, where the waters mix slowly and are isolated from the atmosphere, the inevitable decrease in oxygen content and an increase in carbon dioxide concentration entail serious changes. When the oxygen content decreases to a certain level, fish die and other living organisms begin to die, which, in turn, leads to an increase in the volume of decaying organic matter.

Most of the fish die due to poisoning by industrial and agricultural effluents, but many also die from a lack of oxygen in the water. Fish, like all living things, take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. If there is little oxygen in the water, but the concentration of carbon dioxide is high, the intensity of their respiration decreases (it is known that water at a high content carbonic acid, i.e. carbon dioxide dissolved in it becomes acidic).

In waters experiencing thermal pollution, conditions are often created that lead to the death of fish. There, the oxygen content decreases, since it is slightly soluble in warm water, but the demand for oxygen increases sharply, since the rate of its consumption by aerobic bacteria and fish increases. The addition of acids, such as sulfuric acid, to drainage water from coal mines also greatly reduces the ability of some fish to extract oxygen from the water.

However, the problem of water pollution and its unsanitary condition is not limited to developing countries. A quarter of the entire Mediterranean coast is considered dangerously polluted. According to pollution report mediterranean sea, published in 1983 by the United Nations Environment Programme, eating shellfish and lobster caught there is unsafe for health. Typhus, paratyphoid, dysentery, poliomyelitis, viral hepatitis and food poisoning are common in this region, and outbreaks of cholera occur periodically. Most of these diseases are caused by the discharge of raw sewage into the sea. It is estimated that 85% of waste from 120 coastal cities is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea, where tourists and locals swim and fish. Between Barcelona and Genoa, approximately 200 tons of waste is dumped per mile of coastline per year.

air pollution

Previously, people generally believed that air pollution was the price that cities had to pay for their growth and successful development. Smoking chimneys of factories meant that the population was provided with jobs, and jobs meant material well-being. What if you have wheezing in your lungs and coughing fits? Well, everyone has a job.

The problem with air pollution is not limited to outdoor spaces. The air inside our homes and offices can be no less hazardous to health. The main source of pollution is cigarette smoke, but it is not the only one. Toxins are released even when you just cook food. Every time you scratch a Teflon non-stick coating, enough toxins are released to kill a canary.

The greenhouse effect that we all associate with global warming is caused by toxic gases. The main enemy of a clean atmosphere is methane. It is released as a result of the decomposition of sewage waste. But most of the methane released into the atmosphere comes from the extraction of natural gas, which we use to heat our homes and cook food. Another source of this gas is waste incineration. Methane is very aggressive towards the ozone layer and causes a greenhouse effect.

Coal and crude oil, when burned, also contribute to air pollution. This releases sulfur dioxide. This toxin is dangerous to humans and causes lung problems. It is released even when coal is mined, and coal miners are at risk.

Air pollution has harmful effect on living organisms in several ways: 1) delivering aerosol particles and toxic gases to the respiratory system of humans and animals and to plant leaves; 2) increasing the acidity of precipitation, which, in turn, affects the change chemical composition soil and water; 3) stimulating such chemical reactions in the atmosphere, which lead to an increase in the duration of exposure of living organisms to harmful solar rays; 4) changing the composition and temperature of the atmosphere on a global scale and thus creating conditions unfavorable for the survival of organisms.

The human respiratory system. Through the respiratory system, oxygen enters the human body, which is carried by hemoglobin (red pigments of red blood cells) to the vital important bodies, and waste products, in particular carbon dioxide, are excreted. The respiratory system consists of the nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. In each healthy lung, there are approximately 5 million alveoli (air sacs), in which gas exchange occurs. Oxygen enters the blood from the alveoli, and carbon dioxide is removed from the blood through them and released into the air.

The respiratory system has a number of defense mechanisms against exposure to airborne pollutants. Nose hairs filter out large particles. The mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, larynx and trachea traps and dissolves small particles and some harmful gases. If pollutants enter the respiratory system, the person sneezes and coughs. In this way, polluted air and mucus are evacuated. In addition, the upper respiratory tract is lined with hundreds of thin cilia of ciliated epithelium, which are in constant motion and move mucus up the larynx along with dirt that has entered the respiratory system, which are either swallowed or removed.

Major contaminants. Sulfur dioxide, or sulfur dioxide (sulphurous gas). Sulfur enters the atmosphere as a result of many natural processes, including the evaporation of spray sea ​​water, fluttering of sulfur-containing soils in arid regions, gas emissions during volcanic eruptions and the release of biogenic hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The most widely distributed sulfur compound is sulfur dioxide (SO2), a colorless gas produced during the combustion of sulfur-containing fuels (primarily coal and heavy oil fractions), as well as in various industrial processes, such as the smelting of sulfide ores. Sulfur dioxide is particularly harmful to trees, causing chlorosis (yellowing or discoloration of leaves) and dwarfism. In humans, this gas irritates the upper respiratory tract, as it easily dissolves in the mucus of the larynx and trachea. Chronic exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause a respiratory illness similar to bronchitis. By itself, this gas does not cause significant damage to public health, but in the atmosphere it reacts with water vapor to form a secondary pollutant - sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Drops of acid are transported over considerable distances and, getting into the lungs, severely destroy them. The most dangerous form of air pollution is observed when sulfur dioxide reacts with suspended particles, accompanied by the formation of sulfuric acid salts, which, when breathed, penetrate into the lungs and settle there.

Carbon monoxide, or carbon monoxide, is a highly poisonous, colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It is formed during the incomplete combustion of wood, fossil fuels and tobacco, during the combustion of solid waste and the partial anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. Approximately 50% of carbon monoxide is generated due to human activities, mainly from the operation of engines internal combustion cars. In a closed room (for example, in a garage) filled with carbon monoxide, the ability of erythrocyte hemoglobin to carry oxygen decreases, which slows down reactions in a person, weakens perception, headaches, drowsiness, and nausea appear. Exposure to large amounts of carbon monoxide can cause fainting, coma, and even death.

Suspended particles, including dust, soot, pollen and plant spores, etc., vary greatly in size and composition. They can either be directly contained in the air, or be enclosed in droplets suspended in the air (so-called aerosols). In general, approx. 100 million tons of anthropogenic aerosols. This is about 100 times less than the amount of naturally occurring aerosols - volcanic ash, wind-blown dust and seawater spray. Approximately 50% of anthropogenic particles are released into the air due to incomplete combustion of fuel in transport, factories, factories and thermal power plants.

radiation

Radiation... This word exudes coldness and devastation, hospital sterility and fear of the unknown. The accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and Chernobyl disaster- the darkest, but far from the only pages in the black book of radioactive contamination. I don’t want to believe, but the problem of radiation affects everyone to one degree or another. Air and water, food and children's toys, Jewelry and antiques, medical examinations - all this can become a source of radiation. As one of the researchers of the problem of radioactivity bitterly noted, we bathe in a sea of ​​radiation, we carry it in ourselves.

If you look into a physics textbook, radioactivity is the instability of the nuclei of some atoms. Because of this instability, the nucleus decays, accompanied by the release of the so-called ionizing radiation, that is, radiation. The energy of radioactive radiation is great, it affects the cells of the body. There are several types of radiation: alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, neutrons and X-rays. The first three are the most dangerous for humans.

But not only the strength of radiation is important for health, but also the time of exposure. And even a weak source of radiation, for example, weakly radioactive objects, with long-term constant contact, affect a person. The worst thing is that for the time being you will not even suspect about this influence - after all, radiation is invisible to the naked eye, it has no color or smell. An insidious invisible enemy can penetrate through the intestines, lungs or skin. And if there is no household dosimeter (a special device for measuring radiation levels) at hand, we can only guess what exactly is dangerous.

Soil - we do not suspect the existence of radioactive dumps in the city, while in the capital, more than a thousand sources of radiation have been discovered. Many years ago, these wastes were taken out of Moscow, but with the expansion of the territory, they ended up in residential areas. A few years ago, at the site of the proposed construction of a house in Moscow, two dozen foci were discovered with a radiation power that exceeded the norm by as much as 150 times. Owners of country houses and "hacienda" risk no less - complaints of malaise after rest are often associated with contaminated soil.

Products - ruddy apples, sweet pears, ripe strawberries, meat, poultry, gifts of the forest - every year specialists detect and seize tons of contaminated products in city markets. According to research, up to 70% of the radiation that accumulates in the body comes from food and water.

Children's toys - hares, cars, bears and other toys - are not always the best gift for children. One of the biggest scandals occurred in the Moscow market, where the level of a batch of plush "friends" was 20 times higher than the radiation standards. The reason for this is poor-quality paints and plastic with an increased radiation background, or storage or production in contaminated areas.

Jewelry - a favorite pendant or necklace can also be dangerous: some modern gemstone processing technologies involve radioactive exposure. And we wear them every day!

Antiques are another potential source of radiation. In the 1940s and 1960s, toys, souvenirs and jewelry were often covered with a special phosphor composition, which included radioactive elements, and wine glasses and glasses were “tinted” by passing gamma rays. It is they who give the transparent glass of old sets a dark tint.

How does radiation affect the health of the body? The process of exposure to radiation is called irradiation. During irradiation, the negative energy of radiation is transferred to the cells, changing and destroying them. Irradiation can change DNA, lead to genetic damage and mutation, and for this one quantum (radiation particle) is enough.

And the higher the level of radiation, the longer the exposure, the higher the risk. There are a number of terrible and serious diseases on the black account of irradiation: acute radiation sickness, all kinds of mutations in the human body, infertility, disorders in the central nervous system, immune diseases, metabolic disorders, infectious complications, cancerous tumors. According to the results of independent studies by Professor Hoffman (1994), diseases can cause even small doses of radiation. The scourge of our time, cancer, annually claims the lives of almost 8 million people around the world, and this terrible number is constantly growing. According to doctors' forecasts, if the situation does not change, by 2030, 17 million inhabitants of our planet will die from cancer every year.

Fear for their health sometimes makes people take emergency and rather dangerous measures. Thus, in connection with the accidents in Japan, the uncontrolled intake of drugs containing iodine has sharply increased. In pharmacies in areas close to the crash site, a real stir began, all stocks of iodine-containing drugs were devastated, and a 14-tablet pack of potassium iodide was sold on an Internet auction for several hundred dollars. Similar reports are coming from China, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines and other countries in the region.

Another means of combating radiation, household dosimeters, showing the degree of risk, however, do not protect against radiation. Yes, they are extremely useful in a store or on the market when choosing a summer cottage. But we cannot lock ourselves within four walls, not go out and check the radioactivity of salads in cafes during lunch break. For a full-fledged fight against the enemy, it is necessary not only to find it, but also to neutralize it.

How can we protect ourselves and our loved ones? For this you need:

1. Physical activity that enhances metabolism. For example, running stimulates blood circulation. Blood penetrates deeper into tissues, makes them move, as a result harmful substances excreted from the body naturally.

2. Sweating. For example, in the sauna. Then all harmful deposits come out. Salts are washed out of the tissues, harmful substances, toxins, radionuclides are released. The sauna is especially useful immediately after exercise.
Attention! To maintain the water balance in the body, immediately after sweating, drink natural juices, red wine (they contain antioxidant vitamins). Especially useful is a drink containing a complex of antioxidant vitamins - a mixture in equal proportions of carrot, beet and apple juices. Tea brewed with herbs also cleanses the body. Regular food after the sauna should be supplemented with plenty of fresh vegetables.

3. Nutrition. Food should be varied and rich in vegetables and fruits. The exact mode of taking vitamins, minerals, oils should be observed.

For thousands of years man has been a part of nature. Without opposing himself to her, he took what was necessary for survival: food, material for dwellings, fuel. However, the further the human race went in technical inventions, the more it consumed resources, the more serious harm it caused to the environment.

Today, the issue of ecology has risen in front of the inhabitants of our planet closely. A whole range of problems threatens to change the earth beyond recognition, cause irreparable harm directly to a person, his health and well-being.

I must say that people themselves inflict damage on the quality of their lives. Much has already been destroyed, dozens of species of animals and plants have disappeared, but there is an opportunity to save what remains. To do this, it is important to responsibly treat various areas of your life. It is necessary to think about what will be left as a legacy to future generations, how our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, society will feel, whether they will have a chance to change something.

The technical sphere in the modern life of the planet

Today, the amount of technology produced by man (what is called techno-mass in science) for the first time in the history of our world exceeded biomass (that is, wild living organisms).

By analogy with biomass, the concept of which underlies the biosphere, there is a generalized concept of technomass, in which scientists invest the following components:

• mining devices;
• energy generating devices;
• devices processing raw materials;
• technology that creates consumer products;
• everything related to the development of devices for processing and storing information.

Autonomous multifunctional systems are distinguished into a separate category, which, for example, perform various actions in space, and “technical orderlies” - waste processing devices.

Thus, we can say that the technosphere copies the biosphere in structure. At the same time, until the last moment, all the industrial power of mankind was aimed at the maximum exploitation of natural resources. The lack of a humanistic component and the insufficient interaction of social sciences with exact sciences has led to the fact that nature is being driven into reservations, species are dying out, plant and animal life has been practically destroyed in entire regions, and production wastes are landscapes.

The first step to solving a problem is recognizing it. Society needs to appreciate the horror of the state of nature, the role and impact of man on the environment. Only in this case is it possible to save what is left.

How does modern society harm nature?

• Each of us, to a greater or lesser extent, is focused on consumption. Each person has many things without which life seems impossible. Moreover, the industry needs to constantly expand the market. Therefore, with the help of advertising, we are inspired that old (whether good or not) things need to be thrown away and new ones purchased. This applies to cars and mobile phones, household appliances, clothes, shoes, furniture and more.

Thus, production volumes are constantly increasing, new factories and plants are being built. Each of them must have treatment facilities, all basic technologies and forms of activity must be regularly updated, and money must be invested in order to minimize harmful emissions. This requires considerable financial costs, which the owners do not want to go to. As a result, the atmosphere is polluted, forests and water bodies die, and people acquire serious diseases.

The petrochemical industry emits hydrocarbon compounds into the air, metallurgy - heavy metals.

• Special substances emit ballistic and space rockets. Every military exercise, every flight to orbit costs us a part of our atmosphere, what we breathe and with what we exist.
• A separate word should be said about cars. Today, their number per capita, especially in cities, is becoming critical. This is evidenced by traffic jams, accidents, problems with parking spaces. But the most important thing is that exhaust gases - products of fuel processing - also rise up, polluting the air and creating a "greenhouse effect". In short, its result is an increase in temperature throughout the planet. This contributes to the melting of glaciers, climate change, frequent natural disasters. The main means of neutralizing the harm of cars is the adjustment of engines and the installation of special systems for cleaning combustion products, as well as the replacement of ethyl gasoline with other, environmentally friendly fuels.
• Human impact on the environment also lies in the active operation of thermal power plants. Oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, which are formed as a result of the fact that raw coal burns, along with other chemical compounds cause acid rain. They are dangerous both for human society and for natural environment- oxidize soils and water bodies, contribute to the extinction of entire species of plants and living beings, negatively affect the skin, hair, and the state of human internal organs.

This situation can be corrected. This will require, first of all, considerable funds. However, the consequences of human economic activity for the environment are so catastrophic that such investments are the only way to save nature.

• It is necessary to replace old-style thermal power plants with new ones, which include mechanisms for the disposal of hazardous gas and dust waste.
• Cleaning of coal is required right after its extraction - even before it gets to the thermal power plant. Ideally, it should be replaced by the most environmentally friendly and safe fuel at the moment - natural gas.
• Deforestation. Modern society is accustomed to taking from nature without giving anything in return. The destruction of forest areas has become catastrophic, especially in those countries where this natural wealth was originally abundant.

The most valuable timber of the rainforest is cut down South America. As for our country, unauthorized plots can be found in almost any region, and especially in the taiga.

The decrease in the number of forests is not only harmful for those animals that have lost their homes and are forced to migrate. The consequences of human economic activity for the environment in this case are climate change, which will affect the quality of life for each of us. Also, a decrease in the area of ​​​​forests will contribute to a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Constant and systematic restoration of plantations, careful attitude to them, protection from felling and fires, from diseases - this is the recipe for preserving one of the main wealth - forests.

• A special word should be said about the garbage collection system in our country. She is at a low level. There are several reasons for this:
• Ignorance and illiteracy of each individual. Most of our cities are littered, many people throw food wrappers, bottles and cigarette butts right at their feet, teach their children this by their own example.
• Unorganized waste separation system. AT European countries society is set up and accustomed to the fact that garbage should be divided into biodegradable (food waste and paper), metal, glass, plastic. Much of what is collected is sent for recycling. To do this, it is necessary to invest in the construction of factories, the purchase and adjustment of mechanisms, the main collection technologies. However, the result becomes noticeable soon.

All changes in the biosphere follow each other, they are characterized by a chain reaction. Therefore, destroying, for example, some species of animals, a person violates the state of the entire ecosystem of a forest, steppe or desert, interferes with the natural course of events that has existed for thousands of years. Failure to understand these connections leads to a significant change in the state of our planet and life on it.

The consequences of human economic activity for the environment are becoming more and more catastrophic every year. Therefore, it is important to develop a set of measures where every person, enterprise, state will be responsible for nature, as for our common home, and do what they can, contributing to the life and well-being of the planet. After all, no money or the benefits of civilization can replace air, clean water, greenery and all the riches that nature generously shares with us.

The impact of human activity on the environment

For a proper understanding of life safety issues
it is necessary to consider this problem in a single system "man -
production - environment".

All biological systems can exist in the environment under
condition of biological balance. Man as the only
the biological system of nature is capable of interacting with nature
regulate and control the metabolism between themselves and nature.

Humanity interacts with nature, is its integral part and
inseparable from nature. This interaction is expressed in the labor process,
where a person brings his mind, science, art.

As a result of labor, a person not only adapts to the natural
environment, but also trying to change it. Human impact on nature
the dawn of human society was not very noticeable, because nature
self-purifying and regenerating biological resources. Fast growth
population, rapid development of production, implementation of results
scientific and technological achievements, the desire to receive from nature some
temporary gains cause long-term damage to it, violating stability,
towards which nature aspires.

Contemporary industrial production pollute the environment not only
gaseous, liquid and solid wastes, but also thermal emissions,
electromagnetic fields, light ultraviolet, infrared,
ionizing radiation, radioactive substances, noise radiation and other physical factors. Such a short-sighted invasion of the natural environment violates its basic law of sustainable development and ecological balance and puts humanity on the brink of disaster.

Pollution of the natural environment can be natural and artificial.
Natural pollution is caused by the influx of cosmic dust and
cosmic radiation (extraterrestrial pollution), volcanic eruptions,
weathering of rocks, dust storms, forest fires, etc.
(terrestrial pollution). However, nature has an amazing resilience.
and the ability to self-purify from natural pollution.

Artificial pollution is the impact of man on nature - very
easily and in a short period of time leads to fundamental changes in
natural balance of the environment. This danger is further compounded by the fact that
insufficiently aware of the complex interactions in nature and
consequences that may occur in the environment

habitation as a result
unreasonable human influence. To name a few examples of global
pollution.

Man, as a result of his life activity, unreasonably spends and
destroys oxygen in the air (O2), bringing itself and its generations to
death. Free oxygen, being the main product
life itself supports life on Earth.

the impact of human activity on the change in content
carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Due to the increase in CO2 emission
industry and the reduction of CO2 consumption by living beings and
vegetation (due to a decrease in forest area, etc.) is growing
CO2 content in the atmosphere, which leads to the "greenhouse effect".

Thus, global, ill-conceived destruction goes along two
main directions:

Predatory destruction of flora and fauna is accompanied by a sharp decrease
consumption of CO2 from the atmosphere and a decrease in the release of O2 into the atmosphere for
by reducing the process of photosynthesis;

The unreasonable activity of man has led to the fact that sharply
increased emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere.

It causes an increase in temperature, an increase in residual radiation,
climate change i.e. will cause undesirable consequences, which
today humanity cannot even fully appreciate.

The discharge of polluted waters leads to the depletion and disappearance of Oz,
contained in the water, and to the death of the animal and plant world (seas,
sushi, etc.). According to J. Cousteau, over the past 20 years, the intensity of life
in all seas of the globe decreased by at least 30%.

Such unreasonable human activity leads to the fact that resources
biosphere, food resources will not increase, but decrease.

Approximately 100 billion are currently being developed. tons per year
rocks. However, they are disposed of in the final product by approximately
only 1% of the weight used natural resources, i.e. 99% natural
resources go to waste and destroy nature. At the same time, the amount of waste is growing
10 times faster than population increases. Now for every resident
the planet accounts for daily from 2 to 3 tons of solid waste. Waste
poison plants that harm animals, and this food gets into
to a person.

General characteristics of pollution sources

1. Sources of air pollution

Reciprocal reactions of nature

global warming, to which man is pushing nature, also threatens the survival of penguins. There are four endangered species of these birds that are "symbols of Antarctica": the emperor penguin (the largest penguin in the world), the gentoo penguin, the Adélie penguin and the chinstrap penguin.