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The Problems of Ecology, Protection of the Environment
By
Christina Woznyakivska
Pessimism
about the human condition in the 1980s stemmed from more than the problems
of the present. It was derived as well from a fear about the future
of the earth's human beings, of the earth itself, and of what is termed
its ecology. "Ecology" is a very popular word today. But
what does it mean? Ecology is a science that studies the relationships
between all forms of life on our planet and the environment. This
word came from the Greek word "oikos," which means "home". This
idea of "home" includes our whole planet, all other living
beings, and even the atmosphere around our planet. The word ecology is
often used to refer to human beings and their environment, but it is much
broader than that. Ecologists think of humans as related to a vast chain
of life that extends through mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, and the
simplest microorganisms, both plants and animals. In popular usage,
ecology may be synonymous with pollution problems. Again this is
an
oversimplification. The causes and prevention of pollution make up important
elements in the study of ecology, but they are not its whole subject.
Equally important is the use of our environment in ways that will safeguard
the heritage of fertile soil, pure air, fresh water, and forests for
those who come after us.
Does all of population- nature, animals,
birds, fish, and insects live happy and healthy lives in our common "home"
nowadays? Unfortunately not. Since ancient times nature has
served man, giving him everything he needs: air to breathe, food to eat,
water to drink, wood for buildings and fuel for heating his home. For
thousands of years people lived in harmony with the environment and it
seemed to them that the resources of Nature had no
end or limit. The 20th century is known to be the century of scientific
and technological progress. The achievements of 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.
With the industrial revolution, our negative influence on Nature began
to increase. This progress gave birth to a very serious
problem: the poisoning of our planet, its land, its air and water.
Large cities with thousands of steaming, polluting planets and factories
can be found nowadays all over the world. The by-products of their
activity affect all
living beings. Much is spoken now about acid rain, global warming
and ozone depletion caused by tons of harmful substances emitted by industrial
enterprises.
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Every
year the atmosphere is polluted by about 1000 tons of industrial
dust and other harmful substances. Big cities suffer from smog. Transportation
is one of the main offenders in poisoning the environment. Cars with
their engines have become the main source of pollution in industrial countries.
Vast forests are cut down in Africa, South America and Asia for the
needs of industries in Europe and the USA. The loss of the forests upsets
the world's oxygen balance. As a result, some species of animals,
birds, fish and plants have disappeared andcontinue disappearing. Many
of them are on the brink of extinction, many have been written down into
the "Red Book of Nature". People continue to kill animals
to wear fur coats. We kill many animals just for their fur. Some
of these animals, such as the fox, are in danger of extinction. Every
hour some kinds of animals and plants die. Rivers and lakes dry
up. One of the most recent examples is the Aral Sea, which has
become much smaller due to man's activity. The pollution of the
air and the world's oceans and the thinning of the ozone layer are other
problems arising from man's careless attitude towards ecology. The
protection of the environment is a universal concern. Active measures
should be taken to create an international system of ecological security.
Some progress has been made in this direction. 159 countries,
all members of the United Nations Organization, have set up environmental
protection agencies. A lot of conferences have been held by these
agencies to discuss ecological problems, some of which are of extreme
urgency.
In Russia and the former Soviet republics
there are some areas where the environment is in a very poor state. The
Aral Sea, Lake Baikal, the Kuzbass, Semipalatinks and Chernobyl are some
of those areas. For decades nuclear weapons were tested near Semipalatinks.
The ground is contaminated with radiation there. More
than twenty years ago a pulp and paper factory was built on the shore
of Lake Baikal. As a result of the pollution, more than 50 per cent of
the world's purest water has been ruined. The whole ecological system
of the lake has changed greatly. In 1986, a nuclear power station
at Chernobyl, which is near Kiev, exploded, producing highly dangerous
radioactive fallout not only in the vicinity of the accident but because
of prevailing winds, across the continent of Europe. Affected countries
protested, while citizens increased the pressure on their governments
to curtail the manufacture of such lethal industrial and military by-products.
After the disaster in Chernobyl the inhabitants of the nearby towns and
villages had to be evacuated. Some of them died and some have become invalids.
Ecological catastrophes do a lot of harm to Nature, but they are
much more dangerous for Man. The question is whether mankind is going
to live or die.
The EARTH is our HOME. The world around us is wonderful. Our aim is to make it more beautiful and to preserve it for ourselves and for future generations.
Christina Woznyakivska
9
form,
Gymnasium
#2,
Chernivtsi,
Ukraine