Environmental protection

 

 

 

Environmental protection

 

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Environmental protection

 

ENVIRONMENTAL   PROTECTION

The environment is all around us. It consists of the flora, fauna, the water, the air and the earth. However, humans do not always care for the environment as they should. People want more cars, bigger houses, the latest computer technology, and packaged foods, etc. to make their life more comfortable.

Civilization has brought people many advantages but its products also pollute and damage the environment in which we live. Pollution affects air, water, land, forests, people, animals and plants.

Air pollution                                                                                           

Air is essential for life- not only for humans, but also for animals and plants. Although all living beings share the air, only people pollute. Air pollution is the

biggest problem in large cities and in areas with concentrated industrial production.Emissions range from smoke, dust and smells to car exhausts. Smoke contains sulphur dioxide(SO2), nitrogen oxide(NO) and carbon dioxide( CO2) which are produced by coal-fired  power stations and industrial plants burning  fossil fuels. SO2 and NO  cause changes which can lead to climate changes.These substances mix with water vapour in the atmosphere and form sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Sunlight turns these acids into poisonous oxidants which fall in the form of acid rain onto trees and gradually kill them. Trees are vitally important for our life because they are the lungs of our planet. They absorb CO2 from the air and give out oxygen in return. In some parts of the world, such as Asia and South America, trees are not  threatened by pollution, but by people. The great rain forests  are being destroyed for firewood and building materials. Since the Amazon rain forest covers an area as large as the whole of Europe and contains one third of the world’s trees, it provides 50 per cent of the world’s annual production of oxygen. If we lose tropical forests, it will become more difficult to breathe. With more CO2 in the air, the temperature will rise. The icecaps at the North and South Poles will melt, and the sea level will rise which will  cause the flooding of many coastal cities.

Several gases contribute to the „greenhouse effect“, which can also cause climate change. Without this „greenhouse effect“ there could be no life on Earth because the Earth is warmed up naturally by the atmosphere which traps solar radiation. But manmade atmospheric emissions, such as CO2 (produced by burning fossil fuels), nitrogen oxides (from car exhausts), CFCs (chlorofluoro-carbons from aerosol and refrigerators), methane ( a byproduct of agriculture) and water vapour prevent the heat from escaping. The result is a rise in the Earth’s temperature, the melting of arctic ice and the flooding of areas situated near sea level.

The hole in the ozone layer.
Ozone is a major air pollutant in hot summers. It forms a layer in the upper atmosphere which protects life on Earth from ultraviolet rays, which is a cause of skin cancer.A continent-sized hole has formed over Antarctica as a result of damage of the ozone layer, caused in part by CFCs. It is believed that the hole in the ozone layer causes changes in the weather patterns.

              Smoke from coal fires which causes smog is also a big problem in large cities.

   How can the problems of air pollution be solved ?                                               First of all, people should try to use alternative sources of energy, such as solar,water,wind,geothermal and tidal energies, or at least to burn smokeless fuels.

There are more ways to reduce air pollution caused by road traffic. First public transportation should be supported. Also, people should be encouraged to drive at the speed limit in order to use fuel more efficiently. Another way is to encourage tree planting, because trees absorb carbon dioxide.Then all new petrol-driven cars  will have to be fitted with catalytic converters which turn dangerous gases (oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide) into CO2, nitrogen and water vapour. The first autocatalysts in the world were made in Britain in 1974. Lead emissions can fall if we reduce lead content in petrol and encourage the use of unleaded petrol .

Among  the measures which can reduce the amount of sulphur dioxide are switching from coal to gas, greater use of low-sulphur coal, and installation of flue gas desulphurisation plants at some power stations.

Water pollution results from harmful industrial processes and households, from pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture, from waste disposal sites, substandard sewage treatment plants and from ships. Concentration of heavy metals (such as mercury,cadmium,lead,or copper) are increasing. Nitrate can pollute inland waters by leaching from farmland. Much of this comes from organic nitrogen in the soil but some also from organic and inorganic fertilizer use. If we want to have cleaner water, discharges to water from industrial processes should be controlled and the number of sewage treatment plants should be increased.

Soil can become contaminated as a result of industrial waste and other causes. Much domestic rubbish is disposed of in landfills. How do we reduce the waste which seems to grow more and more ? By re-using, recycling and energy recovery from the waste material. Domestic rubbish should be  sorted out. Bottle containers, can containers, plastic containers and paper containers should be installed where the public can deposit used glass containers, cans, plastic and waste paper for recycling.Garden waste of organic origin can be composted and turned into fertilizer. Organic waste in landfills can be re-used in the form of  biogas which comes from natural decay.

Litter in the streets also threaten the environment. Many people still litter. The law should be stricter and fines should be introduced for dumping waste.

Land can also  be contaminated by radioactive substances. Strict control should be placed over the storage, use and disposal of radioactive substances.

             Noise results in stress, lack of concentration, defective hearing and sleeplessness.

Finally, we have experienced a number of ecological catastrophes such as oil tanker accidents which cause many fish and seabirds to die.         

 Environmental protection should also include animal and plant protection because the balance of species of plants and animals has also been affected by human activities. The establishment of National Parks and nature reserves provide protection and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Contaminated land sites are turned into parks. Trees are protected and new ones are planted.

What is the way out of these problems ? It is evident that life, health and environment are closely bound together. Let us hope that common sense will win over ignorant people. Remedies will not only be achieved by the important decesions of politicians but also by our everyday behaviour.

Some actions we can take are as follows:
- Separate and recycle your trash (bio, paper, glass, plastic, metals)
- Don´t waste water. Take showers instead of baths.
- Don´t waste electricity. Switch off the lights when you aren´t using them.
- Recycle used batteries.
- Bike when possible or use public transportation.

- Use unleaded petrol and buy a car with a catalyst.
- Grow plants and trees.

              - Insulate your home as best as you can.
-  Buy  electrical appliances that save energy.
REDUCE !   REUSE !   RECYCLE !

 

Nature –everything in the world that was not made by people (the land, the sea, the plants, animals, etc.)
The environment- the natural surroundings where plants, animals and people live

habitat –tha natural place where a particular type of animal or plant lives

wildlife – wild animals, birds, etc.
pollute- to cause damage to the environment, for example with the smoke or other waste from factories, making it dirty and and dangerous

pollutant- something which pollutes the environment
smog – bad air ( a mixture of smoke and fog) experienced in some polluted industrial cities
acid rain –rain that contains dangerous substances from factories and damage the environment
deforestation – cutting down trees over a large area so that forests are lost
global warming – the warming of the earth which causes changes in the climate

greenhouse effect – the effect of carbon dioxide being trapped in the earth´s atmosphere, which causes global warming
environmentalist – a person who studies the environment and works to protect it
ecology – the scientific study of the realationship between living things and their natural surroundings
ecologist – a person who studies these things
recycle – to process used objects and materials (paper, bottles, etc.) so that they can be used again
bottle bank – a place where people leave used bottles to be recycled

environmentally friendly / green – something that will not damage the environment

biodegradable – something that will decay naturally and so will not damage the environment
unleaded / lead-free – petrol which doe not contain lead

alternative energy – different types of energy (from the sun, wind, etc) which do not damage the environment as much as traditional types ( coal, oil, etc)
greens – groups of people whom aim is conservation of natural things

dumping – throwing away

 

 

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