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
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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
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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 !
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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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