Are Russia’s Environmental Problems As Large As the
Country?
Russia is the largest country in the world and has been an important player in
world history. Throughout the Cold War, it was the super power that opposed the
United States and supported communism. In Russia, there are numerous
issues, but environmental problems are being neglected. The government has
adequate wealth to help improve the country, but the environment is not a major
emphasis of the budget. Not only is the government hesitant to provide money,
the citizens do not focus on the environmental issues either. This is one of the
main reasons why Russia is declining environmentally. Many people know that
Russia is a large land mass, but they do not understand that there are more
people than can live comfortably in the habitable regions of Russia. While
Russia has over 17 million square kilometers of land mass for a population of
nearly 143 million people, only a small portion of this land is habitable. Sixty
percent of Russia is covered by ice. For this reason, 73 percent of the Russian
population lives in cities. Russia is currently struggling with the oil industry, air
pollution, and natural resource depletion as their major environmental issues.
However, there is potential for reversing these environmental disasters if both the
Russian government and the Russian citizens work together to resolve their
common interests of keeping a healthy country and planet.
(Wikipedia, 2013) Russia’s decrease in population is due to a few things. These
include high death rate, low birth rate, high rate of abortions, and a low level of
immigration. (About.com, 2006)
Russia borders the Arctic Ocean and is the only country that is located on two
continents – both Europe and Asia. It borders China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan,
Latvia, many other countries and numerous bodies of water. Many problems
occur when you are near the Arctic. Currently, there are problems of the ice
thawing out which is causing flooding and affecting the majority of the country.
Their temperatures can vary significantly within seasons. They are also a major
producer of oil, which is causing climate change. This time of year, the average
temperature is 30 degrees Fahrenheit to around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
(WunderGround)
Moscow, the capital of Russia is the most populated city in the country. The
population is around 11,503,501 people out of their total population which is
around 142,517,670 people. The population of Moscow is about 3 million more
than New York City (8,244,910). The land mass of Moscow is 969 square miles.
New York City is about 468 square miles which is about half of the size of
Moscow. (Moscow. info) Moscow is by far the most populated city in Russia but
is a small percentage of the entire country’s land mass. Moscow’s current
weather is around 30 degrees Fahrenheit and New York City’s is around 65
degrees Fahrenheit. (The Weather Channel) Moscow is comparable to New
York City, but it also differs greatly. Moscow is a well known city in Russia, and
often is compared to New York City in regards to environmental concerns,
population, area, weather, and much more.
Although most people don’t think of Russia as an oil producing nation, the reality
is Russia is one of the largest oil producers in the world. Russia and Saudi
Arabia are the biggest competitors in oil production. Currently, Saudi Arabia is
producing more oil than Russia. Russia is trying to surpass the amount that they
produce, which is 10,520,000 million barrels per day according to the CIA World
Factbook. (CIA The World Factbook) Even though they want that title, the
citizens are trying to get the government to realize that the health of the people is
more important than a title or bragging rights.
(EIA, 2012.) Russia has been producing a great amount of oil since 2001, but the
amount of consumption has not increased that much. They rely on the
exportation of oil for income.
All of the oil is causing negative changes in climate which is affecting the future
of Russia’s dominance. Russian citizens believe that unless changes take place
soon, the production of oil could sink to as low as eight million barrels a day in
2020. Some people believe that this is excellent, but others entirely disagree
with them and feel that this is horrible. This is a complete opinion. The Russian
oil output plummeted from a record high of 11.4 million barrels a day in 1987, to a
low of 6 million barrels a day in 1996. (The New York Times, December 4, 2012)
The oil industry has been fluctuating due to the supply and demand worldwide.
The reduction is a direct result of other countries that are reducing their
dependence on oil.
One example of a country attempting to reduce its dependence on foreign oil is
the United States and particularly the state of New York. New York is attempting
to use hydro - fracturing to recover natural gas, although it greatly pollutes the air
and water supply. Alternatives to buying oil from Russia could potentially save
these countries significant amounts of money; however, this would only hurt
Russia’s economy greatly and the environment of the country that was previously
buying the oil.
Due to the fact that Russia depends on the sale of oil, money could begin to be a
concern of the Russian government. Russia receives over half of their money
from exporting oil. (The Big Picture, October 25, 2012) If more and more
countries do not want to buy oil from Russia, Russia’s government will begin to
decline because their economy is so reliant on money acquired from the trade of
oil. If the amount of money that Russia has decreases, the whole country could
hurt economically. For the past twenty years, Russia has been largely living off
the oil fields inherited from the Soviet Union. (The New York Times, December 4,
2012) Even though oil helps increase the wealth of the government, you have to
think, is it worth risking the lives of all these people? The oil industry is an
important part of the Russian environment and culture, for both positive and
negative reasons. However, nobody can predict the future with oil.
Another environmental problem of Russia is its air pollution which affects its
citizens on a daily basis. Although many countries have come to accept air
pollution as part of the environment, the level is much worse in Russia and they
seem to just ignore the pollution. This air pollution is causing deaths. The
citizens that are being affected are finally stepping up to try to help; however,
many of the causes of this pollution are unavoidable. Almost everywhere you go
there is air pollution, but Russia’s is exceptionally bad. It has been suggested
that this increase in pollution was due to an increase in private vehicle
ownership. Fifteen to seventeen percent of the premature deaths may be
caused by air pollution. 219,000 – 233,000 people die each year prematurely
due to unhealthy air in Russia. Some of the early deaths in Russia were caused
by this air pollution. Approximately 2,000 – 4,000 people annually have cancer
due to “carcinogens present in the atmosphere.” According to some estimates,
more Russians die from air pollution than from tuberculosis or traffic accidents.
Residents living in the cities of Novosibirsk, Vladimir, Novgorod and Moscow are
at most risk for developing cancer from air pollution. (Dickinson.edu, 2011)
There is a large amount of pollution in and near the Arctic. Some of this pollution
is coming from shipping and oil and gas industries. One source said,
“The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said there was an urgent
need to calculate risks of local pollutants such as soot, or ‘black carbon’, in the
Arctic. Soot darkens ice, making it soak up more of the sun's heat and
quickening a melt.” For shipping, the use of the Arctic path may be less harmful
in general in terms of global warming. The ice thaw has been triggered by many
things including oil spills. It is one thing that Russia has to worry about, but it is
not what they find as their “major problem.” (Reuters, September 18, 2012) The
Russian government is now taking steps to think about solutions.
The Russian government has taken steps to “start environmental management
reform” focused on air pollution. “According to the Blacksmith Institute, Norilsk,
Russia was labeled one of the ten most polluted cities in the world. A former
labor camp during the Soviet Union, today Norilsk is the home to approximately
170,000 people and hosts numerous ‘al-burning copper, cobalt, and nickel
smelters,” says the author. “While outdoor air pollution affects all humans, some
indoor air pollutants disproportionately affect the individuals working in certain
factories. On average, factory workers all over the world are exposed to higher
levels of chemicals and toxins than those who do not work in factories. For
example, factory workers at a milk processing plant in Saint-Petersburg are
exposed to more chlorine than legally permitted,” said the author. (Dickinson.edu,
2011)
There is a great deal of the pollution in Russia that is coming from factories and it
has been detected in the air, soil, drinking water (due to acid rain), and cows’
milk. (Dickinson.edu, 2011) There are also numerous emissions per capita.
There are 12 tonnes of emissions per capita. (International Human Development
Indicators) Citizens who live there are currently living in a society of constant
pollution.
Although all agree that the environment needs more attention, the government,
industry and citizens all have reasons to resist change. For example, the
government wants to dictate which days cars can be driven. The citizens are
opposed to this idea. It would be a great inconvenience to them in their daily
lives. They may want the air to be cleaner, but don’t want to make the necessary
sacrifices to effect this change. They also need the jobs that the factories
provide, and the products coming out of these factories. On the other hand,
factories don’t want to lose the money they are making by changing their
production methods. The government also doesn’t want to spend the money
required to clean up the environment.
Another problem that Russia is currently facing is natural resource depletion.
Currently, ice is thawing in the Arctic Ocean. One of the most drastic effects of
ice thawing in the Arctic is that it releases methane gas into the air which greatly
contributes to global warming. Global warming is a problem because it changes
the environment for everybody. It changes weather patterns, depletes the ozone,
and much more and this is all affecting the eco-systems. This is a problem for
two reasons. One is because it is affecting many forms of life, and another is
because when the ice thaws, it causes floods. "Arctic climate models predict a
further decline in the sea ice cover, toward a largely ice-free Arctic in coming
decades", according to the scientists, from German, Dutch and Russian research
institutes. (Reuters, February 14, 2013) Not only is this affecting the waters, it is
affecting the animals near the Arctic.
The ice thawing has been affecting the habitats and lives of animals. One animal
that is directly related to this is the polar bear. The polar bears are already
endangered. Last year, a thaw of sea ice floating on the Arctic Ocean sent extra
plant food to exotic creatures on the deep sea, but it left the polar bears hungry.
Scientists found large amounts of algae developing underneath the ice last year
because more light was getting through as it weakened in a drift due to global
warming. The World Wildlife Fund has a website where you can donate and with
the donations that they receive, they are going to monitor the animals’ habitat,
anti-poaching activities and environmental education for the local population.
(RiaNovosti, February 19, 2013) The website that takes the donations said:
“Currently there are about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the world. By 2050,
the population may decrease by 75 percent! The main factors that endanger the
animals include climate change, poaching, and pollution. We want as many
people as possible to learn about these problems with the help of our project.”
(RiaNovosti, February 19, 2013) The polar bears may seem like just one animal
and there are many more, but they help us gain an understanding of what is
happening throughout the Arctic. The polar bears settle near the water, which is
also having problems.
The current water situation in Russia is extremely problematic. “Moscow is the
only big city in the world without a reliable water source,” said Igor Zektser.
There is plenty of water there, but hardly any of it can be used to drink and cook.
“The issues of purifying water should be our prime concern,” said Laboratory
Chief of the Sysin Scientific and Research Institute of Human Ecology and
Environmental Hygiene Zoya Zheldakova. “The crucial thing here is to deter
possible pollution: even when water is boiled, the steam will still contain certain
volatile substances.” (WaterWired, September 28, 2008) For now, Russia is
producing much water, but because so much of it is contaminated from factories
and garbage being dumped in the water supply, the majority of it is being wasted.
Soon enough, there will not be enough water to live off of unless the citizens
begin to think about solutions.
All of Russia is relying on outside groups and countries to help them have more
reliable water sources. Russia has been looking to Israel for water technology
and at this point Russia can only hope that these technologies will be able to
make a difference. If there is a very populated city, it is almost expected that the
water is clean and reliable, but that is not the case in Russia. Most of the water
sources in Russia, especially the ones in Moscow and St. Petersburg are the
most polluted which is causing them to be the least usable. (Mongabay) Some of
the possible solutions are not the most realistic. Some of these include trying to
not use as many of the factories and making laws about throwing garbage into
the water. The Russian government has enough money to pay specific groups to
try to come up with solutions. Currently there are limited solutions.
One thing that Russia is doing to try to help the environmental problems is
building its largest wind farm. This project will take lots of money to build, and
money is available in the budget. Private and public sources are investing two
hundred million dollars which is needed for this project. This will create 200
billion kilowatt-hours of energy per year. It’s the “same amount of energy
needed… to bake 17.6 trillion loaves of bread,” said Rostovteploelektroproekt’s
company. (CleanTechnica, July 31, 2010) Many citizens are hoping that this will
make a major difference. Although the citizens do not really care about the
environment, the majority of the country feels that this is a good use of their
money and will definitely make a difference in the long run. The citizens don’t
particularly care about the environment, but instead they feel that this could
eventually help them. They don’t want to have to do any work. Many other
countries are also planning on building wind farms, and everyone is working
together and sharing ideas to help make their own better.
Russia has many environmental issues that they have faced in the past and are
currently facing. Not only is the country itself big, but the number of
environmental issues are also immense. Russia could probably find an issue for
every square kilometer of the country. The three major problems are the oil
industry, air pollution, and natural resource depletion. Russia is one of the
number one oil producers in the world, and right now they are furiously working
to become the top producer. This is a struggle for them because resources are
constantly being depleted. They are looking for the help of the community, but it
is really only outside groups (non-governmental) that are doing things to help.
The Russian government is not offering enough help with these environmental
problems, including the water quality and economic issues caused by the
environment. Russia is not currently environmentally friendly, but that could
change in the near future. Russia could be the power of the world if they grasp
that the environment will truly make a difference in their lives. Russia could
continue to face these issues, but they just need to become conscious that more
people will lend a hand if someone will be the leader and make a difference first.
Although the environmental issues in Russia are surmountable, they require
more response from the Russian government and citizens than what is getting
done at this point.
Bibliography
Scott. "demography.matters.blog: More on Russia's population trend." 2010.
http://demographymatters.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-on-russias-populationtrend.html (accessed 19 Apr 2013).
Rosenberg, Matt. "Population Decline in Russia." 2006.
http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/russiapop.htm (accessed
19 Apr 2013).
Wunderground.com. "Weather Forecast - Russia, RS - Local & Long Range |
Weather Underground." 1958. http://www.wunderground.com/weatherforecast/Russia.html (accessed 19 Apr 2013).
Moscow.info. "Quick facts and statistics for Moscow, Russia." 2005.
http://www.moscow.info/quick-facts.aspx (accessed 19 Apr 2013).
The Weather Channel. "10 Day Weather Forecast for Moscow - weather.com."
2013. http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Moscow+RSXX0063:1:RS
(accessed 19 Apr 2013).
Cia.gov. "CIA - The World Factbook." n.d..
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html
(accessed 19 Apr 2013).
Eia.gov. "Russia - Analysis - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)."
2009. http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=RS (accessed 19 Apr 2013).
Nytimes.com. "Log In - The New York Times." 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/business/global/russian-oil-industry-at-acrossroads-as-infrastructure-ages.html?pagewanted=all (accessed 19 Apr 2013).
Ritholtz.com. "Russian exports – oil, money and people | The Big Picture." 2012.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/10/russian-exports-oil-money-and-people/
(accessed 20 Apr 2013).
AV. "Russia and the Environment." 2011.
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/russenviro/author/vernona/ (accessed 20 Apr 2013).
Reuters. "Arctic sea ice thaw may be accelerated by oil, shipping." 2012.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/18/environment-arcticidUSL5E8KI3PA20120918 (accessed 20 Apr 2013).
(UNDP), Human. "International Human Development Indicators - UNDP." 2013.
http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/RUS.html (accessed 20 Apr 2013).
Reuters. "Ice thaw could spell bad news for polar bears." 2013.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/us-climate-arcticidUSBRE91D1C620130214 (accessed 20 Apr 2013).
RIA Novosti. "WWF Russia Launches Online Project to Save Polar Bears." 2013.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130219/179568664.html (accessed 20 Apr 2013).
Aquadoc.typepad.com. "Water Shortage in Russia? - WaterWired." 2008.
http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/2008/09/water-shortage-in-russia.html
(accessed 20 Apr 2013).
Mongabay.com. "Russia - GEOGRAPHY." 1970.
http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/russia/GEOGRAPHY.html
(accessed 20 Apr 2013).
CleanTechnica. "Russia Plans its Largest Wind Farm and 1st Major Solar Plant."
2010. http://cleantechnica.com/2010/07/31/russia-plans-its-largest-wind-farmand-1st-major-solar-plant/ (accessed 20 Apr 2013).