Ecological problems and environmental protection.


    In my project today I’d like to review the problem of environmental
protection. The reason why I chose this subject for developing is quite
evident – our planet is on the verge of global ecological catastrophe.
Today I’ll be developing several main points.
    First I’ll give you a general idea of the ecological situation on our
planet. Second I’d like to highlight the most dangerous tendencies that can
have deadly consequences for us. Lastly I’ll try to show what can be done
to save our planet from disaster.
    What does the word ecology mean? This word came from Greek “oikos”
which means home. The idea of home includes our whole planet, its
population, nature, animals, birds, fish and all other living beings and
even the atmosphere around our planet. But look what we have done with our
home? For thousands of years people exploited the nature thoughtlessly
thinking that its resources had no end or limit. With the industrial
revolution our negative influence on nature increased. What has become with
the air we breathe the water we drink and the soil we grow crops on? It is
all polluted. Statistics show that every year the atmosphere is polluted by
about 1000 tons of industrial dust and other harmful substances. Thousands
of kilometers of rainforests are being cut down for the need of industries.
Ton of exhaust wastes are thrown into the World Ocean.
    The consequences are disastrous. There is a hardly river left from
which we can take a fresh water. A lot of species of animals, birds, fish
and plants have either disappeared completely or on the verge of
extinction. So you see that environmental pollution has increased to
enormous proportions.
    And now let me move on to another point of my research. How can we
explain the global climate warming? Haven’t you noticed that in this
country winters have become much warmer with hardly any snow? What are the
reasons for this? The first and the main reason is the greenhouse effect.
The green house effect is the result of heat absorption by certain gases in
the atmosphere (called greenhouse gases because they trap heat) and
reradiation downward of a part of that heat. Human activity has been
increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mostly
carbon dioxide from combustion of coal, oil, and gas plus few other gases).
If you look at this diagram you’ll see that the level of carbon dioxide
before the start of industrial revolution was 280 ppmv. The current level
is 370 ppmv. and  the expected level for the year 2065 is 560 ppmv. The
next table shows the increase of global surface temperature. However the
warming hasn’t been globally uniform. Some areas (including southern u.s.)
have cooled. The recent warmth has been noted between North America and
Eurasia.
    So what are the potential effects of rising temperatures? In general
scientists believe that rising temperature will lead to increase
evaporation and therefor to more precipitation. But while some regions will
experience increased rainfall, others will become dryer. Another effect is
the rise of the sea levels, which will result in flooding low-lying coastal
areas. This may also lead to increasing the salinity of the rivers and to
decrease of water supplies. And finally climate changes may cause
extinction of many species of birds, animals and plants.
On the whole the environmental problems we have just touched upon  are  only
a small part of abundance of subject matters   for  discussion.  We  are  to
stop pollution. So, we can grow plants and trees, to purify waste, to  start
urgent campaigns in order to preserve environment For example,  in  1989  in
Australia, Sydney. In a year the same kind  of  action  was  held  all  over
Australia and it was called “Clean up Australia”  the  following  years  110
countries hold the similar actions within  the  ecological  program  of  the
UNO.
       Nowadays there are many different pressure and interests groups in
many countries, which try to find solutions to the problems of pollution at
the national and international level. So they are groups of people with a
common interest in trying to draw the public attention to environment
problems, to influence the government decisions.
       Greenpeace is a very famous pressure group.  It  started  functioning
in 1971. Its headquarters are at Amsterdam, but it operates in 25  countries
worldwide. The aim of Greenpeace is to protect  wildlife  of  toxic  wastes,
nuclear tests.
       “Friends of the Earth” (FoE) is one of the British  pressure  groups
with an international reputation.  Its  general  aim  is  to  conserve  the
planet’s resources and reduce pollution. FoE was established  in  1971  and
now it operated in 44 countries worldwide. It campaigns among other things,
for recycling and renewable energy, and the  destruction  of  wildlife  and
habitat.
    I’m sure there  is  no  escape  from  this  ecological  crisis  without
organizing  a  single  body  dealing  with  the   environmental   problems,
developing and carrying out a worldwide program of environmental protection
and co-operating with international schemes.

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