Environmental Protection

It is better to cooperate with nature than to fight it. In other words let us not combat our environment; let us adjust ourselves to it.

Here is an extract from the Long-term Program for the Development and Deepening of Trade, Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Russia and the Republic of Finland.

Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection

Taking into consideration that the protection of the environment against pollution, as well as the localization and removal of pollutants already formed, is one of the most important tasks of the present days, the Parties will continue their cooperation in protecting nature. In so doing they will pay special attention to planning measures for the environmental protection and for the development of technologies and cooperation in this field.

The Parties consider it important to develop this cooperation especially in the field of pulp-and-paper and chemical industries, transportation and treatment of waste in populated localities, construction, water saving, land use and agriculture.

In this connection the Parties consider as promising the following types of cooperation:

- planning joint measures intended to prevent the pollution of the air, land, water reservoirs and the Baltic Sea;

• working out safety measures for the transportation of goods dangerous to the environment;

• developing technologies for purifying stations and of purifying equipment for drinking water and sewage;

• developing technologies for the collection, transportation and treatment of waste with a view to lessening the waste-caused damage to the environment; purposeful use of waste;

• improving sound insulation in buildings to prevent noise and also thermal installations to save energy;

- working out more efficient, from the viewpoint of nature and environmental protection, logging machinery and equipment and methods for logging.

The Parties will develop and expand contacts between their authorities in the field of protection of the environment and nature so as to exchange information and experience and also to develop and apply proven methods. The Parties recommend further development of this cooperation within the framework of the Russian-Finnish Commission on Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

The Parties will promote their cooperation in the said and other fields of the environmental protection leading to the development of appropriate trade and economic cooperation between the countries.

Vocabulary Notes:

1. to combat сражаться

2. pulp-and-paper industry целлюлозно-бумажная промышленность

3. treatment переработка

4. to purify очищать

5. purifying stations очистные сооружения

6. sewage сточные воды

7. insulation изоляция

8. to log рубить лес

Ex. 12. Give the key problem raised in the above text.

Ex. 13. Discuss the problem of the environmental protection using the following questions:

1. Why has the environmental protection become one of the most important tasks of the present day?

2. What are the fields most dangerous and harmful for people's health?

3. What are the main measures to be taken for the environmental protection?