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AIR POLLUTION AND ACID RAINS

Without air there can be no life. Without air of good quality there cannot be a healthy life. Air pollution is an old problem, which has in this century assumed wide economic and social significance. Perhaps the first general realisation of the new dangers came with the great London smog of December 1952. For five days the capital of England was enveloped in a grey shroud, and over 4 thousand people had died and incalculable numbers had suffered a worsening of bronchitis and heart disease.

An average person requires over thirty pounds of air a day or about six pints every minute. Daily the individual draws 26000 breaths, between 18 and 22 each minute, many of which are of filthy air. The lungs of town inhabitants are usually greyish in colour, those of country people are normally pale pink.

The air is being polluted by acid gases, dust, petrol and diesel fumes and poisonous chemicals. These come from cars, factories and power plants.

Of all the pollutants, that taint the air, fine suspended particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and ozone pose the most wide-spread and acute risks. However, airborne lead pollution, coming from car exhausts, is a critical concern in many cities as well.

PARTICULATE POLLUTION

 Suspended particulate matter is nearly ubiquitous urban pollutant. It is a complex mixture of small and large particles of varying origin and chemical composition. Larger particles, ranging from 2,5 microns to 100 microns in diameter, usually comprise smoke and dust from industrial processes, agriculture, construction and road traffic, as well as plant pollen and other natural sources. Smaller particles – those less than 2,5 microns in diameter – generally come from combustion of fossil fuels. These particles include soot from vehicle exhaust, which is often coated with various chemical contaminants or metals. They also include fine sulphate and nitrate aerosols that form when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides condense in the atmosphere. The largest source of fine particles is coal-fired power plants, but auto and diesel exhaust are also prime contributors, especially along busy transportation corridors.

The health effects of particles are strongly linked to their size. Small particles, such as those from fossil fuel combustion, are most dangerous, because they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, setting in areas, where the body’s natural clearance mechanisms can’t remove them. The constituents in small particles are more chemically active and may be acidic as well and therefore more damaging.

Particulate pollution causes acute changes in lung function, respiratory illnesses, heart decease and aggravation of asthma and bronchitis. During major pollution events, when particulate levels in the air increase up to 200 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter, daily mortality rates could increase as much as 20 per cent.

 ACID RAINS

Other very dangerous pollutants are sulphur and nitrogen oxides. These gases are released by factories and power plants when fossil fuels are burned and by cars. These oxides reach high into the atmosphere and mix with water and other chemicals to form rain that can be as acid as vinegar. Acid rains are responsible for the decline of many forests. Tiny droplets of acid attack plant leaves, disrupting the production of chlorophyll. It also weakens the tree by altering the chemistry of the soil that surrounds its roots.

Acid falls down to earth as rain and snow. Black snow, as acid as vinegar, fell in Scotland in 1984.

Acid rain affects everything it falls on. Rivers, lakes and forests are at risk throughout Europe and North America. In Sweden more than 18000 lakes have become acidic, 4000 of them very seriously indeed. This kills fish and drives out fish-eating wildlife.

Forests are particularly badly affected by acid rain and in many places previously green, luxuriant trees show bare branches at the top, stripped of foliage. In West Germany 50 per cent of trees are affected and, unless some curb is placed on pollution, the figure is certain to rise. In Austria, if nothing is done, scientists and environmentalists have predicted that there will be no trees left by the end of the century.

There is a possibility that damage to ecosystems from acid deposition may be more fundamental and long-lasting than was first believed. Scientists now report that acid rain leaches as much as 50 per cent of the calcium and magnesium from the forest soils. These minerals neutralise acids and are essential for plant growth. If soil chemistry is changed in this way, it may take many decades for all linked ecosystems to recover. Besides this, acid rain releases heavy metals and other toxic substances, providing a persistent source of toxicity to surrounding vegetation and aquatic life.

Buildings “die” too. Some of the most beautiful historic buildings in the world are being eaten away by the dilute acid, rained on them. Notre Dame, Cologne Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral have all been damaged.

A major problem with air pollution is that it does not obey national boundaries. The planet’s wind cycles and currents can carry pollution hundreds of miles away from its original source. So Britain is a large contributor to air pollution in Sweden and creates more for Norway than Norway does itself. The pollutants of the USA end up on the eastern coast of Canada.

Acid rain emerged as a concern in the I960s with observations of dying lakes and forest damage in Northern Europe, the United States and Canada. It was one of the first environmental issues to demonstrate how the chief pollutants – oxides of sulphur and nitrogen – can be carried hundreds of miles by winds before being washed out of the atmosphere in rain, snow and fog.

As evidence grew of the links between air pollution and environmental damage, legislation to curb emissions was put in place. The 1979 Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution set targets for reduction of sulphur and nitrogen emissions in Europe that have largely been achieved. The 1970 and 1990 Clean Air Acts have led to similar improvements in the USA.

Many nations have adopted air quality standards to safeguard the public against the most common pollutants. These include sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, suspended particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide and lead – all of which are tied directly or indirectly to the combustion of fossil fuels. Substantial investments in pollution control have lowered the levels of these pollutants in many cities of some developed countries. But poor air quality is still a major concern throughout the industrialised world.

Meanwhile, urban air pollution has worsened in most large cities in the developing world, a situation driven by population growth, industrialisation and increased vehicle use. Despite pollution control effects, air quality has approached the dangerous levels, recorded in London in the 1950s, in such megacities as Delhi, Jakarta and Mexico City.

In some parts of Asia, such as Southeast China, Northeast India, Thailand and the Republic of Korea, and in the Pacific region acid rain is now emerging as a major problem. In the Asia region the use of sulphur-containing coal and oil is very high. In 1990 34 million metric tons of sulphur dioxide were emitted there, which is over 40 per cent more, than in North America. The effects are already being felt in the agriculture. In India wheat growing near a power plant suffered a 49-per cent reduction in yield. Other ecosystems are also beginning to suffer. Pines and oaks in acid rain-affected areas of the Republic of Korea showed significant declines in growth rates since 1970.

Many countries in the world are trying to solve the problem of air pollution in various ways, either by trying to burn fossil fuels more cleanly or by fitting catalytic converters to their cars, so fewer poisonous gases are produced. In some countries, like Sweden for example, new power plants use a method called fluidised bed combustion, which cuts sulphur emission down by 80 per cent. In Germany sulphurous smoke is sprayed with lime to produce gypsum, which is then used for building roads. Developing technologies like this may raise the price of electricity a little, but will save millions of trees, plants and animals and human health.

Answer the questins:

1. When did people realise a new danger for their health? What kind of danger is it?

2. Why are the lungs of town inhabitants greyish in colour?

3. What pollutants pose the most wide-spread and acute risks?

4. What does suspended particulate matter?

5. What are the sources оf large particles? small particles?

6. Which particles are the most dangerous and why?

7. What are the effects of particulate pollution?

8. Which gases cause acid rain?

9. What are the sources of these gases?

10. How does acid rain form?

11. How does acid rain affect the plants? buildings? lakes and soil?

12. What is the main problem with air pollution? Prove your statement.

13. How do people try to curb air pollution?

14. In what parts of the world acid rain is emerging now as a major problem?

Nature Protection Text for reading and discussion: Why Must Technology Apologize to Ecology?

To answer this question we must first of all learn the meaning of the word "ecology". Ecology is a science, which studies the relationship between all forms of life on our planet with its environment. This word came from the Greek "oikos" which means "home". The idea of home includes the whole planet of ours, its population, the nature, animals, birds, fish, insects, all living beings and even the atmosphere around our planet. Do all of them live a happy and healthy life in our home nowadays? Unfortunately, it is not so. Indeed, many territories, water basins, lakes, rivers, seas, oceans, and the atmosphere are polluted with all kinds of technological, agricultural, chemical, nuclear and other wastes. The intensive development of sciences, industry and chemistry in the 20th century has made the pollution of our environment a global problem, which should be solved by all means.

Besides, rapid growth of our population (there are about 6 billion people living on our planet now) needs more and more land, food, goods and modern conveniences for newly born people. The production of these in large amounts will greatly increase the pollution of the environment. And what to say about the awful harm caused by nuclear tests, atom bombs and accidents at out atomic power stations? Isn't it high time to start solving this global problem and to make our life in our home happy and healthy?

Now, you know the answer to the question why technology must bring apologies to ecology: it has polluted and is still badly polluting our environment.

And in conclusion all of us should always remember the wise advice of a great English writer John Galsworthy who said: "If you don't think about the future you will not have it."

Text for reading and discussion: Keep Our Environment Clean

About two hundred years ago man lived in greater harmony with his environment because industry was not much developed. Today the situation is quite different. People all over the world are worried about what is happening to the environment because of modern industry and the need for more and more energy. Newspapers and magazines write about water pollution, air pollution and land pollution.

Why is there so much discussion about pollution? After all, people have been polluting the world around them for thousands and thousands of years. But in the past, there were not so many people and lots of room in the world so they could move to another place when their settlements became dirty.

Now, however, many parts of the world are crowded, people live in big cities and much of our waste, especially waste from factories, electric power stations, the chemical industry is very dangerous. Fish dies in the lakes, rivers, and seas, forest frees die, too. Much of this dangerous waste goes into the air and is carried by winds for great distances.

The Earth is our home. We must take care of it, for ourselves and for the next generations. This means keeping our environment clean.

The importance of this task is pointed out by ecologists, the scientists who study the relation between living things and their environment. However, each of us must do everything possible to keep the land, air and water clean.

Text for reading and discussion: Environmental Protection

What is environment? It is everything that surrounds a person: atmosphere, flora, fauna, and all kinds of birds, beasts, insects, and earth with its animals and so on. All kinds of living and dead nature are closely connected with each other - they are necessary to each other. Man must not only take things from nature, but also try to be its rational master, enrich the surrounding world and take care of animals, birds and all kinds of plants.

People are becoming more and more worried about their environment. We all face the environmental problems:

  • - as the population of large cities continues to grow the pollution problems get worse;

  • - the air in many cities and towns has been polluted by traffic and industry;

  • - acid rains which pollute water supplies, damage crops, forests and buildings, they may also affect people's health;

  • - water pollution has been a serious problem in many lakes, rivers and seas;

  • - we waste a great deal of valuable material: paper, glass, metal, and plastics can all be recycled;

  • - the number of cars and trucks is growing all the time. They need bigger, better and more expensive roads, which often ruin the countryside. Traffic in our cities is getting worse and worse.

Water pollution is becoming an international problem nowadays. Oil and shipping companies throw thousands of tons of oil every year. They are interested only in profits. If measures are not taken the oceans will soon become biological deserts. The people of the world must unite their efforts to protect the environment.

The Greenpeace organization exists to draw the people's attention to the destruction of wildlife (whales, seals, etc.) by hunters and the pollution of oceans by nuclear waste turning them into nuclear dustbins. If the barrels ever leak, nuclear contamination would quickly spread through water and present a serious threat to many countries. Greenpeace believes that actions speak louder than words.

The Environment: Problems and Solutions

1. Should anyone attempt a brief characterization of present-day environmental problems, he would find it beyond the competence of an individual scientist. For the environmental situation has long become a subject of separate and joint research efforts of biologists, chemists, and biochemists who have to combine their knowledge with the information supplied by students of geology, oceanography and meteorology, with experts in sociology, psychology and philosophy hurriedly joining in. Yet, if stated briefly, one of the causes of the present-day environmental situation should be sought in the lack of a balanced development of particular fields of knowledge, and of an adequate picture of the intricately operating whole which is our planet. The rapid and ever-growing advances in certain highly specialized fields have brought mankind far ahead of our general fundamental knowledge of the long-range effect of some technological developments, spectacular though they may appear, especially of their interplay and interdependence. It is man's intervention in nature that has singled him out from the rest of the animal world since his early days. It is this very intervention that has landed him nowadays in this highly technological world of ours, with the rate of progress in particular applied fields being faster than that in our fundamental knowledge of the general operation of the Earth. It is precisely this discrepancy between the two rates which seems to be at the root of most of today's problems. This is by no means an exhaustive explanation, ignoring as it does, the social factor.

2. The threat to his environment is a second major problem man is faced with in the mid-20th century, the first being a menace of a nuclear catastrophe. What is so peculiar about the environmental problem when compared to the other one? Surely not its global character and everybody's involvement. A nuclear catastrophe, as seen nowadays by practically everybody everywhere, would inevitably involve every country, no matter how small or big it is, and would concern every individual, whatever secluded life he might be living. Should it happen, its inescapability is too obvious to be disputed. So is its explosive character. In contrast to this, the environmental crisis is of a cumulative nature. It is just the obscure and intricate pattern of the interaction of all factors that makes it so dangerous. For no single action taken, or decision made, can bring about an immediate catastrophe, nor could there be the last straw or the last step that would set in motion an avalanche of irreversible and immediate events leading to the ultimate gloomy end. It is only step by step that we approach the critical point, were there such a thing as "point" in this context.

3. Consequently, what is needed first and foremost is that we realize the possible adverse impact of the long-range effects of our actions, however noble the motives may seem to us at present, on the entire human race. Out of this realization may come an entirely new approach to the problem, the new approach as proclaimed by Vernadsky of the biosphere governed and operated in accordance with the laws of the human mind. Next comes the urgent need for basic research to get more profound knowledge of the cause-effect relationship, the time factor necessarily taken into account, in the whole realm of human environment, both natural, man-disturbed and man-initiated. Fundamental and irreversible as they may often be, the changes in our environment are not likely to bring mankind to the brink of annihilation overnight. It would take us some time yet to reach there. So let us use the time for learning how to preserve our planet in good shape and in running order for an indefinitely long time.

The Biosphere: Its Definition, Evolution and Possible Future

1. The idea of the biosphere was introduced into science rather casually almost a century ago by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess, who first used the term in a discussion of the various envelopes of the earth in the last and most general chapter of a short book on the genesis of the Alps published in 1875. The concept played little part in scientific thought, however, until the publication, first in Russian in 1926 and later in French in 1929 (under the title "La Biosphere"), of two lectures by the Russian mineralogist Vladimir Ivanovitch Vernadsky. It is essentially Vernadsky's concept of the biosphere, developed about 50 years after Suess wrote, that we accept today. Vernadsky considered

that the idea ultimately was derived from the French naturalist Jean Baptiste Lamarck, whose geochemistry, although archaically expressed, was often quite penetrating.

2. The biosphere is defined as that part of the earth in which life exists, but this definition immediately raises some problems and demands some qualifications. At considerable altitudes above the earth's surface the spores of bacteria and fungi can be obtained by passing air through filters. In general, however, such "aero-plankton" do not appear to be engaged in active metabolism. Even on the surface of the earth there are areas too dry, too cold or too hot to support metabolizing organisms, the only exception being technically equipped human explorers, but in such places also spores are commonly found. Thus, when viewed as a terrestrial envelope, the biosphere obviously has a somewhat irregular shape, inasmuch as it is surrounded by an indefinite "parabiospheric" region in which some dormant forms of life are present. Today, of course, life can exist in a space capsule or a space suit far outside the natural biosphere. Such artificial environments may best be regarded as small volumes of the biosphere nipped off and projected temporarily into space.

3. What is it that is so special about the biosphere as a terrestrial envelope? The answer seems to have three parts. First, it is a region in which liquid water can exist in substantial quantities. Second, it receives an ample supply of energy from an external source, ultimately from the sun. And third, within it are interfaces between the liquid, the solid and the gaseous states of matter. Important as these three conditions for the existence of a biosphere may be in terms of historical evolution it is not the history that we are concerned with at this point but rather what the future developments are likely to be. . .

4. Without taking too seriously any of the estimates that have been made of the expectation of the life of the sun and the solar system it is evident that the biosphere could remain habitable for a very long time, many times the estimated length of the history of the genus Homo, which might be two million years old. As inhabitants of the biosphere we should regard ourselves as being in our infancy. Many people, however, are concluding on the basis of mounting and reasonably objective evidence that the length of life of the biosphere as an inhabitable region for organisms is to be measured in decades rather than in hundreds of millions of years, with the fault being entirely that of our own species. It would seem not unlikely that we are approaching a crisis that is comparable to the one that occurred when free oxygen began to accumulate in the atmosphere.

5. Admittedly there are differences. The first photosynthetic organisms that produced oxygen were probably already immune to the lethal effects of the new poison gas we now breathe. On the other hand, our machines may be immune to carbon monoxide, lead and DDT. But we are not. Apart from a slight rise in agricultural productivity caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it is difficult to see how the various contaminants we are polluting the biosphere with could form the basis for a revolutionary step forward. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that when the eucaryotic cell1 evolved in the middle Precambrian period2 the process very likely involved an unprecedented new kind of evolutionary development. Presumably if we do want to continue living in the biosphere we must also introduce unprecedented processes.

6. The necessity of quite a new approach to the biosphere was realized by Vernadsky as early as the mid-forties. For not only was he the founder of modern biogeochemistry but he was also a man of deep scientific penetration and insight who could foresee the unavoidable long-range impact of production activities of man on the biosphere. According to him man has become a geological and biological factor by far exceeding everything that proceeded him throughout evolution, the rate of his intervention in nature steadily increasing. Yet it was with optimism that he looked ahead when he wrote: "I think we undergo not only a historical but also a planetary change as well. We live in a transition to the noosphere." By "noosphere" Vernadsky meant the envelope of mind that was to supersede the biosphere, the envelope of life. Unfortunately the quarter-century since those words were written has shown how mindless most of the changes wrought by man on the biosphere have been. Nevertheless Vernadsky's transition in its deepest sense is the only alternative to man's cutting his life-time short by millions of years.

ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Since ancient times Nature has served Man being the source of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited. But with the development of civilization man's interference in nature began to increase.

In the 20th century with the rapid growth of science and technology human achievements in conquering nature became so great that man's economic activities began to produce an increasingly negative effect on the biosphere.

Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises appear all over the world today. The by-products of their activity pollute the air we breath, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables. Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burnt in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up.

Environmental pollution has become a significant obstacle to economic growth. The discharge of dust and gas into the atmosphere returns to the Earth in the form of "acid rain" and affects crops, the quality of forests, the amount offish. To this we can add the rise of chemicals, radioactivity, noise and other types of pollution.

Economic, social, technological and biological processes have become so interdependent that modem production must be seen as a complex economic system. It is wrong to see economy and ecology as diametrically opposed such an approach inevitably leads to one extreme or the other.

The most horrible ecological disaster befell Belarus and its people as a result of the Chernobyl tragedy in April 1986. About 18 per cent of the territory of Belarus were polluted with radioactive substances. A great damage has been done to the republic's agriculture, forests and people's health. The consequences of this explosion at the atomic power station are tragic for the Belorussian nation.

Environmental protection is a universal concern, that is why serious measures to create a system of ecological security should be taken.

Some progress has already been made in this direction. As many as 159 countries -members of the UNO - have set up environmental protection agencies. To discuss questions of ecologically poor regions including the Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass, Semipalatinsk and Chernobyl. The international environmental research center has been set up on Lake Baikal. The international organization Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment.

But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried forward to protect nature to save life on the planet not only for the sake of the present but also for the future generation.

DEVELOPING A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

All projects require resources, from the smallest to the largest. Resources in this case does not mean just people; it means all the physical resources required to complete the project. This includes people, equipment, supplies, materials, software, hardware - and the list goes on depending on the project you're working on. Resource Planning is the process of determining what physical resources are needed, and in what quantity, to perform project activities.

Developing a resource management plan encompasses several processes including Resource Planning, Organizational Planning, Staff Acquisition, Solicitation Planning, and Procurement Planning. The combined outputs from these processes will comprise your resource management plan. We'll cover Solicitation Planning and Procurement Planning in the next chapter.

RESOURCE INPUT

The Resource Planning process has several inputs you are already familiar with, one of which is the WBS. Three inputs are new to this process; they are the resource pool description, organizational policies, and activity duration estimates.

The resource pool description lists the types of resources that might be needed for the project. For example, if you are working on a project that requires the use of specialized equipment during the course of the project, the resource pool description should contain the details concerning this resource, and the specific knowledge or skills needed to use the equipment. The same is true for human resources. Suppose you need an expert in thermodynamics in one or several phases of your project. The resource pool description should list this specific resource requirement. List all the materials, equipment, skills, or special talents you might need during any part of your project in this document.

Organizational policies regarding materials purchases, hiring processes, leases, vendor relationships, and so on should be taken into consideration when performing Resource Planning. Don't confuse this input with the Organizational Planning process, which we'll discuss in the next section. Organizational policies in this case are merely how the company handles obtaining supplies and resources. Are there policies and procedures in place that should be followed? If so, you should take note of the procedures and adhere to them when ordering supplies, hiring staff, and so on.

Activity duration estimates are an estimate of the number of work periods needed to complete the activities listed on the WBS. They are an output of the Activity Duration Estimating process. We'll cover this process in more detail a little later in this chapter.

DOCUMENTING RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

The resource pool description and organizational policies, along with the other inputs and tools and techniques in this process, will be used to produce the resource requirements output. The resource requirements document is a detailed description of

the kinds of resources needed for the project and the quantity needed of each resource. Resource needs and resource quantity should be listed for each element in the WBS.

Staffing requirements are a subset of resource requirements. Remember that the resource requirements document details for all the resources required for the project, not just staffing resources. The staffing requirements list should identify the kinds of skills required and the individuals or groups who might provide these skills to the project. The staffing requirements list should also document the time frames during the project when these skills will be needed. For example, the thermodynamics expert might be needed only during the design phase, so be certain to note where and when on the WBS this expert is needed.

A strange thing happens here. Resource requirements become an input to other Planning processes. But so do staffing requirements, which are a subset of resource requirements. This is the only process where an output is split into two pieces and each piece becomes an input to other processes.

DEVELOPING AN ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

The Organizational Planning process focuses on the human resources aspect of project planning. Its purpose is to document the roles and responsibilities of individuals or groups for various project elements and then document the reporting relationships for each. Communications Planning goes hand in hand with Organizational Planning as the organizational structure will affect the way communications are carried out among project participants and the project interfaces.

Organizational Planning has three inputs: project interfaces, staffing requirements, and constraints. We covered staffing requirements in the last section and don't need to add anything here. Constraints were covered in previous chapters, but there is some new information to introduce after we define project interfaces.

We live on a very beautiful planet – on the Earth. Our planet has very rich resources: the bright blue of the sky, fresh, crystal-clear mountain lake water, the rich green of the mountains slopes, wild flower, picturesque views – all these sceneries of nature fill us with admiration.

That’s why those who live in cities prefer spending their days off and their holidays far from the noise of the city, to be closer to nature. Perhaps they like to breathe fresh air or to swim in clear water because the ecology is not so poor as in the cities.

Ecology is the study of the ways in which organisms (plants and animals) depend upon each other and upon their surroundings. Each organism requires conditions in order to be able to live and breed. These conditions are its environment by changing the ecological conditions.

So, pollution is one of the most burning problems of nowadays. Now millions of chimneys, cars, buses, trucks all over the world exhaust fumes and harmful substances into the atmosphere. These poisoned substances pollute everything: air, land, water, birds and animals people. So, it is usually hard to breathe in the large cities where there are lots plants. Everything there is covered with soot and dirt. All these affect harmfully.

Water pollution is very serious, too. Ugly rivers of dirty water polluted with factory waste, poisoned fish are all-round us. And polluted air and poisoned water lead to the end of the civilization. So, nowadays a lot of dead lands and lifeless areas have appeared. Because our actions and dealings can turn the land to a desert.

So, we see that our environment offers an abundance of subject matter for discussion. The problems and prospects of the blue planet interest not only scientist and futurologists, but also politicians, industry, the public – and above all, young people! There is hardly a young person who is not conserved with the preservation of our natural habitat. To recognize environmental problems and master them, to reduce and avoid environmental pollution, to discover and develop ecologically sound technologies – there are the essential building blocks for our future.

Whether scientist or politicians, bankers or student, whether Greek, Norwegian, Hungarian or Finn … all are encouraged to make a contribution towards protecting the environment. Dedication and the courage to change one’s way of thinking are called for.

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 British, 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. The main campaigning issues of the FoE are:

  • The protection of all animals and plants in danger of extinction.

  • An end to the destruction of wildlife and habitats.

  • A program of energy conservation measures, etc.

So, a number of campaigns resulted in:

  • The ban or other hunting in England and Wales

  • And indefinite delay in the construction of the Commercial East Breeder Reactor, etc.

But not only great groups can influence the problem of pollution. So, different people have their own opinions on this problem:

  • The continued pollution of the earth, if unchecked, well eventually destroys the fitness of this planet as a place for human life. (B. Commoner).

  • The Earth has enough for every man’s need, but not for man’s greed. (Ganlui).

And I agree with them because it is really so. And terrible examples prove them.

The Baltic Sea is a special case. Because it is such a small sea and it becomes dirty very easily. Its waster changes slowly through the shallow straits. As many as 250 rivers run into the Baltic. There are hundreds of factories in these rivers and millions of people live along them. Quite a lot of big cities lie on its coast. All these combined with the active navigation of the sea naturally affects the state of the sea water and the shore line flora and fauna. People suffer from the waster pollution; cancer deaths increase people’s concern.

And there is no escape from this ecological crisis without organizing a single body dealing with the environmental problems, developing and carrying out a nationwide program of environmental protection and co-operating with international schemes.

Population Fears.

Scientists now predict that by the year 2050 the population will be doubled what is today. The fact remains that the rate of food production fell behind population growth in many of developing countries. The annual fish catch already exceeds what the world ‘s oceans can successfully sustain. If we go on using our natural recourses at today’s rates, we will have used up the intire reserves of cooper, natural gas and oil by the year 2054.

But the problem ahead lie not so much in what we use but in what we waste. What faces us is not so much a recourse crisis as a pollution crisis. The only solution is to try to change the areas of consumption, technology and population. Changes in technology must be baked by slower population growth. And it can be achieved by education in health and women’s rights. And there is a little hope of reducing consumption over the next half century.

Air pollution in Adygeya.

For the last five years the concentration of dust and harmful substances has decreased by more than three thousand tons (or 37%) in Adygeya.

However there are more than 80 kinds of chemical substances that enterprises of Adygeya produce.

Such enterprises as housing and communal services, building enterprises, agricultural farming bring the main contribution for air pollution. Especially such enterprises as “Maykop management of extraction and transport of gas”, “Maykop heat net”, “Teuchezhsky plant of building materials” are the main culprits of bad ecology.

In any case namely an automobile transport keeps the first place on air pollution. Last year the concentration of harmful substances from transport were about 40 thousand tons (87%) .

The Building of detour road round Maykop will bring down (or reduce) the level of gas polluted air. So that it will improve the ecological situation. A car pollution is more dangerous than industrial one. It is important to find real solutions until the ecological situation doesn’t change for worse/

For improving of atmosphere Management of Adygeya takes check-ups, every year the operation “Clear Air” put into practice collection of statistical data about air pollution.

Environmental protection is of a universal concern. That is why serios measures to create a system of ecological security should be taken.

Some progress has been already made in this direction. As many as 159 countries – members of the UNO- have set up environmental protection agencies. Numerous conferences have been held by these agencies to discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions including the Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass, Semipalatinsk and Chernobyl. The international organization Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment.

But this are only the initial steps and they must be carried onward to protect nature, to save life on the planet not only for the sake of the present but also for the future generations.

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