With the industrial revolution our negative influence on Nature began

Introduction

Ecology is a science, which studies the relationship between all forms of life on our planet and our environment. This word came from the Greek «oikos» which means «home». All living things are related to their environment. The Earth is our common home and we must take care of it.

Since ancient times Nature has provided Man with everything he needed: food to eat, water to drink, wood for building and fuel for heating and cooking. For hundreds of years Man used Nature’s sources and it seemed to people that the resources of Nature had no end.

With the industrial revolution our negative influence on Nature began

to increase. Big smoky cities with thousands of people, polluting plants

and factories can be found nowadays all over the world.

Unfortunately, the idea of thinking about our planet and about the

consequences of our activity appeared not so long time ago as it could be.

Nowadays scientists from the different parts of the world try to solve

ecological problems, but it isn’t enough to do our planet clean. We must

protect our home all together, without any exceptions.

This report is devoted to different ecological catastrophes and to

environmental protection. It summarizes the results of my survey into such

global problems like «greenhouse effect». The aim of my report is the

following: to show actual environmental problems, explain how they change

our life and try to find the possible ways to solve them. I suppose that

this topic is very actual nowadays and I hope that this information will

appeal not only to my mind.

Air pollution

Air pollution is one of the main problems all over the world. Millions

of chimneys, buses, cars, plants, factories and other industrial

enterprises exhaust fumes and harmful substances into the atmosphere.

Poisoned air is the main reason why it is hard to breath in large cities

with big amount of plants and transport (example – Nijnii Tagil in the

Urals).

Human activity has been increasing the concentration of such gases

like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor in the

atmosphere. Scientists expect to see a doubling of carbon dioxide over pre-

industrial levels around the year 2065.

Every year the atmosphere is polluted by about one thousand (1000)

tons of industrial dust. Among industries especially toxic wastes are made

by enterprises of colour metallurgy, chemical, petrochemical, black

metallurgy, woodworking, pulp paper industry etc. Big cities suffer from

smog.

«Leaders» of wastes of harmful substances in an atmosphere in Russia

during three last years are Krasnoyarsk region, the Tyumen, Sverdlovsk,

Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo area and it is necessary to attribute this areas to a

zone of the ecological catastrophe. The most contaminated regions are

economic centers of Russian Federation and most populated. Now 2/3

population of Russia continues to live in conditions of dangerous air

contamination.

Various chemical elements are intensively absorbed by our

organism during breathing, it is harmful for our health. Air pollution is

especially harmful for quality of genofond.

Scientists say that air pollution is the cause of acid rains,

global warming and of greenhouse effect. I’d like to tell you some facts on

this topic.
What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is unquestionably real; it is the essential for

life on the Earth. It is the result of heat absorption by certain gases in

the atmosphere (called greenhouse gases because they trap heat) and re-

radiation downward of a part of that heat. Greenhouse gases are:

. Carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when

solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and

wood products are burned.

. Methane. Methane is emitted during the production and transport of

coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the

decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills,

and the raising of livestock.

. Nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and

industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and

fossil fuels.
Naturally occuring greenhouse gases also include water vapor, ozone

and few other gases.

Without a natural greenhouse effect, the temperature of the Earth

would be about zero degrees F (-18°C) instead of its present 57°F (14°C).

Human activity has been increasing the concentration of greenhouse

gases in the atmosphere. There is no scientific debate on this point. Pre-

industrial levels of carbon dioxide (prior to the start of the Industrial

Revolution) were about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv), current

levels are about 370 ppmv and the expected level for the year 2065 is 560

ppmv. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric

concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30%, methane

concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations

have risen by about 15%.

Scientists apologize that the increasing of the concentration of

greenhouse gases and chemicals in the atmosphere lead to the global

warming.

Global warming is a changing of the climate on the Earth that made

life on the Earth possible.

What are the potential effects of rising temperatures? Why do we call

global warming an environmental problem? In general scientists believe that

rising temperature will lead to increase evaporation and therefore 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. Even now a lot of species of animals, birds, fish and

plants have either disappeared completely or on the verge of extinction.

Solutions to global warming - clean energy, energy efficiency and new

environmentally sound technologies - already exist. The latest report from

the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that hundreds of

technologies are already available, at very low cost, to reduce climate

damaging emissions and that government policies need to remove the barriers

to these technologies.

Implementing these solutions will not require humans to make

sacrifices or otherwise impede their quality of life. Instead, they will

enable people to usher in a new era of energy, one that will bring economic

growth, new jobs, technological innovation and, most importantly

environmental protection.
Wind power is already a significant source of energy in many parts of

the world. It can supply 10 percent of the world's electricity within two

decades.
Solar power has been growing in a global capacity by 33 percent

annually. Greenpeace and industry research shows that with some government

support, the solar industry could supply electricity to over 2 billion

people globally in the next 20 years.

By 2040 solar photovoltaics could supply nearly 25 percent of global

electricity demand.

A report conducted by global financial analysts KPMG shows that solar

power would become cost competitive with traditional fossil fuels if the

production of photovoltaic panels was increased to 500 megawatts a year.
A renewable power plant in Asia could have the same costs and provide

the same jobs as a coal-fired plant, but with significant environmental

advantages.
Greenfreeze refrigeration technology, which is safe for the climate

and the ozone layer, has spread around the world. It is an ideal solution

for developing countries where cost and efficiency are particularly

important.

Oil companies must stop exploring for more fossil fuels that the world

cannot afford to burn. Governments need to subsidize renewable energy and

force polluters to pay.

Acid rains

First of all I should say that the only place on earth where pure

water is found is in a laboratory. Rainwater always contains small amounts

of impurities. These impurities come from dust particles or are absorbed

from the gases in the air. If pure water is exposed to the air it absorbs

carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid and becomes slightly acidic, dropping

from pH 7 i.e. neutral, to pH 5,6. Even in remote, unpopulated areas rain

can reach a pH of 4,5. However, a pH of less than 4,5 in rain is almost

certainly caused by air pollution.

Acid rain is caused by the release of the sulphur dioxide and nitrous

oxides. The main sources of sulphur dioxide are coal-fired power stations

and metal working industries. The main sources of nitrous oxides emissions

are vehicles and fuel combustion.

Sulphur dioxide reacts with water vapor and sunlight to form sulphuric

acid. Likewise nitrous oxides form nitric acid in the air. These reactions

take hours, or even days, during which polluted air may move hundreds of

kilometers. Thus acid rain can fall far from the source of pollution.

When mist or fog droplets condense they will remove pollutants from

the air and can become more strongly acid than acid rain. Even snow can be

acid. Gases and particles, not dissolved in water, with a low pH can also

be deposited directly onto soil, grass and leaves. It is possible that even

more acidity is deposited in this way than by rain! Not much is known about

this process, and it is particularly difficult to study.

There are some undoubted effects of acid rains:

. Acid rains can increase the acidity of lakes, dams and streams and

cause the death of aquatic life.

. Acid rain can increase the acidity of soil, water and shallow

groundwater.

. Acid rain has been linked with the death of trees in Europe and North

America. In spite of a great deal of research, no one yet knows

exactly how acid rain harms forests. Most of the forests of Europe

consist of huge areas of one tree species. This encourages the spread

of plant pests and diseases. It seems likely that acid rain weakens

the trees, perhaps helped by other pollutants such as ozone, and then

leaves the trees open to attack by disease. Acid rain also disrupts

the availability of soil nutrients. The final death of a tree may

result from a combination of stresses such as heat, cold, drought,

nutrient disruption and disease.

. Acid rains erode buildings and monuments.

. Acid particles in the air are suspected of contributing to respiratory

problems of people.

Scientists have many ways to solve this environmental problem. We need

to use energy more efficiently at home, in our vehicles and in industry. We

will have to think hard about alternative energy sources. It is possible

to remove acidic emissions from coal burning, but this is very expensive.

It may be possible to breed crops and trees that resist pollution, but this

would only be a partial solution. In practice we will probably need a

combination of all these ideas and innovations.
Measures of the protection of atmosphere

Measures of the protection of atmosphere are subdivided into three

large groups:

. First group: decrease measures of gross amount of contamination,

thrown out into atmosphere. This is the improvement of the quality of

fuel, using of special liquids in fuel etc. Same group of measures

includes perfecting of technological processes including development

of the closed cycle production without making of harmful substances

into atmosphere.

. The second group includes measures of protection of atmosphere by

dispersion, processing and neutralization of harmful wastes.

. The third group of measures assumes prevention of the air

contamination by rational placing of the «dirty» enterprises – sources

of harmful wastes with consideration of natural conditions and

potential possibility of the air contamination.

For realization of atmosphere protection measures the strict state

control of air environment, economic and legal stimulation of measures for

control of its pollution are also important.

Water pollution

Comprising over 70% of the Earth’s surface, water is undoubtedly the

most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Without the

seemingly invaluable compound comprised of hydrogen and oxygen, life on

Earth would be non-existent: it is essential for everything on our planet

to grow and prosper. Although we as humans recognize this fact, we

disregard it by polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Subsequently, we

are slowly but surely harming our planet to the point where organisms are

dying at a very alarming rate. In addition to innocent organisms dying

off, our drinking water has become greatly affected as is our ability to

use water for recreational purposes. In order to combat water pollution,

we must understand the problems and become part of the solution.

What are the sources of water pollution?

There are many causes for water pollution but two general categories

exist: direct and indirect contaminant sources.
Direct sources include effluent outfalls from factories, refineries,

waste treatment plants etc.. that emit fluids of varying quality directly

into urban water supplies. In the United States and other countries, these

practices are regulated, although this doesn't mean that pollutants can't

be found in these waters.
Indirect sources include contaminants that enter the water supply

from soils/groundwater systems and from the atmosphere via rainwater. Soils

and ground waters contain the residue of human agricultural practices and

improperly disposed of industrial wastes. Atmospheric contaminants are also

derived from human practices (such as gaseous emissions from automobiles,

factories and even bakeries).

Contaminants can be broadly classified into organic, inorganic,

radioactive and acid. Examples from each class and their potential sources

are too numerous to discuss here.
What are the effects of water pollution?

The effects of water pollution are varied. They include poisonous

drinking water, poisonous food animals (due to these organisms having

bioaccumulated toxins from the environment over their life spans),

unbalanced river and lake ecosystems that can no longer support full

biological diversity, deforestation from acid rain, and many other effects.

These effects are, of course, specific to the various contaminants.
What are the ways we can take to decrease this problem?

Science provides many practical solutions to minimizing the present

level at which pollutants are introduced into the environment and for

remediating (cleaning up) past problems. All of these solutions come with

some cost (both societal and monetary). In our everyday lives, a great deal

can be done to minimize pollution if we take care to recycle materials

whose production creates pollution and if we act responsibly with household

chemicals and their disposal. Additionally, there are choices we make each

day that also can affect the quantity of pollutants our actions will

introduce into the environment. Heavily packaged foods, for instance,

contain boxes, cartons, bottles etc. made with polluting dyes, many of

which are released from groundwater at municipal land fills. Whether we

choose to drive to the corner store rather than walk or ride a bicycle will

determine how much we personally contribute to acid and hydrocarbon

emissions to the atmosphere (and ultimately to global fresh water

supplies).

In the end, there are many choices on the personal and societal level

that we must make (consciously or not) that affect the amount of pollution

our town or country will be forced to live with. Our standard of living and

very way of life is based upon practices, which are inherently "dirtier"

than those of our distant ancestors, although they too polluted their

environment to some extent. Without taking a step backward in terms of our

standards of living, the answer seems to lie in a combination of many small

changes in our daily practices and paying more for goods and services, so

that manufacturers of various materials and drivers of automobiles (for

instance) will have cleaner devices with which to conduct their activities.

Deforestation
The tropical rainforests in Amazonia, Southern Asia and West and

Central Africa is the world’s greatest resource – the most powerful and bio-

actively diverse natural phenomenon on the Earth. Yet still it is being

destroyed just like other rainforests around the world. It is hard to

believe that every day over 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned on our

planet. That means that over 150 acres are lost every minute.

Once I have heard a horrible idea. One of my classmates told me: «I

have never seen the rainforest you are talking about, so why should I

protect it? I don’t find it interesting!» I don’t agree with this point of

view.

There are some reasons why does the tropical rainforest so important

for people from all over the world:

. The tropical rainforest is natural recycle, provider and protector for

our planet.

. The tropical rainforest supports the ecosystem in the world.

. The tropical rainforest provides us with oxygen we breathe.

. The tropical rainforest is the richest biological incubator on the

Earth. It supports millions of plant, animal and insect species – a

virtual library of chemical invention. Maybe the new drugs are still

awaiting discovery – drugs for AIDS, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.

Many secrets and untold treasures await discovery with the medicinal

plants used by shamans, healers and indigenous people of the

Rainforest Tribes. So alluring are the mysteries of indigenous medical

knowledge that over one hundred pharmaceutical companies and even the

US government are currently funding projects studying indigenous plant

knowledge and the specific plants used by native shamans and healers.

The problem and the solution to rainforest destruction are both

economic. The destruction is caused by slash-and-burn agriculture, cattle

ranching, building of dams and highways, and mining. So, if landowners,

governments and people living in the rainforest were given a viable

economic reason not to destroy the rainforest, it could and would be saved.

Thankfully, this viable economic alternative exists.

Many organizations have demonstrated that if the medicinal plants,

fruits, nuts, oils and other resources like rubber, chocolate and chicly

were harvested sustainably, rainforest land has much more economic value

than if timber were harvested or if it were burned down for cattle or

farming operations.
Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is often called the energy of the future because of a

great amount of advantages, but millions of people are afraid of radiation.

On the one hand using nuclear power gives us more variety in fuel sources.

On the other hand is the remembrance about Chernobyl tragedy. Different

countries use nuclear energy even now, but people from all over the world

suppose that using nuclear energy is a big mistake.

There are some advantages of using nuclear:

. Nuclear is the cleanest and least damaging to our environment. Since

the energy released from splitting the uranium atom is so much greater

than the energy released from combustion, the amount of land,

materials, and fuel used, and wastes produced, are very much smaller.

. Using nuclear power gives us more variety in fuel sources. It helps us

avoid being dependent on other countries for only one or two types of

fuels.

. Nuclear isn’t limited by location and natural conditions (for example,

the need for regular winds or sunshine).

. Nuclear generation of electricity provides savings over coal

generation because of lower fuel and transportation costs for nuclear.

. Nuclear energy is the cheapest kind of energy.

All mentioned above are «pluses» of nuclear energy. And now let’s talk

about minuses, about radiation.

Radiation

Radiation is a natural energy traveling in the form of waves or

particles. Some everyday examples are: the microwaves we use to cook food,

radio waves for radio and television, radar, X-rays used in medicine and

dentistry, and sunlight. We also receive radiation as a result of the

natural process of radioactivity. Materials that are radioactive are made

up of atoms that contain excess energy. These radioactive materials give

off their excess energy as radiation.

The three kinds of nuclear radiation that come from the radioactive

materials are alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. All three types are present

in nature. The natural radiation from soil, water, and cosmic radiation

(the Sun) is called "background radiation."

Alpha particles are the nuclei (centers) of helium atoms. They can be

blocked by a sheet of paper. Beta particles are high-speed electrons. They

can be blocked by a thin sheet of aluminum. Gamma radiation, like the

medical X-ray, consists of photons (electro-magnetic radiation), except

that gamma radiation comes from the atomic nucleus. X-rays are lower in

energy and come from the electrons around the nucleus. Gamma rays can be

blocked by several inches of lead, several feet of concrete, or a large

amount of water (for example, the 45-foot deep pools of water in which

spent fuel is stored).

The health effects of very high doses of radiation are serious. They also

are better understood than those of non-radiation hazards. Health effects

of the extremely low doses of normal background radiation that we receive

are so small that they can only be estimated. In fact, some studies show

that low doses of radiation may be beneficial to life.

Radiation at higher levels may have two kinds of health effects: somatic

and genetic. Somatic effects of radiation include a slightly increased

chance of cancer and life-shortening in the person exposed. Genetic effects

are those that may be passed on to the exposed person's offspring by

changes in the genes.

The units used to measure radiation are the rem and the millirem (1/1000th

of one rem). Individuals receive an average exposure from all sources of

about 360 millirems per year. This includes natural sources (such as rocks

and cosmic radiation) and man-made sources (such as X-rays). At less than

1000 millirem (or 1 rem), health effects on test animals are so small that

conclusions cannot be made. Radiation doses in excess of 25,000 to 50,000

millirem (25 to 50 rem) are typically required to cause minor blood changes

detectable only by laboratory examination. There are no other clinically

observable effects until a dose of more than 50,000 millirems (50 rems) is

received.

Radiation treatments are widely used in medicine to help cure patients with

some kinds of cancer. Doses of 5,000 rems are common. Much smaller doses of

radioactive materials are used as diagnostic tools. The health effects of

these levels of radiation help us more than they hurt us.

From all sources, a usual person receives an average exposure to

radiation of about 360 millirems per year. Most of this comes from the

natural radiation in soil, water, rocks, building materials, and food. For

example, potassium is a common, naturally occurring radioactive element

found in many foods.

Radiation exposure from all commercial nuclear energy power plants has

averaged 0.01 millirem per person annually. Those who live near a nuclear

power plant receive less than 5 millirems per year. The federal limit for

people who work in nuclear power plants is a maximum of 5,000 millirems per

year. Utilities themselves normally have set their own limits even lower

than that.

The guiding principle for releases from nuclear power plants is

ALARA, As Low As Reasonably Achievable. Plant operators pay continuous,

careful attention to assure themselves and the public that any radiation

releases are well below the levels of significant environmental or human

health effects. These levels are set by law and are based on data collected

for more than 50 years. The current exposure level is 5 millirems per year

at the plant boundary.

It is impossible to operate a nuclear plant with absolutely no release

of radioactivity. The releases are normally not critical as far as human

health is concerned, and, in fact, contain fewer radioactivities than the

releases from comparable coal-fired plants.

The amount of radioactivity released by a nuclear power plant is

monitored continuously to be sure it doesn't go above allowed levels. This

same monitoring equipment provides exact information about any accidental

release. More monitoring equipment and personnel are on hand for emergency

use. Teams practice environmental/radiation monitoring several times a year

in emergency drills with independent governmental agency personnel, who

also practice and participate.

The greatest potential hazard from an operating nuclear power plant is

from the radioactive products created in the fuel. These come from the

fission process that generates the heat to make electricity. Plants are

designed to keep these fission products inside the plant.

Every operating plant has plans in place to alert and advise the

residents as necessary in and emergency. These are local government plans

and are practiced each year with local civil authorities. These plans often

have been used for emergencies that have had nothing to do with a nuclear

plant. Such plans have never had to be used to evacuate the public in a

nuclear plant emergency.

Before any nuclear plant can be built and go into service, the utility

must obtain many different licenses and operating permits from federal,

state and local agencies. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires that

its conditions be met and allows for public hearings to be held before the

Commission issues a construction permit. After construction is done, the

NRC issues an operating license, again after a public hearing. During and

after construction, the Commission stations full-time inspectors at the

plant. Other visiting inspectors are sent to do on-site inspections. This

assures that the plant is operated according to its license.

Each utility checks its plants for radioactive releases. The records are

sent to and examined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the

Environmental Protection Agency. Abnormal conditions or operations are

reported to these agencies.
Nuclear waste

Since the first commercial nuclear power plant began producing

electricity in 1957, the total amount of accumulated spent fuel (classified

as high-level waste) is 9000 tons. For comparison, the Environmental

Protection Agency reported that in 1982, 46 million tons of poisonous waste

(that is, not nuclear) were disposed of. In comparison the amount of

nuclear waste is very small.

Nuclear wastes are, for the same power output, some 3.5 million times

smaller in volume than the wastes from coal plants. High-level nuclear

wastes can be disposed of by diluting them with twice their own volume of

neutral materials as they are changed into glass or ceramic form. The

reprocessed waste volume form a 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plant would

fit easily under a typical dining room table. A coal plant of the same

capacity (1,000 megawatts) produces some 10 tons of waste per minute.

After changing it to stable form, the volume of all nuclear waste

produced until the year 2000 (including low-level waste from the entire U.S

nuclear power industry) would fit into a cube 250 feet on each side. The

high-level waste portion would fit into a cube 50 feet on each side within

the 250-foot block.
Low-level wastes contain little radioactivity. They require little or

no shielding, and no cooling. They are the discarded used, disposable

protective clothing from the medical facilities and nuclear power plants,

water-treatment resins and filters, compacted trash, contaminated lab

equipment, plastics, metals, and liquids. They are the result of good

housekeeping practice in which non-radioactive waste is separated from

slightly contaminated waste.
Most low-level wastes are solidified, put into drums and buried at a

commercial disposal site. There they are placed at the bottom of trenches

(about 20 feet deep). At the Barnwell, SC, site, for example, trenches are

back filled with sand and covered in clay each day to keep moisture from

getting in. When full, trenches are mounded and capped with clay, and

finished off with a foot of topsoil. Grass is planted to help prevent

erosion. The collection, transportation and burial of low-level radioactive

wastes are all closely monitored and controlled by the Department of

Transportation and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

When properly managed, these low-level wastes do not pose a hazard.

The industry now has 30 years of experience in handling and shipping these

materials. There never has been an accident with these wastes that had

serious health results due to radioactivity.

The 1980 Low-Level Waste Policy Act makes each state responsible for

providing he disposal of its own waste. Also encouraged are joint efforts

among several states for a shared site.

Conclusion

In this report I tried to show how does the activity of a Man

influences on our common home. I have shown different kinds of pollution (I

mean water and air pollutions) and the consequences of wasting our

environment (for example, global warming, acid rains, greenhouse effect and

etc.).

I suppose that our main problem is the following: we try to solve

ecological problems because it became hard to live with poisoned air and

water, but not because of their respect to the planet they live on and to

the birds and animals they live with. People try to take care of the planet

just because of their egoism.

If we want to live on the clean Earth at least we should remember

about ecological culture. Ecological culture means respect of the nature

not only as our home, but also as a home of millions of species of insects,

animals and birds.