Environmental degradation. Causes of land degradation in different regions of the world

Environmental problems can be called a number of factors that mean the degradation of the natural environment around us. Often they are caused by direct human activity. With the development of industry, problems have arisen that are directly related to the imbalance previously established in the ecological environment, which are difficult to compensate.

The world is diverse. Today the situation in the world is such that we are close to collapse. Ecology includes:

Destruction of thousands of species of animals and plants, increase in the number of endangered species;

Reducing the stock of minerals and other vital resources;

Deforestation;

Pollution and draining of the world's oceans;

Deterioration of the ozone layer, which protects us from radiation from space;

Atmospheric pollution, lack of clean air in some areas;

Pollution of the natural landscape.

Today, there is practically no surface left on which elements artificially created by man would not be located. The perniciousness of the influence of man as a consumer on nature is undeniable. The mistake is that the world around us is not only a source of wealth and various resources. Man has lost the philosophical attitude to nature as to the mother of all living things.

The problems of modernity lie in the fact that we are not brought up to care for it. Man, as a selfish creature in itself, creates conditions for his own comfort, violating and destroying nature. We do not think about the fact that by doing so we harm ourselves. It is for this reason that today it is necessary to pay special attention not so much to solving environmental problems as to educating a person as part of nature.

Environmental problems are initially divided according to the level of their scale into regional, local and global. An example of a local problem is a factory that does not clean up the effluent before it is discharged into the river, and thus pollutes the water and destroys the living organisms that live in this water. Speaking about regional problems, the well-known situation in Chernobyl can be cited as an example. The tragedy affected thousands of human lives, as well as animals and other biological organisms that previously lived in the area. And, finally, global problems are those critical situations that affect the population of the entire planet and can be deadly for millions of us.

The environmental problems of the world today require an immediate solution. First of all, as mentioned above, it is worth paying attention to Having come into harmony with nature, people will no longer treat it exclusively as a consumer. Further, it is necessary to take a number of measures for general greening. This will require the development of new environmentally friendly technologies in production and at home, an environmental review of all new projects is required, and the creation of a closed cycle is required.

Returning to the human factor, it is worth mentioning that the ability to save money and limit oneself will not hurt here. The wise use of resources such as energy, water, gas, etc. can save the planet from their lack. It is worth knowing and remembering that while your tap is running clean, some countries are suffering from drought, and the population of these countries is dying from lack of fluid.

Environmental problems of the world can and should be solved. Remember that the preservation of nature and the healthy future of the planet depends solely on us! Of course, well-being is impossible without the use of resources, but it is worth considering that oil and gas may end in a few decades. The environmental problems of the world affect everyone and everyone, do not remain indifferent!

The global environmental problem consists in the difficulties of overcoming the ecological crisis that has arisen on our planet due to the destructive impact of people on nature. The main manifestations of the ecological crisis are most often referred to as the following:

• 1. Pollution of the air and water basins of the Earth, the formation of the greenhouse effect, “ozone holes”, “acid rain”, poisoned rivers and lakes, entire zones of ecological disaster with human diseases, etc.
• 2. Global climate change threatening a climate catastrophe in the future (general warming, weather instability, droughts, melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels, flooding of vast territories, fertile lands, etc.).
• 3. Reduction of arable land and degradation of soil fertility due to their overexploitation, erosion, poisoning, salinization, waterlogging, desertification, absorption by cities and industry, etc.
• 4. Destruction and extinction of forests, depletion of flora and fauna, a huge amount of waste, etc.

Man is a part of nature, and the most dangerous disasters for our planet and environmental pollution are associated with him. The scientific and technological revolution, the enormous growth of industry and the increased productive activity of man are changing the face of our planet. In the history of mankind, a period has now come when society is forced to clearly measure its activity with the possibilities of nature. "Before, nature frightened man, and now man frightens nature" - according to the French researcher, Jacques Yves Cousteau. Having entered the era of rapid scientific and technological progress, most people do not think about the possible consequences of the unlimited exploitation of natural resources, do not care about the fate of the biosphere, which experiences all the consequences of human economic activity.

The Earth is a unique celestial body in the solar system and the only one of the planets that has a biosphere that arose under the influence of solar energy as a result of long-term biochemical processes.

Man, as an element of the biosphere, appeared relatively recently, about 3.2 million years ago, and until the beginning of the 20th century, his activity was of a local nature. It is man who has become a huge ecological and geochemical force, which has greatly influenced the change in the ecological situation over the past 50 years. Now human activity already covers the entire biosphere and is global. Mankind has entered the industrial age of intense pressure on the environment in all areas: ground, air, underground.

Consider some of the environmental consequences of global atmospheric pollution:

• * possible climate warming ("greenhouse effect");
• * violation of the ozone layer;
• *acid rain.
• * "Greenhouse effect"

Currently, the observed climate change, which is expressed in a gradual increase in the average annual temperature, most scientists associate with the accumulation in the atmosphere of the so-called "greenhouse gases" - carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), chlorofluorocarbons (freons), ozone ( O 3), nitrogen oxides, etc.

Greenhouse gases, primarily CO 2 , prevent long-wavelength thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. According to G. Hoefling, an atmosphere saturated with greenhouse gases acts like the roof of a greenhouse. On the one hand, it lets in most of the solar radiation, and on the other hand, it almost does not let the heat reradiated by the Earth out.

In connection with the burning of more and more fossil fuels: oil, gas, coal, the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere is constantly increasing.

The report, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations by the international group on climate change, states that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 degrees. The scale of warming in this relatively short period will be comparable to the warming that occurred on Earth after the Ice Age, which means that the environmental consequences can be catastrophic. First of all, this is due to the expected rise in the level of the World Ocean, due to the melting of polar ice, and the reduction in the areas of mountain glaciation. Modeling the environmental consequences of an ocean level rise of only 0.5-2.0 m by the end of the 21st century, scientists have found that this will inevitably lead to climate imbalance, flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, and waterlogging of vast areas. and other adverse effects.

Acid rain. The term "acid rain" refers to all types of meteorological precipitation - rain, snow, hail, fog, sleet - whose pH is less than the average pH of rainwater (the average pH for rainwater is 5.6). Sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) released during human activity are transformed into acid-forming particles in the earth's atmosphere. These particles react with atmospheric water, turning it into acid solutions, which lower the pH of rainwater. For the first time the term "acid rain" was introduced in 1872 by the English researcher A. Smith. His attention was drawn to the Victorian smog in Manchester. And although scientists of that time rejected the theory of the existence of acid rain, today no one doubts that acid rain is one of the reasons for the death of life in reservoirs, forests, crops, and vegetation. In addition, acid rain destroys buildings and cultural monuments, pipelines, renders cars unusable, reduces soil fertility and can lead to seepage of toxic metals into aquifers.

The consequences of acid rain are observed in the USA, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, the republics of the former Yugoslavia and in many other countries of the globe.

Acid rain has a negative impact on water bodies - lakes, rivers, bays, ponds - increasing their acidity to such a level that flora and fauna die in them. Acid rain harms more than just aquatic life. It also destroys vegetation on land. Scientists believe that although the mechanism has not yet been fully understood to this day, a complex mixture of pollutants, including acid precipitation, ozone, and heavy metals, together lead to forest degradation.

Ozone layer. Depletion of the Earth's ozone layer is a potential threat to human, animal, plant and microbial health. Observations since 1973 show that the thickness of the ozone layer over Kazakhstan has decreased by 5-7%. Measures to control the use of substances that deplete the ozone layer, adopted in accordance with the Montreal Protocol, have contributed to a decrease in the world by 10 times compared with 1986 levels. Currently, work is underway in Kazakhstan to reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances and withdraw them from circulation, introduce new technologies using substances that do not destroy the ozone layer.

The main identified substances that deplete the ozone layer are:

• - chlorofluorocarbons (HFO or CFC);
• - partially halogenated chlorofluorocarbons (HHFO or HCFC);
• - partially halogenated bromofluorocarbons (HBFO);
• - 1,1,1 - trichloroethane (methyl chloroform);
• - bromochloromethane (BHM);
• - methyl bromide (MB);
• - carbon tetrachloride;
• - halons.

The main purposes of using substances that deplete the ozone layer are:

• - cooling units;
• - air conditioning devices;
• - warm air supply devices;
• - aerosols;
• - fire fighting systems and portable fire extinguishers;
• - insulating boards.

"Ozone Hole" - caused by the destruction of the ozone layer, especially low concentrations of ozone at the South Pole during the Arctic winter and spring. The area of ​​the "ozone hole" in recent years has been approximately 24,000,000 km 2 and looks like a large hole in satellite photographs. The thickness of the ozone layer in the region of the "ozone hole" is 100-150 DU (the normal thickness of the ozone layer is 300 DU).

consequences of destruction. As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, an increased amount of UV-B solar radiation reaches the Earth, which has a negative impact on both living beings (humans, animals, vegetation) and objects.

Consequences of too “thin” ozone layer:

the endurance of various materials (for example, rubber) decreases and, at the same time, the duration of use of these materials;

aquatic organisms (benthos) living in the upper layers of water die;

agricultural yields and fish catches are declining;

the immunity of the population against various diseases decreases;

increases the possibility of skin cancer and eye cataracts (both in humans and animals), diseases of the lungs and upper respiratory tract.

Ways to solve environmental problems:

• 1. Development and implementation of an agreed international environmental protection program, including such activities as:
  • a) creation of an international environmental fund to organize and carry out environmental measures of global importance (to stop the deforestation of tropical forests, improve the quality of drinking water, etc.);
  • b) establishment of international environmental standards and control over the state of the natural environment (with the right to inspect any country);
  • c) introduction of international quotas (norms) for harmful emissions into the atmosphere;
  • d) declaring the natural environment the property of all mankind and introducing the “polluter pays” principle into international practice (for example, the introduction of an international “green tax” on harmful emissions).
• 2. Constant, complete and truthful informing people about the state of their environment and the formation of an ecological outlook in society.
• 3. Creation of reasonable environmental legislation, which should provide for high responsibility for its violation and effective incentives to encourage environmental protection (for example, the introduction of special “environmental taxes” on the use of the most “dirty” technologies and, conversely, tax incentives for environmentally friendly industries).
• 4. Transition to a new, environmentally friendly technological culture (rational approaches to the use of natural resources, the use of the most “clean” and least rare of them, concern for the reproduction of renewable resources, the introduction of waste-free (or low-waste), resource- and nature-saving technologies, environmental protection systems and etc.).

Planets are a real scourge of the 21st century. Also, many think about the issue of preserving and restoring the environment. After all, otherwise future generations will get only a lifeless surface.

No man is an island!

It is likely that at least once in a lifetime each of us asked ourselves the question: "What environmental problems of the planet exist at the present time and what can I do to solve them?" It would seem, indeed, that only one person can? Nevertheless, each of us is capable of much. First, begin to "look after" the environment on your own. For example, throwing garbage into strictly designated containers, and it will not be superfluous to also pay attention to the separation of waste into specific materials (glass in one tank, and plastic in another). In addition, you can regulate and gradually reduce the consumption of both electricity and other resources (water, gas) necessary for your comfortable living. In the event that you are a driver and are faced with the choice of a suitable vehicle, then you should pay attention to cars that have a low content of harmful compounds in exhaust gases. It will also be right - both for you and for the whole planet - a small engine size installed in the selected car model. And, as a result, reduced fuel consumption. With such simple and accessible activities for everyone, we can solve the environmental problems of the planet.

Let's help the whole world

Despite everything described earlier, you will not be left alone in this struggle. As a rule, the policy of many modern states is aimed at the well-known environmental problems of the planet and, of course, ways to solve them. In addition, there is an active propaganda program, the purpose of which is to limit and exterminate rare representatives of flora and fauna. Nevertheless, such a policy of world powers is quite purposeful and allows you to create conditions for the normal life of the population, which at the same time do not violate natural ecosystems.

Environmental problems of the planet: list

Modern scientists identify about a few dozen basic issues that require special attention. Such planets arise as a result of significant changes in the natural environment. And those, in turn, are the result of devastating natural disasters, as well as the ever-increasing environmental problems of the planet, it is quite easy to list. One of the first places is air pollution. Each of us knows from an early age that, due to the content of a certain percentage of oxygen in the air space of the planet, we are able to exist normally. However, every day we not only consume oxygen, but also exhale carbon dioxide. But there are still plants and factories, cars and planes are traveling all over the world and knocking on the rails of the train. All of the above objects in the process of their work emit substances of a certain composition, which only aggravates the situation and increases the environmental problems of the planet Earth. Unfortunately, even despite the fact that modern production facilities are equipped with the latest developments in cleaning systems, the state of the airspace is gradually deteriorating.

Deforestation

Since the school biology course, we have known that representatives of the plant world contribute to maintaining the balance of substances in the atmosphere. Thanks to natural processes, such as photosynthesis, the green spaces of the Earth not only purify the air of harmful impurities, but also gradually enrich it with oxygen. Thus, it is easy to conclude that the extermination of flora, in particular forests, only exacerbates the global environmental problems of the planet. Unfortunately, the economic activity of mankind leads to the fact that felling is carried out on an especially large scale, but the replenishment of green spaces is often not carried out.

Reducing fertile land

Similar ecological problems of the planet arise as a result of the previously mentioned deforestation. In addition, the misuse of various agricultural techniques and improper farming also leads to the depletion of the fertile layer. And pesticides and other chemical fertilizers for many years poison not only the soil, but also all living organisms that are interconnected with it. But, as you know, the layers of fertile land are restored much more slowly than forests. It will take more than one century to fully replace the lost land cover.

Reducing fresh water supplies

If you are asked: "What environmental problems of the planet are known?", you have the right to immediately recall the life-giving moisture. Indeed, in some regions there is already an acute shortage of this resource. And as time goes on, this situation will only get worse. Therefore, the above topic can be considered one of the most important in the list of "Ecological problems of the planet". Examples of misuse of water can be found everywhere. Starting from the pollution of lakes and rivers by all kinds of industrial enterprises and ending with the irrational consumption of resources at the household level. In this regard, already at the present time, many natural reservoirs are closed areas for swimming. However, the environmental problems of the planet do not end there. The list can be continued with the next paragraph.

Extermination of flora and fauna

Scientists have calculated that in the modern world, one representative of the animal or plant world of the planet dies every hour. At the same time, it is important to remember that not only poachers are involved in such actions, but also ordinary people who consider themselves respectable citizens of their country. Every day, mankind conquers more and more new territories both for the construction of their own housing and for agricultural and industrial needs. And animals have to move to new lands or die, remaining to live in an ecosystem destroyed by anthropogenic factors. Among other things, it must be remembered that all of the above factors also adversely affect the state of flora and fauna, both present and future. For example, pollution of water bodies, destruction of forests, etc., entails the disappearance of the diversity of the animal and plant world that our ancestors used to see. Even over the last hundred years, the species diversity has significantly decreased under the direct or indirect impact of the anthropogenic factor.

Earth's protective shell

If the question arises: "What environmental problems of the planet are currently known?", then holes in the ozone layer are easily remembered. Modern human economic activity involves the release of special substances that cause thinning of the Earth's protective shell. Consequently, the formation of new so-called "holes", as well as an increase in the area of ​​existing ones. Many people know this problem, but not everyone understands how all this can turn out. And it leads to the fact that dangerous solar radiation reaches the Earth's surface, which negatively affects all living organisms.

desertification

The global environmental problems presented earlier are causing the development of a severe catastrophe. It's about desertification. As a result of improper agriculture, as well as pollution of water resources and deforestation, there is a gradual weathering of the fertile layer, drainage of soils and other negative consequences, under the influence of which the land cover becomes unsuitable not only for further use for economic purposes, but also for living. of people.

Reduction of mineral reserves

A similar topic is also present in the list "Ecological problems of the planet." It is quite easy to list the currently used resources. These are oil, coal of various varieties, peat, gas and other organic components of the Earth's solid shell. According to scientists, in the next hundred years, mineral reserves will come to an end. In this regard, humanity has begun to actively introduce technologies that work on renewable resources, such as wind, solar, and others. However, the use of alternative sources is still quite small compared to more familiar and traditional ones. In connection with this state of affairs, modern governments of countries are conducting various incentive programs that contribute to a deeper introduction of alternative energy sources both in industry and in the everyday life of ordinary citizens.

overpopulation

Over the past century, a significant increase in the number of people has been observed on the globe. In particular, over a period of just 40 years, the world's population has doubled - from three to six billion people. According to scientists, by 2040 this number will reach nine billion, which, in turn, will lead to a particularly acute shortage of food, water and energy resources. The number of people living in poverty will increase significantly. There will be an increase in deadly diseases.

Municipal solid waste

In the modern world, a person daily produces several kilograms of garbage - these are tin cans from canned food and drinks, and polyethylene, and glass, and other waste. Unfortunately, at present, their secondary use is carried out only in countries with a highly developed standard of living. In all others, such household waste is taken to landfills, the territory of which often occupies vast areas. In countries with a low standard of living, heaps of garbage can lie right on the streets. This not only contributes to soil and water pollution, but also increases the growth of disease-causing bacteria, which in turn leads to widespread acute and sometimes fatal diseases. It should be noted that even the Earth's atmosphere is filled with tons of debris left after the launch of research probes, satellites and spacecraft into the vastness of the Universe. And since it is quite difficult to get rid of all these traces of human activity in a natural way, it is necessary to develop effective methods for processing solid waste. Many modern states are implementing national programs that promote the spread of easily recyclable materials.

Global environmental issues

Introduction

Currently, humanity is faced with the most acute global environmental problems. The solution of these problems requires urgent joint efforts of international organizations, states, regions, and the public.

Throughout its existence, and especially in the 20th and early 21st centuries, mankind has destroyed about 70 percent of all natural ecological systems on the planet that are capable of processing human waste, and continues to destroy them to this day. The amount of permissible impact on the biosphere as a whole has now been exceeded by several times. Moreover, a person throws into the environment thousands of tons of substances that have never been contained in it and which are often not amenable or poorly amenable to natural processing. And this has led to the fact that biological microorganisms, which act as a regulator of the environment, are no longer able to perform their functions.

According to experts, in 30-50 years an irreversible process will begin, which at the beginning of the 22nd century can lead to a global environmental catastrophe. A particularly alarming situation has developed in Europe.

There are almost no intact biosystems left in European countries. The exception is the territory of Norway, Finland and, of course, the European part of Russia.

On the territory of Russia there are 9 million square meters. km of untouched, and therefore, working ecological systems. A significant part of this territory is tundra, which is biologically unproductive. But the Russian forest-tundra, taiga, peat bogs are ecosystems, without which it is impossible to imagine a normally functioning biosphere of the entire globe.

In Russia, the difficult environmental situation is exacerbated by the protracted general crisis. The state leadership is doing little to correct it. The legal instrument for environmental protection is slowly developing - environmental law. True, several environmental laws were adopted in the 1990s, the main of which was the Law of the Russian Federation "On the Protection of the Environment", which has been in force since March 1992. However, law enforcement practice has revealed serious gaps, both in the law itself and in the mechanism for its implementation.

The problem of overpopulation

The number of earthlings is growing rapidly. But each person consumes a large number of various natural resources. Moreover, this growth is primarily in the underdeveloped or underdeveloped countries. In developed countries, the level of well-being is very high, and the amount of resources consumed by each inhabitant is huge. If we imagine that the entire population of the Earth (the main part of which today lives in poverty, or even starves) will have a standard of living as in Western Europe or the USA, our planet simply cannot stand it. But to believe that the majority of earthlings will always vegetate in poverty, ignorance and squalor is inhumane and unfair. The rapid economic development of China, India, Mexico and a number of other populous countries refutes this assumption.

Consequently, there is only one way out - limiting the birth rate with a simultaneous decrease in mortality and an increase in the quality of life.

However, birth control runs into many obstacles. Among them are reactionary social relations, the enormous role of religion, which encourages large families, primitive communal forms of management in which families with many children benefit, etc. The backward countries face a tight knot of complex problems. However, very often in backward countries those who put their own interests or interests above those of the state rule, who use the ignorance of the masses for their own selfish purposes (including wars, repressions, etc.), the growth of armaments, etc.

The problems of ecology, overpopulation and backwardness are directly related to the threat of possible food shortages in the near future. Even today, in some countries, due to rapid population growth and insufficient development of agriculture and industry, there is a problem of shortage of food and essential goods. However, the possibilities for increasing agricultural productivity are not unlimited. After all, an increase in the use of mineral fertilizers, pesticides, etc. leads to a deterioration in the environmental situation and an increasing concentration of substances harmful to humans in food. On the other hand, the development of cities and technology takes a lot of fertile land out of circulation. Especially harmful is the lack of good drinking water.

Problems of energy resources

This problem is closely related to the environmental problem. Ecological well-being also depends to the greatest extent on the reasonable development of the Earth's energy, because half of all gases that cause the "greenhouse effect" are created in the energy sector.

The fuel and energy balance of the planet consists mainly of "pollutants" - oil (40.3%), coal (31.2%), gas (23.7%). In total, they account for the vast majority of the use of energy resources - 95.2%. "Clean" types - hydropower and nuclear energy - give a total of less than 5%, and the "softest" (non-polluting) - wind, solar, geothermal - account for fractions of a percent
It is clear that the global task is to increase the share of "clean" and especially "soft" types of energy.

In addition to the gigantic area that is necessary for the development of solar and wind energy, one must also take into account the fact that their ecological "cleanliness" is taken without taking into account metal, glass and other materials necessary to create such "clean" installations, and even in huge quantities.

Conditionally "clean" is also hydropower, which can be seen at least from the indicators of the table - large losses of flooded area in floodplains, which are usually valuable agricultural lands. Hydroelectric power plants now provide 17% of all electricity in developed countries and 31% in developing countries, where the world's largest hydroelectric power plants have been built in recent years.

However, in addition to large expropriated areas, the development of hydropower was hampered by the fact that the specific capital investment here is 2-3 times higher than in the construction of nuclear power plants. In addition, the period of construction of hydroelectric power stations is much longer than thermal stations. For all these reasons, hydropower cannot provide a quick reduction in pressure on the environment.

Apparently, under these conditions, only nuclear energy can be a way out, able to sharply and in a fairly short time to weaken the "greenhouse effect".
The replacement of coal, oil and gas by nuclear power has already yielded some reductions in emissions of CO 2 and other "greenhouse gases". If those 16% of the world's electricity production that is now provided by nuclear power plants were produced by coal-fired thermal power plants, even those equipped with the most modern gas scrubbers, then an additional 1.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, 1 million tons of nitrogen oxides, 2 million tons of sulfur oxides and 150 thousand tons of heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury).

First, let's consider the possibility of increasing the share of "soft" types of energy.
In the coming years, "soft" types of energy will not be able to significantly change the fuel and energy balance of the Earth. It will take some time until their economic indicators become close to "traditional" types of energy. In addition, their ecological capacity is measured not only by the reduction of CO 2 emissions, there are other factors, in particular, the territory alienated for their development.

Global pollution of the planet

Air pollution

Man has been polluting the atmosphere for thousands of years, but the consequences of the use of fire, which he used throughout this period, were insignificant. I had to put up with the fact that the smoke interfered with breathing and that soot lay in a black cover on the ceiling and walls of the dwelling. The resulting heat was more important for a person than clean air and unsmoked cave walls. This initial air pollution was not a problem, for people then lived in small groups, occupying an immeasurably vast untouched natural environment. And even a significant concentration of people in a relatively small area, as was the case in classical antiquity, was not yet accompanied by serious consequences. This was the case until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Only in the last hundred years has the development of industry "gifted" us with such production processes, the consequences of which at first man could not yet imagine. Million-strong cities arose, the growth of which cannot be stopped. All this is the result of great inventions and conquests of man.

Basically, there are three main sources of air pollution: industry, household boilers, transport. The share of each of these sources in total air pollution varies greatly from place to place. It is now generally accepted that industrial production pollutes the air the most. Sources of pollution - thermal power plants, which, together with smoke, emit sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the air; metallurgical enterprises, especially non-ferrous metallurgy, which emit nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, fluorine, ammonia, phosphorus compounds, particles and compounds of mercury and arsenic into the air; chemical and cement plants. Harmful gases enter the air as a result of fuel combustion for industrial needs, home heating, transport, combustion and processing of household and industrial waste. Atmospheric pollutants are divided into primary, entering directly into the atmosphere, and secondary, resulting from the transformation of the latter. So, sulfur dioxide entering the atmosphere is oxidized to sulfuric anhydride, which interacts with water vapor and forms droplets of sulfuric acid. When sulfuric anhydride reacts with ammonia, ammonium sulfate crystals are formed. Similarly, as a result of chemical, photochemical, physico-chemical reactions between pollutants and atmospheric components, other secondary signs are formed. The main source of pyrogenic pollution on the planet are thermal power plants, metallurgical and chemical enterprises, boiler plants, which consume more than 70% of the annually produced solid and liquid fuels.

The main harmful impurities of pyrogenic origin are the following:
carbon monoxide, sulfurous anhydride, sulfuric anhydride, hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide, chlorine compounds, fluorine compounds, nitrogen oxides.

The atmosphere is also exposed to aerosol pollution. Aerosols are solid or liquid particles suspended in the air. The solid components of aerosols in some cases are especially dangerous for organisms, and cause specific diseases in humans. In the atmosphere, aerosol pollution is in the form of smoke, fog, haze or haze. A significant part of aerosols is formed in the atmosphere when solid and liquid particles interact with each other or with water vapor. About 1 cubic meter enters the Earth's atmosphere every year. km of dust particles of artificial origin. A large number of dust particles are also formed during the production activities of people. Under certain weather conditions, especially large accumulations of harmful gaseous and aerosol impurities can form in the surface air layer. This usually happens when there is an inversion in the air layer directly above the sources of gas and dust emission - the location of a layer of colder air under warm air, which prevents the movement of air masses and delays the transfer of impurities upward. As a result, harmful emissions are concentrated under the inversion layer, their content near the ground increases sharply, which becomes one of the reasons for the formation of a photochemical fog previously unknown in nature.

Photochemical fog is a multicomponent mixture of gases and aerosol particles of primary and secondary origin. The composition of the main components of smog includes ozone, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, numerous organic peroxide compounds, collectively called photooxidants. Photochemical smog occurs as a result of photochemical reactions under certain conditions: the presence of a high concentration of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants in the atmosphere, intense solar radiation and calm or very weak air exchange in the surface layer with a powerful and increased inversion for at least a day. Sustained calm weather, usually accompanied by inversions, is necessary to create a high concentration of reactants. Such conditions are created more often in June-September and less often in winter. In prolonged clear weather, solar radiation causes the breakdown of nitrogen dioxide molecules with the formation of nitric oxide and atomic oxygen. Atomic oxygen with molecular oxygen give ozone. The nitric oxide reacts with the olefins in the exhaust gases, which break down the double bond to form molecular fragments and excess ozone. As a result of the ongoing dissociation, new masses of nitrogen dioxide are split and give additional amounts of ozone. A cyclic reaction occurs, as a result of which ozone gradually accumulates in the atmosphere. This process stops at night. In turn, ozone reacts with olefins. Various peroxides are concentrated in the atmosphere, which in total form oxidants characteristic of photochemical fog. The latter are the source of the so-called free radicals, which are distinguished by a special reactivity. Such smog is not uncommon over London, Paris, Los Angeles, New York and other cities in Europe and America. According to their physiological effects on the human body, they are extremely dangerous for the respiratory and circulatory systems and often cause premature death of urban residents with poor health.

Soil pollution

The soil cover of the Earth is the most important component of the Earth's biosphere. It is the soil shell that determines many processes occurring in the biosphere. The most important importance of soils is the accumulation of organic matter, various chemical elements, and energy. The soil cover functions as a biological absorber, destroyer and neutralizer of various contaminants. If this link of the biosphere is destroyed, then the existing functioning of the biosphere will be irreversibly disrupted. That is why it is extremely important to study the global biochemical significance of the soil cover, its current state and changes under the influence of anthropogenic activity. One type of anthropogenic impact is pesticide pollution.

The discovery of pesticides - chemical means of protecting plants and animals from various pests and diseases - is one of the most important achievements of modern science. Today in the world, 300 kg of chemicals are applied to 1 hectare of land. However, as a result of long-term use of pesticides in agricultural medicine (vector control), there is almost universally a decrease in effectiveness due to the development of resistant pest races and the spread of "new" pests whose natural enemies and competitors have been destroyed by pesticides. At the same time, the effect of pesticides began to manifest itself on a global scale. Of the huge number of insects, only 0.3% or 5 thousand species are harmful. Pesticide resistance has been found in 250 species. This is exacerbated by the phenomenon of cross-resistance, which consists in the fact that increased resistance to the action of one drug is accompanied by resistance to compounds of other classes. From a general biological point of view, resistance can be considered as a change in populations as a result of the transition from a sensitive strain to a resistant strain of the same species due to selection caused by pesticides. This phenomenon is associated with genetic, physiological and biochemical rearrangements of organisms. Excessive use of pesticides adversely affects soil quality. In this regard, the fate of pesticides in soils and the possibility of neutralizing them by chemical and biological methods are being intensively studied. It is very important to create and use only drugs with a short lifespan, measured in weeks or months. Some progress has already been made in this area and drugs with a high rate of destruction are being introduced, but the problem as a whole has not yet been resolved.

One of the most acute global problems of today and the foreseeable future is the problem of increasing acidity of precipitation and soil cover. Areas of acidic soils do not know droughts, but their natural fertility is lowered and unstable; they are rapidly depleted and yields are low. Acid rain causes not only acidification of surface waters and upper soil horizons. Acidity with downward water flows extends to the entire soil profile and causes significant acidification of groundwater.

Water pollution

Any body of water or water source is associated with its external environment. It is influenced by the conditions for the formation of surface or underground water runoff, various natural phenomena, industry, industrial and municipal construction, transport, economic and domestic human activities. The consequence of these influences is the introduction of new, unusual substances into the aquatic environment - pollutants that degrade water quality. Pollution entering the aquatic environment is classified in different ways, depending on the approaches, criteria and tasks. So, usually allocate chemical, physical and biological pollution. Chemical pollution is a change in the natural chemical properties of water due to an increase in the content of harmful impurities in it, both inorganic (mineral salts, acids, alkalis, clay particles) and organic nature (oil and oil products, organic residues, surfactants, pesticides).

The main inorganic (mineral) pollutants of fresh and marine waters are a variety of chemical compounds that are toxic to the inhabitants of the aquatic environment. These are compounds of arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, copper, fluorine. Most of them end up in water as a result of human activities. Heavy metals are absorbed by phytoplankton and then transferred through the food chain to more highly organized organisms.

Among the soluble substances introduced into the ocean from land, not only mineral and biogenic elements, but also organic residues are of great importance for the inhabitants of the aquatic environment. The removal of organic matter into the ocean is estimated at 300 - 380 million tons/year. Wastewater containing suspensions of organic origin or dissolved organic matter adversely affects the condition of water bodies. When settling, the suspensions flood the bottom and delay the development or completely stop the vital activity of these microorganisms involved in the process of water self-purification. When these sediments rot, harmful compounds and toxic substances, such as hydrogen sulfide, can be formed, which lead to pollution of all the water in the river. The presence of suspensions also makes it difficult for light to penetrate deep into the water and slows down the processes of photosynthesis. One of the main sanitary requirements for water quality is the content of the required amount of oxygen in it. Harmful effect is exerted by all contaminants that in one way or another contribute to the reduction of oxygen content in water. Surfactants - fats, oils, lubricants - form a film on the surface of the water, which prevents gas exchange between water and the atmosphere, which reduces the degree of saturation of water with oxygen. A significant amount of organic matter, most of which is not characteristic of natural waters, is discharged into rivers along with industrial and domestic wastewater. Increasing pollution of water bodies and drains is observed in all industrial countries.

Due to the rapid pace of urbanization and the somewhat slow construction of sewage treatment plants or their unsatisfactory operation, water basins and soil are polluted with household waste. Pollution is especially noticeable in slow-flowing or stagnant water bodies (reservoirs, lakes). Decomposing in the aquatic environment, organic waste can become a medium for pathogenic organisms. Water contaminated with organic waste becomes almost unsuitable for drinking and other purposes. Household waste is dangerous not only because it is a source of some human diseases (typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera), but also because it requires a lot of oxygen for its decomposition. If domestic wastewater enters the reservoir in very large quantities, then the content of soluble oxygen may drop below the level necessary for the life of marine and freshwater organisms.

radioactive contamination

Radioactive contamination poses a particular danger to humans and their environment. This is due to the fact that ionizing radiation has an intense and constant detrimental effect on living organisms, and the sources of this radiation are widespread in the environment. Radioactivity - spontaneous decay of atomic nuclei, leading to a change in their atomic number or mass number and accompanied by alpha, beta and gamma radiation. Alpha radiation is a stream of heavy particles consisting of protons and neutrons. It is delayed by a sheet of paper and is not able to penetrate human skin. However, it becomes extremely dangerous if it enters the body. Beta radiation has a higher penetrating power and passes through human tissue by 1 - 2 cm. Gamma radiation can only be delayed by a thick lead or concrete slab.

The levels of terrestrial radiation are not the same in different areas and depend on the concentration of radionuclides near the surface. Anomalous radiation fields of natural origin are formed when certain types of granites and other igneous formations with an increased emanation coefficient are enriched with uranium, thorium, at deposits of radioactive elements in various rocks, with the modern introduction of uranium, radium, radon into underground and surface waters, geological environment. High radioactivity is often characterized by coals, phosphorites, oil shale, some clays and sands, including beach ones. Zones of increased radioactivity are unevenly distributed on the territory of Russia. They are known both in the European part and in the Trans-Urals, in the Polar Urals, in Western Siberia, the Baikal region, in the Far East, Kamchatka, and the Northeast. In most geochemically specialized rock complexes for radioactive elements, a significant part of uranium is in a mobile state, is easily extracted and enters surface and underground waters, then into the food chain. It is the natural sources of ionizing radiation in the zones of anomalous radioactivity that make the main contribution (up to 70%) to the total exposure dose to the population, equal to 420 mrem/year. At the same time, these sources can create high levels of radiation that affect human life for a long time and cause various diseases, including genetic changes in the body. If sanitary and hygienic inspection is carried out at uranium mines and appropriate measures are taken to protect the health of employees, then the impact of natural radiation due to radionuclides in rocks and natural waters has been studied extremely poorly. In the uranium province of Athabasca (Canada), the Wallastone biogeochemical anomaly with an area of ​​about 3,000 km 2 was revealed, expressed by high concentrations of uranium in the needles of black Canadian spruce and associated with the flow of its aerosols along active deep faults. On the territory of Russia, such anomalies are known in Transbaikalia.

Among natural radionuclides, radon and its daughter decay products (radium, etc.) have the greatest radiation-genetic significance. Their contribution to the total radiation dose per capita is more than 50%. The radon problem is currently considered a priority in developed countries and is given increased attention by the ICRP and the UN ICDA. The danger of radon lies in its wide distribution, high penetrating ability and migration mobility, decay with the formation of radium and other highly radioactive products. Radon is colorless, odorless and is considered an "invisible enemy", a threat to millions of people in Western Europe and North America.

In Russia, the radon problem began to pay attention only in recent years. The territory of our country in relation to radon is poorly studied. The information obtained in previous decades suggests that radon is also widespread in the Russian Federation both in the surface layer of the atmosphere, subsoil air, and in groundwater, including sources of drinking water supply.

According to the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene, the highest concentration of radon and its daughter decay products in the air of residential premises, recorded in our country, corresponds to a dose of exposure to human lungs of 3-4 thousand rem per year, which exceeds the MPC by 2 - 3 orders. It is assumed that due to the poor knowledge of the radon problem in Russia, it is possible to detect high concentrations of radon in residential and industrial premises in a number of regions.

These primarily include the radon "spot", which captures Lakes Onega and Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland, a wide zone traced from the Middle Urals to the west, the southern part of the Western Urals, the Polar Urals, the Yenisei Ridge, the Western Baikal Region, the Amur Region, the northern part of the Khabarovsk region, Chukotka Peninsula.

The radon problem is especially relevant for megacities and large cities, where there are data on the entry of radon into groundwater and the geological environment along active deep faults (St. Petersburg, Moscow).

Every inhabitant of the Earth in the last 50 years has been exposed to radioactive fallout caused by nuclear explosions in the atmosphere in connection with nuclear weapons testing. The maximum number of these tests took place in 1954 - 1958. and in 1961 - 1962.

At the same time, a significant part of the radionuclides was released into the atmosphere, quickly carried in it over long distances, and slowly descended to the Earth's surface over many months.

During the processes of fission of atomic nuclei, more than 20 radionuclides are formed with half-lives from fractions of a second to several billion years.

The second anthropogenic source of ionizing radiation of the population is the products of the operation of nuclear power facilities.

Although the release of radionuclides into the environment during normal operation of nuclear power plants is insignificant, the Chernobyl accident in 1986 showed the extremely high potential danger of nuclear energy.

The global effect of radioactive contamination of Chernobyl is due to the fact that during the accident, radionuclides were released into the stratosphere and for several days were recorded in Western Europe, then in Japan, the USA and other countries.

During the first uncontrolled explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, highly radioactive "hot particles" that are very dangerous when they enter the human body, which are finely dispersed fragments of graphite rods and other structures of a nuclear reactor, entered the environment.

The resulting radioactive cloud covered a vast territory. The total area of ​​contamination as a result of the Chernobyl accident with cesium-137 with a density of 1 -5 Ci/km 2 in Russia alone in 1995 amounted to about 50,000 km 2 .

Of the products of NPP activities, tritium is of particular danger, accumulating in the plant's circulating water and then entering the cooling pond and hydrographic network, drainless reservoirs, groundwater, and the surface atmosphere.

At present, the radiation situation in Russia is determined by the global radioactive background, the presence of contaminated territories due to the Chernobyl (1986) and Kyshtym (1957) accidents, the exploitation of uranium deposits, the nuclear fuel cycle, ship nuclear power plants, regional radioactive waste storage facilities, as well as anomalous zones of ionizing radiation associated with terrestrial (natural) sources of radionuclides.

Death and deforestation

One of the causes of forest death in many regions of the world is acid rain, the main culprit of which is power plants. Sulfur dioxide emissions and long-range transport cause these rains to fall far from emission sources. In Austria, eastern Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden, more than 60% of the sulfur deposited on their territory comes from external sources, and in Norway even 75%. Other examples of long-range transport of acids are acid rain on remote Atlantic islands such as Bermuda and acid snow in the Arctic.

Over the past 20 years (1970 - 1990), the world has lost almost 200 million hectares of forests, which is equal to the area of ​​the United States east of the Mississippi. Especially great environmental threat is the depletion of tropical forests - the "lungs of the planet" and the main source of the planet's biological diversity. Approximately 200 thousand square kilometers are cut down or burned there every year, which means that 100 thousand (!) Species of plants and animals disappear. This process is especially fast in the regions richest in tropical forests - the Amazon and Indonesia.

The British ecologist N. Meyers came to the conclusion that ten small areas in the tropics contain at least 27% of the total species composition of this class of plant formations, later this list was expanded to 15 "hot spots" of tropical forests that must be preserved in order to no matter what.

In developed countries, acid rain caused damage to a significant part of the forest: in Czechoslovakia - 71%, in Greece and Great Britain - 64%, in Germany - 52%.

The current situation with forests is very different across the continents. If in Europe and Asia the forested areas for 1974 - 1989 increased slightly, then in Australia they decreased by 2.6% in one year. Even greater forest degradation is taking place in individual countries: in Côte d'Ivoire, forest areas decreased by 5.4% over the year, in Thailand - by 4.3%, in Paraguay - by 3.4%.

desertification

Under the influence of living organisms, water and air, the most important ecosystem, thin and fragile, is gradually formed on the surface layers of the lithosphere - the soil, which is called the "skin of the Earth". It is the keeper of fertility and life. A handful of good soil contains millions of microorganisms that support fertility. It takes a century to form a layer of soil with a thickness (thickness) of 1 centimeter. It can be lost in one field season. Geologists estimate that before people began to engage in agricultural activities, graze livestock and plow land, rivers annually carried about 9 billion tons of soil into the oceans. Now this amount is estimated at about 25 billion tons.

Soil erosion - a purely local phenomenon - has now become universal. In the US, for example, about 44% of cultivated land is subject to erosion. Unique rich chernozems with 14–16% humus content (organic matter that determines soil fertility) disappeared in Russia, which were called the citadel of Russian agriculture. In Russia, the areas of the most fertile lands with a humus content of 12% have decreased by almost 5 times.

A particularly difficult situation arises when not only the soil layer is demolished, but also the parent rock on which it develops. Then the threshold of irreversible destruction sets in, an anthropogenic (that is, man-made) desert arises.
One of the most formidable, global and fleeting processes of our time is the expansion of desertification, the fall and, in the most extreme cases, the complete destruction of the biological potential of the Earth, which leads to conditions similar to those of a natural desert.

Natural deserts and semi-deserts occupy more than 1/3 of the earth's surface. About 15% of the world's population lives on these lands. Deserts are natural formations that play a certain role in the overall ecological balance of the planet's landscapes.

As a result of human activity, by the last quarter of the 20th century, more than 9 million square kilometers of deserts appeared, and in total they already covered 43% of the total land area.

In the 1990s, desertification began to threaten 3.6 million hectares of drylands. This represents 70% of potentially productive drylands, or ¼ of the total land area, and this figure does not include the area of ​​natural deserts. About 1/6 of the world's population suffers from this process.
According to UN experts, the current loss of productive land will lead to the fact that by the end of the century the world may lose almost 1/3 of its arable land. Such a loss, at a time of unprecedented population growth and increased food demand, could be truly disastrous.

Causes of land degradation in different regions of the world:

Global warming

The sharp warming of the climate that began in the second half of the century is a reliable fact. We feel it in milder than before winters. The average temperature of the surface layer of air, compared with 1956-1957, when the First International Geophysical Year was held, increased by 0.7°C. There is no warming at the equator, but the closer to the poles, the more noticeable it is. Beyond the Arctic Circle it reaches 2°C. At the North Pole, under-ice water warmed by 1°C and the ice cover began to melt from below.

What is the reason for this phenomenon? Some scientists believe that this is the result of the burning of a huge mass of organic fuel and the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas, that is, it makes it difficult to transfer heat from the Earth's surface.

So what is the greenhouse effect? Billions of tons of carbon dioxide enter the atmosphere every hour as a result of burning coal and oil, natural gas and firewood, millions of tons of methane rise into the atmosphere from gas extraction, from the rice fields of Asia, water vapor, fluorochlorocarbons are emitted there. All of these are "greenhouse gases". As in a greenhouse, a glass roof and walls let in solar radiation, but do not allow heat to escape, so carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases" are practically transparent to the sun's rays, but retain long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth, preventing it from escaping into space.

The outstanding Russian scientist V.I. Vernadsky said that the impact of mankind is already comparable to geological processes.

The "energy boom" of the outgoing century increased the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere by 25% and methane by 100%. During this time, the Earth experienced a real warming. Most scientists consider this a consequence of the "greenhouse effect".

Other scientists, referring to climate change in historical time, consider the anthropogenic factor of climate warming negligible and attribute this phenomenon to increased solar activity.

The forecast for the future (2030 - 2050) assumes a possible increase in temperature by 1.5 - 4.5°C. These conclusions were reached by the International Conference of Climatologists in Austria in 1988.

In connection with climate warming, a number of related issues arise. What are the prospects for its further development? How will warming affect the increase in evaporation from the surface of the oceans and how will this affect the amount of precipitation? How will this precipitation be distributed over the area? And a number of more specific questions concerning the territory of Russia: in connection with the warming and general humidification of the climate, is it possible to expect mitigation of droughts in the Lower Volga region and in the North Caucasus (should we expect an increase in the flow of the Volga and a further rise in the level of the Caspian Sea; will the retreat of permafrost begin in Yakutia and the Magadan region Will navigation along the northern coast of Siberia become easier?

All these questions can be answered accurately. However, for this, various scientific studies must be carried out.

Bibliography

Monin A.S., Shishkov Yu.A. Global environmental problems. Moscow: Knowledge, 1991.

Balandin R.K., Bondarev L.G. Nature and civilization. M.: Thought, 1988.

Novikov Yu.V. Nature and man. Moscow: Education, 1991.

Grigoriev A.A. Historical lessons of human interaction with nature. L: knowledge,1986.

Erofeev B.V. Russian Environmental Law: Textbook. M.: Jurist, 1996.

S. Gigolyan. Ecological crisis: a chance for salvation. M. 1998

Reimers N.F. Protection of nature and the human environment: Dictionary-reference book. M.: Enlightenment, 1992.

P. Revell, C. Revell. Our habitat. In four books. M.: Mir, 1994.

We live in a time of technological progress, which in many ways makes life easier thanks to new and useful inventions. But these achievements of mankind have a reverse side of the coin - the consequences of this progress directly affect the ecological situation of the environment throughout the world.

Many factories, factories and other production facilities constantly emit harmful substances into the atmosphere, pollute water bodies with their waste, as well as the earth when they dispose of their waste into the ground. And this is reflected not only locally at the place of waste disposal, but throughout our planet.

What environmental problems exist in the modern world?

Air pollution

One of the main problems is air pollution and, accordingly, air pollution. It was atmospheric air that was the first to feel the consequences of technological progress. Just imagine that tens of thousands of tons of harmful and toxic substances are emitted into the atmosphere every hour every day. Many industries and industries cause an irreparable and simply stunning blow to the environment, for example, oil, metallurgy, food and other industries. As a result, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, which is why the planet is constantly heating up. Despite the fact that temperature differences are insignificant, on a more global scale, this can seriously affect hydrological regimes, or rather, their changes. In addition to all this, atmospheric pollution is reflected in weather conditions, which have already changed with the advent of technological progress.

Acid rain is now very widespread, which appears due to the ingress of sulfur oxides into the air. These rains adversely affect many things and damage trees, plants, the lithosphere and the top layer of the earth.

There are not enough resources, both financial and physical, to eliminate environmental problems, so at the moment they are only at the development stage.

Water pollution

This problem is particularly widespread in African countries and some Asian countries. There is a huge shortage of drinking water, as all available water bodies are terribly polluted. This water can not even be used for washing clothes, not to mention its use as drinking water. This is again due to the release of waste into the wastewater of many industrial enterprises.

earth pollution

For waste disposal, many enterprises use the method of their disposal in the ground. Undoubtedly, this negatively affects the soil, not only in the burial zone, but also in the surrounding areas. Subsequently, vegetables and fruits of poor quality are grown in this soil, which can cause many fatal diseases.

Ways to solve environmental problems

• Efficient recycling of garbage and other hazardous waste.
• Use of environmentally friendly fuel that does not pollute the atmosphere.
• Severe sanctions and fines at the state level for air, water and land pollution.
• Educational work and social advertising among the population.

All these steps seem very simple and easy to apply in practice, but often everything is not so simple. Many countries and non-profit organizations are fighting violators, but they are sorely lacking financial support and human resources to carry out their projects.