How to deal with laziness and fatigue? How to help stop pollution How can we reduce our environmental impact

Even the dictionary in Word does not know such a word - "environmentally friendly"! .. A lot of people, even leading healthy lifestyle life, there is a conviction that respect for nature and life in the city are incompatible.

But still, it is never too late to start changing, and you need to start with yourself. And even if something does not work out to seriously change the world, at least there will be grounds for self-respect. In addition, global change will never happen unless EVERY person begins to live a little differently, developing healthy and environmentally friendly habits. Everyone - and therefore me. You can, of course, endlessly wait for someone else to start first ....
Another excuse is “We can’t stop harming nature altogether – you don’t throw garbage on the ground, but you drive a car that pollutes the air.” Agree. Don't give up everything. But why not do what you can refuse?

So, let's summarize how we harm nature:
Resource consumption – electricity, tap water, gas stoves, gasoline, etc. etc.
Deforestation, both "wild" and in populated areas - we replace trees with houses and roads.
Pollution environment- from throwing candy wrappers and cigarette butts on the ground, to industrial emissions, exhaust gases and sewage.
Mass extermination of animals.

"Bad habits" - habitual household activities. People harm nature when:
They leave the lights on “throughout the apartment”, as well as TVs, computers, etc. etc.
They take a shower for too long, forget to turn off the water in the process of washing dishes, if they have to be distracted from this activity for a while.
They buy the next package in the store, as well as all possible products in small packages. And after that they are immediately thrown away - small packages are most often used once.
Inorganic waste (plastic, polyethylene, glass, cans, etc.) is thrown into the garbage can.
They eat meat. Each cutlet, sausage, chop, etc. - this is a former cow, chicken, piglet.
They wear leather and fur.
They go by car.
They throw something besides cores on the ground .... Including from the car window.

How can environmental damage be reduced?
Such actions can be divided into two types - reducing the amount of harm done and actively improving the environment. I think it’s worth starting from the first - healthy and useful habits:
Replace the bags with cloth bags (I have two cloth bags that are constantly in the “work” bag).
Refuse free packages issued when buying everything from pies to pills. Within reason, of course.
Reuse existing packages - both large and small - rather than buying new ones.
Use reusable food containers instead of disposable ones.
Buy as few products in PE packaging as possible - if you have a choice, take what is more environmentally friendly.
Before you throw away an almost blank sheet of paper, a file, etc., think - maybe they can still come in handy. The file costs a penny, but in nature it decomposes for decades - not so cheap ....
Turn off lights, water and Appliances if they are not currently in use.
Don't throw anything on the ground.... Clean up after picnics. Moreover, organic waste is better to bury, burn, etc., that is, dispose of it yourself. Because otherwise, at best, they will end up in an incinerator, and at worst, they will end up in landfills that are not disposed of at all.
Give preference to natural clothes and other “things”. More is spent on the manufacture of synthetics natural resources and are more difficult to dispose of later.
Refuse meat, leather and fur things. Or at least keep them to a minimum.
Replace live Christmas trees with New Year artificial, or at least a coniferous branch. After all, for the sake of a human whim two weeks long, a tree needs to grow for several years (about 40 cm per year).

If we talk about the active improvement of the environment, then this is the topic of a separate article. There are two ways -
1) “Clean up after others” (participate in subbotniks, clear reservoirs, parks, etc.). Or make small "gifts" to nature - as much as you want and opportunities (for example, plant trees).
2) Keep active social activities aimed at the adoption of relevant state laws and private decisions. For example, to join any "protective" organization.
In any case, you need to read from yourself and from your healthy and environmentally friendly habits. Only this will give us experience, strength and the moral right to move on. Moreover, “teach others” (that is, the second way)!

Stopping pollution is essential to save our planet and to ensure the health and well-being of people. The air and water are poisoned with dangerous chemicals, and if nothing is done, the Earth will lose its beauty and diversity. In this article, we'll walk you through some of the ways you can do your part to stop pollution.

Steps

Vehicle selection

If possible, walk or ride a bike. Ditching your car for short trips is a great way to improve the environment. If you don't have much distance to go and the weather is nice, go for a walk or bike. So you will not only help stop environmental pollution, but also get useful physical activity.

Use public transport. Traveling by bus or subway will help reduce your carbon footprint because you won't be using your own car. If public transport works well where you live, use it. This will allow you to take your mind off the road and read or just relax.

Combine trips. Daily trips by private car have a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, when you need to travel for several things, try to combine your trips into one. It will also save you money, as starting a cold engine uses 20% more fuel than driving a car.

Pass regularly Maintenance your vehicle to ensure the correct operation of the engine and components. Keeping your vehicle in excellent condition will reduce your carbon footprint and also help prevent other vehicle problems.

• Change oil every 3 months or every 5000 km.
• Maintain the recommended tire pressure.
• Change air, oil and fuel filters regularly.

1. Drive carefully because dangerous driving style contributes to environmental pollution. Driving safely will also save you money by reducing your fuel consumption.

   • Accelerate gradually, lightly pressing on the gas pedal.
   • Do not exceed the permitted speed.
   • Maintain constant speed(try using cruise control if you have one).
   • Get ready to slow down.

2. Buy a hybrid car or an electric car. Electric vehicles run entirely on electricity, so they don't produce any emissions. The hybrid car has an electric motor and a motor internal combustion. Both electric and hybrid vehicles help reduce pollution. Although a hybrid car uses gasoline, such cars save fuel and produce fewer emissions (compared to conventional cars).

   • Keep in mind that electric and hybrid vehicles are more expensive than most conventional vehicles.

   Choice of food

   1. Buy local produce whenever possible. Transporting food around the country and around the world consumes a significant amount of fuel, which leads to air pollution. Therefore, buy products made locally and grown on nearby farms, and not food that is brought in from other regions. If a farmer or gardener sells their own produce, ask how they grow it to learn about their efforts to prevent pollution.

      • Go to the farmers' market to interact with the direct food producers.
      • Find products made or grown locally at a nearby store.
      • In large grocery stores, look for products made in your area.

   2. Limit or eliminate the consumption of animal products made in large factories. This refers to meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Such enterprises greatly pollute the environment - the waste of some of them is comparable to the waste of a small city. To do your part in protecting the environment, do not buy or eat food from animal sources produced by large enterprises.

      • If you cannot give up animal products, reduce your consumption of them, for example, to 1-2 times a week.
      • If you want to do even more to help keep the environment clean, consider becoming a vegetarian or vegan.

   3. Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables. Such products are grown by farmers using production methods that do not harm the environment. For example, such farmers do not use chemical pesticides that pollute ground water. By buying organically grown fruits and vegetables, you contribute to the development farms practicing environmentally friendly production methods.

      • Look for fruits, vegetables, and other products labeled Organic.

   4. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Set up a garden or garden on your own plot, and you will contribute to the protection of the environment. Plants and trees convert carbon into oxygen, which reduces the amount of polluted air. Moreover, the fruits and vegetables you grow will replace the products from the store, which require a lot of fuel to transport.

      • If you are unfamiliar with gardening, start small. Start by planting some tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers in your yard. With the acquisition of experience and skills, gradually expand the area of ​​\u200b\u200byour garden.

   Choice of energy source

   1. When leaving the room, turn off the lights and electrical appliances. To save more energy, you can unplug electrical appliances from the outlet. Or connect all electrical appliances to network filter so that when it is turned off, immediately turn off all electrical appliances.

      Make small changes that will result in significant energy savings. It is recommended to do the following:

      If you have the ability to control the temperature in the room, set the thermostat to 25°C during the warm season and 20°C during the cold season. You will save energy if you properly regulate your heating and air conditioning system.

      Improve the insulation of your home. To do this, caulk the cracks around window frames or replace old frames with new ones. AT winter period you can use by special means, If you have old-style frames, and not double-glazed windows, they can be sealed for the winter so that the heat does not leave your house.

      Think about alternative energy sources. If you live in your own home or are planning to build one, consider installing solar panels or a windmill.

      Consider switching to a different energy source. This means switching from a non-renewable source (such as gas) to a renewable source (electricity). Let's say if you're designing your own home, consider installing an electric boiler instead of a gas one. In a city apartment, you can replace the stove with gas oven on a stove with an electric one, if the electrical wiring allows.

   Recycle, reuse and reduce waste

   If possible, buy used items. In this case, you will help reduce the demand for new products that pollute the environment, as well as save money. You can find used item ads online or in local newspapers.

   Buy reusable items. The use of disposable cups, plates, food containers leads to severe environmental pollution (due to the multiple increase in waste). So buy reusable items.

   Buy items with minimal packaging. For the production of packaging for food products consumes a lot of raw materials and electricity. Buy products in minimal or no packaging (i.e. by weight).

   • Do not buy items packaged in Styrofoam. It is a very common packaging material, but it is difficult to dispose of, leading to its accumulation in landfills. Also, during its production, hydrocarbons are emitted into the atmosphere.

   1. Recycle everything that can be recycled. If possible, do not buy products that do not have a triangle with arrows on their packaging, which indicates that these products can be recycled. Also avoid products made from multiple different materials(Such products are difficult to dispose of).

      • Find out if your waste collection company offers recycling services. If not, there may be special centers in your city where you can take recyclable waste. Find out on the Internet where you can donate, for example, waste paper or plastic bottles.

   2. Buy products made from recycled materials. In this way, you will help reduce the demand for new materials that pollute the environment.

      • Look for products labeled "Made from recycled materials."
      • Products made from recycled materials often carry percentages indicating the amount of recycled material from the total raw material. Look for items with high percentages.

   Preventing chemicals from entering the water supply

   1. Use fewer chemicals. The chemicals we use in cleaning, hygienic care, and car washing are washed down the drain, but often end up in the water supply. Such chemicals are harmful not only to plants and animals that make up the ecosystem of our planet, but also to humans. If possible, use natural analogues of chemicals.

      • For example, to clean a bathroom, you can make a solution of vinegar and water or baking soda, salt and water. These natural ingredients are great cleaners, but they don't contaminate the water when flushed down the drain.
      • Try to do it yourself washing powder and dishwashing liquid. If you don't have time, buy a cleanser made from natural ingredients.
      • If you can't find a natural alternative, use chemicals as little as possible.

   2. Do not use pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals are sprayed above the ground and enter the groundwater when it rains. Pesticides and herbicides protect crops from pests, but they harm the environment by seeping into the groundwater that people and animals need to survive.

      Do not flush medicines down the drain. Disinfection systems cannot completely remove the residues of medical products from the water, which negatively affects every person who drinks such water. Each medicine has specific disposal instructions. If you need to throw away medicines, figure out how to do it right (don't flush medicines down the drain!).

      • Some medicines are recommended to be rinsed off so that they do not fall into the hands of a certain category of people (for example, children). But remember that this is an exception to the rule.

   3. Dispose of toxic waste properly. Some substances should not be disposed of in the trash as they seep into the ground and pollute groundwater. If you are unsure how to dispose of the toxic chemicals you have, contact the appropriate service provider for instructions on how to dispose of them.

   4. Save water. Remember that water is the most valuable resource, and its overuse negatively affects the environment. AT Everyday life you can easily reduce your water consumption and improve your region's ecosystem. Here's what to do:

      • Fix water leaks promptly.
      • Install water-saving nozzles on faucets.
      • Turn off the water when washing dishes.
      • Replace your old toilet with a new one that uses less water.
      • Don't water your lawn too much.

   Involving other people in the fight for a clean environment

   1. Find out which businesses in your area pollute the environment the most. Search the Internet for the necessary information or talk to people who will tell you about it. Gather as much data as possible to get a better idea of ​​the current situation.

      • While individuals can fight pollution to the best of their ability, the main source of it is businesses. Therefore, be sure to find out who or what causes the main harm to the environment.

Taking care of the environment has now become fashionable, and most importantly, more relevant than ever. But many people think that leading an eco-friendly lifestyle means spending a lot of time, effort and money. We tell you a few simple rules that will help improve the state of the environment without harming your wallet and nerves.

All the precepts of an ecological lifestyle pursue several main goals - saving electricity, saving water, reducing waste. Why is it so important for the ecology of our planet? Non-renewable natural resources are used to produce electricity. Thermal power plants emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, hydroelectric power plants destroy entire ecosystems by changing the natural course of rivers. Danger nuclear power plants and the problem of disposal of radioactive waste are obvious. Concerning drinking water, ecologists predict its acute shortage in the near future, they even predict wars for water. Already now in many regions of the planet people suffer from a shortage of drinking water.

What can one person do to help improve the situation? In fact, a lot - you need to change just a few routine habits in your daily life.

Rule number 1. Do not buy incandescent bulbs

The whole world has long switched to energy-saving or LED bulbs, but in Russia, incandescent bulbs are still the most common choice, primarily because of the lower price. But you need to consider the following: they use 3-5 times more electricity, and last much less than the eco-friendly alternative. Choosing an energy-saving or LED light bulb will definitely pay off.

Rule number 2. Save electricity

In addition to the usual “turn off the lights when leaving the room” (although you must admit, we don’t always remember this either), there are less obvious, but effective ways: do not leave chargers in the outlet when they are not in use - at this time energy is also consumed. Always turn off your computer at night and unplug it from the outlet: just one glowing light bulb on a laptop consumes a considerable amount of electricity per year.

Rule #3: Use less single-use plastic

Pollution of the planet with plastic is a serious problem for the environment. When burned, plastic releases toxic substances into the atmosphere and takes hundreds of years to decompose. Bring a reusable bag to the store. Do not constantly buy water in plastic bottles Buy one and fill it with water at home. Another useful life hack: a label with a price for a bunch of bananas or a lemon can be stuck without a package - directly on the fruit.

Rule #4

Impressive photos of endless garbage dumps will terrify even a person who does not care about the environment. The timing of the decomposition of civilization waste also makes one think: it takes more than 100 years for plastic to decompose, 500 for an aluminum can, and glass for a whole millennium. Recycling technologies are no longer a novelty in science, it's up to you to collect garbage separately. There are many waste collection points in Moscow - glass, paper, plastic, metal. Not everyone has the patience to sort all the waste; for this, Russia does not yet have the necessary and comfortable conditions. But you can start with the simplest and most accessible - for example, collect waste paper separately. You can save it for a long time and take it only two or three times a year. Look at the map of recycling points - most likely, there is one in your area.

Rule #5

Rule #6

Before throwing something away, think: maybe it will still be possible to write something on the clean side of this piece of paper, and from glass jars or shabby books can make stylish lamps? Get creative. Never throw away old clothes - take them to charitable organizations, from there they will give the things that bother you to those whom they can still please.

Rule #7: Choose products made from recycled materials

More and more brands are interested in environmental issues. Most often, manufacturers themselves focus on the fact that they care about the environment. If there is an alternative, try to choose these products.

Rule number 8. Try to save water

It is worth starting to pay attention - and you will understand how much excess water flows out of the tap every day. But you are wasting not only the resources of the planet, but also your own money. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or shave when you lather in the shower. By the way, a shower is also an eco-friendly choice, unlike a bath, unless you like to wash for a long time. In this case, a bath would be a more economical option. You can also purchase a faucet with an aerator - this device fills the jet with air bubbles, which allows you to halve the water consumption at the same pressure.

Rule #9

Do not boil more water for cooking than you need. This rule will allow you to save electricity. Several Yet useful tips for eco-friendly cooking: cover the pot with a lid so that the water boils faster, or rather heat it in a kettle, so less electricity will be consumed. Use the residual heat - turn off the stove before the dish is completely cooked.

Rule number 10. Do not use household chemicals

Household chemicals not only turn rivers and lakes into swamps, they are hazardous to health. Swap it out for an eco-friendly alternative, or better and cheaper, a soda, a bite, or mustard powder. Do not rush to smile incredulously - try it yourself. You'll likely be surprised how well ordinary baking soda can handle dirt, often far more effectively than expensive chemicals.

Rule number 11. Eat less meat products

An enormous amount of resources is spent annually on the production of meat - forests are cut down for pastures and plantations for growing food, huge volumes of water resources are spent. In addition, animal husbandry is responsible for half (!) of all greenhouse gas emissions on our planet. Therefore, reducing meat consumption is a real opportunity to improve the ecology of the Earth.

The most common type of pollution is chemical. There are three main ways to reduce harm from it.

Dilution. Even treated effluents must be diluted 10 times (and untreated - 100–200 times). High chimneys are built at enterprises so that the emitted gases and dust are dispersed evenly. Dilution is an ineffective way to reduce the harm from pollution, acceptable only as a temporary measure.

Cleaning. Today in Russia this is the main way to reduce emissions harmful substances into the environment. However, as a result of treatment, a lot of concentrated liquid and solid wastes are generated, which also have to be stored.

Replacing old technologies with new low-waste technologies. Due to more deep processing raw materials can reduce the amount of harmful emissions dozens of times. Waste from one production becomes a raw material for another (for example, sulfuric acid is produced from sulfur dioxide emitted by thermal power plants).

Figurative names for these three ways to reduce environmental pollution were given by German environmentalists: “lengthen the pipe” (dilution and dispersion), “plug the pipe” (cleaning) and “tie the pipe in a knot” (low-waste technologies). The Germans restored the ecosystem of the Rhine, which for many years was a sewer where the waste of industrial giants was dumped. This was done only in the 80s, when, finally, "the pipe was tied in a knot." In France, the ecosystem of the Seine River has been restored, in England - the Thames.

Some improvement in the environmental situation in Russia was achieved mainly due to the improvement in the operation of wastewater treatment plants and the decline in production. Further reduction of pollutant emissions into the environment can be achieved through the introduction of low-waste technologies. However, in order to “tie the pipe in a knot”, it is necessary to upgrade equipment at enterprises, which requires very large investments and therefore will be carried out gradually.

test questions

1. How can the impact of industrial pollution on the environment be reduced?

2. Why is the "dispersal" and "dilution" of emissions and effluents environmentally dangerous?

3. How did you manage to improve the ecological situation on the Rhine River in Germany?

(ADDITIONAL) § 74. PURIFICATION FACILITIES

There are no absolutely harmful substances. Any pollutant in a low dose is practically harmless. Such common pollutants emitted into the atmosphere by industry, such as oxides of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen, have always been present in low concentrations in it. There are always heavy metals in water and soil. Any soil or rock has natural radioactivity. Even in the absence of nearby (or far, because gaseous emissions are transported thousands of kilometers) enterprises that emit nitrogen into the atmosphere, some of it is contained in rainwater. It appears as a result of lightning discharges, in which ammonia is formed.

Purification of the atmosphere, water or soil from pollutants is the reduction of their concentration to values ​​at which they become harmless. These thresholds are called MPC - maximum permissible concentrations. To effectively control pollution of the atmosphere, water or food, it is necessary to know the MPCs of all major pollutants.

MPC tables are included in the system of periodically updated state standards, which are different in different countries, but always mandatory, which is backed up by special laws. These tables include threshold values ​​for hundreds of pollutants. In Russia, the following MPCs have been adopted for the most common atmospheric pollutants: 1 m 3 of air should contain no more than 0.15 mg of dust, 0.05 mg of sulfur oxide, 3 mg of carbon monoxide, 0.04 mg of nitrogen dioxide.

If several pollutants enter the environment at the same time, then the MPC is determined by special formulas that allow one to evaluate air pollution index (ISA).

For each source of pollution, MPE is set - the maximum allowable emission per unit of time at which the concentration of a pollutant in the atmosphere or in water will not exceed the MAC.

All enterprises are divided into 5 groups (hazard classes) depending on the harmfulness of the emitted substances and the degree of their possible purification. Each of these groups has its own width of the sanitary protection zone around the enterprise where construction is prohibited (usually plantations of trees resistant to pollution are placed in this zone) - from 1000 m (hazard class 1) to 50 m (hazard class 5). Class).

For the treatment of liquid effluents and gaseous emissions, special systems of treatment facilities are used.

Pollutants, after they have been removed from Wastewater are sent for recycling or temporary disposal. Cleaning is carried out in several ways, which successively replace each other. For each enterprise, depending on the characteristics of its waste, its own treatment facilities. The following cleaning methods are most often used.

mechanical cleaning. Liquid effluents are settled, while solid particles settle. In addition, sand and sand-gravel filters are used, which trap lighter suspended particles that have not settled in the settling tanks. In some cases, centrifugation is also used, in which contaminants are extracted in giant separators. Mechanically separate oil products that float to the surface in the sump. To clean gas emissions, enterprises use special dust collection chambers and centrifuges (cyclones), cloth filters.

Chemical cleaning. Effluent is treated with chemicals, converting soluble compounds into insoluble ones. So, acids are purified by adding alkali, and alkalis, on the contrary, by adding acids.

Installations for the treatment of gaseous emissions are very expensive. In order to reduce emissions of sulfur oxide and hydrogen sulfide, "alkaline rain" is used, through which gaseous emissions are passed, resulting in salt and water. Special adsorbents, such as activated carbon, are also used as filter absorbers.

Physical and chemical cleaning. This purification by electrolysis converts complex compounds into simpler ones and extracts metals, acids and other inorganic compounds. To isolate the most dangerous or valuable pollutants that are used for further processing, ion exchange resins are used that chemically bind these substances.

Fire cleaning methods are also used: sprayed effluents are injected into the flames of large burners. This method is expensive, but it allows you to "split" even toxic compounds that are not amenable to other chemical or biological methods of purification. For example, the fire method decomposes dioxins - very toxic substances that pollute water and soil in some cities of Russia. The fire method is also used in the processing of household waste.

Biological cleaning. In specially designed ecosystems, pollutants are destroyed or concentrated by microorganisms and small animals. Organisms can accumulate and precipitate heavy metals and radioactive isotopes (diatoms are especially successful at this).

Methods biological treatment are extremely important, since a significant part of the pollutants that can neither be filtered nor removed by electrolysis are organic substances dissolved in water.

Biological treatment is carried out in special containers - outdoor pools aeration tanks and closed digesters.

Ammonifier bacteria in aerotanks decompose proteins to ammonium, and nitrifier bacteria oxidize ammonium to nitrates and nitrites. To reduce the area of ​​treatment facilities used activated sludge- a layer of filling materials (crushed stone, sand, slag, plastic) saturated with microorganisms (bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa) at the bottom of the treatment reservoir, through which air is constantly blown, which speeds up the processes of biological treatment.

Methane tanks are large containers made of concrete or cast iron, they are cleaned in an anaerobic environment. In digesters, methane-forming bacteria decompose organic matter. As a result, in addition to purified water, biogas is obtained, which can be used for heating. Methane tanks are also used to disinfect manure on livestock farms. Well purify water from many pollutants natural activated sludge under thickets of tall aquatic plants- reeds, reeds, cattails, etc. in ditches and ponds.

However, bacteria living in nature cannot decompose some pollutants (including pesticides), and therefore microbiologist breeders breed special strains of bacteria. These bacteria are capable of destroying many organic compounds, including both low molecular weight aromatic hydrocarbons and high molecular weight compounds - organic polymers. Scientists have developed a fungus strain that can degrade plastic wrap. Microorganisms have been obtained that can clean the surface of water from oil pollution and even destroy the herbicide 2,4-D that has entered the soil.

Additional treatment of wastewater can be carried out on irrigation fields, where they are watered and fertilized. The composition of effluents is controlled so that they do not contain high concentrations of heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria. On such fields it is impossible to grow vegetables used for raw food: cabbage for lettuce, parsley or root vegetables (carrots, beets) and tubers (potatoes). There you can grow cabbage for cooking hot dishes or pickling, and best of all - perennial herbs.

test questions

1. What methods are used to treat polluted waters?

2. What methods are used to clean gas emissions?

3. What is the essence of biological treatment methods?

CONCLUSION

Industrial ecosystems are located either in cities or outside them (mining enterprises, power plants, waste storage facilities, etc.). The role of living organisms in the life of these ecosystems is even less than in urban ones.

The tasks of reducing the impact of industrial ecosystems on the environment are mainly technological: modernization of production with a decrease in the consumption of resources of matter and energy, a decrease in the amount of emissions of pollutants into the environment (atmosphere, water, on the soil surface), and the creation of treatment facilities. In this case, green spaces can play a certain role, which act as filters that clean the air from pollution.

The pollutants that are "produced" by industrial enterprises are very diverse and are divided into four classes according to the degree of danger. There are no substances that would be absolutely harmful, all of them at low concentrations do not pose a danger. Therefore, to control the content of pollutants in living environments (atmosphere, water, soil), as well as in food products, a system of environmental standards has been developed that determine the maximum allowable concentration of these substances (MAC).

Large enterprises operate special complexes for wastewater treatment - treatment facilities that use physical, physico-chemical, chemical and biological treatment methods. In most cases, as a result of cleaning, a certain amount of especially hazardous waste remains, which has to be placed in special storage facilities remote from human settlements and under constant supervision.

Individual task

Abstract topics:

1. "Tie the pipe in a knot" (experience in the implementation of low-waste environmentally friendly technologies in industry).

2. The plant I live next to: the impact on the environment.

To write these abstracts, you need to contact the management of the enterprise and ask for data on the dynamics of environmental pollution over the past 5 years. Get acquainted with the production greening plan, give it a critical assessment and offer your own option to reduce the impact of the enterprise on the environment.

Use the following literature to work on the abstract:

Mazur I.I., Moldavanov O.I. chance of survival. Ecology and scientific and technical progress. Moscow: Nauka, 1992.

The book provides an analysis of the development of energy, resource conservation and the problem of industrial waste. The book summarizes a lot of factual data, it is especially useful when preparing abstracts on industrial ecology.

Ivanov O.V., Melnik L.G., Shepelenko L.N. In the fight against the Kogai dragon: the experience of nature management in Japan. Moscow: Thought, 1991.

This book is a story about how the Japanese were able to clean up their densely populated and industrial territory from industrial pollution.

The ecological dictionaries of P.F. Reimers “Nature management: Dictionary-reference book” (M.: Thought, 1990) and “Protection of nature and the human environment: Dictionary-reference book” (M.: Education, 1992), B.M. Mirkin and L.G. Naumova "Popular Ecological Dictionary" (M.: Sustainable world, 1999) and the reference book "Environment. Encyclopedic Dictionary-Reference" (M.: Progress, 1993).

Chapter 14. NATURE PROTECTION

You got acquainted with the principles of rational nature management under the motto: "Use, protect, and protect, using." And found out that:

you can get wood, harvest medicinal herbs and berries in the forest, hunt elk and at the same time not disturb the ecological balance;

obtaining high grain yields, milk yields, gains or shearing of wool of farm animals can be combined with the preservation of soil fertility, productivity and species richness of hayfields and pastures, the purity of the atmosphere and water;

even the largest urban and industrial ecosystems can be made less hazardous to the environment by using low-waste technologies and reliable waste treatment and storage facilities.

And yet, to solve the problem of protecting biological diversity, rational nature management alone is not enough, and in addition to rational nature management, special protection of biological diversity is also necessary.

LEVELS OF NATURE PROTECTION

There are two levels of wildlife protection: population-species and ecosystem.

On the population-species level the objects of protection are specific species of animals and plants represented by populations. By protecting populations, we protect these species.

In order to organize the protection of flora and fauna, they identify objects of protection and create "Red Books", containing lists and characteristics of species that are threatened with extinction (they are called endangered). The Red Book of the RSFSR: Plants was published in 1988. The Red Book of the RSFSR: Animals was published in 1985. They included, respectively, 533 and 247 species of plants and animals. "Red Books" have also been created for many republics and regions of Russia.

The protection of biological diversity in ecosystems at the population-species level is carried out by prohibiting the collection of individual beautiful flowering plants(representatives of orchids - venus slipper, two-leafed love; lilies - curly and tiger lilies, hazel grouse, etc.) and harvesting those types medicinal herbs, whose populations are already weakened by intensive exploitation (in many areas, the collection of valerian officinalis, sandy cumin is prohibited). It also prohibits hunting for rare species of birds (cranes, swans, bustards, little bustards, etc.) and mammals (roe deer, Ussuri tiger, muskrat), catching certain types of fish (sturgeon: sterlet and sturgeon, trout, etc.), rare species of butterflies and beetles. (Fig. 100.)

The success of the protection of flora and fauna at the population-species level depends on many factors. You already know that the reason for the weakening and even destruction of populations can be excessive production, destruction of habitats, introduction of new competing species that displace the protected species, pollution, etc. In addition, any species is associated with other organisms and, for example, in order to preserve the population of a large predator, you need to take care of the populations of its victims and the conditions for their normal life. Therefore, the protection of a species at the top of the food chain in nature will develop into the protection of the entire ecosystem in which it lives. Ecosystem protection is the most reliable way conservation of biological diversity.

Some special forms of endangered species conservation are used, for example, breeding of species under human control, creation of gene banks.

Breeding species under human control. Animals are bred in zoos, plants in botanical gardens. There are also special breeding centers for rare species - the Oksky State Crane Nursery, the Prioksko-Terrasny Bison Nursery, etc. At numerous fish factories, rare species of fish are bred, the juveniles of which are released into rivers and lakes. In Sweden, Germany, Austria, France, after breeding in captivity, the lynx has been introduced into the forests. Conservation of species is also facilitated by the activities of amateur gardeners, keepers of aquariums.

Creation of gene banks. Banks can store both plant seeds and frozen tissue cultures or germ cells (more often frozen sperm) from which animals or plants can be obtained. Created by N.I. Vavilov collection of seeds cultivated plants continues to fill up. Now the National repository of world plant resources is located in the Kuban station of the former All-Union Institute of Plant Industry. N.I. Vavilov. There, in 24 rooms located underground, at a constant temperature of +4.5 ° C, 400 thousand seed samples are stored.

The first banks of frozen cells of endangered animal species have been created in a number of research centers around the world (including Pushchino-on-Oka).

In connection with the protection of animals such as the tiger and bison, when the population remains relatively small, ecologists have to solve the very difficult question of the minimum necessary number of animals in the population, which guarantees its survival. Despite the fact that a lot of research has been devoted to this issue, it is difficult to accurately determine this guaranteed minimum (although it is known that the smaller the animal or plant, the more individuals are needed to maintain the population). It all depends on the risk factor. If a serious cataclysm occurs, populations of any density will disappear in the zone of the destruction factor. At the same time, zoos and centers for the reproduction of endangered species manage to maintain a population of a small number of individuals without fear of losing it.

The conditions for the conservation of populations of rare species are very diverse and difficult to reproduce. So, insect-pollinated plants cannot exist without pollinators, birds of prey and large mammals cannot exist without small mammals. Therefore, the most reliable way to protect populations is to protect them as parts of entire ecosystems in which ecological balance is maintained. For this, they create specially protected natural areas(SPNA) of different types.

test questions

1. What levels of wildlife protection do you know?

2. How they guard certain types?

3. What is the "Red Book"?

Reference material

At present, the list of rare species of animals in Russia has increased significantly, it includes 415 species, subspecies and populations, including invertebrates - 155, fish - 39, amphibians - 8, reptiles - 21, birds - 123, mammals - 65. list of rare plant species - 440 flowering, 11 gymnosperms, 10 ferns, 22 bryophytes, 4 lycopsids, 29 lichens and 17 fungi.

For a hundred years, from 1850 to 1950, one plant species disappeared every ten years. Nowadays, we are losing one species a day. If this process cannot be stopped, then since 2000 one species will disappear every hour.

The most tragic events are now taking place in tropical latitudes. Under pressure from plantations of high-income tropical crops (hevea, coconut palm, pineapple, coffee and chocolate trees), the area of ​​equatorial forests (inaccurately called "tropical rain" in English-language literature) is rapidly shrinking. Every minute 23 hectares of forest disappear, every day 3 biological species fall into the "black hole of nothingness". Deforested soils are washed away by rains and turn into clay deserts. Harms these forests and unfavorable demographic situation. Hundreds of millions of Africans continue to engage in slash-and-burn agriculture: they cut down patches of forest, and after a few years these patches are abandoned. The "lungs" of the planet - tropical forests - are in danger.

The first "Red Book" appeared in 1966. The organizer of its creation was the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). He published 5 volumes with a list of endangered species. Each species was given a separate sheet, and the book was printed on red paper - the color of the warning. In addition, the volumes were made in such a way that it was possible to remove sheets with descriptions of species that were already sufficiently protected, and, on the contrary, to add new ones devoted to other species that were threatened with destruction. At the end of the 80s. this sad list included 768 species of vertebrates, including 246 species of mammals and the same number of bird species, as well as 250 species of plants. Among the animals in the Red Book were listed lemurs, orangutan, gorilla, sea ​​turtles and many other animals.

After that, similar lists of endangered species began to be published all over the world, although the paper for them is now used plain and only the binding is red.

In a number of countries, "rehabilitation centers" have been established to provide care for injured and sick animals. There are more than 20 such centers in France. After treatment, most animals are released, but some have to be left in captivity due to the inability to survive on their own in nature.

In Russia, many beaver populations have been restored, which in the post-revolutionary years were almost completely exterminated as a result of predatory hunting, and then for many years suffered from hydromelioration, which destroyed its habitats. Now there are 150 thousand beavers and their number continues to increase. The position of the bison, gray whale, and Far Eastern walrus has also become less dangerous.

After the creation of the Astrakhan State Reserve, the area of ​​“lotus fields” (the so-called clearings among high thickets of reeds, where, at a water depth of about a meter, the walnut-bearing lotus grows especially well, completely covering the water surface with large leaves and flowers) increased 8-10 times.

Poaching has brought tigers, gorillas, elephants and many other animals hunted for their hides, tusks, etc. to the brink of extinction. To protect them, in 1973, a special Washington Convention was adopted to restrict trade in rare and endangered species of plants and animals and products made from them. But poachers find any loopholes to continue their criminal trade.

Develop non-trivial ways to combat poaching. So, in India, microchips (miniature radio transmitters) are implanted into the horns of rhinos, which are detected by customs officers and allow you to determine where the animal was taken. In Namibia, to protect against poaching, an experiment was undertaken to cut off the horns of rhinos. The horns were sold by the state and the money was used to protect areas where rhinos live. "Dehorning" did not harm the animals, they "started a family" and gave offspring.

To preserve the Indian subspecies of the tiger, the World Wildlife Fund (IUCN) developed the Tiger Project, which was supported by the governments of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. During the first 5 years of the project implementation, new reserves were organized and the existing reserves were expanded, residents of more than 30 villages were resettled. As a result, the number of tigers increased from 268 to 749 in India alone.

One of the most notable achievements in wildlife conservation is the restoration of bison populations. This large animal, once common in the forests of the European part of Russia, in Poland, Belarus and Lithuania, as well as in the Caucasus and the Carpathians, was practically destroyed at the beginning of the century. Fortunately, the bison survived in the zoos of Europe, from where it was re-settled in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Caucasus, the Carpathians, and in last years– and in the forests of Lithuania. At present, the bison is already able to live in the wild, but only under the reserved regime. The task of restoring the bison as a biological species in nature will be solved when its number reaches two thousand heads (in the early 1990s, the number of bison was close to this figure).

Finland has achieved great success in the protection of forest fauna. Since 1987, the number of bears has doubled, the number of lynxes has increased 8 times, and the number of the rare wolverine has increased from 40 to 100 individuals.

There are more than 30 international organizations in the world coordinating research and practical steps of different countries in the protection and rational use of natural resources. The most serious programs are carried out by the special United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Thus, at the initiative of UNESCO, IUCN was created - the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, with headquarters in Glan (Switzerland). The IUCN publishes international Red Data Books. UNESCO organized research under the international program "Man and the Biosphere", in which 90 countries take part.

"Woke up in the morning - clean up your planet." The action plan that guided the hero of Antoine Saint-Exupery is becoming more and more relevant, because the more progress develops, the more harm a person does to nature.

We have learned to build spaceships, but we have no idea how to save the Earth from the consequences of our life. Particularly harmful to the green world is plastic waste, which takes hundreds of years to decompose, producing dangerous toxins.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been floating between California, Hawaii and Alaska for more than 50 years, multiplying a million upon a million tons of trash, killing birds and fish. They are actively talking about it, but no one is taking significant global steps to reduce it at the interstate level. Government programs to recycle plastic waste and the elimination of polyethylene in bags or the mass transition to bags made of material that decompose faster would help.

What can each individual do to improve the environment? First of all, instill in yourself and others the habit of sorting garbage, when waste plastics, paper, food remains are placed separately and thrown into containers designed for this. Throwing used batteries into special containers, in order to send them for recycling, can also reduce aggression to flora and fauna, since, as you know, one such battery decomposes for more than a hundred years, polluting several tens of meters of soil around.

A discarded glass bottle is no less harmful. This is inert garbage, but it can lie in the soil for up to five thousand years. The most interesting thing is that those wastes that cripple nature the most (plastic, iron, glass, polyethylene) are perfectly recyclable, as a result of which they get a second life, therefore only human laziness and an irrational attitude prevent us from reducing the invasion of toxins in the soil and water on the planet.

It would be advisable, in addition to the actual example of the supporters of the "green movement", to resort to curricula in schools and universities, where the course participants would be explained that the conservation of flora and fauna depends on each individual person, and also show in person, for example, how, for example, polyethylene under the action of ultraviolet radiation poisons the world for two hundred years, and an aluminum can from a drink can lie in the ground without changes for five hundred years.

A variety of seminars and environmental campaigns like "Let's make the country clean", which usually lasts in April, are also able to organize people for cleaning and show that with the help of simple actions the world is changing for the better. In addition, these measures are able to demonstrate that it is clean not where they clean, but where they do not litter. Treating waste wisely today increases the chance of not burying the planet in it tomorrow.