Summary: Global problems of ecology. Signs of an ecological crisis. Ecological signs
Kaliningrad branch
Federal State Educational Institution
Supreme vocational education
St. Petersburg State Agrarian
university
For nature management
GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENT. SIGNS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
Introduction
I. Global problems of ecology
II. signs ecological crisis
Conclusion
List of used literature
INTRODUCTION
Environmental issues… Pollution… No cars! We often hear these words today. Really, ecological state our planet is deteriorating by leaps and bounds. There is less and less fresh water on the ground, and the water that is still available is already of very poor quality. In some countries the quality drinking water, which flows from a water tap, does not even meet the requirements for bathing water.
And the air? What are we breathing? Many cities are downright covered with fog, but this is not fog, but real smog, which is not only unpleasant, it is incredibly dangerous for people's lives.
In the 1980s, people for the first time became seriously concerned about the state of their environment. natural environment. Such fears concerned both the present of our planet and the future of those people who will live on our planet in a few centuries. In addition, scientists, biologists began to worry about the issue of ecology. Today, ecology has become a very popular word. Ecology is a science that studies the relationships between all forms of life on our planet and in the environment. The word ecology comes from Greek word"oikos" (oikos), which means the word "house". Caring for "home" in this case includes our entire planet, all the creatures living on the planet, as well as the atmosphere of our planet. Quite often the word ecology is used to characterize environment and the people who live in that environment. However, the concept of ecology is much broader than just the environment. Ecologists consider people as a link in a rather complex chain of life, including the food chain. This chain includes mammals, amphibians, invertebrates and protozoa, as well as plants and animals, including humans. Today, the word ecology is often used to describe the problems of environmental pollution. This use of the word ecology is not entirely correct.
I . GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Every hour, day and night, the population of our planet increases by more than 7,500 people. The population size significantly affects the environment and, in particular, its pollution, since with an increase in the population, the amount of everything that is consumed, produced, built by man and discarded increases.
In general terms, “a crisis is a violation of the equilibrium of a system and, at the same time, a transition to its new equilibrium.” Thus, the crisis is the stage at which the functioning of the system reaches its limits. A crisis can be characterized by a situation where obstacles arise in the development of the system, and the task of the system is to find an acceptable way out of this situation.
Mankind has repeatedly faced the emergence of environmental crises and quite confidently overcame them. It is known that main source life on earth - the energy of the sun. From the Sun to the Earth comes a huge amount of energy, including heat. Its annual amount is approximately ten times greater than the amount of all thermal energy contained in all the explored reserves of fossil fuels on the planet. Use of only 0.01% total light energy coming to the surface of the Earth, could fully meet the world's energy needs. However, the amount of solar energy assimilated by the Earth is negligible. Its increase is facilitated by the presence in the atmosphere of the so-called "greenhouse" gases and, above all, carbon dioxide, the release of which is noticeably increasing. It freely passes the sun's rays, but delays the reflected thermal radiation of the Earth. The atmosphere also contains other gases that have the same effect: methane, fluorochlorocarbons (freons). An increase in these gases in the air, as well as ozone, which pollutes the lower atmosphere, can lead to the fact that the Earth will absorb more solar energy. This, as well as an increase in heat generation from economic activity human, leads to an increase in air temperature on Earth.
According to forecasts for 2050, the probable global increase in temperature will be 3-4 ° C, and the precipitation regime will change. In this regard, at high latitudes may melt continental ice; the water level in the seas and oceans will rise not only due to the melting of ice, but also as a result of an increase in the volume of water due to an increase in its temperature.
It is hypothesized that summer heat in recent years, in many areas of the planet there is a result of the greenhouse effect. To reduce the threat of global warming, it is necessary to reduce emissions of "greenhouse" gases, as well as reduce combustion various kinds organic fuel.
The causes of pollution and ways to prevent or reduce the level of environmental pollution are quite an important part in the study of ecology, however, this is not the whole subject of study. Equally important in terms of the use of our environment are the ways that safeguard the heritage of fertile soil, fresh air, fresh pure water and forests for those who will live on our planet after us. Ever since the first ancient people appeared a long time ago, nature has given man everything he needs - air in order to breathe, food in order not to die of hunger, water in order to quench his thirst. , wood, in order to build houses and heat the hearth. For many thousands of years, man lived in harmony with his natural environment, and it seemed to man that the natural resources of the planet were inexhaustible. But then came the twentieth century. As you know, the twentieth century was a time of scientific and technological progress. Those achievements and discoveries that a person could make in the mechanization and automation of industrial processes, in the chemical industry, the conquest of space, the creation of stations capable of generating nuclear energy, as well as steamships that could break even the thickest ice - all this is truly amazing. With the advent of this industrial revolution, the negative impact of man on the environment began to increase exponentially. This industrial progress has caused a very serious problem. Everything on our planet – soil, air and water – has become poisoned. Today, in almost all corners of the planet, with rare exceptions, you can find cities with large quantity machines, plants and factories. The by-products of human industrial activity affect all beings living on the planet.
AT recent times there is a lot of talk about acid rain, global warming the thinning of the planet's ozone layer. All these negative processes are caused by tons of polluting harmful substances that are emitted into atmospheric air industrial enterprises.
Big cities suffer from smog, they are downright suffocating. The situation is complicated by the fact that in big cities, as a rule, there is practically no greenery, trees, which, as you know, are the lungs of the planet.
II . Signs of an ecological crisis
The modern ecological crisis is characterized by the following manifestations:
Gradual change in the planet's climate due to changes in the balance of gases in the atmosphere;
General and local (above the poles, separate areas of land) destruction of the biospheric ozone screen;
Pollution of the oceans with heavy metals, complex organic compounds, oil products, radioactive substances, water saturation with carbon dioxide;
Gap natural environmental ties between ocean and land waters as a result
construction of dams on rivers, leading to a change in solid runoff, spawning routes.
Atmospheric pollution with the formation of acid precipitation, high toxic substances as a result of chemical and photochemical reactions;
Pollution of land waters, including river waters used for drinking water supply, with highly toxic substances, including dioxides, heavy metals, phenols;
Desertification of the planet;
Degradation of the soil layer, reduction of the area of fertile land suitable for agriculture;
Radioactive contamination of certain territories in connection with burial radioactive waste, man-made accidents, etc.;
Land surface accumulation household waste and industrial waste, especially practically non-degradable plastics;
Reducing the areas of tropical and northern forests, leading to an imbalance of atmospheric gases, including a reduction in the concentration of oxygen in the planet's atmosphere;
Pollution of underground space, including groundwater, which makes them unsuitable for water supply and threatens the still little-studied life in the lithosphere;
Massive and rapid, avalanche-like disappearance of species of living matter;
Deterioration of the living environment in populated areas, primarily urbanized areas;
General depletion and lack of natural resources for human development;
Changing the size, energy and biogeochemical role of organisms, reshaping food chains, mass reproduction of certain types of organisms;
Violation of the hierarchy of ecosystems, an increase in systemic uniformity on the planet.
Transport is one of the main environmental pollutants. Today, automobiles, with their petrol and diesel engines, have become the main sources of air pollution in industrialized countries. Huge areas of forests that grew in Africa, South America and Asia began to be destroyed, providing for the needs various industries industries in Europe and the United States of America. This is very scary, because the destruction of forests disrupts the oxygen balance not only in these countries, but throughout the planet as a whole.
As a result, some species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappeared almost overnight. Many of the animals, birds and plants today are on the verge of extinction, many of them are included in the "Red Book of Nature". Despite everything, people still continue to kill animals so that some of the people can wear coats and furs. Think about it, today we do not kill animals in order to finish off our food and not die of hunger, as our ancient ancestors did. Today people kill animals for fun, in order to get their fur. Some of these animals, such as foxes, are in real danger of disappearing forever from the face of our planet. Every hour, several species of plants and animals disappear from the face of our planet. Rivers and lakes dry up.
Another global environmental problem The so-called acid rain.
Acid rain is one of the most serious forms of environmental pollution, a dangerous disease of the biosphere. These rains are formed due to the entry into the atmosphere of great height from burning fuel (especially sulfurous) sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The weak solutions of sulfuric and nitric acid thus obtained in the atmosphere can fall out in the form of precipitation, sometimes after several days, hundreds of kilometers from the source of release. It is still technically impossible to determine the origin of acid rain. Penetrating into the soil, acid rain disrupts its structure, adversely affects beneficial microorganisms, dissolves natural minerals such as calcium and potassium, carrying them into the subsoil and taking away from plants their main source of nutrition. The damage caused to vegetation by acid rain, especially sulfur compounds, is enormous. External sign exposure to sulfur dioxide - gradual darkening of leaves on trees, reddening of pine needles.
Air pollution heat generation plants, industry and transport, scientists believe, has led to a new phenomenon - the defeat of some types of deciduous trees, as well as to the rapid reduction in the growth rate of at least six species coniferous trees, which can be traced by the annual rings of these trees.
Damage caused in Europe by acid rain to fish stocks, vegetation, architectural structures, is estimated at 3 billion dollars a year.
Acid rain, various harmful substances in the air major cities, also cause destruction of industrial structures and metal parts. Acid rain is detrimental to human health. Harmful substances that form acid rain are carried by air currents from one country to another, which sometimes causes international conflicts.
In addition to climate warming and the appearance of acid rain, there is one more thing on the planet. global phenomenon- Destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. When the maximum permissible concentration is exceeded, ozone has harmful effect on humans and animals. When combined with car exhaust gases and industrial emissions, the harmful effect of ozone is enhanced, especially when this mixture is exposed to sunlight. However, the ozone layer at an altitude of H-20 km from
earth's surface delays hard ultraviolet radiation The sun, which has a destructive effect on the human body and animals. Excess solar radiation causes skin cancer and other diseases, reducing the productivity of agricultural land and the oceans. Today, about 1300 thousand tons of ozone-depleting substances are produced all over the world, less than 10% of them - in Russia.
To prevent the serious consequences associated with the destruction of the protective ozone layer of the Earth, the Vienna Convention on its protection was adopted at the international level. It provides for a freeze and subsequent reduction in the production of ozone-depleting substances, as well as the development of their harmless substitutes.
One of the global environmental problems- a sharp increase in the population of the planet. And for every well-fed person, there is another who barely manages to feed himself, and a third who is malnourished from day to day. The main means of agricultural production is land - the most important part of the environment, characterized by space, topography, climate, soil cover, vegetation, waters. During the period of its development, mankind has lost almost 2 billion hectares of productive land due to water, wind erosion and other destructive processes. This is more than currently under arable land and pastures. The rate of modern desertification, according to the UN, is about 6 million hectares per year.
As a result anthropogenic impact lands and soils are polluted, which leads to a decrease in their fertility, and in some cases to their removal from the sphere of land use. Sources of land pollution are industry, transport, energy, chemical fertilizers, household waste and other types of human activities. Pollution of land occurs through wastewater, air, as a result of the direct impact of physical, chemical, biological factors, exported and dumped on land waste products. Global soil pollution is created due to the long-range transport of a pollutant over a distance of more than 1000 km from any source of pollution. greatest danger for soils are chemical pollution, erosion and salinization
CONCLUSION
The possibilities of using available natural resources increase to the limits of technical and economic rationality and are not automatically limited by the available natural resource (environmental) potential as a set of environmental benefits necessary for people's lives and their physical well-being. In this regard, the integral or sectoral exploitation of resources can lead (and usually leads) to the destruction of natural systems (directly or indirectly, indirectly). This destruction is perceived as an ecological crisis of a local, regional or global scale.
In communities that have been disturbed due to human impact, new species with unpredictable properties are already emerging in our time. It should be expected that this process will grow like an avalanche. When these species are introduced into the "old" communities, their destruction may occur and an ecological crisis may occur.
According to these forecasts, over the next 30-40 years, if existing trends continue in industrial countries and regions of the planet, the level of the relative impact of environmental quality on the health of the population will increase from 20-40 to 50-60%, and the costs material resources, energy and labor to stabilize environmental conditions will become the largest item in the economy, exceeding 40-50% of GDP. This should be associated with a profound qualitative change in production, a socio-psychological transformation of the consumer society, a change in the stereotype of values, and the humanization of the economy. No matter how far such an idea may seem from today's realities, without a certain aspiration for a new ideology, for a new humanitarian and technological level of the relationship between man and nature, it is impossible to overcome the ecological crisis.
LIST OF USED LITERATURE
one) " Environmental fundamentals nature management". Authors: V.G. Eremin, V.G., Safonov. M-2002
2) "Ecological foundations of nature management". Authors E.A. Arustamov, I.V. Levanova, N.V. Barkalova, M-2000
Kaliningrad branch
Federal State Educational Institution
Higher professional education
St. Petersburg State Agrarian
university
For nature management
GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENT. SIGNS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
Introduction
I. Global problems of ecology
II. Signs of an ecological crisis
Conclusion
List of used literature
INTRODUCTION
Environmental issues… Pollution… No cars! We often hear these words today. Indeed, the ecological state of our planet is deteriorating by leaps and bounds. There is less and less fresh water left on earth, and the water that is still available is already of very poor quality. In some countries, the quality of drinking water that flows from a water tap does not even meet the requirements for bathing water.
And the air? What are we breathing? Many cities are downright covered with fog, but this is not fog, but real smog, which is not only unpleasant, it is incredibly dangerous for people's lives.
In the 1980s, people for the first time became seriously concerned about the state of their natural environment. Such fears concerned both the present of our planet and the future of those people who will live on our planet in a few centuries. In addition, scientists, biologists began to worry about the issue of ecology. Today, ecology has become a very popular word. Ecology is a science that studies the relationships between all forms of life on our planet and in the environment. The word ecology comes from the Greek word "oikos" (oikos), which means "house". Caring for "home" in this case includes our entire planet, all the creatures living on the planet, as well as the atmosphere of our planet. Quite often the word ecology is used to describe the environment and the people who live in that environment. However, the concept of ecology is much broader than just the environment. Ecologists consider people as a link in a rather complex chain of life, including the food chain. This chain includes mammals, amphibians, invertebrates and protozoa, as well as plants and animals, including humans. Today, the word ecology is often used to describe the problems of environmental pollution. This use of the word ecology is not entirely correct.
I. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Every hour, day and night, the population of our planet increases by more than 7,500 people. The population size significantly affects the environment and, in particular, its pollution, since with an increase in the population, the amount of everything that is consumed, produced, built by man and discarded increases.
In general terms, "a crisis is a violation of the equilibrium of the system and at the same time a transition to its new equilibrium." Thus, the crisis is the stage at which the functioning of the system reaches its limits. A crisis can be characterized by a situation where obstacles arise in the development of the system, and the task of the system is to find an acceptable way out of this situation.
Mankind has repeatedly faced the emergence of environmental crises and quite confidently overcame them. It is known that the main source of life on earth is the energy of the Sun. From the Sun to the Earth comes a huge amount of energy, including heat. Its annual amount is approximately ten times greater than the amount of all thermal energy contained in all the explored reserves of fossil fuels on the planet. The use of only 0.01% of the total amount of light energy entering the Earth's surface could fully meet the world's energy needs. However, the amount of solar energy assimilated by the Earth is negligible. Its increase is facilitated by the presence in the atmosphere of the so-called "greenhouse" gases and, above all, carbon dioxide, the release of which is noticeably increasing. It freely passes the sun's rays, but delays the reflected thermal radiation of the Earth. The atmosphere also contains other gases that have the same effect: methane, fluorochlorocarbons (freons). An increase in these gases in the air, as well as ozone, which pollutes the lower atmosphere, can lead to the fact that the Earth will absorb more solar energy. This, as well as an increase in heat emissions from human activities, leads to an increase in air temperature on Earth.
According to forecasts for 2050, the probable global temperature increase will be 3--4 ° C, and the precipitation regime will change. In this regard, continental ice can melt in high latitudes; the water level in the seas and oceans will rise not only due to the melting of ice, but also as a result of an increase in the volume of water due to an increase in its temperature.
It is suggested that the summer heat in recent years in many parts of the world is the result of the greenhouse effect. To reduce the threat of global warming, it is necessary to reduce emissions of "greenhouse" gases, as well as reduce the combustion of various types of fossil fuels.
The causes of pollution and ways to prevent or reduce the level of environmental pollution are quite an important part in the study of ecology, however, this is not the whole subject of study. Equally important in terms of the use of our environment are ways that safeguard the heritage of fertile soil, clean air, fresh clean water and forests for those who will live on our planet after us. Ever since the first ancient people appeared a long time ago, nature has given man everything he needs - air in order to breathe, food in order not to die of hunger, water in order to quench his thirst. , wood, in order to build houses and heat the hearth. For many thousands of years, man lived in harmony with his natural environment, and it seemed to man that the natural resources of the planet were inexhaustible. But then came the twentieth century. As you know, the twentieth century was a time of scientific and technological progress. Those achievements and discoveries that a person could make in the mechanization and automation of industrial processes, in the chemical industry, the conquest of space, the creation of stations capable of generating nuclear energy, as well as steamships that could break even the thickest ice - all this is truly amazing. With the advent of this industrial revolution, the negative impact of man on the environment began to increase exponentially. This industrial progress has caused a very serious problem. Everything on our planet - soil, air and water has become poisoned. Today, in almost all corners of the planet, with rare exceptions, you can find cities with a large number of cars, plants and factories. The by-products of human industrial activity affect all beings living on the planet.
Recently, a lot has been said about acid rain, global warming, and the thinning of the planet's ozone layer. All these negative processes are caused by tons of harmful pollutants that are emitted into the atmospheric air by industrial enterprises.
Big cities suffer from smog, they are downright suffocating. The situation is complicated by the fact that in large cities, as a rule, there is practically no greenery, trees, which, as you know, are the lungs of the planet.
II. Signs of an ecological crisis
The modern ecological crisis is characterized by the following manifestations:
Gradual change in the planet's climate due to changes in the balance of gases in the atmosphere;
General and local (above the poles, separate areas of land) destruction of the biospheric ozone screen;
Pollution of the World Ocean with heavy metals, complex organic compounds, oil products, radioactive substances, saturation of waters with carbon dioxide;
Breaking the natural ecological links between the ocean and land waters as a result of
construction of dams on rivers, leading to a change in solid runoff, spawning routes.
Atmospheric pollution with the formation of acid precipitation, highly toxic substances as a result of chemical and photochemical reactions;
Pollution of land waters, including river waters used for drinking water supply, with highly toxic substances, including dioxides, heavy metals, phenols;
Desertification of the planet;
Degradation of the soil layer, reduction of the area of fertile land suitable for agriculture;
Radioactive contamination of certain territories in connection with the disposal of radioactive waste, man-made accidents, etc.;
Accumulation on the surface of the land of household garbage and industrial waste, in particular, practically non-degradable plastics;
Reduction of areas of tropical and boreal forests, leading to an imbalance of atmospheric gases, including a reduction in the concentration of oxygen in the planet's atmosphere;
Pollution of underground space, including groundwater, which makes them unsuitable for water supply and threatens the still little-studied life in the lithosphere;
Massive and rapid, avalanche-like disappearance of species of living matter;
Deterioration of the living environment in populated areas, primarily urbanized areas;
General depletion and lack of natural resources for human development;
Changing the size, energy and biogeochemical role of organisms, reshaping food chains, mass reproduction of certain types of organisms;
Violation of the hierarchy of ecosystems, an increase in systemic uniformity on the planet.
Transport is one of the main environmental pollutants. Today, automobiles, with their petrol and diesel engines, have become the main sources of air pollution in industrialized countries. Huge areas of forests that grew in Africa, South America and Asia began to be destroyed, providing for the needs of various industries in Europe and the United States of America. This is very scary, because the destruction of forests disrupts the oxygen balance not only in these countries, but throughout the planet as a whole.
As a result, some species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappeared almost overnight. Many of the animals, birds and plants today are on the verge of extinction, many of them are included in the "Red Book of Nature". Despite everything, people still continue to kill animals so that some of the people can wear coats and furs. Think about it, today we do not kill animals in order to finish off our food and not die of hunger, as our ancient ancestors did. Today people kill animals for fun, in order to get their fur. Some of these animals, such as foxes, are in real danger of disappearing forever from the face of our planet. Every hour, several species of plants and animals disappear from the face of our planet. Rivers and lakes dry up.
Another global environmental problem the so-called acid rain.
Acid rain is one of the most serious forms of environmental pollution, a dangerous disease of the biosphere. These rains are formed due to the entry into the atmosphere at a great height from the burning fuel (especially sulfurous) sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The weak solutions of sulfuric and nitric acid thus obtained in the atmosphere can fall out in the form of precipitation, sometimes after several days, hundreds of kilometers from the source of release. It is still technically impossible to determine the origin of acid rain. Penetrating into the soil, acid rain disrupts its structure, adversely affects beneficial microorganisms, dissolves natural minerals such as calcium and potassium, carrying them into the subsoil and taking away from plants their main source of nutrition. The damage caused to vegetation by acid rain, especially sulfur compounds, is enormous. An external sign of exposure to sulfur dioxide is the gradual darkening of the leaves on the trees, the reddening of pine needles.
Pollution air environments heating plants, industry and transport, scientists believe, has led to a new phenomenon - the defeat of some species of deciduous trees, as well as to the rapid reduction in the growth rate of at least six species of conifers, which can be traced in the annual rings of these trees.
Damage caused in Europe by acid rain to fish stocks, vegetation, architectural structures, is estimated at 3 billion dollars a year.
Acid rain, various harmful substances in the air of large cities, also cause the destruction of industrial structures and metal parts. Acid rain is detrimental to human health. Harmful substances that form acid rain are carried by air currents from one country to another, which sometimes causes international conflicts.
In addition to climate warming and the appearance of acid rain, there is one more thing on the planet. global phenomenon-- Destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. If the maximum permissible concentration is exceeded, ozone has a harmful effect on humans and animals. When combined with car exhaust gases and industrial emissions, the harmful effect of ozone is enhanced, especially when this mixture is exposed to sunlight. At the same time, the ozone layer at an altitude of H - 20 km from
The surface of the earth delays the hard ultraviolet radiation of the Sun, which has a destructive effect on the human body and animals. Excess solar radiation causes skin cancer and other diseases, reducing the productivity of agricultural land and the oceans. Today, about 1,300 thousand tons of ozone-depleting substances are produced all over the world, of which less than 10% is produced in Russia.
To prevent the serious consequences associated with the destruction of the protective ozone layer of the Earth, the Vienna Convention on its protection was adopted at the international level. It provides for a freeze and subsequent reduction in the production of ozone-depleting substances, as well as the development of their harmless substitutes.
One of the global environmental problems- a sharp increase in the population of the planet. And for every well-fed person, there is another who barely manages to feed himself, and a third who is malnourished from day to day. The main means of agricultural production is land - the most important part of the environment, characterized by space, topography, climate, soil cover, vegetation, waters. During the period of its development, mankind has lost almost 2 billion hectares of productive land due to water, wind erosion and other destructive processes. This is more than currently under arable land and pastures. The rate of modern desertification, according to the UN, is about 6 million hectares per year.
As a result of anthropogenic impact, lands and soils are polluted, which leads to a decrease in their fertility, and in some cases to their withdrawal from land use. Sources of land pollution are industry, transport, energy, chemical fertilizers, household waste and other types of human activities. Pollution of land occurs through wastewater, air, as a result of the direct impact of physical, chemical, biological factors, exported and dumped on land waste products. Global soil pollution is created due to the long-range transport of a pollutant over a distance of more than 1000 km from any source of pollution. The greatest danger to soils is chemical pollution, erosion and salinization.
CONCLUSION
The possibilities of using available natural resources increase to the limits of technical and economic rationality and are not automatically limited by the available natural resource (environmental) potential as a set of environmental benefits necessary for people's lives and their physical well-being. In this regard, the integral or sectoral exploitation of resources can lead (and usually leads) to the destruction of natural systems (directly or indirectly, indirectly). This destruction is perceived as an ecological crisis of a local, regional or global scale.
In communities that have been disturbed due to human impact, new species with unpredictable properties are already emerging in our time. It should be expected that this process will grow like an avalanche. When these species are introduced into the "old" communities, their destruction may occur and an ecological crisis may occur.
According to these forecasts, over the next 30-40 years, if existing trends continue in industrial countries and regions of the planet, the level of the relative impact of environmental quality on the health of the population will increase from 20-40 to 50-60%, and the cost of material resources, energy and labor will increase by stabilization of environmental conditions will become the largest item in the economy, exceeding 40-50% of GDP. This should be associated with a profound qualitative change in production, a socio-psychological transformation of the consumer society, a change in the stereotype of values, and the humanization of the economy. No matter how far such an idea may seem from today's realities, without a certain aspiration for a new ideology, for a new humanitarian and technological level of the relationship between man and nature, it is impossible to overcome the ecological crisis.
LIST OF USED LITERATURE
1) "Ecological foundations of nature management". Authors: V.G. Eremin, V.G., Safonov. M-2002
2) "Ecological foundations of nature management". Authors E.A. Arustamov, I.V. Levanova, N.V. Barkalova, M-2000
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..…3
1. Ecological crisis……………………………………………………………...4
2. The main features of the modern environmental crisis ...... 5
3. Principles and ways of overcoming the ecological crisis….…10
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 13
Literature……………………………………………………………………………….14
Introduction
Natural science is one of the most important engines of social progress. Being the main factor in material production, natural science is a powerful revolutionary force. Great scientific discoveries (and technical inventions closely related to them) have always had a tremendous (and sometimes completely unexpected) impact on the destinies of human history. Such were, for example, discoveries in the 17th century. the laws of mechanics that made it possible to create the entire machine technology of civilization; discovery in the 19th century. electromagnetic field and the creation of electrical engineering, radio engineering, and then radio electronics; creation in the 20th century. theories atomic nucleus, and after him the discovery of means of releasing nuclear energy; expansion in the middle of the 20th century. molecular biology of the nature of heredity (DNA structure) and the resulting possibilities of genetic engineering for the management of heredity; and etc. Most of modern material civilization would be impossible without the participation in its creation of scientific theories, scientific and design developments, technologies predicted by science, etc.
However, modern people science causes not only admiration and admiration, but also fears. You can often hear that science brings a person not only benefits, but also misfortunes. Atmospheric pollution, accidents at nuclear power plants, increased radioactive background as a result of tests nuclear weapons, "ozone hole" over the planet, the disappearance of many species of plants and animals - these and others environmental problems people tend to explain by the very fact of the existence of science. But the point is not in science, but in whose hands it is, what social interests stand behind it, what public and state structures direct its development.
1. Ecological crisis
Since the middle of the XX century. The growth of human needs and its production activity has led to the fact that the scale of possible human impact on nature has become commensurate with the scale of global natural processes. As a result of human labor, channels and new seas are created, swamps and deserts disappear, huge masses of fossil rocks move, new chemical materials are synthesized. Transformative activity modern man extends even to the bottom of the ocean and outer space. However, the ever-increasing influence of man on the environment gives rise to complex problems in his relationship with nature. Uncontrolled and unpredictable human activity began to have a negative impact on the course of natural processes, causing sharply negative irreversible changes in both the environment and the biological nature of man himself. This applies to literally the entire environment - the atmosphere, hydrosphere, subsoil, fertile layer; animals and plants die, biocenoses and biogeocenoses are destroyed and disappear; the incidence of people is growing. At the same time, the population is steadily increasing. the globe. The conclusion suggests itself: humanity is inexorably heading towards an ecological catastrophe - the depletion of energy, mineral and land resources, the death of the biosphere, and possibly the human civilization itself. Therefore, it became necessary to protect the human environment from its own impact on it.
According to forecasts, by 2010 it will amount to 11 billion people, and around 2025, according to the latest synergetic mathematical models, a “blow-up mode” is expected, when population growth (proportional not to the number of numbers, but to the square of the number) will sharply rush to infinity . Of course, in reality it will not be endless, but in any case, if some measures are not taken, the global demographic situation may completely spiral out of control.
So, modern civilization is in a state of deepest ecological crisis. This is not the first environmental crisis in human history, but it could be the last.
2. The main features of the current environmental crisis
The disappearance of plant and animal species, species diversity, the gene pool of flora and fauna of the Earth, and animals and plants disappear, as a rule, not as a result of their direct extermination by humans, but as a result of a change in the habitat. Since the early 1980s one species of animal dies out every day, and one species of plants per week. Extinction threatens thousands of animal and plant species. Every fourth species of amphibians, every tenth species of higher plants is under the threat of extinction. And each of the species is a unique, unique result of evolution that has been going on for many millions of years.
Mankind is obliged to preserve and pass on to the descendants of the biological diversity of the Earth, and not only because nature is beautiful and delights us with its magnificence. There is an even more significant reason: the conservation of biological diversity is an indispensable condition for the life of man himself on Earth, since the stability of the biosphere is the higher, the more its constituent species.
Disappearance of forests (especially tropical ones) at a rate of several tens of hectares per minute. This entails, in particular, soil erosion (soils are the product of a complex and long-term interaction between living and inert matter), the destruction of the upper fertile layer of the earth, and desertification of the Earth, which occurs at a rate of 44 ha / min.
In addition, forests are the main suppliers of oxygen to the atmosphere through photosynthesis. At present, the balance of oxygen inflow and outflow is negative. Over the past 100 years, the concentration of oxygen in the air has decreased from 20.948 to 20.8%, and in cities even below 20%. Already 1/4 of the land is devoid of natural vegetation. Large areas of primary biogeocenoses have been replaced by secondary ones, more simplified and uniform, with a markedly reduced productivity. Plant biomass has decreased globally by about 7%.
About 50% of the land surface is under heavy agricultural pressure, with at least 300,000 hectares of agricultural land being swallowed up by urbanization each year. The area of arable land per person is declining from year to year (even without taking into account population growth).
Depletion of natural resources. Every year, more than 100 billion tons of various rocks are extracted from the bowels of the Earth. For the life of one person in modern civilization 200 tons of various solid substances are needed per year, which he converts with the help of 800 tons of water and 1000 W of energy into products of his consumption. At the same time, humanity lives off not only the exploitation of the resources of the modern biosphere, but also the non-renewable products of the former biospheres (oil, coal, gas, ores, etc.). According to the most optimistic estimates, the existing reserves of such natural resources will not last long for mankind: oil for about 30 years; natural gas for 50 years; coal for 100 years, etc. But renewable natural resources (for example, wood) become non-renewable, since the conditions for their reproduction change radically, they are brought to extreme depletion or complete destruction, i.e. All natural resources on Earth are finite.
Continuous and rapid growth of human energy costs. Energy expenditure (in kcal/day) per person in primitive society was about 4,000, in a feudal society - about 12,000, in an industrial civilization - 70,000, and in developed post-industrial countries it reaches 250,000 (that is, 60 times higher and more than that of our Paleolithic ancestors) and continues to grow. However, this process cannot continue for a long time: the Earth's atmosphere is warming up, which can have the most unpredictable adverse consequences (climatic, geographical, geological, etc.).
Pollution of the atmosphere, water, soil. The source of air pollution is primarily ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, thermal power plants, motor transport, garbage and waste incineration, etc. Their emissions into the atmosphere contain oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, hydrocarbons, metal compounds, and dust. About 20 billion tons of CO 2 are emitted into the atmosphere every year; 300 million tons of CO 2 ; 50 million tons of nitrogen oxides; 150 million tons of SO 2 ; 4-5 million tons of H 2 S and other harmful gases; more than 400 million tons of soot particles, dust, ash.
In nature, due to the vital activity of plants and animals, a continuous cycle of carbon occurs. In the course of its carbon from organic compounds is constantly converted into inorganic, and vice versa. Fuel combustion has a significant effect on the carbon cycle. At the same time, such a huge amount of carbon dioxide and dust is released into the atmosphere that it can lead to climate change on Earth. Atmospheric carbon dioxide freely transmits solar radiation to the Earth, but delays the Earth's radiation, resulting in the so-called greenhouse effect - a layer of carbon dioxide plays the same role as glass in a greenhouse. Therefore, an increase in the content of CO 2 in the atmosphere (currently by 0.3% per year) can cause warming on Earth, lead to melting polar ice and cause a catastrophic rise in the level of the World Ocean by 4-8 m.
An increase in the content of SO 2 in the atmosphere causes the formation of "acid rain", causing an increase in the acidity of water bodies, the death of their inhabitants. Under the destructive action of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, Construction Materials, architectural monuments. Due to transfer air masses over long distances (transboundary transfers), a dangerous increase in the acidity of water bodies spreads over large areas.
Exhaust gases from vehicles cause great damage to the life of animals and plants. The components of car exhaust gases are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, lead compounds, mercury, etc. Carbon monoxide CO ( carbon monoxide) interacts with blood hemoglobin 200 times more active than oxygen and reduces the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Therefore, even at low concentrations in the air, carbon monoxide has a harmful effect on health (causes a headache, reduces mental activity). Sulfur oxide causes spasms of the respiratory tract, nitrogen oxides - general weakness, dizziness, nausea. Lead compounds contained in exhaust gases - a very toxic element - act on enzyme systems and metabolism, lead accumulates in fresh water. One of the most dangerous pollutants - mercury, accumulating in the body, it has a negative effect on the nervous system.
Pollution of the hydrosphere. Water is widely, although not universally, distributed on our planet. (The total water supply is about 1.4 10 18 tons. The bulk of water is concentrated in the seas and oceans. Only 2% is fresh water.) Under natural conditions, there is a constant circulation of water, accompanied by the processes of its purification. Water carries huge masses of dissolved substances into the seas and oceans, where complex chemical and biochemical processes contributing to the self-purification of water bodies.
At the same time, water is widely used in all areas of the economy and in everyday life. In connection with the development of industry, the growth of cities, water consumption is constantly increasing. At the same time, water pollution by industrial and domestic waste is increasing: annually about 600 billion tons of industrial and domestic wastewater, over 10 million tons of oil and oil products are discharged into water bodies. This leads to a violation of the natural self-purification of water bodies. Industrial waste water containing toxic substances, in particular, compounds of toxic metals, as well as mineral fertilizers dissolved in wastewater, washed off the soil surface, cause enormous damage to living organisms in water bodies. In addition, fertilizers (especially nitrates, phosphates) cause rapid growth of algae, clog water bodies and contribute to their death. Not only the surface and ground waters of the land are polluted, but even the World Ocean (poisonous and radioactive substances, salts heavy metals, complex organic compounds, garbage, waste, etc.).
Radioactive contamination of the environment as a result of nuclear tests, accidents at nuclear power plants (Chernobyl disaster in 1986), accumulation of radioactive waste.
All these negative trends, as well as the irresponsible and improper use of the achievements of civilization, have a detrimental effect on the human body and create another set of environmental problems - medical and genetic. Previously known diseases become more frequent and completely new, previously unknown diseases appear. formed whole complex"diseases of civilization" generated by scientific and technological progress (an increase in the pace of life, the number stressful situations, physical inactivity, malnutrition, abuse of pharmaceuticals, etc.) and the environmental crisis (especially pollution of the environment by mutagenic factors); Drug addiction is becoming a global problem.
The scale of pollution of the natural environment is so great that the natural processes of metabolism and the diluting activity of the atmosphere and hydrosphere are not able to neutralize the harmful effects of human production activities. As a result, the ability for self-regulation of the systems of the biosphere that have developed over millions of years (in the course of evolution) is undermined, and the biosphere itself is destroyed. If this process is not stopped, the biosphere will simply die. And humanity will disappear with it.
Unfortunately, in the mass, ordinary consciousness there is no sufficient understanding the severity of the situation. People still live and act in the belief that the natural environment is unlimited and inexhaustible. They are satisfied with their temporary well-being, immediate goals and immediate good, and the environmental threats that have arisen are not taken seriously, referring them to the distant future. People think little about the natural conditions in which their descendants will live (and not even distant, but already grandchildren and great-grandchildren), and whether these conditions will allow a person to survive at all. Humanity is not well disposed to sacrifice its needs. (This often applies to those who make government decisions.) Such an egoistic path leads to an ecological catastrophe and the death of civilization.
3. Principles and ways to overcome the ecological crisis
Thus, humanity is faced with the problem of conscious and purposeful regulation of the exchange of matter and energy between society and the biosphere, the development of a strategy for the protection of nature, and hence of man himself. Such regulation can be carried out on the basis of the following principles.
Mankind develops as long as there is a balance between the object-material transformation of the natural environment by it and the restoration of this environment (natural and artificial). An imbalance inevitably leads to the death of mankind.
The period of uncontrolled interaction between society and the natural environment is ending. Nature conservation is historically inevitable; the value of nature is higher than selfish and corporate interests and has the character of an absolute imperative; the protection of nature is, first of all, the protection of man himself; If there is no biosphere, there will be no humanity.
From the reckless exploitation of the natural environment, it is necessary to move on to a very cautious change in the environment of human life, to two-way adaptation (co-evolution) and, possibly, to absolute ecological restrictions. Human survival is the dominant of economics and politics.
Ecological ultimately turns out to be the most economical. The more rational the approach to natural resources, the less investment will be required to restore the balance between humanity and nature. Our descendants will have a narrower “field of opportunity” for a rational solution of environmental problems, fewer degrees of freedom than ours.
The principle of the need for the diversity of nature: only a diverse and diverse biosphere is stable and highly productive.
The idea of V.I. Vernadsky about the transformation of the biosphere into the noosphere means that the human mind will play a decisive role in the development of the system of interactions between society and nature, primarily in managing the person himself, his needs. At the same time, one should always keep in mind: natural systems are so complex that it is essentially impossible to predict and foresee all the consequences of their transformation, many of them lie outside the scope of modern knowledge. In addition, each component of the biosphere is potentially useful; it is difficult, and sometimes simply impossible, to foresee the significance that it will have for humanity in the future.
Attempts to solve environmental problems by evicting people into space, which in our country (the birthplace of the idea and practice of space exploration, K.E. Tsiolkovsky and Yu.A. Gagarin) were very popular at one time, continue the tradition of an extensive approach to these problems . For all their external attractiveness, they are utopian and should be classified as science fiction.
Scientific and technological developments make it possible to identify the following ways, methods, means of resolving or at least mitigating the environmental crisis:
Create efficient treatment facilities, develop non-waste (closed) and low-waste technologies;
Switch to the cyclical use of resources, primarily water;
Develop technologies complex processing raw materials;
Avoid overproduction of energy, which can destabilize geophysical systems on Earth;
Sharply limit extraction chemical substances from the bowels of the planet, emission and pollution of the environment;
Reduce material consumption finished products: the amount of natural substance in an average unit of a social product must be reduced (miniaturization of products, development and application of resource-saving technologies, etc.);
To increase the rate of turnover of involved natural resources, especially against the backdrop of the development of non-waste technologies;
Exclude from production pesticides that can accumulate in the organisms of animals and plants;
Carry out afforestation, improve the use of forest belts (they increase snow retention, birds build nests here, which in turn contributes to the destruction of crop pests, etc.);
Expand the network of reserves, protected natural areas;
Create breeding centers for endangered animals and plants with their subsequent return to their natural habitats;
Develop biological methods protection of agricultural crops and forests, ecological biotechnologies;
Develop population growth planning methods;
Improve the legal regulation of nature protection;
Develop international environmental cooperation, develop legal framework international global ecopolitics;
To form ecological consciousness, systems of ecological education and upbringing.
Conclusion
Man, as a social being, is inherent in biological (physiological) and social (material and spiritual) needs. Some needs are satisfied as a result of labor costs for the production of food, material and spiritual values. Other needs a person is accustomed to meet for free: water, solar energy, air, etc. These, the latter, relate to environmental needs, and the former to socio-economic needs.
Currently, the environmental part of the needs is acquiring socio-economic features, which forces us to compare the priorities of environmental and socio-economic values, to develop a system or scale of preferences.
Humanity cannot refuse to use natural resources, which are and will be the material basis of production, and consists in the transformation of natural resources into material goods.
At present, civilization is going through a crucial period of its existence, as habitual stereotypes are breaking down, when people understand that meeting growing demands leads to a conflict with the fundamental needs of everyone: maintaining a healthy environment. But modern humanity does not always understand this and uses the habitat only for the sake of momentary benefits.
Literature
- Karpenkov S.Kh. Concepts of modern natural science. Short course: Textbook. -M.: graduate School, 2003
- Motyleva L.S., Skorobogatov V.A., Sudarikov A.M. Concepts of modern natural science: Textbook for universities / ed. Skorobogatova V.A. - St. Petersburg: Soyuz, 2002
- Naidysh V.M. Concepts of modern natural science. –M.: INFRA-M, 2004
- Nikitin D.P., Novikov Yu.V. Environment and man. - M.: 1986
- Odum Yu. Fundamentals of ecology - M .: Mir, 1985
- Plotnikov V.V. At the crossroads of ecology. -M.: 1991
- Solomantin V.A. History and concepts of modern natural science: A textbook for universities. – M.: PER SE, 2002.
The ecological crisis is characterized by a number of signs that exacerbate social contradictions, which can be formulated as follows:
1. The level of disturbances in the interaction between society and nature has reached a level that is dangerous for the country's ecological systems. So, at the end of the 20th century, the state of two-thirds of water sources did not meet the standards, the process of dangerous pollution of groundwater began, in 103 cities with a population of about 50 million people the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances in the air exceeded 10 times or more.
2. This dangerous trait also endangers the life and health of people. For example, due to environmental pollution, already in the 80s, every tenth child in our country was born with deviations from normal development, in the 90s, the growth of allergic, oncological and other diseases doubled.
3. Irreversible changes in ecological systems have begun, which affect the state of the entire ecological system of the world.
4. There are signs of depletion of ecological systems, causing a lack of natural resources, which also affects social production. For example, the widespread depletion of soil fertility makes it necessary to reorient capital investments into the production of means of production for the agro-industrial complex; depletion of water resources obliges to develop measures to save water consumption in production, etc. All of the above indicates that, unfortunately, the psychology of wasteful-consumer, predatory, criminal use of natural resources is widespread in our country.
5. There are signs of degradation of ecological systems, disruption of the ecological balance in them, and if the ecosystem is disturbed even by 1/10 of its part, it becomes unstable and at any moment can be irreversibly damaged even from a slight impact on it. Thus, pollution of water bodies with agrochemicals leads to the growth and increased reproduction of harmful algae in them, which, consuming oxygen, lead to the death of aquatic fauna.
There are two main sources of the ecological crisis:
a) irrational nature management;
b) departmental approach to nature management.
Irrational nature management is due to two main reasons: the creation and use of means of production that are dangerous for the natural environment, ecological systems, and the commission of actions that violate the ecological balance.
In order to prevent the creation and commissioning of means of production and other objects hazardous to ecological systems, provisions should be made preventive measures. Thus, such technical solution, the use of which will harm the environment. Prior to the acceptance of production facilities for economic operation, an environmental impact assessment should be carried out to establish environmental safety.
If irrational nature management can be eliminated by various environmental measures, then the situation with the elimination of the departmental approach to nature management is much more difficult. For example, land users rightly act by taking measures for the efficient use of land, but the intensification of agriculture negatively affects the state of neighboring forests, the hunting industry takes measures to increase populations wildlife, but the growth in the number of wild animals (moose, wild boars, etc.) leads to the trampling of crops by them; subsoil users develop reserves to the fullest extent possible mineral, and this often leads to disruption of the normal functioning of groundwater, to subsidence earth's surface and other anomalies.
Novosibirsk cooperative technical school
Novosibirsk Regional Potrebsoyuz
ESSAY
On the topic: "The ecological crisis and its signs"
Students
3 courses, groups RK-71
Novosibirsk 2008
Plan
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..3
1.1. The concept of ecological crisis………………………………4
1.2. Signs of the ecological crisis, their characteristics ............... 5
1.2.1. Dangerous pollution of the biosphere……………………...5
1.2.2. Depletion of energy resources ....................................6
1.2.3. Reduction of species biodiversity…………….7
Chapter 2. Global problems of ecology.
2.1. Global warming………………………………………….8
2.2. Water shortage……………………………………………………8
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….9
Bibliography …………………………………………………………….10
Introduction.
The contradictions in the relationship between society and nature in the second half of the twentieth century became threatening. A thorough analysis of the causes of the destruction of the ozone screen, acid rain, chemical and radioactive pollution of the environment was required. It became clear that, as a biological species, man, by his vital activity, affects the natural environment no more than other living organisms. However, this influence is incomparable with the enormous impact that human labor has on nature. According to V. I. Vernadsky, human activity has become a powerful earth-changing force comparable to geological processes.
The transforming impact of human society on nature is inevitable, it intensifies with the growth of the population, the development of scientific and technological progress, the increase in the number and mass of substances involved in economic circulation.
As you know, the whole world around us, inhabited by living organisms, which is called the biosphere, has undergone a long historical development. People themselves are generated by the biosphere, are part of it and obey its laws. Unlike the rest of the living world, man has a mind. He is able to appreciate state of the art nature and society, to know the laws of their development.
According to Academician N. N. Moiseev (1998), a person has learned the laws that allowed him to create modern machines, but so far he has not learned to understand that there are other laws, which, perhaps, he still does not know that in his relationship with nature "there is a forbidden line that a person has no right to cross under any circumstances ... there is a system of prohibitions, violating which he destroys his future."
In recent years, through the fault of man, environmental crises caused by chemical and radioactive contamination have become frequent. Catastrophic consequences arise as a result of pollution by industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust gases and the formation of poisonous fogs - smogs in large cities.
Due to the rapid modern pace and significant scale of crisis situations in the relationship between human society and nature, the biosphere is entering a global ecological crisis.
Chapter 1. Ecological crisis and its signs.
1.1. Concept of ecological crisis.
The ecological crisis is a tense state of relations between humanity and nature, characterized by a discrepancy between the development of productive forces and production relations in human society, resource and economic opportunities of the biosphere.
The ecological crisis can also be viewed as a conflict in the interaction of a biospecies or genus with nature. In a crisis, nature, as it were, reminds us of the inviolability of its laws, and those who violate these laws perish. So there was a qualitative renewal of living beings on Earth. In more broad sense the ecological crisis is understood as a phase of the development of the biosphere, in which a qualitative renewal of living matter takes place (the extinction of some species and the emergence of others).
The modern ecological crisis is called the "crisis of decomposers", i.e. its defining feature is the dangerous pollution of the biosphere, due to anthropogenic activity, and the associated violation of the natural balance. The concept of "environmental crisis" first appeared in scientific literature in the mid-1970s. According to its structure, the ecological crisis is usually divided into two parts: natural and social .
natural part indicates the onset of degradation, destruction of the natural environment. social side ecological crisis lies in the inability of state and public structures stop environmental degradation and improve it. Both sides of the ecological crisis are closely interconnected. The onset of the ecological crisis can be stopped only with a rational state policy, the existence of state programs and state structures responsible for their implementation.
1.2. Signs of the ecological crisis, their characteristics.
Signs of the modern ecological crisis are:
1. Dangerous pollution of the biosphere
2. Depletion of energy reserves
3. Reduction of species biodiversity
1.2.1 Dangerous pollution of the biosphere.
Dangerous pollution of the biosphere is associated with the development of industry, agriculture, the development of transport, and urbanization. A huge amount of toxic and harmful emissions from economic activity enters the biosphere. A feature of these emissions is that these compounds are not included in natural metabolic processes and accumulate in the biosphere. For example, when burning wood fuel, carbon dioxide is released, which is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis, and as a result, oxygen is produced. When burning oil, sulfur dioxide is released, which is not included in the natural exchange processes, but accumulates in the lower layers of the atmosphere, interacts with water and falls to the ground in the form of acid rain.
AT agriculture used a large number of pesticides and pesticides that accumulate in the soil, plants, and animal tissues. Dangerous pollution of the biosphere is expressed in the fact that the content of harmful and toxic substances in its individual constituent parts exceeds the maximum allowable standards. For example, in many regions of Russia, the content of a number of harmful substances (pesticides, heavy metals, phenols, dioxins) in water, air, soil exceeds the maximum allowable standards by 5-20 times.
According to statistics, among all sources of pollution in the first place are vehicle exhaust gases (up to 70% of all diseases in cities are caused by them), in the second place are emissions from thermal power plants, in the third place is the chemical industry.
1.2.2. Depletion of energy resources .
The main sources of energy used by man are: thermal energy, hydropower, nuclear energy. thermal energy obtained by burning wood, peat, coal, oil and gas. Companies that generate electricity from chemical fuels are called thermal power plants. Oil, coal and gas are non-renewable natural resources and their stocks are limited.
The calorific value of coal is lower than that of oil and gas, and its extraction is much more expensive. In many countries, including Russia, coal mines are closed because coal is too expensive and difficult to mine. Despite the fact that forecasts of energy resources are pessimistic, new approaches are being successfully developed to solve the problem of the energy crisis.
First, reorientation to other types of energy. Currently, in the structure of world electricity production, 62% is accounted for by thermal power plants (TPPs), 20% by hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), 17% by nuclear power plants (NPPs) and 1% by the use of alternative energy sources. This means that the leading role belongs to thermal energy. While hydroelectric power plants do not pollute the environment, they do not need the use of combustible minerals, and the world's hydro potential has so far been used by only 15%.
Renewable energy sources- solar energy, water energy, wind energy, etc. - use on Earth is impractical (in spacecraft solar energy is indispensable). "Environmentally friendly" power plants are too expensive and they produce too little energy. Relying on wind energy is not justified; in the future, it is possible to rely on the energy of sea currents.
The only real source of energy today and in the foreseeable future is nuclear power. Uranium reserves are quite large. When used correctly and serious attitude nuclear energy is also out of competition from an environmental point of view, polluting the environment much less than burning hydrocarbons. In particular, the total radioactivity of coal ash is much higher than the radioactivity of spent fuel from all nuclear power plants.
Secondly, mining on the continental shelf. The development of fields on the continental shelf is now an urgent problem for many countries. Some countries are already successfully developing offshore deposits of fossil fuels. For example, in Japan, coal deposits are being developed on the continental shelf, through which the country provides 20% of its needs for this fuel.
1.2.3. Reduction of species biodiversity.
In total, since 1600, 226 species and subspecies of vertebrates have disappeared, and over the past 60 years - 76 species, and about 1000 species are endangered. If it persists modern trend extermination of wildlife, then in 20 years the planet will lose 1/5 of the described species of flora and fauna, which threatens the stability of the biosphere - an important condition for the life support of mankind.