ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

The subject of this report is ecological problems. In my opinion this theme should be important for every person because every day and every minute we meet these global problems. There are so many people using the natural resources of the world and ecology has become an important concern. Interest in ecological problems grow very fast so everybody must know the basic facts. The increase in pollution made society change its attitude towards nature. Our health depends on surroundings wwe live in so we must do our best that we breathe fresher air, bathe in cleaner water because our health is the most important value in life than such things like money or other financial resources. It is natural because nature resources are becoming decreased; the ozone layer is thinning every minute. Nearly everything on the Earth is badly polluted the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat.

________________________________________________

First problem is protective or ozone layer. SSo what is the ozone layer and why is it important. The ozone layer is a concentration of ozone molecules in the stratosphere. About 90% of the planet’s ozone is in the ozone layer. The layer of the Earth’s atmosphere tthat surrounds us is called the troposphere. The stratosphere, the next higher layer, extends about 10-50 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Stratospheric ozone is a naturally-occurring gas that filters the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A diminished ozone layer allows more radiation to reach the Earth’s surface. For people, overexposure to UV rays can lead to skin cancer, cataracts, and weakened immune systems. Increased UV can also lead to reduced crop yield and disruptions in the marine food chain. UV also has other harmful effects. The ozone layer is being damaged by chemicals, which are released into the atmosphere by the daily use of such industrial and household products as refrigerators, air conditioners, cleaning chemicals. That’s why ozone layer can’t give uus full protection from unhealthy ultraviolet rays. This increases the risk of skin cancer and weakens the immune system. Not everybody understand how is dangerous to take a sun touch in a summer time.

Sources that harm the Protective Ozone Layer

______________________________________________________

Second ecological problem is acid rains. Acid rain is a new phenomenon occurring since the past few decades. Rain reacts with the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen to form acids. Undoubtedly, these oxides come from the industrial as well aas automobile emissions. Acid rain is thus created by industrial activities that pollute the air.

The main sources are electric power plants that use the energy produced by burning coal to generate electricity. Most coal contains small amounts of sulphur, which is converted to sulphur dioxide when the coal is burned. This is a global problem, which after devastating a large part of the northern hemisphere is now intruding into the industrial regions of the South. This versatile destroyer eats away the forests, acidifies fresh water sources, afflicts human beings, and, causes irreversible damage to monuments and buildings which stand as testimony of time and symbols of our culture and civilization of the yester years.

The rainwater turns acidic due to the gases emitted by industries and automobile exhausts. These gases react under the influence of oxidants, catalysts and sun’s radiation before dissolving into water droplets and ice crystals to form dilute acid solutions. These acid solutions fall to the earth as rain, snow, hail, dew and fog. A peculiarity of acid rain is that while the causative agents are emitted at one place, the acid rain falls at another. Acid rains killing trees (especially firs), destroying ancient builds and polluting rrivers. Factories must try to decrease quantity of outgoing smokes.

____________________________________________________

Third problem is waste. Our forests, water are polluted with glass, metal cans, paper, oil and other sort of waste. Every day we use these things, which are one-day old, not natural and synthetic. We must bring ourselves to by just natural and lasting things because they are steady and of good quality. Otherwise we will have just a lot of rubbish if we will buy synthetic things. Do you know how much unhealthy materials are used to make for example a plastic toy. That plastic pellicle decomposes absolutely after one hundred years.

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. A reason being the 80 million people living in the area around the Baltic Sea, whose pollution is transported by rivers to the sea. At the same time pollutants transported by air from Scandinavia, England, the Continent of Europe are deposited in the Baltic Sea. Every year the Baltic Sea receives hundreds of thousands of poisonous heavy metals and hundreds of tons of other poisonous substances from industries, municipalities, agriculture and traffic. That’s why In Helsinki, February 1990 non-governmental organizations from the countries around tthe Baltic Sea united and established Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) in order to cooperate in issues concerning the Baltic Sea. CCB is a politically independent, non-profit making association.

____________________________________________________

Next problem is global warming. The increase in world temperatures due to the greenhouse effect. Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat ...