1.Introduction……………………………………………………………..page 3

2. What is an environmental crisis…………………………………………p.4

3. Threat of ecological crisis……………………………………….p.4-6

4. Causes of the ecological crisis………………..p.6-9

5. Atmospheric pollution……………………………………………..p.11-15

6. Water pollution……………………………………………………….p.15-17

7. Animal protection…………………………………………………….p.17-19

8. Vegetation protection………………………………………………p.19-20

9.Conclusion……………………………………………………………p.20-21.

Introduction.

Man is a part of nature, and as a biological species of his life, his activity has long influenced nature, but no more than many other organisms. The development of society takes place in the process of constant interaction with nature. The transforming influence of man on nature is inevitable. The changes in nature introduced by its economic and other activities intensify as the productive forces develop and the mass of substances involved in economic circulation increases. Especially major changes introduced into nature by man under capitalism with its high industrial technology and private ownership of the means of production. The development of industry required the involvement in the economic turnover of new and diverse natural resources. In addition to expanding the use of land, forests, wildlife, intensive exploitation of mineral resources began, water resources etc. Increasing in its pace and scope, the exploitation of nature led to its rapid depletion. In addition to the depletion of natural resources, the development of industry has created a new problem - the problem of environmental pollution. Atmospheric air, water bodies, and soil turned out to be heavily polluted mainly by industrial waste and exhaust gases of motor vehicles. These pollution not only had an extremely negative impact on soil fertility, vegetation and wildlife, but also began to pose a significant threat to human health. Human impact on nature has reached greatest strength per recent times, in a period of high growth rates of all types of material production and scientific and technological progress. For a long time man looked at nature as an inexhaustible source of necessary for him wealth. But when faced with negative results his impact on nature, he gradually came to the conviction of the need for a more reasonable use and protection of it.

In my essay, I will consecrate the environmental problem in general and ways to solve it.

What is an ecological crisis.

Ecological crisis, violation of relationships within the ecosystem or irreversible phenomena in the biosphere caused by anthropogenic activities and threatening the existence of man as a species. According to the degree of threat natural life The unfavorable ecological situation, ecological disaster and ecological catastrophe stand out for human and the development of society. The influence of society on nature has reached a large scale by now. This influence affects not only individual natural resources, but also, as we have seen, the course of the most important global processes biosphere, the violation of which can lead to very dangerous consequences for life on the planet. It is this situation that has led to the emergence and spread in recent times in developed countries concept of "environmental crisis". The origins of the "environmental crisis" lie in the irrational use of natural resources. For example, in the USA, according to some estimates, from 1929 to 1963 from 47 to 56% of the gross national product was produced without taking into account the real needs of society. Consequently, about half of the natural resources developed by the United States during this period were spent without taking into account real public needs. The development of natural resources in the interests of competing owners, an exorbitant increase in military spending, an orientation towards unlimited consumption inevitably lead to a chaotic expenditure of natural resources and, in the end, turn into severe hardships for society.

The threat of an ecological crisis.

Growth of scale economic activity of man, the rapid development of the scientific and technological revolution increased the negative impact of man on nature, led to a violation of the ecological balance on the planet. In the sphere of material production, the consumption of natural resources has increased. For 40 years after the Second World War, as many minerals were used as in the entire previous history of mankind. But the reserves of coal, oil, gas, copper, iron and other natural resources important for people are non-renewable and, as scientists have calculated, will be exhausted in a few decades.

Even forest resources, which seem to be constantly renewing, are in fact rapidly declining. Deforestation on a global scale is 18 times higher than its growth. More than 11 million hectares of forest are destroyed every year, and in three decades the area of ​​deforestation will be approximately the size of India. A significant part of the area, which was previously forested, is being converted into poor quality agricultural land that cannot feed the people living in this area. The main reason for the reduction in the area of ​​​​forests on our planet is direct deforestation for harvesting industrial wood and obtaining fuel, taking into account the steady growth of the population in developing countries, clearing land for farmland and pastures, environmental pollution with various toxicants, etc.

Moist tropical forests are cut down especially intensively, and the rate of their reduction is increasing every year. If in the mid-80s of the XX century 11.3 million hectares were destroyed annually, then in the 90s - already 16.8 million hectares. Currently tropical rainforest Latin America reduced by 37% of the original area, in Asia - by 42%, in Africa - by 52%. The largest areas of primary forests are preserved in Brazil, Zaire, Indonesia, Colombia, and boreal - in Russia and Canada. The least primary forests remain in China and Australia, and in Western Europe(with the exception of the Scandinavian countries) they are practically gone. Deforestation leads to negative environmental consequences: the albedo of the earth's surface changes, the balance of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere is disturbed, soil erosion increases, the hydrological regime of rivers is disturbed, etc. No less dangerous is the pollution of the oceans. The world's oceans are constantly being polluted, mainly due to the expansion of oil production in offshore fields. Huge oil slicks are detrimental to ocean life. Millions of tons of phosphorus, lead, radioactive waste. For each square kilometer ocean space now accounts for 17 tons of various harmful waste from land. And the dead ocean, scientists believe, is a dead planet. Fresh water has become the most vulnerable part of nature. Waste water, pesticides, fertilizers, disinfectants, mercury, arsenic, lead, zinc in large quantities enter rivers and lakes. In the CIS republics, untreated wastewater containing millions of tons is annually discharged into rivers, lakes, reservoirs and seas. harmful substances. Not better position and in other countries of the world. The Danube, the Volga, the Mississippi, and the Great American Lakes are heavily polluted. According to experts, in some areas of the Earth, 80% of all diseases are caused by poor-quality water, which people are forced to consume. It is known that a person can live five weeks without food, five days without water, and five minutes without air. Meanwhile, pollution atmospheric air has long exceeded the allowable limits. Dust content, carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere of a series major cities increased tenfold compared with the beginning of the 20th century 115 million. cars in the United States they absorb twice as much oxygen as it is created on the territory of this country by all natural sources. The total emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere (by industry, energy, transport, etc.) in the United States is about 150 million tons per year, in the CIS countries more than 100 million tons. In 102 cities of the CIS with a population of more than 50 thousand people, the concentration of substances harmful to health in the air exceeds medical standards by 10 times, and in some - even more. Acid rain containing sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide, which appear during the operation of power plants in Germany and the UK, falls into Scandinavian countries and bring death to lakes and forests. The territory of the CIS receives 9 times more harmful substances with acid rain from the West than they are transferred to reverse direction. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986 showed the environmental threat posed by accidents at nuclear power plants that exist in 26 countries around the world. Household garbage has become a serious problem: solid waste, plastic bags, synthetic detergents, etc. Clean air around cities, filled with the aroma of plants, disappears, rivers turn into sewers. Piles of cans, broken glass and other rubbish, landfills along the roads, littering the territory, crippled nature - this is the result of the long domination of the industrial world.

Causes of the ecological crisis.

At present, many contradictions, conflicts, problems outgrow the local framework and acquire a global global character.

The main causes of the crisis:

1. Earth's climate change as a result of natural geological processes, enhanced by the greenhouse effect caused by changes optical properties atmosphere by emissions into it mainly of CO, CO2 and other gases.

2. Reducing the power of the stratospheric ozone screen with the formation of the so-called "ozone holes", which reduce the protective capabilities of the atmosphere against the entry of hard short-wave ultraviolet radiation dangerous for living organisms to the Earth's surface.

3. Chemical pollution of the atmosphere with substances that contribute to the formation of acid precipitation, photochemical smog and other compounds that are dangerous for biosphere objects, including humans.

4. Pollution of the ocean and changes in the properties of ocean waters due to oil products, their saturation with carbon dioxide of the atmosphere, which in turn is polluted by vehicles and thermal power plants, burial of highly toxic chemical and radioactive substances in ocean waters, pollution from river runoff, disturbance of the water balance of coastal areas due to with the regulation of rivers;

5. Depletion and pollution of land waters.

6. Nuclear pollution environment.

7. Soil pollution due to polluted precipitation, the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers.

8. Changes in the geochemistry of landscapes due to the redistribution of elements between the bowels and the surface of the Earth.

9. Continued accumulation on the Earth's surface of all kinds of solid waste.

10. Violation of the global and regional ecological balance.

11. Increasing desertification of the planet.

12. Reducing the area of ​​tropical forests and northern taiga - the main sources of maintaining the oxygen balance of the planet.

13. Absolute overpopulation of the Earth and relative demographic overpopulation individual regions, extreme differentiation of poverty and wealth.

14. Deterioration of the living environment in overpopulated cities.

15. Exhaustion of many mineral deposits.

16. Strengthening social instability as a result of the growing differentiation of the rich and poor part of the population of many countries, the increase in the level of armament of their population, criminalization.

17. Decline in the immune status and health status of the population in many countries of the world, repeated repetition of epidemics, which are becoming more massive and severe in their consequences. One of the main global problems is the preservation of the environment. Its beginning lies in the distant past. About 10,000 years ago, the agricultural culture of the Neolithic arose. The expansion of the area of ​​cultivated land, the felling of trees for economic purposes, the spread of slash-and-burn agriculture - all this led to the replacement of the natural landscape with a cultural one, and increased human influence on the habitat. A rapid population growth began - a population explosion - a sharp increase in population associated with an improvement in socio-economic or general historical living conditions. The population of the Earth is growing exponentially: if since 8000 BC. before the beginning of the new chronology, the population increased from 5 million people to 130 million, that is, by 125 million people in 8 thousand years, then from 1930 to 1960, that is, in just 30 years, the population of the Earth increased by 1 billion people (from 2 billion to 3 billion people). Currently, it is more than 6 billion people. From 1830 to 1930, the population of Europe and North America grew, and in recent years a population explosion has been observed in Asia and Latin America.

The Industrial Revolution began about 200 years ago and over the past 100-150 years the face of Europe and North America has completely changed. There was an inextricable connection between nature and society, which is mutual. On the one hand, the natural environment, geographical and climatic features have a significant impact on social development. These factors can accelerate or slow down the pace of development of countries and peoples, and influence the social development of labor. On the other hand, society influences natural environment human habitat. The history of mankind testifies both to the beneficial effect of human activities on the natural habitat, and to its detrimental consequences. Man made such chemical reactions that did not exist before on Earth. Were highlighted in pure form iron, tin, lead, aluminum, nickel and many other chemical elements. The amount of metals mined and smelted by man reaches colossal proportions and increases every year. The extraction of combustible minerals is even more significant. When burning hard coal and other fuels, oxides of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and other products are formed. earth surface turns into cities and cultivated land and dramatically changes its chemical properties.

Atmospheric air pollution has exceeded all permissible limits. The concentration of substances harmful to health in the air exceeds medical standards in many cities by dozens of times. Acid rain containing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which is a consequence of the functioning of thermal power plants, transport and factories, is the death of lakes and forests. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant showed the environmental threat posed by accidents at nuclear power plants, which are operated in 26 countries around the world.

The principles of the natural structure, which are violated by man and lead to an ecological crisis:

1. The use by man in his economic activity of energy sources internal to the biosphere (organic fuel). This leads to an increase in the entropy of the biosphere, disruption of the ecological cycles of carbon dioxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and thermal pollution.

2. The openness of business cycles leads to a large number of waste polluting the environment. The use of many artificially synthesized substances along with natural ones causes a violation of the ecological balance, leads to an increase in environmental toxicity.

3. When direct participation human destruction of the structural diversity of the biosphere, the death of many species. There is an excessive increase in pressure on the human biosphere, which leads to serious violations of environmental stability and a decrease in the stability of the biosphere.

Air pollution.

There are two main sources of air pollution: natural and anthropogenic.

The natural source is volcanoes, dust storms, weathering, forest fires, the processes of decomposition of plants and animals.

Anthropogenic, mainly divided into three main sources of air pollution: industry, household boilers, transport. The share of each of these sources in total air pollution varies greatly from place to place.

It is now generally accepted that industrial production pollutes the air the most. Sources of pollution are thermal power plants, which, together with smoke, emit sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the air; metallurgical enterprises, especially non-ferrous metallurgy, which emit nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, fluorine, ammonia, phosphorus compounds, particles and compounds of mercury and arsenic into the air; chemical and cement plants. Harmful gases enter the air as a result of fuel combustion for industrial needs, home heating, transport, combustion and processing of household and industrial waste.

According to scientists (1990), every year in the world as a result of human activity, 25.5 billion tons of carbon oxides, 190 million tons of sulfur oxides, 65 million tons of nitrogen oxides, 1.4 million tons of chlorofluorocarbons (freons), organic compounds lead, hydrocarbons, including carcinogenic (causing cancer).

The most common atmospheric pollutants enter it mainly in two forms: either in the form of suspended particles (aerosols) or in the form of gases. By mass, the lion's share - 80-90 percent - of all atmospheric emissions due to human activities are gaseous emissions. There are 3 main sources of gaseous pollution: combustion of combustible materials, industrial production processes and natural sources.

Consider the main harmful impurities of anthropogenic origin /

Carbon monoxide. It is obtained by incomplete combustion of carbonaceous substances. It enters the air as a result of burning solid waste, with exhaust gases and emissions from industrial enterprises. At least 1250 million tons of this gas enters the atmosphere annually. Carbon monoxide is a compound that actively reacts with constituent parts atmosphere and contributes to an increase in temperature on the planet, and the creation of a greenhouse effect.

Sulfur dioxide. It is emitted during the combustion of sulfur-containing fuel or the processing of sulfurous ores (up to 170 million tons per year). Part of the sulfur compounds is released during the combustion of organic residues in mining dumps. US only total sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere amounted to 65% of the global emissions.

Hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. They enter the atmosphere separately or together with other sulfur compounds. The main sources of emissions are enterprises manufacturing artificial fiber, sugar, coke-chemical, oil refining, as well as oil fields. In the atmosphere, when interacting with other pollutants, they undergo slow oxidation to sulfuric anhydride.

Nitrogen oxides. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing nitrogen fertilizers, nitric acid and nitrates, aniline dyes, nitro compounds, viscose silk, and celluloid. The amount of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere is 20 million tons per year.

Fluorine compounds. Sources of pollution are enterprises producing aluminum, enamels, glass, ceramics, steel, and phosphate fertilizers. Fluorine-containing substances enter the atmosphere in the form of gaseous compounds - hydrogen fluoride or dust of sodium and calcium fluoride. Connections are characterized toxic effect. Fluorine derivatives are strong insecticides.

Chlorine compounds. They enter the atmosphere from chemical enterprises producing hydrochloric acid, chlorine-containing pesticides, organic dyes, hydrolysis alcohol, bleach, soda. In the atmosphere, they are found as an admixture of chlorine molecules and hydrochloric acid vapors. The toxicity of chlorine is determined by the type of compounds and their concentration.

In addition to gaseous pollutants, a large amount of particulate matter. These are dust, soot and soot. Contamination of the natural environment with heavy metals poses a great danger. Lead, cadmium, mercury, copper, nickel, zinc, chromium, vanadium have become almost constant components of the air in industrial centers.

Permanent sources of aerosol pollution are industrial dumps - artificial mounds of redeposited material, mainly overburden, formed during mining or from waste from processing industries, thermal power plants.

source of dust and poisonous gases serve as mass blasting. The production of cement and other building materials is also a source of air pollution with dust. Main technological processes these industries - grinding and chemical processing of semi-finished products and products obtained in hot gas streams is always accompanied by emissions of dust and other harmful substances into the atmosphere.

The main air pollutants today are carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.

Water pollution

It is clear to everyone how great is the role of water in the life of our planet and especially in the existence of the biosphere.

The biological need of man and animals for water per year is 10 times higher than their own weight. Even more impressive are the household, industrial and agricultural needs of man. So, “to produce a ton of soap, 2 tons of water are required, sugar - 9, cotton products - 200, steel 250, nitrogen fertilizers or synthetic fiber - 600, grain - about 1000, paper - 1000, synthetic rubber- 2500 tons of water".

The water used by man is eventually returned to the natural environment. But, apart from the evaporated, it is no longer pure water, and domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater, usually not treated or treated insufficiently. Thus, freshwater reservoirs are polluted - rivers, lakes, land and coastal areas of the seas.

Modern methods of water purification, mechanical and biological, are far from perfect. “Even after biological treatment in Wastewater ah remains 10 percent organic and 60-90 percent inorganic substances, including up to 60 percent nitrogen, 70 percent phosphorus, 80 percent potassium, and almost 100 percent salts of toxic heavy metals.”

There are three types of water pollution - biological, chemical and physical.

Biological pollution is created by microorganisms, including pathogens, as well as organic substances capable of fermentation. The main sources of biological pollution of land waters and coastal waters of the seas are domestic effluents, which contain feces, food waste, wastewater from enterprises Food Industry(slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, dairy and cheese factories, sugar factories, etc.), pulp and paper and chemical industries, and in rural areas - runoff from large livestock complexes. Biological contamination can cause epidemics of cholera, typhoid, paratyphoid and other intestinal infections and various viral infections, such as hepatitis.

Chemical pollution is created by the entry of various toxic substances into the water. The main sources of chemical pollution are blast furnace and steel production, non-ferrous metallurgy, mining, chemical industry and, to a large extent, extensive Agriculture. In addition to direct discharges of wastewater into water bodies and surface runoff, it is also necessary to take into account the ingress of pollutants onto the water surface directly from the air.

So, the most large-scale and significant is the chemical pollution of the environment with substances unusual for it. chemical nature. Progresses and accumulation carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Further development of this process will strengthen the undesirable trend towards an increase in the average annual temperature on the planet.

The ongoing pollution of the World Ocean with oil and oil products, which, according to environmentalists, has already reached 1/10 of it, is also alarming. common surface. oil pollution of such dimensions can cause significant disruption of gas and water exchange between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.

Formally, it is still impossible to say that we are experiencing a global environmental catastrophe, since there are still areas on Earth where there are no serious traces of anthropogenic pollution. But such areas are becoming less and less, and some types of pollution are noted even in the most remote places from their sources, for example, in Antarctica.

Recently, more and more often in the press, on radio, television, one of the main topics is environmental. The general public, aware of the critical state of the environment, must actively act. "Greenization" of legislative and executive power is especially important now, since the primary task is to make environmentally friendly production profitable and, conversely, any neglect of environmental standards is economically unprofitable. Without this, appeals to ordinary citizens to protect nature will look demagogic and are unlikely to achieve their goal. At the same time, the broadest educational work among citizens of all ages is also necessary.

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2. Budyko M.I. Global ecology. - M.: Thought, 1977.

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4. Wark K., Warner S. Air pollution. Sources and control. - M., 1980.

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6. Kormilitsyn, M.S. Tsitskishvili, Yu.I. Yalamov. Fundamentals of ecology. - Moscow, 1997.

7. Lvovich A. I. "Protection of water from pollution.

8. Sinitsyn S. G. "Forest and nature conservation".

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12. http://sumdu.telesweet.net/doc/lections/Ekologiya.ru

13. http://student.km.ru/ref_show_frame.asp?id=20016F697E304647BA12C93D1D6EF8EF

14. Protection of the atmosphere from industrial pollution. / Ed. S. Calvert and G. Englund. - M .: "Metallurgy", 1991., p. 7.

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Search for causes of degradation of the natural environment and solutions environmental issues, which arose, although not recently, began quite late in the history of human society. However, as life shows, the study of ecological balance reduces the possibility of its restoration and capital investment brings more profit. They did not appear as economic problems until they threatened the very way of organizing the production process, an organization that is based and cannot be carried out without ever greater exploitation of the two sources of wealth: the land and the worker.

In addition, the answers that are given to the question of why environmental violations occur are often varied and incomplete, and some of them are of a class nature and cannot be considered scientific at all. For example, the central problem, due to which the specific difficulties of the natural environment are only symptoms, is that humanity systematically reduces the possibilities of the natural environment, destroys what it has. However, this answer is not complete, because does not disclose the socio-economic relations in which production is carried out, the features of technologies that lead to environmental violations, because the degradation of the natural environment occurs not only as a consequence of the "development" of nature with the development of productive forces, but also when these productive forces are used in production within certain socio-ecological relations. Production, from the very beginning guided only by profit, showed its destructive attitude towards the natural environment.

Today, the violation of the ecological balance is expressed in many forms. It can be said that there is a consensus that the main forms are: irrational exploitation of non-renewable natural resources (sources of raw materials and energy), accompanied by the danger of being quickly exhausted; pollution of the biosphere with hazardous waste; a large concentration of economic facilities and urbanization, the impoverishment of natural landscapes and the reduction of free areas for recreation and treatment. The main reasons for these forms of expression of the ecological crisis are rapid economic growth and forced industrialization, leading to urbanization.

Rapid economic growth, based on the development of productive forces, also ensures their further development, improving working conditions, reducing poverty and increasing social wealth, raising the cultural and material wealth of society and increasing medium duration life.

But at the same time, as a result of accelerated economic growth is the degradation of nature, i.e. ecological imbalance. With the acceleration of economic development, the economic development nature, intensified use natural materials and all resources. With the exponential growth of production, all productive resources grow, the use of capital grows, the waste of raw materials and energy and solids and wastes, which increasingly pollute the environment so that the pollution of nature occurs along an exponential curve.

The consequences of urbanized economic growth for the natural environment are multifaceted, first of all, the more intensive use of natural resources, primarily irreplaceable ones, puts us in danger of their full development. At the same time, with the growth in the exploitation of natural resources, the amount of waste introduced into nature increases. The enormous waste of raw materials and energy that accompanies industrial development directs modern technology to quick search natural resources. And the production of secondary products increases the mass and number of new substances that do not exist in nature and which do not have natural assimilators, thus, more and more materials appear in the ecosphere that are not inherent in it and which it cannot recycle or use in its life processes. One can freely agree that the specificity of the current ecological situation arises both from the increasing impact of man on nature, and from the qualitative changes caused by the quantitative growth of the productive forces in the world. Both the first and second points are based on modern scientific and technological progress, the dominant technique of production, which are mainly created by the developed capitalist countries. The development of technology and technology is primarily focused on one-sided operation natural sources rather than their renewal and expanded reproduction, this leads to accelerated production of rare non-renewable resources. New technology In turn, it introduces such changes in the natural environment that are not adapted evolutionarily to the conditions prevailing in it, whether we are talking about new processes and reactions, or about mass production in a short time. These relatively rapid changes are different from the rhythm natural processes, where mutations occur at fairly large time intervals. This discrepancy between the evolutionary course of natural macroprocesses and changes as a result of human activity in individual components of the natural system creates significant disturbances in the natural environment and is one of the factors of the current ecological crisis in the world.

The degradation of the natural environment and the resulting environmental violations are not only the product of technological development and the expression of temporary and occasional disturbances. On the contrary, the degradation of the natural environment is an indicator of the deepest industrial civilization and a super-intensive mode of production. Because the industrial system capitalism greatly increases the possibilities of production and power over the natural, then it also contains the seeds of a systematic dispersion of human and natural forces. The economic expansion of production potential, where it is rational only that it brings profit (power, money and opportunities), is achieved at the cost of dispersion of natural sources and ambient ... Production based on three pillars: profit, opportunity, prestige - on artificial stimulation of needs, artificial wear and accelerated replacement of products of production, becomes one of the main causes of violation of nature. Therefore, the protection of the natural environment from degradation, or rather the protection of the natural environment, and the improvement in modern society cannot take place in inhuman relationships based on the blind pursuit of profit.

In an economy that aims to maximize profits, there is a combination of factors: natural sources (air, water, minerals, which were until now free and for which there was no substitute); means of production, representing immovable capital (which wear out and need to be replaced by more powerful and efficient ones), and labor power (which also has to be reproduced). The struggle to achieve the goal has a decisive influence not only on the way in which the combination of these factors occurs, but also on relative value given to each of these factors. If, in the combination of these factors, the enterprise is only interested in producing the maximum commodity value at the minimum cost, expressed in money (monetary), then it strives to ensure the maximum functioning of rare and expensive machines, and as far as the physical and mental health of workers is concerned, they can be changed frequently. and it's inexpensive. Also, the enterprise seeks to reduce its costs and does this mainly due to the ecological balance, because the destruction of the ecological balance does not burden them. The logic of the enterprise is to produce what can be sold dearly, even if valuable (useful) things can be produced at lower costs (costs).

Surf

Almost every day, scientists bring new horrific data that testify to a global environmental crisis. And if in the coming years humanity does not change its priorities, its thinking and way of life, it will turn into a real disaster for all living things. In this article we will try to understand what is an environmental crisis? What are the main ones and how to help nature?

An ecological crisis is a gross change in natural processes in the biosphere, as a result of which environment almost irreversible change. To date, the environmental crisis is considered one of the most complex problems that affect all spheres of human activity.

Among the main causes of the environmental crisis are demographic situation. According to official information from the UN, today the world's population is more than 6.5 billion people. According to experts, by 2050 this figure will increase to 13 billion. The main reason for the crisis in the situation with overpopulation of the planet is the lack of natural resources that are necessary for a normal existence. In addition, due to the high birth rate, as well as advances in medicine, which has reduced the death rate on planet Earth, and an overpopulation problem has formed. If you look at the statistics, the annual population growth of 77 million people is mainly observed in the poor countries of Asia and Africa. In order to stabilize demographic situation We need to raise the standard of living throughout the world.

Causes of the ecological crisis in abundance transport. Cars with petrol and diesel engines are the main sources of environmental pollution. When fuels are burned in a vehicle, carbon monoxide. This is very dangerous substance which affects the cerebral cortex. In addition, almost all cars are emitted into the atmosphere particulate matter, which adversely affect the planet's eco-system and are the main cause of the ecological crisis. Dust from solid particles settles on water bodies, killing all living plants. hydrogen sulfide is a toxic gas that affects the vascular and nervous system. Prolonged human contact with this asphyxiating gas can cause serious poisoning. One of the most harmful substances that are the cause of the ecological crisis are unused elements of the combustion of petroleum products. The consequences of this sad phenomenon are a sharp jump in cancer patients, since this substance has the ability to accumulate in the body, and there are no ways to remove it. 17% greenhouse gases, fall into the surrounding world with vehicles.

Causes of the ecological crisis uncontrollable deforestation. One hectare of forest absorbs up to 300 kilograms of carbon dioxide per day, and releases up to 200 kilograms of oxygen. According to UN experts, if deforestation continues, then in 40 years the main bioresource of the planet will disappear. One of the main causes of the ecological crisis, deforestation disrupts the water balance on the planet. After all, trees are not only a source of air, they release moisture from the soil into the atmosphere.

Causes of the ecological crisis global warming. Due to global warming, temperatures across the planet have increased and rainfall has decreased. In the coming years, scientists predict that annual precipitation will be reduced by 40%, as a result of which there will be a failure at the hydroelectric power station. Due to global warming, the grain harvest will be reduced by 45% in the coming decades. As a result, food prices will rise. Besides global warming will bring a large number of hurricanes and floods to the most vulnerable regions and coastal zones.

Causes of the ecological crisis destruction of the ozone layer. The main cause of ozone depletion is human activity. Over the past 20 years, scientists have observed the most severe destruction of the ozone layer, which comes from ultraviolet radiation, space flights and toxic emissions. One small particle of chlorine, after entering the atmosphere, destroys a huge number of ozone molecules. And life on Earth, as you know, is not possible without the ozone layer. The depletion of the ozone layer negatively affects people, plants and the underwater world. Each 1% decrease in ozone leads to an increase of 10,000 cancer patients and approximately 100,000 cataract patients.

How to help nature?

Each of us has a chance with little effort to help nature:

Try to use disposable plastic utensils as little as possible. After use, do not be lazy and throw it into a special container. Clean up after yourself when outdoors.

When buying products in the store, pay attention to loose ones, which are sold without packaging. Use the purchased bags for garbage.

Try to avoid toxic detergents. There are many environmental remedies that will perfectly cope with any problem.

Reduce your water consumption, avoid driving too much, plant a tree, and turn off all appliances at night.

Even early Christians predicted the end of the world, the end of civilization, the death of mankind. The world will do without a person, but a person cannot exist without the natural environment.

At the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. stood before civilization real threat global ecological crisis.

Under ecological crisis is understood, first of all, the burden of various environmental problems that currently hangs over humanity.

Intervention in the natural cycle began by man at the moment when he first threw grain into the ground. Thus began the era of man's conquest of his planet.

But what prompted the primitive man to take up agriculture, and then cattle breeding? First of all, at the dawn of their development, the inhabitants northern hemisphere destroyed almost all ungulates, using them as food (one example is mammoths in Siberia). The lack of food resources led to the fact that most of the individuals of the then human population died out. It was one of the first natural crises that hit people. It should be emphasized that the extermination of certain large mammals could not be universal. A sharp decrease in the number as a result of hunting leads to the division of the species range into separate islands. The fate of small isolated populations is deplorable: if a species is not able to quickly restore the integrity of its range, its inevitable extinction occurs due to epizootics or a shortage of individuals of one sex with an overabundance of the other.

The first crises (not only the lack of food) forced our ancestors to look for ways to preserve the size of their population. Gradually, a person took the path of progress (how could it be otherwise?). The era of the great confrontation between man and nature began.

Man more and more moved away from the natural cycle, which is based on the replacement of natural parts and the non-waste nature of natural processes.

Over time, the confrontation turned out to be so serious that it became impossible for a person to return to the natural environment.

In the second half of the XX century. humanity is facing an ecological crisis.

Theorist of modern ecology N.F. Reimers defined the ecological crisis as a tense state of relations between humanity and nature, characterized by a discrepancy between the development of productive forces and industrial relations in human society to the resource and ecological possibilities of the biosphere. One of the characteristics of the ecological crisis is the increase in the influence of nature changed by people on social development. Unlike a catastrophe, a crisis is a reversible state in which a person acts as an active party.

In other words, ecological crisis— violation of the balance between natural conditions and human impact on the natural environment.

Sometimes, the ecological crisis refers to a situation that has arisen in natural ecosystems under the influence of natural natural phenomena(flood, volcanic eruption, drought, hurricane, etc.) or as a result of anthropogenic factors (environmental pollution, deforestation).

Causes and main trends of the ecological crisis

The use of the term "environmental crisis" to refer to environmental problems takes into account the fact that a person is part of an ecosystem that changes as a result of his activity (primarily production). Natural and social phenomena are a single whole, and their interaction is expressed in the destruction of the ecosystem.

It is now obvious to everyone that the ecological crisis is a global and universal concept that concerns each of the people living on Earth.

What specifically can indicate an approaching ecological catastrophe?

Here is a far from complete list of negative phenomena that indicate a general ill-being:

• global warming, greenhouse effect, shift of climatic zones;
• ozone holes, destruction of the ozone screen;
• reduction biodiversity on the planet;
• global environmental pollution;
• non-utilizable radioactive waste;
• water and wind erosion and reduction of fertile soil areas;
• population explosion, urbanization;
• depletion of non-renewable mineral resources;
• energy crisis;
• a sharp increase in the number of previously unknown and often incurable diseases;
• lack of food, a permanent state of hunger for most of the world's population;
• depletion and pollution of the resources of the oceans.

depends on three factors: population, average consumption and wide application various technologies. The environmental damage caused by the consumer society can be reduced by changing agricultural patterns, transport systems, urban planning methods, intensity of energy consumption, revision of industrial technologies, etc. In addition, when technology changes, the level of material requests can be reduced. And this is gradually happening due to the rise in the cost of living, which is directly related to environmental problems.

Separately, it should be noted the crisis phenomena occurring as a result of local hostilities that have become more frequent in recent years. An example of an ecological catastrophe caused by an interstate conflict was the events that took place in Kuwait and neighboring countries on the coast of the Persian Gulf after Operation Desert Storm in early 1991. Retreating from Kuwait, the Iraqi invaders blew up over 500 oil wells. A significant part of them burned for six months, poisoning with harmful gases and soot. large area. From boreholes that did not ignite, oil gushed out, forming big lakes, and flowed into the Persian Gulf. A large amount of oil spilled here from the blown up terminals and tankers. As a result, about 1554 km 2 of the sea surface was covered with oil, 450 km coastline. Most of the birds, sea turtles, dugongs and other animals died. The fire torches burned 7.3 million liters of oil daily, which is equal to the volume of oil imported by the United States daily. Clouds of soot from fires rose to a height of 3 km and were carried by winds far beyond the borders of Kuwait: black rains fell in Saudi Arabia and Iran, black snow - in India (2000 km from Kuwait). Air pollution with oil soot has affected people's health, as soot contains many carcinogens.

Experts found that this disaster caused the following negative consequences:

• Thermal pollution (86 million kWh/day). For comparison: the same amount of heat is released due to forest fire on an area of ​​200 hectares.
• Every day, 12,000 tons of soot were formed from burning oil.
• 1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide were produced daily. This is 2% of the total CO 2 that is released into the Earth's atmosphere due to the combustion of mineral fuels by all countries of the world.
• Emissions into the atmosphere of S0 2 amounted to 20,000 tons per day. This is 57% of the total amount of S0 2 coming daily from the furnaces of all US CHPs.

The essence of the environmental threat lies in the fact that the ever-increasing pressure on the biosphere of anthropogenic factors can lead to a complete break in the natural cycles of reproduction. biological resources, self-purification of soil, water, atmosphere. This will cause a sharp and rapid deterioration environmental situation which could lead to the death of the world's population. Already, environmentalists are warning about the growing greenhouse effect, the spread of ozone holes, the fallout of everything more acid rain, etc. These negative trends in the development of the biosphere are gradually becoming global in nature and pose a threat to the future of mankind.

II. Causes of the global environmental crisis

The following chain of causes of the ecological crisis can be distinguished:

culture

Growth → production → technology → science → ideology

population psychology

1. Natural scientific roots of ecological difficulties.One of the roots of the ecological crisis(from the point of view of scientific knowledge of the relationship between man and the natural environment) - excessive analyticity of scientific thinking, which, in an effort to penetrate further and further into the depths of things, is fraught with the danger of departing from real phenomena, from a holistic view of nature. The artificial isolation of any fragment of reality makes it possible to in-depth study, however, the connections of this fragment with the environment are not taken into account.

The analytical orientation of science was assessed mostly positively. Science begins with the analytical division of the Universe; in areas that are most accessible to such a division (as, for example, physics), science reaches greatest success, and these areas become, as it were, standards of knowledge. Analytical Method, which was considered the main one in science by such minds as T. Hobbes, is, in essence, a modification of the well-known slogan "divide and rule." In other words, science deals with private fragments of reality, with objects of knowledge, which are singled out by a certain projection onto the object of study.

Analyticism, which lies at the very foundation of the scientific approach to reality, fully corresponds to the desire of a person to practically master the objective world, since she transformative activity in its essence is also predominantly analytic. “In general, a person strives to know the world, to take possession of it and subjugate it to himself, and for this purpose he must, as it were, destroy, i.e. idealize, the reality of the world." Science used to "destroy" the world ideally, but now it is beginning to contribute to the real destruction of the world (suffice it to recall the discussions among geneticists about the dangers of experimenting with strains of bacteria).

The fundamental feature of the structure of scientific activity, arising from its predominantly analytical nature, is division of science into separate disciplines. The roots of environmental difficulties are also connected with the gap between the sciences, the unevenness of their development, which is determined both by the internal specifics of science and the influence of social needs. It is important to keep in mind that “guilty” is not a specific scientific achievement, and the fact that after it there are no corresponding changes in other areas of knowledge, the scientific system as a whole is not modified. Science lacks the flexibility that is inherent in the biosphere.

The modern stage of the relationship between society and nature by combining science and technology into a single system with feedback, but this relationship is not always negative, often positive, reinforcing negative trends,

2. Religious causes of the ecological crisis. “Man's ecological relations are deeply conditioned by his beliefs about his nature and destiny, that is, religion,” writes L. White. L. White argues that science in the West developed within the framework of theology and its main goal was to understand the divine mind by discovering the principles of functioning of its creations. The Christian view of the relation of man to nature proceeds from the fact that God created man in his own image and likeness and in physical world there is nothing that has any purpose other than the purpose of serving man. “And God blessed them, saying: increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and rule over it, and subdue the fish of the sea, and the beasts and the birds, and all the livestock, and all the earth” (Genesis. I. 28; cf. in the Koran: “ Worship your Lord ... who made the earth a carpet for you, and the sky a building, and sent down water from the sky and brought out fruits of food for you with it ”(2, 19-20)).

The main features of the relationship of man to nature, which is inherent in the Judeo-Christian tradition, are, according to L. White, the opposition of the spirit of man to his body (flesh) and the idea that God sanctioned the dominance of man over the earth and all living beings. L. White sees one of the ecologically negative consequences the dominance of the Judeo-Christian tradition in that it contributed to the overcoming of the previous pagan ideas and the deification of nature inherent in them.

According to L. White and other authors, previous civilizations were able to avoid an ecological catastrophe, for the reason that in the religions of the East and in ancient mythology there was a fundamentally different idea of ​​the relationship between man and nature, based on animism and humility of man before the elemental forces of nature. Such religions can be called ecophilic.

This principle is maintained in Eastern religions. Confucianism and Shintoism are based on the harmonious community of man and nature. "Be pure" is the soul of Japan's original Shinto religion. “In essence, Shinto is the deification of nature, born of the admiration of it. The Japanese worshiped objects and phenomena of the surrounding world not out of fear of incomprehensible and formidable elemental forces, but out of a sense of gratitude to nature for the fact that, despite sudden outbursts of anger, it is often affectionate and generous. Taoism preaches: let nature go its own way, not disturbed by bold and inappropriate human intervention. The term "wu wei" (no interference) is the great slogan and unwritten rule of Taoism throughout the ages

The idea of ​​unity, integrity of the diverse natural world, each of its fragments, is fundamental to the philosophy of the ancient Indians. According to Buddhism, "all in one, one in all". Buddhism continues the line of mythological all-connectedness and participation. To this line, carefully logically worked out and quite conscious, in Buddhism is added, moreover, becoming dominant, a moral component. It imposes fundamental restrictions on the nature-transforming activity of man.

According to another European philosopher A. Mercier, ecophobicityWestern civilization associated with the Western concept of progress based on the idea of ​​the exploitation of nature. He distinguishes between the Greek tradition, according to which the main interest in nature was the wonder of it and admiration for its beauty and mystery, and the Jewish tradition, according to which nature was given to people at their disposal for its exploitation. A. Mercier believes that it is not religion in itself that is to blame for the ecological crisis, but the principle of the exploitation of nature, which is expressed in Old Testament. In the future, capitalism was able to fully use this principle. A. Mercier's general conclusion is as follows: true progress lies not in the possession of nature, not in its exploitation, and not in possession at all, but in moral self-education.

3. Cultural causes of the ecological crisis. Western concept culture considers man as the most outstanding creation of nature, whose unique brain gives him not only the ability, but also the right to exploit all other creatures and resources of the Earth. The opposite concept, closely connected with the Far Eastern civilizations, believes that man is one of the biological species, obeying the laws of nature along with others. And although man is the most competitive species, in pursuing his goals, he inevitably destroys nature, which he understands very little.

The explanation of the phenomenon of striving for power over nature, based on the idea of ​​a deterministic cyclical development of culture, was given by O. Spengler. He considers civilization with its practical spirit as the last phase of the development of culture. Since the modern West is at the stage of civilization, Western man has become civilized. “The energy of a cultured person,” writes Spengler, “is directed inward, the energy of a civilized person is directed towards the outside ... The tendency to expand is rock, something demonic and monstrous, embracing the late man of the era of world cities, forcing him to serve himself regardless of whether he wants it or not, whether he knows it or not. Life is the realization of possibilities, and for brain man remains alone only possibility - distribution».

So, one of the cultural causes of the ecological crisis may be the transition of a given culture to its final stage - civilization. But Spengler points out in his work another cultural reason - the specifics of the Western culture, whose soul he calls Faustian in contrast to the Apollonian soul of ancient culture. Faustian culture he calls "the culture of the will." “The pure space of the Faustian picture of the world is a completely special idea, not only extensiveness, but also extension as action, as overcoming only the sensual, as tension and tendency, as the will to power…. As a result, Faustian culture was in highest measure aggressive, it overcame all geographical and material boundaries: in the end it turned the entire surface of the earth into one colonial region.

Spengler's philosophy created an ideological basis for those who see the cause of the ecological crisis in the peculiarities of Western culture at a certain stage of its development. However, the cultural reason is not the only one, since the ecological crisis also came to such eastern countries as Japan, where the unity of man and nature was traditionally cultivated.

4. Class- social causes ecological crisis. In this regard, some researchers believe that the main reason for the rupture and opposition of man and nature is the class differentiation of society. With its aggravation and accumulation of social contradictions, the alienation of man from man grew, and in parallel with it, alienation from nature. As a result, “only under capitalism does nature become just an object for man, just useful thing; it is no longer recognized as a self-sufficient force, and theoretical knowledge its own laws appears only as a cunning, with the aim of subordinating nature human needs, whether as a commodity or as a means of production.

The capitalist is in a hurry to make a profit, as the principle of "all or nothing" operates, and he succeeds in this, influencing production and the psychology of the masses. Capitalism involves everyone in a crazy race of production and consumption, giving rise to a new type of society - a consumer society. Man in a capitalist society is the source of labor power, and nature is the source of raw materials. Sweat-squeezing and resource-squeezing go hand in hand. The dominance of some over others stimulates the desire for dominance over the nature of all.

Thus, the underlying cause of the ecological crisis that began in our time in a certain part of the planet is the consumer orientation of modern Western civilization, which is in conflict with the fundamental laws of nature. The problem that arises is that if material well-being is put above all else, then material needs can, in principle, grow indefinitely, while the possibilities of their satisfaction by the biosphere at any given moment of time are limited and finite. If you still try to satisfy them, then the spirit of rivalry and violence arises and strengthens, and the exploitation of some people by others and nature by everyone inevitably begins, leading to ecological and other crises of civilization.

A consumerist civilization is at the same time a civilization of violence, even if it is dominated not by crude, direct, but by mild “civilized” violence. The latter, in the conditions of fierce competition between countries, is reduced to the creation of extremely aggressive variants in which violence begins to overshadow consumerism.

5. Psychological reasons ecological crisis. The consumer civilization itself is not the result of some objective process that takes place outside and in addition to the will of people, but a consequence of the formation aggressive-consumer personality structure. similar personality and creates a civilization fraught with all sorts of crises. The philosopher F. Nietzsche expressed its essence - the will to power, the economist A. Smith formulated its economic interests - to produce as many goods as possible, the psychologist Z. Freud determined that her desires are rooted in the subconscious.

Aggression and consumerism impoverish the nature and culture of the exploited peoples and landscapes, thereby making the world less sustainable, as sustainability under the laws of ecology increases with diversity. Man as a person becomes simpler and loses his integrity and stability, pushing the world and approaching collapse himself.

Answering the question of who is to blame for the current environmental crisis, one should name: 1) the ruling oligarchic class, which makes decisions and exploits all other segments of the population through monetary violence and its cruder and more direct forms; 2) an aggressive-consumer ideology implanted by this class and absorbed by the rest of society; 3) low spiritual and moral level of the population, which does not allow to resist the dominant ideology.

Analysis of the current environmental situation allows us to draw three conclusions:

1. In order to save the world, it is necessary to move from an aggressive-consumer civilization to an alternative type of civilization, the essential feature of which will be the disclosure of the deep potentials of human being, and not just the cultivation of needs.

2. Self-limitation of needs and violence, in order to be effective, must be based not on coercion, but on the free will of individuals.

3. This is possible only with the formation of a love-creative personality structure and lifestyle.

Questions and tasks

1. What is the essence of the global ecological crisis?

2. How does it differ from historically earlier ecocrises?

3. Who or what is to blame for the growing ecological crisis?

4. What are the scientific and technical roots of the global eco-crisis?

5. What are its religious roots?

6. What is the cultural cause of the global eco-crisis?

7. What are its social causes?

8. What is the structure modern personality responsible for the ecocrisis?

9. What, in your opinion, should humanity do to get out of the crisis?