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How environmental problems are solved. Solving environmental problems: three main paths

SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: THREE MAIN WAYS.

But humanity is not only littering its nest. It developed ways to protect environment and has already started to implement them.

The first way is to create different kinds treatment facilities, in the use of low-sulfur fuel, waste disposal and processing, construction of chimneys with a height of 200-300 m and more, land reclamation, etc. However, even the most modern facilities do not provide complete purification. And ultra-high chimneys, reducing the concentration of harmful substances in a given place, contribute to the spread of dust pollution and acid rain over much wider territories: a 250 m high chimney increases the dispersion radius to 75 km.

The second way consists in the development and application of a fundamentally new environmental ("clean") production technology, in the transition to low-waste and waste-free production processes. So, the transition from direct-flow (river - enterprise - river) water supply to recycling and even more so to "dry" technology can provide first partial and then complete cessation of wastewater discharge into rivers and reservoirs.

This path is the main one, since it not only reduces, but prevents environmental pollution. But it requires huge expenditures, unaffordable for many countries.

The third way is deeply thought out, the most rational location of the so-called "dirty" industries that have a negative impact on the environment. The number of "dirty" industries, first of all, includes the chemical and petrochemical, metallurgical, pulp and paper industries, thermal energy, production of building materials. When locating such enterprises, geographical expertise is especially necessary.

Another way is to reuse raw materials. V developed countries ah stocks of secondary raw materials are equal to the explored geological. The centers for the procurement of recyclable materials are the old industrial regions of Foreign Europe, the USA, Japan, and the European part of Russia.

Table 14. The share of waste paper in the production of paper and cardboard at the end of the 80s, in%.

Tasks and tests on the topic "Solving environmental problems: three main ways."

India - Eurasia grade 7
Lessons: 4 Assignments: 9 Tests: 1
The era of great geographical discoveries - Development geographic knowledge about the Earth grade 5
Lessons: 8 Assignments: 10 Tests: 2

Leading ideas: the geographical environment is a necessary condition for the life of society, the development and distribution of the population and the economy, while the influence of the resource factor on the level of economic development countries, but increasing importance rational use natural resources and environmental factor.

Basic concepts: geographic (environment) environment, ore and non-metallic minerals, ore belts, basins of minerals; structure of the world land fund, southern and northern forest belts, forest cover; hydropower potential; shelf, alternative energy sources; resource availability, natural resource potential (NRP), territorial combination of natural resources (TPSR), areas of new development, secondary resources; environmental pollution, environmental policy.

Skills and abilities: be able to characterize the natural resources of the country (region) according to the plan; use different methods economic assessment natural resources; to characterize the natural prerequisites for the development of industry, agriculture of the country (region) according to the plan; to give brief description allocation of the main types of natural resources, to single out the countries "leaders" and "outsiders" in terms of the provision of this or that type of natural resources; give examples of countries that do not have rich natural resources, but have achieved a high level of economic development, and vice versa; give examples of rational and irrational use of resources.

The right to a healthy environment is enshrined in the Constitution Russian Federation... A number of bodies monitor compliance with this norm:

Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia;
Rosprirodnadzor and its territorial departments;
environmental prosecutor's office;
executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of ecology;
a number of other departments.

But it would be more logical to consolidate the obligation of everyone to preserve natural resources, minimize consumption waste, and respect nature. A person has many rights. And what does nature have? Nothing. Only the obligation to satisfy all the growing human needs. And this consumer attitude leads to environmental problems. Let's take a look at what it is and how to improve the current state of affairs.

Concept and types of environmental problems

Ecological problems are interpreted in different ways. But the essence of the concept boils down to one thing: it is the result of a thoughtless, soulless anthropogenic impact on the environment, which leads to a change in the properties of landscapes, depletion or loss natural resources(minerals, flora and fauna). And a boomerang is reflected in human life and health.

Environmental problems affect the entire natural system. Based on this, there are several types of this problem:

Atmospheric. In the atmospheric air, most often in urban areas, there is increased concentration pollutants, including solid particles, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxide, carbon monoxide. Sources - automobile transport and stationary objects(industrial enterprises). Although, according to the State Report "On the State and Protection of the Environment of the Russian Federation in 2014", the total volume of emissions decreased from 35 million tons / year in 2007 to 31 million tons / year in 2014, the air is not becoming cleaner. The dirtiest Russian cities by this indicator are Birobidzhan, Blagoveshchensk, Bratsk, Dzerzhinsk, Yekaterinburg, and the cleanest ones are Salekhard, Volgograd, Orenburg, Krasnodar, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kyzyl, Murmansk, Yaroslavl, Kazan.
Aquatic. Depletion and pollution of not only surface but also groundwater is observed. Take, for example, the "great Russian" river Volga. The waters in it are characterized as "dirty". Exceeded the standard for the content of copper, iron, phenol, sulfates, organic substances. This is due to the operation of industrial facilities that discharge untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater into the river, the urbanization of the population - a large share of domestic wastewater through biological treatment facilities. The decrease in fish resources was influenced not only by the pollution of rivers, but also by the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power plants. Even 30 years ago, even near the city of Cheboksary, it was possible to catch a Caspian beluga, but now nothing larger than a catfish will be caught. It is possible that the annual actions of hydropower to launch fry of valuable fish species, such as sterlet, will someday bring tangible results.
Biological. Resources such as forests and pastures are degrading. Fish resources were mentioned. As for the forest, we have the right to call our country the largest forest power: a quarter of the area of all forests in the world grows in our country, half of the country's territory is occupied by woody vegetation. We need to learn to treat this wealth more carefully in order to preserve it from fires, to identify and punish “black” lumberjacks in a timely manner.

Fires are most often the work of human hands. It is possible that in this way someone is trying to hide the traces of illegal use of forest resources. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Rosleskhoz classifies the Transbaikal, Khabarovsk, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk Territories, the Republic of Tyva, Khakassia, Buryatia, Yakutia, Irkutsk, Amur Regions, and the Jewish Autonomous Region as the most "flammable" regions. At the same time, huge amounts of money are spent on the elimination of fires: for example, in 2015, over 1.5 billion rubles were spent. There is good examples... So, the republics of Tatarstan and Chuvashia in 2015 did not allow a single forest fire. There is someone to take an example from!

Land. We are talking about the depletion of mineral resources, about the development of minerals. To save at least some of these resources, it is enough to recycle waste as much as possible and send it for reuse. Thus, we will help to reduce the area of landfills, and enterprises can save on quarrying by using recyclable materials in production.
Soil - geomorphological... Active farming also leads to ravines, soil erosion, and salinization. According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, as of January 1, 2014, almost 9 million hectares of farmland are subject to degradation, of which more than 2 million hectares of land have been degraded. If erosion occurs as a result of land use, then the soil can be helped: by terracing, creating forest belts for protection from the wind, changing the type, density and age of vegetation.
Landscaping. Deterioration of the state of individual natural-territorial complexes.

Modern world environmental problems

Local and global environmental problems are closely interrelated. What happens in a particular region ultimately affects the general situation around the world. Therefore, the solution of environmental issues must be approached in an integrated manner. To begin with, let's highlight the main global environmental problems:

... As a result, protection from ultraviolet radiation is reduced, which leads to various diseases of the population, including skin cancer.
Global warming... Over the past 100 years, there has been an increase in the temperature of the surface layer of the atmosphere by 0.3-0.8 ° C. The area of snow in the north has decreased by 8%. There was a rise in the level of the world ocean up to 20 cm. Over 10 years, the growth rate of the average annual temperature in Russia was 0.42 ° C. This is twice the rate of increase in the global temperature of the Earth.
... Every day we breathe in about 20 thousand liters of air, saturated not only with oxygen, but also containing harmful suspended particles and gases. So, if we take into account that there are 600 million cars in the world, each of which daily emits up to 4 kg of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, soot and zinc into the atmosphere, then by means of simple mathematical calculations we come to the conclusion that the car fleet emits 2.4 billion kg of harmful substances. We must not forget about emissions from stationary sources. Therefore, it is not surprising that annually over 12.5 million people (and this is the entire population of Moscow!) Die from diseases associated with poor ecology.

... This problem leads to the pollution of water bodies and soils with nitric and sulfuric acid, cobalt and aluminum compounds. As a result, yield falls, forests die. Toxic metals get into drinking water and poison us.
... 85 billion tons of waste per year for mankind needs to be stored somewhere. As a result, the soil under authorized and unauthorized dumps is contaminated with solid and liquid industrial waste, pesticides, and household waste.
... The main pollutants are oil and oil products, heavy metals and complex organic compounds... In Russia, the ecosystems of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are kept at a stable level. The taxonomic composition and structure of communities do not undergo significant changes.

Ways to improve the environment

No matter how deeply modern environmental problems penetrate, their solution depends on each of us. So what can we do to help nature?

Using an alternative fuel or alternative vehicle. To reduce harmful emissions into the air, it is enough to switch the car to gas or switch to an electric car. A very environmentally friendly way to travel on a bicycle.
Separate collection. It is enough to install two garbage containers at home in order to effectively implement separate collection. The first is for waste that cannot be recycled, and the second is for subsequent transfer to recyclable materials. The cost of plastic bottles, waste paper, glass is becoming more and more expensive, so separate collection is not only environmentally friendly, but also economical. By the way, while in Russia the volume of waste generation is twice as high as the volume of waste use. As a result, the volume of waste in landfills has tripled in five years.
Moderation. In everything and everywhere. Effective solution environmental problems involves the rejection of the model of a consumer society. A person does not need 10 boots, 5 coats, 3 cars, etc. for life. It is easy to switch from plastic bags to eco-packages: they are stronger, the service life is much longer, and the cost is about 20 rubles. Many hypermarkets offer eco-bags under their own brand: Magnet, Auchan, Lenta, Karusel, etc. Everyone can independently evaluate what they can easily refuse.
Environmental education of the population. Take part in environmental campaigns: plant a tree in the yard, go to the restoration of forests damaged by fires. Take part in a clean-up day. And nature will thank you with the rustle of leaves, a light breath of the breeze ... Raise in children love for all living things and teach competent behavior while walking in the forest, on the street.
Join the ranks of environmental organizations. Not sure how to help nature and preserve a healthy environment? Join the ranks of environmental organizations! It could be the global environmental movements Greenpeace, the Foundation wildlife, Green cross; Russian: All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation, Russian geographic society, ECA, Separate SOBOR, Green Patrol, RosEko, Vernadsky Non-Governmental Ecological Fund, Nature Conservation Movement, etc. A creative approach to preserving a favorable environment and a new circle of friends are waiting for you!

Nature is one, there will never be another. Already today, by starting to jointly solve environmental problems, by combining the efforts of citizens, the state, public organizations and commercial enterprises, it is possible to improve the world around us. Many people are worried about environmental issues, because the way we treat them today depends on what conditions our children will live in tomorrow.

Most scientists who have studied environmental problems believe that humanity has about 40 more years to return the natural environment to a state of normally functioning biosphere and to resolve issues of its own survival. But this period is negligible. And does a person have the resources to solve even the most acute problems?

To the main achievements of civilization in the XX century. include the successes of science and technology. The achievements of science, including the science of environmental law, can be considered as the main resource in solving environmental problems. The thought of scientists is aimed at overcoming the ecological crisis. Humanity, states must make the most of the available scientific achievements for their own salvation.

The authors of the scientific work "The Limits to Growth: 30 Years Later" Meadows D.H., Meadows D.L., Randers J. believe that the choice of humanity is to reduce the burden on nature caused by human activities to a sustainable level through a reasonable policy, reasonable technology and reasonable organization, or wait until, as a result of changes in nature, the amount of food, energy, raw materials will decrease and an environment that is completely unsuitable for life will arise.

Taking into account the shortage of time, humanity must determine what goals it faces, what tasks need to be solved, what should be the results of its efforts. In accordance with certain goals, objectives and expected, planned results, humanity develops means of achieving them. Given the complexity of environmental problems, these tools have specificity in the technical, economic, educational, legal and other spheres.

Introduction of environmentally efficient and resource-saving technologies

The concept of zero-waste technology, in accordance with the Declaration of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (1979), means the practical application of knowledge, methods and means in order to ensure the most rational use of natural resources and protect the environment within the framework of human needs.

In 1984. the same UN commission penetrated a more specific definition of this concept: “Waste-free technology is a method of production, in which all raw materials and energy are used in the most rational and comprehensive way in the cycle: raw materials production consumption secondary resources, and any impact on the environment does not violate its normal functioning ”.

This formulation should not be perceived absolutely, that is, one should not think that production is possible without waste. It is simply impossible to imagine an absolutely waste-free production, there is no such thing in nature, it contradicts the second law of thermodynamics (the second law of thermodynamics is considered an empirically obtained statement about the impossibility of constructing a periodically operating device that does work by cooling one source of heat, i.e. eternal engine of the second kind). However, waste should not interfere with the normal functioning of natural systems. In other words, we must develop criteria for the undisturbed state of nature. The creation of waste-free production is a very complex and lengthy process, the intermediate stage of which is low-waste production. Low-waste production should be understood as such production, the results of which, when exposed to them on the environment, do not exceed the level permissible by sanitary and hygienic standards, that is, MPC. At the same time, for technical, economic, organizational or other reasons, part of the raw materials and materials can go to waste and be sent to long-term storage or burial. At the present stage of development of scientific and technological progress, it is the most real.

The principles for the establishment of low-waste or waste-free production should be:

1. The principle of consistency is the most basic. In accordance with it, each individual process or production is considered as an element of the dynamic system of all industrial production in the region (TPK) and at a higher level as an element of the ecological and economic system as a whole, including, in addition to material production and other economic and economic activities of a person, the natural environment (populations of living organisms, atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biogeocenoses, landscapes), as well as man and his habitat.

2. The complexity of the use of resources. This principle requires the maximum use of all components of raw materials and the potential of energy resources. As you know, almost all raw materials are complex, and on average, more than a third of its amount is associated with elements that can be extracted only with its complex processing. So, already at the present time, almost all silver, bismuth, platinum and platinoids, as well as more than 20% of gold, are obtained along the way during the processing of complex ores.

3. The cyclical nature of material flows. The simplest examples of cyclical material flows include closed water and gas circulation cycles. Ultimately, the consistent application of this principle should lead to the formation, first in individual regions, and subsequently in the entire technosphere, of a consciously organized and regulated technogenic circulation of matter and associated energy transformations.

4. The requirement to limit the impact of production on the natural and social environment, taking into account the planned and purposeful growth of its volumes and environmental excellence. This principle is primarily associated with the preservation of such natural and social resources as atmospheric air, water, the surface of the earth, recreational resources, and public health.

5. Rationality of the organization of low-waste and non-waste technologies. The determining factor here is the requirement for the rational use of all components of raw materials, the maximum reduction of energy, material and labor intensity of production and the search for new environmentally sound raw materials and energy technologies, which is largely associated with a decrease in the negative impact on the environment and causing damage to it, including related industries. farms.

In the whole set of works related to environmental protection and rational development of natural resources, it is necessary to highlight the main directions of creating low- and waste-free industries. These include: complex use of raw materials and energy resources; improvement of existing and development of fundamentally new technological processes and industries and related equipment; introduction of water and gas circulation cycles (based on effective gas and water treatment methods); cooperation of production with the use of waste from some industries as raw materials for others and the creation of waste-free TPK.

On the way to improving existing and developing fundamentally new technological processes, it is necessary to comply with a number of general requirements: implementation of production processes with the minimum possible number of technological stages (apparatus), since waste is generated at each of them, and raw materials are lost; application of continuous processes that allow the most efficient use of raw materials and energy; an increase (to the optimum) in the unit capacity of the units; intensification of production processes, their optimization and automation; creation of energy technology processes. The combination of energy and technology makes it possible to more fully use the energy of chemical transformations, save energy resources, raw materials and materials, and increase the productivity of units. An example of such a production is the large-scale production of ammonia according to the energy technological scheme.

Rational use of natural resources

Both non-renewable and renewable resources of the planet are not infinite, and the more intensively they are used, the less these resources remain for the next generations. Therefore, decisive measures for the rational use of natural resources are required everywhere. The era of reckless exploitation of nature by man is over, the biosphere is in dire need of protection, and natural resources should be protected and spent sparingly.

The basic principles of such an attitude towards natural resources are set out in the international document "Concept of Sustainable Economic Development", adopted at the second UN World Conference on Environmental Protection in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

With regard to inexhaustible resources, the Concept of Sustainable Economic Development of development urges a return to their widespread use and, where possible, the replacement of non-renewable resources with inexhaustible ones. First of all, this applies to the energy industry.

For example, wind is a promising source of energy, and the use of modern "wind turbines" is very expedient in the open plains of the coastal areas. With the help of natural hot springs, you can not only treat many diseases, but also heat your homes. As a rule, all the difficulties of using inexhaustible resources lie not in the fundamental possibilities of their use, but in technological problems that have to be solved.

With regard to non-renewable resources, the Concept of Sustainable Economic Development says that their extraction should be made normative, i.e. to reduce the rate of extraction of minerals from the subsoil. The world community will have to abandon the race for leadership in the extraction of this or that natural resource, the main thing is not the volume of the extracted resource, but the efficiency of its use. This means a completely new approach to the problem of mining: it is necessary to extract not as much as each country can, but as much as is necessary for the sustainable development of the world economy. Of course, the world community will not come to such an approach right away; it will take decades to implement it.

With regard to renewable resources, the Concept of Sustainable Economic Development requires that their exploitation be carried out at least within the framework of simple reproduction, and their total quantity does not decrease over time. In the language of ecologists, this means: how much you took from nature of a renewable resource (for example, forests), and return as much (in the form of forest plantations). Land resources also require careful attitude and protection. To protect against erosion, use:

Forest shelter belts;

Plowing without turning the layer;

In hilly areas - plowing across slopes and land tinning;

Livestock grazing regulation.

Disturbed, contaminated land can be restored; this process is called reclamation. Such reclaimed land can be used in four directions: for agricultural use, for forest plantations, for artificial reservoirs, and for housing or capital construction. Reclamation consists of two stages: mining (preparation of territories) and biological (planting trees and low-demand crops, for example, perennial grasses, industrial legumes).

The protection of water resources is one of the most important environmental problems of our time. It is difficult to overestimate the role of the ocean in the life of the biosphere, which carries out the process of self-purification of water in nature with the help of plankton living in it; stabilizing the planet's climate, being in constant dynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere; producing huge biomass. But for life and economic activity, a person needs fresh water. It is necessary to strictly save fresh water and prevent its pollution.

Saving fresh water should be carried out in everyday life: in many countries, residential buildings are equipped with water meters, this greatly disciplines the population. Pollution of water bodies is detrimental not only for humanity, which needs drinking water. It contributes to a catastrophic decline in fish stocks both globally and at the Russian level. In polluted water bodies, the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases and fish die. Obviously, tough environmental protection measures are needed to prevent pollution of water bodies and to combat poaching.

Waste recycling

The use of secondary raw materials as a new resource base is one of the most dynamically developing areas of polymer processing in the world. The interest in obtaining cheap resources, which are secondary polymers, is quite tangible, therefore, the world experience in their secondary processing should be in demand.

In countries where environmental protection is of great importance, the volume of recycled polymers is constantly increasing. The legislation obliges legal entities and individuals to dispose of polymer waste (flexible packaging, bottles, cups, etc.) in special containers for their subsequent disposal. Today, not only the task of recycling waste of various materials, but also the restoration of the resource base is becoming the agenda. However, the possibility of using waste for re-production is limited by their unstable and inferior mechanical properties compared to the starting materials. The end products using them often do not meet aesthetic criteria. For some types of products, the use of secondary raw materials is generally prohibited by current sanitary or certification regulations.

For example, a number of countries prohibit the use of certain recycled polymers for the production of food packaging. The very process of obtaining finished products from recycled plastics is associated with a number of difficulties. Reuse of recyclable materials requires a special readjustment of the parameters of the technological process due to the fact that the recycled material changes its viscosity and may also contain non-polymeric inclusions. In some cases, special mechanical requirements are imposed on the finished product that simply cannot be met when using recycled polymers. Therefore, for the use of recycled polymers, it is necessary to achieve a balance between the desired properties of the final product and the average characteristics of the recycled material. The basis for such developments should be the idea of creating new products from recycled plastics, as well as partial replacement of primary materials with secondary ones in traditional products. Recently, the process of displacing primary polymers in production has intensified so much that more than 1,400 items of products from secondary plastics are produced in the United States alone, which were previously produced only using primary raw materials.

Thus, products from recycled plastics can be used to manufacture products previously produced from virgin materials. For example, it is possible to produce plastic bottles from waste, i.e. recycling in a closed cycle. Also, secondary polymers are suitable for the manufacture of objects, the properties of which may be worse than those of analogs made using primary raw materials. The last solution is called "cascade" waste processing. It is successfully used, for example, by FIAT auto, which recycles bumpers of old cars into pipes and mats for new cars.

Protection of Nature

Nature protection is a set of measures for the preservation, rational use and restoration of natural resources and the environment, including the species diversity of flora and fauna, the wealth of the subsoil, the purity of waters, forests and the Earth's atmosphere. Nature conservation is of economic, historical and social importance.

Conservation methods are usually subdivided into groups:

Legislative

Organizational,

Biotechnical

Educational and propaganda.

Legal protection of nature in the country is based on all-Union and republican legislative acts and the corresponding articles of the criminal codes. Their proper implementation is supervised by state inspectorates, nature conservation societies and the police. Groups of public inspectors can be created under all these organizations. The success of legal methods of nature protection depends on the efficiency of supervision, strict adherence to principles in the performance of their duties on the part of those who exercise it, on the knowledge of public inspectors of ways to take into account the state of natural resources and environmental legislation.

The organizational method of nature protection consists of various organizational measures aimed at the economical use of natural resources, their more expedient consumption, and the replacement of natural resources with artificial ones. It also envisages the solution of other tasks related to the effective conservation of natural resources.

The biotechnical method of nature protection includes numerous methods of direct impact on the protected object or the environment in order to improve their condition and protect them from adverse circumstances. According to the degree of impact, passive and active methods of biotechnical protection are usually distinguished. The former include commandment, order, prohibition, fencing, the latter, restoration, reproduction, change in use, salvation, etc.

The educational and propaganda method combines all forms of oral, print, visual, radio and television propaganda to popularize the ideas of nature conservation, to instill in people the habit of constantly taking care of it.

Activities related to nature conservation can also be divided into the following groups:

Natural science

Technical and production,

Economic,

Administrative and legal.

Nature conservation activities can be carried out on an international scale, on a national scale or within a particular region.

The first measure in the world to protect animals living freely in nature was the decision on the protection of chamois and marmots in the Tatras, adopted in 1868 by the Zemsky Sejm in Lvov and the Austro-Hungarian authorities at the initiative of the Polish naturalists M. Novitsky, E. Janota and L. Zeissner.

The danger of uncontrolled changes in the environment and, as a result, the threat to the existence of living organisms on Earth (including humans) required decisive practical measures to protect and preserve nature, legal regulation use of natural resources. These measures include cleaning up the environment, streamlining the use of chemicals, stopping the production of pesticides, restoring land, and creating nature reserves. Rare plants and animals are included in the Red Book.

In Russia, environmental protection measures are provided for in land, forest, water and other federal legislation.

In a number of countries, as a result of the implementation of government environmental programs, it was possible to significantly improve the quality of the environment in certain regions (for example, as a result of a long and expensive program, it was possible to restore the purity and quality of water in the Great Lakes). On an international scale, along with the creation of various international organizations on individual problems of nature conservation, the United Nations Environment Program operates.

Raising the level of human ecological culture

Ecological culture is the level of people's perception of nature, the world around them and an assessment of their position in the universe, a person's attitude to the world. Here it is necessary to immediately clarify that this does not mean the relationship between man and the world, which also presupposes a feedback, but only his own attitude to the world, to living nature.

Under the ecological culture, the whole complex of skills of being in contact with the natural environment is remembered. An increasing number of scientists and specialists are inclined to believe that overcoming the ecological crisis is possible only on the basis of ecological culture, the central idea of which is: the joint harmonious development of nature and man and the attitude towards nature not only as material, but also as a spiritual value.

The formation of ecological culture is considered as a complex, multi-aspect, long-term process of affirmation in the way of thinking, feelings and behavior of residents of all ages:

Environmental outlook;

Careful attitude to the use of water and land resources, green spaces and specially protected areas;

Personal responsibility to society for the creation and preservation of a favorable environment;

Conscious fulfillment of environmental rules and requirements.

“Only a revolution in the minds of people will bring the desired changes. If we want to save ourselves and the biosphere, on which our existence depends, everyone ... - young and old - must become real, active and even aggressive fighters for environmental protection "- with these words ends his book William O. Douglas, Dr. law, former member of the US Supreme Court.

The revolution in the minds of people, which is so necessary to overcome the ecological crisis, will not happen by itself. It is possible with purposeful efforts within the framework of the state environmental policy and the independent function of public administration in the field of the environment. These efforts should be aimed at the ecological education of all generations, especially the young, fostering a sense of respect for nature. It is necessary to form ecological consciousness, individual and social, based on the idea of harmonious relationships between man and nature, man's dependence on nature and responsibility for its preservation for future generations.

At the same time, the most important prerequisite for solving environmental problems in the world is the targeted training of ecologists - specialists in economics, technology, technology, law, sociology, biology, hydrology, etc. modern knowledge on the entire spectrum of issues of interaction between society and nature, especially in the process of making ecologically significant economic, managerial and other decisions, the planet Earth may not have a decent future.

However, even with the organizational, human, material and other resources to address environmental issues, people must acquire the necessary will and wisdom to adequately use these resources.

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Introduction

4. Ways to solve environmental problems.

Conclusion

Bibliography

nature environmental problem

Introduction

At the turn of the centuries and millennia, our country is going through a severe transformational crisis. The transformation of the command-administrative and semi-totalitarian system into a market and democratic system is taking place slowly and hard. The country faces a huge list of problems. One of them is an environmental problem.

Humanity is too slow to understand the magnitude of the danger that a frivolous attitude to the environment creates. Meanwhile, the solution (if it is still possible) of such formidable global problems being ecological, it requires urgent energetic joint efforts of international organizations, states, regions, and the public.

World history shows that humanity has not always wisely used the types of energy at its disposal. It waged devastating wars, treated nature incorrectly and sometimes criminally. Not knowing many of the laws of nature, violating them, a person often does not represent the destructive consequences of his victory over nature.

It is important to emphasize that during the Soviet decades, environmental problems were simply ignored. As a result, tens and hundreds of cities and settlements countries are poisoned by dirty industries. The economic crisis of the 1990s. in a sense, he improved the ecological situation in the country - many enterprises were closed, or even liquidated. But as the crisis in the economy is overcome, the problem becomes more acute, especially since the starting level is very unfavorable. Old Soviet environmental problems remain unresolved and are exacerbated by new ones.

In this regard, it is both urgent and necessary to study the ecological situation in Russia.

1. Nature is the source of life, material and spiritual well-being

Man is part of nature. Outside of nature, without using its resources, he cannot exist. Nature will always be the basis and source of human life.

In relation to a person, it performs a number of functions related to the satisfaction of his needs: ecological, economic, aesthetic, recreational, scientific, cultural.

The content of the ecological function is determined by the fact that, taking into account the interrelation and interdependence of phenomena and processes in nature, ecological balance is ensured, including the ecological optimum for humans. Within its framework, a person interacts with the environment of his natural habitat. Certain elements of nature are the direct sources of satisfying the natural physiological needs of a person - breathing, quenching thirst, nutrition. The significance of this function for a person is evidenced by the following data: a person can live without air for several minutes, without water for several days, without food for about two months. The state of natural resources, primarily forests, waters, lands, determines the state of the climate and weather conditions, on which a person and the economy he develops also depends.

Another most essential function of nature is economic. Its essence is predetermined by the fact that the natural resources that people use have economic properties, economic potential. If the ecological function is "eternal" in relation to a person, then the economic one appeared when a person began to create the first tools of labor, build a house for himself, and sew clothes. Natural resources serve as a source of satisfaction of various material needs that are increasing as a person develops.

The aesthetic, recreational, scientific, cultural functions of nature appeared much later than the economic, at a fairly high stage in the development of human society. In the process of communicating with nature, a person satisfies his spiritual and informational needs.

The nature of the Earth, which has been forming over billions of years, is a richest source of diverse knowledge: about the processes and laws of the evolution of our planet and its ecological systems, about the mechanism of the functioning of nature, about why man appeared, how he developed and what awaits him, if not its destructive activity in relation to the rest of nature is sharply limited. In order to build a correct relationship with nature, a person is interested in all this information, but it can only be obtained through the organization and conduct scientific research, and then used to create mechanisms, including legal ones, to regulate their relationship to nature.

The question of the functions of nature in relation to man is also at the heart of the concept of "favorable environment", the right to which, in accordance with Art. 42 of the Constitution of Russia everyone has. It is obvious that a favorable environment is one that is able to satisfy the ecological (physiological), economic, aesthetic and other human needs.

A look at the history of the relationship between man and nature allows us to judge his true attitude towards his progenitor. The history of the development of human society is the history of the expansion of the scale and diversity of human impact on nature, the intensification of its exploitation. Based on the results of human activity in relation to nature, one can judge the morality of a person, the level of his civilization, as well as his social responsibility to future generations.

It is easy to see that the impact of people on nature is manifested in the process and as a result of man's satisfaction of his needs. The potential and actual magnitude of such impacts depends on the types of needs being met. Of course, they turn out to be the most significant due to the satisfaction of material needs and the related development of industry, agriculture, energy, transport, etc.

Accordingly, the preservation of a favorable state of nature, its qualitative and quantitative characteristics can be ensured by regulating man's attitude to nature in the process of satisfying his needs at the expense of nature resources. At the same time, as a biological being and a part of nature, a person must comply with the laws of its development.

2. general characteristics environmental problems in Russia

One of the most fundamental analytical works on the current state of the environment in Russia argues that "humanity is already living in a crumbling world under conditions of an ever-increasing severe ecological crisis, which is turning into a crisis of the entire civilization." It is interesting that the subtitle of the book is “Russia in an ecological crisis”.

The modern ecological crisis can be defined as an imbalance in ecological systems and in the relationship of human society with nature. It is a consequence of the discrepancy between the development of the productive forces and industrial relations in human society, the ecological possibilities of the environment. A crisis in nature is characterized by such basic features as violation ecological balance in the process of anthropogenic activity and the inability of human society to reverse the trend of environmental degradation. The ecological crisis is a natural result of the still unresolved contradiction between the practice established in the history of civilization consumer attitude society to the environment and the ability of the biosphere to support the system of natural biogeochemical self-healing processes.

The components of the crisis are varied. The environment and its ecological systems are depleted. Thus, a short-sighted policy leads to the degradation of the agricultural resource base in Russia, which manifests itself in soil erosion, acidification, deforestation and desertification in Asia, and almost universal water pollution and losses. At the same time, there was a steady downward trend in the area of productive agricultural land in our country. The area of ravines increases annually by 8-9 thousand hectares. Agricultural lands that are erosive and prone to water and wind erosion occupy more than 117 million hectares of agricultural land. 42.8% of arable land is characterized by low content humus, including the critical level, are found in 15.1% of the surveyed soils.

Environmental practice in Russia and abroad has shown that its failures are associated with incomplete accounting of negative impacts, inability to select and assess the main factors and consequences, low efficiency of using the results of natural and theoretical environmental studies when making decisions, insufficient development of methods for quantitative assessment of the consequences of pollution of the surface atmosphere and other life-supporting natural environments.

All developed countries have adopted laws on the protection atmospheric air... They are periodically reviewed to reflect new air quality requirements and new data on the toxicity and behavior of pollutants in the air. The fourth version of the clean air law is now being discussed in the United States. The struggle is between environmentalists and companies that are not economically interested in improving air quality. The Government of the Russian Federation has developed a draft law on the protection of atmospheric air, which is currently being discussed. Improving air quality in Russia is of great socio-economic importance.

This is due to many reasons, and above all to the unfavorable state of the air basin in megalopolises, large cities and industrial centers, in which the bulk of the qualified and able-bodied population lives.

Emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere from stationary sources located on the territory of the Russian Federation account for about 60% of the total volume of emissions the former USSR or 25 million tons. harmful substances, including in million tons: Emissions of pollutants from vehicles in Russian cities are about 21 million tons.

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

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the problem of surface and groundwater pollution by nitrogen compounds is becoming more and more urgent. Ecological and geochemical mapping of the central regions European Russia showed that the surface and ground waters of this territory in many cases are characterized by high concentrations of nitrates and nitrites. Regime observations indicate an increase in these concentrations over time.

A similar situation is developing with groundwater pollution. organic matter... This is due to the fact that the underground hydrosphere is not capable of oxidizing a large mass of organic matter entering it. The consequence of this is that the pollution of hydrogeochemical systems gradually becomes irreversible.

In agricultural areas with a high agricultural load, a noticeable increase in phosphorus compounds in surface waters was revealed, which is a favorable factor for the eutrophication of endless water bodies. There has also been an increase in persistent pesticides in surface and groundwater.

In Russia, many water bodies are assessed as ecologically unfavorable. Their chronic pollution has led to a serious deterioration in the conditions for the reproduction of valuable fish species, a reduction in their reserves and catches.

The area of forest lands in Russia is about 1,180 million hectares. The total timber stock in the forests is 80 billion cubic meters. m. Approximately 90% total area felling is made up of the most environmentally hazardous clearcutting. Forest fires cause great damage to forestry. The area of burned forests annually exceeds 1 million hectares.

One of the significant manifestations of the ecological crisis is associated with the excessive consumption of natural resources. Already now humanity consumes resources of nature by an order of magnitude Furthermore, which can be removed from the biosphere without prejudice to disrupting its biochemical cycles and self-healing ability. Humanity now consumes 40% of all products produced by photosynthesis on land. In other words, the entire XX century. humanity lived at the expense of its descendants. As a result, it put the biosphere, and therefore itself, as an integral part of the biosphere, on the brink of complete degradation.

Nature is degrading, and with it the population of our country is degrading. “The health of the population is undoubtedly deteriorating as a result of pollution, although people seem to be well adapted to the products of combustion of wood and fossil fuels, as they have always inhaled them in caves, dugouts, chicken huts, having mastered the culture of using fire in the earliest stages of existence. ... The fact that he destroyed his ecological niche over a large land area, and since there is no evidence that biological laws do not apply to humans, it is obvious that the human genome is decaying as a result of the termination of the mechanisms that keep the decay of the species at a certain level in the natural ecological niche.

Unfortunately, the world's judgments coincide with the assessments of domestic scientists. "The survival rate of Russians has reached a critical point," according to authoritative foreign experts from UNESCO and the World Health Organization. They periodically conduct research on the dynamics of living standards and the so-called vitality of peoples, depending on the socio-economic policy of the government and the environmental situation in a particular country. The vitality coefficient is measured on a five-point scale - it characterizes the possibility of preserving the gene pool, physiological and intellectual development nation in the context of the continuation of the socio-economic policy of the government, carried out at the time of the survey of a particular country. At the same time, the real ecological situation is taken into account, as if "accompanying" such a policy.

Coefficient of viability of Russia in 1998-1999 was rated at 1.4 points.

A score from 1 to 1.4 is viewed by experts as essentially a death sentence for a nation. This range means that the population is doomed to either gradual extinction or degradation - “reproducible” generations will differ in physiological and intellectual inferiority, existing only at the expense of satisfying natural instincts. These generations will not be able to think analytically, because they will not have the ability to think independently.

Below Russia is the Republic of Burkina Faso, up to 80% of whose population is AIDS carriers. This country, as well as Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan have a score of 1.1-1.3. According to the criteria and clarifications of UNESCO-WHO, a score below 1.4 indicates that “the physiological and intellectual agony of the population can continue forever ... A nation with such a coefficient of viability no longer has internal sources of progressive development and immunity. Its destiny is slow degradation ... ".

109 million Russians out of 148 million live in unfavorable environmental conditions... 40-50 million people are affected by 10 times the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of harmful various substances in the environment, 55-60 million - 5-fold excess of MPC.

Scientists predict the death of humanity in the foreseeable future. This will happen if we fail soon - last years XX century and in the upcoming XXI century. - to change the dominant tendencies of world development and our attitude to nature. It is obvious that a global catastrophe will strike primarily the developed countries of the "North". Unfortunately, so far Russia is almost the first in this sad "line".

3. Causes of the crisis state of the environment in Russia

Knowing the causes of the environmental crisis is important for both scientific and practical reasons. With the help of scientific knowledge, it is possible to assess the processes and develop the necessary recommendations; practical knowledge helps to change positively the attitude towards the nature of the state, society, individual social groups and citizens.

Experts say that the first wave of the ecological crisis is now underway. It covered mainly industrialized and former socialist countries, including Russia. In our country, it manifested itself most sharply, because at this stage, economically developed states were able to find funds, if not to solve crisis problems, then to mitigate them.

If we evaluate the most common causes of the Russian as well as the global ecological crisis, then the main reason is the nature-consuming and nature-conquering ideology of mankind.

Some authors see the reasons for the ecological crisis “in an overgrown population. However, the quantitative growth of the population can hardly be regarded as the cause of the ecological crisis. For example, only 142 million people live in the vast territory of Russia. Meanwhile, the state of the environment is assessed here as catastrophic.

The reasons for the crisis, in our opinion, are different. They have subjective roots, manifested in the attitude of man, society and state to nature. Based on the analysis of the policy pursued by the state, the state of environmental law, the following can be indicated as the main reasons for the existing environmental situation in Russia.

a) The most important reason is the system of mobilization economy that operated during the Soviet decades, for which environmental problems simply did not exist.

Throughout almost the entire XX century, our country had to fight fiercely for its survival; its development took place within the framework of the Iron Curtain. Naturally, under these conditions, environmental problems were not considered at all. Let's add to this a totalitarian political regime, the lack of rights of citizens, the omnipotence of the nomenklatura bureaucracy. The result was tens and hundreds of cities with a poisoned ecology, destroyed agriculture, tens, hundreds and thousands of zones of ecological disaster, starting from the zone Chernobyl disaster, to the endless junkyards surrounding Russian cities.

b) Lack of political will of the state for the consistent, effective implementation of activities to protect the environment and ensure rational nature management... The lack of will in relation to the necessary solution of environmental problems is characteristic not only of the socialist stage of development of the state and society in Russia, but also in the post-socialist period.

In the field of law, this reason manifested itself, in particular, in the absence of laws and adequate legal regulation in a number of ecologically significant areas (management of production and consumption waste, with hazardous substances and etc.). At the same time, although the country adopted laws and other normative acts in the field of the natural environment, the state did not make any efforts to ensure their implementation.

One of the most striking examples can serve as the fact of adoption at the national level of more than ten government decrees and programs aimed at protecting the unique natural complex of Lake Baikal, none of which has been fully implemented.

The most serious manifestation of the absence or deficiency of political will was the fact that in a country in which there is a powerful anthropogenic impact on nature, a purposeful scientifically grounded state environmental policy has not been developed. The processes of interaction between society and nature have developed and are still developing to a large extent spontaneously, without taking into account the laws of the development of nature and the ecological needs of man and society.

Finally, the real attitude of the Russian state to solving environmental problems in the country is evidenced by the fact that the environmental situation, according to experts, is practically unmanageable.

c) Poorly developed legislation and law in the field of the environment. In the system of Russian legislation and law in the field of the environment, many legislative acts and legal norms adopted in foreign economically developed countries 20-25 years ago. The adopted laws suffer from serious defects: an abundance of declarative provisions; weak regulation of procedures (environmental regulation, licensing, environmental impact assessment, organization and implementation of environmental impact assessment, etc.); lack of effective mechanisms for the implementation of regulatory requirements.

d) Defects of organization government controlled environmental protection and ensuring rational use of natural resources. It is, first of all, about the system of specially authorized state bodies, designed to organize and ensure compliance with the requirements of the legislation in this area. The system of state environmental management bodies in the USSR was organized in relation to the regulation of the use and protection of certain natural resources (land, subsoil, waters, forests, etc.) in violation of the principle of separation of economic and operational and control and supervisory functions.

e) B social development Russia, as before, is given preference to the development of the economy and the satisfaction of economic interests without the necessary linkage with the ecological needs of man and the ecological possibilities of nature. Although economic development is the main factor in the negative impact on the state of the environment, when developing state plans for economic development, public interests in the preservation and restoration of a favorable state of the environment, ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources were either not taken into account at all, or were taken to a minimum.

f) Departmental interests, satisfied mainly by ignoring the environmental interests of society, is one of the most serious reasons for the critical state of the environment. Departmental egoism manifested itself in the recent past in attempts to implement such ecologically unjustified projects as the project to transfer part of the runoff of the northern and Siberian rivers, the implementation of a land reclamation program, etc.

As a rule, "strong" and rich ministries, and now business structures, have powerful lobbies in legislatures and the government. They "push" decisions that contradict the requirements of the Russian Constitution and environmental legislation. The phenomenon associated with the satisfaction of departmental interests contrary to the requirements of the law is quite typical.

g) Lack of funding for programs and activities for environmental protection. Traditionally, financing in this area is carried out on a leftover basis. The situation is aggravated by the extremely low efficiency of investment in nature conservation. In particular, this is manifested in the fact that when significant funds are allocated for the construction of treatment facilities (sometimes up to 40% of the cost of the enterprise itself), they are either operated with a low coefficient useful action, or don't work at all.

h) Lack of environmental specialists: lawyers, economists, sociologists, engineers, etc.

i) Extremely low level of legal awareness, ecological knowledge and ecological culture. A low level of general and ecological culture, an unprecedented moral decline in society, impunity are the general background against which the degradation of nature takes place.

The list of reasons for the critical state of the environment in Russia can be continued, and their order can be changed. It is characteristic that all of them, in our opinion, are basic and interrelated.

4. Ways to solve environmental problems

Consider the question of the main ways of solving environmental problems with the help and within the framework of environmental law.

a) Formation of a new ecological worldview. To overcome the ecological crisis and consistently solve environmental problems, Russia needs a completely new and value-based outlook. Its scientific and philosophical basis can be the doctrine of the noosphere, to the development of which the Russian natural scientist Academician V.I. Vernadsky. It is imbued with the idea of humanism, aimed at transforming relations with the environment in the interests of free-thinking humanity as a whole.

The doctrine of the noosphere is consonant with the ideas of Albert Schweitzer about the revival of law on the basis of a new worldview.

The basis for the formation of a new environmental and legal worldview can be a rethinking on the basis of modern natural science and social knowledge of the theory of natural law and natural justice. At the same time, the problem of restoring the long-lost healthy connection between man and nature and the correlation of legal norms by which a person lives or should live, with natural imperatives arising from the laws of the development of nature, needs to be solved. When educating, forming an ecological worldview, these truths should be taken as a basis. Recognizing your life highest value, a person must learn to value all life on Earth in order to decisively rebuild the conditions for the joint existence of mankind and nature.

b) Development and consistent, most effective implementation of the state environmental policy. This task should be solved within the framework of the state's permanent ecological function.

The most important elements of environmental policy are the goals of restoring a favorable state of the environment, the strategy and tactics of achieving them. At the same time, the goals must be realistic, i.e. based on real possibilities. Taking these goals into account, society and the state determine the strategy for environmental protection, i.e. a set of actions necessary and sufficient to solve the assigned tasks, means of achieving the intended goals.

c) Formation of modern environmental legislation. Environmental legislation is both a product and the main form of consolidation of state environmental policy. At the present stage, it is important to ensure the purposeful formation of environmental legislation, and not its development and improvement, for two reasons. The first and main one is connected with the fact that this legislation is being created and will be implemented in a fundamentally new political, economic and legal environment for Russia, requiring new legislation. Practice confirms that, in essence, an active process of its creation is now underway. The second reason is the extremely poorly developed environmental legislation of socialist Russia.

d) Creation of an optimal system of state management bodies for nature management and environmental protection, taking into account the principles:

* an integrated approach to solving problems of ensuring rational use of natural resources and environmental protection;

* the organization of management proceeding not only from the administrative-territorial, but also the natural-geographical zoning of the country;

* separation of economic and operational and control and supervisory powers of specially authorized bodies.

e) Ensuring optimal financing of measures to ensure rational use of natural resources and environmental protection and high efficiency of capital investments.

f) Involvement of broad layers of the population in environmental protection activities. As a political organization of society, the state, within the framework of fulfilling an environmental function, is interested in this in order to achieve the goals of environmental policy. One of the recent trends is associated with the democratization of environmental law. This is manifested in the creation of organizational and legal conditions for the participation of interested public organizations and citizens in the preparation and adoption of environmentally significant economic, managerial and other decisions.

g) Environmental education and training of environmental specialists. “Only a revolution in the minds of people will bring the desired changes. If we want to save ourselves and the biosphere, on which our existence depends, everyone ... - young and old - must become real, active and even aggressive fighters for environmental protection "- with these words ends his book William O. Douglas, Dr. law, former member of the US Supreme Court.

The revolution in the minds of people, which is so necessary to overcome the ecological crisis, will not happen by itself. It is possible with purposeful efforts within the framework of state environmental policy and an independent function of state governance in the field of the environment. These efforts should be aimed at the ecological education of all generations, especially the young, fostering a sense of respect for nature. It is necessary to form ecological consciousness, individual and social, based on the idea of harmonious relationships between man and nature, man's dependence on nature and responsibility for its preservation for future generations.

At the same time, the most important prerequisite for solving environmental problems in the country is the targeted training of ecologists - specialists in the field of economics, technology, technology, law, sociology, biology, hydrology, etc. the process of making ecologically significant economic, managerial and other decisions, the planet Earth may not have a worthy future.

However, even with the organizational, human, material and other resources to address environmental issues, people must acquire the necessary will and wisdom to adequately use these resources.

Conclusion

The ecological situation in modern Russia can be called critical without exaggeration. It is already having an extremely adverse effect on economic development and public health. And, ultimately, the ecological problem is put forward among the main problems of modern Russia.

At the same time, in no case can we say that there is no way out of the situation. It seems that Russia is one of the few highly developed countries in the world that are able to cope with the environmental problem not only on its territory, but also on a global scale. It seems to me that our country has a complex of factors, conditions that sharply distinguish it in this sense from the countries of the West. This is the extraordinary wealth and diversity of nature, a large territory, a relatively high level of understanding by society and the state of the degree of importance of the environmental problem. But, perhaps, the most important thing is the special properties of the mentality of Russians, which can make it easier than in other countries to form a new ecological worldview and, on the whole, a new look of a new man - the Man of the Post-industrial era. In Russia, the cult of Man-Conqueror-Nature is far from being strong in the West, much more modest than the needs of people (at least in comparison). Economic efficiency and profit are not elevated to the rank of deities, and accordingly, it seems that our country will, in a sense, be easier to make economic sacrifices in the name of nature.

Of course, these are assumptions. First of all, concerted efforts of society and the state are needed to solve specific environmental problems in specific regions of Russia. However, the ultimate goal should be a fundamental change in the attitude towards nature. Without this, environmental disasters and disasters will inevitably repeat themselves over and over again.

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