Environment and we
We can say that the environment is everything around us. It includes air, water, plants, and animals. It´s one of the most important things, despite this it´s destroyed by human activity. We should realize that the Earth is not our property. We are just guests there and we should be thankful for it.
Thanks to many factors (human activity, climate changes ...) there are endangered species. For their protection were created wildlife parks, botanic gardens, arboretums or Zoos. Each of them has pros and cons.
In wildlife parks, animal and plants are in their natural habitat, thanks to this they life normally lives, they have instincts and they can be born in a natural way. On the other hand, there is a very big problem with poachers, who killed animals for their furs, antlers or ivory. It´s hard to stop them because wildlife parks are situated in big areas.
ZOOs are a good thing for people, but for animals, it isn´t an as good thing. They open up exotic animals to people, so you can learn something about them. It´s an ideal place where to go with children because they are in touch with nature. Animals live there in cages and they have no space. I think that they live in boring lives there. They don´t have to fight for food and survival so they lose the natural instinct. However, live in Zoo has many advantages. It keeps animals safe. Some animal species aren´t able to breed in nature but just in ZOOs.
The endangered species have been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become extinct. These animals are written on the Red List. More than 3 000 animals and about 2 600 plants are endangered worldwide. Fortunately, many nations have laws that protect these species, for example forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Extremely endangered animals are for example addax (white antelope), African wild donkey (570), amur leopard (40), Asiatic cheetah (70), axolotl, mountain gorilla (880), Sumatran orangutan, panda bear, black rhinoceros, etc. There are already many extinct animals from the natural disaster in history or by the hand of human-like mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, gigantic armadillo, the bird called moa or passenger Pidgeon. Some of them are extinct recently and I can just add, that there are efforts in the science to revive them. Every ten minutes, one kind of animal, plant or other organism dies out forever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today will have become extinct twenty years from now. Whales are still being hunted by the Japanese and Norwegians, turtles are killed for their meat, shell and oil, elephant for their ivory. I have four CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) animals at my home - terrestrial turtles.
The greenhouse effect is caused by the accumulation of certain gases as in the atmosphere. Those gases are called greenhouse gases and these are - carbon dioxide, freon, nitrogen dioxide or methane. Carbon dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil or natural gas). Freon is from aerosols and fridges. And nitrogen dioxide is contained in exhaust fumes. And the result of their accumulation in the upper part of the atmosphere is that they make a layer and stop the heat reflected from the earth´s surface. Due to this temperature is increasing. It causes rising sea levels, melting icebergs and unpredictable weather.
We should try to stop global warming, but it´s not easy because it´s not only about us. Our factories and cars produce greenhouse gases, but the paradox is that the biggest producers of carbon dioxide are herds of cows. It doesn´t mean that we shouldn't try to stop it. We can replace fossil fuels with alternative forms of energy for example.
The largest rainforests are in the Amazon Basin, in South-east Asia and in West Africa. They have great importance. They absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen in the process called photosynthesis. That´s the reason why they are often called the lungs of Earth. They are habitat for many animal and plant species as well.
Cutting down trees is an extremely serious problem. One hundred years ago rainforests were covering about 14 % of the world's surface; today they cover only 7 %. It means that more than 50 % of rain forests were ruined during the last hundred years. They are being cut down and burnt because people need more land for agriculture and more wood for the production of paper and furniture.
Due to deforestation, many species are under threat with extinction and it causes global warming as well. Another reason why we should protect rain forest is that there are a lot of natural pharmaceuticals. Almost one-half of medicines in use come from rain forests. It´s hard to find a solution to this problem, I think. Local farmers need soil. They pour so they can´t buy expensive fertilizers or agricultural machines. This problem could solve state subsidy.
We have different types of pollution. These are air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution. Air pollution is the biggest problem in large cities and in areas with concentrated industrial production. Due to smoke, exhaust fumes, dust and exhalation fumes people have breathing problems and allergies. Another serious problem is acid rain. Factories let out gases and chemicals into the air. There they are mixed with water in clouds and they fall back to the earth. This acid rain kills fish and trees. It also slowly destroys buildings and bridges. The problem of air pollution can be solved by limiting the exhalations from factories.
Water is polluted by households, industrial processes, pesticides, waste and chemicals used in agriculture. Oil accidents are very often too. They pollute seas and kill sea-fauna. For the protection of water, we should reduce chemical fertilizers, control industrial processes and recycle our water.
Another problem is the destruction of the ozone layer. The ozone layer is in the upper part of the atmosphere and it protects us from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Scientists discovered that the ozone layer over the Antarctic is missing. The main problem of the ozone hole is that it can have a negative effect on our health - it can cause skin cancer, a decreased immunity. The ozone hole is dangerous for animals and plants, too.
The worst polluted region of the Czech Republic is in the Moravian-Silesian Region. There are many factories and due to this, it was called the Steel Heart of the country in the communist era. It´s famous for the mining of black coal. That´s the reason why big factories were built there. They give job possibilities to local people but they pollute the air as well. In winter it can be extremely dangerous to go out. In the past, this region was deforested and reforested. Spruces started to be planted there instead of original trees.
I think that it is very important to protect our nature. Everybody should try to make our planet a better place to live in. There are a lot of small things that can help. For example, we should switch off lights, re-use items instead of buying new and recycle to reduce waste. We should also use unleaded petrol, public transport or bicycle, take showers instead of baths.
There are some organizations that actively work to protect the environment. The most famous is Greenpeace, which fights against pollution and the use of nuclear energy in industry and protects oceans, forests, and animals.
In our country, we can notice quite often the floods. Floods are generally caused by long heavy rains or when a lot of snowmelt in the spring and water run down from the mountains. These water flood towns, roads, and their surrounding. The floods damaged houses, bridges, roads, and kill people and animals who don´t run away. The biggest flood was in 2002. The last several years we have on the contrary often dry weather and minimum water precipitation in the Czech Republic. I have some water tanks in my garden and I have the gutters around the greenhouse´s roof and woodshed, too. I use rainwater in my garden.
Fires burn also everything that is on the way. It´s caused by someone´s inattention or by dry, hot season. Wind helps to extend (expand) the fire. But fire brigade tries to stop this catastrophe. I think this profession is one of the most dangerous at all.
Hurricanes and tornadoes are caused by pressure changes in the atmosphere. We can meet with this phenomenon often in the area of the Caribian sea. The speed of the hurricane can reach up to 119 km/hour. It´s a very strong wind destroying everything on the way.
The movement of the lithospheric bords caused earthquakes and explosions of volcanoes. In the course of the earthquake, the land is crashing and shaking. Buildings fall down and everybody is in danger. An earthquake under the ocean can cause a big tidal wave that floods the coast. On the other hand, the volcanoes produce a lot of dust, smoke, and lava which pours out and burns everything that is on the land´s surface.
Atmosphere - all the gases that make up the air including the weather systems, the greenhouse gases, and the ozone layer.
Lithosphere - all the rocks in and on the Earth.
Hydrosphere - all the water in the seas, rivers, lakes, and soils.
Biosphere - all the living organisms on the Earth. The organisms include viruses and bacteria right up to plants and animals (including humans).
For millions of years, they have been in balance but people soon began to change the balance of the environment in their favor. Also, the number of people on Earth is growing each year making our environmental problems worse. The main ones are:
Global warming
Background - The earth has a thin atmosphere that is like a transparent blanket that keeps us warm. In a process called the greenhouse effect, high energy radiation from the solar system is trapped by gases such as carbon dioxide. This heat energy keeps Earth temperatures too high to support life.
Causes - Carbon fossil fuels such as coal are burnt to produce energy. This process produces large amounts of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere.
Effects - More carbon dioxide means a larger greenhouse effect on the Earth´s overall temperature is increasing. This could cause rising sea levels, unpredictable weather in the form of flooding or drought, hurricanes and large loss of life.
Solution - Change the way we produce energy and produce less carbon dioxide.
The ozone hole
Background - Scientists discovered that the ozone layer in the atmosphere over the Antarctic was missing. In other populated places such as Australia, it was very thin. The ozone layer, about 30 km above the Earth´s surface, absorbs dangerous ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Causes - We release ozone-damaging chemicals in industrial and domestic activities. Some of them destroy the ozone molecule and UV reaches the Earth´s surface.
Effects - UV causes damage to the DNA of cells and various cancers can result especially after sunbathing. Sheep at high altitude in the Andes are often blinded by UV.
Solutions - Ban the use of dangerous chemicals in aerosols, refrigerators, and car air conditioning.
Cutting down the rainforests - deforestation
Background - As humans, we like to eat meat and the modern trend for beef burgers has increased the demand for more cattle and more space worldwide. We also use more hardwood for furniture.
Causes - Tropical rain forests are being burnt and cut down because people need more land for agriculture. This is happening in the Amazon basin in Brazil and South-east Asia.
Effects - Many plants and animals will become extinct. The forests absorb carbon dioxide in the process called photosynthesis. Without trees, carbon dioxide levels will increase.
Solutions - Alternative sources must be found for food and wood.
Toxic pollution
Background - We produce lots of waste in the home and toxic chemicals from industrial processes. These must be disposed of safely. It is less expensive to dump waste and toxic chemicals into rivers or holes in the ground than to dispose of them safely.
Causes - Chemicals are used to kill pests in agriculture, to increase production. Toxic waste from industrial processes leaks into our waterways.
Effects - Toxic waste kills fish in rivers, lakes, and the sea. Wastes getting into our drinking water or chemicals getting into our food cause illness and diseases.
Solutions - Laws and regulations must be followed by all countries and must be updated as we get more knowledge.
Acid rain
Background - Today rain contains harmful acid which can damage the environment. pH shows on a scale (of 0 to 14) how acid or alkaline the environment is. Creatures in lakes, rivers, and in the soil often live in a narrow range of pH.
Causes - Coal burning in power stations releases sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. This mixes with water in clouds and acid rain is formed. Car exhaust gases add other acids.
Effects - Acid rain in lakes kills fish and destroys leaves on trees and other plants.
Solutions - Remove the sulfur dioxide from the chimneys of power stations and use alternative sources of energy.
Energy
As countries develop, they use more and more energy. China and India are expanding rapidly without environmental controls. Pollution is increasing. Britain is looking again at Nuclear Power to supply energy in the future but there is still no solution to the problem of nuclear waste. Wind and wave energy is also a possibility.
We must all save more energy. Switch off lights, turn down the central heating, insulate our houses, reduce packaging on goods, re-use items instead of buying new, and recycle to reduce waste. We must think of future generations and encourage politicians to see the long view. Think globally, act locally.
We need to look for other ways of supplying energy. Solar power is a way of using the sun´s energy as heat or to make electricity. We can also use wind power by building modern windmills that spin the wind. There are several types of water-power - river water in mountain areas can be used to generate hydroelectric power and we can also create electricity from seawater flowing in and out with tides. Geothermal energy can also be used - Iceland uses it to heat their houses. I have one solar panel at my cottage to heat it.
Recycling
Recycling is the procession of used objects and materials so they can be used again. About 60 percent of rubbish from homes and factories contain materials that could be recycled. Recycling save energy and raw materials, and also reduce damage to the countryside. Glass, paper, and aluminum can be recycled very easily. Many towns have bottle banks where people can leave their empty bottles and cans for recycling. A lot of paper bags, writing paper, and greetings cards are now produced on recycled paper. We should be less wasteful with everything - paper, food, plastic, metal, glass. We should reduce, recycle, re-use things. But there is a big problem with factories which produce many home equipment - washing machines, refrigerators, TVs, mobile phones. And why? Because today´s modern equipment is functional for only two or three years. Then we must buy new ...
Other problems in today´s world
The biggest problems in today´s world are famine in Africa, illnesses - people infected with HIV, coronavirus, SARS, etc. Our planet is overcrowded, overpopulated. In the world there live over 5 milliards people, but we can suppose that this number will be double in 2050. Each state has got a different density of settlement. China is one of the most populous countries. But in some countries, there is a huge fall in population. Between the main causes belong to dry atmosphere, war conflicts, famine, epidemic and so on. People often leave their homes and try to find a better living. A lot of people from the war area - Syria, Afghanistan, Iraque go to Europe for a better life. But these people are not the war refugees, bus economically refugees. It´s a new term - economically refugee. They are young men worn new and designed jeans and T-shirts, using Apple phones but they won´t go to work. They have several wives and a lot of children because Islam religion it allows. All members of the family used to live from social benefits. With this wave of refugees go to Europe other African nations - from Kongo, Niger, Somalia, etc. These nations are used to live completely differently. I condemn coming to a foreign state, not wanting to work, but only living on social benefits, claiming any rights, but having no obligations.
We can often see in TV terroristic attacks. The well-known and the most disastrous was the attack on the 11th September 2001 at the World Trade Center in New York in the USA. The buildings were crashed by two airplanes. About 3 000 people died including firemen and policemen. A lot of terrorist attacks in Europe are being executed by Islamic fighters.
The next global problem is drugs. Millions of people are depending on drugs. When people have some problems in the job, school, in the family, with a partner, take often some drugs and they almost become dependent on ones. They think that drugs help them and that problems are solved. They are very dangerous. These people often smile and giggle but when they don´t give their doses, they should be dangerous for their surroundings, they should be aggressive, and they often commit crimes. They have got red eyes, slow movements, and small pupils in their eyes. Drugs are divided into two categories - soft drugs - e.g. alcohol, marihuana, hash, sedatives, mushrooms, and hard drugs - ecstasy, cocaine, opium, heroin.