The study of the relationships between all living organisms and the environment, especially the totality or pattern of interactions; a view that includes all plant and animal species and their unique contributions to a particular habitat.
Ecosystem – The interacting synergism of all living organisms in a particular environment; every plant, insect, aquatic animal, bird, or land species that forms a complex web of interdependency. An action taken at any level in the food chain, use of a pesticide for example, has a potential domino effect on every other occupant of that system.
Climate Change – this term is commonly used interchangeably with «global warming» and «greenhouse effect», but is more descriptive term. Climate change refers to the buildup of man-made gases in the atmosphere that trap the sun’s heat, causing changes in weather patterns on a global scale. The effects include changes in rainfall patterns, sea level rise, potential droughts, habitat loss, and heat stress. The greenhouse gases of most concern are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides. If these gases in our atmosphere double, the earth could warm up 1.5 to 4.5 degrees by the year 2050, with changes in global precipitation having the greatest consequences.
Pesticide – A chemical used to kill animal or plant pests.
Smog – Air pollution caused by the mixture of smoke
1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The poisoning of the world’s land, air, and water is the fastest-spreading disease of civilisation. It probably produces fewer headlines than wars, earthquakes and floods, but it is potentially one of history’s dangers to human life on earth. If present trends continue for the next several decades, our planet will become uninhabitable.
Overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption have created such planet-wide problems as massive deforestation, ozone depletion, acid rains and the global warming that is believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect. The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas. Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out for ever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today will have become extinct twenty years from now. Air pollution is a very serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is life threatening-equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for Mexico City and 600 cities of the former Soviet Union.
Industrial enterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains. An even greater environmental threat are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are. People are beginning to realise that environmental problems are somebody else’s. They join and support various international organisations and green parties. If governments wake up to what is happening-perhaps we’ll be able to avoid the disaster that threatens the natural world and all of us with it.
Questions:
1.What is the fastest-spreading disease of civilisation?
2.What planet-wide problems have overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption created?
3.What will happen to our planet if present trends continue?
4.What is happening to the seas and rivers?
5.The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. Do you think it’s possible to save it?
6. A lot of animals are dying out. But people wear fur coats, crocodile handbags, leather shoes, etc. Are you for or against hunting?
7.Is air pollution a serious problem? Why?
8.What were the tragic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?
9.Are nuclear power stations dangerous?
10.What is the main cause of the greenhouse effect and acid rains?
11.What do people of different countries do to save our planet?
12.Have you heard of Greenpeace?
The greenhouse effect
A greenhouse?
A greenhouse is a building made of glass, where you can grow flowers and other plants that need a lot of warmth.
How it works
The sun shines in through the glass and warms the greenhouse, and the roof and walls keep the heat from getting out.
Our greenhouse
The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of invisible gases (with names like carbon dioxide) that act just like a greenhouse/ The sun shines in, and the blanket of gases traps the heat like a roof, keeping it close to the planet. That’s good – we can’t live without warmth.
What’s going on
Factories, electric power plants, and cars are making a lot of new gases. Even trees, when they are cut down, give off the gases! These new gases are trapping more and more of the sun’s heat. This is called the greenhouse effect, or global warming.
What can happen
If the earth’s temperature gets hotter by just a few degrees, it could change the weather all over the planet in big ways. Places that are warm would become too hot to live in, and places that are cold would become warm. The places that grow most of our food could get to hot to grow crops anymore.
Even every kid can help stop the greenhouse effect by using less energy, protecting and planting trees, and by recycling so factories don’t need to work as hard making things. This book is full of tips on how to do it!
The ozone hole
The ozone layer
Up in the sky, above the air we breathe, there’s a layer of gas called ozone. It helps us by blocking out rays from the sun that can harm our skin, and by letting the rays that are good for us come through. We’re lucky to have the ozone to protect us!
What’s happening
Now the ozone layer is being damaged by gases that people have made. The gases are called CFCs, and halons. They are used in refrigerators, fire extinguishers, air conditioners, plastic foam, and some other things.
How it happens
The CPCs float up to the top of the atmosphere/ where the layer of ozone is, and «eat up» the ozone just like little Pac-Men.
Our mission
Scientists are very concerned about the ozone layer, because a lot of it has gone away in just a few years. So it’s very important that we learn to do something about it.
We can all help to stop the ozone layer from disappearing! For more ideas on how to do that, keep reading!
2. ACID RAINS
Every
