Životní prostředí

Toxic pollution

We produce lots of waste (odpad) in the home and toxic chemicals from industrial processes. Lot of people wrongly think that it is less expensive to dump waste and toxic chemicals into rivers or holes in the ground than to dispose (zneškodnit) them safely. We also use chemicals to kill pests (škůdci) in agriculture or to increase production. Toxic waste from industrial processes leaks into (pronikat) our waterways. Toxic waste kills fish in rivers, lakes and the sea. And they get into our food of drinking water and they cause illness and diseases. It is very big problem of today’s world because some people have finite access to drinking water (přístup k pitné vodě). I think that that laws and regulations must be followed by all countries and must be updated as we get more knowledge.

Deforestation

Tropical rain forests are being burnt and cut down because people need more land for agriculture. People need more wood for production of paper and furniture, too. Also they use wood as fuelling (palivo). Deforestation is happening in the Amazon basin in Brazil and South-east Asia. More than 50% of rain forests´ area was ruined during last hundred years. It could cause that many plants and animals will become extinct. The forests absorb carbon dioxide in the process called photosynthesis. That is why rain forests are often called lungs of Earth. Without trees carbon dioxide levels will increase. This process could also cause decline of rainfall and drought. This process has an influence on global warming, world climate and life of aboriginal people. It could cause their genocide and disappearance  of their culture. It happened for example on Easter Island- 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.  In my opinion we should find alternative sources for food and wood and we should limit our consumption (spotřeba) of paper and wood for example by means of buying recycled paper. If we cut down forest we should plant new trees there.

The ozone hole

Scientists discovered that the ozone layer in the atmosphere over the Antarctic was missing. In other populated places, for example over the Australia, it was very thin. We release ozone damaging chemicals in industrial and domestic activities. Some of them destroy the ozone molecule and UV radiation reaches the earth’s surface. The main problem of ozone hole is that it can have effect on our health – it can cause visual disorder (poškození zraku), skin cancer, decrease immunity. The ozone hole is dangerous for animals and plants, too. Plant could be less immune to pests (méně odolný proti škůdcům). In the end of 20^th century industrial countries stopped production of freons, but developing countries have not stopped it yet. Another problem is that people in poor countries use appliances (spotřebiče) that was made before this law. Very important is also longevity of freons (dlouhověkost freonů). Because I talking about the ozone holes I must say that freons aren’t only dangerous substance for ozone layer – for example pesticide methyl bromide. His production has been not prohibited yet. So I think that we should substitute for it and than stop his production. We also should block off produce, export and import of freons. In my opinion we should pick up contrivances (přístroje) with freons and recycle them.

Global warming

Global warming is term which means growth of average Earth temperatures (průměrné teploty Země). People are contributing to this process by means of burning of fossil fuelling, cutting down wood and other activities. When we burn fossil fuelling we produce a carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses such as methane. Carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect starts.. More carbon dioxide means a larger greenhouse effect and the earth temperature is increasing. This could cause rising sea levels and unpredictable weather. There could be flooding or drought, hurricanes, changes in produces in agriculture. Global warming has a negative influence on ice-slopes. So we should produce less carbon dioxide but I think that it is very difficult to do it.

Acid rain

Cool burning in power stations release (uvolňovat) sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. This mixes with water in clouds and acid rain is formed. Acid rain kills fish in lakes and destroys leaves of trees and other plants. I think that we should remove sulphur dioxide from chimneys of power stations and use alternative sources of energy, for example we should built more water power stations or wind power stations.

Energy

As countries develop they use more and more energy. For example China and India are expanding rapidly without environmental controls. And pollution is increasing. Experts are trying to find alternative solutions for example in nuclear power. But there is a problem with nuclear waste. Wind and water energy is also a possibility. We should save more energy. Switch off lights, turn down the central heating.

Endangered animals

Reasons why some animals is getting to be endangered: destruction of places where they live by means of deforestation, birth of agriculture, quick growth of cities and pollution of waterways. Other dangerous for animals are hunt and catching of game (odchyt zvěře).Among endangered animals by hunting are elephants – they are hunted for fangs (kly), rhinoceros (nosorožci) – for horns and tigers for fur (kožešina).

How I protect nature?

I think that it is very important to protect nature. But in my opinion a lot of people do only basic things for it because they don’t have enough information for doing more. But main reason is that there are not good conditions (podmínky okolnosti). For example I small town there is not enough coffins (kontejner) for assorting waste. Our family assorts waste (třídit odpad) and save energy. In our garden we don’t use pesticides and other chemicals. We wash our car in wash-stand (myčka aut), no near the river or in the nature.