April 15 - Day of ecological knowledge. history of the holiday

The threat of an ecological catastrophe is one of the global problems of mankind. False notions of the inexhaustibility of resources, a pragmatic attitude to all living things put the existence of humans, animals and plants at risk. Realizing the danger of the situation, the members of the United Nations in 1992 established a festive date: April 15 - Day of Environmental Knowledge.

What is ecology?

Ecology (the Greek "science of habitat") is the doctrine of the interaction of people with other beings, the environment. They also highlight the human ecology, which studies the problems of population, physical and mental health of homo sapiens, human capabilities.

Environmental knowledge

Environmental knowledge is called knowledge of the properties, the variety of objects and phenomena of nature. We do not mean the idea of how the organisms live, multiply, but search for the best ways to preserve favorable conditions for all inhabitants of the planet.

Elementary knowledge of ecology is necessary for each of us to learn how to protect the environment. That's why April 15, Day of Environmental Knowledge - a date that is significant for all people on Earth.

Development of ecology as a science

Primitive man considered himself a part of the world, completely dependent on the elements, so he was forced to observe what was happening around, to make elementary generalizations. The first knowledge of the laws taking place in nature did not have a scientific character, but contributed to the survival of people. The disparate facts gradually formed in the system.

Purposefully to study living beings began in the Ancient World. The first source, narrating about the way of life of fish, animals, birds, was the work of Aristotle "Animal Stories". The author paid close attention to the interconnection of the way of life of our younger brothers with their habitat. Similar questions were also considered in the works of Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder.

Great interest in the study of the environment manifested in the Renaissance. Scientists actively analyzed the flora and fauna of their homeland, other lands discovered by great travelers. The first ecological experiment was put by Robert Boyle. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of atmospheric pressure on the way animals live.

Later, the influence of environmental factors on organisms was studied by Karl Linnaeus, J. Buffon, J.B. Lamarck, scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The term "ecology" was first proposed by Ernst Haeckel. As an independent scientific knowledge, ecology took shape at the beginning of the 20th century. Further development of the theory of the interaction of the organism and the environment is associated with the names of K.A. Timiryazev, V.V. Dokuchaev, F. Clemens, V.N. Sukachev.

The new methodology of science was developed by V.I. Vernadsky. The scientist introduced the concept of "noosphere", which meant the state of the biosphere, formed under the influence of people 's thinking activity. The driving force for the further development of life on the Earth is the mind, which is prescribed the restructuring of the "living shell" of the planet in the interests of mankind.

Environmental problems began to be seriously considered in the sixties of the twentieth century. Decades later began to celebrate the Day of Environmental Knowledge. Scenario on April 15 (list of celebrations) the organizations are developing themselves.

Events

Since 1996 the project "Days of environmental protection from environmental hazards" has been launched annually in Russia. Targeted work with the population begins on April 15. Day of ecological knowledge is also the first day of the action.

About two months with students lectures and practical classes of ecological orientation are conducted. Schoolchildren defend natural projects, organize exhibitions, travel along ecological paths, visit zoos, young naturalists' stations, sanctuaries. Adults speak at conferences and seminars, report on the implementation of state environmental programs. So, April 15 (Day of Environmental Knowledge) in the Smolensk Zoo begins with classes on "Man and Nature". The staff of the institution strive to form an understanding among the younger generation that a person is the only being capable of preventing a catastrophe. Teachers and staff of the institution are going to the final conferences.

No less interesting is the Day of Environmental Knowledge (April 15) at the school. Educators-enthusiasts gather students for class hours, conduct ecological lessons, organize actions, organize master classes on the manufacture of nesting boxes, planting trees, cleaning the territory, suggest checking the degree of personal interest in saving the planet.

On the Day of Environmental Knowledge (April 15), events are held with the goal of forming an eco-centric type of consciousness among people. In the XIX-XX century. The thinking of scientists and ordinary citizens was anthropocentric. Attitude to the environment at the time corresponded to the statement of the hero IS. Turgenev about the nature-workshop and the man-worker. In terms of environmental knowledge, a person's life is viewed not from the position "what the environment gives me", but from the point of view of how to interact with other beings, so that everyone will feel good.

Environmental Forecasts

Realizing the danger of an environmental disaster, scientists create different scenarios for the development of life on Earth. Someone believes that the civilization of the future will become completely technogenic. Some people are close to the idea of non-waste production, limiting consumption of resources, development of other planets. Despite contradictory views, most experts agree on one thing: the situation can not be rectified without ecologizing the technologies, spheres of activity and lifestyle of a person.

The biosphere will exist without humans, the existence of homo sapiens without the biosphere is impossible. This should be remembered on April 15 (Day of Environmental Knowledge), as well as all other days of the year.

Global Projects

For the first time, international environmental programs were discussed in 1972 at a conference under the aegis of the UN in Stockholm. The first global project was monitoring. Monitoring of fresh water, forests, mountain systems, desert, etc. is conducted at stations around the world.

Since 1986, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program has been working, whose projects include the determination of climate changes, the regularities of chemical and biochemical processes, the analysis of the results of ecosystem interactions. Close attention is paid to the peculiarities of the past biocenoses and forecasting. Fruitful cooperation of specialists from different countries leads to positive results.