Global problems of ecology and ways of their solution

By the second half of the twentieth century, the economic impact of mankind on its surrounding nature had reached such destructive proportions that it practically lost the capacity for self-recovery.

Global problems of ecology and sustainable development - the problems of cessation of the harmful impact of mankind on the environment.

In the middle of the last century, ecology was the internal affair of a specific country, because the effects of pollution from industrial activities were manifested only in areas with an excessively high concentration of harmful industries. In the eighties, environmental problems acquired a regional level, as emissions began to reach neighboring countries, coming along with precipitation, wind.

In the nineties, the global environmental problems of mankind entered the arena. They are manifested in such negative trends as the destruction of the global ecosystem, loss of resources for self-recovery, expansion of zones of ecological disaster. But the most serious danger of modernity is climate change. The average annual temperature rises, the frequency and intensity of extreme natural phenomena increase accordingly: floods, droughts, tornadoes, sharp frosts and thaws. In addition, warming can lead to rising sea levels, flooding significant areas, exacerbating the scarcity of fresh water. All this causes serious damage to nature and humanity.

Climate change is associated with an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, that is, an intensification of the "greenhouse effect". Harmful gases enter the atmosphere from fuel combustion, forest information and so on. However, there is another opinion, according to which the cause is not the global problems of ecology, but the age-old rhythms of solar activity and climatic cycles.

Impact of pollution

The main consequences of pollution are that irreparable harm to the health of animals and humans is inflicted, too polluted territories become unsuitable for human habitation and normal economic activity. The main environmental problems of today, if not addressed, can eventually lead to the fact that the biosphere will completely lose its ability to self-purge and will collapse.

Public policy

The aggravation of global environmental problems has led to a change in the state policies of many countries with regard to environmental protection. The authorities began to set environmental standards, spend large funds on environmental protection measures.

In the eighties the world community realized that global problems of ecology can not be solved within individual states. The concept of sustainable development was developed , according to which it is necessary to ensure the development of countries taking into account the needs of not only the current but also the future generation. As a result, a contradiction arose: how to ensure sustainable development and simultaneously reduce the negative impact on the environment. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, which determines the maximum amount of emissions of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The main objective of the Protocol is to reduce emissions by 5.2% in comparison with the level of 1990.

To date, many developed countries have already been able to significantly reduce the level of pollution or at least to stabilize it. It should be noted that reducing the level of harmful emissions will cost the developed countries very expensive, and the benefits will be evident only in the long term. However, global environmental problems require solution, but all the costs will have to be incurred now, so that later it does not become too late.