Environment

We can live on this planet thanks to basic components, which are needed for
human existence – air, water, soil and the sun. But the paradox is that
ourselves are polluting these most important things for us. Pollution is one of
the greatest problems of our age. We must think of the quality of our air, water
and soil more than any time before, because the environmental problems affect
all countries of the world.

Good relations between man and nature are important not only for us but even
for animals and plants, which don?t pollute our common world (they are not so
egoistic as people are). Throughout recent decades certain species of animals
have vanished or became rare and many of them are still victims of poachers.

There are the problems of seas and oceans, pollution of air, changes in the
atmosphere?s ozone layer and concentration of carbonic gas (carbon dioxide).
Water is a substance without which we couldn?t survive but we pollute streams,
rivers and seas with old cans, oil, rubbish and different kinds of chemicals. We
breathe the air with the smoke from cars and with bacteria and it harms our
health. Dislocated ozone layer is also a big threat to our survival because it
protects the planet (and its inhabitants) from the direct glare of the sun. It
falters out much of the sun s ultraviolet radiation. This radiation is
responsible for sunburn, snow blindness, eye damage, skin cancer and so on. Man
has become his own worst enemy. Several chemicals used in or produced by
industry accelerate the speed of ozone decomposition. The presence of the ozone
layer is so important that small changes in its concentration could have
dramatic effects on life on the earth. The stuff that destroys the ozone layer
is for example FCSs, which are used in refrigeration technology or in the
plastic production.

We must feel more responsibility for the air, water and soil; people must
preserve and restore the quality of our environment. Our good relation to nature
is one of our most important duties. Our possibility to live depends on the air,
water and soil.

The air and water pollution is also a big danger for the Czech capital –
Prague. There are many factories without modern equipment. Also the main streets
and motorways are going through the city and the traffic on these streets is
certainly very busy, especially during the day there are lots of cars, buses and
trucks there. There are also numerous buildings in Prague that are still heated
with solid fossil fuels and they contribute to the formation of smog, especially
in winter. We can find a large number of heating plants in Prague too and these
things contribute to contaminating the town with smog. There are even doctors
who say that it is a health hazard to live in Prague. This situation isn?t so
terrible in suburbs or in the housing estates, but in some parts near the center
or in some industrial parts of the capital the living conditions are very bad.
Unfortunately we can find only a few parks, lawns or other green places here.

Prague has many problems with traffic. The problem is serious especially in
the morning or in the afternoon when most people from the outskirts of the town
are going to work. They have to commute to the center every day because a lot of
them cannot find any factories or other work opportunities near their houses.

The center of the capital is looking well now. Lots of old houses have been
reconstructed. A large number of fine hotels grew up among them too. But there
are differences between the well looking center of Prague and other parts, where
we can see very dirty and wet flats – terrible living conditions. Of course, the
majority of flats are in rather good state. On the other hand the flats are
rather good. But there aren?t enough flats to satisfy people yet. Especially
newly married young people are waiting for new flats for a long time.

The greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is caused by accumulation of certain gases in the earth
s atmosphere. Primarily burning fossil fuels generates these gases – carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and others. And the result of their accumulation
in the upper atmosphere is that they act like a blanket (layer) and stop the
heat reflected from the earth?s surface, which would otherwise disappear into
space. The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is responsible for
about half of the greenhouse effect. The more CO₂ builds up, the more
heat is kept.

If nothing is done, within a few decades the world will be unlike anything in
human memory. The climate will change drastically, worldwide rainfall could
shift dramatically creating monsoons in some areas, oceans currents and
temperature will change too. Plant and animal populations will find themselves
in such climatic and environmental conditions to which they cannot be adapted.
The level of seas will rise up by 4.5 feet by the year 2035. They will flood
several countries in the Pacific and large areas of all other continents. The
water from melting snow and ice will cause a lot of erosions too.

It is necessary to reduce gas emissions (from electric plants, car traffic…),
to use other resources of energy, not to buy plastic but recycled materials.

Rainforests

Before 1900 rainforests covered 14% of the world surface. Today they cover
only 7%. The reason for this is simple. They have been cut down to provide: land,
paper, timber, medicines, minerals and fuel. But not only trees are disappearing.
Every rainforest also contains millions of animals, insects and flowers and
these are destroyed too. If man continues to cut down rainforests, more than one
million species of plants and animals will become extinct by the year 2030.

Energy

At the moment 94% of the world?s energy comes from fossil fuels. One
possibility is nuclear energy – but after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, many
people think nuclear power isn?t safe and they are for „green“
solutions:

• Wind energy

• Solar energy

• Wave energy from the sea

• Geothermal energy from hot rocks under the earth

Acid rain

Acid rain is one of the most serious pollution problems. Factories let out
gases and chemicals into the air, there they mix together and are carried for
hundreds of miles by the wind. And finally they fall back to the earth with
falling raindrops. This acid rain kills fishes and trees. It also slowly
destroys buildings and bridges.

Because the environment is in danger, animals (as a part of it) are in danger
too. They are also used for scientific research; millions of them are killed for
sport or for their skin or fur.