Understanding Ecology: Its Scope and Significance

Pollution and environmental problems of mankind

In recent years, we often hear and use the word "ecology", but one can hardly assume that everyone understands him correctly. About even the experts argue what meaning people should invest in this concept. In the meantime, they argue, laymen have realized such ecological minimum: it means - to breathe clean air, drink clean water, eat food without nitrates and glow in the dark. The term "ecology" (from the Greek "oikos" - a house, dwelling place, and "logos" - science) was provided in 1866 by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel, who introduced it into use to refer to "general science about the organisms and their environment.

But now the concept of "ecology" has already gone far beyond the scope

Under the pollution people understand unwanted change its properties as a result of anthropogenic various substances and compounds. This contamination leads to harmful effects on the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, on buildings, structures and materials, and ultimately to the man himself. The main source of this pollution is the return of the great mass of waste generated in the production and consumption of human society to the nature. Especially dangerous is the entry into the environment of chemicals that were synthesized by humanity and had not previously existed in nature. There is a considerable amount of impurities and their species.

The contamination of soil because of the irrational use of nature resources. This contamination can occur from an illiterate farming land violations in the process of construction and mining. As a result, there is few productive and unproductive land. In extreme cases, there is a landscape, so-called "bad lands" (badlands), which is currently occupied by 1% of the land surface. An important reason for soil pollution may be industrial and agricultural waste, household waste, improper fertilization. The main pollutants are heavy metals and their compounds, fertilizers, pesticides, radioactive

There are three main ways to solve environmental problems. The first is to build sewage treatment plants, to use low-sulfur fuel, destruction and recycling of waste, construction of chimneys height of 200-300 m and more, land reclamation, etc. The second direction of overcoming environmental pollution is the development and application of nature protection ("pure") production technology, the development of working methods of water supply, etc. This route is of particular importance as it not only reduces and prevents environmental pollution. The third way - this is a deeply thoughtful, rational distribution of "dirty" industries that have an adverse impact on the