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24. Man and nature Človek a životné prostredie Ochrana životného prostredia Stav životného prostredia Problémy životného prostredia Nature has always provided people with everything they’ve needed for life. Nowadays, the world´s population grows quickly and people need and want more. Overpopulation (=overcrowding) is one the causes of destroying the nature. People clear land to build more houses, use fertilizers to plant more plants, build factories to produce more goods. They use vehicles and build power stations to produce more energy. These are just some of the contributors to the pollution of the environment. Air, water and soil are polluted; our planet is warming more and more every year. Extinction of animals and plants is nowadays one of the most common problems. It’s time to realise, that by damaging nature, we are damaging ourselves as well. Problems and their solutions Air Pollution - Contamination of the atmosphere. The main sources of air pollution are the industries, agriculture and traffic, as well as energy generation. Formation: Air pollution can form in various ways. Chemicals are emitted during many different human activities. In the atmosphere these chemicals can react with other chemicals to more dangerous substances. The weather plays an important role in the formation and disappearance of air pollution. This is mainly influenced by wind and temperatures. Air pollutants can be transported by wind, causing a pollution to spread widely. Rain can remove pollutants from air, causing soil and water pollution. Sunlight can aid (=help) the conversion of air pollutants to different substances. We know outdoor air pollution such as acid rain, smog, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer but also indoor pollution, in homes and buildings. Outdoor: Acid deposition is a general name for a number of phenomena, namely acid rain, acid fog and acid mist. Acid Rain - When a pollutant, such as sulphuric acid combines with droplets of water in the air. Acid rains are very harmful to the environment. They destroy historical monuments and buildings by corroding stone and brick walls. They damage plants by destroying their leaves and cause death of the forest. They poison the soil and change the chemistry of lakes and streams. They are particularly harmful to wildlife, fish and other aquatic life. Acid deposition is a transboundary environmental problem. This basically means that emissions in one country may affect forests and structures in a neighbouring country. Smog- Dirty air that looks like a mixture of smoke and fog, caused by smoke from cars and factories in cities. It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants from different sources, e.g. automobile and industrial emissions. Cities are often centres of these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of smog, especially during the warm months of the year. A temperature inversion occurs when air close to the earth is cooler than the air above it. Under these conditions the pollution cannot rise and be dispersed (=to be spread in different directions over a wide area). Cities surrounded by mountains also experience trapping of pollution. Inversion can happen in any season but summer inversions are more likely to create smog. In general we distinguish two separate types of smog, summer smog and winter smog. Summer smog mainly consists of ozone. It is a brown, oxidising fog. The causes of summer smog are mostly pollutants which stem from traffic and industries. The best circumstances for the creation of high ozone concentrations are summer temperatures, direct sunlight and standing air layer. Humans cannot adapt to smog. Health effects of smog greatly depend upon the concentrations of ozone and other oxidants. These contaminants cause eye and respiratory irritations. Plants are extremely vulnerable (= easily harmed or hurt) to ozone. Even in low concentrations it can cause serious damage. Winter smog is also referred to as acid smog; it mainly consists of foggy elements. Winter smog is found in areas where vertical dispersion of air pollutants is not possible. In winter ground temperatures are sometimes lower than those of the upper atmospheric layers, causing the air to stay near the ground, so that pollutants will not spread. This causes winter smog. The cold outside air will cause moist to condensate into fog. Humidity aids the transfer of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, causing the smog to be acid. Acid smog causes breathing problems and eye irritations. The greenhouse effect = global warming – The gradual warming of the air surrounding the Earth as a result of heat being trapped by pollution. It is generally believed to come from the build up of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced when fuels are burned. Plants convert carbon dioxide back to oxygen, but the release of carbon dioxide from human activities is higher than the world's plants can process. The situation is made worse since many of the earth's forests are being removed, and plants are being damaged by acid rain. Thus, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is increasing. It acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of our earth. As a result glaciers are melting which may later raise the global sea level, resulting in flooding of coasts. The "holes" in the ozone layer – Ozone is created everywhere in the atmosphere through chemical reactions under the influence of UV-light. Chemicals released by our activities affect the stratosphere (= one of the atmospheric layers surrounding earth). The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It is constantly being decomposed and composed. The decomposition and production of ozone is a natural process. However, human activities have caused large concentrations of ozone-decomposing chemicals to enter the atmosphere, causing the natural balance to be disrupted. Releases from aerosol cans, cooling systems and refrigerators remove some of the ozone, causing "holes" and allowing the radiation to reach the earth. This radiation damages DNA and causes skin cancer. The radiation can also damage the human immune system, causing humans to become more susceptible (= likely to suffer from a particular illness or be affected by a particular problem) to infections. It can decrease growth and photosynthesis activity in a number of plants. Primary crops, such as rice, corn and sunflower are very susceptible to this. Trees are also susceptible to the radiation. The radiation can affect aquatic life up to twenty metres under the water surface. It is damaging to species, such as plankton, fish larvae, shrimps (= a small sea creature that you can eat, which has ten legs and a soft shell), crabs and seaweeds. Phytoplankton forms the basis of the aquatic food chain. When radiation causes phytoplankton to decrease in number it will affect entire ecosystems. Indoor: Many people spend most of the time indoors - as much as 80-90% of their lives. We work, study, eat, drink and sleep in enclosed environments where air circulation may be restricted. For these reasons, some experts feel that people suffer more from the effects of indoor air pollution than outdoor pollution. There are many sources of indoor air pollution: tobacco smoke, cooking and heating appliances, vapours from building materials, paints, furniture, etc. Tobacco smoke - Tobacco use and smoking are very dangerous addictions which commonly cause a wide variety of diseases, cancer and death. The vast majority of tobacco users and smokers are hooked when they are children. During this time period they are easily influenced by peer pressure and advertising. Once hooked, the majority of tobacco users become hopelessly addicted. The most talked about drug in tobacco is nicotine. Non-smokers are also affected by environmental tobacco smoke. Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called second-hand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Scientific evidence shows that exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke causes disease, disability, and death. These risks have been one of the major motivations for smoking bans in workplaces and indoor public places, including restaurants, bars and night clubs. Prevention: In many countries in the world, steps are being taken to stop the damage to our environment from air pollution. Scientific groups study the damaging effects on plant, animal and human life. Legislative bodies write laws to control emissions. Educators in schools and universities teach students, beginning at very young ages, about the effects of air pollution. The first step to solving air pollution is assessment. Researchers have investigated outdoor air pollution and have developed standards for measuring the type and amount of some serious air pollutants. Scientists must then determine how much exposure to pollutants is harmful and then reduce it, for example through legislation (laws). Water Pollution – Contamination of the water. Sewage and Wastewater- Sewage is the term used for wastewater that often contains faeces, urine and laundry waste. Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce wastewater that can cause pollution of many lakes and rivers. Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries as many people in these areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water. Untreated sewage water in such areas can contaminate the environment and cause diseases such as diarrhoea. In developed countries it is carried away from the home quickly and hygienically through sewage pipes. However, it also contributes to the pollution of the seas and oceans as the final waste often ends there. In developed countries, sewage often causes problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment causing health problems. Marine dumping - Dumping of litter in the sea can cause huge problems. Litter items can get caught in marine animals and may result in death. Different items take different lengths of time to degrade (=to change to a simpler form) in water, sometimes hundreds of years. Industrial water pollution - Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant into rivers, lakes and oceans. Pollutants from industrial sources include: o Asbestos – Asbestos fibres can be inhaled and cause illnesses such as lung cancer or liver cancer. o Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. Mercury – It is a metallic element that can cause health and environmental problems. Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning. Phosphates - The increased use of fertilisers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can stop marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds, because it gets caught in their feathers stopping them from flying. Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to marine life. o o o o Nuclear waste - Nuclear waste is produced from industrial, medical and scientific processes that use radioactive material. Nuclear waste can have detrimental (=harmful) effects on marine habitats. Atmospheric deposition – It is the pollution of water caused by air pollution – by acid rains. Global warming - An increase in water temperature can result in the death of many aquatic organisms and destroy many marine habitats. For example it causes bleaching (=to become pale or white) of coral reefs around the world. This is when the coral expels (=force to leave) the microorganisms of which it is dependent on. This can result in great damage to coral reefs and subsequently, all the marine life that depends on it. Prevention: Be careful about what you throw down your sink or toilet. Don’t throw paints, oils or other forms of litter down the drain (= a pipe that carries water or waste liquids away). Use environmentally household products, such as washing powder, household cleaning agents and toiletries. Take great care not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers. This will prevent runoffs of the material into nearby water sources. It can be also prevented by having more plants in the garden. Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. Most economists believe in a new system in which the more you pollute the more you need to pay. So this system can be named as pay and pollute. The main idea behind the system is people who pollute must pay to clean it up. For example: various oil spills occur every year, so the owner of that ship should pay for oil spills cleanup. Ships must also transport oil only when weather conditions are good. During storms they must not be allowed to transport oil which might result in shipwrecks and eventually oil spills. If oil spills occurs it must be cleaned immediately before it is spread to the ocean. Overgrazing - Letting animals feed unlimited. It can be caused by having too many animals on the farm or by not properly controlling their grazing activity. Overgrazing reduces the usefulness, productivity, and biodiversity of the land and is one cause of erosion. It is also seen as a cause of the spread of invasive species, non-native plants and weeds. Deforestation – Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but they are disappearing every day. The world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families. 1. Agriculture - The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Often many small farmers will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in a process known as “slash and burn” agriculture. (= It is a forestry technique which involves cutting down trees and shrubs on a large swath of land, allowing them to dry, and then setting a fire. It is a rapid and effective method for clearing a chunk of land, typically with the intention of converting it to agricultural use.) 2. Logging - Logging operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper products, also cut countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forests—which leads to further deforestation. 3. Urban sprawl - Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl. Not all deforestation is intentional. Some is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires and subsequent overgrazing, which may prevent the growth of young trees. Negative effects: Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes. Deforestation also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sunblocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate (= to make something continue, to exist for a long time) the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren (= infertile) deserts. Removing trees deprives (= prevents from having something, especially something that is needed) the forest of portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun’s rays during the day and holds in heat at night. This disruption leads to more extreme temperatures swings that can be harmful to plants and animals. Trees also play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere—and increased speed and severity of global warming. Solutions: The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. More realistic solution is to carefully manage forest resources by eliminating clear-cutting to make sure that forest environments remain intact. (= untouched) The cutting that does occur should be balanced by the planting of enough young trees to replace the older ones. Power station (= generating station, power plant, or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Types of power stations: Nuclear power plants - use a nuclear reactor's heat to operate a steam turbine generator. Disadvantages: - - - Radioactive waste: the waste from nuclear energy is extremely dangerous and it has to be carefully looked after for several thousand years. High risks: despite a generally high security standard, accidents can still happen. It is technically impossible to build a plant with 100% security. A small probability of failure will always last. The consequences of an accident would be absolutely devastating both for human being as for the nature. Radioactive waste can be used for the production of nuclear weapons. In addition, the same know-how used to design nuclear power plants can to a certain extent be used to build nuclear weapons. The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium. Uranium is a scarce resource; its supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual demand. Therefore nuclear energy is a non- renewable energy. Solutions: Renewable sources of energy such as: waves or tidal motion, wind, sunlight, energy of falling water, hydroelectricity and geothermal energy. Geothermal power plant - uses its geothermal activity to generate power. This type of natural energy production is extremely environmentally friendly and used in many geothermal hot spots around the globe. To harness (= to control and use the natural force or power of something) the energy, deep holes are drilled into the earth (much like when drilling for oil) until a significant geothermal hot spot is found. When the heat source has been discovered, a pipe is attached deep down inside the hole which allows hot steam from deep within the earth crust to rise up to the surface. Then it is converted by generator into electricity power. Advantages: + + + no pollution the cost of the land to build a geothermal power plant on, is usually less expensive as geothermal plants take up very little room no fuel is used to generate the power, which in return, means the running costs for the plants are very low Disadvantages: - must find a suitable build location (some areas of land may have the sufficient hot rocks to supply hot water to a power station, but what if these areas are contained in harsh areas of the world - (near the poles) or high up in mountains. Some very good proven spots have been found in New Zealand, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.) in many cases, a site that has happily been extracting steam and turning it into power for many years, may suddenly stop producing steam. Wind Turbines -can be used to generate electricity in areas with strong, steady winds, sometimes offshore. Almost all modern turbines being produced today use a three-bladed, upwind design. Advantages: + + + + friendly to the surrounding environment, as no fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity from wind energy. wind turbines take up less space than the average power station. Windmills only have to occupy a few square meters for the base; this allows the land around the turbine to be used for many purposes, for example agriculture. newer technologies are making the extraction of wind energy much more efficient. The wind is free, and we are able to cash in on this free source of energy. wind turbines are a great resource to generate energy in remote locations, such as mountain communities and remote countrysides. Disadvantages: - wind is an unreliable factor. In many areas, the winds strength is too low to support a wind turbine or wind farm. - wind turbine construction can be very expensive and costly to surrounding wildlife during the build process. - the noise pollution from wind turbines is sometimes similar to a small jet engine. Recycling Recycling is one of the solutions for protecting the Earth. It’s an excellent way of saving energy and conserving the environment. It is a process of reducing the waste by recovering materials and transforming them into new products. There are three key factors when thinking about how to recycle – The 3 R’s: 1. Reduce 2. Reuse 3. Recycle 1. Reduce – It is important to: buy only what you need, buy products that can be reused, buy products with little packaging, buy non-toxic products whenever possible, find safer alternatives to hazardous household products, think before you throw something away. 2. Reuse - Many items found around the home can be used for different purposes. So before you throw those items away, think about how they can be reused. Below are some suggestions of how to reuse those everyday bits and pieces: Carrier bags - Carrier bags can be reused in the shops or as bin bags around the house. Paper bags make useful wrapping paper. Jars (= a glass container with a wide top and a lid used for storing food such as jam or honey) and pots - By cleaning glass jars and small pots, you can use them as small containers. Newspaper, cardboard and bubble wrap - Make useful packing material when moving house or to store items. Old clothes – Can be made into other textile items such as cushion covers (=pillow covers) Packaging - Such as foil and egg cartons can be donated to schools and nurseries, where they can be use in art and craft projects. Tyres (= a thick rubber ring that fits around the wheel of a car, bicycle tec.) - Old tyres can be given to your local petrol station where they will be recycled. Or you could make a tyre-swing by tying a strong rope around a tyre and attaching it to a tree. Used wood - Can be used in woodcrafts for making objects such as a bird table. Alternatively it could be used as firewood. 3. Recycling Recyclable materials: asbestos, batteries, building materials, composting, computers, electrical equipment, furniture, glass, metal, mobiles, paint/oil, paper, plastic, printers, textiles, vehicles, wood. Recycling is very important nowadays as the amount of rubbish people create is constantly increasing mainly because: Increasing wealth means that people are buying more products and ultimately creating more waste. Increasing population means that there are more people on the planet to create waste. New packaging and technological products are being developed, much of these products contain materials that are not biodegradable. (= changed naturally by bacteria into substances that do not harm the environment) New lifestyle changes, such as eating fast food, means that we create additional waste that isn’t biodegradable. Environmental importance Recycling is very important as waste has a huge negative impact on the natural environment. Harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses are released from rubbish in landfill sites. Recycling helps to reduce the pollution caused by waste. Habitat destruction and global warming are some of the effects caused by deforestation. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials so that the rainforests can be preserved. Huge amounts of energy are used when making products from raw materials. Recycling requires much less energy and therefore helps to preserve natural resources. Importance to people Recycling is essential to cities around the world and to the people living in them, because: No space for waste. Reduce financial expenditure in the economy. Making products from raw materials costs much more than if they were made from recycled products. Preserve natural resources for future generations. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials; it also uses less energy, therefore preserving natural resources for the future. What lovely, beautiful or horrible weather is, is subjective. The weather is always connected to temperature, wind and rainfall. Some people like sunny days with clear cloudless sky and fine or fair weather, when the sun is shining and it is a bright day. When the sky is overcast and cloudy, there is less sun and it is dull. When clouds are near the ground, they create fogs. A thin fog is a mist. Both make the visibility poorer and increase the risk of car accidents. When it is more than warm, it is hot of boiling. The period of very hot weather is a heat wave. When the temperature is not too cold, it is cool, when it is very cold it is freezing or icy. When the temperature is below zero, it is a frost. It is also a white powder that covers the ground. During frosty days everything is frozen and rain turns into snow. When the rain freezes but not into flakes, it hails. When it is raining cats and dogs or pouring down it is a heavy rain, downpour or showers. Light rain with small raindrops is a drizzle. When it is fresh, the coldness is pleasant, when it is chilly, it is not. In windy weather we feel colder. It is called a wind-chill factor. Light wind is called a breeze. A wet day has a lot of rain and during a warm rainy day it is humid. The small drops of water in the morning are dew. Humidity expresses how much water is present in the air. Tropical climate has a very high humidity and desert areas very low. When it is dry, it does not rain. Climate is the weather pattern typical for certain area. We recognize 5 main types of climate: tropical, dry, warm temperate, cold temperate, cold. Weather is connected to day to day weather conditions. If it changes a lot, the weather is unsettled and unpredictable. In a temperate climate a year has four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring. Changing of seasons is a result of our planet revolving around the sun. The weather influences not only what we wear but also our activities. We watch weather forecast to know what weather we can expect. We cannot predict the future weather perfectly but satellites and other high technology helps us to be more precise. A weather forecaster shows the weather on a weather chart. Meteorologists study the weather. Thermometer measures the temperature and barometer the air pressure, which has great influence on the weather. They are located in weather station. When we travel into different climates, we need to acclimatize. For example Africans who rarely experience sub-zero temperatures and have never seen snow can find coping with the cold climate difficult. Some animals migrate to warmer countries to avoid the winter period with lack of food. The colours that appear when the sun is shining and it is raining at the same time is called a rainbow. Sometimes the weather can be violent. Hurricanes and tornadoes destroy lives of many people and damage their property. Lightning that accompanies thunderstorms can be dangerous, too. The weather is known to affect people’s mood. It can make them feel energetic and happy or depressed and bored. Some health conditions are weather-sensitive and people can suffer from headaches or other pains in different parts of their bodies. Spring - begins on the 21st March. Nature begins to awake from its long winter sleep and new life begins. Nights get shorter and days get longer. The snow melts as days become warmer. It can cause swelling of the streams and rivers and there are often floods during this season. The weather in spring is very changeable and unpredictable. The temperatures are often below 0°C at night, but the days are quite warm. Sometimes the sun shines and soon after is overcast, rains or even snows. Typical spring flowers are snowdrops and snowflakes, dandelions, daffodils, tulips, violets, catkins… Summer - begins on 21st June. The temperature rises to 25°C or more. In the morning there is often dew on the grass, the sky is clear, no wind or just a fresh breeze blows. The weather is often hot and dry. But on the other hand, when it is too hot for a long time, then the rain comes. Strong storms are typical for summer. It clouds over, wind is stronger, it cools down and a heavy downpour with the lightning starts. Sometimes there may be hailing or a cloudburst. Autumn - begins on 23rd September. The sun sets earlier and rises later so days get shorter. There is a period of a few fine days which is called Indian summer. This is the time of harvest. The leaves start to fall off the trees and grass turns yellow. Birds fly to the south. The whether is very unsettled, thy sky is often clouded, mornings are dull and it often looks like rain. In the morning there is often fog. The temperature starts to drops and first frosts may appear. It is chilly and rainy or it drizzles. Winter - starts on 21st December. In winter it snows, icy wind blows and there are hard frosts. Streams, rivers and lakes are frozen over, snow is everywhere. The temperature drops to below zero, sometimes more than 20°C. Icicles hang from the roof, the roads are slippery, and the snow crunches underfoot. The environment means surroundings in which people, animals and plants develop and exist. More simplified it’s the world in which we live. The science that studies the relationship between different life forms in nature is ecology. Today the most serious ecological problems are: the pollution of the air, water and soil, the destruction of ecosystems and its balance, the disappearance of species of animals and plants, the weather changes, acid rains, the warming up of the earth surface, the destruction of tropical rainforests and breaking of the ozone layer. These damages are caused by the man himself and his technical progress. Scientists say the temperature of the earth could rise by 3°C over the next 50 years. This may cause draught in some parts of the world and floods in others, as ice at the North and South Poles begins to melt and sea levels rise. This is caused by the greenhouse effect. Normally, heat from the sun warms the earth and then escapes back into space but carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere trap the sun’s heat and this is slowly making the earth warmer. And where does the CO2 come from? Well, people and animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out CO2. Trees take CO2 from the air and produce oxygen. But we produce CO2 also when we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, petrol and gas) or wood. In the last few years people have burned huge areas of rainforests. This means that there are fewer trees and consequently more carbon dioxide. Deforestation There are two reasons for destroying the world’s forests: land and wood. The land is needed for crops and wood is exported and used for buildings or made into furniture. Unfortunately, many rainforests grow on poor soils and when the trees are cut down, the soil is washed away by the rain or blown away by the wind soon, and the area may turn to desert. But many plants and animal species that live there could become extinct. All of us are to blame for this disaster. However, some people can’t sit passively. The ozone layer is a layer of gas high above the surface of the earth that helps to protect it from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which can damage our skin and cause cancer. Scientists have recently discovered holes in the ozone layer, caused by substances called CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). CFCs are used in refrigerator, aerosol cans and in the manufacture of some plastic products. Some companies now make aerosols that don’t contain CFCs, and these are often marked ozone-friendly. Pollution Factories, power stations and motor vehicles pump large amounts of carbon dioxide and other waste gases into the air. This is the major cause of the green house effect. A lot of petrol contains lead, which is very poisonous and can cause brain damage in children. Many people now prefer using unleaded petrol. Some poisonous gases dissolve in water in the atmosphere and then fall to the earth as acid rain. Acid rain damages trees and buildings, and can kill fish in lakes and rivers. Rivers can also be polluted by industrial waste from factories and chemical fertilizers and pesticides used by farmers. Organizations There are several groups which try to protect the environment. The most famous group is Greenpeace which makes campaigns in many countries around world. They have made campaigns against hunting whales, pollution in the North Sea, nuclear power and testing of nuclear weapons and many others issues. Greenpeace supporters organize demonstrations and they also take direct actions. Another important environmental group is Friends of the Earth. They have led campaigns against global warming, the destruction of the rain forests. In the world there are a lot of animals and plants we have to protect. All these species are listed in the Red lists, which distinguish them into three groups: Endangered are species which number falls quickly and for saving them are special measures necessary. Vulnerable are species which are still enough to survive but their number falls very quickly, too. Rare species can very easily disappear. In the Red list from 1996 there are written 5205 species which need help or protection. But this number grows every year. The giant panda is one of the most endangered animals. This beautiful mammal is very rare because of the output of wood in Chinese forests. Bamboo is the main food for pandas and it is a part of the forest which doesn‘t grow without trees above itself. It is very easy to understand: when people cut the trees, bamboo doesn‘t grow and pandas have no food. They have to move somewhere else, where bamboo still is. But there are almost no areas where pandas can live peacefully. Therefore only about 1000 pandas remain in the wild today. They live in seven separated little areas in China Earthquake, vibrations produced inside the earth. The vibrations can range from barely noticeable to catastrophically destructive. There are six kinds of shock waves generated in the process. Two are classified as body waves and the other four are surface waves. The general classes of earthquakes are: tectonic, volcanic and artificial. The tectonic is the most devastating but scientists find ways to predict them. The tectonic earthquake is situated in zones. These earthquakes are more frequent and stronger. In these regions they can cause great loss of life by destroying structures, buildings, bridges and they can also devastate nature. Seismologists have devised two scales to describe earthquakes quantitatively. One is the Richter scale, which measures the motion of the land from the epicenter to focus. The Richter scale is open-ended. The other scale measures the intensity of shaking from 1 to 12. The strongest earthquakes were in 1906 in San Francisco 8.3-9.2 and, but the biggest one was in Tokyo with the loss of 200 000 lives. Hurricanes-this name is for migratory tropical cyclones, which originate over oceans in certain regions near the equator. Hurricanes in the western Pacific are known as typhoons. Hurricanes consist of highvelocity winds blowing circularly around a low-pressure centre, called the eye of storm. The diameter of the area affected by winds of destructive force may be 240 km. The strength of hurricane is rated from 1 to 5.The mildest category 1, has got winds of 150 km/h. The strongest category, Category 5, has winds that exceed 250 km/h. Hurricanes usually move in path looking like the curve of a parabola. When it rains or snows, some of the water is retained in the soil, some is absorbed by vegetation, some evaporates and the rest is called runoff. Floods occur when the soil and vegetation can’t absorb all the water. Periodic floods occur naturally on many rivers. These floods are often results from heavy rain, sometimes combined with melting snows. It causes the riverbank overflow. A flood that rises and falls rapidly is called flash flood. Floods don’t only damage property and influence the lives of people and animals, but have also other effects. Rapid runoff causes soil erosion. Prolonged high floods delay traffic and economic use of lands. 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týranie tribes – kmene unleaded petrol – bezolovnatý benzín urban sprawl – rast miest vulcanic eruptions – výbuchy sopiek warning – varovanie waste – odpad wild animals – divoké zvieratá wasteful – prebytočný water level – hladina vody wind power – veteran energia wipe out – vyhubiť zoo – zologická záhrada flowers: tulip (tulipán), rose (ruža), daffodil (žilý narcis), forget-me-not (nezábudka), poppy (mak), dandelion (púpava), daisy (sedmokráska), lily (ľalia), snowdrop (snežienka), primrose (prvosienka), sunflower (slnečnica) insects: fly (mucha), dragonfly (vážka), butterfly (motýľ), grasshopper (lúčny koník), praying mantis (modlivka), bee (včela), ant (mravec), beetle (chrobák), bug (chrobák), mosquito (komár), termite (termit), locust (kobylka), flea (blcha), ladybird (lienka), cockroach (šváb) birds: crane (žeriav), stork (bocian), ostrich (pštros), penguin (tučniak), swan (labuť), seagull (čajka), eagle (orol), hawk (jastrab), falcon (sokol), crow (vrana), owl (sova), coockoo (kukučka), sparrow (vrabec), nightingale (slávik), doodpecker (ďateľ), raven (havran), lark (škovránok), geese (hus), pegeons (holub), parrot (papagáj), duck (kačica) fish: carp (kapor), pike (šruka), trout (pstruh), salmon (losos), catfish (sumec), shark (žralok), tuna (tuniak), sardine (sardinka), mackerel (makrela) reptiles and amphibians: adder (zmija), python (pytón), anaconda (anakonda), cobra (kobra), rattlesnake (štrkáč), boa constrictor (boa), crocodile (krokodíl), alligator (aligátor), lizard (jašter), chameleon (chameleón), turtle (korytnačka), tortoise (korytnačka), frog (žaba), salamander (salamander), snake (had) mammals and others: antelope (antilopa), ape (opica), badger (jazvec), bear (medveď), beaver (bobor), boar (diviak), bulls (býk), camels (ťava), cat (mačka), cheetah (gepard), chicken (sliepka), chimpanzee (šimpanz), cow (krava), deer (jeleň), dog (pes), dolphin (delfín), earthworms (dážďovka), elephants (slon), elk (los), fox (lýška), giraffes (žirafa), goat (koza), hamster (škrečok), hare (zajac), rabbit (králik), hedgehog (jež), hippo (hroch), horse (kôň), kangaroo (klokan), lion (lev), marten (kuna), moles (krt), monkey (opica), moose (los americký), mouse (myš), oxen (voly), reindeer (sob), rhino (nosorožec), sheep (ovca), snail (slimák), squirrel (veverica), tiger (tiger), weasel (lasica), whale (veľryba), wolves (vlci), worms (červy) herbs: chamomile (harmanček), sage (šalvia), rosemary (rozmarín), thyme (tymian), mint (mäta), basil (bazalka), marjoram (majorán), lavender (levanduľa) vegetable: asparagus (špargľa), beans (fazuľa), broccoli (brokolica), cabbage (kapusta), carrot (mrkva), celery (zeler), corn (kukurica), cucumber (uhorka), eggplant (baklažán), green pepper (zelená paprika), lettuce (šalát), onion (cibuľa), peas (hrášok), potato (zemiaky), pumpkin (tekvica), radish (reďkovka), spinach (špenát), tomato (paradajky), turnip (repa), fruit: apple (jablko), apricot (marhuľa), banana (banán), berry (bobuľovité), cherry (čerešňa), coconut (kokos), grapefruit (grapefruit), grape (hrozno), lemon (citrón), orange (pomaranč), peach (broskyňa), pear (hruška), pineapple (ananás), plum (slivka), raspberry (malina), strawberry (jahoda), watermelon (melón) acid fog acid mist acid rain adapt addiction agriculture aid aquatic life atmosphere balance biodegradable biosphere cancer canopy carbon dioxide chemicals climate coal contaminate contaminate coral reefs cut trees down dam damage deforestation demand destroy destruction discharge diseases disperse disposable products dispose DNA drought dump ecology ecosystem electricity emission emissions emit endangered species energy energy generation environment environmentally friendly evaporation extinction facilities fertilizers firewood flood flora/fauna food chain formation fossil fuel garbage genetic modification global warming globe grazing greenhouse effect greenhouse gases Greenpeace habitat harm herbivores hydroelectricity immunes system influence laws legislation litter logging melt microorganisms natural gas natural resources nuclear power nuclear waste nutrients oil oil slick over-cropping overgrazing overpopulation oxygen ozone destruction ozone layer pesticides petrol photosynthesis planting plants poison the soil pollutants polluter pollution population control provide radiation rain forest raw materials recycle remove renewable energy renewable energy renewable energy resources respiratory rubbish scarce resource sewage smog smoking solar power solution species stored energy suffer sunlight toxic waste UV-light vanish viruses water cycle water vapour wildlife wind power