Presentation - Project “Environmental problem of North America. Geography of South America: geology, climate, deserts, reservoirs, natural resources and ecology

An environmental problem is a deterioration associated with negative impact natural character, and in our time the human factor also plays an important role. Destruction of the ozone layer, environmental pollution or destruction - all of this, one way or another, entails adverse consequences now or in the near future.

North America, which is quite significant and extremely acute, is one of the most progressive regions of the world. For the sake of prosperity, the United States and Canada have to sacrifice their nature. So what are the difficulties in ensuring environmental safety facing the inhabitants of the North American continent, and what do they threaten in the future?

Technological progress

First of all, it should be noted that over time, the living conditions of the urban population are deteriorating, especially in industrial centers. The reason for this is the active exploitation of natural resources - soil, surface waters, and the environment, destruction of vegetation. However, the most important parts of the natural environment - soil, hydrosphere and atmosphere - are interconnected, and human impact on each of them affects the others, so destructive processes become global in nature.

While North America is developing, the continent's environmental problems are becoming more acute. Along with progress, the destruction and displacement of the natural landscape occurs, followed by its replacement with an artificial environment, which can be harmful and even unsuitable for human life. Already in the second half of the 20th century, the mass of waste on the North American continent amounted to 5-6 billion tons per year, of which at least 20% was chemically active.

Traffic fumes

The problem of exhaust gases is relevant all over the world today, but on the west coast of the United States in the state of California the situation is especially difficult. In these places, steam passes along the mainland as a result of which steam condenses over the coastal waters, in which large volumes of vehicle exhaust gases are concentrated. In addition, during the summer half of the year there is anticyclonic weather, which contributes to an increased influx of solar radiation, as a result of which complex chemical transformations occur in the atmosphere. The consequence of this is a dense fog in which a mass of toxic substances is concentrated.

Experts studying the environmental problems of the North American continent call excessive emissions of exhaust gases a serious challenge to society, because they not only have a detrimental effect on nature, but are also the cause of many human diseases.

Depletion of water resources

What other environmental problems exist in North America? On the mainland today, things are very bad with water resources - they are simply depleted. The level of water consumption on the continent is growing non-stop, and today it already exceeds the permissible level. Back in the last century, the American specialist A. Walman published research results according to which more than half of the population of the United States consumes water that has been used at least once and passed through the sewer.

Under such circumstances it is difficult to carry out two very important conditions: Along with restoring water quality, it is necessary to continuously ensure the availability of its natural volume in rivers and other bodies of water. Water levels at the country's largest reservoir dropped sharply in 2015, with scientists warning it could be the start of a longer drought.

Water pollution

Environmental problems are not limited to depletion alone. The list of negative factors in this area is quite long, but mainly it is the pollution of water bodies. They throw out waste, which contains everything, and shipping also causes significant damage.

Also today, quite a lot of harm is caused. About a third of the water withdrawn from rivers every year comes from nuclear and thermal power plants, in which it is heated and returned to the reservoir. The temperature of such water is 10-12% higher, and the oxygen content is noticeably lower, which plays a significant role and often causes the death of many living organisms.

Already in the second half of the 20th century in the USA, 10-17 million fish died every year from water pollution, and the Mississippi, being the largest river North America, today is one of the ten most polluted in the world.

The rest of nature

Unique landscape and very rich plant and animal world North America is located at almost all latitudes of the hemisphere. Ecological problems We also reached the virgin nature of the mainland. On its territory there are several dozen national parks, which in today's conditions have become almost the only corners in which many millions of city residents can take a break from the noise and dirt of megacities. The influx of visitors and tourists, increasing at an incredible rate, is taking its toll on them, causing some today unique species animals and plants are on the verge of extinction.

The sad fact is that not only humans are the source of pollution - various toxic substances contained in rock dumps are washed away by rainwater and blown away by the wind, and then move into rivers. Such dumps can often stretch along the river bed for long distances, constantly polluting the reservoir.

Even in the north of Canada, where natural resources are not so intensively developed, significant changes in nature can be seen today. The environmental problems of the taiga in North America are being studied by employees of Wood Buffalo, one of the largest national parks in the world.

Exploitation of natural resources

As already mentioned, the continent's environmental problems by and large associated with the high technological level of development of the USA and Canada. The natural resources of North America are diverse and plentiful: the bowels of the continent are rich in oil, natural gas, the most important mineral resources. Huge timber reserves in the north and favorable for Agriculture The lands of the south have been over-exploited for many years, resulting in many environmental problems.

Shale gas

IN Lately A lot of hype has arisen around shale gas - it is being produced more and more intensively in North America. Environmental problems that may arise from the use of certain technologies appear to be of little concern to companies engaged in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons from shale formations. Unfortunately, political intrigue plays a role in promoting this type of energy resource extraction, and the possible environmental consequences are sometimes not taken into account at all. Thus, the US government has set a course towards acquiring independence from energy supplies from foreign markets, and if just yesterday the country was purchasing gas from neighboring Canada, today it is already positioning itself as a hydrocarbon exporting state. And all this is done to the detriment of the environment.

Conclusions for the future

This short article briefly examined the environmental problems of North America. We, of course, did not consider all the information, but based on the available material, we can conclude that in the pursuit of profit and in the pursuit of material wealth, people methodically caused and continue to cause serious damage to the environment, while rarely thinking about the consequences of their actions.

Trying to achieve maximum effect in the exploitation of natural resources, we paid little attention to preventive measures, and now we have what we have. A clear example of this is the North American continent, perhaps the most highly developed region of the world, whose environmental problems are also very significant.

Somewhere in the 60s of the last century, what today everyone knows under the gloomy name “global problems” was born on our planet. These are planetary problems, vitally important, on the solution of which the fate of humanity as a whole depends. They are interconnected and cover different sides people's lives and concern all countries and peoples modern world regardless of the level of their social, economic and cultural development. These are problems of land and air, water and food, cities and countryside, physical and spiritual health, world war, etc. In the end, these are questions of the survival of people and living beings in general, no matter what part of the world they are in.

The South American continent is one of the most amazing and beautiful parts of the world. It is impossible not to love this land, and it is all the more painful to see and realize its troubles, which are both the source and manifestation of a number of global problems. An obvious and striking example of this is the ongoing and catastrophic deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, which is figuratively but rightly called the green lungs of our planet. The dense evergreen forests that grow on the banks of the great Amazon produce colossal volumes of oxygen that are dispersed throughout the Earth. At the same time, the forest biomass of the Amazon basin absorbs about one hundred million tons carbon dioxide. The uniqueness and value of these forests is also that they are distinguished by the greatest biodiversity in the world: every tenth species of animal or plant described in science is present here. The jungles of South America are the largest tropical forest in the world. They cover 5.5 million square kilometers, which is half the total area of ​​the planet's remaining tropical forests. However, this state of affairs is rapidly changing.

For millennia until the middle of the last century, tropical forests in the equator zone remained in a virgin state. And in just thirty years - from 1960 to 1990 - there was, according to various expert assessments, 1/5 of the Amazon forest cover has been destroyed. In general, it must be said that the rate of deforestation in the American region is one of the highest in the world and averages 0.48% per year. Of the 418 million hectares of forests cleared in the world over the past 30 years, Latin America accounts for 190 million hectares. Between 1990 and 2000 alone, the total forest area in the region decreased by 46.7 million hectares. Every year about 130 thousand sq. km. green areas (this is an area of ​​the country the size of Bulgaria) are burned, cut down, flooded or destroyed in other ways. Given that the Amazon rainforest plays a key role in the Earth's hydrological and climate system and has a significant impact on the world's climate, deforestation is a truly global problem.

For each South American countries Where deforestation occurs has its own profile of causes. So, in Brazil, these are primarily the needs for the development of agricultural production, in particular, the expansion of soybean and grain crops, as well as an increase in the production of export beef. It turns out that 60 - 70% of former forest land is used for cattle breeding, mainly by small farmers. In Colombia, deforestation is greatly influenced by cocaine production. Coca bushes, which have recently become too numerous in tropical forests, significantly accelerate their destruction.

Among the common and fairly well-founded reasons for deforestation of the equatorial forest is that it is widely used as a means of heating, and its valuable species go for export. In addition, population growth requires new places of residence, and the needs of the economy require the development of transport infrastructure. Therefore, every year more and more new roads are laid through the endless expanses of tropical forests, along which new settlements instantly appear. Every year at the end of the rainy season, settlers begin cutting down the forest, regardless of its age and quality, to clear new areas for crops. From year to year, giant bonfires continuously burn in the jungle. The ash is used to fertilize fields where maize, beans, cassava, rice, and sugar cane are grown. In addition, the decrease in the area of ​​the jungle is also associated with the extraction of minerals here, especially oil, as well as with the expansion of the territory under plantations of cotton, sugar cane, coffee, etc.

What are the consequences of further significant reduction of equatorial forests, what does this threaten?

It is reliably known that, in principle, deforestation leads to sharp changes in temperature, changes in the amount of precipitation and wind speed. The reduction of tropical rainforests inevitably leads to a reduction in the supply of oxygen to the atmosphere and an increase in the content of carbon dioxide in it. This, in turn, enhances the “greenhouse effect” and leads to the extinction of many animal species that will be deprived of their natural habitat. Where solid massifs are replaced by areas of forest thoroughly thinned out by people, arid and almost treeless plains gradually appear. Nowadays it is the most characteristic landscape for Brazil. In connection with all this, we recall the sad fate of the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, and Central America. These civilizations, as we know, died or disappeared from the historical scene precisely because people mercilessly cut down forests, and this was followed by soil erosion, silting of rivers, depletion of fertile lands and the decline of agriculture.

Similar fears are confirmed by the article by journalist Miguel Ángel Criado, “Deforestation in the Amazon will lead to a reduction in harvests,” published in the Spanish newspaper Materia on May 15, 2013. The author relied on research from several universities in Brazil and the United States, who constructed a model of the interaction of climate and land use and developed a series of forecasts to understand what awaits us in the future. According to scientists, if deforestation of tropical forests is not stopped, then changes in land use will inevitably lead to negative climate consequences:

• a dangerous reduction in the forest's ability to absorb carbon dioxide;
• rising temperatures in the Amazon;
• reduction in the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and disruption of precipitation patterns.

And this, in turn, will lead to a decrease in production fodder crops. Brazilian researchers predict that by 2050, if the area under crops doubles, the harvest will decrease by 30%.

However, writes Miguel Criado, the Brazilian government and agricultural industry are in favor of further deforestation. Everything indicates that forests will continue to be cut down. This is evidenced not only by the corresponding changes to the Brazilian Forest Code, but also by the plans of private business, intending to double agricultural production by 2020. But forests clearly interfere with this. Alas, protective function, which the Amazonian jungle performs on a planetary scale, is of little interest to them, but they are very interested in their own financial interests.

Another simultaneously global and continental problem, both aspects of which are inextricably linked and interact, is the drug problem in its entire range - drug addiction, drug production, drug trafficking, drug crime. Drugs are not just a new global threat, but a tragic factor in the deaths of 200,000 to 300,000 people every year. This is an annual drug trafficking that brings in more than $320 billion, serving as the financial basis for terrorism, piracy, organized crime and corruption. This is a conglomerate of criminal drug gangs in the shadow sector of the global banking system, which has formed a system of monetary transactions with a volume of almost $1 trillion. These are illegal cartel-industrial formations that have become an extremely powerful social institution, beyond the control of legitimate authorities, weakening sovereign Latin American states and impeding their development.

The South American continent (mainly Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela), together with Afghanistan, are now two planetary drug centers in which the production of cocaine and heroin has acquired an industrial character and unprecedented volumes. So, if in the 50s of the 20th century only 10 tons of cocaine were produced in the countries of the continent, then already at the end of the 80s - 500 tons, and in 2006 - 1030 tons. Thus, the level of cocaine production here has increased 100-fold over 50 years, which has had global negative consequences. Naturally, the first blow fell on North America and, first of all, on the United States. Here, already in the early 1980s, every 10th resident admitted to using drugs.

After the United States tightened control over the import of cocaine, the basic drug flow split. In addition to the countries of North America, he also went to West Africa and EU countries. Moreover, in terms of volume, new drug trafficking and basic drug trafficking are almost identical. According to experts, it was the massive injection of cocaine from South American countries and, of course, the flow of heroin from Afghanistan that put the EU countries on the ropes. Currently, 10% of the adult population there use drugs. For the countries of West Africa and the Sahel, South American drug smuggling and trafficking has caused a destabilizing tsunami in the political and socio-economic spheres. Speaking in December 2009 at the UN Security Council, the director of the UN Office on Drugs and Organized Crime (ONUDC), Antonio Maria Costa, said that proceeds from drug trafficking are increasingly being used by terrorist and anti-government organizations in the Sahel countries to finance their military and subversive actions. The Bureau has compelling evidence that two illicit drug flows intersect in the Sahara. One - heroin - uses East Africa as a transit point, the second - cocaine - West Africa. Then both flows merge together and use new routes through Chad, Niger and Mali, Costa said. These drug flows are not only enriching organized crime. Terrorist and anti-government organizations operating in African countries also replenish their resources from income from drug trafficking. These funds are used to finance their operations, purchase weapons and pay militants.

In the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean themselves, drug production and the continuous transit it generates across Central America remains a key driver of terrible violence. Between 2000 and 2010, 1 million premeditated murders were registered there, which allowed these countries to become the absolute champion in this sad indicator. In 2014, the number of premeditated murders in these countries was four times higher than the global level. Nowadays, more than 30% of all premeditated murders in the world are committed in these countries, despite the fact that only 9% of the world's population lives there. Of the world's 50 most dangerous cities to live in, 40 are located in the Western Hemisphere, with Latin American cities occupying the top ten places on the list. First of all, this is the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, then Venezuelan Caracas, then Mexican Acapulco, Colombian Cali and Brazilian Maceio.

The names of powerful Latin American transnational drug cartels have become known to the whole world, for example, the Medellin Cartel and the Cali Cartel in Colombia, Los Zetas in Mexico and Guatemala, Primeira Comando da Capital in Brazil, and Mara Salvatrucha in El Salvador and Honduras. and others. Nowadays, experts note with alarm the trend of transformation of family-type drug cartels into syndicate-industrial type drug cartels, which include not only separate production and distribution, but also their own power structures (intelligence, counterintelligence, paramilitary forces), etc.

Thus, in terms of its scale and consequences, the drug problem has acquired such a status that it can be placed on a par with the problems of terrorism, piracy and nuclear non-proliferation. It is no coincidence that many states, politicians, public figures and specialists consider it urgent to formulate a fundamentally new global anti-drug agenda, to expand and strengthen international cooperation in the field of anti-drug policy.

Among the acute global problems with pronounced South American specifics is also the problem of anthropogenic environmental pollution. It is the result of many factors: population growth, industrialization, urbanization, transport development, etc. Already due to the fact that the level of urbanization in the region is about 80%, and in the cities of Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Chile it is even higher - from 88 up to 93%, the problem of pollution of the lithosphere (soil cover), atmosphere and hydrosphere inevitably arises. After all, every day the giant urban agglomerations - Sao Paulo, Lima, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Buenos Aires and others - produce tens of thousands of tons of solid waste. They require disposal, but, unfortunately, most of them rot in open-air landfills, which creates an extreme environmental and epidemiological hazard.

As is known, as a result of the decomposition of organic waste, a gas is released that contains methane and carbon dioxide. It not only emits a fetid odor, but also destroys all vegetation on the surface, and also enhances the greenhouse effect. Quite often, gas fires and fires occur in landfills. Toxic smoke enters the atmosphere and poisons all living things within a radius of several kilometers. In addition, landfills cause deep contamination of the soil and poisoning of groundwater. Nearby bodies of water become toxic and dangerous to humans, and the soil becomes unusable for several hundred years after the landfill is closed. But that's not all. Being a repository of various toxins and dangerous bacteria and also a source of food for thousands of birds, animals and even people living and working in landfills, the latter become the cause of epidemics and even a kind of biological weapon.

A striking example of such a landfill was the Brazilian Jardim Gramacho, located in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. It was considered one of the largest in the world. Every day, up to nine thousand tons of garbage were taken there, and over the 34 years of its existence, more than 70 million tons of waste accumulated there. Environmentalists believe that it was because of this landfill that the beach in Guanabara Bay, once considered one of the cleanest in Rio de Janeiro, became polluted. The closure of Jardim Gramacho was postponed several times. However, in the summer of 2012, literally on the eve of the start of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian authorities considered it a matter of honor to close Jardim Gramacho. This is, of course, a great achievement, especially considering that previously, not far from the capital of the six million most colorful carnival in the world, a powerful waste processing plant was built. However, there are few stories with such a positive ending. They are rather the exception to the rule.

For example, in 2011, the famous Bordo Poniente landfill near Mexico City was closed. It has been called the largest municipal solid waste dump in Latin America. Here, over a quarter of a century, 50 to 60 million tons of garbage have accumulated. Closing this landfill, according to the Mexican Minister of the Environment, is equivalent to reducing the harmful emissions of 500 thousand cars. The Mexican government planned to build a plant to generate electricity on the site of the closed landfill. However, so far these plans remain unrealized, and millions of tons of garbage remain rotting near Mexico City. As for the 15 thousand tons of garbage that the multi-million metropolis produces every day, it is transported to other landfills.

Despite the concern of the public and authorities of South American countries about the problem of recycling household and industrial waste, its solution in the near future is hardly possible due to economic reasons. Therefore, there will be such huge landfills as the “Mine” on the outskirts of Guatemala City, and hundreds of small landfills throughout the region.

Modern agglomerations are also a powerful source of air pollution, which occurs as a result of the operation of public and personal transport, household and industrial equipment, various systems life support and manufacturing enterprises. Together, all this creates billions of tons of particulate and gaseous particles every year. The main atmospheric pollutants are carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, formed primarily during the combustion of mineral fuels, as well as oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, lead, mercury, aluminum and other metals. In turn, sulfur dioxide is the main source of so-called acid rain, which reduces crop yields, destroys both vegetation and life in river bodies, destroys buildings, and negatively affects human health.

A particular problem is created by the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere. Such emissions, as is known, threaten humanity with the so-called greenhouse effect and global warming. If in the middle of the 20th century worldwide CO2 emissions were approximately 6 billion tons, then at the end of the century it exceeded 25 billion tons. The economically developed countries of the world bear the main responsibility for these emissions. But in recent decades, due to the development of industry and energy, carbon emissions have also increased significantly in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In general, industries in South America have developed significantly with high level environmental pollution. This is due, on the one hand, to the transfer of “dirty” industries here from developed countries, and on the other, to an industrialization strategy with the predominant development of material, energy and labor-intensive industries. Today, 80% of industrial pollution is associated with the use of fuel and energy resources. Oil refining and petrochemicals are the most dangerous industries in environmental terms. In Brazil, the dirtiest area was the Camasari region, where a large petrochemical complex was built. Such areas where hazardous production is concentrated are called the “valley of death.”

Industrial pollution in Brazil is also associated with the expansion of ethanol production from sugar cane. Due to limited domestic oil resources and a desire to reduce dependence on oil imports, Brazil has become the only country producing industrial alcohol from sugar cane. The vast majority of cars here run on alcohol engines. However, now the attitude towards the so actively pursued Proalkol program has begun to change, since its environmental consequences are already clear: large emissions of pollutants, pollution of the natural environment with wastewater from distilleries. The industry also turned out to be excessively water-intensive.

The condition of water basins in South America is a special and very acute problem. On the one side, clean water in many large areas there is a shortage, on the other hand, the level of its pollution is high. For example, in Buenos Aires, about 3.5 million people quench their thirst with water, which contains a lot of pollutants. In Costa Rica, half of local residents get water from underground wells using submerged pumps that operate without water purification equipment. In Venezuela, the situation with clean drinking water is even more dramatic: there is practically no infrastructure in the country, and most of the residents of this state receive drinking water rationed. Against this background, corruption is flourishing in the country, and government officials responsible for distribution water resources, making huge fortunes for themselves by simply selling quotas for drinking water has become worth its weight in gold.

In Bolivia, a real water crisis broke out in 2016, which is still ongoing. There is a water shortage in five of Bolivia's nine departments. Agriculture and residents of large cities such as La Paz are also suffering. Water flows from the taps here once every couple of days a week and only for a few hours. The immediate cause is the worst drought in the country in a quarter of a century. But, according to experts, it’s not just her. This is the result of many factors. This includes a crisis in water management and serious climate change, including the rapid melting of glaciers. Since 1970, Bolivian glaciers have shrunk by 30 to 50%. They are a vital source of water for the country. A 2008 World Bank report found that most glaciers in the Andes will disappear by 2028, affecting 100 million people.

The situation with drinking water is no less complicated in Uruguay and Chile. According to experts, between 2040 and 2100 these countries will experience intense melting of glaciers in the Andes, which will cause mudflows and floods. Not only will tens of thousands of local residents have to be evacuated from settled places, but they will also need to be provided with drinking water, which is simply nowhere to get it from. In Peru the situation is slightly different: clean sources drinking water The country seems to have enough for everyone, but the uncontrolled use of pesticides in agriculture has led to the fact that many of them have become simply unsuitable for use. And this is only part of the problem, since local authorities have officially recognized that the main source of water pollution in the country is untreated discharges from industrial enterprises, most of which operate using last century technologies and have no treatment facilities. Anyone who has been to Peru is familiar with this picture - on the banks of a small river, from which 20-30 years ago local residents took drinking water, there is a huge enterprise that dumps into the river not just untreated wastewater, but liquid industrial waste containing almost all elements from the periodic table of Mendeleev.

Some scientists are confident that in the future humanity will face wars for the possession of water resources. And this scenario is already visible today in South America, where friction has increased between countries such as Argentina and Uruguay over access to sources of clean drinking water. The governments of these countries periodically exchange rather harsh statements addressed to each other, accusing opponents of being too big fence water from rivers flowing simultaneously through the territories of Argentina and Uruguay.

Fortunately, most countries in the region have already realized what water problems await them in the future if the situation is not corrected now. Thus, a number of countries have created specialized ministries responsible for the use of water resources. At the same time, special attention is paid to the development of glaciers in the Andes, which, according to experts, contain up to 85% of fresh water reserves in the region. The Chilean authorities, who have at their disposal the largest glacier in the Southern Hemisphere, with an area of ​​20 thousand square kilometers, have taken up this problem especially zealously. Also, Argentina is doing well in this regard, where the La Plata River valley is located, the basin of which occupies a third of the country’s territory. However, great damage to the river has been caused for decades by industrial enterprises located on its banks and tributaries. So, in most cases, environmentalists are right when they believe that the root cause of the deteriorating condition of the region’s water basins is not climatic factors, but anthropogenic ones, in particular the discharge of industrial, agricultural and household waste into rivers, lakes and seas.

Also a shining example Global problems in South American countries include sharp and growing social inequality, food shortages, growing poverty and crime. Many experts see the reasons for such a concentration of global problems in the region in the fact that historically external shocks resonated with internal problems. Home of them? material and moral wear and tear of that model of social economic development which operated with greater or lesser success in Latin American countries in 2003? 2013 and provided them with a relatively dynamic increase in key macroeconomic indicators. As a result, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe, CEPAL), the region's total GDP fell by 0.7% in 2015, and exports fell by 14%. If we take into account that in 2013 - 2014 the export of goods decreased by 3 and 0.4%, respectively, we can speak not of an isolated case, but of an established negative trend. It is also intensified by international competition.

Fortunately, in last years In recent years, the struggle to maintain environmental balance has intensified in the countries of South America. It goes in two directions: first, the development of legislation on environmental protection; the second is the creation of national parks and reserves. Currently, there are already more than 300 of them. In the Amazon alone there are six national parks and eight protected scientific stations. In the context of growing technogenic and anthropogenic pressure on the Earth’s biosphere, priority projects are the development of a post-industrial “green economy”, environmentally friendly energy and transport, waste-free industries, deep processing of natural resources and public and household waste.

Also among the ways to solve global problems, including environmental ones, are seen:

• legislative definition of environmental management standards;
• application of centralized environmental protection measures, for example, uniform international norms and rules for the protection of the World Ocean, protection of the atmosphere, climate, forests, etc.;
• expansion of international cooperation in solving global problems.

We can only hope that the peoples of South America, who have relatively recently decided on their own civilizational path of development, will be able to find within themselves the will and clear intentions to share planetary solidarity and take part in the common cause of jointly combating threats to all humanity and its natural habitat.

served as a source of accumulation environmental knowledge. There is a growing awareness that humanity is destroying the environment and undermines his own future. Environmental Problems ... Pollution... We can hear these words quite often today. Really, ecological The condition of our planet is deteriorating by leaps and bounds. Modern civilization is putting unprecedented pressure on nature. Humanity is now on the verge of global environmental disasters to prevent...

4140 Words | 17 Page

• Global world problems

  economics" Topic: "World global Problems » CONTENTS Introduction 3 Problem security and peace 4 Environmental Problems 5 Unsustainable environmental management 6 Problem waste 8 Demographic problem 12 Raw materials and energy resources 14 Food problem 16 Conclusion 20 References 21 Introduction The globalization of economic activity has led to an increasingly noticeable impact on the mechanism of the world economy Problems , about which the world community...

  4395 Words | 18 Page

• Environmental problems of the Amazon River

  Abstract on the discipline “On access to environmental information" on the topic " Environmental Problems Amazon River" Minsk 2015 Let us begin, perhaps, with the great Amazon, which is rightly called the “queen of rivers”, because it is the largest basin in the world in terms of size. Despite its impressive size (length - 6992 km), the Amazon is very vulnerable and suffers from destructive human activities. Currently, up to 60 dams are being built on the Brazilian part of this river alone. Such projects... |

  methodology of geoecological education""

Global problems of our time

Note 1

A whole series of planetary problems that cannot be solved by the efforts of just one country are called global. Their peculiarity is complexity, systematicity, universality, which is ensured by the unity of the modern world and the strengthening of global interrelations. Conventionally, global problems are divided into 4 groups - socio-political, socio-economic, socio-ecological, social and humanitarian.

Socio-political problems related to ensuring peace and international security. If for a long time nuclear deterrence was the basis of international security, then in modern conditions it has become clear that nuclear war will never be a means of achieving foreign policy goals. Together with the peoples' hope for safe world, new sources of instability have emerged - the growth of international terrorism. Countries around the world have accumulated huge stockpiles of weapons capable of destroying the planet several times over, so the problem of disarmament is acute. The solution to social problems in developing countries is hampered by the pace of military spending, which exceeds the rate of economic development. To begin disarmament, which in itself is a long process, all parties must adhere to certain principles.

Their essence is as follows:

1. Equality and equal security;
2. Fulfillment of all contractual obligations and agreements;
3. Disarmament control system;
4. Comprehensive nature, continuity and effectiveness of disarmament activities.

IN socio-economic The main problems are the problem of economic backwardness, the demographic problem, the food problem. Today, there is a huge gap between developing and developed countries in all socio-economic indicators. The problem of backwardness is due to the fact that they cannot establish efficient production and provide yourself with food. These countries are unable to eliminate poverty and solve social problems on their own. The division of the world into rich and poor is deepening and creating tension between countries.

Economic backwardness is the cause of two more problems - demographic and food. The “population explosion” has led to an increase in the planet’s population to $7 billion. The demographic situation leads to negative consequences– uneven distribution of people in relation to life resources, negative impact on the environment, overpopulation in a number of countries, increasing poverty and deteriorating quality of life. The danger of destruction of the natural environment that exists today has led to socio-ecological problems.

1. Air and water pollution;
2. Climate change on the planet as a whole;
3. Deforestation;
4. Disappearance of many species of flora and fauna;
5. Soil erosion;
6. Reduction of the area of ​​fertile lands;
7. Ozone holes;
8. Acid rain, etc.

Environmental problems themselves will not disappear; their solution involves the development and implementation of nature conservation programs not only at the national, but also at the regional and international levels. Environmental policy should become an integral part of the domestic and foreign policies of all countries of the world. Environmental policy will be effective provided that environmental legislation is created, which provides for liability for violations and a mechanism for punishment for non-compliance with the legislation. Environmental issues are the focus of such international organizations like the UN, UNESCO, etc. Their field of activity includes the development of environmental protection programs at the international level and the implementation of environmental protection measures throughout the world. They create systems of international control over the state of the natural environment and environmental education. In many countries around the world, environmental organizations and movements are emerging that also contribute to environmental protection. Their activities are gaining significant scope throughout the world. A wide range of issues also cover social and humanitarian problems directly related to humans.

This is, first of all:

1. Material and spiritual insecurity of life;
2. Violation of human rights and freedoms;
3. Mental and physical ill health of a person;
4. Suffering and grief from wars and violence, etc.

All ethnic conflicts local wars, natural disasters have one result - humanitarian disasters, the consequences of which can only be eliminated by the united efforts of the world community. The increasing flows of refugees each year create enormous difficulties for all countries.

Note 2

All global problems are closely related to each other and affect people. The very existence of human civilization is under threat and this has prompted world scientists join forces in search of ways to solve global problems. For this purpose, the Club of Rome was created in 1968. It is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientists, political and public figures from a number of countries around the world. This organization was founded by the Italian economist, businessman and public figure A. Peccei.

Environmental problems of Latin America

The diverse natural resource potential of Latin America and intensive environmental management have resulted in many countries in the region environmental situations. The causes of environmental troubles were the peripheral position in the world economy and high dependence on foreign capital. Rational environmental management is associated with the protection of the national interests of Latin American countries.

Today, $80$% of industrial pollution is associated with the use of fuel and energy resources. Oil refining and petrochemicals are the most dangerous industries in environmental terms. In Brazil, the dirtiest area was the Camasari region, where a large petrochemical complex was built. Such areas where hazardous production is concentrated are called the “valley of death.” Development nuclear energy increases the risk of radioactive contamination.

Another problem is coming to the surface - the dumping of toxic waste from developed countries in Latin America. Moreover, burials are already underway in Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Negative influence Air pollution with harmful compounds - oxides of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen - has an impact on human health. The share of air pollution from vehicles is large and its share, for example, in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Santiago, is $70$%. Forest fires contribute to air pollution. The poor condition of water basins is caused by industrial waste discharges. The water problem is very acute, for example, in Buenos Aires, where 90% of industrial enterprises do not have wastewater treatment plants. There is catastrophic pollution of the tributaries of La Plata, on the banks of which industrial enterprises are located, but the river water is also used for the domestic needs of citizens. The water problem in Latin America is very acute.

Factors that determined it:

1. As populations and cities grow, per capita water availability decreases;
2. Deforestation, climate change;
3. Discharge of untreated waste reduces water quality;
4. Outdated institutional and legislative structure.

The region has large reserves of arable land and ranks third in the world in terms of land degradation, which is associated with erosion.

The main problems in this area:

1. Erosion leads to a reduction in agricultural land;
2. Change of land use types;
3. Compaction, pollution, removal of nutrients leading to degradation;
4. Unequal and unfair distribution of land;
5. Lack of land rights.

Excessive intensification of agriculture leads to loss of nutrients. As a result, the soil loses its productivity, further exacerbating the problem of poverty. The introduction of fertilizers, pesticides, and the use of new technologies certainly increase the volume of production, but significantly worsen the state of the environment. The use of fertilizers leads to an increase in nitrogen compounds in the soil and water.

Note 3

A special form of soil degradation is salinization, and since the fight against this phenomenon is very difficult, the process of salinization can lead to desertification. In Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Chile, $18.4 million hectares of land are subject to salinity. Dangerous environmental consequences, even greater soil erosion, are associated with deforestation for pastures and the creation of livestock farms. Forests, for example, serve an important socio-economic function in the Caribbean.

The function of scaffolding is as follows:

1. Forests in the Caribbean are a source of not only domestic consumption, but also export. Thanks to the forest, indigenous peoples preserve their traditional way of life;
2. The forest is a supplier of natural products, it performs the function of preserving the environment, protecting against natural disasters;
3. The forest preserves river basins, protects against erosion and absorbs carbon dioxide.

Forest areas in the Caribbean represent $1/4 of the planet's forest area and contain more than $160 billion cubic meters. m of wood. This is $1/3$ of the world's reserves. Forest loss in the region is the highest in the world and amounts to $0.48% annually, and over the last $30 years, out of $418 million hectares of forest, Latin America accounts for $190 million hectares. Forests are especially vulnerable during fires. This disaster can destroy up to $50$% of forest biomass located on the surface. Particularly severe fires were observed in Central America in 1988. The fires that broke out covered an area of ​​more than $2.5 million hectares. They were most catastrophic in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua. In Mexico alone, $14,445 in fires were reported.

Activities of states in solving environmental problems

Until relatively recently, the states of Latin America practically did not pay due attention to the environmental problems that arose in the region. Similar attitude led to uncontrollable consequences - deforestation over vast areas, reduction of the gene pool of fauna, soil erosion, acid rain, etc. The huge urban agglomerations of the region are especially hard hit. It must be said that recently more attention has been paid to environmental issues.

Example 1

1. Brazil has improved its legal framework and forest management;
2. Over the past decades, issues of land degradation have been addressed in regional and international forums;
3. By decision of the UN, a Regional Coordination Council for Latin American and Caribbean countries was created. Its task was to coordinate the preparation and implementation of national programs for further action;
4. A number of Latin American countries have adopted new forestry regulations. For example, in 1996, Bolivia passed a new forestry law (the $1,700 Law). Based on this law, state forests can be placed at the disposal of private companies only when local and indigenous people will be involved in this process;
5. The Amazon Pact is an example of sub-regional mechanisms that are paving the way for new agreements and monitoring. All activities are aimed at preventing degradation soil resources in the region;
6. The Central American Council operates in the field of forests and protected areas. It serves as an advisory body in the field of policy and strategy for the sustainable use of forest resources, biodiversity conservation;
7. Eight countries have signed an agreement on development cooperation in the Amazon joint activities in this area.

Note 4

The struggle to protect nature is gaining momentum - environmental legislation is developing, and the green social movement is expanding. This movement is especially widely represented in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. State organizations on environmental issues are being created in the region.

TOPIC 2. South America

§ 24. Modern environmental problems of the continent. World Natural Heritage Sites

Remember:

1. When did Europeans begin to actively populate South America?

2. What are cultural and natural heritage sites?

Ecological problems. Active economic activity in South America began in the 16th century. in connection with the colonization of the mainland by Europeans. The largest modern environmental problems are: the destruction of the Amazon forests, plowing of the savannah, pampas, trampling of grass by numerous herds of domestic animals, impoverishment of vegetation and wildlife; soil erosion, expansion of desert areas, pollution of rivers, seas, air in mountainous areas, and the like.

The development of land for agricultural purposes in many areas of South America has led to changes in the natural environment. The pampa was almost completely plowed, tropical woodlands were cut down, and many animals were exterminated. The fate of the Amazon forests is especially worrying (Fig. 63). Construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway and beyond

the development of this area is accompanied by predatory deforestation and burning of forests over vast areas. Such human activity significantly disrupts the natural balance, threatening to change the natural environment not only of equatorial forests, but also of neighboring natural areas(decrease in precipitation, shallowing of rivers, soil erosion, depletion of vegetation and wildlife).

Rice. 63. Deforestation of the Amazon. Photo from space

Concerned about the rapid destruction of forests, the Brazilian government has decided to create the first large reserve in the Amazon.

Tropical agriculture is developing in South American countries, which significantly disrupts natural ecosystems. In equatorial and tropical latitudes they are intensively grown coffee trees, bananas, pineapples, sugar cane and the like. In subtropical areas - citrus fruits, tea, wheat, corn and the like. The lower slopes of the Andes are also used for agriculture, and the high mountain meadows are used as pastures.

Natural complexes in mining areas are changing significantly. During open-pit mining, the width of quarries can reach several kilometers. The industrial centers of São Paulo and Buenos Aires are the mainland's polluted cities.

Recently, the struggle for environmental conservation has intensified in South American countries. Legislation on environmental protection is being improved, and national parks and reserves are being intensively created. Now there are more than 300 of them on the mainland. 6 national parks and 8 scientific stations and reserves have been created in the Amazon. The area of ​​protected areas in South America is almost 1%.

Objects of the World Natural Heritage. 13% of the monuments are located on the territory of Latin America and the Caribbean countries (among them 90 are cultural heritage, 36 are natural heritage, 3 are mixed). Let's talk about some of them.

The Devil's Throat waterfalls are located on the territory of Iguazu National Park in Argentina (Fig. 64). Depending on the water level in the Iguazu River, there are between 160 and 260 waterfalls in the park. More than 2,000 species of plants grow around and 400 species of birds live.

Perito Moreno Glacier located in national park Argentina (Fig. 65). The glacier is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentine part of Patagonia and the third largest in the world after Antarctica and Greenland.

Rice. 64. Devil's Throat Falls

Rice. 65. Perito Moreno Glacier

Research

Natural uniqueness of South America

Using various sources of information, take a virtual tour of the unique natural sites of South America. Prepare a story (presentation) about one of them. Give a message to your classmates. Draw unique natural features on an outline map of South America.

Questions and tasks

1. Name the environmental problems of South America. What are they connected to?

2. What environmental problems of the continent can become global problems of the world?

3. Name the famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the mainland.

4. What ways can there be to preserve natural heritage sites in our time?

Working with a map and atlas

Locate on a physical map areas of the continent where environmental problems have arisen. Label them on the outline map.

Researcher Page

Suggest your own ways to solve environmental problems in South America.

Interesting fact

The Centennial Bridge (Fig. 66) crosses the Panama Canal. It was commissioned in 2004 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Panama's independence. The bridge was constructed in 29 months, the cost of construction work was almost $120 million. Its height is 80 m, length is 1 km 52 m.

Rice. 66. Centennial Bridge