What should be done to restore the environment. What, personally, we can do to improve the environmental situation

The ecological situation in the world is on the verge of catastrophe. And although numerous "green" organizations, funds for the conservation of nature and its resources, government agencies all countries are trying to overcome the consequences economic activity man, it is not possible to radically correct the situation. Thoughtless use of the Earth's wealth, irresponsibility, material interests of the largest corporations, globalization lead to the fact that the ecological situation is not improving.

Environmental problems in the world

In fairness, I would like to note that countries with a developed economy, high standards of living can also boast a high level of nature protection, a culture of ecology. In many countries of Europe, America, Japan, they try to minimize the consequences of human handiwork. At the same time, the level of education of citizens is increasing, whom they are trying to involve at the household level in processes that contribute to the preservation and cleanliness of the environment. But at the same time, serious gaps in such activities in developing countries, and even more so in lagging regions of the planet, kill all attempts to somehow protect nature in the bud. Thoughtless pollution of water bodies with industrial waste, waste products, absolutely irresponsible attitude towards land fund on the face.

The poor state of the environment is a problem that can affect everyone. Such distant troubles as the thinning of the ozone layer, or the melting of glaciers, cannot make it clear to a person that he is making a mistake. But outbreaks of epidemics, unfavorable climatic conditions, dirty water and fresh water that does not give a good harvest, smog - these are all direct results of our hands.

Ecology of Russia

Unfortunately, Russia belongs to the list of countries with the worst environmental situation. This state of affairs is due to various factors and manifests itself in all areas. Traditionally, most damage indicators comes from the impact of the industry. Economic crises, which plague both the global and domestic economies, one by one contribute to the decline in production. It is logical to assume that this should reduce emissions of harmful substances in the world, but alas, the lack of working capital works here, forcing enterprises to save even more. This happens, first of all, due to the elimination of programs for modernization, installation of treatment facilities.

But not only in major metropolitan areas and industrial regions, the situation causes great concern. Uneven cutting coniferous forests, the neglect of leaf plantations, the negligence of local authorities and citizens provoke the destruction of 20% of the entire world stock of tree lands.

ejection Wastewater into rivers and lakes, artificial drainage of swampy areas, plowing of coastal areas and sometimes vandal mining - this is a reality that exists, and the environmental situation in Russia is deteriorating daily in connection with this.

How to assess the real situation in the natural environment?

The complexity of the approach in the analysis of the state of the environment is the key to an adequate result. The study of only individual areas and the focal struggle against pollution of land, water and air will never bring a positive result on a global scale. Assessment of the environmental situation is a top priority for the government. Based on this assessment, a long-term strategy should be developed with the implementation of programs at all levels.

Only truthful and adequate monitoring, which will be carried out by truly independent experts in the field of ecology, can give a clear picture. Alas, the reality is that even world-famous organizations are often affiliated branches of large corporations and work under their dictation, taking a position that is beneficial to the monopolist.

In Russia, the situation is aggravated due to the high level of corruption by public services which perform both supervisory and executive functions. To achieve legitimate decisions on the protection of nature becomes an impossible task. There are neither means nor mechanisms for this, and most importantly, the will of officials. Until the top leadership is personally interested in the fact that the ecological situation in Russia gets out of the impasse, real transformations are unlikely to occur.

Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation

Every country has both state and public organizations who deal with environmental issues at their own expense. Which of them do their job better is a complex and controversial issue. Definitely good practice when the environmental apparatus in the country is empowered with extended functions.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology in Russia has existed since 2008. It reports directly to the government. The scope of this organization is not very wide. The Ministry performs two functions - legislative and controlling. Direct activity is carried out by creating a regulatory framework, according to which, there is control, management of the activities of enterprises, state facilities that fall under a special status (zakazniks, nature reserves), mining facilities, in the field of development and extraction of resources. Unfortunately, there is no body that would control the implementation of the instructions and take active actions in case of violation of the law. Thus, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology takes passive position regarding the preservation of the country's ecosystem.

The earth is our everything!

It is no coincidence that the agro-industrial complex occupies one of the most important places in the economy of the country. The area of agricultural land occupies more than 600 million hectares. This figure is colossal, no other country in the world has such a resource, wealth. Powers that really care about their soil, intended for growing crops used in food and light industry, prefer not to exploit the land mercilessly.

Unreasonable use of fertilizers, which is a consequence of the pursuit of high yields, outdated heavy equipment that violates the integrity of the soil, deterioration chemical composition soils not only in fields and gardens, but also on non-agricultural lands - these are all the fruits of human intervention, they directly show how indifferent we are to the world around us. Undoubtedly, in order to feed such a huge number of people, farmers are forced to plow every piece of land, but at the same time, the approach and attitude towards it must be radically revised.

Modern ways of doing business based on farms in developed countries are arranged in such a way that land owners take care of their “breadwinner”, and as a return they receive higher yields, respectively, and income.

Water situation

The beginning of the 2000s was marked by the realization that freshwater sources throughout the world are in a catastrophic state. Such ecological problem and the ecological situation, as pollution and is fraught with the extinction of man as a species. The seriousness of the issue forced a more responsible approach to water quality control. However, weak attempts to bring water resources back to normal have so far been unsuccessful.

The fact is that it is precisely the southern and central regions. They are where the largest industrial capacities of the country are concentrated, the highest indicator of development Agriculture. The number of reservoirs suitable for supporting the national industry, on the contrary, is not as high as necessary. The intense pressure on the existing rivers has led to the fact that some of them have practically disappeared, some are so polluted that their use is categorically impossible.

There is an improvement in the ecological situation, but this applies to water bodies that are taken under strict control. The figures that characterize the overall situation are catastrophic:

Only 12% of water bodies, according to environmentalists, fall under the category of conditionally clean.
The amount of harmful impurities, such as pesticides, heavy metals, exceeds in some reservoirs hundreds of times the permissible norms.
More than half of the country's population uses water that is not suitable for drinking for domestic purposes. Moreover, almost 10% of the population does not use life-giving moisture for cooking, but poison. This provokes outbreaks of epidemics of hepatitis, intestinal infections and other waterborne diseases.

What are we breathing?

The average indicators show that the current environmental situation in airspace behind last years improved somewhat. However, the statistics are good only on paper, in reality the fall harmful emissions occurred at an insignificant level, and in some regions even increased. Every year, 18 thousand enterprises across the country emit more than 24 million tons of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

The most critical ecological situation is developing in such cities as Kemerovo, Grozny, Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk. The list of cities with an unfavorable atmospheric background has 41 positions throughout the country.

In addition to the constant emission of gases and smoke, due to the increased number of vehicles on the roads, the intensive activity of enterprises, there is another factor that undermines the ecological situation - this emergency releases. Severe deterioration, obsolescence of treatment facilities are the reason why more than 40% of the population have respiratory diseases, almost 5% - oncological diseases.

Urboecology

It is urban residents who most often suffer from bad air, dirty water, and the lack of food labeled “environmentally friendly”. AT major cities, for example in Moscow, officials are trying to establish a framework for enterprises, create modern treatment plants, modernize collector systems and water supply. Such actions of the authorities managed to raise the capital this year from 68th place to 33rd in terms of pollution in the overall ranking of cities in the country. However, these measures are not enough. Every summer the inhabitants major cities suffer from smog, smoke, high levels of gases in the atmosphere.

Urban sprawl and high concentration of population in small area threatens to deplete natural resources in urban areas. The unrealized energy conservation policy and the failure to comply with international standards regarding the provision of safe industrial activities also undermine the balance in nature. Thus, the ecological situation of the city cannot please.

With a prime example The consequences of bad ecology can be found by looking at the statistics of childhood diseases for several decades. High level congenital pathologies, acquired diseases, a weak immune system - these are the realities that we have to face daily.

And the adult population of cities has reasons for concern. The life expectancy of citizens and inhabitants of territories falling under the category of environmentally unfavorable is on average 10-15 years lower.

Collection, disposal and recycling of garbage

The problem of environmental pollution with waste is not new and lies on the surface in literally. The trend towards waste disposal has outlived itself and is leading to the systematic transformation of the country into one large repository. Realizing that at such a pace that the population and industry produce waste, this prospect is getting closer, the Ministry of Ecology decided to create a new direction in its work. Namely, the organization of centers for the collection, sorting and processing of various waste for recyclables.

All the same West took care of this issue several decades ago. The amount of non-recyclable waste they do not exceed 20%, while in Russia this figure is four times higher. But according to the optimistic plans of the country's leadership, the situation will change and by 2020 it will reach full-fledged waste processing with their subsequent implementation in industry and energy. Such a statement of the task is very pleasing, because if ambitious plans are implemented, one can hope for favorable environmental situations and conditions in the country.

Catastrophes of recent years

In the meantime, we have to reap the rewards, and the realities are such that the current ecological situation is undermined and flares up in different places every year, showing all the gaps in the system

According to activists, recent times the people of Russia had to face problems in different regions countries. Yes, in Sverdlovsk region, in the Zhelezyanka River, the level of iron and manganese in the water exceeds the norm by 22 and 25 thousand times, respectively! Such figures are not amenable to any common sense and the situation is getting worse. Despite the fact that local authorities dormant.

Increasing incidences of fuel release during extraction and transportation are also clearly demonstrated by examples environmental situations. Oil, fuel oil, spilling over water, leads to the death of birds, animals, pollution of both the reservoirs themselves and groundwater. The same thing happened when in November this year there was an accident with the tanker "Nadezhda" off the coast of Sakhalin.

Environmentalists around the world are sounding the alarm to save Lake Baikal. The pride of Russia may soon partially turn into a swamp. The ingress of detergents into its waters, sewage from collectors, provokes abundant flowering of water. Toxic Substances not only pollute the water, but cause the extinction of the unique flora and various living organisms living in the lake.

Ways to solve problems in ecology

The ecological situation in Russia requires prompt intervention. Passive surveillance, which the state is now engaged in, is fraught with serious problems. The main paths that need to be developed relate to absolutely all levels of a person.

It is very important to instill in every citizen the foundations of ecological culture. After all, even the best bills and programs of officials will not be able to overcome the problem if society is not concerned about this. Although often it is it that is engaged in the elimination of disasters, the cleansing of coastal zones, parks, recreation areas, which cannot but rejoice.

Implementation of energy efficient technologies at all levels, from private households to large industrial enterprises, is a priority task to be solved in the coming years.

The issues of the use of natural resources, their extraction, restoration cannot remain unresolved. In order to leave the opportunity for existence to the next generations, it is necessary not to rely entirely on the independent revival of its natural wealth. Man differs from other inhabitants of the planet in that he is reasonable, which means that this mind must be shown not only for consumption, but also for the creation of something worthwhile!

No matter how hard you try, everyone contributes to environmental pollution, and we have not yet drowned in mountains of garbage just because there are people who care about the fate of our planet, of course, you need to switch to environmentally friendly consumer products, for example: developments are underway in solar the light conversion industry based on organic semiconductors, which will allow some industries to abandon the use of pollutants (gasoline, oil, electricity), but who will allow this industry to develop when the state has such grandmas from the sale of oil, and this is just one example of whom it is beneficial to switch to environmentally friendly products., and there are many such examples .. what I do for the environment is like a drop in the ocean, I don’t litter whenever possible, I always take out the garbage .. but there is a paradox, if it has gone somewhere, it will arrive somewhere, you need to dispose of garbage, but there are few such enterprises, the fact that I cleaned up after myself in one place does not mean that I saved nature from this garbage, ...

What is needed to improve environmental situation in the country? Subscribe

Talks alone will not be enough to improve the ecological situation in the country. In order for changes to occur on a global scale, it is necessary to wake up the mind of each person, and only in this case there is a small chance that it will be possible to significantly improve the ecological situation. You also need to make sure that it is done in a timely manner.

To begin with, a person should be aware of the fact that his behavior can affect the overall environmental situation. And therefore, you should direct all your actions to create a favorable environment, otherwise after a while you simply will not have a place to live.

You must understand that various air purifiers, water filters, will not help to save natural environment habitat. All this can only be done by a person, without littering the territory, planting a tree, using vehicles only ...

Our health depends on the influence of many different factors. This is nutrition, and lifestyle, and the presence of stress. But we can independently correct all these influences to one degree or another. However, the activity of our body largely depends on how it is affected by the environment. One person cannot cope with such a global adversary as industry, which daily becomes the cause of huge amount emissions into the atmosphere. But at the state level, many countries are already very serious about improving the environmental situation. And this approach implies, among other things, the participation of each individual separately.

There are simple and rather inexpensive things in terms of time and effort that each of us can do for the benefit of the world around us and ourselves. Let's talk about some of them in more detail, about measures that improve the ecological situation in the environment.

Probably every student knows...

28.04.11 00:33

Tips for improving the environment around you - from professionals.

Today, the problem of ecology, environmental protection is of great importance. Here are just a few figures: 16% of Russia's territory, where more than half of its population lives, is characterized as ecologically unfavorable. Landfills around cities are expanding, the level of pollution of water, air and soil exceeds all acceptable standards.

Here are some tips for improving the environment at home from Amway, a company specializing in the production of environmentally friendly cleaning products.

When choosing products, give preference to biodegradable ones: they decompose naturally without harming nature.

Avoid phosphates. As you know, phosphates are added to washing powders to soften water. But they call allergic reactions, adversely affect the human respiratory system. And when phosphates, together with polluted water, enter natural reservoirs, they become fertilizer for algae and cause water blooms.

Less chlorine! Chlorine negatively affects the cardiovascular system, contributes to atherosclerosis and anemia, and negatively affects the condition of the skin and hair.

Try to use concentrated cleaning products in your home, which will reduce the consumption of packaging and thereby reduce household waste.

Install hot and cold metering devices in your apartment cold water. Unnecessarily, do not leave lamps, TV and other electrical appliances on, defrost the refrigerator regularly. This will reduce power consumption. It's not just a matter of savings - the more electricity is consumed, the more fuel is required for power plants, and therefore, the more toxic combustion products enter the atmosphere.

Try to use aerosols less often. Buy only those that have the inscription "Ozone friendly". It means that the spray does not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), which destroy ozone layer over our planet.

Use electric lighters instead of matches, thus you save a particle of forests - the lungs of our planet.

Making the most of natural light is one very effective way to reduce the amount of electricity you use for artificial lighting. Dirty window panes reduce lighting by almost half - keep it clean.

Never throw garbage into sinks and toilets.

Try to buy products made from recyclable materials - bottles, toilet paper, writing paper, etc. By recycling instead of throwing away, we can reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

Environmentally dirty houses are not the fantasies of scientists and specialists, but a real fact that many people suffer from. The problem of the ecological state of one's own apartment, its so-called health, is quite relevant today, since a person spends most of his life at home, and in order for life to be long and happy, it is necessary to follow a number of rules to avoid exposure to harmful environmental factors.

Objects and things in our apartment are not only functional. In some cases, they are designed to give rise to a person's feeling of solemnity, significance, elation, in others - a feeling of intimacy, peace, comfort. Thus, to an environment where a person rests and can remain alone with himself, indulge in reflection, or, conversely, where he communicates with other people, special requirements are made.

Materials used in the decoration of apartments and houses

On the appearance apartments are primarily influenced by the lifestyle, characters and tastes of its inhabitants. We all strive to ensure that the design of the room is fully consistent with our ideas about coziness and comfort. However, few, when creating an interior in their own apartment, think that it, in turn, will have a noticeable impact on the household and their health.

Materials used for decorating apartments: plastic (double-glazed windows, window sills, wall and ceiling panels), wood (parquet, furniture), chipboard (chipboard) - cabinets, tables; concrete (ceiling, walls); tiles (wall lining of the bathroom, toilet room, kitchen); carpet, tapestry (carpets and floor paths); linoleum (floor).

With ecological point vision, there are several types of pollution: chemical, biological, physical and microclimate.

To chemical form contaminants include various harmful substances emitted from materials or from the street: phenol, formaldehyde, aromatic hydrocarbons, mercaptans, sulfur compounds, which eventually cause respiratory and nervous system diseases, damage to the heart and blood vessels, and allergic reactions.

1. Particleboard and fibreboard (chipboard) - Formaldehyde and phenol, which have mutagenic properties, can cause chronic poisoning

2. Mounting foam - Exposure to toxic substances

4. Carpet-Respiratory Diseases

5. Linoleum-Vinyl chloride and plasticizers can cause poisoning

6.Washable wallpaper - A source of styrene that causes headaches, nausea, spasms and fainting

7. Asbestos (contained in false ceilings) and concrete - Asbestos dust can cause severe lung damage

To species contaminants include: mold fungi, various bacteria, viruses and so on. mold mushrooms- the most common cause of allergies, but this is their harmful effect is not limited. AT high concentrations they suppress the immune system. The first signs of "neighborhood" with mushrooms: cough (coughing), a slight sore throat, a feeling of lack of air, lacrimation, runny nose.

Molds love dampness. Therefore, their favorite habitats are apartments on the first floors, right above the basement, especially if the house is old, and on the upper floors, where leaks also occur more often. External walls of buildings, especially with north side, are often cold and damp, especially if they do not have batteries, and therefore can also be populated by fungi. Mold also forms on air conditioner filters if they are not cleaned for a long time, and sometimes it grows on windows. If you were once flooded, then it is better to treat this place away from sin with a special antifungal agent. The same must be done in the damp corners of the apartment. Do not try to look for mushrooms on your own. They are microscopic and can only be detected laboratory methods. If you can see them, then it's really bad. The black fungus in the bathroom is safe for health, and if the fungus is greenish, yellowish, and even hairy, stay away from the room and call the experts. Mushrooms are very willing to settle in the pile of the carpet, so it must be regularly cleaned in a dry cleaner. By the way, in the same place (and also in bed linen, on bookshelves, in old soft toys and among the yellowed pages of magazines and in other places where dust "lives" dust mites live - another causative agent of allergies.

The first symptoms of allergies: coughing, pain in the eyes, irritation of the throat. Further, swelling of the throat, larynx, lacrimation may appear. If you breathe dust every day, then respiratory diseases, inflammation, headache, eye irritation are inevitable. The method of struggle is regular wet cleaning.

The microclimate consists of several parameters: humidity, temperature and air movement. If only synthetic materials are used, Fresh air does not penetrate the room and the humidity increases, and if some material (for example, drywall) absorbs moisture, the air, on the contrary, becomes too dry. Popular today double-glazed windows for windows interfere with natural air exchange. Through the cracks of ordinary wooden windows and doors, fresh air, one way or another, penetrates and normal ventilation occurs. In addition, in emergency cases, synthetic materials only exacerbate the situation.

According to some experts, there are apartments where the concentration of pollutants is 100 times higher than on the street. The reason for this is new building finishing materials, seemingly comfortable and cozy household items, synthetic detergents and cleaning products. We are happy to fill the apartments with glued furniture, varnish the parquet, cover the floors with linoleum and synthetic rugs. As a result, more than 100 species can be found in the air of rooms. organic compounds, causing irritation of the upper respiratory tract, discomfort in the eyes, runny nose, chronic headache, nausea and other disorders. Modern furniture is made using urea-formaldehyde resins, which are extremely harmful to health: they cause conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, asthma, diseases of the endocrine system and kidneys.

The process of release of harmful substances from new furniture is very long and can last up to 12 years through cracks and scratches. Do not add to our health and polyvinyl chloride resins contained in linoleums. Walls made of concrete, slag concrete and polymer concrete are a source of radiation, albeit in microdoses, but constant, capable of provoking neoplasms. In addition, concrete walls actively absorb moisture from indoor air. And to all the troubles in such apartments, skin peeling, hair fragility, annoying discharges are added. static electricity. Oncological diseases of the lungs and blood can cause radioactive gas radon released from the soil into the atmosphere. Most of all, it accumulates in our apartments in winter, when the ground does not freeze under the houses and lets radon into our homes. Our apartments are “stuffed” with electrical appliances. The electromagnetic field they create negatively affects the circulatory, immune, endocrine and other systems of human organs.

Influence of harmful environmental factors in our apartments, it is not only necessary, but also possible to reduce! traditional and effective way to reduce the level of air pollution in our apartments, periodic ventilation remains.

Plants in the apartment play an aesthetic and hygienic role: they improve our mood, moisturize the air and release useful substances into it - phytoncides that kill microorganisms; some houseplants are used as medicines. When studying the action of phytoncides, about 90 species indoor plants The most active were white-spotted begonia, spring primrose, reverse conical primrose, fragrant pelargonium, large-flowered eucharis, hybrid hippeastrum, white oleander, elastic ficus, Andre philodendron, ferns - venus hair, pteris serrate, nephrolepis high, etc.
It is known that in the morning plants emit more phytoncides than in the evening. The smells of plants cause olfactory associations that affect the human condition. Carnation, bay leaf, black pepper, iris, coffee, currant, lemon balm, mountain ash, black poplar, tea have stimulating and tonic odors. Soothing smells have orange, mandarin, valerian, fragrant and lemon geranium, mignonette, lemon, rose, cyclamen.

How to improve the ecology of the apartment? Read more below.

For a good environment in the apartment should:
It is necessary to ventilate the apartment more often so that harmful gases escape, “vacuumize” carpets and rugs, do wet cleaning, reducing the amount of dust, on the particles of which harmful substances linger.
It is necessary to purchase furniture, household items and materials for repairs, taking into account their environmental qualities.
It is necessary to strive to reduce the number of sources of pollution, including, if possible, to refuse asbestos-containing materials and particle boards as much as possible.
Do not abuse paintwork: follow the rules for the operation of gas and stove heaters.
store items household chemicals in non-residential premises (on loggias, etc.), if this is not possible, then store only hermetically sealed.
Time spent using appliances such as hair dryers, electric shavers, microwaves, electric irons, etc., should be reduced to a minimum.
Do not sit close to the TV screen or personal computer.
Remove the electric alarm clock or answering machine from the head of the bed.
A cheap and aesthetic way to reduce the impact of harmful factors is to have indoor flowers. They absorb carbon dioxide and some harmful substances, release oxygen, have a bactericidal effect, and humidify the air.

Who will solve environmental problems? Many believe that only politicians, environmentalists or manufacturers can influence environmental issues. In fact, politicians do not care about such "trifles". Ecologists are aware of the state of the planet, and let's be honest: they do not have enough authority to influence anything. And producers will not move until they see the benefits and the consumer stubbornly does not demand changes.
The only ones who can change anything are ourselves. The legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau, for 40 years studied sea world and was very concerned about its biodiversity. So, at the end of the documentary about him, an amazing song sounded with the words: "What can one do? Be in love. What can one? Plant a garden. What can one? Change the world." So, one person is not enough, but if you are an example and tell others about the glorious idea of living ecologically, then others will soon join. You, He, She, They - and then we can change the world for the better.

Eco-philosophy: 2 important concepts:
"Think globally, act locally"- UN motto for the XXI century (Local Agenda XXI). It characterizes very succinctly how one should behave during an ecological crisis.
3R principle: Reduce(reduce consumption) Reuse(reuse) Recycle(remake). If we take the purchase of clothes as an example, then, according to the 3R principle, you should buy what you really like and need, wear it to the bitter end, look for ways to reuse (alter, give to others, use for rags), and only then throw it away.
Did you know that the population of the planet consumes more than the Earth is capable of regenerating? Scientists have calculated that with this way of life we need 3 planets.

How can we improve the situation?

1. Be a wise consumer. Buy things only if you really need them: think carefully before buying, refuse spontaneous purchases, prepare a list of necessary purchases before going to the store. And remember: it is better to buy a quality item once than a cheap one several times. The aphorism "The miser pays twice" now applies to the environment. Don't be wasteful.

2. Don't buy junk: give preference to products without extra packaging. Why do you need another beautiful bag-box-jar, if you still won’t use them?

3. Avoid single-use plastic bags. Plastic does not decompose naturally: in pacific ocean an island has already formed, which consists entirely of human waste. After eating such garbage, 100 thousand animals die every year. Therefore, it is better to carry a convenient reusable eco-bag with you, which will be good for the environment and help you save a hundred or two hryvnias, eliminating the need to buy a new plastic bag every time.

4. "No" - once. Try not to buy single-use products: dishes, napkins, razors, pens, instead, give preference to appropriate reusable items. Less waste, less problems!
5. Garbage sorting: 1 ton of waste paper will save 17-20 trees, and 1 ton of secondary polymers (plastic) will save 16 tons of crude oil. If you already have separate containers for household waste and plastic-glass-metal-paper under your house, then it’s a sin not to use this. If this is not the case, then you can contact the recycling centers, or carefully fold packs of paper, bottles, plastic near the trash can and they will definitely come in handy for someone.

6. Save water. If we compare the Earth with the head of a baby, then fresh water reserves are just a tear in the eyes. Scientists predict that by 2050 fresh water supplies will be almost exhausted, and 4 billion people will not even be able to meet their daily water needs. The banal "turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth" has deep meaning: if you do this, then 1 liter of water is consumed, while when the tap is open, 6 liters / min flow out. Reduce the time spent in the shower, reduce the pressure, purchase a special economic nozzle with the air shower function (saturates the water flow with air). Repair leaky faucets.

7. Save energy. Get in the habit of turning off the lights when leaving the room for more than 15 minutes. Use energy-saving lamps that last 12 times longer and use 80% less energy. Unplug unnecessary appliances from the outlet, thus, you will save up to 40% of wasted electricity.

8. Economy mode. When buying, pay attention to the efficiency of equipment (marking A, A +, Energy Star), so you can reduce your electricity bill by 30%.

9. About paper. Save paper: print on both sides, use drafts. Saving 25 reams of paper saves one felled tree! Choose paper that is bleached without chlorine (PCF label) and from controlled plantations (FSC label).

10. About the car. Buy an economical car. Change the filter regularly and inflate your tires. Such actions will increase the number of kilometers per liter of gasoline.

11. About cleanliness. Conventional detergents contain phosphates, which, getting into water bodies, contribute to the rapid "greening" of water. Also, phosphates do not pass through filters and can again enter our home through the central water supply system. Therefore, preference should be given to environmentally friendly detergents or soap nuts, which are harmless and 98-100% biodegradable.

12. About cosmetics. Give preference to natural, and even better, organic cosmetics that do not contain artificial additives and petrochemicals.

13. About nutrition. Give up fast food, cook at home and have dinner together with the whole family. Choose foods that are local (this uses less fuel for transportation), seasonal and, if possible, organic. The latter do not use pesticides (most are made from petroleum), use less water and energy, and regenerate the soil.

14. About children. Imagine: if a child uses exclusively disposable diapers, then while the child grows up, a mountain of garbage will also grow, weighing 1,000 kg! Ditch diapers and switch to a natural swaddling system or disposable diapers that can decompose in nature.

15. About home comfort. Give preference to everything natural as much as possible: furniture, textiles, interior items.

16. Plant a tree and support the people who conserve and protect our forests. Trees absorb a ton of CO2 during their lifetime, purifying the air. Trees also provide shade and reduce air conditioning costs by 10 to 15%.

17. Eco-chips. Do not pass by various eco-objects, for example: notebooks or toilet paper made from recycled paper, bio-garbage bags that decompose for 3 years, or magnetic balls that allow you to soften water and reduce powder consumption.

18. Be creative. Do not rush to throw away or buy something new. Turn on your imagination and give the old thing a new life.

19. And finally, love nature . So, you will want to protect her and understand that every action you take has power! And your children and grandchildren will tell you: "Thank you for making the world a better place."