Global problems

GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF OUR WORLD

Environmental disasters
The biggest disaster was Černobyl I thing - the explosion of nuclear power station cause problems all over the world not only in Ukraine. The wind blew radioactive waste in Europe as well as in Asia. A lot of people died and many of them are handicapped and have handicapped children. A lot of animals died and the nature was spoiled for many years. It the time of Chernobyl people cannot eat fresh vegetables or fruit, the water was spoiled too.

Endangered species (animals in need)
Everyone now "Red Book of Endangered species". There used to be a lot of different kind of animals few centuries ago. Indians hunted bison for food but when white men
came they hunted it for fun. People hunt whales of dolphins for money. There used to be a lot of elephants in Africa but Humans nearly extirpate (vyhubit) them. But it's better now than few years ago. Special organizations care about endangered species and they helped them. They try to save what they can. Poachers (pytlák) are punished (potrestáni) but sometimes it's not enough.

Global warming
Global warming 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. The result is a rising temperature. The temperature of the earth could rise by 3°C over next 50 years.

Tropical foersts
They are covering 7% land surface of the world and they are called “liver of the Earth”, because of producing oxygen, which is very important and without it we can’t live on the Earth. Amazonian forests are full of many animal and plant species that we don’t know and which can be very useful and important. Burning of forests causes emissions of carbon dioxide. Governments are supporting to encourage good forest management.

Acid rain
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.

Ozone hole
Scientists have recenly discovered holes in the ozone layer. Ozone layer helps to protect the earth from the sun´s ultraviolet radiation, which can damage our skins and cause cancer.

Protection of our environment:
Recycling
How do we reduce the waste which seems to grow more and more? Recycling is the processing of used objects and meterials so that they can be used again. About 60% rubbish from homes and factories contain materials that could be recycled. Recycling saves energy and raw materials, and also reduces damage to the countryside. Glass, paper and aluminium cans all be recycled very easily. Many towns have bottle banks and can banks where people can leave their empty bottles and cans for recycling. A lot of paper bags, writing paper and greetings cards are now produced on recycled paper.

Alternative energy
People should try to use alternative sources of energy. Most of the energy we use today comes from coal, oil and gas. But these will not last for ever, and burning them is slowly harming the atmosphere. We need to look for other ways of supplying energy. Solar power is a way of using the sun´s energy as heat or to make electricity. We can also use wind-power by building modern windmills that spin in the wind. There are several types of water-power. River water in mountains can be used to generate hydroelectric power, and we can also create electricity from sea water flowing in and out with the tides.

Drugs
A problem especially with young, it usually starts as fun or a new experience but sometimes it finishes as horror. Drugs are very expensive and the "victims" have no money so they have to steal, women have to cruise (šlapat chodník). It 's very tough to stop it. Most of them are not able to do it. We can meet it also in small towns.

Homeless
They have no home, family, money, they live in a street, a lot of them are able to find the job but they don't want. They are used to their life and they don't want to change it. Some of them play music in the street to earn money.

Povert
Problem especially in Africa or Asia, the relief in unpleasant they cannot grow enough food. They have nowhere to store food so in one period they have too much food and in another period they starve. One family has a lot of children.

Racism
Problem also in our country, usually white people thing their race is better, gypsies - problem in our country, racism used to be a big problem in the time of Hitler - Jewry (židé) were killed because they were "low-class race" (podřadná rasa). In America problems with black. I thing it going better now. My opinion is that some people take advantage of it like gypsies in our country.