Двадцатый век в истории великобритании

Britainʼs Ecological Activity
Over recent decades, the UK's environment has deteriorated significantly in both urban and rural areas. This is not surprising in such a densely populated and small country, where residents are concerned about pollution, wildlife conditions, resource use and food safety. But, although the majority of Britons express concern about the state of the environment, not everyone is trying not to pollute it. Popular awareness of the problem coincided with a sharp increase in support for the "green" movement in the mid-1980s, so many political parties were forced to include "green" items in their programs. The government, in turn, has passed laws that limit the level of permissible emissions into the environment and protect it from new dangers. European Union officials have also taken the issue seriously, setting even tougher standards for EU member states. But critics say government measures are ineffective and insufficient. Control and protection provided by the government will not save the environment: violators can circumvent the law or pay off with a small fine, insufficient pressure is put on companies that need to modernize their treatment equipment, and conflicts arise between local and central governments due to environmental disasters. The UK's air pollution is a significant threat to the health of its residents, especially asthmatics. Although industrial air emissions were banned under the Clean Air Laws of the 1950s and 1960s, poor air quality can be felt across much of the country. Exhaust gases from cars, buses and trucks seriously disturb the environmental situation in cities, despite the introduction of new exhaust purifiers. An increase in the number of cars and roads leads to an even more disastrous result. The tunnel between France and England has also frayed the nerves of conservationists, despite the fact that it was relatively well planned, had a sound insulation system and its construction did not cause much harm to the environment. Pollution of the sea and coastal areas is mainly due to companies that dump waste from their activities directly into the sea, as well as due to the operation of oil and gas rigs in the North Sea. Until now, the volume of emissions and the level of sea pollution exceed the maximum values set by the European Union. The rivers suffer no less than others - industrial waste is systematically dumped into them, and toxic agricultural fertilizers and pesticides get there directly from the soil. This, in turn, forced the population to think about the quality of drinking water, and the government to monitor the quality of water supplied by utility companies. Many polluted rivers, lakes and reservoirs have been cleaned up, and in the North Sea compliance with all environmental regulations is being monitored more closely. Problems also exist with the use of energy resources, as well as with the use of combustible fuels (oil, gas, coal) and damage to territories associated with the transition from coal to gas. The use of nuclear energy was abruptly stopped due to islanders' disapproval of nuclear installations, the danger of radioactive leakage, and the reprocessing and disposal of nuclear waste. There is still debate about whether it is dangerous or safe to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. People are also significantly concerned about the state of agriculture, especially the amount of pesticides used in growing vegetables and grains, hormonal feeding of animals and the impact of intensive land cultivation methods on the environment. The issue of environmental protection in the UK is an international issue of great importance, and the UK pays great attention to it. There are approximately 500,000 protected buildings in Britain and 7,000 gated areas of architectural and historical interest. The government encourages volunteers to work to preserve national heritage. Since 1960, total smoke emissions into the atmosphere have decreased by 85%. Most petrol stations in the UK sell unleaded petrol. The government controls the release of gases that destroy the ozone layer. They also contribute to the greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming and rising sea levels. Britain stresses the need to study the science of climate change. Green belts are areas where land should remain free from urban development. The state attaches great importance to their protection. National parks make up 9% of the total area of England and Wales. In Scotland, the River Cleanup Society monitors water pollution. In the UK we care about the environment for our own sake and for future generations. Environmental issues The UK is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, the country has already reduced emissions by 22% compared to 1990. It is planned that by 2015 -33% of household waste will be recycled or used as fertilizer. During the period from 1999 to 2000, recycling of household waste increased from 8.8 to 10.3%.
Environmental education.
The 1988 reform outlined a system of new tasks for UK comprehensive schools. The country's government has identified environmental education as the “heart” of its policy for achieving sustainable development. The goal of sustainable development, as defined by British experts, is to support the joint actions of all sectors of society and the economy to move “smoothly”, avoiding various kinds of crises. Different historical parts of the United Kingdom have their own characteristics in the construction of curricula and programs. But for all regions it is mandatory to study environmental issues in the system of both basic and additional classes. The amount of instructional time allocated to such classes is determined by the schools themselves. According to the National Education Program, schools must perform the following socially important tasks:
- provide all schoolchildren with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, decision-making experience, skills and abilities necessary to protect and improve the natural environment;
- support schoolchildren in their desire to observe nature and explore the environment from various points of view (physical, geographical, biological, sociological, economic, political, technological, historical, aesthetic, ethical and spiritual);
- awaken children's natural curiosity about environmental issues, as well as their desire to take a practical part in solving real environmental problems.