Contemporary environmental problems in South America. alteration of natural complexes by man

South America

South America, mainland, area - 18.13 million km2. The equator crosses the mainland in the northern part. It is connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama. It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the coasts are slightly indented, only in the South there are many islands. The largest bay is La Plata.

Geological structure and relief.
Most of it is located on a fragment of Gondwana, a platform. Lowlands (Amazon, Orinoc, La Plata) are located in troughs with a thickness of sedimentary rocks, highlands (Guiana and Brazil) are located on shields, and a folding zone (Andes) adjoins from the west. Mountain building continues, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent (Chimborazo, Cotopaxi). Oil and gas fields are located in the northern and central parts of the mainland, ore deposits on the Brazilian Plateau. Large reserves of gold.

Climate.

The wettest of the continents. High mountains cause a variety of climates, the presence of altitudinal zonation. The equatorial belt occupies the Amazonian lowland and the northwestern coast. Subequatorial belts - to the North (up to 15 ° N) and South (up to 20 ° S). In the tropical zone, the eastern part is under the influence of the trade winds, there is a lot of precipitation (2000 mm) on the coast, the difference between summer and winter t is insignificant. In the interior regions, precipitation is noticeably less (1000-500 mm). The Pacific coast is under the influence of the cold Peruvian Current. Here is one of the driest places in the world (Atacama Desert). subtropical belt. The eastern part is humid subtropics, the Pacific coast is dry subtropics of the Mediterranean type, with dry and hot summers and mild wet winters. In the temperate zone in the south of the mainland, there is a maritime temperate and temperate continental climate. In the Andes, at the foothills, the climate is zoned, t decreases with height and the precipitation regime changes. The most severe are the highlands of the Andes, which lie in the tropical zone. Here are the driest desert highlands in the world.

Lakes and rivers South America has huge river systems. Rain fed, most rivers belong to the basin Atlantic Ocean.

natural areas. Equatorial forests (selva) are located on both sides of the equator, occupying almost the entire Amazonian lowland, the slopes of the Andes and the north of the Pacific coast. Along the Atlantic coast, tropical rainforests are common, close to a typical hylaea. The soils are red ferralitic. Trees reach 80 m (ceiba), melon tree, cocoa, rubber hevea grow. The plants are entwined with vines, there are many orchids, in the Amazon - Victoria regia.

Animals

the world of South America is associated with numerous tree layers, there are few terrestrial animals. By the water - tapir, capybara, gharial crocodiles in the rivers, in the crowns - howler monkeys, sloths, from birds - macaw parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, boas are characteristic, including anaconda. There is an anteater, from predatory - jaguar, puma, ocelot. The fauna of deserts and semi-deserts is similar to the pampas (nutria, small armadillos). There are no large ungulates in the southern part of South America, but there are peccaries, armadillos, anteaters, rhea ostriches, cougars, and jaguars. In the steppes there are fast pampas deer, a pampas cat, several types of llamas, and rhea ostriches.

Plants

The savannahs occupy the Orinok Lowland and most of the Guiana and Brazilian Highlands. The soils are red ferralitic and red-brown. In the northern hemisphere, among the tall grasses (llanos), there are tree-like spurges, cacti, mimosa, bottle trees. In the south (campos) it is much drier, there are more cacti. The steppes of South America (pampas) have fertile reddish-black soils, cereals predominate. Deserts and semi-deserts are located in the temperate zone in Patagonia. The soils are brown and gray-brown, dry grasses, cushion-shaped shrubs. Areas of altitudinal zonation. The most complete set of belts around the equator. On the mainland, there are two major region- East and Andes. In the East, the Amazon, the Brazilian Highlands, the Orinoco plains, and Patagonia are distinguished.

Population

More than 250 million people. Spanish and Portuguese colonization and introduced Africans led to a very variegated ethnic composition. The indigenous people are Indians (Mongoloid race), who created ancient civilizations (Incas). The majority of the population speaks Spanish and Portuguese, which is why South America, together with Central, is called Latin. The population gravitates towards the coasts, especially the Atlantic.

Danger for tourists

Environmental problems
Now the population of South America is almost 320 million people and 78% of the urban population. The continent is mastered by man unevenly. Only the marginal regions of the mainland (mainly the coast of the Atlantic Ocean) and some areas of the Andes are densely populated. At the same time, inland areas (for example, the wooded Amazonian lowland) remained virtually undeveloped until recently.
The question of the origin of the indigenous population of South America (Indians) has long been a matter of controversy. The most common point of view about the settlement of South America by the Mongoloids from Asia through North America about 17-19 thousand years ago. At present, the number of Indians in South America is much larger than in North America, although during the period of colonization it has greatly decreased. In some countries, Indians still make up a significant percentage of the population. In Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, they are about half of the total, and in some areas they even significantly predominate. Most of the population of Paraguay is of Indian origin, many Indians live in Colombia. In Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, the Indians were almost completely exterminated during the first period of colonization, and now there are very few of them. The Indian population of Brazil is also steadily declining.
The growth of large cities is causing serious environmental problems that are characteristic of urban areas around the world. These are the lack and low quality of drinking water, air pollution, accumulation of solid waste, etc.

Another major problem is deforestation.
Features of the history of South America and (as a consequence of this) the great unevenness in the distribution of the modern population and its relatively low average density have led to a significant preservation of natural conditions compared to other continents. Large expanses of the Amazonian lowland, the central part of the Guiana Highlands (Roraima massif), southwestern part The Andes and the Pacific coast remained undeveloped for a long time. Separate wandering tribes in the Amazonian forests, almost not in contact with the rest of the population, not so much influenced nature as they themselves depended on it. Today, there are fewer and fewer such areas. Mining, laying of communications (in particular, the construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway), the development of new lands leave less and less space in South America that is not affected by human activity.
The extraction of oil in the very thick of the Amazonian rainforests or of iron and other ores within the Guiana and Brazilian highlands required the construction of transport routes in recently still remote and inaccessible areas. This led to population growth, deforestation, expansion of arable and pasture land. As a result of the attack on nature with the use of the latest technology, the ecological balance is disturbed and vulnerable natural complexes are destroyed.

Summing up, I would like to note that despite all today's problems, I look at the ecological future of the Earth, albeit with very cautious, but still optimistic: sooner or later, life itself will put everything in its place.

TOPIC 2. South America

§ 24. Modern environmental problems of the mainland. World natural heritage sites

Remember:

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

2. What are cultural and natural heritage sites?

Environmental problems. Active economic activity in South America began in the XVI century. in connection with the colonization of the mainland by Europeans. The largest contemporary environmental problems are: the destruction of the Amazonian forests, the plowing of the savannah, the pampas, the trampling of the grass cover by numerous herds of domestic animals, the impoverishment of vegetation and wildlife; soil erosion, the growth of desert areas, pollution of rivers, seas, air in mountainous areas etc.

The development of land as agricultural land in many areas of South America has led to changes natural environment. The pampas have been plowed almost completely, forests have been cut down in the tropical woodlands, and many animals have been exterminated. The fate of the Amazon forests is of particular concern (Fig. 63). Construction of the Trans-Amazon Highway and beyond

the development of this area is accompanied by predatory deforestation and burning of forests over vast territories. Such human activity significantly disrupts the natural balance, threatening to change the natural environment not only in equatorial forests, but also in neighboring natural zones (reduction 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 decided to create the first major reserve in the Amazon.

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

Significantly changing natural complexes in areas of mining. During open pit mining, open pit mines can be several kilometers wide. The industrial centers of São Paulo and Buenos Aires are the mainland's polluted cities.

Recently, in South America, the struggle for the preservation of environment. The legislation on nature protection is being improved, national parks and reserves are being intensively created. Now there are more than 300 of them on the mainland. In the Amazon, 6 national parks and 8 scientific stations and reserves have been created. The area of ​​protected areas in South America is almost 1%.

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

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

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

Rice. 64. Devil's Throat Waterfalls

Rice. 65. Perito Moreno Glacier

Research

Natural wonders of South America

Using various sources of information, make virtual journey unique natural objects of South America. Prepare a story (presentation) about one of them. Present your message to your classmates. Apply unique natural objects on a contour map of South America.

Questions and tasks

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

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

3. Name the famous UNESCO-listed World Natural Heritage Sites on the mainland.

4. What ways of preserving natural heritage sites can be in our time?

Working with map and atlas

Find on physical map areas of the mainland where environmental problems have arisen. Label them on a contour map.

Explorer Page

Suggest your own ways of solving environmental problems in South America.

Interesting fact

The Centenary Bridge (ill. 66) crosses the Panama Canal. It was put into operation in 2004 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Panama's independence. The bridge was constructed in 29 months, cost construction works- almost 120 million dollars. Its height is 80 m, length is 1 km 52 m.

Rice. 66. Bridge of the Century

Somewhere in the 60s of the last century, what everyone knows today under the gloomy name of “global problems” was born on our planet. These are planetary, vitally significant problems, on the solution of which the fate of mankind as a whole depends. They are interconnected, cover different aspects of people's lives and concern all countries and peoples. modern world regardless of their level of social, economic and cultural development. These are the 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, in whatever part of the world they are.

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 those of its troubles, which are at the same time 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. Dense evergreen forests growing on the banks of the great Amazon produce colossal amounts of oxygen 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 also lies in the fact that they are distinguished by the greatest biodiversity in the world: every tenth animal or plant species described in science is present here. The jungle of South America is the largest tropical forest in the world. It covers 5.5 million square kilometers, which is half the total area of ​​tropical forests remaining on the planet. However, this state of affairs is rapidly changing.

For thousands of years until the middle of the last century, tropical forests in the equatorial zone remained in a virgin state. And in just thirty years - from 1960 to 1990 - according to various expert estimates, 1/5 of the Amazon forest cover was destroyed. In general, it must be said that the rate of deforestation in the Americas 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 square meters. km. green areas (this is the area of ​​a country the size of Bulgaria) are burned, cut down, flooded or destroyed in other ways. Considering that the Amazon rainforest plays a key role in the Earth's hydrological and climate system and has a significant impact on the global climate, deforestation of this forest is a truly global problem.

Each of the South American countries where deforestation is taking place 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 the former forest land is used for cattle breeding, mainly by small-scale farmers. In Colombia, the deforestation process is greatly influenced by the production of cocaine. Coca bushes, which have recently become too abundant in tropical forests, significantly accelerate their destruction.

Among the common and fairly good reasons for deforestation of the equatorial forest is that it is widely used as a means of heating, and its valuable species are exported. 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, the settlers start cutting down the forest, regardless of its age and quality - new areas are cleared for crops. From year to year, giant bonfires continuously burn in the selva. The ash is used to fertilize the fields where maize, beans, cassava, rice, and sugarcane are grown. In addition, the decrease in the area of ​​the selva is also associated with the extraction of minerals here, especially oil, as well as with the expansion of the territory for plantations of cotton, sugar cane, coffee, etc.

What are the consequences of a further significant reduction in equatorial forests, what threatens this?

It is well known that, in principle, deforestation leads to dramatic changes in temperature, changes in precipitation and wind speeds. The reduction of tropical rainforests inevitably leads to a reduction in the supply of oxygen to the atmosphere, to an increase in the content of carbon dioxide in it. This, in turn, enhances the "greenhouse effect", leads to the disappearance of many animal species that will lose their natural environment habitat. Where solid massifs are replaced by areas of forest thoroughly thinned out by people, arid and almost treeless plains gradually appear. Today it is the most characteristic landscape for Brazil. In connection with all this, the sad fate of the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, and Central America is recalled. These civilizations, as you know, died or left the historical stage precisely because people mercilessly cut down forests, and this was followed by soil erosion, silting of rivers, the impoverishment of fertile lands and the decline of agriculture.

Similar fears are confirmed by the article of the journalist Miguel Ángel Criado (Miguel Ángel Criado) "Deforestation in the Amazon will reduce crops", published in the Spanish newspaper "Materia" on 05/15/2013. The author relied on research by experts from several universities in Brazil and the United States, who built 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 the conclusions of scientists, if the deforestation of tropical forests is not stopped, then changes in land use will inevitably lead to negative climate consequences:

• a dangerous reduction in the ability of the selva to absorb carbon dioxide;
• rising temperatures in the Amazon;
• reducing the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and disrupting the precipitation regime.

And this, in turn, will lead to a decrease in the production of fodder crops. Brazilian researchers predict that by 2050, if the area under cultivation is doubled, the yield will be reduced by 30%.

Nevertheless, writes Miguel Criado, the Brazilian government and the agro-industrial complex 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 in the Forest Code of Brazil, but also by the plans of private business, which intend to double the volume of agricultural production by 2020. And the forests clearly interfere with this. Alas, the protective function that the Amazonian selva 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 interacting, 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 base 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 money transactions in the amount of almost 1 trillion dollars. These are illegal cartel-industrial formations that have become an exceptionally powerful social institution that cannot be controlled by legitimate authorities, weakening sovereign Latin American states and hindering 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 in 50 years has increased here 100 times, which had global negative consequences. Naturally, the first blow fell on North America and, first of all, on the USA. 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 base 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, the new drug trafficking and the basic one are almost identical. According to experts, it was the massive injection of cocaine from the countries of South America and, of course, the flow of heroin from Afghanistan that put the countries of the European Union on the needle. Currently, 10% of the adult population use drugs there. For the countries of West Africa and the Sahel, the South American smuggling and drug trade caused a destabilizing tsunami in the political and socio-economic fields. Speaking at the UN Security Council in December 2009, Antonio Maria Costa, Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Organized Crime /ONUDC/, said that the proceeds of drug trafficking are increasingly being used by terrorist and anti-government organizations in the Sahel to finance their militant and subversive actions. The Bureau has compelling evidence that two illicit drug flows have crossed in the Sahara. One - heroin - uses East Africa as a transit point, the second - cocaine - West Africa. Further, both streams merge together and use new routes through Chad, Niger and Mali, Costa said. These drug flows enrich not only organized crime. Terrorist and anti-government organizations operating in African countries also replenish their resources from the proceeds from participation in drug trafficking. These funds are used to finance their operations, purchase weapons and pay for the militants.

In the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean themselves, drug production and the continuous transit through Central America that it generates remain 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 homicides in these countries was four times higher than the global level. Today, 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 50 cities in the world - the most dangerous to live in - 40 are located in the Western Hemisphere, with Latin American cities occupying the top ten places in this list. First of all, this is the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, then the Venezuelan Caracas, then the Mexican Acapulco, the Colombian Cali and the 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 Setas in Mexico and Guatemala, Primeira Team and Capital in Brazil, Mara Salvatrucha in El Salvador and Honduras and others. Today, experts note with concern the trend of transformation of family-type drug cartels into syndicated-industrial type drug cartels, which include not only separate production and distribution, but also their own power structures (intelligence, counterintelligence, paramilitary formations), etc.

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

Among the acute global problems that have a pronounced South American specificity is the problem of anthropogenic pollution of the environment. 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 giant urban agglomerations - Sao Paulo, Lima, Bogotá, 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 you know, as a result of the decomposition of organic waste, a gas is released that has methane and carbon dioxide in its composition. It not only exudes 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, due to landfills, deep contamination of the soil and poisoning of groundwater occur. 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 the most dangerous bacteria and besides, 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 on the territory of the Rio de Janeiro agglomeration. It was considered one of the largest in the world. Every day, up to nine thousand tons of garbage were brought there, and over 34 years of its existence, more than 70 million tons of waste have accumulated there. Ecologists believe that it was because of this landfill that the beach in Guanabara Bay, once considered one of the cleanest in Rio de Janeiro, turned out to be polluted. The closing of Jardim Gramacho has been postponed several times. However, in the summer of 2012, literally on the eve of the start of work in Rio de Janeiro of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20), the Brazilian authorities considered it a matter of honor to close Jardim Gramacho. This is certainly a great achievement, especially considering that earlier a powerful waste processing plant was built not far from the six millionth capital of the most colorful carnival in the world. However, there are few stories with such a positive ending. They are rather the exception to the rule.

So, for example, in 2011, the famous landfill "Bordo Poniente" (El Bordo Poniente) near Mexico City was closed. It was called the largest dump of solid household waste in Latin America. Over a quarter of a century, from 50 to 60 million tons of garbage have accumulated here. The closure of this landfill, according to the Mexican Minister of the Environment, is equivalent to reducing the harmful emissions of 500,000 cars. The Mexican government planned to build a plant to generate electricity on the site of a closed landfill. However, while these plans remain unrealized, and millions of tons of garbage rot under Mexico City. As for the 15,000 tons of garbage that a multi-million metropolis produces every day, it is transported to other landfills.

Despite the concern of the public and authorities of South American countries with the problem of disposal of household and industrial waste, its solution in the short term is hardly possible due to economic reasons. Therefore, there will be such huge landfills as "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 life support systems and industrial enterprises. Together, all this creates billions of tons of solid and gaseous particles every year. The main air pollutants are carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, which are 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 the so-called acid rain, which reduces crop yields, destroys both vegetation and life in river reservoirs, destroys buildings, and adversely affects people's health.

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

In general, industries with a high level of environmental pollution have received significant development in South America. This is due, on the one hand, to the transfer of "dirty" industries here from developed countries, and on the other hand, the industrialization strategy with the predominant development of material, energy and labor-intensive industries. To date, 80% of industrial pollution is associated with the use of fuel and energy resources. Oil refining and petrochemistry are the most dangerous branches of production from the ecological point of view. In Brazil, the Camasari district has become the dirtiest, where a large petrochemical complex has been built. Such areas, where there is a concentration of hazardous production, are called the "valley of death."

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

The state of the water basins of South America is a special and very acute problem. On the one hand, there is a lack of clean water in many vast areas, 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 water pollutants. In Costa Rica, half of the local residents take their 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 inhabitants of this state receive rationed drinking water. Against this background, corruption flourishes in the country, and government officials responsible for the distribution water resources, make huge fortunes for themselves, corny selling quotas for drinking water has become worth its weight in gold.

In Bolivia, a real water crisis erupted in 2016, which continues to this day. Water is scarce in five of the nine Bolivian departments. Agriculture is also suffering, as are residents of large cities such as La Paz. The water from the taps here flows once every couple of days a week and only 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 is the crisis of water management, and serious climate change, including the rapid melting of glaciers. Since 1970 the Bolivian glaciers have shrunk by 30 - 50%. They are a vital source of water for the country. A 2008 World Bank report noted that most of the glaciers in the Andes will disappear by 2028, and this will affect 100 million people.

Not less than difficult situation with drinking water 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 it will also be necessary to provide them with drinking water, which there is simply nowhere to get from. In Peru, the situation is slightly different: there seems to be enough sources of clean drinking water in the country, but the uncontrolled use of pesticides in agriculture has led to the fact that many of them have become simply unusable. And this is only part of the problem, since the local authorities have officially recognized that the main source of water pollution in the country is the untreated discharges of industrial enterprises, most of which work on the technologies of the last century and have no treatment facilities at all. Anyone who has been to Peru is familiar with such a picture - on the banks of a small river, from which even 20 - 30 years ago local residents took water for drinking, there is a huge enterprise that dumps into the river not just untreated sewage, but liquid waste from production, in which almost all elements from periodic table Mendeleev.

Some scientists are sure that in the future humanity is waiting for a war for the possession of water resources. And this scenario is already being seen in South America, where tensions have 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 against each other, accusing opponents of taking too much water from the rivers that flow simultaneously through the territories of Argentina and Uruguay.

Fortunately, most countries in the region have already realized what problems with water await them in the future, if the situation is not corrected now. Thus, in a number of states profile ministries responsible for the use of water resources have been created. 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 reserves. fresh water in the region. The Chilean authorities have been especially zealous in this problem, at their disposal is the largest glacier in the southern hemisphere, whose area is 20 thousand square kilometers. Also, Argentina feels good in this regard, where the valley of the La Plata River is located, the basin of which occupies a third of the country's territory. However, large damage to the river has been inflicted by industrial enterprises located on its banks and tributaries for decades. So, in most cases, ecologists are right, believing that the root cause of the deteriorating state of the region's water basins is not climatic factors, but anthropogenic factors, in particular, discharges of industrial, agricultural and household waste into rivers, lakes and seas.

Also a striking example of global problems in the countries of South America are sharp and growing social inequalities, 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 have resonated with internal problems. Home them them? material and moral depreciation of the model of socio-economic development that functioned with more or less success in the states of Latin America in 2003? 2013 and provided them with a relatively dynamic increase in the main 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, while 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 existing negative trend. It is also reinforced by international competition.

Fortunately, in last years In recent years, the struggle to maintain ecological balance has intensified in the countries of South America. It goes in two directions: the first is the development of legislation on nature protection; the second is the creation of national parks and reserves. At present, there are already more than 300 of them. There are six national parks and eight protected scientific stations in the Amazon alone. 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, non-waste industries, deep processing natural resources and public and household waste.

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

• legislative definition of nature management norms;
• application of centralized environmental protection measures, for example, common 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.

It remains to be hoped that the peoples of South America, who have relatively recently decided on their own civilizational path of development, will be able to find the will and clear intentions to share planetary solidarity and take part in the common cause of joint struggle against threats to all mankind and its natural habitat.

The continent located in the western and southern hemispheres of our planet, having an area of ​​17,840,000 square kilometers and washed by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans - South America. It also includes many islands belonging to the countries of the mainland. Many natural systems and objects here are unique, for example, there is the largest river in the world in terms of basin area - the Amazon, the highest waterfall on the planet - Angel, the largest river island on Earth - Marajo.

There are many more natural objects worthy of description and mention on the mainland, but the main thing is that they need to be protected. The environmental problems of South America are primarily the problems of countries located on the continent, especially Brazil. They depend on their economic, political, social activities. Environmental pollution, destruction of forests and unique ecosystems, extermination of animals are only a certain part of the side effects from the activities of people living on the mainland.

America was not discovered in order to turn this land into a garbage dump, unsuitable for human life and the normal existence of ecosystems that have long been established here. Unfortunately, globalization in modern times concerns primarily large plots of land. Energy, utilities, extractive industries, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, services, construction, trade, and motor transport are the main backbone of areas that directly affect the environmental situation in South America.

Atmospheric pollution occurs due to the release of a huge amount of substances from factories and plants into the air. Among the main pollutants are oxides of carbon, nitrogen, lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, mercury, sulfur dioxide, heated air, dust, and solid particles. By themselves, these elements would not harm the environment if they enter in small quantities, but the volumes of their release into the atmosphere from industrial and manufacturing enterprises are so large that they cause great damage to nature, animals and flora and public health.

Factories pollute not only the air, but also the water. Along with waste discharges from factories, alkyd, acrylic, oil, alkaline and acid solutions, heavy metal compounds, dispersant, ethylene glycol, rheology modifiers, petroleum products, silicon dioxide, solutions with increased microbiological activity, heated water get into rivers and lakes.

Tons of municipal solid waste litter megacities and small settlements. In addition to enterprises, the population also contributes a lot. City streets, railway and automobile lines are buried in garbage. Most materials. that end up in landfills, such as plastic, glass, waste paper, rubber products, are subject to separate collection and recycling. This is the right way to solve the environmental problem associated with littering, which is generally neglected, except for point cases.

Creation of protected areas and national parks, monitoring existing ones, checking the efficiency of emission filtration and waste treatment systems, their improvement, the introduction of new technological processes and modern devices, separate waste collection and recycling, rational use of natural resources is the right way to solve environmental problems.

Project on the theme "Environmental problem of North America"
The work was completed by: Sorokin Egor Vasilievich MBOU secondary school No. 2 p Novozavidovsky

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Relevance: Super-volcano under Yellowstone National Park in US state Wyoming has been growing at a record rate since 2004 and will explode with a force a thousand times more powerful than several hundred volcanoes all over the earth at the same time.
Purpose: - to learn the history of the national park and to study the danger that could become an environmental disaster. Tasks: - to study the history of the creation of the national park. - to study the sights of the park, representing a possible environmental problem in the future - to find out how this environmental problem threatens the nature of the Earth.

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Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone - International Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world's first national park (founded March 1, 1872). It is located in the USA, in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The park is famous for its numerous geysers and other geothermal objects, rich wildlife, and picturesque landscapes. The area of ​​the park is 898.3 thousand hectares. On the vast territory of the park there are lakes, rivers, canyons and caves. Yellowstone Lake, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America, is located in the center of the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered a dormant supervolcano; it has erupted with tremendous force several times over the past two million years. Most of the park is covered with solidified lava; The park contains one of the five geyser fields in the world.

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Yellowstone Caldera Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera is a volcanic caldera located in a national park in the northwestern United States. After the term "supervolcano" was used in the BBC's non-fiction documentary television series Horizon in 2000, Caldera is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, which contains most of the national park. The size of the caldera is about 76 km by 38 km, which was determined in the 1960s and 1970s by geological studies by scientist Bob Christiansen of the US Geological Survey (thereby it occupies a third of the territory of the national park).

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About the global problem
According to American volcanologists, the eruption of the largest volcano in the world - the caldera of which is located in Yellowstone National Park, may begin in the near future. The volcano has not erupted for about 640 thousand years and its eruption can destroy two-thirds of the US territory, which may even begin a world catastrophe - Apocalypse 1000 times more powerful than the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helena (St. Helens) in Washington State on May 18, 1980.

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According to forecasts of volcanologists, lava will rise high into the sky, ash will cover nearby areas with a layer of 3 meters and a distance of 1600 kilometers. As a result, 2/3 of the US territory may become uninhabitable due to toxic air, millions will die, the rest will have to leave their homes. Experts predict that the volcanic eruption will occur in the near future and will be no less powerful than all 3 times when the volcano erupted over the past 2.1 million years. Now the magma has come so close to the earth's crust in Yellowstone Park that the earth has risen more than one and a half meters, and in some places it literally radiates heat that cannot be explained by anything other than the upcoming eruption of a huge volcano

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Scheme of the volcano

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As it will be
A few days before the explosion Earth's crust above the supervolcano will rise by several tens or even hundreds of meters. The soil will warm up to 60-70°С. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide and helium will increase sharply in the atmosphere. The cloud of volcanic ash will be the first to escape, which will rise into the atmosphere to a height of 40-50 km. Then the ejection of lava will begin, pieces of which will be thrown to great heights. Falling, they will cover a gigantic territory. The explosion will be accompanied by a powerful earthquake and lava flows, developing speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour. In the first hours of a new eruption in Yellowstone, an area within a radius of 1000 kilometers around the epicenter will be destroyed. Here, residents of almost the entire American Northwest (the city of Seattle) and part of Canada (the cities of Calgary, Vancouver) are in immediate danger.

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The result of the eruption
Once upon a time, Soviet scientists predicted that the most terrible consequence of a global nuclear conflict would be the so-called. "nuclear winter". The same thing will happen as a result of the explosion of a supervolcano. First, the incessant acid rain will destroy all crops and crops, kill livestock, dooming the survivors to starvation. Two weeks after the sun disappears into dust clouds, the air temperature is earth's surface will fall in various regions of the globe from -15° to -50°С and below. The average temperature on the Earth's surface will be about -25°C. The “billionaire” countries India and China will suffer the most from hunger. Here, in the coming months after the explosion, up to 1.5 billion people will die. In total, every third inhabitant of the Earth will die in the first months of the cataclysm. Winter will last from 1.5 to 4 years. This is enough to change the natural balance on the planet forever. Vegetation will die due to long frosts and lack of light. Since plants are involved in the production of oxygen, it will become very difficult for the planet to breathe. The animal world of the Earth will die painfully from cold, hunger and epidemics. Humanity will have to move from the surface of the earth for at least 3-4 years ...

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Features of the geography of the economy of South America

Economy of the countries of South America

Economy of the countries of South America

The bulk of the population and the most important industries are concentrated in relatively limited areas: either along the coasts in most countries of South America, or in the mountainous interior of Colombia.

The export sector of the modern economy is primarily the mining industry, non-ferrous metallurgy, production and primary processing of agricultural products. Commodities reflecting the specialization of South America in the world economy are oil, iron ore, bauxites, sugar, bananas, coffee (including instant coffee), cocoa, raw hides, cotton, wool, and tropical wood.

Therefore, the main roads and railways, as well as pipelines from the areas of development of raw industries of industry and agriculture, lead to ports. According to them, goods are transported for export mainly to the United States, Western Europe and Japan. Developed countries account for up to 80% of the region's trade turnover.

The manufacturing industry is focused primarily on meeting the needs of the domestic market, which are growing due to the rapid increase in population. It is characterized by a very large territorial concentration: 90% of its capacity is concentrated in about 50 Latin American cities, including approximately 35% in the 3 largest urban agglomerations - Sao Paulo (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Mexico City (Mexico).

Environmental problems

Economy. Environmental problems. SA

Until the middle of this century, nothing seemed to threaten the evergreen forests of the Amazon. But the construction of the trans-Amazonian highway led to the possibility of human penetration into the depths of the equatorial forest. Timber harvesting increased, and the threat of destruction loomed over the Amazonian forests.

Tropical agriculture is developing, which leads to the destruction of the original ecosystem. Coffee, cocoa, bananas, pineapples, sugarcane and other crops are grown in equatorial and tropical latitudes.
In subtropical areas with sufficient moisture, other crops predominate: citrus fruits, tea, wheat, corn (in pampas). The lower slopes of the Andes are also used by people for agriculture. Alpine meadows serve as pastures.
The natural complexes in the places of mining have also been greatly changed. Open pit mining can be several kilometers wide. The industrial centers of Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires are among the most polluted cities on the mainland.
In recent years, the struggle to maintain ecological balance has intensified in the countries of South America. It goes in two directions: the first is the development of legislation on nature protection; the second is the creation of national parks and reserves. Currently, there are already more than 300 of them. There are six national parks and eight protected scientific stations in the Amazon alone.

The main ecological problem of the mainland is the reduction in the area of ​​moist equatorial forests associated with the construction of the Trans-Amazon Highway and the predatory felling of valuable tree species. The reduction of equatorial forests can have detrimental consequences not only for the mainland, but for the entire planet. North America--- A very large amount of chemicals are used in agriculture and landscaping (herbicides, pesticides) that end up in rivers and bays.

In South America, there are many environmental problems caused by technological progress and economic development. Forests are being destroyed and water bodies are being polluted, biodiversity is being reduced and soil is being depleted, the atmosphere is being polluted and wildlife areas are shrinking. All this can lead to an ecological catastrophe in the future.
In the cities of South American countries, environmental problems of the following nature have formed:

• the problem of unsanitary conditions;
• water pollution;
• the problem of garbage and municipal solid waste disposal;
• air pollution;
• the problem of energy resources, etc.

Deforestation problem

A significant part of the mainland is covered with tropical forests, which are the lungs of the planet. Trees are constantly cut down, not only to sell timber, but also to create farmland and pastures. All this leads to a change in the forest ecosystem, the destruction of some species of flora and the migration of fauna. To save the forest, many countries regulate logging activities at the legislative level. There are entire zones where it is prohibited, forests are being restored and new trees are being planted.

Problems of the hydrosphere

There are many problems in the coastal areas of the seas and oceans:

• overfishing;
• water pollution with garbage, oil products and chemicals;
• housing and communal and industrial effluents.

All these wastes negatively affect the state of water bodies, flora and fauna.

In addition, many rivers flow through the mainland, including the largest river in the world, the Amazon. The rivers of South America are also affected by human activity. In the waters, many species of fish and animals are disappearing. The life of local tribes, who have lived on the banks of rivers for millennia, has also become very complicated, they are forced to look for new habitats. Dams and various structures have led to changes in river regimes and water pollution.

Biosphere pollution

The source of air pollution is greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles and industries:

• mines and deposits;
• enterprises of the chemical industry;
• oil refineries;
• energy facilities;
• metallurgical plants.

Soil pollution contributes to agriculture, which uses pesticides, chemical and mineral fertilizers. The soil is also depleted, which leads to soil degradation. Land resources are being destroyed.

The countries of South America are on more high level development compared to other developing countries. In recent years, the economies of Latin America have been growing faster than the world average. One of the main reasons is that the South American countries have gone through a longer path of sovereign development. A certain role was played by economic management, reforms, high prices for raw materials, which contribute to the prosperity of the region. At present, the South American countries are not able to fully independently develop a diversified economy and are largely economically dependent on the developed countries of the world. Significant differences remain between individual countries. The economy of Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela is more in line with the level of developed countries. In Bolivia, Paraguay and a number of other countries, the level of economic development is lower.

South American industry

Hydropower resources contribute to the construction of the world's largest hydroelectric power plants: Itaipu on the Parana River, Guri in Venezuela, Tucurui in Brazil. Part of the electricity is generated at thermal and nuclear power plants. Non-ferrous metallurgy is the leading industry in Chile, Peru
and Bolivia.

More than 2,000 power plants operate in Brazil. These are mainly hydroelectric power plants, which produce 75% of electricity. Thermal, solar, wind and nuclear power plants account for 25% of electricity generated.

In the countries of South America, the manufacturing industry is developing most dynamically. Modern enterprises of new industries have appeared here. But a relatively diversified industry has been created only in two South American countries - Brazil and Argentina.

In Brazil and Argentina, the automotive and aviation industries are developed, there are nuclear power plants, large ferrous metallurgy plants, computers and military equipment are produced. The manufacturing industry is focused primarily on meeting the needs of the domestic market, which are growing due to the rapid increase in population. Production facilities are located in cities with favorable geographic location, the availability of skilled labor (Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro) and in places where fuel or raw materials are available (eg Carajas in Brazil).

The machine-building complex is developing not only in Argentina and Brazil, but also in Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Buenos Aires, Cordoba (Argentina), Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte (Brazil) became its most important centers.

The main branch of mechanical engineering is transport engineering. Cars are produced in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela. Shipbuilding and aircraft building (Brazil), agricultural engineering (Brazil and Argentina) are developing. The aerospace industry, microelectronics - in Brazil, robotics, nuclear industry - in Argentina are developing. The chemical and petrochemical industry in Brazil and Argentina. In the world economy, the role of exporters of mineral raw materials and agricultural products is assigned to the South American states. Each country specializes in the export of raw materials and products on which its well-being depends. In the mining industry, oil production in Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia stands out. The extraction of iron, copper, nickel ores is the basis of the mining industry in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, and Peru. Brazil is also rich in manganese ore and bauxite. Huge reserves of copper ore are concentrated in Chile and Peru. Bolivia is famous for its tin mining. Precious metal ores are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Peru.

Of particular importance are areas of new development in the deep parts of some countries.

The largest of them is created in the Venezuelan Guayana. It is based on the electric power industry and metallurgy. Iron ore is mined in an open pit, and a significant part of it is exported.

Agriculture occupies an important place in the economy of South America. Crop production dominates in the structure of agriculture. The largest area is occupied by areas where traditional food crops are grown: corn, rice, millet, legumes, sweet potato.

The "face" of South America in world agriculture is determined by tropical crops grown on large plantations. The most important of these are sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, bananas and cotton. Arabica coffee produced in Colombia is of especially high quality. Most Wheat crops come from Argentina and Brazil. Some countries and areas mainly produce only one crop (monoculture countries). Animal husbandry has a meat direction, but at the same time, the production of milk and dairy products is increasing. Argentina is the second largest beef exporter in the world. In Brazil, poultry farming is developing, and its products are exported. (See the thematic map for agricultural development areas.) Brazil employs about 70% of the population in the service sector.

South America Transport

The leading role in transportation is occupied by road transport. The most important highways are the Pan-American and Trans-Amazon Highways. The importance of air and railway transport. One of the highest mountains in the world railways from Lima to Orio crosses the Andes at an altitude of 4818 m.

External economic ties carried out mainly by maritime transport. Raw materials, fuel, and agricultural products predominate in the export of South American countries.

The countries of South America supply coffee, cocoa, cotton, meat, wheat, sugar, citrus fruits to the world market. Chile exports copper, Peru - lead and copper, Bolivia - tin, Jamaica - bauxite. Projects are being created for assembling enterprises of modern Belarusian equipment in Latin America.

Environmental issues in South America

The growth of large industrial centers in South America is causing serious environmental problems that are characteristic of urban areas around the world. These are the low quality of drinking water, air pollution, and the accumulation of solid waste.

In terms of area of ​​territories with undisturbed nature, South America ranks second after Antarctica. But under the influence of economic activity, the forest area is declining.

The Amazon in the Southern Hemisphere is considered one of the main areas of deforestation. Oil extraction in the thick of the Amazon rainforest, iron ore in the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus required the construction of transport routes in inaccessible areas. This led to population growth, deforestation, expansion of arable and pasture land. The destruction of forests leads to the destruction of the soil, a decrease in the number of animals. Forest fires are a big problem. In South America, about 40% of tropical forests have disappeared.

In recent years, the struggle to maintain the ecological balance in nature has intensified in the countries of South America. One of the areas of nature protection is the creation of national parks and reserves. More than 700 protected areas have been established on the mainland. A large area is occupied by the San Joaquin National Park in Brazil, where the most valuable forests of the Brazilian araucaria are protected. The furry spider monkey, the spectacled bear, and breeding grounds for sea turtles are also protected here. Known national parks Iguazu in Brazil, Manu in Peru.

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