main environmental problemsCleaning up air pollution is one of the main problems of to day. Urban air pollution continues to expand as a result of the in creased number of motor vehicles. Exhaust fumes from the engines of automobiles contain a number of polluting substances. Tokyo has such a serious air-pollution problem that oxygen is supplied to policemen who direct traffic at busy intersections. Milan, Ankara, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires face similar problems. Ecological problems of the modern world are becoming more and more public and this is the reason why ecology has become very much "public term" despite of its originally scientific character. The term "ecology" was used for the first time in 1866 by German biologist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel, and has its root in Greek word „oikos“ (house) which is completely exact root as of the word economy which would imply studying of economy in nature. Modern ecology is generally connected with Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution and natural selection where Darwin pointed the firm connection between animals and their natural habitats. But this firm connection often gets weakened because many people think that Earth has just one purpose, namely to satisfy their needs. Human plans usually do not include concern for lives of many plants and animals that lived in their habitats thousands of years before humans. Unfortunately homocentric system by which all natural goods are used just for human exploit is still very much present in world's philosophy, although it has to be said that ecocentric system based on ecosystem has (thankfully) rising number of supporters as well. The lack of concern for our planet is the main reason why there are today so many endangered species and why pollution can be seen in all corners of the world. 23. Healthy Life Style & Life Expectancy You hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, but what does that mean? In general, a healthy person doesn't smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises. Sounds simple, doesn't it? The trick to healthy living is making small changes...taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water...these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changesOne of the biggest problems in the world today is lack of activity. We know it's good for us but avoid it like the plague either because we're used to being sedentary or afraid that exercise has to be vigorous to be worth our time. The truth is, movement is movement and the more you do, the healthier you'll be. Even moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference. Just adding a little movement to your life can: * Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes * Improve joint stability * Increase and improve range of movement * Help maintain flexibility as you age * Maintain bone mass * Prevent osteoporosis and fractures * Improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression Eat more fruit. Add it to your cereal, your salads or even your dinners Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy. Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in your diet. 15. The Official Purpose of NATO & its Role for the Present The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of 28 countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. In accordance with the Treaty, the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means. NATO is playing an increasingly important role in crisis management and peacekeeping. Yes. NATO and Russia made a reciprocal commitment to work together to build a stable, secure and undivided continent on the basis of partnership and common interest in 1997. The two official languages of NATO are English and French. This commitment was strengthened in May 2002, with the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council, which brings together the 28 NATO Allies and Russia to identify and pursue opportunities for joint action at 29 as equal partners.
10. The European Union has four main institutions: the Council of Ministers, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union. It meets regularly in Brussels or Luxembourg to discuss and agree policy and legislation. The Council brings together heads of state and ministers from member countries, along with the President of the European Commission. Each member state holds the Presidency of the Council for six months in rotation. The Commission is the administrative and executive body of the European Union. Its headquarters are in Brussels, where most of its permanent 20,000 staff are based. The Commission is charged with drafting initial proposals for legislation and policy for consideration by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The Parliament consists of over 700 democratically elected MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) from each of the member states. Working in Brussels and Strasbourg, the Parliament scrutinises the activities of other EU institutions, passes the annual EU budget, and shapes and decides new legislation jointly with the Council of Ministers. The Court, which has a judge from each member state, adjudicates on all legal issues and disputes involving Community law. The 25 judges and eight advocates-general, who are appointed by member states, give a preliminary ruling on each case before a final judgement. The Court deals with two main types of actions: those referred to it by national courts for rulings of interpretation of Community law; and those started by one of the other institutions. The EU currently has 27 member countries, which have transferred some of their sovereignty – or lawmaking authority – to the EU. Three more countries have applied for EU membership: Croatia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Europe’s mission in the 21st century is to: · provide peace, prosperity and stability for its peoples; · overcome the divisions on the continent; · ensure that its people can live in safety; · promote balanced economic and social development; · meet the challenges of globalisation and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe; · uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy.
11. Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU) through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community (the EU's predecessor) in 1952. Since then, the EU's membership has grown to twenty-seven with the most recent expansion to Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. Currently, accession negotiations are under way with several states. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. However, this term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws. To join the European Union, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria (after the Copenhagen summit in June 1993), which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. Any European country could in theory apply to join the EU, at which point the Council would consult with the Commission and the European Parliament on beginning accession negotiations. The council would either accept or reject the recommendation unanimously. To receive a positive recommendation, the country must meet the following criteria:[1] · It must be a "European State" · It must respect the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. Before a country applies for membership it typically signs an association agreement to help prepare the country for candidacy and eventual membership. Most countries do not meet the criteria to even begin negotiations before they apply, so they need many years to prepare for the process. An association agreement helps prepare for this first step.
21. Global Trends 2015: A Dialogue About the Future With Nongovernment Experts. Food The use of genetically modified crops has great potential for meeting the nutrition needs of the poor in developing countries. Popular and political opposition in the EU countries and, to a lesser extent, in the United States, however, has clouded the prospects for applying this technology. Water In the developing world, 80 percent of water usage goes into agriculture, a proportion that is not sustainable; and in 2015 a number of developing countries will be unable to maintain their levels of irrigated agriculture. Overpumping of groundwater in many of the world's important grain-growing regions will be an increasing problem; about 1,000 tons of water are needed to produce a ton of grain. Measures undertaken to increase water availability and to ease acute water shortages—using water more efficiently, expanding use of desalinization, developing genetically modified crops that use less water or more saline water, and importing water—will not be sufficient to substantially change the outlook for water shortages in 2015. Many will be expensive; policies to price water more realistically are not likely to be broadly implemented within the next 15 years, and subsidizing water is politically sensitive for the many low-income countries short of water because their populations expect cheap water.
Environment · Environmental issues will become mainstream issues in several countries, particularly in the developed world. The consensus on the need to deal with environmental issues will strengthen; however, progress in dealing with them will be uneven. The developing countries, however, will face intensified environmental problems as a result of population growth, economic development, and rapid urbanization. An increasing number of cities will face the serious air and water quality problems that already are troubling in such urban centers as Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Lagos, and Beijing. · Russia and Ukraine will struggle with problems stemming from decades of environmental neglect and abuse, including widespread radioactive pollution from badly managed nuclear facilities. These problems are unlikely to be adequately addressed. As these countries pursue economic growth, they will devote insufficient resources to environmental remediation. · Central and Eastern European countries face similar problems as a result of the legacy of environmental neglect from the Communist era; nevertheless, driven by their desire to gain EU membership, several will become more effective in addressing these problems and will upgrade their environmental standards.
24. Life expectancy in Russia and other developed countries
There are three main causes of death. One of the concepts is ‘excess mortality’, in comparison with countries like the US, Great Britain, France and Japan boasting the lowest death rates in the world. About half of all men and 70 percent of all women in Russia die of diseases related to the circulatory system. In 1965 the life expectancy of men and women in Russia was 74 and 80 respectively that were closer to today’s ‘Western’ standards (77 for men and 83 for women) than today’s Russian rates. The second most important cause of death in Russia has to do with unnatural causes – accidents, poisoning, suicide and violence. The third most important factor has to do with cancer, a disease that claims the lives of one-fifth of all men, and one-eighth of all women in Russia. These rates are about 50 percent lower than those in Western Europe. These numbers are misleading – in reality our advantage is a purely statistical one. The chances of dying of cancer are directly connected with life expectancy – most Russians simply do not live until the average age of the people who die of cancer in the West. But when all is said and done, the main thing isn’t about why people are dying. The important thing is: why is our average life expectancy so much lower than that of developed countries? Today, the state of Russian society id characterized by a very large gap between the life expectancies of Russian men and women (in richer countries this difference is only three to four years). Most often, unnatural causes are what send Russian men to their graves. Almost half lo all excess deaths among Russian men under 70 fall under this category. It is generally believed that these figures are directly related to alcohol consumption. Interestingly enough, since the beginning of the 1960s, the number of people who die of unnatural causes in Russia has been growing steadily, but their average age remains practically unchanged – around 41 for men, and 50 for women In the West, these figures stand at 63 and 68 respectively. Approximately one-third of all early deaths among men are caused by diseases of the circulatory system. Most men who suffer from this go on to develop ischemic heart disease between the ages of 40 to 70 and cerebral blood circulation disorders between the ages of 50 to 70. Unnatural causes coupled with cardiovascular diseases account for 84 percent of all early) before the age of 70) deaths among men. This figure is about the same for women, but the ratio of the causes of early mortality is the reverse – 64 percent due to disease of the circulatory system and 23 percent due to unnatural causes. Seven percent of all men, and three times less women, air early as a result of respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, flu and asthma. Bat the scariest thing is the sharp drop in the age level for this category of death, In the West elderly people are usually the ones who die of such diseases. But in Russia the victims are most commonly young children and infants. In recent years the number of people dying of tuberculoses has gone up considerably. The chances of dying of AIDS in Russia are still lower than in the West, but this is probably because in many cases this disease is simply not recorded. Finally we want to believe that the demographic situation in Russia can be improved of people do their best to fight unnatural causes of death and cardiovascular disease, The main causes of early death among Russians are negligence and indifference to their health, and violence. Another problem is the unacceptably high level of infant and chills mortality, which can only be solved through a special federal program.
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