For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited, but with the development of civilization man’s interference in nature began to increase.

Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises have appeared all over the world today. The by-products of their activity pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables. Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number or rivers and lakes dry up.

The pollution of air and the world’s ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of people carelessness interaction with nature.

As the result of the Chernobyl tragedy the Belarusian people faced the most horrible ecological disaster. About 18 per cent of the territory of Belarus were contaminated with radioactive substances. A great damage has been done to the republic’ s agriculture forest and people health. Today we have a great increase in children cancer and leukemia. New spots of radioactive contamination are being discovered every year.

Not only Chernobyl but also many of our peaceful factories and towns cause a great damage to the environment. Dangerous dust and blowouts of the enterprises are being carried out by winds for long distances destroying the life around.

August 2002