Recycling is becoming easier and more widespread. Governments support companies that recycle waste. Also people prefer to buy things from companies that make their products from recycled materials. Reports say that people worldwide are starting to care more about what happens to waste products. For example, now Americans recycle almost 35% of their waste, while in the 1990s the percentage was much smaller.

In autumn 2004 a new body was created in Russia to protect the country’s natural resources. It’s called the Federal Ecological Service. The aims of the new institution are the following: to prevent environmental pollution and to control industrial waste. They say that the new governmental service has improved the state system of environmental protection in Russia.

Climate change is on us. Ten years ago we only spoke about it, now it’s happening before our eyes. Global warming is bringing unpredictable changes. The Arctic sea ice is disappearing; glaciers are melting faster every year. Due to heavy rains some rivers overflow, while others dry out. Disasters such as tornadoes and floods are spreading. Strong hurricanes are becoming more common and more destructive.

People burn plenty of coal, oil and natural gas. As a result of this billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released into the atmosphere every year. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps the sun's radiation within the atmosphere, so the concentration of CO2 increases. As a result of this, temperatures in different parts of the planet rise.

Some cars are designed to work using electric power, without gasoline. It means that they don’t pollute the atmosphere, cost less and reduce the need for oil. Such cars are reliable and have interesting designs. However, they have a few bad points. Many have a maximum speed limit of about 50 miles per hour. Most cities are not ready for the appearance of such cars on their roads.

Environmental organisations have been discussing ways of saving the rain forests for many years. However, we are still facing huge losses in the Amazon. People think that rainforests have already had enough attention. They have been discussed in the press for years. Unfortunately, the rainforest is still in danger and can be destroyed completely.

Environmental problems are serious and we have to deal with them immediately. There may not be easy solutions, but we simply can’t continue living as if everything was fine. These problems aren’t going to disappear by themselves. If we want to keep this planet a healthy place for our grandchildren, it’s time to do everything we can to stop the catastrophe.

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