Throughout the history of its existence, humanity has a detrimental effect on the environment. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the impact of people on nature has increased hundreds of times. Environmental disasters in Russia and around the world that have occurred over the past decades have significantly aggravated the already deplorable state of our planet.
Causes of environmental disasters
Almost all of the largest environmental disasters on our planet occurred due to human faults. Employees working in industrial enterprises with a high level of danger are often negligent in their duties. The slightest oversight or carelessness of personnel can lead to irreversible consequences. Neglecting safety regulations, workers at the enterprise endanger not only their lives, but also the safety of the entire population of the country.
In the desire to save money, the government allows enterprises to use natural resources thoughtlessly, to dump toxic waste into water bodies. The greed of man makes us forget about the consequences for nature, to which his actions can lead.
In an effort to suppress panic among the population, governments often hide from the people the true consequences of environmental disasters. Examples of such misinformation of residents are the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the release of anthrax spores in Sverdlovsk. If the government took the necessary measures in time and informed the population of the affected areas about what had happened, a huge number of victims could have been avoided.
In rare cases, natural disasters can lead to environmental disasters. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes can provoke accidents at enterprises with hazardous production. Bad weather conditions can lead to large-scale forest fires.
The worst catastrophe in the history of mankind
The largest accident in the history of mankind, which entailed terrible consequences for the population of Russia, Ukraine and other countries of Eastern Europe, occurred on April 26, 1986. On this day, due to the fault of the employees of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a powerful explosion occurred in the power unit.
As a result of the accident, a huge dose of radiation was released into the atmosphere. Within a radius of 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion, people will not be able to live for many years, and radioactive clouds have scattered around the world. Rains and snows containing radioactive particles passed in various corners of the planet, causing irreparable harm to all living things. The consequences of this major catastrophe will affect nature for more than one century.
Disaster with the Aral Sea
For many years, the Soviet Union carefully concealed the constantly deteriorating state of the Aral Sea-lake. Once it was the fourth largest lake in the world with a wide variety of underwater inhabitants, rich in fauna and flora along its shores. The abstraction of water from the rivers feeding the Aral for irrigation of agricultural plantings led to the fact that the lake began to chalk very quickly.
Over several decades, the water level in the Aral Sea decreased by more than 9 times, while salinity increased by almost 7 times. All this led to the extinction of freshwater fish and other inhabitants of the lake. The dry bottom of the once majestic pond has turned into a lifeless desert.
In addition to all this, pesticides and agricultural pesticides that fell into the waters of the Aral Sea were deposited on a dry bottom. They are carried by winds over the vast territory around the Aral Sea, as a result of which the state of flora and fauna worsens, and the local population suffers from various diseases.
The drying up of the Aral Sea led to irreversible consequences, both for nature and for man. The governments of the countries of the former Soviet Union, on the territory of which the lake is now located, are not taking any measures to improve the current situation. The unique natural complex can no longer be restored.
Other environmental disasters in Russia that went down in history
Over the past decades, other ecological disasters that have gone down in history have happened on the territory of Russia. Examples of these are the Usinsky and Lovinsky disasters.
In 1994, Russia had the largest land spill in the world. More than one hundred thousand tons of oil spilled into the Pechora forests as a result of an oil pipeline breakthrough. All flora and fauna in the territory of the breakthrough was destroyed. The consequences of the accident, despite the restoration work, will be felt for a long time.
Another breakthrough of the oil pipeline in Russia occurred in 2003 near Khanty-Mansiysk. More than 100 thousand tons of oil spilled into the Mulimya River, covering it with an oily film. Flora and fauna of the river and its environs underwent mass extinction.
Recent environmental disasters in Russia
The largest environmental disasters in Russia over the past decade are accidents at the Novocheboksarsky enterprise Khimprom JSC, which resulted in the release of chlorine into the atmosphere, and a hole in the Druzhba oil pipeline in the Bryansk Region. Both tragedies occurred in 2006. As a result of disasters, residents of nearby areas, as well as plants and animals, were affected.
Forest fires that burned throughout Russia in 2005 can also be attributed to environmental disasters. Fire destroyed hundreds of hectares of forest, and residents of large cities were suffocated by smog.
