Our planet Earth is only a tiny part of the universe, and it is so far the only place where human beings can live.

We always polluted our surroundings. But until now pollution was not such a huge problem. People lived in the countryside and couldn’t produce such amount of pollution that would lead to a dangerous situation on a global scale.

With the development of industrial cities, which create huge amounts of pollutants, the problem has become real. Nowadays our planet is in serious danger. Global warming, acid rains, air and water pollution, overpopulation are the problems that threaten human lives on the Earth.

Every year world industry pollutes the air that we breathe with. A great number of cities suffer from smog. Rainforests are cut down. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result, some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants are extinct. A lot of seas, rivers and lakes are filled with poison like industrial and nuclear wastes, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The pollution of air and the world's ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of man's careless interaction with nature, a sign of the ecological crisis.

People should consider their attitude to the environment. Some progress has already been made in this direction. Numerous conferences have been held by a lot of agencies to discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions including the Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass and Chernobyl. Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment.

What can we do to save our planet? First of all, people should switch to alternative forms of power, such as solar power or wind power. Secondly, the use of atomic power must be banned. Thirdly, we need to recycle. It’s the art of turning waste into new products. It would be a good idea if people started riding bicycles instead of driving cars. We are obliged to protect nature. If everybody cares, it will make a difference.