Перевод текста



Interrelation between the man and the biosphere are of a fairly complex nature. Man, like every other living organism, depends for his life on what the biosphere provides: water, oxygen, food and shelter. On the other hand, the biosphere is strongly affected by all sorts of human activity.

Technology powerfully amplifies the effects of human beings on the biosphere. Prehistoric man withdrew from the atmosphere only the oxygen he required for respiration; technological man consumes a far greater amount of oxygen to support fires, power plants and chemical processes. The carbon dioxide produced by technological processes has measurably altered the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Apart from the amplification of such natural processes in the biosphere, technology has introduced into the biosphere substances wholly new to it; man-made radioisotopes and a wide variety of synthetic materials such as plastics, insecticides, herbicides and numerous industrial materials. These, too, alter the biosphere.

The problem has already been discussed at a large number of conferences, some of them sponsored by the UN. However relatively little has so far been done to check environmental pollution.