Защита природы в Великобритании. Материалы к уроку (СПО)

Comprised of the separate countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is home to more than 66.5 million people living within almost 95,000 square miles. The UK also has roughly 5,000 miles of coastline, temperate forests, rolling hills, mountain ranges and low-lying wetlands.

The UK, along with the US and other British colonies, is widely credited with staring the worldwide Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Industrial production in the 18th century UK was fueled by raw materials shipped in from her various colonies.

In turn, the British exported their culture and values-system. By the middle of the 20th century, most UK colonies had gained their independence.

Environmental Issues of the United Kingdom

The UK has been a highly-populated island nation for centuries and the country’s current environmental issues are a culmination of these years of interactions between the British and their natural surroundings. These interactions have somewhat intensified since World War II as increased national wealth and globalization have demanded the production of more goods, services and infrastructure.

As a result of these increased demands, the UK ecosystem has yielded less and less over the years. For example, UK soils were considered poorly managed and “degraded” by the UK National Ecosystem Assessment in 2011.

Grazing, air pollution and the forces of climate change have significantly affected the mountainous regions of the UK, according to the UK NEA. Grazing and agricultural activities have also affected the country’s grassy lowlands.

A Reservoir in the Elan Valley Cambrian Mountains, Wales UK. Drinking water in the UK was on a serious decline until action was taken in the 1980s to improve its quality

The inland quality of UK’s freshwater supply declined significantly after the Second World War until the 1980s when the government enacted a series of policies aimed at improving freshwater quality.

On the other hand, marine and coastal habitats have declined significantly over the last 60 years. Demand for coastal housing, tourism and industry facilities has been behind this decline. Not only has the quality of these ecosystems declined, but the disappearance of coastal marshes and soft cliffs has increased the risk for further erosion and coastal flooding, according to the UK NEA.

Rising seawater temperatures and exploitation of marine resources has led to a serious loss of quality in UK marine ecosystems. Coastal fisheries are in decline and widespread trawling has significantly disrupted the coastal seabed.

In addition to this, there has been a recent focus on saving endangered species in the UK. Beloved creatures, such as the hedgehog, have declined from 36 million to only 1 million in the last 70 years. Other animals like the red squirrel and the tortoiseshell butterfly have become increasingly rare due to destruction of habitat and the introduction of non-native predators.

Environmental Policies of the United Kingdom

As the UK society and economy have expanded over the past 60 years, so too has awareness about environmental issues and this can be seen in the number of people joining environmental organizations. For example, the National Trust had fewer than 7,000 members in 1944. In 2017, the conservation organization had around 5 million.

In response to this growing awareness, the UK government has enacted a number of policies aimed at a number of environmental issues, including lowering carbon emissions and water conservation.

All companies listed in the UK are now mandated to report their carbon emissions in their annual report. The idea behind this requirement, according to The Guardian, is that investors and consumers can see the carbon footprint of various corporations and make their decisions accordingly.

The UK also recently introduced higher penalties for environmental offences. Fines for medium to large companies that violated environmental laws are expected to jump from tens of thousands of pounds to hundreds of thousands. Fines of these amounts have been rare in the past and the increased amounts are expected to be a massive deterrent.

The government is also supporting the use of green technologies by offering financial incentives to companies that use renewable energy to generate heat, and enacting energy-saving methods in the workplace.

1)      Why did environmental problems start in the UK?

2)      What is the state of the soil in the UK?

3)      What processes have affected the ecological state of the mountainous regions of Great Britain?

4)      When did the government take measures to protect fresh water?

5)      What are the reasons for the reduction of marine habitats?

6)      Why is the natural state of the seabed disturbed?

7)      Why are some animal species disappearing in the UK?

8)      What environmental problems are the government's measures aimed at solving?

9)      Why does the government impose fines?

10)   Why does the government give financial incentives?