VIDYA VIKAS UNIVERSAL COLLEGE

PROJECT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN WESTERN EUROPE COUNTRY

SUBMITTED TO : KIRAN SINGH SUBMITTED BY : ANAND KEER

INTRODUCTION
Environmental issues are harmful aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement that started in the 1960s, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.

ENVIROMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
The largest international agency, set up in 1972, is the United Nations Environment Programme. The International Union for Conservation of Nature brings together 83 states, 108 government agencies, 766 Nongovernmental organizations and 81 international organizations and about 10,000 experts and scientists around the world.

THE PROBLEM
Environmental problems know no borders
1970 EU added environment to its list of issues and has made Western Europe among the greenest in the world

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
WATER POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION GRENHOUSE GAS AND CLIMATE CHANGE RESOURSE USE AND WASTE: LAND USE SOLID WASTE

Eastern Europe Has to Play Catch Up

Because of Cold War Eastern Europe has made a pretty big mess of itself More emphasis placed on industrial production than environmental protection = few controls = bad results Case Study Poland: 90% of rivers have no life in them 50% of the trees show signs of damage 1/3 of the people have or will have cancer or some form of respiratory affliction

Other Cold War Effects

Chernobyl 1986 Nuclear power plant has a major meltdown Contamination effects much of Europe especially Central Europe and Scandinavia Gets into the food and the wildlife School children have to stay indoors Lithuania 1992 Not as bad as Chernobyl because of better wind patterns

Roadblocks to Solutions:
Financial priorities not on the environment Economic concerns are more focused on social issues etc. West is leery about investing Clean it up then well invest, we arent picking up your bill International cooperation is needed

There is hope
The Baltic Sea got pretty nasty during the Cold War. Cooperation was not possible because of the Iron Curtain 1990 = fall of communism in western Europe and founding of Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Program Organization has shown promise and therefore gained financial support from international financial institutions (e.g. World Bank)

THANK YOU