5.Scandinavia

In 1971, Denmark became the first industrialized European country to establish a ministry that exclusively on environmental matters. In 1988, the Danish government established a set of stringent policies to combat the greenhous effect by lowering carbon dioxide emmissions. One highlight of that plan is the Rube Biogas plant, located in the flat marshlanndx of southwest Denmark, which converts farm fertilizer and other wastes into expand their use of windpower and other alternative energy forms. With 70% of their land covered by thousands of lakes and thick forests, most Finns live in the southern part of the country. Finland shares much of its astern border with a heavily polluted region of Russia as well as its shoreline with the Baltis Sea , contaminated in part by industrial development in the former Soviet Baltic republics, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. To help prevent further problems , the Finnish government has developed a program to work with Eastern European countries on environmental protection measures, especially on airborne and waterborne pollutants carried by the Baltic. Among the countries of Europe, Sweden is often considered the most environmentally conscious of all. Attempts to remedy problems cross all sectors. Sweden‘s environmental laws are very strong and in fact much stronger than any other country. And now that they have voted to join the Union (in fall 1994), they may try to raise the level of environmental laws in other European countries.

6.Underground waters in Kazakhstan

Underground waters are widely used in the Republic of Kazakhstan as sources of drinking water for cities, villages as suppliers of water for industrial instillations, for watering crop lands and pastures and for other purposes. Natural underground water resources are formed by infiltration of atmospheric precipitation, filtration of river water losses. The Republic of Kazakhstan has significant underground water resources, the annual exploitation volume of which is estimated to be at the level of 41,6 cubic kilometers.As а result of continuing technical pollution the conditions of water supply have worsened in Karaganda, Shymkent, Almaty, Aktubinsk. Intensive exploitation of underground waters by large water consumers has led to decrease in the levels of underground waters and to development of subsiding soil effects. Underground water resources are strongly affected by pollution originated as а result of human activities. 456 clusters of polluted underground waters have been identified in the Republic. Out of this number 103 objects have been taken under constant control. The squares of these territories vary from several square kilometers to tens and hundreds of square kilometers. The substances polluting underground waters are dominated by sulphur containing combinations, nitrogen containing combinations, phenols, heavy metals. On the territories where metallurgical plants are located, the underground waters contain selenium, mercury.

Note:

To subside – понижать, проседать(о почве)