Our planet is facing a very serious environmental crisis today. It is called global warming. And it is the result of man’s intervention with our nature.

Power stations, cars, factories and plants produce an enormous amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) nowadays. Cement production and burning of carbon-based fuels have boosted its concentration in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. Perfume sprays and carbons used in refrigerators also contribute to global warming. Trees and plants are able to change carbon dioxide back to vital oxygen. However humankind is rapidly cutting down trees in the Amazon rainforests. That is why the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is constantly increasing.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, it allows infrared radiation from the sun to enter the atmosphere on the Earth and not to leave it. This process causes the surface to heat up. Scientists discovered that the polar ice caps and glaciers around the world were melting. It creates more water and raises sea levels. In many parts of our planet, from North Pole to South Pole, there are intense floods on land near the coast. In general, the world’s climate is changing: warm areas are suffering from severe winters, and cold areas are getting warmer.

If warming continues, the sea levels are expected to rise much more. Floods, storms and hurricanes are likely to become stronger. All the cities near the sea-shore will be under water. Besides, some infectious diseases (malaria, for example) can become common with increasing temperatures. And our crops will be infected with diseases too. So it’s a common concern of humankind to save our planet. There are many possible ways to make our climate stable and safe: increasing forestlands, vehicle fuel economy, using of wind and solar power and many others.