ABC OF ECOLOGY BY FEDERATION OF GREEN

Together with development of civilization and progress of knowledge ECOLOGY stopped to be understood as narrowly understood sphere of biological sciences connected only with preservation of nature. Gradually more and more we start to see, and understand correlations among elements of environment, and we experience of effects and results of our activities in environment.

TODAY ECOLOGY - IS A KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW TO LIVE - to do purchases, travel, live, take care for health, spend your time, work, rest, seek informations related with health, style of life, economic development, safety, finding right way of life and to do good things.

ECOLOGY is still changing knowledge - as changes world and environment arround us. So the procees of understand our world and environment is still going on, is neverending and it's never stops...

We can say almost like a advertising-slogan popular scientific magazines: ECOLOGY - IT'S MEANS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND OUR WORLD AND ENVIRONMENT.

Often what we do and how we behave is because of something from us or something what we don't understand or even realize that it exist - from tradition, law, rules...

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO TRY UNDERSTAND IT AND START CREATE BETTER WORLD AND MORE SAFETY, HEALTHY LIFE FOR EVERYONE, NOT DESTROYING OUR WORLD AND OURSELVES !

TO MAKE RIGTH DECISIONS, YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO DO IT !

TO MAKE GOOD CHOOSE, YOU MUST KNOW WHAT IS GOOD AND BAD FOR YOU AND ALL THE WORLD. AND ECOLOGY ... IS ABOUT IT !

Do you know any organization of nature protection and ecological matters in your voyevodship (for instance: Federation of Green, Birds’ Protection, Ligue of Nature Protection, Polish Ecological Club …)?

Choose these, which you know or about which you have ever heard.

Do you think you could joint any of these organization?

(yes / no – if yes – which one? Do you know how?)

What is the biggest ecological problem in your ecological region? (you can write one or more)

• Could you solve it alone or you’ll need help of any of them – which one?)
• Do you know, what you could do to minimalize air or water pollution and noise?
  In such a way, than it has no bad influence on life of other people and that your region won’t be damaged?
• Would you like to do like that?
• Will you need information about this subject (what kind of?)
• Do you know, where could you find them?
• Would you like to add sth.? Any interesting idea?

More clean production means creation of such objects, from which each element can be again transformed or used while going over of raw materials to it’s production, as process of production and using, which doesn’t exert negative influence on environment and health of people.

Very important is also matter of salvage of raw materials. Example: present cars contain more and more plastic element, what makes them lighter, they use up less fuel and are less resistant on corrosion.

With eco-development are connected work faciliations, health improvements, culture development, work improvements of social institution, enlargements of efficienty, economy, saving of time, money and efficienty.

In the picture: yearly congress of federation in Bialowieza.

It could be said, the ecology is connection between traditions values, progress and modernity, spiritual values, knowledge with success of material civilization.

Improvement of life quality by tradition and cultural values saving with respect for natural supplies of region.

By propagation of eco-development very important are social ecological organizations, which often after using of legal possibilities in spectacular manner will be able to brand chances of breaking law, deteriorations of nature or of dirtying of environment.

Ecological movement fulfils part of specific “judge of ecological conseiences”.

The new materials cause that we can use up less of supplies and not polute the environment! Materials are lighter: for example houses have better thermal isolation, which causes that they are less heated.

Thanks to integration of Poland with EU should grow up proportional participation of renewable energy utilization - mostly power of wind. But first of all gradually should drop individual application on energy because of using more and more modern and effective devices. Most of electronic devices, computers, fluorescent lamps or halogen bulbs demand exchanges of tension of current one to 9 – 12 V, while in sockets continually we have tension 220 V.

In countries of EU protection is connected with thrift (look also: eco-development). Because of EU countries legislation has rules an higher level of economy sphere, waste material, noise. In countries of Central and Eastern Europa there is better situation in respect of nature preservation, soils’ pollution – all because of poorer development of industry in last years.

To these countries we could include Poland.

In the picture: European cities differ under many regards from polish cities – also in respect of care for environment and of spatial order.

In the picture: one – way – streets in centre of city with dealt out belt for collective communication (of buses) with bicycle way (red colour of pavement).

In the picture: plan of centre of dutch city Eindhoven, in which decisive role, plays
the foot – zone, collective communication, as well as system of bicycle ways.

Then just as well as in EU countries we can look at such a solutions, as segregation of waste material, disconnection of city centres from car traffic – creating of foot – zones, promenades and commercial passages, limit of vehicles speed in cities to 50 km/h (it is planned to 40 km/h), reconstruction of crossings for little brims, norms for noise, access to information and participation of local communitied to proccess, creation of bicycle ways, way – out of one – way street.

In the picture: Action of Federation of Green “Street to promenade” (street concerts, benches arrangement, street fair, lay – out of bicycle ways …)

Disconnection of cities’ centres from traffic makes it possible to grow centres of culture,
of trade and entertainments. This is evident example, when the quality improvement
of environment follows improvement of life quality and economic development.

First place gets here collective communication, paid parkings are being introduced – it encourages people to use collective communication. Also bicycle ways out, foot – zones, etc. are layed out.

Davis in California is very ecological city. In 1975 began ecologisation of it. Idea of new approach of environment, not connected with other ideologies, non – political, didn’t prefer one group business, wanted to increase life standard of inhabitants. There were layed out ways for cycles, by for example, narrowing of existing street for bicycle belt.

On smaller distances the inhabitants travel by cycle. Around buildings there are areas of green and stands for cycles. In shops is sold clean and health food, because pesticides are not used. To fertilization is used compost of garbages. Waste materials are segregated. Paper, glass, metal are used again. Buildings use up little water and energy, are light, shone, erected from materials of good thermal isolation, heated with solar energy. Instead of large supermarkets exist specialistic shops. Commercial zones are reserved for walking people. In development of city cultural and artistic activity was not neglected – there are many possibilities of development of own hobbies.

What is interested – deliquency in such a city is on very low level in comparison with deliquency in not – ecological cities.

The Day of Earth was grounded 20 years ago by American ecologists as expression of care and alarms concerning state of environment. It was made to pay attention for politicians and local authorities for needs in this range. Also in Poland it was an opportunity to provide local ecological problems trough concerts, marches or other kind of events organized by this opportunity.

Day of Earth, which takes place on 22^nd April, could have place also in other favourable time, in accordance with “Every day – day of Earth”.

In the picture: ecological organizations are mostly concentrated on education and information by different, often spectacular actions: leaflets distributing, collecting of signatures for petitions ar appeals.

In the picture: ecological meetings

Activity in ecological organizations is also opportunity for meetings extension of knowledge, useful and nice time.

Starch, glair and fat are contained in soya in such a proportion, that after special preparing by using of rapour you can print, like from plastic all possible sorts of products. In USA exist even museum of thousand of such a articles, eg. tee-spoons, mugs, even bodies of cars. In USA there is also printer’s paint in 100% made of soya – oil. Traditional printer’s paint use products from destilation of petroleum. Advantage of soya printer’s paint is better resistance for abrasion, cheaper cost of production, non-toxicity, easiness of washing off, what is very important by preservation of printing-presses and permits to save time and money. Printed materials are suitable better for processing on new paper of better quality.

In State Illinois – the greatest soya producer in USA – all the printing firms are obliged by law to use soya printer’s paints, in case that publication are edited by budget of state.

Similar solution - concerns paper making of waste paper - uses administration in other state, where all official letters and records concerning official matters are to be written on paper produced from waste paper (from recycling).

Nature protection means the suitable care and first of all way of implements making possible maintenance of scenery, nature and eco-system. This is of course connected with protection
of environment – it’s difficult to imagine nature preservation of individual grounds in world of contaminated water, noise or polluted air.

Specific animals and plants protection is written into polish red book of plants and animals, eg. threatened with extinction or very rare. More and more objects open for sightseeing, natural paths with description, boards: foot-bridges for sightseers to recognize and understand worth of these grounds – “passive protection” is being replaced with “active” through activitities and knowledge.

Protected objects posses special plans prepared by social ecological organizations or research workers, confirmed by commune and obligatory by fixing of plans of cities development …

Are we able to preserve the nature? By technology process changes eg. forests destination (look also spatial implements), scenery worth, water retention, recreational of useful green (eg. near cities or built – up grounds).

In Poland participation of fully protected grounds is about 1,5% of country area and national parks without cleadings.

Nature protection in forms of:

• reservations
• ecological uses
• clusters of trees
• national parks
• scenery parks
• monuments of nature
• scenery protection.

Single monument of nature – tree, stone, rock, stone clusters of trees, of forestations in fields, eg. in ecological agriculture. Sorts and their habitations protections: sort protection and eco-system (sort together with surrounding environment).

Reservations of nature.

Protection of each sort of animals or plants (rare, unique).

Let colour the drawing and think about, what does it mean “to protect environment” and in which way is this connected with level of life, esthetic environment, thrift …

Environment protection demands knowledge of different spheres, as nature preservation, economy, health. It demands often changes of behaviour, old habits and understanding of same occurences of world. Think about that …

In the picture: Simon Stevin, constructor of the longest cycle, (measures over 50 metres) tells about his idea.

Internet addresses of interesting social organizations dealing with environment protection behind border (list):

From proposed records and activities of these organizations worth to show is partial resignation from training of circus animals. Often unsuitable conduct to animals is result
of ignorance, of old customs or bad tradition. Nowedays resignation from many of such behaviours brings more problems than advantages. As example could be shown replacing
of “test on animals” with alternative investigative methods, which permits getting wider information on tested products or tablets, or resignation from wearing of furs of rave sorts
of animals and of leather – clothing of modern materials…

Waste materials – in west countries waste material segregation is very common.

The easiest and often most efficient system of segregation is double system – waste material is divided for organic (eg. food) – intended to composting in house compost – place or city compost – place and these, of which you can recover raw materials (containing plastic, paper, metal). Dangerous waste material is problematical – is often taken back at place of buying before becoming waste –eg. use batteries in RTV shop, out of time or not used tablets in drug-store, batteries and used up oils and parts of cars at the station of vehicles services or fuel stations.

However, the best situation is, when acc. to law, duty of implements of waste material are connected with cost burdened to producer (as deposit – caution payment).

In the picture: container for storaging of waste materials, which are suitable for composting (bio–degradated-wet) ie. Mostly of food, of which quantity in waste materials carries out
till 40%

National parks are to maintenance complete eco-systems in possibly most natural form on large ground, in form of general protection of sorts and their habitations.

Except of parks protection area embraced are also grounds near park’s environment. Cleadings of national parks, where the agriculture and scenery are mostly developed, protected in form of scenery areas.

Many of rare animals and plants sorts can live in national parks only because of habitations’ rarity.

For example sorts connected with dead wood (overthrown or with dead trees, which don’t exist in economic forests – they are removed from there).

Other forms of nature – avenues or trees preservation, monuments of nature (individual stones – look also: nature preservation)

In West Europe cities the bicycle ways come into being from other reasons, than in Poland. They are not destinated exclusively for recreation, situated far from cities. Bicycle ways are created because of driver and cyclists safety. Every street on which cars move with speed higher than 30 km/h passeses bicycle way or painted on pavement bicycle belt. Bicycle ways come into being first of all there, where cycling is most dangerous for drivers and cyclists, causes also traffic difficulties or even with cyclists participation. To create bicycle ways in centres of cities limitation of car traffic is connected with collective communication. Thanks that in many cities the cycle became every day the transportation for short distances. Most
of young people in Holland or Germany reach their schools by cycle!

The organization of project by themselves is new solutions, introducing them to cities commitees, authorities, administration and society.

In the picture: project of lay out of bicycle way belt, executed by Association Federation
of Green in Bialystok.

In the picture: Day without car – bicycle crossing.

2 February – Day of muddy – water areas

22 March – Day of water, day of Baltic sea

23 March – Day of meteorolgy and weather

1 April – Day of bird

1 – 7 April – Week of waters’ cleanesses

22 April – Day of Earth

26 April - Day of memory of explosion in Nuclear Plant Chernobyl

31 May – Day of without cigarette

1 June – Day of forest and afforestations

5 June – Day of environment protection

6 June – Day of without car

16 September – Day of ozon – layer protection

18 September – Day of ecology

19 September – Day of wild fauna, flora and natural habitations

September – World cleaning

27 September – Day of tourism

28 September – Day of sea

14 October – Day of elemental defeats preventions

16 October – Day of food

25 October – Day of law concerning animals protection

25 November – Day of without the fur

28 November – Day of without Purchases

Graphic sign of Day without Purchases induces to executing of conscious consument selection.

Future belongs to collective communication (... but with the comfort like in a indywidual). In modern cities bus – stops of collective communication make possible quick change for necessary way of transportation, also because of decays. By transportation of commodities bigger role should play combined transportation: rail – roads (heavy lorry trucks on tracks, rail buses). Important is also creating of bicycle ways (cities for cyclers) – it is worth to promote pro – ecological behaviour in transportation. Ecological ways of transport and communication save supplies, don’t produce pollutions, cause so less noise or traffic as possible.

In the picture: action against subsidizing (supporting) of brand of transport, influencing negative on environment. Aviation cause noise, ground occupation, airfields location in centres – is it possible? – rather not, so traffic is dangerous. Inspite of that the ecologists propose development and supporting of quick and comfortable, safe rail, which runs from centre of one city to the other.

In the picture: rail bus could be competitive to bus – lines, because of comfort, safety, reliability – will bring to local life the railway lines. It’s very good for a city to posses railway net or city railway system.

In the picture: Promotion of collective communication in cities. For example in Vienna every driver pays road – tax for his own car, and receives additionally yearly ticket for collective communication in town (bus, trams, underground) what encourages to more fragment profiting instead of using car.

In the picture: Day without car – bicycle crossing through the street (shows lack of bicycle ways in most dangerous places)

In the picture: railway as transportation possibility making possible traveling from door to door so quick as possible. Most of large cities in Poland posseses railway stations near centre of city, which makes possible quick getting destination without tearing oneself trough traffic in city centre by car (look also: Spatial implements).

If our city, decision – makers and designers will be able to look modern at transportation, communication and new city centre.

Tourism should be leaded in such a way, which doesn’t destroy supplies of nature.
It shouldn’t cause harms in environment, destroy it’s worth – should rather make possible contact with nature and relaxation. In agrotourism or ecological tourism – servant to recognition, understanding of nature (indirectly through this, also surrounding of world) protected grounds became attractive and offer also environment worth, except traditional touristic values – ground forms (montain, sea as basic tourism attractions) of cultural value or architectural monuments, pieces of gossip, uncommennesses, which attract tourists. Tourism is being promoted. In ecological tourism nature supplies and scenery influence on desirability of rest. Poland as one of small number countries in Europe is able to attract tourists with protected nature.

To improve of life quality or sth. else in own city people often unite for getting of described targets, creation of vision or realization of plans, eg. city development. Our organization could be an example – an ecological association, which exists and works as one of many in Poland, included into polish organizations bearing name FEDERATION OF GREEN.

Different kinds of ecological operations are undertaken to get interests of press, administration or local authority. Ecological organizations deal with many problems concerning local communities: from burning of grass or garbages, or thrawn out in unsuitable places, green places in city – till introducing of segregation programms for waste material, constructing of by-house refineries, creation of protected grounds and development
of agroturism. Many of proposed and worked out solutions finds reflection in obligatory law or administration activities. The base is maintenance of environment quality without decreasing of life comfort with regard of rights for future generations.

Example of degraded scenery of large agriculture area – monocultural tillages are sensitive to diseases and calanities of worms – large surface by comparativety law efficiencies. They degrade scenery: chemical centres and heavy equipment are used, also pesticides and chemicals for protection of plants. They are expensive in using and maintenance. Large farms are not elastic, can not too good answer for application of sale market consumer needs. Large – area agriculture in EU countries exist only thanks to surcharges. Polish agriculture
is “absolute”. Solution appears in reform in direction of profitability and production
of healthy food, which grows in undefiled soils, without artificial manures or genetic modified answering for application of formed market of “ecological product”.

Part of scenery protection. Afforestation on fields. Village is also culture, tradition and place of work. There are a lot of doubts concerning restructurning of polish agriculture. Obsolete model of agriculture in EU countries can liquidate in Poland hundred thousand of family-farms, which maybe don’t bring their owners high proof, but in difficult country situation assure self-sufficienty in respect of food production. The chance of activation of country – grounds is development of ecological agriculture, leaming on existing structure of small farms with not contaminated soil. Such a farm with production of vegetables, fruits have chance for production of food, which could be price competitive and the quality will be better than at supported by EU large farmes. It would create many of independent work places for people living at country – grounds, also in agriculture – food processing, and in range of promotion and sale. Agriculture permits and other approach for environment protections of soil and water, using practical methods (green manures, lack of animals, afforestation in field, scenery differentation, tillages mixing). All these factors permanent bring to the country-ground life new shape and make it touristic attractive.

Proportional participation of farm implements in Poland is:

Farming uses – 60%

Forests – 30%

Water – 3%

Roads, tracks, parking spaces – 3%

Cities and settled grounds – 3%

“waste land” – 1% (grounds without defined destination)

Nowadays there are more and more mixed function, eg. location of green grounds
or forest fragments near cities, what is profitable because of environment protection, oxygen and recreation functions of forests.

It should be also also mentioned, that together with progress of technical changes, the role
of some areas is changed. Wind power stations have smaller energetistic function, also forest is now “supplier” of raw materials for house building or furuiture, whether of every – day – use object. Important are scenery, recreational and “oxygen” factories of close-fitting areas.

Built-up of grounds and cities - there were lacks of green earlier, because of defensive functions and walls limitation, what caused condensation of building. Nowadays building escape from aglomeration of suburbies – mix of habitable, recreational and commercial functions.

Various forms of scenery.

Parks, green grounds in cities of green corridors (make possible unity among ecosystem, tramp and migration of animals) clear air, extinguish hoise, create acoustic barriers among districts…

Drainages impoverish scenery very much…

Functions of ground building should not disturb other function

• example of “damages sceneries” (at present installation often goes under ground)

Example of damaged scenery and bad spatial economy - exposure of ground for erosion – lack of wind barriers am lowering of hills).

Why it is better to eat soya - burger with vegetables and fruits than a hamburger?

Hunzes – a tribe of perfect health living in Himalayas – many of them attains age 120 – 140 years! Feeded with cereal cakes, fruits and vegetables. They consume no meat. Instead of this fact, Eskimoes, living behind polar circle, are feeded almost only with meat – they live avarage 27,6 years.

One of reproaches placed to vegetarians is conviction, that this way of nourishing will not assure in sufficient matter and give energy. FALSE ! However nobody has heard, that greatest, most strong and long – living animals of earth – horses, gorillas and elephants DON’T CONSUME MEAT. Lions, hyienas, wolfs, tigers, pumas etc. which eat almost only meat can do something in powerful way only very short time - because to get needed substances from meat (digestion) they use a lot of their energy. So they must sleep a most time of life... So their ale lazy and cruel (as a for example cats)... And you ? Would you like to be strong and long - living or fast but short living, always tired and cruel ?

And people? Many sportsmen (alpinists, climbers, body-builders, cyclist) are vegetarian; eg. J. Weissmuller, who instituted 56 of swimming records. Vegetarians are more resistant, their organisms don’t lose power for transformation and dismissing of poisons, which are in meat (preservatives, azotans, etc.)

Diseases of circulation system are reason for half of deaths. 18% of death reasons is cancer. About 4 million of people suffer for arterial hypertension. Lately number of deaths, connected with heart alseases was doubled in comparison to years 60! Reserch workers from medicine sphere admit, that there is direct relationship between eating of meat and diseases. Like cancer or heart illnesses.

People surrended to the myth, that only meat can cover shortage of glair. Day’s application for glair carriers out about 30 – 45 gr. Pea and bean have 1,5 ; soya bean – twice more glair than meat.

The earth of surface about 5 football fields feed:

• 61 people – by soya bean tillage
• 24 people – by wheat tillage
• 2 people – by cows farming

The bible recommends also vegetarian diet:

“Here I gave to you all the herb giving seed, which is on all of earth, and all of tree, on which is fruit of the tree, giving seed – it will be the food to you”

Products of fast food have no nourishing values – the English call such a food “kisses of death”. Such a bars promote unhealthy food – eg. lettuce (salat) leaflet is conserved with 12 injurious substances. What do you feel, when you see dying from hunger children in Africa? Do you know, why the fate of them is so sad? All harvest from their countries is sent as fodder for animals. Of these animals is than made meat for hamburgers.

The forests are also cut – for instance Green Lungs of Earth – Amazon forest. It is made just to pasture the cattle. Aborigenes defending forest are killed – only in Brazil paid murders killed one and half thousand of Indiana.

Advertisement is just a great lie to get your money. Have you also let them deceive you?

The Green Lungs of Poland are located in north-east region of Poland. In this region as consequence of lack of green industry, nature remained in comparativety not changed, natural state. Traditionally agriculture region hopes in tourism, ecological agriculture and small industry development with modern, harmless technologies. For example in podlaskie voyevodship, where our association works, there an 4 national parks of 22 existing in Poland. Also last fragment of natural forest in Europe – Bialowieska forest.

Agroturistic is being developed …And ecological culture …

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