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Nowadays, at the end of the 20th century, people are more aware of the importance of protection of nature than people living a hundred years ago. Therefore the Victor Hugo's words: "How sad it is to think that nature is calling out but humanity refuses to pay heed" are not true nowadays. Nature is certainly calling out but human race is no longer unresponsive .
There are undoubtedly many problems concerning our planet that are still to be solved. However, in order to achieve global solutions, we should start with our surroundings and the local environment. Some of the earth matters that are gradually dealt with by Poznan authorities are as follows: air and water pollution, deforestation and desertification and depletion of natural resources .
The first problem I would like to focus on is the air pollution. Some years ago it was almost impossible to breathe in the center of my hometown. Poznan if famous for the highest number of cars per person in Poland. Since the local authorities introduced the so-called "Blue Zone", life has become much easier for an every inhabitant. It doesn't mean that the number of cars in Poznan has decreased. But in order to stop in the center of the city, drivers are required to purchase special tickets allowing them to do so. Any car without such a ticket placed on a windshield is towed away or immobilized so that a driver has to pay fine before taking his/her car back. This regulation was enacted to discourage people from going to the center by car and to reduce the traffic. This system has undoubtedly has proved to be successful. Another regulation that has been introduced lately, this time all over Europe, requires every new car to have a catalyzer installed. Such an equipped car uses up a lead-free petrol which is environmently friendly. The ultimate goal is to install a catalyzer to every car to reduce the emission of the pernicious pollutant to minimum. In addition, special roads for cyclists are built so that people can ride a bicycle instead of going by car .
As far as water pollution is concerned, every big city has a purification plant clearing the contaminated water. There is such a plant near Poznan as well. However, the technologies used there are obsolete. Nevertheless, the city council doesn't have any funds for the modernization of this object. Still, a purification plant itself will not solve the ongoing problem of water contamination on a big scale. It only fights against the effects not the causes. Thus, we should rather find other ways of disposing waste liquids than changing our rivers into sewage ditches. But so far nobody has created a better solution .
Every year a deplorable cutting down of hundreds trees takes place. Deforestation would certainly lead to undesirable desertification of land if nurseries of young trees weren't introduced. And afforestation takes place in the woods surrounding Poznan as well .
Another global problem concerns depletion of natural resources. However, instead of dumping away waste products such as glass, paper or metal, we can reuse them. The process of recycling allows to use ready-made materials instead of exploiting natural resources. Therefore, there are special places in Poznan where waste products are purchased. Poznan authorities also provided containers in which both glass and paper can be gathered. Unfortunately, many people are indifferent to this matter and prefer to squander recyclable materials .
To conclude, nature is not calling out in vain. More and more people over the world, Poznan being one of the examples, are increasingly environmently-oriented. They carry out environment-saving actions that answer the calls of nature. Still there is a lot to be done to achieve global solutions. But what matters is that a growing number of people do not stand with their arms folded and do their best to answer the calling out of nature .
