1. AIR POLLUTION
Air lets our living planet breathe – it’s the mixture of gases that fills the atmosphere, giving life to the plants and animals that make Earth such a vibrant place. Broadly speaking, air is almost entirely made up of two gases (78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen), with a few other gases (such as carbon dioxide and argon) present in absolutely minute quantities.
There are many substances in the air which may impair the health of plants and animals (including humans), or reduce visibility. These arise both from natural processes and human activity. Substances not naturally found in the air or at greater concentrations or in different locations from usual are referred to as pollutants.
Pollutants can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are substances directly emitted from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption, the carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust or sulfur dioxide released from factories.
Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather, they form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact. An important example of a secondary pollutant is ground level ozone – one of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog.
5. NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear energy, also called atomic energy, is the powerful energy released by changes in the nucleus (core) of atoms. The heat and light of the sun result from nuclear energy. Scientists and engineers have found many uses for this energy, including the production of electric energy and the explosion of nuclear weapons.
Engineers have built devices called nuclear reactors to produce and control nuclear energy. A nuclear reactor operates somewhat like a furnace. But instead of using such fuels as coal or oil, almost all reactors use uranium. And instead of burning in the reactor, the uranium fission power production is by far the most important peaceful use of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy also powers some submarines and other ships.
6. CHERNOBYL DISASTER
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster began on Saturday 26 April 1986 within the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Western USSR and Europe. It is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and is one of only two classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale (the other being the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011).
The disaster began during a systems test at reactor number four of the Chernobyl plant. There was a sudden surge of power output, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted a more extreme spike in power output occurred, which led a reactor vessel to rupture and a series of explosions. These events exposed the graphite moderator of the reactor to air, causing it to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive smoke into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area. The plume went on to drift over large parts of the western Soviet Union and Europe. According to official post-Soviet data about 60% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus.
7. ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY
Nowadays scientists around the world are researching on developing and discovering new alternative energy sources so that the growing energy needs of human population can be met more easily, safely and efficiently. There have been several alternative energy projects running in various countries to reduce our dependence on traditional fossil fuels. And there are some impressive options that people can take into consideration.
Solar energy is one the alternative energy sources that is used most widely across the globe. About 70% of the sunlight gets reflected back into the space and we have only 30% of sunlight to meet up our energy demands.
Solar energy does not create any pollution and it is a renewable source since the sun will keep making energy for millions of years. Lots of people put solar collectors on their roofs. Solar collectors capture the sunlight and turn it into heat. Solar cells on solar panels turn energy into electricity. Such panels can be used for a long time and require little or no maintenance.
8. TYPES OF CRIMES
Modern world is in constant struggle against various crimes. Each country has its department or organization for crime prevention, but it does not mean the number of crimes has decreased. With the development of technology a lot of new crimes appear, so it is not surprising that crime rate in many countries is still high. Another aspect influencing the number of crimes is terrorism flourishing in many developed countries. And no matter how hard people try to eliminate its negative influence, it still exists and despite great efforts will not disappear.
Crime is an illegal action against a person or his property. People, who commit crimes, are called criminals. There are many kinds of crimes in the modern world. Every year more ways of cheating or stealing are invented, leave alone mugging. Depending on the offense nature there are such types of crimes: crimes against people, crimes against property, crimes against public order and morality, white-collar crimes, political and organized crimes.
9. FORMS OF PUNISHMENT
After the completion of the trial, the court sentences the guilty to a punishment which is directly proportional to the severity of crime committed by him. The sentencing usually differs from one jurisdiction to another. A felony, for instance, which may amount to capital punishment according to the judicial system of a particular country, may only amount to life imprisonment in another. That being said, punishment is a broad concept, which is open to several interpretations. However, everything comes down to the same objective: to ensure that justice prevails in the society.
Imprisonment or incarceration, wherein the person is put in jail as a lawful punishment, is perhaps one of the most common punishments is the world. Retribution, i.e., the act of correcting a person for his misconduct, is the main purpose of imprisonment. Besides this, it also serves other purposes like deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. The term, or the period, that the convict has to spend in the prison depends on several factors; most prominent ones being the area of jurisdiction and severity of the crime.
10. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is the execution (putting to death) of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offenses. Historically, the execution of criminals and political opponents was used by nearly all societies – both to punish crime and to suppress political dissent. Among countries around the world, almost all European and many Pacific Area states (including Australia, New Zealand and Timor Leste), and Canada have abolished capital punishment. In Latin America most states have completely abolished the use of capital punishment, while some countries, however, like Brazil, allow for capital punishment only in exceptional situations, such as treason committed during wartime. The United States (the federal government and 36 of its states), Guatemala, most of the Caribbean and the majority of democracies in Asia (e.g. Japan and India) and Africa (e.g. Botswana and Zambia) retain it.
11. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Delinquent and criminal behaviour among young people, as they negotiate the transition from childhood to adulthood in an increasingly complex and confusing world, is one the urgent issues nowadays.
Juvenile delinquents are minors, usually defined as being between the ages of 10 and 18, who have committed some act that violates the law. These acts are not called “crimes” but “delinquent acts.”
Delinquent acts generally fall into two categories. The first type of delinquent act is one that would be considered a crime had an adult committed it. For particularly serious crimes, some jurisdictions will even try children as adults. When children are tried as juveniles, on the other hand, parents are often required to pay the court costs for the child.
The second type of delinquent act is one that wouldn’t normally be a crime had an adult performed it. These are typically known as “age-related” or “status” crimes. The most common examples of age-related crimes are staying out past curfew and “truancy,” which is the continued failure to attend school.
12. ENERGY CRISIS
The most important source of our modern civilization is energy. Energy comes in different forms – heat (thermal), light (radiant), mechanical, electrical, chemical, and nuclear energy. The use of energy has been a key in the development of the human society by helping it to control and adapt to the environment. The increasing use of energy since the Industrial Revolution has also created a global energy crisis.
An energy crisis is any great bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy. It usually refers to the shortage of oil and additionally to electricity or other natural resources which are in limited supply. While they do occur naturally, it can take hundreds of thousands of years to replenish the stores. The energy crisis is something that is ongoing and getting worse, despite many efforts. The reason for this is that there is not a broad understanding of the complex causes and solutions for the energy crisis.
