INTRODUCTION
Our survival has depended upon how well we could observe variations in the environment and predict the responses of organisms to those variations. The earliest hunters and gatherers had to know the habits of their animal prey and where to find food plants.
Later, agriculturists had to be aware of variations in weather and soils and of how such variation might affect crops and livestock. Today, most of earth's human population live in cities and most of us have little direct contact with nature. More than ever before, though, the future of our species depends on how well we understand the relationships between organisms and the environment. Our species are rapidly changing earth's environment, yet we do not fully understand the consequences of these changes. For instance, human activity has increased the quantity of nitrogen cycling through the biosphere, changed land cover across the globe, and increased the atmospheric concentration of CO2. Changes such as these threaten the diversity of life on earth and may endanger our life support system.The changes in the biosphere, which are the result of active human activity in the present century (rising of the Earth's surface temperature, global pollution of water, air and soil, desertification of the planet, pollution of the oceans, destruction of the ozone layer) are now known to everyone. World experience shows that the ecologization of the entire social and economic system of any state is the basis for the successful solution of environmental problems and the prevention of environmental disasters.
Environmental safety, as an integral part of national security, is an indispensable condition for sustainable development and serves as a basis for preserving natural systems and maintaining the appropriate quality of the environment.
The course "Ecology and life safety basics" is aimed at forming students' ecological thinking and examines the main ecological concepts and patterns of the functioning of natural systems, the tasks of ecology as a science, its main sections.
It also contains sections in which the topic of safe interaction between a person and his environment (natural, man-made) is combined with issues of protecting a person from negative factors of emergency situations.The goal of the course: to help to develop knowledge, skills in the field of the regularities of the functioning of natural systems, as well as to study the basic concepts and principles of ensuring human life safety.
The objectives of the course:
1. to familiarise students with the environmental problems of modern civilization;
2. to study the basic laws governing the functioning of living organisms, ecosystems of various organizations of the biosphere as a whole and their stability;
3. to study the basics of healthy lifestyle;
4. to study the diversity of emergency situations of various origins (natural, technogenic, social);
5. to study the foundations of the autonomous survival of man in extreme natural conditions;
6. to study the features of behavior in situations of threat of a terrorist act;
7. to study the features of first aid in different situations;
8. to improve the logical reasoning.
Formed competences
Know:
> the basic laws of interaction between nature and society;
> basics of ecosystem functioning and development of the biosphere;
> the impact of harmful and hazardous factors of production and the environment on human health;
> concept, strategy, sustainable development issues, practical approaches to solving them at the global, regional and local levels;
> the principles of organization of safe production processes;
> organizational framework for security;
> theoretical foundations related to the impact of natural and man-made hazards on the human organism;
> classification and types of emergency situations, the mechanism of their effects on the human organism and the environment, methods and ways of protection.
Be able to:
> assess the ecological state of the environment;
> assess the technogenic impact on the environment;
> create safe living conditions;
> use personal protective equipment;
> if necessary, provide first aid in case of injuries, bleeding, wounds, burns, frostbite, etc.;
> if necessary, provide all possible assistance in disaster management.
Skills:
> determine the components of ecosystems and the biosphere as a whole;
> determine the optimal conditions for sustainable development of ecological systems;
> doing logical discussions on topics related to the solution of environmental problems;
> search and organizing of scientific and specialist literature.
The textbook contains lectures focusing on basic terminology. The material of lectures is accompanied by many examples, figures, tables. It also includes vocabulary and a glossary of terms.