The environment means surroundings in which peopl, animals and plants develop and exist.Ecology is the branch of biology investigation relationship between living beings and their environment. Environmentalists are well aware of the bad state of the environment. The most serious ecological problems are the air pollution ir the pollution of water and soil, the destruction of rain forests, acid rains, the warming up of the Earth´s surface and the breaking of the ozone layer. Most of this damage has not been caused by natural catastrophes such as earthquake, storms, tornadoes or floods but by the man himself.

The air pollution is caused by the growing number of cars on roads and by factories producing carbon dioxide, lead poisons, radioactive particles and dangerous compounds of sulphur and nitrogen which getinto the air. Some of them mix whith the clouds and later fall as acid rains. These rains kill trees, plants and animals in rivers, they get into the soil and make it infertile. These problems could be strongly limited by law which should order to use unleaded petrol and catalytic converters in car and filters in chimneys of factories.
Some factories coutribute to water pollution.The law should ban putting their chemical waste into rivers and lakes.
The soil is polluted not only by acid rains but also by pesticides used by farmers to kill certain insects.They could be replaced by less dangerous ways- e.g. by chemical means.

Floods rank among environmental problems,too.They are undercontrol especially in the south of Slovakia thanks to the water plant in Gabčíkovo. Moreover this masterpiece gave a new life to the surroundings of Gabčíkovo.Manyspecies of animals, plants, tree and birds multiplied their numbers what is admired and appreciated by international ecologists.The floods annually appearing in the east of the country could be solved by a similar way.
The using of ozone- destroying chemicals in aerosol sprays should be limited,too.
Green Peace, the largest international environmental movement, has done much to protect the clean water, air and soil and to maintain a nuclear – free world.For example, they deal with the question of nuclear energy produced in Jaslovské Bohuniceand Mochovce. It´ s called an economic- ecological paradox which doubtless needs a consensus.

The hottest news is the production of PVC which is to be banned by law in our country as this material is difficult to recycle and it is proved that it causes cancer. On the other hand this situation can „kill“ numerous factories ranging from chemical factories in nováky, to those producing cables, windows or even cars.
We should realize that the best way how to protect our environment is to prevent it from catastrophes and we can do it by proper education.Children should be taught that this planet, weather, climate, water, people, animals and plants create one ecosystem.No part can exist separately.The destruction of any of them can negatively influence the funcioning of the whole system.