Environmental protection means that human beings consciously protect natural resources, make rational use of natural resources, and prevent the natural environment from being polluted and destroyed; It is necessary to comprehensively control the polluted and destroyed environment and create an environment suitable for human life and work. Environmental protection refers to various actions taken by human beings to solve real or potential environmental problems, coordinate the relationship between human beings and the environment, and ensure the sustainable development of economy and society. Its methods and means include engineering technology, administration, law, economy, publicity and education, etc. Its contents mainly include: (1) prevention and control of environmental pollution caused by production and living activities, including prevention and control of "three wastes" (waste water, waste gas and waste residue), dust, radioactive substances, noise, vibration, odor and electromagnetic microwave radiation, harmful gases, waste liquid and noise generated by transportation activities, pollutants discharged by ships at sea, and toxic and harmful chemicals used in industrial and agricultural production and people's lives. (2) Preventing environmental damage caused by construction and development activities, including preventing environmental pollution and damage caused by large-scale water conservancy projects, railways, highway trunk lines, large-scale ports and docks, airports and large-scale industrial projects, and preventing environmental damage, pollution and impact caused by land reclamation around lakes, development of offshore oil fields, coastal zones and swamps, development of forests and mineral resources, and establishment and construction of new industrial zones and new towns; (3) Protecting the natural environment with special value, including effectively protecting rare species and their living environment, historical sites of special natural development, geological phenomena, landforms and landscapes, etc. In addition, urban and rural planning, controlling soil erosion and desertification, planting trees, controlling population growth and distribution, and rationally allocating productive forces also belong to environmental protection. Environmental protection has become one of the common actions and main tasks of governments and people all over the world. China declared environmental protection as a basic national policy, and formulated and promulgated a series of environmental protection laws and regulations to ensure the implementation of this basic national policy.
Why environmental protection?