工业革命以来西方主要国家环境污染与治理的历史考察

环境污染由来已久。早在14世纪初，英国就注意到了煤烟污染；17世纪伦敦煤烟污染加重时，有人著文提出过改善大气品质的方案。不过直到这时，污染只在少数地方存在，污染物也较少，依靠大自然的自净能力，尚不至于造成重大危害。环境污染发生质的变化并演变成一种威胁人类生存与发展的全球性危机，则始于18世纪末叶兴起的工业革命。

A Historical Study on the Environmental Pollution and Prevention of the Western Countries Since the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution beginning in the late 18th century was as a watershed in the history of the environmental pollution of the western countries.Since then the environmental pollution of the western countries went through three phases:occurrence,development and breaking out wholly.Finally it turned into a global ecological crisis,which was threatening human beings' existence and development.So the western countries were forced to take serious steps to control and prevent environmental pollution.Until the 1980's the western countries resolved their domestic environmental problems quite well. The environmental pollution of the western countries seemed to be caused by industrialization and urbanization on the surface.In fact,it rooted in the Western attitudes toward nature,and so that aroused people to re examine and criticize the view of the industrial civilization about nature. The story of the environmental pollution and prevention of the westrn countries shows us that different views on nature would bring about quite different results to nature and society,and so it is necessary and urgent to call on people to acquire a kind of suitable view on nature.