Being a worldwide topic, human actions that lead to disasters are serious, especially in developing countries. It is reported that the number of people affected by and killed by disasters are 20 times higher than that of the developed countries. Three major reasons (geographic climate, greenhouse effect, delayed environment protection) for such results are all related to human activities.

Exploitation of natural resources and pollution to environment undoubtedly disturb natural orders. The natural disasters remain "natural disasters" if such disturbance is within the limit of environment variables, but the essence turns to "human disaster'' when the disturbance exceeds the limit of environment variables. During the past dozen of years, the world environment protection movement has seen a major transformation, i.e. environmental protection gradually goes into every aspect of human life. It is a common understanding of the civilized world that the life style featuring over-consumption of resources and polluting environment is the root cause for the environmental disasters. "Life style and sustainable consumption" has become a focal topic at the convention of the UN Substitutable Development Commission. "Simple life" has become popular in developed countries.

Life quality is related to the quality of environment. Improvement of environment starts from the trifles in everyone's daily life. As a rich country, Germany gives education of water saving and conservation even to foreign students although the country is rich in water resources. Compared to Germany, we have not done enough work. A survey on environment protection awareness named "national survey on the public awareness of environmental protection", which involves 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country, shows most people reckon environmental protection a task for government. What is more worrying is that one third of the people think "human should pursue happiness through conquering the nature"; about half of the people feel optimistic for the environment changes in China; only 8.3 percent often participate in environment-protecting activities. The biggest danger is not the crisis itself, but not knowing the danger as we are already in crisis.

To reduce the actions leading to disasters to the biggest extent and guarantee the sustainable development of China's economy, good consciousness and behavior should be fostered through awakening people's alertness and people should start to do trifles in daily life. We suggest:

1. To list education of environmental protection in the plan for national economy and social development. Taking the education of environment protection as a key task in the management of disasters. Introduce a systematic plan for preventing and eradicating disasters. Make research and arrangement to the fullest.

2. Carry out overall education of environmental protection so that the whole nation can have environmental crisis awareness.

3. Improve content of education of environmental protection.

4. Compile references of China's environmental disasters by extracting a series of shocking data and easily understood posters. Make people bear in mind the country's environmental crisis through training carders, school education and community exhibitions.

5. List the contents of environment and disaster prevention as required tests in school education. Establish teachers' association of environmental protection and disaster prevention. Put stress on the role of non-governmental organizations and combine the governmental strength with social activities.

6. Keep on monitoring and recording the changes of environment and take this as the indexes for appraising leaders at all levels. Take "increment of environment assets" as an important index when appraising government performances.

7. On the basis of the nation's long-term interests, set reasonable prices for energy and water, so that the prices will be able to reflect the environmental cost of production and life, to show the scarcity of the related resources, to promote investment into clean production techniques and to make the public close to the life style of environmental protection.

By People's Daily Online