Text 1. Help Wild Animals
I think it is necessary to help wild animals. Many of them are in danger now. For example, pandas which live in the jungle and white bears which live in the Arctic.
White bears eat fish. If people pollute rivers and seas, animals die.
All woods are home to animals and birds. It is important to take care of them. If trees are damaged and flowers and grass are cut, birds and animals can become instinct.
Each of us can do something to help nature. We must not frighten animals and birds. We must never break plants or baby trees.
There are a lot of ways to help our planet. We must take care of it.
Text 2. Climatic Changes
Climate is a weather a certain place has over a long period of time. Climate has a very important influence on plants, animals and humans and is different in different parts of the world.
But recently the climate has changed a lot, especially in Europe. Scientists think that the reason is greenhouse effect. It is caused by carbon dioxide (углекислый газ). Carbon dioxide is produced when we burn things. Also people and animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. As you know, trees take this gas from air and produce oxygen. But in the last few years people have cut down and burn big areas of rainforest. This means that there are fewer trees and more carbon dioxide.
This gas in the atmosphere works like glass in a greenhouse. It lets heat get in, but it doesn’t let much heat get out. So the atmosphere becomes warmer.
Greenhouse effect is sometimes called global warming.
Words:
1. carbon dioxide — углекислый газ
2. oxygen — кислород
3. heat – тепло
4. to get in — пропускать
5. to get out — выпускать
Text 3. Green Peace
Green Peace is an international environmental organization. It was founded in 1969 by a group of Canadian environmentalists. Members of Green Peace appear in the places where the environment is endangered. They always act fast.
The world knows about the Green Peace action to stop hunting whales or killing baby seals. They block the way to the ships that try to dump waste, and work hard to create a nuclear-free world.
The activity of Green Peace often annoys governments, companies and people who don’t care about the future of the world.
Green Peace has offices in many countries, including Russia. People, who can’t take part in Green Peace actions directly support this organization with money.
Green Peace members are often called “greens”. The “greens” are group of people whose aim is protection of natural things, e.g. plants and animals.
Text 5. Ecological Problems
Ecology is a science which studies the relationship between all forms of life on our planet and the environment.
Since ancient times Nature has served Man, giving him everything he needs: air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink, wood for building and fuel for heating his home. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with the environment and it seemed to them that the resources of Nature had no end or limit.
With the industrial revolution our negative influence on Nature began to increase. Large cities with thousands of polluting plants and factories can be found nowadays all over the world. They pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the fields where our crops are grown. Big cities suffer from smog. Cars with their engines have become the main source of polluting in industrial countries.
Vast forests are cut down everywhere for the needs of industries. As a result many kinds of animals, birds, fish and plants are disappearing nowadays.
The pollution of the air and the world’s oceans and the thinning the ozone layer are the other problems arising from men’s careless attitude to ecology.
In Russia and former Soviet republics there are some areas where the environment is in poor state. It is the Aral Sea, Lake Baikal and Chernobyl.
Active measures should be taken to save the life on our planet. There is an international organization called Greenpeace which is doing much to preserve the environment.
Text 4. Green Fuel
A new low-cost fuel is being developed by a biotechnology company. It is called biobutanol and is expected to be the best environmentally friendly fuel for transport.
Butanol is derived from waste plant material (biomass) and is an attractive replacement for petrol.
It reduces not only CO2 emissions but also our dependence on finite fossil fuels.
The UK’s Minister for Science said: “The development of biofuels is expected to play a major part in reducing transport emissions. Climate change is a huge global problem. We believe the UK must put its best efforts towards developing the new technologies. ”
Words:
1. fuel — топливо
2. biotechnology [ˌbaɪəutek’nɔləʤɪ] – биотехнология
3. environmentally friendly — экологически чистый
4. to derive from– получать, извлекать
5. emission – выделение
6. to penetrate — завоевывать, проникать
7. finite – ограниченный, исчерпаемый
8. fossil – ископаемое
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Questions to the text on ecological problems:
1. Why are the wild animals in danger?
2. What climatic chandes are the most threatening?
3. Is there any way to make our air cleaner
4. What is Green Peace?
5. What are the main ecological problems?
Answers:
4. It’s international environmental organization which fights against the pollution of the environment.
Ecological problems
The Earth is the only planet in the solar system where there is life. If you look down at the Earth from a plane you will see how wonderful our planet is. You will see blue seas and oceans, rivers and lakes, high snow-capped mountains, green forests and fields. For centuries man lived in harmony with nature until industrialization brought human society into conflict with the natural environment. Today, the contradictions between man and nature have acquired a dramatic character. With the development of civilization mans interference in nature has increased. Every year the worlds industry pollutes the atmosphere with millions of tons of dust and other harmful substances. The seas and rivers are poisoned with industrial waste, chemical and sewage discharge. People who live in big cities are badly affected by harmful discharge from plants and city transport and by the increasing noise level which is as bad for human health as lack of fresh air and clean water.
Among the most urgent problems are the ozone layer, acid rains, global warming, toxic pollution of atmosphere, disappearance of forests, contamination of underground waters by chemical elements, destruction of soil in some areas, threat to some flora and fauna representatives, etc.
One of the most important pollution problems is the oceans. Many ships sail in the ocean water- fishing ships, some ships carrying people, some carrying oil. If a ship loses some of the oil in the water, or waste from the ships in put into the ocean, the water becomes dirty. Many sea birds die because of the polluted water. Many fish are dying in the sea, others are getting contaminated. Fishermen catch contaminated fish which may be sold in markets, and people may get sick from eating them. Lakes and rivers are becoming polluted, too. Some beaches are dangerous for swimming.
Another important problem is air pollution. Cars and factories pollute the air we use. Their fume also destroys the ozone layer which protects the Earth from the dangerous light of the Sun. Aerosols create large “holes” in the ozone layer round the Earth. Burning coal and oil leads to global warming which may bring about a change in the worlds climate.
The other problem is that our forests are dying from acid rains. Deforestation, especially destruction of tropical forests, affects the balance of nature in many ways. It kills animals, changes the climate and ecosystem in the world.
A person can do some damage to the environment but the greater part of pollution certainly comes from industry. Modern industry production is the main threat to nature.
There are a lot of places on our planet that need immediate help. Our country is not exception. The nuclear accident at Chernobyl, which took place on April 26, 1986., has seriously aggravated the ecological situation in Belarus. That catastrophe can be considered as the largest disaster of the 20th century. As the result of that accident 18% of territories of our republic were contaminated by radioactive elements. The agriculture of our country suffered great losses. More than 20% of the population has also suffered. A death rate among children has increased considerably. The wide researches are carried out, but health state of the people living in polluted areas, is worsened. The level of thyroid gland cancer has increased, the immunity of children and women is weakened, many diseases appear out only a few years later. Everyone understands that this catastrophe is a threat to health of our nation, and though years have already passed, the results will be shown on the future generations.
Id like to say a few words about animals in danger of extinction. The blue whale is the largest animal which has ever lived. Once there were over 200000 of these creatures living in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Since the seventeenth century they have been hunted for their oil and meat. In fact, so many of them were killed that by 1963 their population had been reduced to just 1000. Today it is even less that that. The African elephant is the worlds largest land animal. Today there are fewer than one million of these animals left. Even though they are now protected, they are still being hunted because of their tusks, which are used to make ornaments and jewellery. There is only one way to save wild animals and wild habitats -conservation. That means protecting animals in danger by law, opening more national parks, building fewer new roads, planting more new forests, cutting pollution. It this doesnt happen, many wild animals will soon have just one habitat- the Zoo.
Ecological problems have no borders. European states solve these problems together: the necessary measures are taken, congresses and conferences on these questions are organized, and these questions have already the reflection in the legislation of many countries.
The activity of many public organizations is directed to protect environment. One of the most known organizations is “Greenpeace”, whose purpose is prevention of environment degradation. This organization was founded in 1971 by the activists from the USA and Canada and it has representations in 25 countries of the world. “Greanpeace” acts against nuclear tests, radiating threat, pollution of the environment by waste industrial products, to protect the animal world, etc. This organization influences public opinion through mass media, under its aegis manifestations and protest actions are carried solutions for concrete ecological problems.
For example, the “Greenpeace” sent its boats to protect whales, and today commercial whaling is banned. In the North Sea Greenpeace swimmers turned back dump ships carrying chemical waste, and a new laws to protect the North Sea have been considered.
When I look around I realize that not all people understand the importance of nature protection. On fine summer days a lot of people go out of town. They have picnics on the shores of lakes and the banks of rivers or on beautiful forest glades and they often leave behind a lot of rubbish- plastic bags and bottles, tins and paper. It makes me feel sad when I see people returning to town with huge bunches of forest or meadow flowers. Many of these plants are included into the Red Book which contains the names of rare plants and animals. Some of them have become extinct and others are on the verge of disappearing. If we dont realize that we are all responsible for whats happening around us we will never feel secure about the future of the world we live in.
What can be done to protect nature? I believe that environment disasters can be avoided if people broaden ecological education and every person understands that the beauty of nature is extremely fragile and people must obey the unwritten laws of nature. Governments must be prepared to take action against pollution. Air pollution could be reduced if plants and factories were made to fit effective filters on chimneys and car exhausts. Green zones around big cities must be protected and extended. Natural resources should be used economically because their stocks are not unlimited.
The ecology is a science studying interaction of organisms among themselves and an environment.
The research carried out into ecological behaviour among consumers of supermarkets in Świętok-rzyskie voivodship indicates the following ecological behaviour patterns among the polled:
1) 42% segregate rubbish, though all only 13% (mainly women and the elderly),
2) 19% use fabric carrier bags (rather the elderly),
3) 67% think, that shopping should be packed into paper bags instead of plastic bags (more women),
4) 12% use shopping baskets,
5) 35% use plastic bags for shopping,
6) 34% use disposable bags,
7) 65% throw out plastic containers to a waste bin,
8) 13% fire plastic containers.
9) 77% throw out rubbish on a trip to waste bin or bag,
10) 17% does not pay attention where they throw out the rubbish,
11) 60% consumers pay attention while buying fruit and vegetables if they come from ecological cultivation,
12) 32% express readiness to pay higher prices for ecological products,
13) 22% use toilet paper made from recycled paper in 100% [4, p. 109-110].
Presented results of survey research among inhabitants of Świętokrzyskie region concerning an ecological awareness surely seem to be far from satisfactory but they already show some changes in attitudes and habits of supermarket consumers in pro-ecological behaviour patterns, thus thereby changes in ecological awareness of these people. It is probable, that further survey investigation in a couple of years, will reveal some stable tendency of changes in these consumers’ behaviour patterns.
The author of this publication proposes a thesis, that the results of this survey investigation would be more satisfactory if the respondents were primary and low secondary school pupils and not supermarket customers.
World Problems of Ecology
Until recently the planet was a large world in which human activities and the nature were in balance. Acid rain, global warming, ozone reduction, widespread desertification and species loss: we have to face them now.
Ecology and economy are very closely connected. First economy influenced the state of our environment. Now we have to face degradation of soils, water, atmosphere and forests. Millions of trees are dying in Germany’s Black Forest and thousands of lakes in Sweden are so acidic that nothing can live in them. In Scotland farmers complain that acid rains kill their fish. Forests in Denmark, France, Northern Italy, Greece and Norway are damaged.
Thousands of lakes in Canada and the USA can no longer support fish life. The Mediterranean Sea has one of the dirtiest coastlines in the world. Ten million tons of oil, industrial waste, chemicals are pumped into the sea every year. It causes diseases like typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis and cholera. The Rhone in France, the Po in Italy, the Ebro in Spain and the Nile in Egypt carry pesticides and chemical wastes.
Many industries produce waste products, which can be difficult or dangerous to dispose of. Many countries have no storage facilities for the spent nuclear fuel. The search for ways to dispose of radioactive waste goes on. In 1982 seventeen countries took part in the United Nations environmental programme. The World Commission on Environment and Development, headed by the Prime Minister of Norway, was set up in 1983 by the United Nations. Its aim was to examine the environment and development problems on the planet and to formulate realistic proposals to solve them.
Now some chemicals are banned and some must be controlled. In several countries there is frequent analysis of the water around the coasts. The time has come for the governments and their people to take responsibility for the policies that cause the environmental damage.