Pollution

If we continue to exploit the earth in the way we have been doing, the planet will soon be destroyed. Do you agree?

Man has always regarded himself as the most important species on earth and has used whatever the planet can provide for his own good. It is only recently that we have begun to question this behaviour and to realise that it cannot continue.

The second half of the twentieth century has seen many dramatic changes in the way we live, particularly in industrialised countries, and our environment is now paying the price for this. Scientists tell us that there are holes in the ozone layer caused by excessive production of CO2, and this is likely to lead to a warming of the earth's climate. It is quite conceivable that the polar ice caps will begin to melt and this might well result in large areas of land being flooded. Many people will, consequently, lose their homes and their livelihoods.

The dangers of the warming-up of the earth, or the greenhouse effect as it is called, is something which it is becoming 'fashionable' to discuss and worry about. However, there are other less fashionable aspects of the problem which, unless controlled, will lead to dramatic changes in the life of our planet. The destruction of large areas of forests is not only reducing the oxygen supply but destroying the natural habitat of thousands of different plants, animals, birds and insects.

Apart from these examples, the animal world has suffered greatly from man's greed. Our attitude seems to be: if we can use an animal either to make money from or to use for our own benefit, then we have the right to do so regardless of whether this causes the species to become extinct.

In my view, we will have to reassess our way of living and question whether continued growth at the expense of other creatures and of the planet itself is acceptable. Personally, I believe that the worsening situation will in all probability force us to change our behaviour both at an individual and a national level. The developed world, which is responsible for the majority of the environmental problems we are now facing, also has a responsibility to help the underdeveloped countries not make the same mistakes.

It is my opinion that our exploitation of the earth has already put its survival at risk; but I think there is a chance that, if we all work together, we will be able to save our planet from destruction.

How long can we continue polluting and destroying our planet before even those who benefit most from the ransacking of its resources realise that time is running but? The average global temperature is now almost one degree Fahrenheit higher than a century ago, and the number of natural disasters - floods, storms, drought, famine - has risen appreciably even in the last thirty years.

Global warming is largely the result of what is called 'the greenhouse effect'. This term describes the absorption of solar heat - which should naturally be re-radiated into space after striking the earth's surface - by various gases of which carbon dioxide (CO2) is the commonest. Every litre of petrol used - whether lead-free or not - represents the emission of 2.5 kilos of CO2 from your car exhaust. Burning fossil fuels - oil, coal, wood - to produce energy in power stations results in the release not only of CO2 but also of sulphur dioxide, the principal cause of acid rain.

As far as the destruction of our immediate environment is concerned, the effects of 'progress without responsibility' are there for all to see: chemical fertilisers and pesticides pollute our rivers, untreated sewage and radioactive waste are discharged into the sea to contaminate beaches and disrupt marine food chains, acid rain from industrial activity kills forests and lakes, and in some pans of the world widespread burning of forests catastrophically depletes the oxygen supply and accelerates the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.

But it is no use the rich nations of the world trying to moralise: they themselves are the countries that have produced the greenhouse effect. Our dun- to the huge and expanding populations of the Third World is to pass on the bitter lessons we have learnt, to implement our own programmes of energy saving, and to help others develop the alternative low-energy technologies on which human survival will depend.

Vocabulary to the Text.

regard - рассматривать, считать

species - вид

earth - (планета) Земля

provide - обеспечивать, предоставлять

recently - недавно

particularly - в частность

hole - дыра

layer - слой

cause - вызывать

excessive - избыточный

likely - вероятно, по-видимому

warming - потепление

conceivable - воображаемый

melt - таять

result (in) - дать в результате

flood - потоп

consequently - соответственно

livelihood - средство к существованию

greenhouse - теплица

fashionable - модный

unless - если не

destruction - разрушение

reduce - сокращать

oxygen - кислород

supply - запас

habitat - место проживания/произрастания

apart (from) - помимо

suffer (from) - страдать (от)

greed - жадность, алчность

attitude - отношение

benefit - прибыль

regardless - несмотря на

extinct - вымерший

reassess - здесь: пересмотреть

at the expense of - за счет

creature - создание

acceptable - приемлемый

worsen - ухудшать

probability - вероятность

be responsible for - быть ответственным за

majority - большинство

envoironmental - экологический

face - сталкиваться

survival - выживание

pollute - загрязнять

destroy - разрушать

ransack - искать

run out - истекать

average - средний

disaster - катастрофа, бедствие

flood - наводнение

drought - засуха

famine - голод

rise* - поднимать

appreciably - заметно, ощутимо

absorbtion - поглощение

solar - солнечный

heat - тепло

radiate - излучать, испускать

carbon - углерод

dioxide - двуокись

common - общепринятый

petrol - бензин

lead-free - без свинца

emission - излучение, выделение

exhaust - здесь: выхлоп

fossil - ископаемый

fuel - топливо

oil - нефть

coal - уголь

release - высвобождать

sulphure - сера

acid rain - кислотный дождь

immediate - непосредственный

environment - окружающая среда

as for... concerned - что касается...

fertiliser - удобрение

untreated - необработанный

sewage - сточные воды

waste - отходы

discharge - выливать

contaminate - загрязнять, портить

beach - пляж

disrupt - разрывать, разрушать

marine - морской

chain - цепочка

widespread - широкораспространенный

deplete - истощать, исчерпывать

accelerate - ускорять(ся)

moralise - читать нотации

duty - долг, обязанность

huge - огромный

expanding - здесь: растущий

bitter - горький

implement - осуществлять, выполнять

saving - экономия

survival - выживание

Comprehension Check.

Ex. Answer the following questions:

1. How has the man always regarded himself?

2. What are holes in the ozone layer caused by?

3. What can it lead to?

4. What is another name for the warming-up of the earth?

5. What is caused by the destruction of large areas of forests?

6. What did the animal world greatly suffer from?

7. What must people do in order to protect their immediate environment?

8. What is the average global temperature now in comparison with the last century?

9. What is caused by the "greenhouse effect"?

10. How much CO2 is emitted by the car exhaust?

11. What are the effects of "Progress without responsibility"?

12. How can the mankind protect itself from catastrofic damage?

Topics to discuss.

1. Greehhouse effect.

2. Dramatic changes in our life.

3. Actions to be taken by people.

4. "Progress without responsibility"

5. The duty of the mankind