Ecological problems and solutions
| PROBLEM | SOLUTION |
| 1. Too much lead in air from car exhausts | a. Make laws to control factory gas emissions |
| 2. Logging forests to make pine bark | b. Organise car-pooling between workers |
| 3. House is too hot in summer and too cold in winter | c. Better regulation of chemicals made and used by factories |
| 4. Slowly rotting grass clippings make too much methane gas | d. More regular car maintenance |
| 5. Detergents in rivers kill fish | e. Plant more trees |
| 6. Electricity bill is too high | f. Build dams that are friendly to the environment |
| 7. Flooding | g. Turn off lights when not in use |
| 8. Old car that ‘blows smoke’ | h. Use unleaded petrol |
| 9. Too many poisonous factory gases | i. Spread grass clippings out to speed up decay |
| 10. Overpopulation | j. Have fewer children |
| 11. Too many car exhaust fumes | k. Put insulation in roof and walls |
| 12. Cats kill wildlife | l. Make laws to control the movement of oil tankers |
| 13. Too many toxic chemicals in waterways | m. Use detergents that are phosphate-free |
| 14. Non-decaying packaging | n. Have air-circulating areas in the roof to release hot air |
| 15. CFC gases from spray cans destroy the ozone layer | o. Solar or wind-powered power stations |
| 16. Noise pollution | p. Walk or ride a bike more often |
| 17. Oil spills in the ocean | q. Use safer gases in spray cans |
| 18. Detergents in rivers kill fish | r. Kill cats in national parks |
| 19. Too much sunlight enters windows to heat the house in summer | s. Wash the car on the grass not the road so soapy water does not enter storm water drains |
| 20. House is too hot in summer and too cold in winter | t. Make bottles from recycled plastic |
| 21. Plastic bait bags that strangle marine animals | u. Install a solar hot water system |
| 22. Too much litter | v. Put litter in the bin |
| 23. Electricity bill is too high | w. Build wide verandahs to shade the windows |
| 24. Too many insect pests | x. Put all plastic bags in the bin and not in the ocean |
| 25. Pollution from coal-burning power stations | y. Use natural predators to kill insects pests not pesticides |
| 26. Destruction of animal habitats by mining | z. Have shorter showers |
| 27. Damage to beaches by 4WDs | aa. Restrict mining leases and encourage land reafforestation |
| 28. Overfishing | bb. Save the habitats of animals so they can breed successfully |
| 29. Waste of too much fresh water in houses | cc. Ban fishing in fish breeding grounds |
| 30. Endangered or extinct animals | dd. Ban 4WDs from certain beaches |
| 31. Too much air pollution from tyre rubber vaporising into air | ff. Use cardboard and not plastic packaging |
| 32. Too many cars on the road with just one person | gg. Make laws to have parks in new housing estates |
| 33. Land clearing for more and more housing estates | hh. Plant more trees to reduce soil salinity |
| 34. Too many polluting soft drink bottles | ii. Walk or ride a bike more often |
| 35. Too much salt in the soil | jj. Fine people who operate noisy |
Exercise 12:Make a poster, depicting ecological problems and their solutions.
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Exercise 13: Listen to the song “Pollution” and fill in the missing information:
Pollution
By Tom Lehrer, 1965
If you visit American city, You will find it very pretty. Just two things of which you must __________: Don't drink the water and don't __________ the air! Pollution, pollution! We got smog and sewage and mud. Turn on your tap And get hot and cold __________ crud! See the halibuts and the sturgeons Being wiped out by detergeons. __________ gotta swim and birds gotta fly, But they don't last long if they try. Pollution, pollution! You can use the latest __________, And then rinse your mouth With industrial waste. Just go out for a breath of air And you'll be ready for Medicare. The city streets are really quite a thrill – If the hoods don't get you, the __________ will. Pollution, pollution! Wear a gas mask and a veil. Then you can breathe, Long as you don't__________! Lots of things there that you can drink, But stay away from the kitchen sink! The breakfast __________ that you throw into the Bay They drink at lunch in San Jose. So go to the city, See the crazy __________ there. Like lambs to the slaughter, They're drinking the water    And breathing [cough] the air! |          |