Part 2. Environmental protection

Environmental protection is of a universal concern. Urgent measures must be taken if we don’t want to leave a dangerous planet to future generations. That is why serious measures to create a system of ecological security should be taken.

At present scientists in industrially developed countries are working on the theory of interaction of all the atmospheric and oceanic global processes that determine the climate and weather of the world. The essential feature in the environment protection is that many problems can be solved only on the level of world community. It is necessary to develop an international program to study the data on land , forest, atmospheric and oceanic resources.

Some progress has been already made in this direction. About 160 countries - members of the UNO - have set up environmental protection agencies. Numerous conferences have been held by these agencies to discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions including the Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass, Semipalatinsk and Chernobyl. An international environmental research centre has been set up on Lake Baikal. The international organization Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment. Russia is co-operating in the field of environmental protection with the United States, Canada, Norway, Finland and other countries. Russia and the United States are carrying out joint projects to study and protect the environmental systems of the Arctic and Subarctic regions, and also to study some of the natural processes in the permafrost zone.

It is eco-economy that we need to save our planet. An eco-economy is one that satisfies our needs without affecting the prospects of future generations to meet their needs. Therefore, it is necessary to turn our economy in eco-economy. To build eco-economy means to restore carbon balance, to stabilize population and water use, and to conserve forests, soils and variety of plant and animal in the world. Building a new economy means eliminating and replacing old industries, restructuring existing ones, and creating new ones. The generation of electricity from wind is one such industry. In some countries wind provides both electricity and hydrogen. Together, electricity and hydrogen can meet all the energy needs of a modern society.

Another industry that will play an important part in the new economy is management of available water supply most efficiently. Irrigation technology will become more efficient. The recycling of urban waste water will become common. At present, water flows into and out of cities, carrying waste with it. In the future, water will be used again and again , never discharged. As water does not lose its quality from use, there is no limit to how long it can be used, as long as it is cleaned before reuse.

One can easily see eco-economy changes in some countries. It is known that Denmark is the eco-economy leader. It has stabilized its population, banned the construction of coal power plants, banned the use of non-refillable drink containers, and is now getting 15 per cent of its electricity from wind. Besides, it has restructured its urban transport networks; now 32 per cent of all trips in Copenhagen are on bicycles. Denmark is still not close to balancing carbon emission, but it is moving in that direction.

But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried onward to protect nature, to save life on the planet not only at the present but also for the future generations. It probably produces fewer headlines than wars, earthquakes and floods, but it is potentially one of history’s greatest dangers to human life on earth. If present trends continue for the next several decades, our planet will become uninhabitable.

III. Comprehension check

3.1. Answer the questions:

1. What is the reason of man’s interference in nature?

2. What supercities do you know?

3. What does the term «urban climate» mean?

4. Is the increase in traffic another serious ecological problem?

5. Does the deforestation upset the oxygen balance?

6. What are results of the deforestation ?

7. Why are holes in the ozone layer dangerous for people’s health?

8. How does the green house effect work?

9. What are the bad effects after the Chernobyl tragedy?

10. What measures are being taken to create a system of ecological
security?

11. What project are the USA and Russia carrying out?

12. Why it is necessary to turn our economy in eco-economy?

13. What country is the eco-economy leader?

14. Why do people pollute the environment?

15. What do you do to protect the nature?

3.2. Decide whether these statements are true, false or information is not available:

1. With the development of civilization man’s interference in nature began to decrease.

2. Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises disappear all over the world today.

3. Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances.

4. The acid rains is one of the serious problem in Russia.

5. Toxic gases in the atmosphere in critical concentration could change the world’s climate.

6. The most horrible ecological disaster befell Ukraine and its people after explosion at the atomic power-station in Japan in 2011.

7. About 160 countries – members of the UNO – have set up environmental protection agencies.

8. Russia is not co-operating in the field of environmental protection with the United States, Canada, Norway, Finland and other countries.

9. Russia and the United States are carrying out joint projects to destroy the environmental systems of some regions.

10. Building an eco-economy means eliminating and replacing old industries, restructuring existing ones, and creating new ones

11. Besides Denmark there are other countries which have built the eco-economy.

12. If present trends continue for the next several decades, our planet will become uninhabitable.

3.3. Arrange the sentences according to the order in the text:

1. Russia is co-operating in the field of environmental protection with the United States, Canada, Norway, Finland and other countries.

2. The pollution of air and the world’s ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of man’s careless interaction with nature, a sign of the ecological crises.

3. The most horrible ecological disaster befell Ukraine and its people after the Chernobyl tragedy in April 1986.

4. Nowadays the heat cannot go into space.

5. About 160 countries – members of the UNO – have set up environmental protection agencies.

6. Toxic gases in the atmosphere in critical concentration could change the world’s climate.

7. As a result some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up.

8. The byproducts of their activity pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables on.

9. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited.

10. It is known that Denmark is the eco-economy leader.

11. It is eco-economy that we need to save our planet.

12. It is necessary to develop an international program to study the data on land , forest, atmospheric and oceanic resources.

13. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire.

14. But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried onward to protect nature, to save life on the planet not only at the present but also for the future generations.

15. Denmark is still not close to balancing carbon emission, but it is moving in that direction.

3.4. Make up your own sentences (not taken from the text) with the following word-combinations. Pay attention to the usage of the
Infinitive:

1.To live in harmony with environment;

2. man’s interference in nature;

3. the increase in traffic;

4. to leave a dangerous planet to future generations;

5. to be polluted with radioactive substances;

6. to discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions;

7. to save life on the planet;

8. one of history’s greatest dangers to human life.

IV. Grammar in Focus

4.1. Put «to» if necessary. Translate the sentences: