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ENVIRONMENT
II Let’s talk about environment
Our environment is our planet. Human activities have a big impact on the environment. People are becoming more aware that their activities can seriously damage the planet and the animals and plants on it.
There are many environmental issues and they’re all interdependent. For example, climate change, different types of pollution: air pollution, water pollution, even noise pollution. Radioactive contamination is a form of pollution, too.
So, nuclear plants are very hazardous. On 26 April 1986 one of four reactors exploded at the nuclear power plant northwest of the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl. 25 years later, we still don’t know the real effects of the disaster.
In 2010 there was an oil spill which is considered the worst in the history of the USA. The beaches of Florida were contaminated. The harmful chemicals caused health problems in people – especially those with heart and lung problems.
Waste is also one of the environmental issues. Each year the population generates approximately 280 million tonnes of waste, which causes environmental damage and costs businesses and consumers a lot of money. The government and the people are doing a lot to reduce the waste some of which is recycled. It is widely recognized that waste materials are a valuable resource, too. An English proverb says "One man's trash is another man's treasure."
Arctic animals could be completely killed off because they are also eating poisonous chemicals made by humans.
There’s the issue of resource depletion, as well. In the last decades people have been cutting down lots of trees, especially in tropical areas. Deforestation destroys the environmental balance and reduces biodiversity. Together with the trees, a huge number of species of plants and animals have disappeared.
What can be done to protect rainforests?
It is not just to stop cutting down trees. Most of the countries that have rainforests are poor and have high rates of population growth. They’re just trying to make some money.
Something should have been done by the authorities. It’s not simple. The prices for rainforest products should be increased, sales of hard wood should be banned, damage caused by machinery should be reduced.
Talking about biodiversity. More and more animals and plant species are becoming extinct.
Biodiversity is a term which describes how rich the Earth is in the amount of species. So here we’re dealing with another environmental issue: conservation. Environmentalists and conservationists are trying to save the endangered species.
Human activities have made a terrible impact on the environment.
II What environmental issue is the biggest in your point of view?
I think the most dramatic of all environmental issues is climate change. Climate change refers to changes in the Earth’s temperature over the last 100 years.
In Europe, for example, climate change results in hotter and drier summers; warmer and wetter winters; more storms and rainfall; other extreme weather conditions and rising sea-levels.
III What questions will you ask a zoologist?
I would ask him about rare species of animals, or for example:
-How many species of animals live in the wilds of our country?
-Are Belarusian lakes rich in fish?
-What Belarusian animals are in danger nowadays?
IV. What do you think people should do to protect the environment?
First of all, pollution control systems for cleaning and trapping harmful substances must be widely used. Every industrial enterprise has to use such system. Another step towards the reduction of pollution is recycling.
About 60% of rubbish from homes and factories can be recycled.
We can do a lot. At home we can save water, electricity, paper. We should use less chemicals. While in nature we should behave ourselves as polite quests, not enemies. We shouldn’t break trees and bushes, leave litter on the banks of the rivers, in forests. We can plant trees and create parks for endangered species. To my mind it is not difficult.
V. Are you for or against cloning animals? Why (not)?
If we speak about cloning animals, I can say that I’m not against it, because scientists clone animals for good purposes. For example, cows were cloned for better meat and milk, pigs were cloned in order to get cells and organs that humans can use. Cats were cloned. The reason was that they had an animal AIDS that was a good model for studying human AIDS. And of course we know about cloning of the ship Dolly that lived for 6 years and gave birth to 4 lambs.
But speaking about cloning people I can say that I’m against it. It is known that several governments around the world have banned public money being spent on human cloning research.