What do these quotations mean to you? Do you agree or disagree with the authors?

a)  "Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend: you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left… The land is one organism".

Aldo Leopold

b) "Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance Painting to cook a meal".

Edward O. Wilson

6.2. Study the mind map below and try to explain the cause – effect dependence.

Vocabulary Focus

Read and memorize the words.

aware	осведомленный	conscious	здравый
surround	окружать	recycle	перерабатывать
influx	приток	sustainable	устойчивый
disaster	бедствие	pollute	загрязнять
pattern	модель, система	rubbish	чушь
challenging	требующий внимания	persuade	убеждать
affect	влиять	fertilizer	удобрение
drastically	радикально	crop	урожай
brink	грань	amount	количество
vulnerable	уязвимый	wholesome	здоровый
piling up	нагромождение	benefit	преимущество
prudently	благоразумно	pertain	относиться
be doomed	быть обреченным	disposal	удаление
harmful	вредный	extent	степень
consider	считать	contribute	способствовать

6.4. a) Read and translate the words without a dictionary:

affect a few ecosystems, a severe environmental crisis, address various problems, reduce negative effects, green products, recycled plastic, public transport, organize protests.

b) Read and translate the collocations using a dictionary:

weather patterns, a wealth of problems, be poised at the brink, a state of planetary emergency, sustainable sources, renewable energy, wholesome nutrition, waste water disposal, local community, to a great extent, keep a check on emissions, an environmentally conscious place for people to live.

c) Consult a dictionary and read the words focusing on their transcription:

environment, require, wealth, consequence, persuade, sustainable, awareness, chemical, contribute, conscious.

Reading Comprehension

Skim the text and say what aspects of environmental issues are considered in the text.

Environmental problems

Our environment is constantly changing. However, as our environment changes, so does the need to become increasingly aware of the problems that surround it. With a massive influx of natural disasters, warming and cooling periods, different types of weather patterns and much more, people need to be aware of what types of environmental problems our planet is facing.

All across the world, people are facing a wealth of new and challenging environmental problems every day. Some of them are small and only affect a few ecosystems, but others are drastically changing the landscape of what we already know.

Our planet is poised at the brink of a severe environmental crisis. Current environmental problems make us vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the future. We are in a state of planetary emergency, with environmental problems piling up high around us. Unless we address the various issues prudently and seriously we are surely doomed for disaster. Current environmental problems require urgent attention.

The need for change in our daily lives and the movements of our government is growing. If humans continue moving forward in such a harmful way towards the future, then there will be no future to consider. Although it's true that we cannot physically stop our ozone layer from thinning there are still so many things we can do to try and reduce negative consequences we are already aware of.

· We can help the environment by choosing green products. Examples of green products are recycled paper, wood from sustainable sources, and organic fruit and vegetables.

· Renewable energy sources such as wind power, wave power, and solar power do not pollute the environment. They are much cleaner than oil and coal.

· Glass, cans, paper, and plastic can all be recycled. About 60 % of rubbish from homes and factories contain materials that could be recycled. Recycling saves energy and raw materials, and also reduces damage to the countryside.

· Public transport is more environmentally friendly because buses and trains carry large numbers of people at the same time. Even cleaner solutions are electric cars and bicycles.

· Many people try to protect the environment by joining environmental groups that inform people about green issues, and try to persuade governments to take more care of the environment, especially by organizing protests.

· Making use of organic fertilizers not only protects the soil from getting damaged, but also leads to the production of crops with less amount of toxic chemicals. Using organic fertilizers also provides wholesome nutrition to the plants/crops, which in turn benefits the consumers.

· Implementing strict guidelines set by the local governing bodies pertaining to waste water disposal should solve the problem to a great extent.

· Proper treatment of wastes before disposal is the solution to water pollution. Keeping a check on harmful emissions is the solution to protect the ozone layer.

By raising awareness about environmental issues in the local community and within the families, we can help contribute to a more environmentally conscious and friendly place for people to live.