ENVIRONMENT

1. What are your views on energy and the environment? 

2. Will nuclear energy prove a necessary resource when our fossil fuels run out? 
3. How do you think the world will look in a hundred years? What environmental
damage can you think of?
4. What recommendations would you make about the world’s energy options in the
next fifty years?     
5. Can you think of anything that would improve the state of our environment? How
can we protect it?      
6. What organizations do you know of that make an effort to improve the state of the
environment? What have they endeavoured to do?
7. Would you say that young people concern themselves with environmental issues?
8. Are there any types of natural disaster that occur in your country?
9. What can be done to prevent global warming?
10. Are national governments doing enough to stop the effects of climate change?
11. Do you think it should be obligatory to recycle, punishable with a fine?

Useful language

endeavour to do something (formal) to try very hard to do something. Strive. E.g.  I

will endeavour to do my best for my country. He endeavoured in vain to escape the
situation. The buyer should always endeavour to negotiate terms.

Alternative energy sources

Wind turbine: /ˈwɪnd tɜːbaɪn/ a type of modern windmill used for producing electricity.
Offshore: happening or existing in the sea, not far from the land. E.g. offshore drilling.
An offshore island. 
Wind farm: an area on which there are a lot of windmills or wind turbines for
producing electricity.
Renewable energy: is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight,
wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat, which are renewable.
Water power: power produced by the movement of water, used to drive machinery or
produce electricity.
Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of power that converts the energy of
tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity.
Wave power: power extracted from the motion of sea waves at the coast.
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth.

Environmental damage Slick: (also oil slick) an area of oil that is floating on the

surface of the sea. E.g. a 50 km slick from the damaged tanker. The slick is a serious
threat to marine life.
spill: (formal spillage) [countable, uncountable] an act of letting a liquid come or fall
out of a container; the amount of liquid that comes or falls out. E.g. Many seabirds died
as a result of the oil spill. I wiped up the coffee spills on the table. 
cause/contribute to climate change/global warming
produce pollution/CO2/greenhouse (gas) emissions 
damage/destroy the environment/a marine ecosystem/the ozone layer/coral reefs
deplete natural resources/the ozone layer
deplete something /dɪˈpliːt/ to reduce something by a large amount so that there is not
enough left. E.g. Food supplies were severely depleted. 
degrade ecosystems/habitats/the environment
degrade something to make something become worse, especially in quality
harm the environment/wildlife/marine life
threaten natural habitats/coastal ecosystems/a species with extinction 
pollute rivers and lakes/waterways/the air/the atmosphere/the environment/oceans
contaminate groundwater/the soil/food/crops
E.g. The drinking water has become contaminated with lead. A river contaminated by
pollution
log forests/rainforests/trees 
log something: to cut down trees in a forest for their wood.
noise pollution  noun  dangerous or annoying levels of noise. E.g.  proposals to combat
noise pollution.
light pollution: the existence of too much artificial light in the environment, for
example from street lights, which makes it difficult to see the stars. E.g for many
astronomers light pollution has been a disaster
smog  noun  polluted air that is a mixture of smoke and fog. E.g. exhaust emissions are
mainly responsible for the smog.
toxic waste  noun  industrial or chemical waste products that are harmful to the
environment.

Protecting the environment

address/combat/tackle the threat/effects/impact of climate change
fight/take action on/reduce/stop global warming
limit/curb/control air/water/atmospheric/environmental pollution 
curb: to control or limit something, especially something bad
cut/reduce pollution/greenhouse gas emissions /iˈmɪʃnz/
offset carbon/CO2 emissions 
carbon offset n    (emissions compensation)    Sp. compensación de emisiones de
carbono.  
preserve/conserve biodiversity/natural resources
natural resources  noun  valuable substances such as wood and oil that exist in a
country’s land and sea. E.g. the sustainable use of natural resources.
protect endangered species/a coastal ecosystem
prevent/stop soil erosion/overfishing/massive deforestation/damage to ecosystems 
raise awareness of environmental issues
save the planet/the rainforests/an endangered species 
promote/encourage recycling/sustainable development/the use of renewable
energy 
sustainable development Economic development that is conducted without depletion
(reduction) of natural resources. E.g. international policies should support sustainable
development. Sustainable development has become the guiding theme in much
environmental literature.
develop/invest in/promote renewable energy
Reduce (the size of) your carbon footprint: a measure of the amount of carbon
dioxide that is produced by the daily activities of a person or company. E.g. Flying is
the biggest contribution to my carbon footprint. An analysis of the carbon footprints of
leading companies. Companies are measuring their carbon footprints.
Use recycled/ recyclable/ biodegradable material
biodegradable  /ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/ adjective  biodegradable substances can be
separated into very small parts by bacteria so that they are not harmful to the
environment. A substance or chemical that is biodegradable can be changed to a
harmless natural state by the action of bacteria, and will therefore not damage the
environment. E.g. All active ingredients of this soap powder are 98% biodegradable
within three days.
non-biodegradable: a substance or chemical that is non-biodegradable cannot be
changed to a harmless natural state by the action of bacteria, and may therefore damage
the environment. E.g. non-biodegradable plastics.
Recycle bottles/ packaging/ paper/ plastic/ waste 
Reduce your dependence/ reliance on fossil fuels.
Get/ obtain/ generate/ produce electricity from wind, solar and wave power/
renewable sources. Build/ develop a (50-megawatt /ˈmeɡəwɒt/ /offshore) wind
farm.
Install solar panels (a piece of equipment on a roof that uses light and heat energy
from the sun to produce hot water and electricity).
harness: /ˈhɑːnɪs/
harness something to control and use the force or strength of something to produce
power or to achieve something. E.g. attempts to harness the sun’s rays as a source of
energy. We must harness the skill and creativity of our workforce. How can this
energy be harnessed effectively for the good of humankind? They are attempting
to harness the power of the sun.
 double glazing: windows that have two layers of glass with a space between them,
designed to make the room warmer and to reduce noise. E.g. We're having double-
glazing fitted.
pane: a single sheet of glass in a window. E.g. a pane of glass. a windowpane.
insulate something (from/against something)  /ˈɪnsjuleɪt/ to protect something with a
material that prevents heat, sound, electricity, etc. from passing through. E.g. Home
owners are being encouraged to insulate their homes to save energy. 

1)  Do you think pollution is a big problem nowadays?

I think it’s a massive issue. It really worries me how much damage we are doing to
the natural environment, especially how we pollute the oceans with plastic waste and
release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

 
2)  What do you do to prevent the environment from pollution?

I recycle as much rubbish as I can and I walk when possible rather than driving or
taking public transport in order to reduce my carbon footprint.

3)  Are you worried about climate change? 

Most definitely. In my country, the weather is changing because of global warming and

we get more bad storms than before. Governments and individuals need to do more
to combat climate change.

4)  Do you use renewable energy?

Not at the moment. I wanted to change my house to solar power but the panels are too
expensive for me to buy so, unfortunately, I still use fossil fuels.

5)  Do you take an interest in nature?

I love all wildlife. My garden is the perfect habitat for hedgehogs. They

are nocturnal but if I go out after dark with a torch I sometimes see one.

6)  What do you consider to be the most serious environmental issues in the world
today?

I’d say that global warming and climate change have to come top of the list because
these threaten the very future of life on our planet. There are many contributing factors
such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation for agriculture and due to
illegal logging, and large-scale livestock farming.

Another serious concern is for the marine life in our oceans which is under

serious threat from pollution, especially waste plastics. These kill or injure thousands
of sea creatures every day. Many species of wildlife are also being pushed to the verge
of extinction by poaching. It’s shocking to think that beautiful animals such as the tiger
are dying out in the wild because of the actions of human beings.

There are many other environmental problems that we need to solve but these are the
ones I believe to be the most serious.

7)  Do you think it is the responsibility of governments alone to protect the

environment?

Not at all. It’s the responsibility of every individual to do their bit

to protect the environment. Of course, governments can do a lot to
address environmental issues through their policies and the laws they pass. I certainly
think that governments should put more pressure on industry to use clean energy and to
cut down on the emission of greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere and add
to global warming.

In my country, the government encourages people to live an environmentally-friendly

lifestyle by providing recycling services and facilities and subsidising renewable
energy by giving grants to people wanting to run their homes on solar power. If more
people took advantage of this, it would certainly help the environment.

8)  What measures can individuals take to protect the environment?

There are many ways that each of us can help to care for the natural environment.
Firstly, we can recycle as much of our rubbish as possible or, even better, cut down on
our use of disposable products.

Secondly, we can become more energy-efficient by insulating our homes, turning off

lights when they don’t need to be on and making short journeys by bicycle or on
foot rather than going by vehicle. Cutting down on car journeys also means fewer
polluting exhaust fumes entering the atmosphere.

Finally, we can make sure that we know about the major conservation issues our world
is currently facing. If we are well-informed then we can take action to bring about
change.

These are all measure we can take as individuals to help safeguard the environment.