The words to be studied in 1.6:

global dimming глобальное затемнение

by-product побочный продукт

soot сажа

ash пепел

property свойство; качество

to reflect отражать

acid rain кислотный дождь

vapour пар; испарения

to give up оставить; отказаться; бросить

to cause послужить причиной, поводом (для чего-либо)

cause причина; повод

pollutant загрязняющий агент; загрязняющее вещество

rainforest тропический лес; влажные джунгли

noticeable достойный внимания; заметный

to melt таять

to get rid of избавляться

Exercise 1. Look at the pictures (Figures 10 – 13). What pictures are connected with global dimming?

It seems to me that …

I believe that … picture/pictures … is/are connected with global dimming.

I dare say that …

Figure 10 Figure 11

Figure 12 Figure 13

Exercise 2. Read the article about global dimming. Were you right about the pictures?

Effects of Fossil Fuels Burning

Two effects of fossil fuel productions are: greenhouse gases that cause global warming; by-products which are pollutants that cause global dimming.

What Is Global Dimming?

Fossil fuel use, as well as producing greenhouse gases, creates other by-products. These by-products are also pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂), soot, and ash. These pollutants however, also change the properties of clouds.

Clouds are formed when water droplets are seeded by air-borne particles, such as pollen. Polluted air results in clouds with larger number of droplets than unpolluted clouds. This then makes those clouds more reflective. More of the sun’s heat and energy is reflected back into space. This reduction of heat reaching the earth is known as Global Dimming.

Health and Environmental Effects

The pollutants that lead to global dimming also lead to various human and environmental problems, such as smog, respiratory problems, and acid rain. The impacts of global dimming itself, however, can be devastating.

Contrails Are Another Source of Global Dimming

Contrails (the vapour from planes flying high in the sky) were seen as another significant cause of heat reflection. During the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, all commercial flights were grounded for the next three days. This allowed climate scientists to look at the effect on the climate when there were no contrails and no heat reflection. What scientists found was that the temperature rose by some 1 degree C in that period of 3 days.

Exercise 3. Mark the sentences as True or False. Correct the False ones:

1) The using of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases and by-products.

2) Particles produce global dimming.

3) Polluted clouds have more reflective abilities than unpolluted clouds.

4) Acid rains can lead to respiratory diseases and smog.

5) Contrails are parts of any plane.

6) If there are no contrails, the temperature will rise.

7) There are three sources of global dimming: fossil fuel burning, contrails and climate changing.

Exercise 4. Read these questions and try to predict the answers. After that, read the following text. Find the answers and check if you were to be right:

1) Can people use planes less and not to burn coal to get rid of global dimming?

2) What does 9/11 mean?

3) What would happen if global dimming reduces?

4) If Greenland ice melted, what would happen to the sea level?

5) If the temperature rose, what would happen to the Amazon rainforest?

6) How are CO₂ and global warming connected?