Nature Protection

Computers project that between now and the year of 2030 we are going to have increase of the average temperature between 1,5—4,5 Degrees C. Sea levels would rise by several metres, flooding coastal areas and ruining vast tracts of farmland. Huge areas would be infertile and become uninhabitable. Water contamination could lead to shortages of safe drinking water. It looks like the end of civilization on the Earth.

The range of environmental problems is wide. But the matters of people's great concern nowadays are atmosphere and climate changes, depletion of the ozone layer, freshwater resources, oceans and coastal areas, deforestation and desertification, biological diversity, biotechnology, health and chemical safety.

Acid Rains. One of the most alarming forms of air pollution is acid rain. Scientific studies have shown that the process that results in the formation of acid rain generally begins with the dis­charge of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. These waste gases are released by the combustion of fossil fuels by automobiles, electric power plants, and smelting and refining facili­ties. They also are emitted by some bio­logical processes. The gases combine with atmospheric water vapor to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When rain or some other form of precipitation falls to the surface, it is highly acidic. The consequent acidification of surface and subsurface waters is widely believed to have a detrimental effect on the ecology of the affected areas. As highly acidic water is toxic to many aquatic organisms, many lakes in these regions are biologi­cally damaged. It also has been found that acid precipitation is harmful to trees and other forms of vegetation, causing foliar injury and reduction in growth.

Depletion of the Ozone Layer. The protective layer of the Earth, the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from the sun's destructive UV (ultraviolet) rays, is being damaged by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). They are released by the daily use of industrial and household products: refrigerators, air conditioners, foam insulation, cleaning chemicals, food packaging. In the ozone layer they attack the ozone molecules making a «hole». This «hole» allows more UV rays to penetrate to the Earth. It increases the risk of skin cancer, weakens the immune system of people.

Besides, UV rays influence the oceans, the growth of plankton, an essential part of the marine-life food chain in the negative way, reduce economically important-crops (rice, cotton, soy beans). The life cycle is going to be undermined by the ozone.

Destruction of the Tropical Forest. It's generally agreed that the destruction of the tropical forest has a major impact on the world climate. The tropical rain forest is a natural recycler, provider and protector for our planet. It recycles carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, helps determine temperature, rainfall and other climatic conditions and supports the most diverse ecosystem in the world. Deforestation could cause one forth of all species on earth to vanish in the next 25 years.

Animal extinction. It is the dying out or termination of a race or species. Extinction occurs when a species can no longer reproduce at replacement levels. Most extinctions are thought to have resulted from environmental changes that affected the species in either of two ways. The doomed species might not have been able to adapt to the changed environment and thus perished without descendants; or it may have adapted but, in the process, may have evolved into a distinctly new species. The effect of humans on the environment, through hunting, collecting, and habitat destruction, has become a significant fac­tor in plant and animal extinctions.

Recycling. It is recovery and reprocessing of waste mate­rials for use in new products. The basic phases in recycling are the collection of waste materials, their processing or man­ufacture into new products, and the pur­chase of those products, which may then themselves be recycled. Typical materials that are recycled include iron and steel scrap, aluminum cans, glass bottles, paper, wood, and plastics. The materials reused in recycling serve as substitutes for raw materials obtained from such increasingly scarce natural resources as petroleum, natural gas, coal, mineral ores, and trees. Recycling can help reduce the quantities of solid waste deposited in landfills, which have become increasingly expensive. Recycling also reduces the pol­lution of air, water, and land resulting from waste disposal.

Exercise 1

Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and word combinations:

затапливать прибрежные зоны, становиться непригодным для жилья, загрязнение воды, нехватка питьевой воды, кислотный дождь, выделять диоксид серы, разрушение озонового слоя, сжигание топлива, образовывать серную и азотную кислоты, ультрафиолетовое излучение, уничтожение тропического леса, вымирание животных, переработка отходов, удаление отходов.

Exercise 2

Complete the following sentences:

1. Water contamination could lead to…

2. One of the most alarming forms of air pollution is …

3. The waste gases are released by the combustion of …, …, …. .

4. The gases combine with atmospheric water vapor to form …

5. Extinction occurs when a species can no longer …

6. The materials reused in recycling serve as ….

Exercise 3

Answer the questions:

1. What will the increase of the average temperature result in?

2. What are the main environmental problems?

3. What is acid rain? In what way is it dangerous for people and environment?

4. What are the main reasons for the depletion of the ozone layer?

5. What is the role of the tropical forests on our planet?

6. What are the basic phases in recycling?