Fill out the questionnaire below to find out how environmentally aware you are. How green are you?

How often do you …	always	sometimes	never
buy eggs and milk in cardboard cartons instead of plastic?
reuse plastic and glass containers as refrigerator dishes for leftovers?
take your own shopping bags to the store?
buy rechargeable batteries and recharge them when needed?
avoid buying “disposable” paper and plastic products such as table ware, handkerchiefs and diapers?
use old grocery bags for garbage bags?
use only the exact amount of wrapping (wax paper, foil, plastic wrap) you need?
try to eat a healthier diet and try to avoid too much fat or sugar?
buy free-range eggs?
buy organically grown vegetables?
try to save energy at home?
try to use public transport or ride a bicycle as much as possible?
avoid using chemicals to kill garden pests?
buy soap and cosmetics not tested on animals?
try to save as much water as possible?

Scoring:

always = 2 points sometimes = 1 point never = 0 points

Your score:

25-30 – congratulations, you’re already green!

15-24 – very good, you’re moving in the right direction

5-14 – you need to become more environmentally aware

0-4 – you really need to increase your awareness

The environment Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right

1. deforestation a. a forest in the tropical regions which receives a lot of rain

2. rainforest b. cutting down trees for wood

3. carbon dioxide (CO2) c. gases which cause a gradual warming of the surface of Earth

4. greenhouse gases d. keeping animals on a very large farm, especially in America

5. emitter e. something that causes gases to be released into the atmosphere

6. logging f. the destruction of forests by people

7. ranching g. the gas which forms when something is burned or when living organisms breathe

8. conservation h. the protection of the environment

What is global warming? Study the following words and phrases. Which of them are causes of global

warming and and which are effects? Can you think of any other effects?

carbon dioxide emissions greenhouse gasses rising sea levels melting glaciers

deforestation droughts forest fires

What does ecology mean?

Read the text and find answers to the questions:

1. What are the definitions of “ecology”?

2. What is the origin of the word “ecology”?

3. Why does N. Moiseyev compare human society with a ship?

4. When did the pollution of environment become a global problem?

5. Do you find the advice of J. Galthworthy wise?

What does ecology mean?

Academics define ecology as a special branch within biology. Textbook definitions use phrases like “scientific study of the interactions that determine the abundance and distribution of organisms.” But bookshops often place their ecology shelves next to “Religion and Mysticism, not botany and Zoology”. If you describe yourself as an ecologist in conversations outside a biology department you will often be understood as saying you are an activist.

Sometimes it seems simpler to call yourself a population biologist or a botanist rather than to argue about what “ecologist” means. Whatever ecology textbooks may say ecology is one of these words that has escaped from academic cage of definitions. But if we analyse the origin of the word “ecology” we shall understand that it comes from Greek “oikos” which means “home”. Many scientists consider that the idea of “home” includes the whole planet of ours: its population, nature, animals, birds, fish, insects, all living beings and even the atmosphere around our planet. However something is wrong with our home.

The life and fate of the planet are now in danger. According to N. Moiseyev, human society nowadays resembles a ship which finds itself before a reef barrier and is looking for a way out. The captain does not yet know the road to safety but all his actions are aimed at one thing – to prevent disaster. How shall we plot the right course? Perhaps we should be guided by science studying the state of our environment as a whole? As not only biologists and geographers, but mathematicians, physicists, chemists, designers and engineers gather under its roof today.

Mankind long believed that, whatever we did, the Earth would remain much the same. We know now that it is not true. Nature is under the threat. One country’s pollution can be every country’s problem. So we all need to work together to safeguard our environment. We have a moral duty to look after our planet and hand it on in a good order to future generations.

We should always remember the wise advice of a great English writer John Galthworthy who said: “if you don’t think about the future, you will not have it”. The intensive development of sciences, industry and chemistry in the 20^th century has made the pollution of our environment a global problem. That does not mean trying to halt economic growth. We need growth to give us the means to live better and healthier lives. We must not sacrifice our future well-being for short-term gains, nor pile up environmental debts which will burden our children.

We have to take great care where there are real threats to our planet. Awful harm is caused to our home by nuclear tests, atom bombs and accidents at the atomic power stations. The world population doubled between 1950 and 1987. More people means more mouths to feed, and that demands more deforestation and soil erosion. By burning forests, draining wetlands, polluting water basins mankind is rapidly driving many species to extinction. It is high time to start solving these global problems.