Develop Global Ecological Conscience
Transcript
Develop Global Ecological Conscience
Green Deal The http://www.europassedizioni.it http://www.principato.it e-mail: [email protected] Eco News How to Develop Global Ecological Conscience 1 10:47 Pagina Layout 1 10/11/11 Culture_2012_cop_ 183232 Casa Editrice Giuseppe Principato S.p.A. via G.B. Fauché, 10 - 20154 Milano - tel. 02 31 20 25 02 33 15 309 - 02 33 60 83 86 - fax 02 33 10 42 95 per le Lingue comunitarie r M Katy Mille Caunlltd usoreecie i tyy inii ellin Bell Anna Be ral ural Social, cultu trend s m mic trends and econo ries tries in the count spherre osphe Ang osph of the Anglo The Cultural ss wareneess aawaren I sues Issues inn the news Gree Gre en n Deal Dea magazine Li M bro lib libro isto misto m The environmental condition of our planet is getting worse. Human activity has caused such damages as pollution and climate change that are producing disasters in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of our land, air and water. The best way to help our environment is to develop global ecological conscience and establish a new set of values. IN THIS ISSUE THE IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL WARMING Signs of the effects of rising temperatures are appearing everywhere, and some of them are surprising. The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice… page 2 TAKING ACTION AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING How to reduce your carbon footprint on the planet to be in harmony with yourself and with the environment. page 4 GOING “GREEN” Learn about how a British family have changed their lives for the better and read about a student attending a new university degree course on “Climate Change”. page 6 SINGING RESPECT FOR NATURE Mother Earth, a famous song by Canadian singer and songwriter Neil Young. page 8 Green Deal The The implications of global warming The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole, and everywhere in between. ABRIDGED FROM Water and disasters, UN, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva) Climate change is a monumental challenge1 to human adaptability. Earth’s climate is a marvel of equilibrium involving a host2 of interactions and processes between the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice sheets3 and biosphere. This system is driven by energy from the sun which is naturally balanced, as the Earth eventually re-emits solar energy back to space. The problem now is that during the last half-century, land clearance4 and emissions from industry, cars and other sources have overloaded5 the atmosphere with greenhouse6 gases and effectively turned up the heat. This disruption7 from the natural climatic balance is KYOTO AND COPENHAGEN CONFERENCES ON The first conference on climate change took place in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. There, developed countries agreed to specific targets for cutting their emissions of greenhouse gases. Industrialized countries agreed to an overall reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases to 5.2% below 1990 levels for the period 2008-2012. But the USA – as the largest CO2 producer worldwide – and most developing countries refused to sign this agreement. In 2009 more than 40,000 representatives of governments and nongovernmental organizations descended upon Copenhagen, Denmark, for an historic climate conference in order to draw13 a comprehensive, fair, and ambitious treaty that replaced the emissions reduction mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately the delegates did not reach a binding14 agreement. fuelling some extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts8, storms, heat waves. There are, of course, a number of natural causes driving climate change, including variations in the amount of energy from the sun, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts and slow shifts9 in the circulation and temperature of the oceans. However, the human input is likely to have the more responsibility: levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are constantly increasing. A global scenario is therefore emerging. A warmer world means a wetter one, so the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere will probably see even more storms, and some continental areas will have drier sumActivities 2 climate change 1. Read the text about global warming and say if the following statements are true (T) or false (F). 1. Climate depends on the interactions of the earth’s surface, atmosphere, and biosphere. 2. This natural balance has been broken during the last ten years. 3. Changes in climate are mostly due to greenhouse gases. T F T F T F mers and more risk of drought. Sea levels could rise, in part fed by melt10 water from glaciers and ice caps11. Along with this, extreme high-water levels may occur with increasing frequency. Higher sea levels could cause flooding of coastal lowlands, and erode sand dunes. All in all, it is a bleak12 picture. 1. challenge: sfida 2. a host: un gran numero 3. sheets: coltri 4. clearance: deforestazione 5. overloaded: sovraccaricato 6. greenhouse: serra 7. disruption: sconvolgimento 18. droughts: siccità 19. shifts: cambiamenti 10. melt: sciolta 11. ice caps: calotte di ghiaccio 12. bleak: desolante 13. to draw: stilare 14. binding: vincolante 4. The Earth’s temperature has decreased in the last half century. 5. Floods, droughts, storms, heat waves are effects of climate change. 6. The human factor is most responsible for global warming. 7. Asteroid impacts may produce greenhouse gases. 8. The melting of glaciers is going to cause floods. T F T F T F T F T F Develop Global Ecological Conscience Effects of global warming ANNUAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SECTOR Industrial processes 16,8% Power stations 21,3% ADAPTED FROM National Geographic Rising temperatures would raise sea levels reducing supplies of fresh water as flooding occurs along coastlines world wide and saltwater reaches inland. Many of the world’s endangered species would become extinct if rising temperatures changed their habitat. Transportation fuels 14,4% Waste disposal3 and treatment 3,4% Agricultural byproducts1 12,5% Fossil fuel retrieval,2 processing, and distribution 11,3% Land use and biomass burning 10,0% Residential, commercial, and other sources 10,3% Effects that global warming has already produced • Ice is melting world wide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. • Sea level rise became faster over the last century. • Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average. • Ecosystems are changing – some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas. • Species are extinguishing. Biologists have noted that since the mid1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have got considerably skinnier. Effects that could happen later this century, if warming continues • Sea levels are expected to rise between 18 and 59 centimetres by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 10 to 20 centimetres. • Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. • Plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active. • Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall where droughts are already common could decline by 10 per cent over the next 50 years. • With the melting of ice caps less fresh water will be available. • Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes. • Ecosystems will continue to change – some species will move farther north or become more successful in adapting to new environments. Other species won’t be able to move and could become extinct. 1. byproducts: prodotti secondari 2. fossil fuel retrieval: estrazione di combustibili fossili 3. waste disposal: smaltimento rifiuti Activities 2. Read the text and find 1. where ice is melting; 2. why sea level rises; 3. why polar bears are getting skinnier; 4. what is changing as a consequence of global warming; 5. what will become scarce and what more common; 6. what will spread. 3 Green Deal The Taking action against global warming Everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. Think about your lifestyle decisions and find opportunities to reduce your climate impact. 10 Simple tips to reduce 1 Reduce. Reuse. Recycle paper, plastic, glass and aluminium. Up to 60% of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled. 2 3 Walk more, drive less. Cars on the road produce millions tons of carbon dioxide each year. You can walk, bike, take a bus instead. 4 Buy locally if possible. Shipping burns fuel. A 5-pound package shipped by air across the country creates 12 pounds of CO2 (3½ pounds if shipped by truck). 5 4 Carry a reusable shopping bag. Globally we consume between 500 billion and 1 trillion bags each year, most of which end up in the landfills1 or into the sea. 1. landfills: discariche 2. poultry: pollame 3. tuned: regolato 4. faucet: rubinetto 5. unplug them: staccali dalla spina Eat less meat. If you’re already a vegetarian, you save at least 1,500 kilos of CO 2 per year compared to meat eaters. If you’re not a vegetarian, just increase the number of vegetarian meals you eat each week. Also, poultry2 is less greenhouse gas intensive than beef. Develop Global Ecological Conscience Many nations and communities are taking action to slow global warming by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the use of renewable energy and expanding forests. More and more individuals are making significant lifestyle choices that help to sustain the environment. Whether they will be able to recruit enough people to join them, and whether their combined efforts will be enough to avoid the most serious effects of global warming, are open questions that can only be answered by future developments. your carbon footprint 6 Don’t waste food. About onequarter of all the food prepared annually is thrown away, producing methane in landfills as well as carbon emissions from transporting wasted food. 7 Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs save more than 2/3rds of the energy of a regular incandescent. 9 Save water. You can reduce water and heating costs. In your bathroom turn the faucet4 off when brushing or shaving. These simple changes can save many thousands of litres of water annually. 10 Activities 8 Keep your heating and cooling system tuned 3. Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. rage Encou to others ir the reduce carbon ints! footpr Turn electronics off and unplug them5 from when you’re not using them to prevent “vampire” energy loss from electricity usage on standby. Always remember to turn lights off when you leave a room. 3. Read the tips. Find which tip(s) encourages to a. share information about recycling and energy conservation: ___ b. reduce the use of energy: ___ SPEAKING 4. Discuss. c. reduce waste: ___ d. turn off the lights: ___ e. become a vegetarian: ___ • What else can you do to reduce your impact? 5 Green Deal The Going “Green” People in search of more sustainable energy paths VISIT http://www.telegraph.co. uk BACK TO THE LAND A different form of agriculture can change the way you live John Rudgard was leading a stressful life in the hospitality sector, when his wife, Stephanie, sent him on a course – “Permaculture for Busy People”. This changed their lives. John left his job two years ago to turn to the land; 1. advocates: propugna 2. mimicking: mimando 3. sewage system: sistema delle acque di scolo follow in their footsteps, from their house, Rifleman Cottage, in Kent. Most of permaculture’s principles are familiar to all of us: use less, grow more, buy less. The philosophy of 1 permaculture advocates a more sustainable way of living, using an ecologically harmonious system that can be adopted by anyone. John uses the landscape as well, growing a forest garden, 2 mimicking the structure of natural woodland by planting productive plants in layers. now they no longer go on holiday abroad or eat out in trendy restaurants any more, but they find their new life healthier, invigorating and affirmative. They raise animals, grow food, and make a living teaching others how to The system is highly productive and biologically sustainable, requires low maintenance and it’s the most stable type of ecosystem for this climate. Most of John and Stephanie’s day is spent outside looking after their hens and pigs, working their orchard, improving insulation and managing their sewage 3 system . They also give courses promoting their way of life and rent out half of their cottage to visitors. Permaculture is an approach to agriculture that is modelled on the relationships found in nature. In permaculture each element supports and feeds other elements, ultimately aiming at systems that are virtually self-sustaining and into which humans fit as an integral part. Activities 6 5. Read the text and answer the questions. 1. What changed John’s life? 2. What kind of life do he and his wife lead? 3. What else do they do, apart from cultivating? 4. What does permaculture philosophy involve? 5. What does this system require? Develop Global Ecological Conscience Lara Hill Lara Hill, a student from the UK, provides a local perspective on climate change and its implications for her country. A STUDENT’S VOICE challenge. The impact globally is already being felt. A clear indicator is the rising temperature and the changing weather pattern we are witnessing. Recent catastrophic weather events such as heat waves in America, Europe, and India attest to this. The droughts in parts of Africa and Asia are another manifestation. What do you think will be the biggest impact locally? In the UK it is difficult to tell – whilst global patterns1 see a rise in average temperatures, local weather systems won’t necessarily reflect this. A likely scenario seems to be fluctuations in extreme weather conditions and loss of seasonality. 1. global patterns: ciò che accade a livello globale 2. scam: truffa What do you think are the most important steps to take now? To understand climate we must think holistically; similarly our actions must be holistic. The first step should be a global energy network, linking up national power networks worldwide. It is only the politics of corporate interests that prevent it. There are scores of other good ideas – we have all been told to cut our carbon footprint. However, I worry that by partitioning the responsibility on individuals, people will either feel there is no hope or that it is all just a big scam2 to make us buy green technology. What do you do? I believe I was one of the first students to begin a “Climate Change” degree course at Coventry University last year. How personally concerned are you about climate change? Very. As it is a human-induced threat, climate change presents a peculiar Activities 6. Read the interview. Are these statements true (T) or false (F)? 1. Lara attends a new course at Coventry University. T F 2. She thinks there will be little or no impact of climate change on British weather. T F 3. Actions to stop climate change should be thought of globally. T F 4. Politicians are against the creation of a global energy network. 5. Lara says that sharing the responsibility will encourage people to take action. T F T F 7 Green Deal The Develop Global Ecological Conscience Singing respect for Nature A love song to the Planet Mother Earth by Neil Young 1. greed: avidità 2. healing: salutare 3. trade away: svendere Neil Young is a Canadian guitarist, singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation. Neil Young is an outspoken advocate for environmental issues and one of the founders of Farm Aid, a movement started in 1985 to keep family farmers on the land. The singer has worked since then to make sure everyone has access to good food from family farmers. Mother Earth is a call to respect Mother Earth for her beauty, her offerings and for future generations. Oh, Mother Earth, with your fields of green Once more laid down by the hungry hands How long can you give and not receive And feed this world ruled by greed1? Oh, ball of fire in the summer sky Your healing2 light, your parade of days Are they betrayed by the men of power Who hold this world in their changing hands? They hold the world in their changing hands. Oh, working man will you let this go? Down to the streets where the numbers grow! Respect Mother Earth and her healing hands Don’t trade away3 our children’s days. (from the Album Ragged Glory, 1990) Activities 7. Read the song lyrics and answer the questions. 1. Who does the singer refer to? 2. What are the “hungry hands” referred to in your opinion? 3. What does the singer urge people to do? Il presente fascicolo è stato curato da Alessandra Brunetti Direzione editoriale lingue straniere Adriana Massari Redazione Silvia Bisi Progetto grafico e impaginazione Enrica Bologni Ricerca iconografica Eleonora Calamita Referenze iconografiche Archivio Principato, ICPOnline I testi e le immagini relativi a prodotti e aziende presenti in questo fascicolo sono da intendersi come esemplificazione a scopo didattico secondo le norme del Codice di Autoregolamentazione del settore editoriale educativo dell’Associazione Italiana Editori. Il fascicolo è allegato al volume 8 Culture and society Prima edizione: febbraio 2012 Ristampe 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 VI V IV III II I * Printed in Italy © 2012 – Proprietà letteraria riservata. È vietata la riproduzione, anche parziale, con qualsiasi mezzo effettuata, compresa la fotocopia, anche ad uso interno o didattico, non autorizzata. 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