Unit 1 Is the Earth Being Squeezed Dry?

Part I Getting ready

A. The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. Listen carefully and study the definitions.

  1. vicious circle: a set of events in which cause and effect follow each other in a circular pattern

  2. monsoon season: the season of heavy rains that fall in India and neighboring countries

  3. hygiene: the study and practice of how to keep good health, esp.by paying attention to cleanliness

  4. accelerate: (cause to) move faster

  5. summit: a meeting between heads of state

  6. think tank: a research institute or other organization of scholars, social or physical scientists, etc, esp. one employed by government to solve complex problems or predict future developments in military and social areas

  7. trigger: start (esp. a chain of events)

  8. impediment: a fact or event which makes action difficult or impossible

  9. bore hole: a hole made by drilling or digging

 10. incentive: an encouragement to greater activity

 

B. Listen to two short extracions. Write down the environmental issues mentioned in them.

  1. burning of the forestes/ tree removal (deforestation)/ reduction of the world’s rain forests

  2. global warming/ greenhouse effect/ emissions of CO2

 Pictures showed more than 20,000 fires burning in the Amazon. Experts

Tapescript:

1.The Amazon forests are disappearing because of incresased burning and tree removal. In September, satellite pictures showed more than 20,000 fires burning in Amazon. Experts say most of these fires were set by farmers. The farmers were attempting to clear land to grow crops. The World Wildlife Fund says another serious problem is that too many trees in the Amazon rain forest are being cut down. The World Wildlife Fund says the fires show the need for urgent international action to protect the world’s rain forests. The group warns that without such action some forests could be lost forever.

2. Environmental issues swell to the full in Berlin this week, for the UN sponsored conference on global warming and climate change is the first such meeting since the Rio summit three years ago. With scientists and governments now generally ready to accept that the earth climate is being affected by emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, over a hundred countries are sending delegations. But how much progress has been made implementing the greenhouse gas reduction target areed on at Rio? Simon Dary reports…

 

Part II The Earth at risk (I)

A. Listen to the first part of an interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.

  Questions:

  1. What is the vicious circle mentioned by Brian Cowles?

       More people          more firewood          fewer trees

 

       More domestic animals         more plants        fewer availbable plants

       More desert        move south      desert expanding south      no grass

  2. Why is the rain so important to soil?

Growing crops stabilize soil, without them the top soil just blows away. But if there isn’t enough rain the crops don’t grow.

  3. What are some of the reasons that tropical forests are being cut down?

   People try to frow food to support themselves or to create ranches where cattle can be raised, or to get hardwood for expert, or to make way for mines.

 

Tapescript:

          I--- Interviewer          B--- Brian Cowles

I:  Brian Cowles is the producer of a new series of documentaries called “The Earth at Risk” which can be seen on Channel 4 later this month. Each program deals with a defferent continent, doesn’t it, Brian?

B:  That’s right. We went to America, both North and South and then we went over to Africa and Southeast Asia.

I:  And what didi you find in each of these continents?

B:  Starting with Africa, our film shows the impact of the population on the environment. Generally speaking, this has caused the Sahara Desert to expand. It’s a bit of a vicious circle we find. Peole cut down trees for firewood and their domestic animals eat all the available plants--- and so consequently they have to move south as the Sahara Sesert expands further south. I mean, soon the whole of Mali will become a desert. And in East Africa: here the grasslands are supporting too many animals and the result is, of course, there’s no grass--- nothing for the animals to eat.

I:  I see. And the next film deals with North America?

B: That’s right. In the USA, as you know, intensive agriculture requires a plentiful supply of rain for these crops to grow, I mean if there isn’t enough rain the crops don’t grow. And growing crops stabilize soil, without them the top soil just blows away. This is also true for any region that is intensely farmed--- most of Europe, for example.

I:  And what did you find in South America?

B:  In South America (as in Central Africa and Southern Asia) tropical forests are being cut down at an alarming rate. This is done so that people can support themselves by growing food or to create ranches where cattle can be raised to be exported to Europe or America as tinned meat. The problem is that the soil is so poor that only a couple of harvests are possilbe before this very thin soil becomes exhausted. And it can’t be fed with fertilizers like agricultural land in Europe.

   For example, in Brazil in 1982 an area of jungle the size of Britain and France combined was destroyed to make way for an iron one mine. Huge numbers of trees are being cut down for export as hardwood to Japan, Europe, USA to make things like luxury furniture. These forests can’t be replaced --- the forest soil in thin and unproductive and in just a few years, a jungle has become a waste land. Tropical forests contain rare plants (which we can use for medicines, for example) and animals --- one animal or plant species becomes extinct every half hour. These forest trees also have worldwide effects. You know, they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. The consequence of destroying forests is not only that the climate of that region changes (because there is less rainfall) but this change affects the whole world. I mean, over half the world’s rain forest has been cut down this century (20^th century).

B. Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the first part of the interview Complete the outline.

Outline (I)

I. Environmental problems in different continents

  A. Africa

1. Sahara Desert expansion

2. no grass for animals to eat (East Africa)

  B. North America & most of Europe

1. situation --- intensive farming/ agriculture

2. potential problem --- top soil blowing away

  C. South America, Central Africa & Southern Asia

     1. problem --- tropical forests destruction

     2. consequences

       a. soil      thin      unproductive      wasteland

       b. animal/ plant species becoming extinct

       c. climate change for the whole world

 

Tapescript:

            I--- Interviewer          B--- Brian Cowles

I:  Brian Cowles is the producer of a new series of documentaries called “The Earth at Risk” which can be seen on Channel 4 later this month. Each program deals with a defferent continent, doesn’t it, Brian?

B:  That’s right, yes, we went to …er … we went to America, both North and South and then we went over to Africa and Southeast Asia.

I:  And what didi you find in each of these continents?

B:  Well … er… starting with …er … Africa, our film shows the impact of the population on the environment. Generally speaking, this has caused the Sahara Desert to expand. It’s a bit of a vicious circle … er … we find. Peole cut down trees for firewood and their domestic animals eat all the available plants--- and so consequently they have to move south as the Sahara Sesert expands further south. I mean, soon the whole of Mali will become a desert. And …er … in East Africa: here the grasslands are supporting too many animals and the result is, of course, there’s no grass--- nothing for the animals to eat.

I:  Mm, yes, I see. Um …and the … the next film deals with North America?

B: That’s right. In the …er … USA, as you know, intensive agriculture requires a plentiful supply of rain for these crops to grow, I mean if there isn’t enough rain the crops don’t grow. And growing crops stabilize soil, without them the top soil just … it just blows away. I mean, this is also true for any region that is intensely farmed--- most of Europe, for example.

I:  And what did you find in South America?

B:  In South America (a … as in Central Africa and Southern Asia) tropical forests are being cut down at an alarming rate. Th …this is done so that people can support themselves by growing food or to create ranches where cattle can be raised to be exp … to be exported to Europe or America as tinned meat. The problem is that the s … the soil is so poor that … um …that only a couple of harvests are possilbe before this very thin soil becomes exhausted. And it can’t be fed with fertilizers like agricultural land in Europe.

Um…for example, in Brazil in 1982 an area of jungle the size of Britain and France combined was destroyed to make way for an iron one mine. I mean, huge numbers of trees are being cut down for export as hardwood to Japan, Europe, USA … I mean … to make things like luxury furniture. These forests can’t …er … they can’t be replaced --- the forest soil in thin and unproductive and in just a few years, a … a jungle has become a waste land. Tropical forests contain rare plants (which …er… we can use for medicines, for example) and animals --- one animal or plant species becomes extinct every half hour. These …er … forest trees … I mean … also have worldwide effects. You know, they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. The consequence of destroying forests is not only that the climate of that region changes (because there is less rainfall) but this change affects the whole world. I mean, over half the world’s rain forest has been cut down this century.