Part V Do you know…?

A. Listen to the following news report. Decide whether the statements are TRUE or FALSE. Put “T”or “F” in the brackets.

  1. (F) Water consumption in some parts of the world has increased ten fold.

  2. (F) Oil will be the cause of warfare in the next century (21^st century).

  3. (F) The number of people affected by water shortage will increase five folds over the next 20 years.

  4. (F) The main reason why water is becoming a scarce resource is agriculture since it now accounts for 90% of water consumption worldwide.

  5. (T) In some regions water shortage is now the biggest impediment to feeding the population.

B. Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the report.

Tapescript:

  Environment has taken rather a back seat politically since the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro nearly 5 years ago. But the problems that meeting highlighted have not gone away. One environmental think tank --- the International Food Policy Research Institute --- has been looking at the future of water and its report reflects growing concern at the huge leap in usage over the past few years.

  In some parts of the world, water consumption has increased five fold. And the institute, known by its initials IFPRI, says shortages could soon become the trigger for conflict and a major barrier to feeding the world’s growing population. Here’s Richard Black of our Science Unit.

  “It’s often been said that water rather than oil will be the cause of warfare in the next century(21^st century). According to the IDPRI report, the time when that happens might not be far away. The number of people affected by water shortage will increase ten fold over the next 30 years, it says, which could well lead to large scale conflicts.

The main reason why water is becoming a scarce resource is agriculture, which now accounts for 70% of water consumption worldwide, 90% in some developing countries. Countless farmers have switched from growing indigenous crops for the home market to hig yield export varieties, which inevitably need far more water. But the IFPRI report says in some regions water shortage is now the single biggest impediment to feeding the polulation. Water scarcity also leads to water pollution. In the Indian State fo West Bengal, for example, over extraction of water from bore holes has led to arsenic poisoning which is estimated to have affected two million people so far. But the IFPRI report calls for better water management worldwide including financial incentives to encourage conservation.”

That report by Richard Black of our Science Unit.

C. Now listen to some simple tips to help you Save it--- save energy. Complete the dos and don’ts.

Tapescript:

l         Don’t attempt to iron everything. Rough-dry your towels an nylon things. Trust the thermostat on your iron --- don’t turn it up too high.

l         Don’t leave the kettle to boil away. And don’t fill it to the brim for only a cup of tea!

l         Cut out unnecessary lighting. Every little helps.

l         Save it on heating. Do without a wall-fire if you can.

l         Defrost the fridge regularly. Ice build-up wastes fuel. Don’t put hot food in either ---if you do , the fridge has to work overtime.

l         It makes energy sense to wait until you’ve a full load before using your washing machine.

l         Cook a complete meal in the oven and save it on the rings and grill. Roast chicken, veg, and baked sweet to follow?

 It all adds up. The more energy you save, the more money you save. That’s good housekeeping!

Part VI Reminder of key points in this unit