Ecological problems

—   Hello! My name is Martin. This is James.

—   And my name is Lee.

—   Welcome to our lesson!

—   Today we would like to start our lesson with a few pictures.

—   Look at the pictures and try to guess the topic of our lesson.

As you can understand, today in the lesson we will:

·        revise the definition of the term “ecological problems”;

And

·        discuss the main ecological problems in the world.

There are lots of ecological problems in the world.

Today the term "ecological problems" is mostly used to describe different environmental problems, which are defined as problems with the planet's systems (for example: air, water, soil, etc.).

Now look at the pictures, please. How many ecological problems can you remember and name?

Let me help you. Listen and repeat after me:

·        Air pollution

·        Water pollution

·        Soil pollution

·        Waste dumping

·        Nuclear pollution

·        Global warming

·        Deforestation

·        Disappearance of certain species of plants and animals

·        Climatic changes

·        Overspending of natural resources

Now I would like to know whether you listened to me attentively or not. I will show you some pictures with the ecological problems and your task is to name them.

1.

Soil pollution

2.

Overspending of natural resources

3.

Waste dumping

4.

Air pollution

5.

Disappearance of certain species of plants and animals

6.

Water pollution

7.

Global warming

8.

Deforestation

9.

Nuclear pollution

10.

Climatic changes

—   We’ve told you the names of some ecological problems that we have in the world.

—   Now let’s discuss each of these problems in detail.

—   Let’s start with such problem as air pollution.

It’s obvious that air is very important for every life being on our planet.

Unfortunately, every day lots of factories and plants release into the atmosphere tons of toxic chemicals. As a result, we have such problem as air pollution.

Now let’s answer the question “Why is air pollution so dangerous?”.

The 1^st reason is that all people need fresh air to breathe. In some cities the air is so dirty! As a result, people have lots of health problems such as asthma, cough, lung diseases and so on.

The 2^nd reason is greenhouse effect. As you know, there is an ozone layer around the Earth. It protects us from the harmful effect of ultraviolet radiation.

Unfortunately, the amount of cars is increasing quickly.

This is really bad, because car emissions destroy the ozone layer and more radiation penetrates into the atmosphere. As a result, the air becomes hotter and that is called greenhouse effect.

The 3^rd reason is connected to the water state. Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels causes acid rain. The rain makes the water in lakes and rivers dirty. As a result, it becomes harder for plants and fish to survive there.

The following ecological problem is water pollution.

Water is very important for the whole planet. We use water for different purposes. For example, we drink it, wash the dishes, cook something, etc.

In addition, there are lots of other inhabitants of our planet which also need water. For example, animals drink water, fish live in water, plants also need water for their living.

Unfortunately, water pollution is one of the largest problems in our world.

Many factories and plants pour toxic chemicals into seas, oceans, rivers and lakes.

As a result, lots of plants and fish die, because they cannot live in such conditions. Animals also have to leave their homes, because they have no fresh water to drink.

This problem also becomes popular among people. For instance, people in Africa don’t have clean water. And we don’t know whether the situation will change in the future or not.

The third problem is soil pollution.

Soil is the natural resource on the planet Earth which directly supports the life of plants and indirectly of animals.

Unfortunately, soil pollution is a widespread problem. It can occur due to the presence of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, ammonia, hydrocarbons, nitrate, etc. in a large amount.

Soil pollution refers to anything that causes contamination of soil and worsens the soil quality. It occurs when the pollutants convert the soil inhabitable for microorganisms and macroorganisms living in the soil.

The pollution of soil can occur either because of human activities or because of natural processes. However, mostly it’s the result of human activities.

The fourth problem is waste dumping.

“Waste” is made up of general waste, such as household waste and regulated waste which requires a higher level of management to prevent damage to the environment or human health.

Unfortunately, many developing countries face the ongoing threat of illegal waste dumping, while the amount of dangerous wastes requiring special management and eradication is increasing exponentially.

Illegal dumping pollutes our environment and essentially decreases the use, enjoyment and value of our public places. It makes our communities and natural areas look dirty and uncared for. As a result, it’s unpleasant for people to be in such places.

The following problem is nuclear pollution.

Any bad effect caused to the environment due to radioactive substances or radiations is called nuclear pollution.

The nuclear power plants are the main cause of this problem.

If traces of the radioactive substances are present in the water that is released from the plant, it will cause nuclear pollution. The release of radiations can also lead to this ecological problem.

Nuclear pollution is the most dangerous for the environment, because the wastes maintain their radioactive properties for many years. There is no way to have them assimilated in the soil, water or the air in the initial form.

Now let’s discuss such problem as global warming.

In the 1980s scientists found out that the average temperature of the Earth's surface was slowly rising. They called this event “global warming”. Now we know that global warming is growing because more and more gases get into the atmosphere.

Obviously, warmer weather will make ice caps and glaciers melt. Sea levels could rise rapidly. Lots of plants, animals and people living in offshore areas could be in danger. The weather may change in many parts of the world. This can cause such problems as floods, droughts and destructive storms.

Now let’s talk about such ecological problem as deforestation.

One of the main problems in the contemporary world is deforestation.

Many years ago, the largest part of the ground was covered by forests. People used wood for different purposes during many years. They used it for: heating, building, constructing massive ships, getting paper and many other things.

Most of you can say that we can plant trees again. But the speed of cutting trees is too high. As a result, the trees have no time to grow up. And as we know, a tree needs many years to become big. That’s why deforestation became a very serious ecological problem.

The following problem is disappearance of certain species of plants and animals.

Extinction is a natural process that may be caused by natural selection, lack of food or natural disasters. People’s actions have also caused the disappearance of entire animal species. The life of many different animals became difficult because of hunting, deforestation, pollution, etc.

There are also some areas that have been hit hardest by the rise in the Earth’s temperature. In such places, animals suffer because they have lost their habitat and find it difficult to find food to eat. As a result, some species slowly disappear.

Now let’s discuss such problem as climatic changes.

Climate changing can be caused by the air pollution. Our plants and factories produce lots of hazardous substances which destroy the ozone layer. As a result, solar radiation can cause overheating of our planet. And as we know, climate changing is extremely dangerous for animals and all human beings because our habitat is also changing.

Some people truly believe that global warming and climate changing are not connected to human factors and everything we do has only a positive purpose. They think that nature and its resources are unlimited, and it can bear anything we do to it. Unfortunately, it’s not true.

Now let’s discuss the last ecological problem. It’s called overspending of natural resources.

First of all, we’ll tell you the definition of the term “natural resource”.

A natural resource is a material from the natural environment that can be used by people. Examples of natural resources are coal, minerals, forests, water, oil, natural gas and so on.

All these resources are very important in our life. That’s why the problem of overspending of natural resources is very serious.

Nowadays we use about 50% more resources each year than the planet Earth can replenish. The researchers came to the conclusion that we would need five planets if we all lived like the average American.

—   In conclusion, I must say that it’s our duty to protect the nature.

—   That’s right, Martin. I also think that we should appreciate what it gives to us.

—   That’s all for today.

—   See you soon.