Nature and ecological problems. Environmental groups and international organizations

Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about one thousand million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result, some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up.

Ecological problems have become exceptionally acute in the modern world and environmental protection has become a vital necessity for all people, because our planet is in serious danger.

So, today in the lesson we will:

● talk about nature;

● discuss some ecological problems;

● talk about environmental groups and international organizations;

And

● put the knowledge into practice.

Our Earth is so beautiful. There are a lot of blue rivers, lakes and oceans. There are high mountains covered with snow and wonderful fields and forests full of different plants and animals. One season comes after another and brings changes in weather and nature. There are so many wonderful places to visit and interesting things to see. Nature gives people its riches to live and enjoy.

We can’t live without fresh air, clean water, sunshine and a lot of things, which we take from the nature. That’s why we must take care of it.

But unfortunately, there are lots of ecological problems in the world that destroy our nature. Among these problems are:

Air pollution

Water pollution

Waste dumping

Nuclear pollution

Global warming

Deforestation

And so on.

Now let’s talk about each of them in detail.

Let’s start with such problem as air pollution.

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.

Air pollution is a serious problem, because people need fresh air to breathe. In some cities the air is really dirty! As a result, people have lots of health problems such as asthma, cough, lung diseases and so on.

Air pollution also affects the water state. Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels causes acid rain, which makes the water in lakes and rivers dirty.

The following ecological problem is water pollution.

Water pollution is a serious problem, because water is very important for the whole planet. It 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.

The third problem is waste dumping.

Nowadays many developing countries face the ongoing threat of illegal waste dumping. Rivers, lakes and even seas have become poisonous. Thousands of fish die every year as a result of the illegal dumping of waste in rivers by factories all over the world.

Illegal dumping pollutes our environment and essentially decreases the use, enjoyment and value of our public places. It makes our 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.

The nuclear power plants are the main cause of the problem of nuclear pollution. If traces of 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 ecological problem today, because the wastes maintain their radioactive properties for many years. There is no way to have them assimilated in soil, water or 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 that 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.

The following problem is deforestation.

Deforestation is the cutting down of trees in a large area. It’s one of the main problems in the contemporary world.

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, trees have no time to grow up.

We’ve talked about some ecological problems. Now…

Complete the sentences!

Let’s check the right answers!

1. Deforestation is the cutting down of trees in a large area.

2. Global warming is growing, because more and more gases get into the atmosphere.

3. Air pollution is a serious problem, because people need fresh air to breathe.

4. Many developing countries face the ongoing threat of illegal waste dumping.

5. Water pollution is a serious problem, because water is very important for the whole planet.

6. The nuclear power plants are the main cause of the problem of nuclear pollution.

Today environmental problems are much spoken about on TV, radio and in newspapers. If people want to survive, they must do their best to solve these problems.

The protection of the environment requires the cooperation of all nations. Governments should take measures that will help improve the environment. There are a lot of environmental groups and international organizations.

The most famous of them is “Greenpeace”. It was founded in 1971. Greenpeace is a nonprofit and nongovernmental international ecological organization. It campaigns to stop climate change, save the oceans, stop whaling, stop the nuclear threat, etc.

Another famous organization is “World Wildlife Fund”. The short form is WWF. It was founded in 1961. World Wildlife Fund is an international organization, which helps to save the wildlife on our planet. It works in 100 countries. This organization has created or given support to National Parks in five continents.

There is also such organization as “Friends of the Earth”. It was first founded in San Francisco in 1969. Friends of the Earth is an educational charity, which is set up to help people of all ages become aware of the threats to our environment.

There are lots of other environmental groups and international organizations. For example:

Earthjustice

Ocean Conservancy

Rainforest Alliance

Environmental Defense Fund

And so on.

We’ve talked about some environmental groups and organizations. Now…

Match the names of the organizations with their descriptions!

Let’s check the right answers!

1. It’s an educational charity, which is set up to help people of all ages become aware of the threats to our environment.

2. It’s an international organization, which helps to save the wildlife on our planet.

3. It campaigns to stop climate change, save the oceans, stop the nuclear threat, etc.

That’s all for now! In conclusion, I would like to say that today humanity is facing numerous environmental problems. If we don’t pay attention to these problems right now, we may face even bigger natural disasters in the future. So if we want to protect our nature, we should plant trees, take care of animals and birds, recycle litter and so on. We can also join the environmental groups or organizations, which help to save our planet.