6.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION
I. Introduction to the topic
Throughout history mankind has reaped the benefits of nature. But during the last century our
earth changed more rapidly than at any other time in history, primarily because of our careless
interaction with its resources. Today, in the wake of ever-increasing consumption and massive
economic development, the ecological crisis has gone global.

Global problems
Air pollution
People all over the world breathe smog, sulphur dioxide, acid rain, carbon monoxide, and other
toxic pollutants every day as a result of industrial activity and the excessive use of cars, which
emit exhaust gases. The accumulation of gases in the atmosphere leads to the greenhouse
effect and the depletion of the ozone layer.
The build-up of gases may result in temperatures on earth increasing 2.25 degrees Celsius over
the next century, causing global warming.
Predictions include climatic changes leading to natural disasters, drought, floods, changes in
agricultural patterns and skin cancer. One major threat to the ozone layer is chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs).
Deforestation
The gradual reduction of forests in size is resulting in erosion, flooding, desert formation and
global warming. Rain forests, which generate large amounts of oxygen, are being destroyed to
harvest hardwood and to gain space for growing plants and breeding animals.

Water pollution
10 percent of rivers worldwide are polluted and the oceans collect 6.5 million tonnes of litter per
year. Less than 1 percent of all the water on earth is suitable for drinking, bathing, or growing
plants.
Soil pollution
Agricultural activity contributes to the pollution of soil by using chemicals (fertilisers and
pesticides) to boost yields.
Overpopulation
If the current growth rate continues, world population will double over the next couple of
decades. This process accelerates the exhaustion of natural resources. In 2000 there were 6.3
billion people on the earth. It is an important task to exploit renewable energy sources.


Waste accumulation
Huge amounts of hazardous waste are produced by the developed part of the world every year,
part of which is exported to the Third World. Households and industries also create piles of non-
recyclable waste which are not able to decompose in landfill sites.
Oil shortage
With the increase in worldwide demand for oil, the price of oil products (e.g. petrol) is rising,
posing serious difficulties for oil-dependent economies. In fact, most of the feedstock (e.g. corn)
for biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol is grown using the high-tech, oil-powered industrial
methods of agriculture.

Vocabulary exercises based on the introductory text
A. Match each word or phrase in the left-hand column with one of similar meaning
from the list opposite.

1. accumulation a. the state of having too many inhabitants
2. global warming b. break down, rot
3. predictions c. filling or covering with water
4. deforestation d. increase in quantity
5. flooding e. a general increase in world temperatures
6. soil f. the top covering of the earth
7. yields g. the action of clearing an area of trees
8. overpopulation h. forecasts, advance warnings
9. hazardous i. amounts produced
10. decompose j. dangerous

B. For each phrase given below, find in the text a word or phrase similar in meaning.

1. the act of making dangerously impure
2. too much
3. give out
4. reduction in amount
5. a long period of dry weather
6. a large sandy area of land with little or no water
7. using up completely
8. use or develop / take advantage of

9. not fit to be used again
10. places where waste is buried

II. Hungarian text

Exercise 1.
Cover the English words and expressions given in the footnotes and try to guess the English
equivalents of the underlined parts of the Hungarian text.
Exercise 2.
After checking your guesses against the footnotes, give an oral summary of the text in English.

Slyos kvetkezmnyekkel
1
jrhat a globlis felmelegeds

Az ENSZ
2
gisze alatt ltrejtt kormnykzi klmavltozsi bizottsg
3
ltal kzztett jelents
figyelmeztet
4
arra, hogy ha nem sikerl gyors s hatkony intzkedseket hozni
5
a globlis
felmelegeds
6
meglltsra, akkor az emberisgnek egyre nvekv kihats termszeti
katasztrfkkal
7
, lezd trsadalmi ellenttekkel, valamint a krnyezet, illetve a bioszfra
visszafordthatatlan pusztulsval kell szembenznie
8
. Az IPCC tbb mint 100 orszg ltal
deleglt szakrtinek
9
mlt heti genfi tallkozjt
10
kveten publiklt jelents szerint a globlis
felmelegeds kezdetben az szaki s a dli-sarki terleteket rinti legrzkenyebben
11
, majd a
klimatikus vltozsok a srbben lakott terletekre is kiterjednek
12
. Az radsok, tjfunok s
egyb anomlik gyakoribb elfordulsa
13
, a sok helyen krnikuss vl szrazsg s vzhiny
14

fknt a kevsb fejlett orszgok
15
helyzett fogja nehezteni
16
, de a gazdagabb orszgokban is
slyosan rinti a htrnyos helyzet rtegeket
17
.

A termszeti katasztrfk okozta krok radiklisan emelkedtek
18
, amelyrt dnt mrtkben a
feleltlen veghzhatst
19
okoz, rvid tv rdekek
20
mentn vgre hajtott
termszettalaktst
21
vgz emberi magatarts tehet felelss. A jelenlegi tendencia
22

folytatdsa esetn 100 ven bell az tlagos hmrsklet 5.8C fokkal n s a tengerszint fl
mtert emelkedik
23
.
Az IPCC egy korbbi jelentse egyrtelmen leszgezi
24
, hogy a korbban szmtottnl gyorsabb
tem globlis felmelegedst fknt a fosszilis energia hordozk elgetse
25
, az ipar s a
kzlekeds ltal termelt szennyezs
26
, valamint az erdk irtsa
27
s a lpok lecsapolsa okozza.


1
serious consequences

2
UN(O) United Nations Organisation

3
climate change committee

4
report warns

5
take fast and efficient measures

6
global warming

7
natural disasters

8
face irreversible destruction

9
delegated experts
10
Geneva meeting
11
hits hardest
12
are spreading to more densely populated areas as well
13
occurrence of floods
14
drought and water shortage
15
less developed countries
16
exacerbate the situation
17
deprived segments
18
damage has risen
19
greenhouse effect
20
short-term interests
21
transformation of nature
22
present tendency
23
sea levels will rise by half a metre
24
report points out
25
burning of fossil fuels

A kzel 3 ezer szakrt kzremkdsvel kszlt mostani jelentst a testlet jv hnapban
Accrban rendezend tancskozsn
28
jvhagyand, a kedveztlen folyamatok lasstsnak
mdozataira
29
s a javasolt kezelsre fkuszl jelents kveti majd, amelynek eredmnyeknt
elkszl az az tfog jelents, amely a tudomnyos szakrtk mellet a biztost trsasgok
30
s a
krnyezet kml ipargak
31
illetkeseit is bevonva
32
megprblja majd a politikai dntshozkat
is mielbbi hatkony cselekvsre sztklni
33
.




III. English text
UN food boss urges rethink on biofuels
By Javier Bias in London
Financial Times 18 August 2007

1. The world risks deeper poverty and greater environmental damage unless it fundamentally
changes its bioenergy strategy, the United Nations' top food and agriculture official has warned.
2. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation is pushing for a high-level meeting next June to
lay down rules for the international bioenergy market.
3. The FAO is urging the European Union and the US to lower trade barriers against ethanol
imports; establish a system for bio-energy environmental standards; and provide more
microcredit to farmers in developing countries to develop local biofuels.
4. Jacques Diouf, FAO director general, said: "Such measures would allow developing countries
- which generally have ecosystems and climates more suited to biomass production than
industrialised nations and often have ample reserves of land and labour - to use their comparative
advantage."
5. Mr Diouf said the objective of the proposed meeting should be to ensure that bioenergy
realised its potential to fuel sustainable growth and reduce hunger.
6. The US, Europe and Brazil last year accounted for almost 95 per cent of the world's biofuel
production; Canada, China and India produced most of the rest.
7. Biofuel production, mostly of corn-derived ethanol in the US and rapeseed-derived
biodiesel in Europe, doubled between 2000 and 2005, but is still just 1 per cent of global road-
transport fuel.
8. Mr Diouf said the bioenergy sector had a "huge potential to reduce hunger and poverty" if
production shifted from rich to poor countries. At the moment, rich countries' tariffs make it
uneconomic for poor countries to grow biofuel crops.
9. The problem for developing countries is exacerbated by food prices being pushed up by the
biofuel industry's rising consumption of crops. Corn prices this year reached an 11-year high of
$4.30 a bushel.
1530 n


Important terms

bioenergy energy derived from the land from agriculture (crops and livestock), forestry
and waste management (i.e. from biomass)

26
pollution generated
27
deforestation
28
at the meeting of the body
29
ways of slowing down unfavourable processes
30
insurance companies
31
environment-friendly industries
32
involving the competent authorities
33
urge decision-makers
biomass organic material such as wood, plants, or animal wastes that produces energy
when burned
biofuels fuel derived from living matter
biofuel crops crops that can be grown to produce ethanol or biodiesel fuel
corn-derived ethanol an example of biofuel (ethanol made from corn)
rapeseed-derived biodiesel another example of biofuel (diesel made from rapeseed)
microcredit small loans given to poor people who dont qualify for bank loans
sustainable growth growth that is possible to sustain (keep going) without causing
economic or environmental problems
ecosystems - communities of interacting organisms and the physical environment in which
they live


Extended vocabulary

poverty: the state of being poor
fundamentally: basically, significantly
pushing for sg: urging other people to do sg
lay down rules: state or determine what must or must not be done
ample reserves: more than enough spare supply
accounted for: made up (a specified amount or proportion)
doubled: grew to twice the usual quantity (cf. to triple [x 3]; to quadruple[x 4] )
shifted: moved
exacerbated: made worse
consumption: the act of using up a resource (noun form of consume)


Comprehension questions


1. According to the UNs top official for agriculture and food, what potential dangers does
the world face if it doesnt change its bioenergy strategy?



2. Why is the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation calling for a high-level meeting on
bioenergy?



3. What measures are the EU and the USA being urged to take in order to help developing
countries to develop their biofuel industry?



4. In what way would these measures help developing countries?



5. What comparative advantage do developing countries have in terms of producing biofuels?



6. What would be the objective of the meeting proposed by the UN?



7. What percentage of the worlds biofuel production do Canada, China and India account for?



8. What percentage of global road-transport fuel consists of biofuel?



9. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), why is it important that the
bioenergy sector shift from rich to poor countries?



10. What makes it difficult for developing countries to grow biofuel crops?



11. The title of the article says that rich countries need to rethink on biofuels. What do they need
to rethink and why?


IV. Discussion questions

A. Discussion questions related to the article

1. If biofuels are known to be a good source of renewable energy and effective in reducing
emissions, why arent they more widespread? What factors hinder the production and use of
biofuels?

2. The article mentions that one of the comparative advantages of developing countries is that
they have plenty of land and labour that could be used in the production of biomass. What might
be some possible downsides of using land and labour for the growing of biofuel crops?

B. Additional discussion questions

1. What kind of global environmental problems do we face today?

2. Which are the most important alternative energy sources? How widespread are they? What are
their advantages and disadvantages? Which are the most feasible ways of using alternative energy
in Hungary?

3. What kinds of measures have been /are being / taken by countries and authorities to tackle the
problem of environmental degradation? What can we, as individuals, do for the environment?

V. Role-play

11. The best candidate for the job

Student:
You are the director of 6 cultural centres in Manhattan, New York. These centres try to appeal
to people of all ages and income groups, including large ethnic groups. They also organise
social activities for members. Your task is to hire a General Manager who will increase the
profits of these centres. The owner asks you what kind of person would be the best candidate
for the job.

Examiner:
You are the owner of 6 cultural centres in New York and are looking to hire a General Manager
for these centres. You meet with your director to ask what kind of person he thinks would be
best to meet the various aims of the centres and still make a profit.


12. Getting local Government approval

Student:
A production plant is going to be set up in a small town near Budapest. As one of the managers
of the company, you are planning a meeting with a local government representative because
you need their approval. What strategy will you use in order to get the local authoritys approval
for your project?


Examiner:
You are a local government representative. A company has contacted you about setting up their
production plant in your small town. You are not convinced about the benefit of such a plant and
are meeting to discuss this with one of the managers of the company.