Устный перевод в сфере экологии (110
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Международная экологическая организация «Беллона»
Беллона (Bellona) − международное экологическое объединение.
Центральный офис объединения находится в столице Норвегии − городе Осло. Объединение «Беллона» начало свою работу как неправительственная организация 1986 года.
Вконце 1980-х годов «Беллона» получила широкую известность благодаря зрелищным акциям, организованным против ряда промышленных компаний, на совести которых были серьёзные экологические прегрешения. Более чем за 20 лет работы «Беллона» стала крупной экологической экспертной организацией, основная цель которой − борьба с разрушением окружающей среды, с угрозами для здоровья человека, вызываемыми загрязнениями, и негативными экологическими последствиями тех или иных стратегий мирового экономического развития.
Вапреле 1998 года была учреждена Санкт-Петербургская общественная организация «Экологический Правозащитный Центр «Беллона», которая является петербургским офисом международного экологического объединения «Беллона». Деятельность организации основана на убеждении, что права человека жить в благоприятной окружающей среде и иметь достоверную экологическую информацию − это фундаментальные права каждого человека, поскольку эти права касаются самого ценного − здоровья и жизни людей.
Официальный сайт: http://www.bellona.ru
Зеленый крест
Международный Зеленый Крест (Green Cross International, GCI) является экологической организацией, основанной бывшим советским лидером Михаилом Горбачевым в 1993 году, на основе договоренностей, достигнутых на Мировом Форуме в 1992 году в Рио-де-
Жанейро, Бразилия.
Зеленый Крест − это негосударственная и некоммерческая организация.
Официальный сайт в Россини: http://www.green-cross.ru/about
ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ РОССИИ
Всероссийское общество охраны природы (ВООП)
Всероссийское общество охраны природы (ВООП) было основано в 1924 году, как добровольное Общество охраны природы.
На сегодняшний день ВООП − это общероссийская, общественная и культурно-просветительная экологическая организация.
Цели:
–сохранение окружающей среды, поддержание многообразия флоры
ифауны;
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–сохранение и укрепление здоровья населения; Основные направления деятельности Общества:
–оказание содействия органам государственной власти и управления
вобеспечении устойчивого экологически безопасного развития страны;
–экологическое образование, просвещение и воспитание населения;
–научно-техническая и практическая природоохранная деятельность; Консультационная деятельность субъектов природопользования.
–проведение своими силами и силами аккредитованных компаний экологического мониторинга территорий;
–внедрение современных высокоточных технологий в целях осуществления эффективного государственного экологического контроля.
Официальный сайт: http://voop.spb.ru
Центр экологической политики России (ЦЭПР)
Центр экологической политики России создан в 1993 г. как профессиональная общественная экологическая организация для экспертной поддержки экологиче-
ского движения и разработки рекомендаций для законодательной и исполнительной власти.
Cайт организации: www.ecopolicy.ru
Российское экологическое движение «Зеленые»
В 1994 году на основе экологического движения «Кедр» была создана Российская экологическая партия "Зеленые", в 2009 году деятельность Политической партии была прекращена, а сама
организация реорганизована в Общероссийское общественное движение "Российское экологическое движение «Зелёные».
Цель экологического движения «Зелёные» изменить отношение государства и общества к экологическим проблемам России и человечества в целом организованными и волевыми политическими действиями.
Сайт организации: www.greenparty.ru
Неправительственный экологический фонд им. В.И. Вернадского
Неправительственный экологический фонд имени В.И.Вернадского был создан в 1995 году.
Экологический фонд − это одна из крупнейших благотворительных организаций, поддерживающая экологически ориентированные образовательные проекты, представляющая интересы российской экологической общественности и социально ответственного бизнеса, инициатор и участник природоохранных программ, развивающихся в России.
Основные задачи Фонда: содействие устойчивому экологически ори-
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ентированному социально-экономическому развитию общества, обеспечение взаимодействия между деловыми кругами, правительством и обществом по вопросам устойчивого развития; поддержка экологических инициатив и проектов.
Направления деятельности Фонда: экологическое образование и воспитание; проведение конкурса грантов и стипендий им. В.И. Вернадского; проведение национальных и международных конференций, симпозиумов, выставок по вопросам устойчивого развития; издание научной, научнопопулярной, образовательной литературы по основным направлениям деятельности Фонда.
Cайт организации: www.vernadsky.ru
Российский региональный экологический центр (РРЭЦ)
Российский региональный экологический центр учрежден в 2000 годy Европейской Комиссией и Академией государственной службы при президенте Россий-
ской Федерации.
РРЭЦ входит в сеть региональных экологических центров, действующих в Восточной Европе, на Кавказе и в Центральной Азии для поддержки сотрудничества между правительственными структурами, бизнессообществом и гражданским обществом в области охраны окружающей среды.
Миссия центра заключается в продвижении и внедрении передовых идей, стандартов и методов для экологического благополучия и устойчивого развития России через организацию информационного диалога и осуществление практической деятельности.
Высшим руководящим органом российского центра является совет учредителей, коллегиальным органом управления − совет управляющих, образован совещательный орган − консультативный совет.
Восемь членов Совета управляющих представляют различные сектора общества: организации государственной власти Российской Федерации, иностранные организации, российские общественные организации, бизнесструктуры и научные сообщества.
Официальный сайт: www.rusrec.ru
Общероссийская общественная организация «Зеленый патруль»
Общероссийская общественная организация "Зеленый патруль" была зарегистрирована в мае 2006 года. В апреле 2007 года состоялось открытие интернет-ресурса орга-
низации. Основная цель организации – содействие росту экологической культуры общества, защита прав человека на благоприятную окружающую
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среду, чистую воду, качественные продукты питания, охрана уникальной природы России, развитие тенденций, необходимых для устойчивого развития страны.
Официальный сайт: www.greenpatrol.ru
Российский Зеленый крест
Зелёный крест − неправительственная общественная организация, член Международной ассоциации «Зелёный крест», создана в 1994 году.
Зелёный крест основное внимание сосредотачивает на проведении в жизнь мероприятий по охране окружающей среды, воспитанию у широкого круга населения умения жить и развиваться в соответствии с законами природы, сохранению её для потомков с тем же ресурсным потенциалом, которым человечество владеет сегодня. Лозунг российского Зеленого креста − компромисс вместо конфронтации − соответствует принципам гражданского общества, в котором экологические проблемы реша-
ются с позиций партнёрства и добрососедства.
Официальный сайт: www.green-cross.ru
Движение Дружин охраны природы (ДОП)
Движение Дружин охраны природы (ДОП) появилось в 60-х годах ХХ века как студенческое природоохранное движение.
Направления и формы работы Движения Дружин по охране природы зависят от складывающейся обстановки, традиций и возможностей участников Движения, обусловленных его социальным и профессиональным составом. Движение, основу которого составляют студенты и специалисты естественнонаучного профиля, выступает за компетентность и профессионализм в изучении и решении проблем охраны природы. В то же время оно будет участвовать и в массовых экологических
кампаниях.
Главным для участников Движения является конкретная практическая природоохранная деятельность. Для него недопустимо превращение этой работы в модное развлечение, политическую приманку или средство наживы.
Официальный сайт: www.dop.environment.ru
Задание 2. Ознакомьтесь с информацией об объектах всемирного на- следия-природных памятниках. Переведите ее на русский язык
Источник: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
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ОБЪЕКТЫ ВСЕМИРНОГО НАСЛЕДИЯ
The semicircular waterfall at the heart of Iguazu National Park is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The surrounding subtropical rainforest has over 2,000 species of plants and is home to the typical wildlife of the region: giant anteaters, jaguars, caymans and others.
The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc.
Kakadu National Park is a unique archaeological and ethnological reserve, located in the Northern Territory. It has been inhabited continuously for more than 40,000 years. The cave paintings, rock carvings and archaeological sites record the skills and way of life of the region’s inhabitants, from the huntergatherers of prehistoric times to the Aboriginal people still living there. It is a unique example of a complex of ecosystems and provides a habitat for a wide range of rare or endemic species of plants and animals.
The Białowieża Forest is situated on the border between Poland and Belarus. It is an immense range of primary forest including both conifers and broadleaved trees covering a total area of 141,885 hectares. It is exceptional for the opportunities it offers for biodiversity conservation. It is home to the largest population of the property’s iconic species, the European bison.
Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent. These 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life – such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and others – that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.
The volcanic Komodo islands are inhabited by a population of around 5,700 giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behaviour have led to them being called 'Komodo dragons'. They exist nowhere else in the world and are of great interest to scientists studying the theory of evolution. The rugged hillsides of dry savannah and pockets of thorny green vegetation contrast starkly with the brilliant white sandy beaches and the blue waters surging over coral.
Mount Etna is an iconic site encompassing over 19,000 uninhabited hectares on the highest part of Mount Etna, on the eastern coast of Sicily. Mount Etna is the highest Mediterranean island mountain and the most active stratovolcano in the world. The eruptive history of the volcano can be traced back 500,000
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years and at least 2,700 years of this activity has been documented. The almost continuous eruptive activity of Mount Etna continues to influence volcanology, geophysics and other Earth science disciplines. The volcano also supports important terrestrial ecosystems including endemic flora and fauna and its activity makes it a natural laboratory for the study of ecological and biological processes.
The Virgin Komi Forests cover 3.28 million ha of tundra and mountain tundra in the Urals, as well as one of the most extensive areas of virgin boreal forest remaining in Europe. This is a vast area of conifers, aspens, birches, peat bogs, rivers and natural lakes.
Lake Baikal is situated in south-east Siberia. The 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve and it is known as the 'Galapagos of Russia'. Its age and isolation have produced one of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater faunas.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka form one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features. The volcanoes and glaciers make a dynamic landscape of great beauty. The sites contain great species diversity, including the world's largest known variety of salmonoid fish and exceptional concentrations of sea otter and brown bear.
The Altai mountains in southern Siberia form the major mountain range in the western Siberia biogeographic region and provide the source of its greatest rivers – the Ob and the Irtysh. The region includes steppe, forest-steppe, mixed forest, subalpine vegetation and alpine vegetation. The site is also an important habitat for endangered animal species such as the snow leopard.
The Sikhote-Alin mountain range contains one of the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics, southern species such as the tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as the brown bear and lynx. The site stretches from the peaks of Sikhote-Alin to the Sea of Japan and is important for the survival of many endangered species such as the Amur tiger.
The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland.
Henderson Island lies in the eastern South Pacific. It is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecology has been practically untouched by a human presence. Its isolated location is ideal for studying evolution and natural selection. It is particularly notable for the 10 plants and four land birds that are endemic to the island.
The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast represent about 185 million years of the earth's history. The area's important fossil sites and
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classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.
The vast natural forest of Yellowstone National Park covers nearly 9,000 km2. 96% of the park lies in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. Yellowstone has the world's largest concentration of geysers (more than 300 geysers, or two thirds of all those on the planet). Established in 1872, Yellowstone is equally known for its wildlife, such as grizzly bears, wolves, bison and wapitis.
Everglades National Park is situated at the southern tip of Florida. The exceptional variety of its water habitats has made it a sanctuary for a large number of birds and reptiles, as well as for threatened species such as the manatee.
Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is the most spectacular gorge in the world. The Grand Canyon is located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon represents the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.
In 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) was combined with the Glacier National Park (Montana, United States) to form the world's first International Peace Park. The park is situated on the border between the two countries and offers outstanding scenery. It is exceptionally rich in plant and mammal species as well as prairie, forest, and alpine and glacial features.
Задание 3. Ознакомьтесь с информацией об экологических катастрофах. Переведите ее на русский язык
Источник: http://list25.com/25-biggest-man-made-environmental-disasters- in-history/2/
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,19864
57,00.html
Chernobyl
Being one out of two accidents classified as level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, Chernobyl is known as the worst nuclear power plant incident in history. On April 26, 1986, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine exploded, resulting in a nuclear meltdown that sent massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere, reportedly more than the fallout from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That radiation drifted westward, across what was then Soviet Russia, toward Europe. Since then, thousands of kids have been diagnosed with cancer, and an almost 20-mile area around the plant remains off-limits. Reactor No. 4 has been sealed off in a large, concrete sarcophagus that is slowly deteriorating.
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The Bhopal Disaster
Around midnight on Dec. 2, 1984, an accident at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, resulted in 45 tons of poisonous methyl isocyanate gas escaping from the facility. Thousands died within hours. More followed over subsequent months — about 15,000 in all. In total, about half a million people were affected in some way. Many of those who survived suffered blindness, organ failure and other awful bodily malfunctions. A shockingly high number of children in the area have been born with all manner of birth defects. In 1989, Union Carbide paid out about half a billion dollars to victims, an amount the afflicted say is not nearly enough to deal with the decades-long consequences. Bhopal remains the worst industrial disaster ever.
Kuwaiti Oil Fires
When Saddam Hussein knew the war was over and he could not have Kuwait, he wasn't about to let anyone else benefit from its riches. As the 1991 Persian Gulf War drew to a close, Hussein sent men to blow up Kuwaiti oil wells. Approximately 600 were set ablaze, and the fires — literally towering infernos — burned for seven months. The Gulf was awash in poisonous smoke, soot and ash. Black rain fell. Lakes of oil were created. As NASA wrote, the sand and gravel on the land's surface combined with oil and soot to form a hardened layer over almost 5 percent of the country's area. Scores of livestock and other animals died from the oily mist, their lungs blackened by the liquid.
Love Canal
In 1978, Love Canal, located near Niagara Falls in upstate New York, was a nice little working-class enclave with hundreds of houses and a school. It just happened to sit atop 21,000 tons of toxic industrial waste that had been buried underground in the 1940s and '50s by a local company. Over the years, the waste began to bubble up into backyards and cellars. By 1978, the problem was unavoidable, and hundreds of families sold their houses to the federal government and evacuated the area. The disaster led to the formation in 1980 of the Superfund program, which helps pay for the cleanup of toxic sites.
The Exxon Valdez
On the night of March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in the pristine waters of Alaska's Prince William Sound. The first of what would turn out to be 10.8 million gal. of oil began to spew forth into the cold waters. It would eventually spread almost 500 miles from the original crash site and stain thousands of miles of coastline. Hundreds of thousands of birds, fish, seals, otters and other animals would perish as a result, despite the mobilization of more than 11,000 people and 1,000 boats as part of the cleanup. The Exxon Valdez oil leak is considered to be the largest man-made environmental disaster in U.S. history.
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The Aral Sea
In early April 2010, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon traveled to Central Asia, where he laid eyes upon a "graveyard of ships" — rusting fishing trawlers and other vessels stranded in a desert that stretched for miles in all directions. It was the Aral Sea ... or what used to be the Aral Sea. Situated between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Aral was once the fourth largest lake on earth, as big as Ireland. Since the 1960s, however, when Soviet irrigation projects diverted several of its source waterways, the Aral has shrunk 90%. What was once a vibrant, fish-stocked lake is now a massive desert that produces salt and sandstorms that kill plant life and have negative effects on human and animal health for hundreds of miles around.
Fukushima Nuclear Meltown
In March 2011, Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi facility located approximately 124 miles northeast of Tokyo was hit by a giant tsunami with 17 meter high waves that were created by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.
Operators lost control of the plant when the power supply, including emergency back-up, failed amid massive flooding. As cooling systems malfunctioned, reactors 1, 2 and 3 suffered meltdowns. (Reactor 4 was closed for routine maintenance at the time, but one of several hydrogen explosions blew the walls and roof off the reactor building.)
Radiation leakage following the explosions forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from the surrounding area. An exclusion zone, roughly 11 miles by 19 miles, remains in force around the plant, and the entire facility is now being decommissioned. However, Tepco's clean-up, which has been sharply criticized by environmentalists, is expected to take up to 40 years. They have, so far, been unable to remove hundreds of fuel rods stored nearby because the earthquake destabilized or destroyed large parts of the buildings they are stored in. Furthermore, radiation continues to contaminate underground water.
The Great Smog of ’52
Thousands died and a hundred thousand fell ill because of a blanket of smog that covered London for 5 days in 1952. A period of cold weather, combined with an anticyclone and windless conditions, collected airborne pollu- tants—mostly arising from the use of coal—to form a thick layer of smog over the city. Although it caused major disruption due to the effect on visibility, and even penetrated indoor areas, it was not thought to be a significant event at the time. However, statistics compiled by medical services found that the fog had killed 4,000 people, and recent research showed that 12,000 premature deaths can be attributed to this smog.
The death toll formed an important impetus to modern environmentalism, and it caused a rethinking of air pollution, as the smog had demonstrated its lethal
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potential. New regulations were implemented, restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry.
Baia Mare Cyanide Spill
After the Chernobyl incident in Russia, this cyanide spill in Baia Mare, Romania is aptly called the worst environmental disaster in Europe. On January 30, 2000, 100,000 cubic meters of cyanide-contaminated water leaked out from a dam, spewing out 100 tonnes of cyanide. The gold mining company that is to blame for the disaster, Aurul, was a joint venture of Australian company Esmeralda Exploration and the Romanian government.
More than 1,400 tons of fish died as a result of this devastating environmental accident that destroyed the life basis for some hundred fishermen along the Tisza in Hungary. In some Rumanian and Hungarian towns the drinking water supply had to be shut down for some days. In Romania the village Bozinta Mare near the dam was most affected, with completely poisoned drinking water and soil. Up to 100 people were hospitalized after eating contaminated fish.
The Seveso Disaster
In July of 1976, an explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant north of Milan, Italy released a thick, white cloud of dioxin into the atmosphere adversely affecting the nearby town of Seveso. Shortly thereafter 3,300 animals died and many more were put down in order to prevent the spread of contamination into the food chain.
It was four days before people began to feel ill effects — including "nausea, blurred vision and, especially among children, the disfiguring sores of a skin disease known " — and weeks before the town itself was evacuated. Residents eventually returned to the town, and today a large park sits above two giant tanks that hold the remains of hundreds of slaughtered animals, the destroyed factory and the soil that received the largest doses of dioxin.
Minamata Disease
Considered one of the four major pollution diseases in the history of Japan, Minamata is caused by severe mercury poisoning that attacks the nervous system. Symptoms included convulsions, slurred speech, loss of motor functions and uncontrollable limb movements.
In 1956, Chisso Corporation’s industrial wastewater containing methylmercury was released into Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea. As a result of wastewater pollution by the plastic manufacturer, large amounts of mercury and other heavy metals found their way into the fish and shellfish that comprised a large part of the local diet. Thousands of residents have slowly suffered over the decades and died from the disease. 2,265 fatalities are recognized as a direct consequence to this polluting event.
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