Environment

Current environmental problems will persist and in many cases grow over the next 15 years. With intensive land use, significant degradation of farming land will continue as will the loss of tropical forests. Given the promising global economic prospects, greenhouse gas emissions will increase substantially.

Environmental issues will become major issues in several countries, particularly in the developed world. The consensus on the need to deal with environmental issues will strengthen; however, progress in dealing with them will be uneven.

The outlook to 2015 is mixed for such localized environmental problems as high concentrations of ozone and chemicals in the air and the pollution of rivers and lakes by industrial and agricultural wastes.

• Developed countries will continue to manage these local environmental issues, and such issues are unlikely to have a major constraint on economic growth or on improving health standards.

• The developing countries, however, will face intensified environmental problems as a result of population growth, economic development, and rapid urbanization. An increasing number of cities will face the serious air and water quality problems that already are troubling in such urban centers as Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Lagos, and Beijing.

• Russia and Ukraine will struggle with problems coming from decades of environmental neglect and abuse, including widespread radioactive pollution from badly managed nuclear facilities. These problems are unlikely to be adequately addressed. As these countries pursue economic growth, they will devote insufficient resources to environmental recovery.

• Central and Eastern European countries face similar problems, nevertheless, driven by their desire to gain EU membership, several will become more effective in addressing these problems and will raise their environmental standards.

Over the next 15 years the pressures on the environment as a result of economic growth will decrease as a result of less energy-intensive economic development and technological advances. For example, increases in the utilization of solar and wind power, advances in the efficiency of energy use, and a shift towards less polluting fuels, such as natural gas, will contribute to this trend. Global warming will challenge the international community as indications of a warming climate.

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Insufficient; nutrition; to be uneven; famine; a natural disaster; a source of contention; to drive; wastes; consumption; greenhouse gas emissions: to meet the needs of smb; pollution; malnourished; constraint; abuse; a shortage; to address smth; to decrease; relief.

3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Уменьшаться; потребление; источник соперничества/противостояния; нехватка; голод (как стихийное бедствие); стихийное бедствие; плохо питающийся; стимулировать; отходы; помощь; нарушение в пользовании; парниковый эффект: отвечать чьим-либо нуждам; питание; загрязнение; быть неровным (о процессе); оказывание давления; браться за что-либо; недостаточный.