Why We're Destroying the Earth

On this millennial Earth Day, awareness of our depleting natural resources is at an all-time high, and, yet, so is their destruction. A new field of research hopes to explain why we continue to damage the environment even as we think we are protecting it — and how we can stop.

Many people believe that environmental problems are most often caused - and best solved - by government and big business. Most environmental damage, however, begins not with government or large companies, but with the cumulative actions of individuals. If there is a solution to this global crisis, it is to understand - and remedy - the decision-making of individual consumers of energy before nature pays the price.

For about 30 years, environmental psychologists have struggled to understand the way we treat our surroundings, which ultimately harms our own well-being, since environmental assault can wreak havoc on our health, even leading to illnesses such as cancer. Over 100 studies conducted in the last two decades have examined the ways individuals influence the environment - from deciding to have another child to turning on the air conditioner — and why they make such decisions. We know that some people do refrain from overusing nonrenewable resources, from forests and fish to less tangible resources such as clean air and physical space. Environmental psychologists are now examining the mindset of such individuals, hoping eventually to encourage others to consider our resources in the same way.

More and more people are environmentally aware these days - curbside recycling, insulated homes and Woodsy Owls slogan "Give a hoot, don't pollute" are now ingrained in our cultural consciousness. You might think that awareness would lead to environmentally friendly behavior, but it does not: well-educated, middle-class North Americans, the people most likely to have high environmental awareness, use far more energy than Third World residents -and other North Americans too. Why the discrepancy between words and deeds? So far, scientists have identified at least 30 different personal, social or structural influences that affect whether a given person uses natural resources wisely or takes more than their share. There are four overriding ways that people, mostly unconsciously, hurt the environment every day:

• Energy use. Perhaps our biggest priority is to curb our heavy use of fossil fuel energy sources, like oil. Burning these fuels produces greenhouse gases and ground-level pollutants, leading to global warming, a planetary danger no longer questioned by experts. A 1998 study in the journal Bioscience showed that 40% of deaths worldwide are caused by pollution and other environmental factors. Furthermore, energy use is growing: Dutch researcher Linda Steg, Ph. D., reports that in the Netherlands, a region typical of developed nations, con­sumers now use 25% more energy than they did just 14 years ago.

• Convenience. Taking a plane is several times less fuel-efficient even than driving, but we often choose to fly to save time. In a typical recent year, U.S. commercial airliners carried 60 million passengers 158 billion miles, using 21 billion gallons of jet fuel in the process. Similarly, cars afford us speed and comfort compared to cycling or walking. But a Dutch study found that about 20% of car trips are for journeys of less than one mile. Is this truly necessary?

• Overpopulation. In a classic 1968 article, biologist Garrett Hardin, Ph. D., theorized that environmental destruction stemmed from the fact that there are just too many mouths to feed, even with great agricultural improvements. The Population Reference Bureau reports that the 20th century began with 1.6 billion people on the planet and likely ended with 6 billion. This is the end result of every parent's personal decision to have a child, whether they realize it or not.

• Ignorance. Robyn Dawes, Ph. D., a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, blames "limited processing": people simply don't place their daily behaviors in an environmental context; their decisions are literally thoughtless. How many people do consider the environment when they flip a light switch or use an electric toothbrush? Many people take whatever they can, believing that natural resources are inexhaustible. People are destroying a resource just as they believe they are helping it, not unlike those who fly to protest the WTO or who travel to far-off national parks to revel in nature.

To reverse this ill-fated trend, you can construct your life to make conservation easy. For example, the next time you move, place environmental considerations near the top of your list by relocating as close as possible to work or school. Then you won't drive as much, and won't have to ride a bike or walk too far, either. Residing in a slightly smaller home would consume less energy for heating or cooling without forcing you to sacrifice much comfort. Do you need to fly as much as you do? Perhaps there are undiscovered vacation spots close to home. And instead of flying to your next business meeting simply because your company will pay for it, try carpooling or taking a train, or telecommuting via phone, fax or the Internet.

Adopting these measures would significantly reduce pollution and global warming and its ill-effects on our well-being. Celebrate this April 22, Earth Day, by making a few of these changes. The world depends on it.

(R. Gifford, Ястребова Е.Б. Курс англ. языка

для студентов языковых вузов, стр. 630)

Post-reading

Translating

Ex 5. The information of the following text may be used later in speaking and writing. Translate into Russian orally:

My Own Perspective on Environmental Problems

by David Orton

I believe that the fundamental environmental problems cannot be “solved”, unless we all move to an ecocentric or deep ecology world view - an Earth-centered theoretical outlook- and we have a society whose institutions and thought processes reflect this.

We need to see humanity as part of nature, that is, as part of the biological community. Injuring Nature would be seen as injuring ourselves. We must concern ourselves with the larger theoretical/philosophical issues of how to bring about such a paradigm shift. We need to move in our basic thinking from the “Taker” to the “Leaver” mentality.

The spiritual side is important. Not of course organized religion, which by giving people “souls” helped to remove them from the community of life. I believe that we have to bring back some kind of animism. Humans could then see themselves without superior status, as part of a biological and living spiritual community. Then, destroying other species and their habitats would be unthinkable from a moral or ethical viewpoint. From everything I have read animism facilitated such beliefs. It is interesting to reflect on how with computerization, human-to-human communication has expanded, yet it has also narrowed, as we have come to exclude the rest of Nature!

There is a pertinent quote from Arne Naess for an environmental problem solving class, which I like. “The strength of the deep ecology movement depends upon the willingness and ability of its supporters to force fact-dependent experts who underpin environmental decisions into discussions in terms of values and priorities.”

I would say that environmental problem solving must pay a lot of attention to a philosophical critique of the values of industrial capitalist society.

(Ecology, community and lifestyle, p.72)

Listening

Ex.6. Listen to the tape and circle the word you hear. Listen again and repeat.

live—leave bit—beat fit—feet lip—leap

rid—read sick—seek pitch—peach still—steal

Ex 7. You will hear a radio interview with John Burgess, a member of the Forest Preservation Society. Read the following sentences, then listen to the tape and fill in the missing parts.

Paper is used in many different forms— from___________1 to milk cartons.

We need more paper than we can_____________2.

One way of increasing paper production is to grow______________3.

Trees grow much faster in______________4 areas.

A tree planted in Brazil can be harvested within________5 years.

Most plantations are in________________6.

The trees in these plantations are used only for_____________7 which means that no natural forests need to be________________8.

What we should be trying to do is to restore and preserve______________9 and to use less_____________10.

Speaking

Ex 8. Discuss the following:

1. Would it be better if we saved forests, oil and coal and did without the things they provide? 2. Will we run out of the things we need before we find substitutes for them? 3. Man — a master of nature or a part of it? 4. Will we preserve Lake Baikal? 5. Deforestation and its consequences for the world. 6. Soil erosion and the destruction of the environment. 7. The role of natural reservations in preserving wild life. 8. Nuclear energy and the environment.

Ex 9. The situation of intercultural communication: A group of students from different countries are on their holidays at the lake Baikal. Their views on the problem of recycling are surprisingly contradicting. Participate in the discussion (polylogue).

Ex 10. Role Play

Panel Discussion: Think Globally, Act Locally.

Role 1. Chairperson

You must open the meeting and give a short introductory speech explaining the purpose of this discussion (what communities and individuals can contribute to solving global ecological problems). You are to introduce the speakers, make sure everyone gets their say and no one dominates the discussion. You are to sum up the main points made and close the meeting.

Role2.

You are an environmental psychologist. You are to speak about the results of the studies conducted with the purpose of examining the ways individuals influence the environment. Say how people hurt the environment; don’t go into details.

Role 3.

You are an ecopsychologist. You are going to speak about the "ignorance" factor in the destruction of the Earth.

Role 4.

You are an ecologist. You are going to speak about environmental myths.

Role 5.

You are a journalist with The Time. You are to speak about the results of Time / CNN poll: How much are Americans prepared to sacrifice in order to curb global warming?

Each participant is expected to suggest ways of dealing with the problem locally.

Ex 11. Answer the following questionnaire, and add up your score to find out how environmentally aware you are. Then, suggest ways in which people with low scores in this quiz could become more environmentally aware. Use expressions like: They should/ought to…, They’d better…, The best thing would be…, etc.

How environmentally aware are you?

1. What does your family do with empty bottles?

1. take them to a recycling bin.

2. return them to the supermarket.

3. throw them in the rubbish bin.

2. When you buy one or two items at the supermarket, you

1. take a plastic carrier bag.

2. reuse on old plastic carrier bag.

3. use your own bag.

3. How often do you choose products which contain recycled materials?

1. always

2. never

3. sometimes

4. If you were asked to contribute to a Save the Animals project, you would

1. give generously

2. give a small amount

3. refuse to give anything

5. A local beach has been polluted with oil. You

1. donate money for the clean-up project.

2. do nothing.

3. volunteer to help with the clean-up project.

6. You eat a chocolate bar in the street. What do you do with the wrapper?

1. drop it on the pavement.

2. put it in a litter bin.

3. save it for recycling.

7. When you buy paper products, you

1. buy whatever is cheapest.

2. try to purchase recycled paper.

3. purchase recycled paper as long as it doesn’t cost more.

8. When you clean your teeth, you

1. turn the tap on only when you need water.

2. leave the tap running until you have finished.

3. only use one glass of water.

1 A 3 B 2 C 0 2 A 0 B 2 C 3 3 A 3 B 0 C 2 4 A 3 B 2 C 0 5 A 2 B 0 C 3 6 A 0 B 2 C 3 7 A 0 B 3 C 2 8 A 2 B 0 C 3

18-24 Keep up the good work! You are doing your part to protect the environment. 13-17 There is some room for improvement. Change your habits and you’ll soon be green. 0-12 You are part of the problem. You should try to become part of the solution.

Writing

Ex 12. Read the information on two types of argumentative essays: a) for/against and b) expressing opinions.

An argumentative composition is always a formal, impersonal piece of

writing in which you are expected to consider a topic from opposing points of view and give a balanced consideration or your opinion. Personal expressions such as / believe or / think should only be used in the final paragraph where you can give your opinion.

a) A good argumentative essay (for/against) should consist of:

1) an introduction in which you state the topic.

2) a main body which consists of two paragraphs. The points for, with your

justification, appear in one paragraph and the points against, with your

justification, appear in another paragraph.

3) a final paragraph in which you sum up the arguments and give a balanced

consideration or your own opinion.

Points to remember

• Decide on the points for and against the topic before starting your composition.

• Never write an argument for or against a topic without supporting it with justification, e.g. One disadvantage of driving a car is that it creates pollution. This is evident from the poor air quality found in cities where there is a lot of traffic.

• Do not use short forms or strong personal expressions.

• Each paragraph should start with a sentence (topic sentence) which summarises what the paragraph is about, e.g. There are many advantages to owning a car. To begin with, it allows you..., However, owning a car has a number of disadvantages as well. Firstly, you need to..., etc.

• The use of linking words is absolutely necessary when writing an argumentative composition:

To introduce points: Firstly/To begin with/In the first place, One point in favour of/ against is/One advantage of... is/One disadvantage of... is, etc.

To add more points: Secondly/What is more/Furthermore/A further advantage of... is, etc.

To make contrasting points: However/On the other hand/ Although/In spite of, etc. To conclude: To sum up, In conclusion/On balance/All things considered, etc.

b) Compositions expressing opinions are formal in style. Unlike for/against argumentative essays, this type of topic asks for your own opinion, which should be clearly stated and supported by reasons.

A good argumentative composition expressing opinion should consist of:

1) an introduction in which your opinion is clearly stated,

2) a main body which can consist of two or more paragraphs. Each viewpoint, supported by a logical reason, should be presented in a separate paragraph. The opposing viewpoint is mentioned in a new paragraph. In the same paragraph you might include a lead-in opinion to your conclusion.

3) a conclusion in which you sum up your viewpoints and re-state your opinion.

Points to remember

• Never start writing your composition before making a plan.

• Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence which summarises the paragraph.

• Each viewpoint should be joined to the others with linking or sequence words e.g. in the first place, to start with, what is more, also, furthermore, besides, apart from this, it is argued that, etc.

Useful Words and Phrases

To list viewpoints: Firstly, In the first place, To begin with, Secondly, Thirdly,

Finally, etc.

To add viewpoints: both...and, What is more, not only...but also, In addition, Furthermore, Besides, not to mention the fact that, etc.

To present the other side of the argument: Contrary to what most people

believe, As opposed to the above ideas, Some people argue that... etc.

To express opinion: I believe, In my opinion, I think, In my view, I strongly

believe, I feel that, It seems to me that, etc.

Ex 13. Compare two models, which is expressing opinion and which is for and against?

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism

Have you ever thought about the effect tourism can have on an area? It may seem, at first, that tourism brings only benefits, but further consideration shows that it also has negative effects.

On the positive side, tourism provides employment. Many local people find jobs in hotels and restaurants, and shopkeepers have more customers. What is more, the extra income means that local councils have more money to spend on expanding and improving their facilities, thus making them better for both visitors and residents.

On the other hand, tourism can do a great deal of harm. For example, pollution is caused both by the increase in traffic and the litter that visitors leave behind. In addition, local traditions and lifestyles are replaced by new customs and habits. This creates confusion among the local people and causes conflicts between young and old.

In conclusion, an area can benefit from tourism in many ways. However, it can also do a great deal of harm, and local residents should be aware of this before deciding to encourage it.

Recycling - How Important Is It Really?

Saving certain recyclable materials and taking them to recycling centres has become part of the daily routine in many homes. In my opinion, this should be encouraged for a number of reasons.

To start with, it is very important for people to realise the damage that our rubbish is doing to the environment. Our towns, rivers and seas are becoming more and more polluted with household waste. This could easily be prevented if people took the time to sort, save and recycle their rubbish.

Another important reason is that many forests are being destroyed due to paper being wasted. Hundreds of thousands of trees are unnecessarily cut down to make paper products. Again, by recycling the paper that we would otherwise throw away we could reduce this wastage.

Many people argue that the actual process of collecting and recycling materials is expensive and unnecessary. They say that special machinery is required and that many people have to be employed to operate it, thus making recycling more expensive than simple waste disposal. They forget, however, that recycling both creates jobs and is beneficial to the environment.

All points considered, I strongly believe that people should be made aware of the benefits recycling can bring, and should be encouraged to participate in programmes that will help create a cleaner world for everyone in the future.

E x 14. Write an argumentative ( for and against/expressing opinion) essay on one of these topics:

1. Man versus Nature.

2. Recycling: for and against.

3. My responsibility for the eco-safety.