Module 1. Part 2. Environmental problems and ways to solve them

44. A) Match the sources of pollution to the pictures below.

b) Read the text quickly and match its parts A-F with pictures 1-6.

One of the urgent problems facing humanity at present is pollution which involves the contamination of the environment by wastes or other substances that have a damaging effect upon public health and ecosystems. The volume of both industrial and domestic waste has increased dramatically over the past fifty years.

A One of the main sources of pollution is industry. Factories and plants release a wide range of pollutants such as organic acids, particles containing lead and other metals. Electricity generation also illustrates the point. When coal is burnt in power stations to generate electricity, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides are produced. These are the two major gases which cause acid rain. The air we breathe has become so filled with pollutants that it can cause a lot of health problems.

B Also, motor vehicles proved to be the fastest-growing source of air pollution, pumping out a toxic mixture of health-threatening pollutants. Traffic fumes are largely responsible for the increasing number of smogs which pollute our towns, cities and rural areas.

C Another kind of pollution is water pollution which comes from industrial wastes. Water pollution from industry can occur intentionally when factories discharge their effluents directly into rivers, lakes and oceans, or unintentionally, when tankers cause leakage of toxic waste into the water supply. One of the most hazardous pollutants of water is oil. Oil can come from accidents or from deliberate washing of tanks at sea. Oil coats the feathers of sea birds and the scales of fish. It also reduces the level of oxygen dissolved in the water. Without dissolved oxygen the sea cannot support any life at all. Another cause is that factories which use water for cooling increase the temperature of nearby rivers and lakes by 5-19 degrees. As a result, it kills some animals and plants outright. In addition, together with domestic sewage, especially detergents, and artificial fertilizers, it promotes overgrowth of bacteria and algae and disrupts the aquatic ecosystem.

D Especially dangerous is soil pollution. It occurs when rubbish is not disposed of properly. Industrial and domestic waste are buried or dumped in landfill sites. Burying garbage in landfill sites can contaminate the soil with toxic products which then can enter the water supply. Sometimes the rubbish is burnt which produces the smoke and gases containing pollutants such as dioxins, which are a threat to human health and the environment.

E Healthy soil is known to depend on bacteria, fungi, and small animals that break down wastes in the soil and release nutrients. These nutrients help plants to grow. Farmers who overuse fertilizers and pesticides limit the ability of soil organisms to process wastes which results in the destruction of productivity of the soil.

F Talking about environmental problems, we can’t but mention the destruction of ozone layer. Scientists theorized that refrigerants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – the best-known version is Freon – were percolating into the stratosphere, where they destruct ozone that blocks damaging ultraviolet light from the sun. Indeed, it has been confirmed that CFCs are largely responsible for the ozone hole that temporarily opens up over Antarctica every year. In 1978 the United States banned CFCs for use as propellants in aerosol spray such as deodorants and perfumes. International treaties restricted the manufacture of CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals. The disappearing ozone layer threatens a skin-cancer epidemic. Although skin-cancer rates are up, the increase, according to most scientists, is attributed to life-style changes, not thinner ozone layer. People today spend more time outside and at the beach wearing skimpier clothing.

b) Read the text again and fill in the table below.

Environmental problem	Source of pollution	Effect

c) In pairs speak about different types of pollution, their sources and effects. Use a suitable word describing cause and effect from the box.

Cause	Effect
cause be responsible for trigger contribute to	result in lead to

Example:

Air pollution is caused by industrial processes of discharging a wide range of pollutants such as organic acids, particles containing lead and other metals. It leads to health problems.