Vocabulary :
acid rain – kyselý déšť
carbon dioxide – CO2
climate - podnebí
conservation - ochrana
destroy - zničit
drought - sucho
earthquake - zemětřesení
endangered species – ohrožené druhy
environmental group – ochranářský spolek
litter - odpadky
exhaust fumes – výfukové plyny
forest fires – lesní požáry
flood - záplava
fertilizers - hnojiva
global warming – globální oteplování
garbage - odpad
greenhouse effect – skleníkový efekt
(non)-renewable resources – obnovitelné zdroje
nuclear (solar, hydraulic, wind, geothermal) energy - jaderná(solární, vodní, větrná, geotermální) energie
oil-slick – ropná skvrna
ozone layer (hole) – ozonová vrstva(díra)
protect x polute – chránit x znečišťovat
pollution - znečištění
protected animal – chráněné zvíře
recycle - recyklovat
tidal wave – přívalová vlna
throw away – zahodit, odmítnout
use up – vyčerpat, spotřebovat
volcanic eruption – sopečný výbuch
waste - plýtvat
Environment is everything around us – it includes plants, animals, air, water, our civilization, land etc. It is influenced by some processes in nature, but mainly by activity of people.There are lots of problems to solve concerning the environment.
Greenhouse effect
Temperature of our planet is higher and higher because our air is polluted by greenhouse gases. They come from factories, houses and exhaust fumes. One of most dangerous is carbon dioxide.
Global warming
It is caused by the greenhouse efect. Manmade atmospheric emissions, like carbon dioxide(produced by burning fossil fuels), nitrogen oxides(from car exhausts), freon(from aerosol and refrigerators), methan and water vapour prevent the heat from escaping. Then the Earth´s temperature rises, arctic ice melts and areas near the sea level become flooded.
Acid rain
Air with carbon dioxide creates acid rain. It damages rain forests and make water in the rivers acid.
Ozone holes
Ozone holes are in ozone layer. It is a part of the atmosphere free of O3. Ozone holes are caused by freons (CFCs). They become from old fridges and old sprays. These aren’t produced in our country but there are still some countries that produce them. Ozone forms a layer in the upper atmosphere which protects life on Earth from ultraviolet rays, which cause skin cancer. This layer is destroyed by freons. The biggest ozone hole has formed over Antarctica and Australia.
Rain forests
More and more trees are cut down. Land without trees is used for farming and the exploited wood is used for making furniture and building materials.
A lot of species of animals loose their homes. The soil is washed away by the rain. The soil is changing into the desert. Nothing can’t grow there.
Air polution
Civilization has brought people many advantages but its products also pollute and damage the environment in which we live.
Air pollution is the biggest problem in large cities and in areas with concentrated industrial production. Emissions range from smoke(produced by coal-fired power stations and factories which burns fossil fuels), dust, and smells to car and lorry exhausts. Substance such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide mix with the air moisture and then acid rain falls down onto trees and slowly kill them. Trees are very important for us, because they produce oxygen for breathing. How can the problems of air pollution be solved? First of all, people should try to use alternative sources of energy, such as solar, water, wind, geothermal and perhaps tidal energies. People should use public transportation or fast railways more than cars. New cars should run on unleaded petrol. Factories and power stations should have effective filters and households should use natural gaz.
Water pollution
Water is polluted by households, industrial processes, by pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture,by waste and ships(mainly by tankers which crashed and oil run out). We should find technologies for saving water, reduce chemical fertilizers and controll industrial processes.
Natural disasters
In the last decades we can often notice floods in our country. Floods are generally caused by long heavy rains or when a lot of snow melts in the spring and water runs down from the mountains. This water flood our towns, roads and houses . The floods damage houses, bridges, trees, gardens, roads and kill people and animals who don´t run away.
Fires burns also everything what is on the way. It´s caused by someones´s inattention or by a dry, hot season. Wind helps to extend(expand) the fire. But fire brigade try to stop this catastrophe. This profession is one of the most dangerous at all.
Hurricanes and tornadoes are caused by presure changes in the atmosphere.We can meet with this phenomena often in area of Caribian sea. The speed of huricane can reach up 119 km/hour. It´s very strong wind destroying everything on the way.
The movement of the litospheric bords causes earthquakes and explosions of volcanoes. In the course of earthquake the land is crashing and shaking. Buildings fall down and everybody is in danger. Earthquake under the ocean can cause a big „tsunami“ wave which floods the coast. The volcanoes produce a lot of dust, smoke and lava which pours out and burns everything what is in the land´s surface.
Protection of environment
Many ecological organizations take care of our nature, but everyone can do something for our environment. For example we can sort our wastes, recyclide them, use glass bottles, make our surrounding clean or try to save energy. We can organize a demonstration against big pollutors or write a petition. It is also possilble to write a letter for the government or the local council. We should also take bottles to a bottle bank, use recycled paper, save as much water as possible and use public transport instead of cars.
Zdroj: Internet, slovník
