A ‣ The problems and their causes

A variety of environmental problems now affect our entire world. As globalisation¹ continues, local issues become international ones, so today there are few places in the world that do not suffer from environmental problems. Some of the major problems now affecting the world are acid rain², air pollution³, global warming⁴, hazardous⁵ waste, ozone depletion⁶, smog⁷, water pollution, overpopulation, and rainforest destruction⁸. People are also worried about the greenhouse effect, where an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide [CO2] and other gases⁹ in the Earth’s atmosphere¹⁰ causes a gradual warming of the surface of the Earth. This global warming is leading to the thawing of the polar ice caps¹¹ and all this is causing concern about climate change. Both human behaviour and climate change have led to many animal and plant species¹² becoming endangered¹³ or even extinct¹⁴.

¹ increasing business, cultural and other contacts between countries
² rain which contains harmful chemicals as a result of burning substances such as oil and coal [acid = a type of liquid that reacts chemically with other materials, sometimes dissolving them]
³ damage caused to the air by harmful substances or waste
⁴ rise in the world's temperature
⁵ dangerous
⁶ reduction in the ozone layer [layer of air above the Earth containing ozone which prevents harmful ultraviolet light from the sun from reaching Earth]
⁷ air pollution found in cities caused by a mixture of smoke, gases and chemicals (the word has been formed from smoke + fog)
⁸ destroying (cutting down) forest in a tropical area which receives a lot of rain
⁹ substance in a form that is neither solid nor liquid
¹⁰ the mixture of gases around the Earth
¹¹ ice covering the areas at the North and South Poles
¹² types
¹³ very few in number, at risk of becoming extinct
¹⁴ not existing any longer

B ‣ Dealing with the problems

Worldwide efforts are being made to improve the situation. Green parties and green or ecological policies are mainly concerned with protecting the environment. Conservation organisations are developing nature reserves where plants and animals are protected. Some farmers produce organic food, which avoids the use of harmful chemicals. More companies try to behave in a way that is environmentally friendly or ecologically sound. Societies attempt to dispose of waste in a more responsible way, by, for example, recycling as much as possible. People aim to reduce their carbon footprint by using cars less so that they cut down on their use of fossil fuels, for example.

C ‣ Word families