Climate Change

“Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats.

We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly

can't afford the risk of inaction.”

~ Rupert Murdoch

Warm up

- Do you sometimes feel that each summer seems to be hotter than the last or that each winter is warmer than the previous one?

Here are the facts:

An international scientific consensus has emerged that our world is getting warmer. Abundant data demonstrate that global climate was warmed during the past 150 years. The increase in temperature was not constant, but rather consisted of warming and cooling cycles at intervals of several decades. Nonetheless, the long-term trend is global warming.

Corresponding with this warming, alpine glaciers have been retreating, sea levels have risen, and climatic zones are shifting. The 1980s and 1990s were the warmest decades on record and the 20^th century was the warmest globally in the last 600 years.

Vocabulary

1. experience испытывать

2. humidity влажность

3. noticeably заметно, значительно

4. settle in поселиться, устроиться

5. obvious очевидный

6. worry беспокоиться, волноваться

7. nitrogen азот

8. remainder остаток, остальные

9. greenhouse теплица, парник

10. vapour пар, испарение

11. nitrous oxide окись азота

12. blanket одеяло, покров

13. ray луч

14. regard рассматривать, считать

15. pollen пыльца

16. drift дрейф

17. tilt наклон(ное положение)

18. rural сельский

19. trend направление, тенденция

20. by leaps and bounds очень быстро

21. consumption потребление

22. waste отходы, мусор

23. to an incredible extent в невероятной степени

24. contribute to содействовать, способствовать

25. vehicle транспортное средство

26. flood наводнение

27. drought засуха

28. crop посев, урожай

29. dense густой, плотный

30. storehouse кладовая, сокровищница

31. latitude широта

32. bleaching обесцвечивание

33. a great deal много

34. entire полный, совершенный

Word Study

1. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words:

period, location, temperature, statistical, distribution, extreme, limit, specific, adapt, naturally, human activities, methane, act, ultra violet, controller, dynamic, continental, volcano, comet, meteorite, phenomena, electricity, energy sector, chemical cycle, aspect, condition, accelerate, genetic, sensitive, tundra, polar regions, interior

2. Guess the meaning of the underlined words. Translate the sentences.

1) The ability of the atmosphere to capture and recycle energy emitted by the Earth surface is the defining characteristic of the greenhouse effect. 2) The greenhouse effect is a process by which radiative energy leaving a planetary surface is absorbed by some atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases. 3) Greenhouse gases transfer heat to other components of the atmosphere, and also re-radiate the energy in all directions. 4) An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. 5) Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 6) Temperature is believed to have been relatively stable over the one or two thousand years before 1850. 7) The Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in 2005, sets legally binding emission limitations for most developed countries.

3. Translate the following word combinations:

come into being; the average weather; statistical distribution of weather; across the whole Earth; suddenly and noticeably; throughout the earth's history; a cause of worry; act as a blanket; tree rings; pollen samples; sea sediments; factors responsible for climate change; the large-scale use of fossil fuels; covered with vegetation; mountains of waste; a threat to mankind; the earth's average surface temperature; regular instrumental records; weather patterns; extreme weather conditions; melting of glaciers; densely populated parts of the world

4. Match the word from list A with its definition in list B.

A

B

1) humidity 2) settle in   3) nitrogen 4) greenhouse   5) ray 6) regard     7) waste 8) weather   9) climate 10) latitude

a) (degree of) moisture (in the air) b) distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees c) consider, look upon mentally d) gas (symbol N) without colour, taste or smell, forming about four-fifth of the atmosphere e) that can not be used, no longer of use f) building with sides and roof of glass, used for growing plants that need protection from the weather g) weather conditions of a place or area; conditions of temperature, rainfall, wind, etc h) line of radiant light, heat, energy i) conditions over a particular area and a specific time with reference to sunshine, wind, rain, etc j) move into a new house, job, etc and put things in order

5. Place the appropriate word from the list in each of the blanks below:

rays, ozone layer, latitude, greenhouse gases, greenhouse effect, contributing, trend

1) The … is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet's lower atmosphere and surface.

2) The major … are water vapor, which causes about 36–70 percent of the greenhouse effect; carbon dioxide (CO2), which causes 9–26 percent; methane (CH4), which causes 4–9 percent; and ozone (O3), which causes 3–7 percent.

3) The main positive … in global warming is the tendency to increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, a significant greenhouse gas.

4) Most scientists accept that humans are … to observed climate change.

5) The … of the Earth's atmosphere plays an important role in depleting the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches the surface.

6) The climate of a region depends on a number of factors, especially …

7) The sun's … hit the equator at a direct angle between 23 ° N and 23 ° S latitude.

Reading for Speaking and Discussing

Read the text and choose the title to each part:

a) Causes of climate change

b) Impacts of climate change

c) Human causes

d) Definition of climate change

e) Natural causes

Climate Change

1. Ever since the earth came into being there has been a climate system. The climate of a place is the average weather that it experiences over a period of time. The factors that determine the climate at a location are the rainfall, sunshine, wind, humidity, and temperature.

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

While changes in the weather may occur suddenly and noticeably, changes in the climate take a long time to settle in and are therefore less obvious. Throughout the earth's history there have been changes in the climate. There have been well-marked cold and hot periods and all life forms adapted naturally to this change.

Over the last 150-200 years climate change has been taking place too rapidly and certain plant and animal species have found it hard to adapt. Human activities are said to be responsible for the speed at which this change has occurred and it is now a cause of worry to scientists.

The atmosphere surrounding the earth is made up of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%) and the remainder, 1%, is made up of the greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, water vapour, and nitrous oxide. These greenhouse gases act as a blanket and protect it from the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun. They can also be regarded as natural controllers of the earth's temperature system.

2. The earth's climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle. What the world is more worried about is that the changes that are occurring today have been speeded up because of man's activities. These changes are being studied by scientists all over the world who are finding evidence from tree rings, pollen samples, and sea sediments. The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories - those that are due to natural causes and those that are created by man.

3. There are a number of natural factors responsible for climate change. Some of the more prominent ones are continental drift, volcanoes, ocean currents, the earth's tilt, and comets and meteorites. Any or all of these phenomena can have an impact on the climate.

4. The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century saw the large-scale use of fossil fuels for industrial activities. These industries created jobs and over the years, people moved from rural areas to the cities. This trend is continuing even today. More and more land that was covered with vegetation has been cleared to make way for houses. Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries, transport, and consumption. Consumerism (our increasing want for material things) has increased by leaps and bounds, creating mountains of waste. Also, our population has increased to an incredible extent.

All this has contributed to a rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the energy needed to run vehicles, generate electricity for industries, households, etc. The energy sector is responsible for about ¾ of the carbon dioxide emissions, 1/5 of the methane emissions and a large quantity of nitrous oxide. It also produces nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) which are not greenhouse gases but do have an influence on the chemical cycles in the atmosphere that produce or destroy greenhouse gases.

5. Climate change is a threat to mankind! Since the end of the 19th century the earth's average surface temperature has increased by 0.3-0.6 °C. Over the last 40 years, the rise has been 0.2-0.3 °C. Recent years have been the warmest since 1860, the year when regular instrumental records became available.

Some important aspects of our lives can be affected through changes in weather patterns.

They are:

Agriculture

Extreme weather conditions such as high temperature, heavy rainfall, floods, droughts, etc. will also affect crop production.

Weather

A warmer climate will change rainfall and snowfall patterns, lead to increased droughts and floods, cause melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets, and result in accelerated sea- level rise. Coastal areas and small islands are among the most densely populated parts of the world. They are also the most threatened because of rises in sea level that global warming may cause

Health

Global warming will directly affect human health by increasing cases of heat stress.

Forests and wildlife

Ecosystems sustain the earth's entire storehouse of species and genetic diversity. Plants and animals in the natural environment are very sensitive to changes in climate. The ecosystems that are most likely to be affected by this change are the ones in the higher latitudes, the tundra forests. Polar regions will feel the impact of warming more than others. Interiors of continents will experience more warming than the coastal regions.

Marine life

Corals are known as the tropical forests of the oceans and sustain diverse life forms.

As ocean waters in the tropics become warmer, the damage to coral reefs seems to be increasing. These corals are very sensitive to changes in water temperature, which causes bleaching.

There is still a great deal that we do not understand about our climate, and about how our activities will change it. But one thing can be said loud and clear: if we wait to get answers to these questions, it will probably be too late!

1. Grammar Revision. Find in the text and translate the complex sentences with:

Conditional Subordinate Clause