34_climate_change.pdf

environment Climate change Are we doing enough to help? Climate change! Global warming! These days you hear all kinds of news and opinions about how the environment is changing. Scary TV shows predict massive floods, earthquakes and famines; political leaders from all over the world discuss what st...

environment Climate change Are we doing enough to help? Climate change! Global warming! These days you hear all kinds of news and opinions about how the environment is changing. Scary TV shows predict massive floods, earthquakes and famines; political leaders from all over the world discuss what steps to take – everyone is finally paying attention to this global phenomenon. The effects conflict (crisis in western on people Sudan). The reduction in such as Bangladesh and the Kyoto – yes or no? rainfall has turned millions Netherlands would be worst hit. Is global warming really affecting of hectares of grazing land Hotter temperatures are people now? And where can we into desert, forcing the Arab expected to have a direct Do you remember the fuss see these effects? The answers nomads to move south to fight impact on your health. They created when the United to these questions are “yes” and over land already occupied by can increase the number States government decided “all over the world”. other people. of people who die for many not to sign the Kyoto The year 2007 was the sixth reasons because the heart Agreement? This international hottest in Australian (recorded) Predictions has to work harder to keep the plan is supposed to reduce history. People there had to body cool. Doctors warn that greenhouse gases (that is, to endure bushfires, floods, global warming could mean reduce putting polluting gases intense storms and droughts. Predictions for the future more cardiovascular disease. into the air, which causes The European heat wave of include extreme weather, With all these scary the atmosphere to heat up 2003 killed 22,000 – 35,000 an expansion of tropical predictions, it is no wonder abnormally) and help the people. The Arctic region has diseases, and drastic more and more people are environment. experienced a temperature economic impact. What does trying to support efforts to At the meeting in Kyoto, rise of 1°C to 3°C over the last this all mean? There is likely reduce global warming. Japan, in 1997, many countries 50 years, and Canada, Alaska to be less food as droughts and signed an agreement, now and Russia are experiencing rising temperatures can create called the Kyoto Agreement, melting of permafrost. deserts in some areas. Forest which committed the countries Hurricanes in the Atlantic fires may occur more regularly. to reduce their emissions from Ocean were thought to be People may fight more over 2008 to 2012, and to prove it an entirely North Atlantic food and land. There could with statistics. phenomenon. In late March be an increase in diseases However, only developed 2004, the first Atlantic cyclone carried by insects such as countries were required to to form south of the equator tick encephalitis and malaria reduce emissions. The largest, hit Brazil with 144 km/h winds. as regions become warmer. fastest-growing countries in the In Tanzania, there used Higher temperatures will also world – China, India, and Brazil to be a drought about every increase the demand for water. – did not have to do anything; 10 years. Now droughts are Some researchers predict that they could continue polluting more frequent and so is the over 50 % of animal and plant as usual. At the same time, flooding. Areas which were species may die out. the US, which was responsible never affected by mosquitoes Many of the world’s largest for 25 % of all greenhouse now are. The rains come at and most prosperous cities gas emissions, was assigned the wrong time for farmers, are on the coast, and it to cut far too much fuel causing many problems. will be difficult to protect If global warming continues, extreme usage in a very short time, Climate change may be one them against the rising sea droughts can turn some areas into according to the government of the causes of the Darfur levels. Low-lying countries deserts. administration of President 22 Bridge 06/2007–2008 George Bush. Nonetheless, many people believe that after Y Vocabulary Bush leaves office at the end flood [flVd] - záplava earthquake ["@:TkweIk] of 2008, the new president - zemětřesení may be willing to sign, too. famine ["f&mIn] - hladomor phenomenon [fI"nQmIn@n] - jev People say – yes! to endure [In"djU@] - přetrpět, snést drought [draUt] - sucho heat wave - vlna horka temperature rise ["tEmp(@)r@tS@] Politicians are often not very - zvýšení teploty o eager to implement expensive melting of permafrost ["p@:m@frQst] measures to cut emissions. In - tání trvale zmrzlé půdy spite of this, ordinary people entirely [In"taI@li] - výlučně, pouze have been working on their cyclone to form south of the equator [saIkl@Un I"kweIt@] - cyklon, který own for decades to reduce se vytvořil jižně od rovníku pollution. mosquito [mQ"ski:t@U] - moskyt, One program that helps komár the environment in the US is reduction in rainfall [rI"dVkS(@)n] called Best Workplaces for - snížení srážek Rainfalls cause disastrous flooding in Bangladesh. has turned... of grazing land into Commuters. In this program, desert, forcing [greIzIN dI"z@:t employers help employees fO:sIN] - změnil... pastviny v poušť, find better ways to get to work, their employees find that some Nations has a program což donutilo rather than just hopping into drivers gladly give up their (called Clean Development expansion of tropical diseases the car and driving alone to the parking place in exchange for Mechanism) that acts like [Ik"sp&nS(@)n dI"zi:zIz] - rozšíření job. It encourages companies cash. Even smaller businesses Robin Hood. This program tropických nemocí there is likely to be - je to offer benefits such as: discover that allowing raises billions of dollars pravděpodobné, že bude free bus passes (or reduced employees to work at home from rich countries and tick encephalitis [tIk En%sEf@"laItIs] price ones) makes their workers more gives them to poor countries - klíšťová encefalitida the ability to telework (to use productive and happier. to lower their production sea level ["lEv(@)l] - hladina moře the Internet to work at home) Perhaps best of all, the of greenhouse gases. For cardiovascular disease ["kA:dI@U"v&skjUl@] matching up people who environment benefits from example, wind turbines have - kardiovaskulární onemocnění can carpool to work together the program. For example, been built in Inner Mongolia fuss [fVs] - poprask (take turns driving each other the energy saved by the Best with money from this to reduce greenhouse gases [g&sIz] to and from work) Workplaces program in just program. - snížit emise skleníkových plynů funds to help pay for a van to one year is enough to provide to heat up - ohřívat se to commit [k@"mIt] - zavázat (někoho bring workers to the job over 200,000 households The future k něčemu) a cash payment to workers with electricity over that was assigned to cut far too much fuel who give up their parking period. Furthermore, the usage [@"saInd fjU@l "ju:sIdZ] place at work program has achieved other In the meantime, countries - dostaly za úkol příliš výrazně omezit Businesses like the Best beneficial results: Saved continue to meet and discuss používání (fosilních) paliv Workplaces plan because almost 13,000 acres of forest plans for reducing greenhouse to be willing ["wIlIN] - být ochotný to implement - zavést it helps them save money from deforestation, and saved gas emissions. The latest to hop into - naskočit do in unexpected ways. For almost 8,000 railcars of coal. meeting, held in Bali, lasted benefit ["bEnIfIt] - výhoda example, large companies Similar programs are two weeks in December 2007. bus pass [pA:s] - legitimace which have problems finding popular elsewhere in the The result? Participants agreed (“tramvajenka”) enough parking spaces for world as well. The United to continue negotiating during to match up [m&tS] - dát dohromady 2008-09 in order to come up to give up - vzdát se, zříci se (něčeho) household ["haUsh@Uld] with an international agreement - domácnost Solar-powered taxi on what should happen next, after the original Kyoto deforestation [di:"fQrI"steIS(@)n] - odlesnění, kácení lesů Many people dream Agreement “dies” in 2012. railcar ["reIlkA:] - vagon about electric cars, Hana Škrdlová (Canada), to raise [reIz] - získat (peníze) but a Swiss teacher Mary Matz (USA) actually built one. And Solar-powered taxi a trailer loaded with ["treIl@ then he drove it all the "l@UdId] - přívěs naložený way from Switzerland to the climate change Discuss: is then fed into a battery ["b&t@ri] - napájí baterii conference in Bali, Do you consider climate Indonesia, just to prove it could work. change a serious problem? Do you think governments Û Glossary The car pulls a trailer loaded with six square meters are doing enough to deal nomad – a member of a community of solar panels. The panels absorb sunlight and produce with the problem? that moves with its animals from What parts of the Best place to place electricity. The power is then fed into a battery which commuter – someone who regularly drives the car. It took Palmer three years to build his car, Workplaces for Commuters travels between work and home with the assistance of scientists at four universities and program do you find most wind turbine – a tall structure financial help from 15 Swiss companies. The car can cover interesting? Which would with blades (= wide flat parts on 100 km a day. work best in your area? a machine) that are blown round by Mary Matz (USA) What do you, personally, do the wind and produce energy to help the environment? Bridge 06/2007–2008 23