Environmental problems

Destruction of the ozone layer The ozone layer stops harmful radiation from the sun. Too much radiation causes sunburn and skin cancer in humans. The ozone layer - destroyed by harmful gases from aerosol cans, air conditioning, fridges, production of plastic products etc. Over Antarctica - a hole in the ozone layer, as well as over some other parts of the Earth.

The greenhouse effect and global warming The Sun makes heat that warms the atmosphere. In the atmosphere - various gases, produced by people.(Car fumes, factories – burning coal, oil, petrol, gas or wood etc.) These gases = greenhouse gases (e.g. freons, water vapour, methane or carbon dioxide) Work like the glass in a greenhouse. Heat can get in, but can‘t get out. Greenhouse effect - global warming – increase of the world temperature - melting ice-caps - rising seawater levels - flooding of coastal areas.

Cutting down the rain forests People and animals - breathe in oxygen, breathe out carbon dioxide. Trees and plants - take carbon dioxide from the air, produce oxygen -more trees necessary. People cut down rainforests - provide land, paper, wood, medicines, minerals, fuels etc. Forest animals, insects and flowers - destroyed too - extinction.

Litter Water supplies Our society - too much packaging, food waste, plastic bags, plastic products, electronics etc. Dumping places – harmful for environment – polluting water sources, contamining soil and air. Diseases - spread more easily. Water- important - homes, factories, survival. Water shortages - all over the world e.g. Africa, Far East. Factories - wasting and polluting water, pouring chemicals into lakes and rivers. People - wasting water at home, leaking pipes in water mains.

What can we do for better environment? Stop using chemicals, start buying environmentally friendly products e.g. detergents. Stop using cars for short journeys. Walk, use public transport, cycle more. Use unleaded petrol. Stop using metal cans, plastic bags, bottles. Start using glass bottles, bags from bio-degradable materials instead. Recycle paper, plastic, glass - use recycled paper. Save water, have showers, not baths. Do not wash up under running water. Start planting more trees. Turn off lights, Tv, radio, use special light bulbs to save electricity.

Zdroje Viney, Peter and Karen Viney. Grapevine. Student‘s book. Oxford University Press, 1992 Evans, Virginia and Jenny Dooley. Student‘s book. Express Publishing, ole_sept2000.jpg _Dump.jpg ekt.gifhttp: ung.JPG