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Looking after the environment!
The Forestry Commission manages nearly 900,000 hectares of forest in Britain. Its main purpose is timber production, although it also tries to develop its forests for recreation by the general public. In many parts of upland Britain the Forestry Commission planted dense squares of. evergreen trees which did not fit in with the irregular native woods, but modern state-run forests are planted with more thought for their effect on the environment.
Durdle Door, Dorset The National Trust was set up in 1895. It is a voluntary society with a million and a half members and it now owns more than 200,000 hectares, particularly in the Lake District and North Wales. It has 190 houses open to the public, 51 villages, 38 pubs and nearly 12,000 farms. Durdle Door, on the Dorset Coastal Path, is part of its Enterprise Neptune scheme, which protects 800 km of coast. The North Sea is in danger of becoming poisoned to death. More than 70 million tonnes of industrial waste are dumped into it each year. If river pollution is included, at least 50,000 different chemicals get into the North Sea, including heavy metals like
North Sea pollution mercury, lead and arsenic, highly poisonous chlorinated compounds and fertilisers which can kill fish and make shellfish unsafe to eat. Until the 1960s, mining waste in the coalfields was left on the surface in ugly heaps. These are now landscaped and grassed over to provide a safer and cleaner environment. The disposal of nuclear and other dangerous waste continues to be a problem as available land decreases. It is estimated that an area of countryside the size of London disappears into urban, industrial and recreational use every twelve years.
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT S 57
Comprehension Use the information on these two pages to answer the questions. 1 Which pictures illustrate 2 Which pictures illustrate 3 Which of the concerns in 4 List the five threats to the Discussion Work in pairs. 1 Make your own 2 Collect the opinions of the
58 BRITAIN EXPLORED Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1686
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