Conference of ecologists.

What steps the world business community has to take to reduce ecological damage

Unit 25

Ecological and Natural Resource Concerns

One of the most important social challenges to business is to strike a balance between industrial production and nature’s limits. Industrial production, mining, and farming are bound to produce waste and pollution, along with needed goods and services. Waste and pollution are a price society pays for rising population, urbanization, and more goods and services. All industrial societies – whether the United States, Japan, Germany, Russia, or South Korea – create a disproportionate (relative to population) share of the world’s pollution and waste simply because these are the unavoidable by-products of a high level of economic activity. The emerging nations of the third world, with their rapid growth rates and limited pollution controls, also contribute to global ecological problems as their economies become more industrialized.

Consumers too are responsible for much solid waste and pollution because they demand, buy, and use pollution-generating products such as automobiles, refrigerators, air conditioners, and computers. The widespread use of product packaging and the proliferation of toxic products such as cleaners, lawn chemicals, batteries, and antifreeze all contribute to global pollution issues.

Ecological impacts extend far beyond national boundaries. Stratospheric ozone depletion potentially threatens health and agriculture on a worldwide basis. The industrial accident at Chernobyl’s nuclear power station spread dangerous radiation across several European nations and sent a radiation cloud around the globe. Oil spills fouled the oceans and beaches of many nations. The cutting and burning of tropical rain forests has the potential to affect weather climates throughout the world.

Reading tasks

Answer the questions:

1. What produces waste and pollution?

2. How are consumers responsible for waste and pollution?

3. What proves that pollution is an international problem?

Vocabulary tasks

Match the words with their definition:

1. challenge	a. what must be given or done to obtain something
2. balance	b. out of proportion, relatively, too large or too small
3. waste product	c. one who uses a product
4. price	d. the stable condition arising from even distribution of weight or amount
5. disproportionate	e. a product arising incidentally in the manufacture of something else
6. by-product	f. a line marking the limit of land
7. consumer	g. a call or demand to respond
8. boundary	h. to produce an effect on
9. affect	i. wrapping or container for goods
10. packaging	j. a useless by-product of an organism or manufacture

Speaking

Working in groups, discuss the following statements, which ones do you agree or disagree with?

1. Balance between industrial production and nature’s limits is essential.

2. Waste and pollution are a price society pays for rising populations, urbanization, and more goods and services.

3. Industrial societies create a disproportionate share of the world’s pollution and waste.

4. Consumers are responsible for solid waste and pollution.

5. Ecological impacts extend far beyond national boundaries.

Unit 26

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 812

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