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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ENGLISH · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

DEFORESTATION

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1 Warm-up

What do you think are the most serious environmental problems in the world nowadays?

2 The environment

Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right:

1. deforestation a. a forest in the tropical regions which receives a lot of rain

2. rainforest b. cutting down trees for wood

3. carbon dioxide (CO2 ) c. gases which cause a gradual warming of the surface of Earth

4. greenhouse gases d. keeping animals on a very large farm, especially in America

5. emitter e. something that causes gases to be released into the atmosphere

6. logging f. the destruction of forests by people

7. ranching g. the gas which forms when something is burned or when living
organisms breathe
8. conservation h. the protection of the environment

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DEFORESTATION

3 Find the information

Read the article on the following page and find out the following information:

1. The percentage of global greenhouse gases caused by deforestation.

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2. The percentage of global greenhouse gases caused by transport and industry.

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3. The number of people who would produce the same amount of CO2 by flying from the UK to New
York as one day of deforestation.

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4. The two countries which emit the largest amount of greenhouse gases.

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5. The number of tons of CO2 entering the atmosphere every year from deforestation.

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6. The percentage of life on Earth present in tropical forests.

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7. The amount of the Earth’s surface covered by tropical forests.

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8. The number of people dependent on the tropical forests for food.

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DEFORESTATION

Deforestation
The hidden cause of global warming

Adapted from The Independent, Monday, 14 May 2007, by Daniel Howden

1.
The accelerating destruction of the rainforests is now close behind is Brazil. Neither nation has heavy
being recognised as one of the main causes of climate industry on a comparable scale with the EU, India or
change. Carbon emissions from deforestation cause Russia and yet they emit more heat-trapping gasses
much greater damage than planes, automobiles and than all other countries, except the United States and
even factories. China. What both countries do have in common is
2.
The uncontrolled destruction of tropical forests is tropical forest that is being cut and burned.
second only to the energy sector as a source of 8.
According to the figures from 2003, two billion
greenhouse gases according to a report published by tons of CO2 enters the atmosphere every year from
the Global Canopy Programme (GCP), an alliance of deforestation. That destruction amounts to an area
leading rainforest scientists. the size of England, Wales and Scotland.
3.
Figures show that deforestation accounts for up to 25 9.
International demand has driven intensive
per cent of global emissions of heat-trapping gases, agriculture, logging and ranching, which have proved
while transport and industry account for 14 per cent an unstoppable force for deforestation; conservation
each; and aviation makes up only 3 per cent of the has been no match for commerce.
total. 10.
Forestry experts and policy makers want to put
4.
Scientists say one day’s deforestation is equivalent deforestation on top of the agenda for the UN climate
to the carbon footprint of eight million people flying summit in Bali, Indonesia, this year. Papua New
to New York. Reducing those catastrophic emissions Guinea, among the world’s poorest nations, last year
can be achieved most quickly and most cheaply declared it would have no choice but to continue
by slowing the destruction in Brazil, Indonesia, the deforestation unless it was given financial incentives
Congo and elsewhere. to do otherwise.
5.
No new technology is needed, says the GCP, just 11.
Richer nations already recognise the value of
the political will and a system of enforcement and uncultivated land. The EU, for example, offers e200
incentives that makes the trees worth more to per hectare (10000m2 ) to its farmers to leave their
governments and individuals standing than felled. land unused.
6.
Most people think of forests only in terms of the 12.
And yet there is no agreement on placing a value on
CO2 they absorb. The rainforests of the Amazon, the vastly more valuable land in developing countries.
the Congo basin and Indonesia are thought of as the More than 50 per cent of the life on Earth is in
lungs of the planet. But the destruction of those tropical forests, which cover less than 7 per cent of
forests will in the next four years alone pump more the planet’s surface. Forests are also home to 1.6
CO2 into the atmosphere than every flight in the billion of the world’s poorest people who rely on them
history of aviation to at least 2025. for subsistence.
7.
Indonesia became the third-largest emitter of 13.
Putting a price on the carbon these vital forests
greenhouse gases in the world last week. Following contain is the only way to slow their destruction.

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DEFORESTATION

4 Checking understanding

Read the article again and decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The cutting down and burning of tropical forests is the main source of greenhouse gases.
2. New technology is needed to save the trees, according to scientists.
3. The rainforests of the Amazon, the Congo basin and Indonesia absorb the greatest amounts of
CO2 .
4. Indonesia and Brazil emit smaller amounts of greenhouse gases than EU countries and Russia.
5. Intense agriculture, logging and ranching are blamed for the cutting down of forests.
6. Papua New Guinea declared that it would continue to cut down its forests even if given cash to
leave them standing.
7. Governments have agreed on how much money to pay for leaving land unused in developing
countries.

5 Phrases in the text

Match the words in the left and right columns to form phrases from the text. Explain what the phrases
mean.

1. carbon a. agriculture

2. leading b. countries

3. heavy c. footprint

4. intensive d. incentives

5. financial e. industry

6. developing f. scientists

6 Find the words

Find the word in the text which means:

1. the industry of transporting people by planes (noun, P3)

2. determination to do something (noun, P5)
3. cut down (verb -ed, P5)
4. an important formal meeting between leaders of two or more countries (noun, P10)

5. producing enough food to keep a person alive (noun, P12)

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