Pollution and the environment

1. Important definitions
People are more worried about the environment (= the air, water, and land around us) as a result of the harmful (= dangerous/ damaging) effects of human activity.
Some of these activities cause pollution (= dirty air, land and water) and some are destroying the environment (= damaging it so badly that soon parts will not exist).

Here are some of the problems:
_ the ozoner layer: a layer of gases which stop harmful raidation from the sun reaching the earth; recent research shows that there is now a hole in parts of the ozone layer.
_ global warning: an increase in world temperature caused by an increase in carbon dioxide.
_ acid rain: rain that contains dangerous chemicals; thiis is caused by smoke from factories.

Because of these problems, there are many groups of people whose aim (n- mục đích) is conservation (n- bảo tồn) (= the protection of natural things, e.g. plants and animals).
They are often referred to as "Greenpeace' and 'Friends of the Earth'.

2. Common causes of damage
_ smoke from factories
_ car exhaust fumes (n) khói xả xe hơi
_ dumping (n- rác thải) (= throwing away) industrial waste (=unwanted material) in seas and rives.
_ aerosol (n- bình phun) cans (n- lon) (called sprays). Some of these contain CFCs (= a chemical) which can damage the ozone layer.
_ cutting down tropical rainforests. This increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

How can we help?
_ Don't throw away bottles, newspaper, etc. Take them to a bottle bank or newspaper bank, and then they can be recycled (= used again).
_ Plant more trees.
_ Don't waste resources, e.g. water, gas. Try to save them.