NEWSLETTER ON CLIMATE CHANGE / GLOBAL WARMING

 Read the following newsletter about the Climate Change.

1. What do you think it talks about? 

2. Do you like it? Why?

3. Say something good about it.

 

THE GLOBAL WARMING

Scientists who study the climate are still arguing about how fast the earth is warming and how much it will warm, but they do agree that the earth is warming and that it will keep warming if we don’t do anything about it.  

(Sandra Austin)  What is causing global warming?
Scientists agree that the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal cause greenhouse gases to escape into the air and that these gases are causing most of the warming. Another cause is deforestation (cutting down trees).
Trees soak up carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases, from the air.

What will happen if global warming continues?
There are already some changes happening because of global warming. Sea level is rising and some animals are already moving to new homes. It’s already too late to stop global warming completely.


If the warming gets worse, as scientists expect, there may be some kinds of plants and animals that become extinct (disappear completely) because they can’t move to new homes. There may be more storms and floods. Sea level may rise so much that people have to move away from the coasts. Some areas may become too dry for farming.

What can I do about global warming?
You don’t have to wait until you are grown to do something about global warming. Scientists agree that the burning of fossil fuels is causing global warming. Since these fuels are burned for energy, and everyone uses energy, everyone can help stop global warming just by using less energy.

(Boston, 25/03/2007)

Short Story on Climate Change

Read carefully the following story. 

1. What do you think it talks about? 

2. Do you like it? Why?

3. Say something good about it.

THE TINY FLOWER'S LIFE

There was once upon a time a tiny flower that grew in the middle of a green field.

This little flower could feel the wind carissing her leaves; she could feel the sun kissing her petals, and whenever she felt thirtsty, she could drink water through her roots that went deep into the ground.

The tiny flower grew and grew from one year to the other having everything that she needed just around her. But life couldn't be that easy, so one day, the flower noticed that her roots couldn't reach the water from the underground anymore. 

She started to feel more and more thirsty! In addition, the sun that used to kiss her petals when she came out from the seed, would now burn her and dry her!

The wind that caressed her petals would now strech and pull her violently!

Life wasn't easy anymore... The tiny flower felt as if mother nature was now against her, but why would she?

You see, it wans't mother nature who was against the tiny flower. The times were changing around her and she didn't even notice it. The people who she didn't even know were changing the nature to addapt her to their needs without taking into account the tiny flower, who was now about to die.

Time passed, and in her sadness, the tiny flower dried, not before planting her own seed in the arid land that used to be so full of life. 

The future will decide if the seed spourts, but we have to be the ones that change the future.

 THE END

A Poem on Climate Change

Read carefully the following poem written by a girl from Russia. 

1. What do you think it talks about? 

2. Do you like it? Why?

3. Say something good about it.

I don`t want my children to see the Earth die,

Without fish swim and without birds fly,

With no air for breathing, no water to drink,

When global conditions will make the land sink.

I don`t want emissions to stay in the air,

To fill our lungs and to spread everywhere,

To cause global warming, submerging the land!

To stop all this mess we should lend our hand!

The nature is dying together with us,

We wouldn`t exist here but for the green grass…

We must prevent nature from saying «farewell»-

In case it is dying, we`re dying as well!

What could human beings` activities mean –

To make our planet one big rubbish bin?!

No matter that you may be only a teen –

It`s never too early or late to be green!

To show our children the beauty of life;

To help polar bears and pandas survive;

To claim to the world that this talk should gain weight

Let`s firstly take part in the global debate!

Julia Melnikova, School #13, St. Petersburg, Russia

Webpages

Water Pollution

In this webpage you will find extensive information about "Water Pollution".

 Air Pollution

In this webpage you will find extens information about "Air Pollution".

Soil Contamination

In this webpage you will find extens information about "Soil Contamination".

Climate Change

In this webpage you will find extens information about "Climate Change".

Overfishing

In this webpage you will find extens information about "Overfishing".

Deforestation

In this webpage you will find extens information about "Deforestation".

The Environmental Problems

 


We live in a very fragile Planet. Most of the elements that harm it are caused by the humans, so we are the ones that can find the solutions for them.

For centuries, we have exploited the resources that the nature offered us, but we didn't take into account that they would get to an end.

Now we are facing a difficult situation: the cilamte is changing, we've almost exhausted the natural resources, etc. 
In other words, we've modified our planet, and as a result, we've "broken" it.

Here is a list of some of the Environmental Problems that we can find nowadays:

-          Water Pollution

-          Air pollution

-          Soil contamination

-          Climate change

-          Overfishing

-          Deforestation

Investigate about them; see what you can find out in order to avoid them. 

Good luck!