Unit8EverybodyCanHelptheEnvironment

Part1A

1.Greenpeaceisanindependentglobalcampaigningorganizationthatactstochangeattitudes

andbehavior,toprotectandconservetheenvironmentandtopromotepeace.

2.WWFWorldWildlifeFoundationwasbomintotheworldin1961.Itsultimategoalistobuild

afuturewherepeopleliveinharmonywithnature.

3.SOSistheongoingmessagingcampaignandlargermovementbehindLiveEarth.The

messageofSOSisthateveryone,everywherecanmustAnswertheCalltosolvetheclimate

crisis.

4.GreenSchoolProjectisanorganizationthathelpsschoolsacrosstheUSwiththeirbudgetsin

ordertoreducetheamountofwastethatgoestothelandfill.

5.OnDecember10,2007,theIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangeandAlGoreJr.were

awardedtheNobelPeacePrizefor“theireffortstobuildupanddisseminategreater

knowledgeaboutman-madeclimatechange,andtolaythefoundationsfbrthemeasuresthat

areneededtocounteractsuchchange.^^

6.FriendsoftheEarthInternationalistheworld'slargestgrassrootsenvironmentalnetwork,

uniting70nationalmembergroupsandsome5,000localactivistgroupsoneverycontinent.It

campaignsontoday'smosturgentenvironmentalandsocialissues.

7.EEBEuropeanEnvironmentalBureauisanon-governmentalorganizationwith143member

organizationsin31countries.Itsspecificmissionistopromoteenvironmentalpoliciesand

sustainablepoliciesontheEuropeanUnionlevel.

8.TheSurfriderFoundationisanon-profitgrassrootsorganizationdedicatedtotheprotection

andenjoymentoftheworld'soceans,wavesandbeaches.Foundedin1984inCalifornia,it

nowmaintainsover50,000membersworldwide.

9.USGBCTheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilisanon-profitorganizationcommittedto

transformingthewaybuildingsandcommunitiesaredesigned,builtandoperated,enabling

andenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsible,healthy,andprosperousenvironmentthat

improvesthequalityoflife.

10.Foundedin1977,theAlliancetoSaveEnergyisanon-profitorganizationthatsupports

energyefficiencyandadvocatesenergy-efficiencypoliciesthatminimizecoststosocietyand

individualconsumers,andthatlessengreenhousegasemissionsandtheirimpactontheglobal

climate.

11.TheEarthOrganizationisagrassrootsinternationalnon-profit,conservationand

environmentalorganization,withnewsolutions,committedtothecreative,responsible

rehabilitationofPlanetEarthandtheplantandanimalkingdoms.

12.TWPTrees,Water&Peopleisanonprofitorganizationfoundedin1998,helping

communitiesprotect,conserve,andmanagethenaturalresourcesuponwhichtheirlong-term

well-beingdepends.

13.AmericanForestsisAmerica'soldestnonprofitcitizens,conservationorganizationfoundedin

1875.Itworkstoprotect,restoreandenhancethenaturalcapitaloftreesandforests.Healthy

forestsfilterwater,removeairpollution,sequestercarbon,andprovidehomesforwildlife.

14.GAATheGlobalAmphibianAssessmentisthefirst-evercomprehensiveassessmentofthe

conservationstatusoftheworld's5,918knownspeciesoffrogs,toads,salamanders,and

caecilians.Almost600scientistsfrom60countrieshavenowcontributedtotheproject.

15.ASESTheAmericanSolarEnergySociety,foundedin1954,isanon-profitorganization

dedicatedtoincreasingtheuseofsolarenergy,energyefficiency,andothersustainable

technologiesintheU.S.

B

1.Buyfreshfoodthatdoesn'tneedalotofpackaging.

2.Trytobuy“organic“fruitandvegetablesfromfarmerswhodon'tusechemicals.

3.Saveasmuchwateraspossible.

4.Useproductsthatwon'tstayforeverintheearthorseawhenyouthrowthenaway.

5.Usebottlesmorethanonceortakethemtoabottlebank.

6.Trytosavepaper.Also,buyanduserecycledpaperasoftenaspossible.

7.Avoid“throw?away“products.

8.Makesurethatyourfamilyandfriendsuseunleadedpetrolintheircars.

9.Don'tbuyproducts(furorivory,forexample)makefromrareorprotectedspecies.

10.Usepublictransportationasoftenaspossible.

11.Ifyou'rebuyingwood,don'tchoosehardwoodformtropicalrainforests.

12.Lookforaerosolswhichhaven'tgotanyCFCsinthem.

13.Don'tbuyhamburgersorpizzasinplasticboxeswhichcontainCFCs.

14.Usebatteriesaslittleaspossible.Ittakes50timesmoreenergytomakethemthanthey

produce.

15.DonUleaveonelectriclights,TV,hi-fi,etc.,ifyou'renotusingthem.

16.Findoutmoreaboutconservationissuesinyourarea.Arethereanywoodsorfieldsindanger,

forexample?

17.Trytothrowawayatleast25%lessrubbish.

18.Helpoldpeopleinyourareatoinsulatetheirhomes.Thissavesenergyandhelpstokeep

themwarminwinter.

19.Visitanylocalnaturereservesorzoosandtalktothepeoplewhorunthem.

PartII

CampaignCaliforniaRe-LeafasinL-E-A-FwaskickedoffrecentlywithapartyinSan

Francisco'sWashingtonSquareParkthrownbyacoalitionofsevenurbanforestrygroups.The

focusofthepartywastheplantingofasingletree,thefirstof20milliontobeplantedin40

Californiancitiesoverthenextdecade.Thetreeplantingcampaignisanattempttodeflatewhat's

beencalledtheGreenhouseEffect.Scientistsbelievethattheearthisgettingwannerbecauseof

anaccumulationofcarbondioxideintheair.Treestakecarbondioxideoutoftheair.

MartinRosenisthedirectoroftheTrustforPublicLand,theorganizationthatis

coordinationthestat-widetreeplatingeffort.C6Timeisnotneutral.Wearesorapidlydepletingthe

atmosphere,wearesorapidlychangingtheclimate,thatunlesswestartnowthesituationmay

wellbecomeirreversible.^^

Somemoviestarswereonhandforthetreeplantingceremony.ActorPeterCyoteservedas

themasterofceremonies."Unlesstheenvironmentalmovementcomesintoeverybody'slife,in

realsimpleactivities,it'snotgoingtowork.Plantingatreeisrealsimple.SoIwantedto

participateinsomethingthatwasreallyaccessibletothecitizen,justtoeverydaypeople,to

children.Sothatascitizenswecandoa

AfterPeterCyoteintroducedafewspeakersandacoupleofsongsweresung,theceremony

movedovertoacorneroftheparkwhereagroupofyoungstersplantedaCopperBeechtree.

IsobelWadeisthestatecoordinatorforCampaignCaliforniaRe-Leaf.Wadesaysthetree

plantingsareimportantbecausetheywillhelpcleanupthecarbondioxideintheatmosphere,

improvetheenvironmentandmakeneighborhoodsmoreattractive,butIsobelWadecautionsit

isn'tenough."It'sonestepinacombinationofthings.Theotherkindsofthingsthatwecanallbe

doingarebeingmuchmoreconsciousabouthowweuseenergyinourhome,whetherwe're

buying一ah-fuelefficientcarsandproducts,whetherwe'reusingStyrofoamwhenwedon'thave

tobe,—ah-whetherwe'returningofflightbulbswhenwe-ah-leavetheroom-um—andjust

avarietyofpersonalactionslikerecyclingthatweneedtostartthinkingaboutanddoingmore.”

IsobelWadealsosaysshe'dlovetoseeeveryoneinCalifornia^urbanarrearstakethetime

toplantonetreeandtakecareoftheonesthatarealreadygrowing.

KeyB

1.plantingsingletree

2.deflateGreenhouseEffect/takeCO2

3.realsimpleactivities/accessibletopeople/citizens/doalot

4.cleanupCO2/improveenvironment/neighborhoodsattractive

5.avarietyofpersonalactions

PartIII

Whenyougotothesupermarket,canyouresistusingplasticbags?Forlotofus,probably

wontWhatyoueatout?Canyouguaranteenottouseanyplastictableware?Andhowaboutif

someoneasksyou;canyourecommendareplacementforplasticproducts?Don'tsaypaper!Here

isanewsolution;biodegradableplastic!

Aseveryoneknows,plasticisabigenvironmentalheadachealthoughitbringsusmuch

convenience.Likeplasticbags,plasticfoodcontainers,andplastictableware.Butitisperhapsthe

mostharmfulofallourgarbagebecauseitdoesnoteasilybreakdowninnature.

AresearcherformtheChineseAcademyofSciences,JiJunhuisaysheandhiscolleagues

havefoundabettersolution.

“WhenthePBSinthebiodegradableplasticcomesincontactwithmicroorganismsor

enzymes,theplasticstructurewilldegradeintosmallerpieces,andfinallyitturnsintowaterand

carbondioxide.Thisishowthebreak-downprocessworks.^^

PBSisachemicalcomponentthatisthekeytothisnewbiodegradableplastic.Itcanhelpthe

plasticdegradeintonon-pollutingelements,sothebroken-downplasticfragmentscanbe

absorbedbysoilandwater.

PBSisnotanentirelynewproduct,however,thisChina-madebiodegradableplasticissafer

andmoreheat-resistant.AccordingtoJiJun-hui,testinghasshownthat90%ofthisnew

biodegradableplasticcanbedegradedwithin90days.Anditeventakesashorterperiodoftimeif

itisburiedinadumpratherthanexposedtotheair.

Usually,biodegradableplasticfoodcontainersmadeinothercountrieswillmeltwhenthe

temperaturereaches60degreeCelsius,whiletheChineseproductcanretainitsshapeinupto100

degrees.

However,JiJunhuisayshis-techproductsoftencomeatahigherprice.

“PBSproductisabitmoreexpensivethanordinaryplastic.Takingaplasticbowlasan

example,thePBSbowlcanbe20%moreexpensivethanthecurrentplasticbowlweuse.”

SomehotelsandrestaurantsinShanghaihavealreadystartedusingthenewPBS

biodegradableplasticfoodcontainers,andtheproductwillbepopularizedinBeijingaswellasin

otherbigcities.

Itwillplayaroleinthe2008OlympicGames.Besidesintheproductionofplasticfood

containersandtablewarefortheGames,PBSbiodegradableplasticwillalsobeusedtomakeroad

signs,teamcheeringequipmentlikehornsandminiflags,aswellastrashbags,umbrellasand

eyeglassframes.