Letter to the Editor

You must answer this question. Write your answer in 300-350 words in an appropriate style.

The extract below is part of a newspaper article in environmental matters which you read recently. The editor invited readers to comment on the article. You have decided to write a letter to the paper, responding to the points raised and giving your own views.

We all worry about global warming. The problem, however, is that there is very little we can do about it without returning to the ‘dark ages’. The fact is, the very things that cause global warming are now essential to our lives. We need the energy from power stations to drive our industries. We can’t do without our cars, for example, or our refrigerators, or our mobile phones, or the millions of other goods we use and throw away each year. In the face of all this, is there really anything we can do to tackle the problem?

Write your letter. Do not write any postal addresses.

Key points.

1. How does the writer suggest we all feel about global warming?2. What does he/she think we can do about the problem?3. What examples does he/she give of things that cause global warming?4. Why is it so difficult to tackle the problem, according to the writer?5. What question does the writer ask at the end of his/her article?

Factfile.

Cars, factories and power stations all emit poisonous gases, including carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere; these add to air pollution. The increase in carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere causes the gradual warming of the Earth, which is called global warming. As a result of global warming, we are witnessing climate change. We can reduce pollution levels by using less energy and cutting gas emissions. We could cut down on manufacturing in factories if we demanded fewer consumer goods like refrigerators and washing machines. We

can develop cleaner technologies by producing cleaner petrol, for example. Cars cause pollution and congestion. Other ways of travelling are less harmful to the environment.

Brainstorm the topic.

1. Why do we need power stations? And factories?2. In what ways do factories and power stations pollute our environment? Is there any way we can control

this other than shutting them down completely?3. Do you think people need all the consumer goods they buy at present? Do you think they throw them

away too quickly?4. How do cars damage the environment? Is there any way we can reduce the damage other than banning

them?5. In your opinion, can we and should we tackle the problem of global warming? How?

Vocabulary.

Match the words into collocations.

1. make problem2. solve a suggestion/ a point3. cut an issue/ an objection4. protect/conserve emissions/production5. raise the environment

Underline the correct option.

1. I feel very hardly/ strongly about these matters.2. In your article, you refuse/ claim there is nothing more we can do.3. We need to take immediate measures/ measurements to reduce pollution.4. If we fail/ neglect to act soon, the consequences could be disastrous.5. The steps I suggested would guide/ lead to a reduction in pollution.6. I do not agree that what we are doing is a loss/ waste of time.

Complete each sentence with a word formed from the word in capitals.

Find useful collocations.

The ozone loss over Antarctica has reached record levels this year, scientists revealed today. Some 40m tonnes of ozone have been lost this year, exceeding the previous record of 39m tonnes seen in 2000, the European Space Agency (ESA) said. At 28m square km, it is not as large as it was in 2000 but this time the hole is deeper. Over the last decade the ozone level had lowered by about 0.3% a year on a global scale, the scientists said, increasing the risk of skin cancer, cataracts and harm to marine life. The ESA's atmospheric engineer, Claus Zehner, said: "Such significant ozone loss requires very low temperatures in the stratosphere combined with sunlight. "This year's extreme loss of ozone can be explained by the temperatures above Antarctica reaching the lowest recorded in the area since 1979." Ozone is a protective layer found about 25 kilometres above us and acts as a sunlight filter shielding life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. The ozone hole, which was first discovered in 1985, appears between August and November, the southern hemisphere's spring. Last week, Nasa scientists said it had a reached a record size for September and would continue to expand to a similar size each year until at least 2018. The thinning of the ozone is caused by the presence of pollutants originating from man-made pollutants like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are still present in the air despite being banned under the Montreal Protocol (1987). The ESA is launching the first of three satellites to assist in its work monitoring ozone levels. Claus Zehner said: "Long-term measurements of ozone levels are of key importance for being able to monitor the ozone's predicted recovery, which is currently estimated to take place by around 2060."