Téma: Global issues
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Barbora Matušincová
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Four million years ago, humans first walked on the Earth´s surface. We have a highly developed brain. We learn quickly and can plan for the future. We soon began to change the balance of the environment in our favour. (= v náš prospěch). The number of people on the Earth is growing each year making our environmental problems worse. The main ones are:
The main problems of developing countries.
Third World, or developing nations (rozvojové země), is a term we use to describe countries that aren’t as developed as those in Europe, the United States, Canada, etc. These countries share characteristics of widespread poverty (obecně rozšířená chudoba), high birth rates (vysoká porodnost), and undeveloped industry. Other problems include disease, hunger, lack of (nedostatek) education, and human rights issues.
Poverty
Poverty is a worldwide problem that produces, many other problems. Countries with a poor educational system often have poorer residents (obyvatele). People living in poverty often commit (páchají) crimes to support themselves or their families, which leads (vede k) to unsafe cities. Poor people don’t often have enough to eat, which leads to malnutrition (getting sick from not eating the right types of food) and starvation (hladovění, smrt hladem). Poor countries also may not have a good health care system (zdravotní pojištění), which leads to a population that is ill and has many diseases.
We see these problems in many African countries like Chad and Nigeria, as well as in Central American countries like Guatemala, South American and further in Brazil, Nepal, and countries closer to home like Romania.
Wars
Conflicts are happening around the world. We are all familiar with (být obeznámen s něčím) the problems in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, many innocent civilians are being killed in the fighting or are forced to leave their homes for safer areas. We could see fighting between Israel and Lebanon in the Middle East, the area constantly troubled by the long-term Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
There are different reasons for war: sometimes two groups are fighting for control of a country and sometimes their dispute (konflikt, neshoda) is based on their religions (náboženství).
We’ve seen a rise (nárůst) in terrorist acts committed by people who believe they are defending their religion. The attacks in the US in September 2001and in Britain in July 2005 are two examples – but people in Indonesia, Spain, Israel and the Palestinian territories also have suffered (trpět, snášet něco) from terrorism.
Pollution
As the world population expands so does the amount of waste (odpad) people produce. While there are countries or regions that have invested heavily (výrazně, velmi mnoho) in modern waste-management technologies, innovative recycling and waste reduction programs, others have chronic problems with garbage.
We produce lots of waste in the home and toxic chemicals from industrial processes. These must be disposed (zbavite se) of safely. Chemicals are used to kill pests (škůdci) in agriculture, to increase (zvýšit) production. Toxic waste from industrial processes leaks (uniká) into our waterways. Toxic waste kills fish in rivers, lakes and the sea. Wastes getting into our drinking water or chemicals getting into our food cause illness and diseases.
Environmental issues
are a concern for everyone. They relate to (týkají se):
- global warming, which is becoming a huge problem,
- climate change (can lead to more frequent floods as well as catastrophic droughts)
- too many cars on the roads,
- companies that pollute the air and water with chemicals,
- a consumer society that produces too much waste,
- destruction of the ozone layer (ozónová vrstva) – all of this is of concern for people, animals and plants – and could soon affect the way we live.
- the destruction of many forests, especially in South and Central American countries like Brazil and Costa Rica, means many animals and insects are becoming extinct (vyhynou, na pokraji vyhynutí) = cutting down rainforests which are considered to be the lungs of the Earth = deforestation (kácení lesů)
How can you help our environment?
Recycling is separating waste from home and reusing most of it. We should separate organic waste and reuse it in the garden compost, separate paper and cardboard (lepenka), glass and plastic bottles. There are recycling banks or bins (kontejnery na tříděný odpad) nearly everywhere.
We must all save more energy, which means to:
- Switch off lights
- Turn down the central heating
- Insulate our houses
- Reduce packaging on goods
- Re-use items instead of buying new ones
- Recycle to reduce waste
- Think of future generations and encourage politicians to see the longer view
- THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Greenhouse effect
A life on our planet depends of a thin layer of gases (tenká vrstva plynů), called the atmosphere. Like the mentioned transparent blanket, the atmosphere keeps the surface of the Earth warm. Without it the average temperature on Earth would be around minus 18°C. With this atmospheric blanket the average temperature is actually around plus 14 degrees Celsius.
The energy from the Sun, in the form of ultraviolet (ultrafialové) radiation streams in through (proniká skrz) the atmosphere and warms the surface of the Earth. In a similar way, the energy is reflected back out into space as infrared (infračervené) radiation, and absorbed by the gas molecules, which trap the heat inside, like in a greenhouse.
This is called the greenhouse effect.
Global warming
The earth has a thing atmosphere that is like a transparent blanket (průhledná pokrývka) that keeps us warm. In a process called the greenhouse effect high energy radiation from the solar system is trapped by gases such as carbon dioxide. (je zachycen plyny, jako například oxid uhličitý) This heat energy keeps Earth temperatures too high to support life. (příliš vysoké na udržení života) The causes (příčiny) are that carbon fossil fuels (fosilní paliva) such as coal (uhlí) are burnt to produce energy. This process produces large amount of carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere. More carbon dioxide means a larger greenhouse effect so the Earth´s overall (celková, globální) temperature is increasing. This could cause rising sea levels (stoupající hladiny moří), unpredictable weather (nevyzpytatelné počasí) in the form of flooding or drought, hurricanes and large loss of life.
Solution to (řešení) this problem is to change the way we produce energy and produce less carbon dioxide.
Drugs
Drugs are one of the most serious challenges young people face these days. Many classifications are possible but the one most frequently used is into soft and hard drugs.
Examples of soft drugs are: cigarettes, marijuana, hashish and also caffeine (present in tea of coffee).
Hard drugs are for example: heroine, cocaine, alcohol, diluters (ředidla), adhesives (lepidla), sedatives …
Symptoms of taking these drugs are varied: red eyes, tiredness (únava), slow reactions, sleepiness, joking, uncoordinated movements, constricted pupils (zúžené zornice).
The consequences (následky) may include: harm to the airways and lungs (poškození dýchacích cest a plic), brain or liver. Overdose (předávkování) may lead to death, too.
It is advisable to look for any change. Teenagers may start dressing or behaving in a new way, or even leave home suddenly. Also, he or she gets out of touch with their long-time friends and looks for new ones who have similar interests and face the same problems. Teenagers may often spend a lot of time locked away in the toilet or bathroom.
The question remains why people take drugs: it may just curiosity (zvědavost), boredom, or desire to be accepted into a specific group of people.
Famine and hunger
- Some 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. That’s about one in nine people on earth.
- The vast majority of the world’s hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished (podvyživený).
- Asia is the continent with the most hungry people – two thirds of the total. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest prevalence (percentage of population) of hunger. One person in four there is undernourished.
- Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year.
- One out of six children – roughly 100 million – in developing countries is underweight (mít podváhu).
- One in four of the world’s children are stunted (nevyvinutý). In developing countries the proportion can rise to one in three.
- If women farmers had the same access (přístup k) to resources as men, the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million.
- 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.
www.wfp.org/hunger/stats
Unemployment
Nowadays young people face quite a big problem finding a good job. It is not usually difficult to find a job, but if you want to work in your field (pracovat v oboru) and take advantage of the knowledge you gained at the university (využít znalostí, které člověk získal na univerzitě), then it is difficult. If people cannot find a job, they have to go and register at the job centre (úřad práce) and for very small monthly allowance (za velmi nízkou měsíční podporu) they have to wait till a suitable job appears.
It must be rather depressing to be on the dole (být na podpoře) because if nothing comes up you start to underestimate yourself (podceňovat se). I would probably go abroad and do any job rather than here, because, I would at least learn a foreign language. It is a good idea to take up a PC or driving course as it sounds more interesting to your possible employer (zaměstnavatel).
