Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, affecting every aspect of our environment and health. Understanding the basic science behind climate change, particularly the greenhouse effect, is crucial for everyone, especially learners at the B2 level. This lesson will explore how human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions and how these changes impact the planet. By engaging with this material, learners will be able to better understand the implications of climate change and the importance of taking action to mitigate its effects.
Read the vocabulary list to familiarize yourself with key terms.
Watch the video once without worrying about filling in the gaps.
Fill in the gaps while watching the video again.
Read the full text and watch again to consolidate.
A structure with glass walls and a roof for growing plants.
The quality of being hot; high temperature.
Carbon dioxide, a gas produced by burning fossil fuels.
Relating to industry or manufacturing.
A period of twelve months; time measured in years.
A clear liquid essential for life; it falls as rain and is found in rivers and lakes.
The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, including temperature, precipitation, and wind.
Air pollution, typically a mixture of smoke and fog.
An organ in the body that allows us to breathe; essential for respiration.
Gases released into the atmosphere, often from vehicles or factories.
Climate change is a global issue that requires international cooperation. Different countries experience its effects differently, and cultural perceptions of climate change can vary significantly. Understanding these perspectives is essential for discussions on climate action.
In this lesson, pay attention to the pronunciation of key terms such as 'greenhouse' and 'emissions.' The stress in 'greenhouse' falls on the first syllable, while 'emissions' has stress on the second syllable. Additionally, linking can occur in phrases such as 'greenhouse gases,' where the 's' can blend into the next word, making it sound like 'greenhousegases.' Practicing these words in context will help improve fluency.
To effectively use this lesson, start by listening to the audio while following along with the transcript. Focus on the key vocabulary and their meanings. After the initial listening, review the true/false questions to test your comprehension. Next, practice the open-ended questions by speaking out loud or writing your answers. This will help reinforce your understanding. Finally, consider shadowing the audio, repeating phrases to improve pronunciation and fluency.
Transcript adapted by ListenLoop for language learners. Read alongside the video to consolidate comprehension.
Human activities from pollution to overpopulation are driving up the earth's temperature and fundamentally changing the world around us. The main cause is a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons let the sun's light in but keep some of the heat from escaping, like the glass walls of a greenhouse. The more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the more heat gets trapped, strengthening the greenhouse effect and increasing the earth's temperature. Human activities like the burning of fossil fuels have increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution. The rapid increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has warmed the planet at an alarming rate. While Earth's climate has fluctuated in the past, atmospheric carbon dioxide hasn't reached today's levels in hundreds of thousands of years. Climate change has consequences for our oceans, our weather, our food sources, and our health. Ice sheets such as Greenland and Antarctica are melting. The extra water that was once held in glaciers causes sea levels to rise and spills out of the oceans, flooding coastal regions. Warmer temperatures also make weather more extreme. This means not only more intense major storms, floods, and heavy snowfall, but also longer and more frequent droughts. These changes in weather pose challenges. Growing crops becomes more difficult. The areas where plants and animals can live shift, and water supplies are diminished. In addition to creating new agricultural challenges, climate change can directly affect people's physical health. In urban areas, the warmer atmosphere creates an environment that traps and increases the amount of smog. This is because smog contains ozone particles, which increase rapidly at higher temperatures. Exposure to higher levels of smog can cause health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer. While the rapid rate of climate change is caused by humans, humans are also the ones who can combat it. If we work to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which don't produce greenhouse gas emissions, we might still be able to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change.
