第十一类 环境保护

01 How is the natural environment in your area?

1.1 环境非常好

The natural environment in my area is awesome. It's almost a pollution-free environment. The sky is clear blue and the air is so fresh. Our neighborhood is full of tall, woody trees, which provide us with plenty of shade during hot summers. These green spaces also attract kids, pets, and families, and are the perfect spot to hang out with friends. Furthermore, there's an abundance of fresh foods. We eat fresh seafood that we often catch ourselves. Everyone grows something here, so we can eat local and organic fruits and vegetables. We get fresh lettuce from the kids' school, avocados from our tree, and kiwis, apples and plums from our neighbors. So it's much easier to embrace a healthy lifestyle here.

1.2 雾霾严重

The city I live in is periodicallysuffering from severe smog. Sometimes it is so thick, just like the dense fug in an airport smoking lounge. You can scarcely see across the street. And the air quality index can easily go above 500, rated“hazardous” by United States standards. And if you blow one's nose at the end of the day, it comes out black. Sometimes you can even see the tiny particulates floating in the air, and most of them will inevitably end up in people's lungs. I usually wear masks outdoors and turn on air purifiers at home, but I still worry about getting lung cancer.

1.3 水污染严重

In my area, clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. I can often see riverbanks filled with trash, such as cans of paint, plastic bags, and discarded furniture. It's just so disgusting. In addition, factories are filling rivers with toxic pollutants, some of which are colorless, but still pose a major threat to our health; some of which are quite colorful, turning the water jet black in some area, then milky white.

Cancer village has become a new Internet catchphrase, which describes the village where nearly all its inhabitants got cancer because of pollutants from nearby rivers. Death rates are extremely high in these places. I just feel so sad that people are dying constantly, especially when such tragedies could be avoided if people were more concerned with protecting the environment.

1.4 土地污染严重

Compared to air pollution, soil pollution is more easily hidden and long-lasting. Unfortunately, the city I live in is facing intimidating challenges in controlling soil pollution, which has contaminated food crops and jeopardized public health. My mom always spends a lot of money on organic foods because she believes it is less exposed to pollution as compared to foods produced by conventional farming methods. Because of pollution, farmers have to plant their crops in polluted soil, and then water those crops with contaminated water. Naturally, the crops absorb the pollutants as they grow. As a result, the food supply is at risk. It's a shame that a lot of arable land in my country has become too polluted to be farmed.

1.5 垃圾掩埋场

Well, most of the time, I love my neighborhood. But there is just one blemish in an otherwise perfect setting—a nearby landfill. I love to sleep at night with my windows open, so that the air in my bedroom can be fresh for the whole night, and for most nights, the air indeed is fresh. However, there are some nights when the landfill is working, and the smell is just unbearable. The air is filled with an inexpressible smell that is a mix of garbage, rotten food, and excrement. I would reluctantly close my window and turn on the air conditioning, which I never enjoy.

02 Is environmental protection important?

2.1 重要

2.1.1 影响生活质量

Yes. Environmental protection has to be our priority, since it is the only way to protect our, and especially our children's health. Many of them have missed the wonder of childhood because of serious pollution. When I was a kid, I climbed trees, fished in a nearby pond, and played outside with my friends from sun up to sun down. However, now in order to“escape” from smog, children are trapped in their rooms next to air purifiers. They seldom have access to nature. Parents live in constant fear, worrying that their children might get sick. So I really want children to have the kinds of experiences I had as a child. But they would first need a healthy environment, with parks and gardens where they can play and explore without danger.

2.1.2 影响人们的身体健康

Yes. It is definitely our responsibility to protect the environment. The earth is our home. It is where we live, breathe, eat, and raise our children. Our health is dependent on the well-being of Earth. When the air is polluted, we can get lung cancer; when drinking water is contaminated by excessive lead, infant mortality rates rise significantly; and when our crops absorb too many pollutants, we absorb deadly pollutants too. So, we should do whatever we can to prevent pollution. To protect ourselves we must first protect our planet.

2.1.3 危害自然资源

We need to protect the environment before it's too late. Our development in economics is largely gained at the cost of polluting natural resources such as clean water supply, arable land and the forest. Those are not unlimited resources. So when they run out, we will definitely be in big trouble. It will be too late to regret at that time. We should start acting now.

2.1.4 破坏食物链

Contamination from factories has already led to the extinction of many animal and plant species. As more species disappear, our eco-systems become more vulnerable. Eventually, the food chain will be broken when too many species become extinct. In a forest, for example, frogs eat grasshoppers, snakes eat frogs, and eagles eat snakes. If all grasshoppers are killed by some deadly pollutant, the population of frogs will probably drop dramatically since their main source of food has vanished. Snakes and eagles will have a very difficult time then, and might also die out soon.

2.1.5 导致人才流失

Environmental protection is very important, because it can help us stop the“brain drain”. Thousands of talented people are striving to escape from China just to breathe some cleaner air. Pollution is also dis-suading foreign talents from coming to China. In my opinion, people are leaving because they are too disappointed. Cities are all too crowd-ed with both people and automobiles. Contaminated crops are causing concerns about the food we eat. It is clear that pollution is choking the future of China, making it a less attractive place for talents, both within and outside of China.

2.2 不重要

2.2.1 经济发展更重要

Economic development is of great importance, especially for developing countries such as China. You just can't have your cake and eat it too. Governments must choose between a good environment and a flourishing economy. Historically, most countries chose the latter, and tend to improve the environment after getting rich.

Economic development is of more importance because one cannot ask people to heal the environment, or even just mind it, if they can barely sustain themselves. For example, some poor people in tropical regions can earn good money by catching tropical fish. To catch the fish more easily, they use chemicals or dynamite to stun the fish. It is true that what they do will destroy the environment, but we cannot blame them because they need to earn money and feed themselves.

2.2.2 完全不在乎污染

No. I don't care about environmental protection at all. I don't mind about trivialities such as the“possible” chronic diseases caused by pollution. I am always optimistic and prefer to seize the day. So I won't stay at home just because of air pollution. I love outdoor activities and I hate wearing masks, because masks are for losers. I just do whatever I want no matter if there is smog or not. I think I am doing just fine.

03 Why do people pollute the environment?

3.1 贫困

The environment tends to be jeopardized more in poorer areas,because when people can barely sustain themselves, nobody is in the mood to care for the environment. For example, some poor people in tropical regions can earn good money by catching tropical fish. To catch the fish more easily, they use chemicals or dynamite to stun the fish. It is true that what they do will destroy the environment, but we cannot blame them because they need to earn money and feed themselves.

3.2 利益驱使

Businesses and factories pollute the environment to maximize their profits. It happens a lot in the oil and gas industry, especially in developing countries. We all know what we are doing is harmful to the environment, but we keep doing it, because the profit for several wells in a pad can be worth billions. I was a field engineer in an oil and gas company. One of the techniques we always used to increase the production is fracturing. We pumped various chemicals into the field. Ironically we knew some of them were toxic. These injections were very close to the drinking water supply, which meant sooner or later they would enter into the nearby rivers and streams. And both the groundwater and the surface water will be contaminated as well. Developed countries are no better. In order to save costs, their companies outsource their factories and export their waste to developing countries, which heavily pollute the environment.

3.3 人口爆炸所致

People do not pollute the environment on purpose. It's just that there are so many people. Human overpopulation silently aggravates the environmental pollution, habitat loss and the overuse of natural re-sources. For example, freshwater is the most fundamental finite re-source with no substitutes, yet we are consuming fresh water at least 10 times faster than it is being replenished. Also, modern farming practices produce cheaper food, but they have grown to become the biggest threat to the global environment through the loss of ecosystems. Deforestation is also the result of the need to find more arable land. So overpopulation has become one of the reasons that cause pollution.

04 What are governments doing in response to the pollution?

4.1 提升油价、电价

If governments are serious about energy conservation, they can start by increasing the price of gasoline and electricity. Choices people make are largely driven by cost. In 2007 and 2008, when oil prices were hitting record highs, people were less willing to buy SUVs, since they consume more oil. But once prices had plunged at the end of 2008, SUVs and trucks were once again the industry's biggest sellers. So, as for me, I will definitely choose to consume less, and the higher the price, the greater my incentive to make that choice.

I recently found out that increasing the price of gasoline is a great way to lessen car emissions, since I just got my driver's license and started driving. In the past, I never cared about the fluctuation of oil prices. But now, I notice when oil prices surge, I often end up paying like 50 bucks more per month. That's a lot for a student like me. So I have switched to riding bikes when the price is too high.

4.2 投资绿色能源

Beijing recently issued its first pollution“red alert”, closing schools, factories and construction sites, and ordering half of all private cars off the road, but these measures were only temporary. In a country where millions of people still look to industrialization to save them selves from poverty, the government needs to introduce green energy. Fortunately, local governments are investing in wind energy and solar energy, as well as other renewable energies, to minimize the burning of fossil fuels. Also, some governments encourage the use of green products by providing subsidies. For example, by buying an electric car, people can receive government subsidies, because electric cars are 100 percent eco-friendly. They do not emit toxic gases or smoke in the environment as they on electrically powered engines.

4.3 种树

I recently saw a video on Sina Weibo, which claims that the best way for governments to improve air quality is just to plant more trees. It is the cheapest among all methods, but at the same time the most effective. The video points out that several European countries are building huge purifiers next to residential areas, and some are using chemicals to remove smog; but none of the methods is cost-effective. On the other hand, planting trees is the best way since PM 2. 5 and other harmful chemicals in the air will stick to the leaves on trees. And when it rains, these harmful particles will be washed away into the ground, which means there is no maintenance cost.

4.4 制定生产标准

In some countries, governments require that refrigerators, dishwashers and other appliances meet certain efficiency targets, and electricity suppliers are required to label their products. These disclosure labels for fuel sources and emissions would be analogous to nutrition labels on food, so that consumers can determine whether the washing machine they want to buy is an energy saver.

4.5 制定法律

In some countries, legislators have passed amendments to the country's environmental protection laws, promising greater powers for environmental authorities and harsher punishments for polluters. However, there is a gap between legislation and implementation. In some countries, air pollution or water pollution control laws are pretty good compared to global standards, but no matter how good the laws look on paper, the true test will always be the willingness of local authorities to enforce them.

05 What should people do to make the environment better?

5.1 使用公共交通

Whether we're flying away on business trips or commuting to work on a daily basis, the way we travel is one of the biggest environmental polluters in our lives. It's hard to give up all these habits, but taking steps to reduce them will impact the environment. I got so excited when bike sharing systems started popping up across Beijing, because traveling by car across Beijing in rush hour is often a nightmare. Even distances of a few kilometers can take up to an hour when traffic is bad. Now, thanks to the bike sharing system, I just grab a bike after I get off the metro. It's just so convenient. I can not only save time, but also get some exercise. And the most important thing is, that if we all do so, there will be fewer cars on the road and less fumes produced.

5.2 随手关灯

You've probably heard this a million times that you should turn the light off when you leave the room, even if you're only off for a few minutes. It does make a difference to the environment, since it saves energy. If you're forgetful, you can put stickers next to light switches to remind householders to save energy by turning lights off when leaving the room.

5.3 加强回收意识

We should launch campaigns to enhance people's awareness of environmental protection, such as recycling as many things as we can. Manufacturing industries create a lot of pollution, so if we can reuse things like plastic shopping bags, clothing, paper and bottles, it definitely can help. For example, you have tons of clothes or things you want to get rid of. If they are still usable, you can give them to poor kids who live in the mountains. You may also choose to give them to the Red Cross. You get to kill three birds with one stone: protecting the environment, helping poor kids, and feeling good about yourself.

5.4 提高停车费

There are lots of things schools can do to protect the environment. They can raise the cost of campus parking to discourage students from driving to school. You know, I live in Beijing. There are just too many private cars, and the emissions from those cars causes very bad air pollution. A lot of people get diseases because of that. By raising the cost, it may encourage more students to take public transportation to school.

5.5 使用电子书

I just don't get why schools are still using paper-based books today, since all of which can be simply replaced by an iPad. I mean, everybody can afford an iPad now, right? So why are we still cutting down millions of trees each year and turn them into textbooks that we would only use for four months, and than throw away. If all schools around the world can switch to electronic textbooks, it would surely be a great contribution to environmental protection.