This episode’s vocabulary
To publicise
verb — to make information about something generally available.
Emission
noun — the act of sending out gas, heat, light, etc..
Accord
noun — (a formal) agreement.
Fossil fuels
plural noun — fuels, such as gas, coal, and oil, that were formed underground from plant and animal remains millions of years ago.
Pollutant
noun — a substance that pollutes.
Biosphere
noun — a part of a planet's environment where life exists.
To biodegrade
verb — to decay naturally and in a way that is not harmful.
To implement
verb — to start using a plan or system.
Renewable
adj. — Renewable forms of energy can be produced as quickly as they are used.
Energy source
noun — something such as oil, coal, or the sun, which can be used to provide power for light, heat, machines, etc.
Scrubber
noun — a system or piece of equipment for removing substances that are harmful to the environment from a gas.
Disposable
adj. — a disposable product is intended to be thrown away after use.
Policy
noun — a set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a group of people, a business organization, a government, or a political party
Regulation
noun — an official rule or the act of controlling something.
To limit
verb — to control something so that it is not greater than a particular amount, number, or level.
Natural resources
plural noun — things such as minerals, forests, coal, etc. that exist in a place and can be used by people.
Greenhouse gas
noun — a gas that causes the greenhouse effect, especially carbon dioxide.
Acid rain
noun — rain that contains large amounts of harmful chemicals as a result of burning substances such as coal and oil.
To turn a blind eye
idiom — to ignore something that you know is wrong.
To haunt
verb — to cause repeated suffering or anxiety.
The polluter pays principle
idiom — the idea that the person or organization that causes pollution should pay to put right the damage that it causes.
To reap what you sow
idiom — to experience the result, often a bad one, of something that you did in the past.
Questions and answers
How can the air quality be improved?
The most publicised methods usually include reducing emissions from vehicles, factories and power plants. We could also use cleaner sources of energy and implement policies and regulations to limit pollution. I think, the Paris Accords were part of that. Weren't they?
Do you think the cities are cleaner or dirtier than the countryside?
The city definitely tends to be more polluted than the countryside due to, well, just the higher population density and therefore increased industrial activity. And that leads to increased pollution and waste, I suppose.
And is there more pollution now than in the past?
Yes. Increasing human activities and the use of fossil fuels or related chemicals are just releasing more harmful pollutants into the biosphere than before. There's a compound called C-8 that's in all the food chains and all blood of every living thing on earth now. And it doesn't biodegrade, so you can't get rid of it. And that never used to be the case.
Do you think the wind has any effect on air pollution?
Yeah, it could transport pollutants from fumes from one area to another, which spreads the effects of pollution over a wider area.
What can factories do to reduce pollution?
They could implement cleaner production technologies using renewable resources, renewable energy sources, sorry. And implementing pollution control measures like filters and scrubbers. I imagine we could also shut down those producing disposable goods that harm the environment too.
And what can people do together to improve the local environment?
Well, there are lots of community cleanup efforts and recycling initiatives that reduce the resources being used up and thrown away. Generally, supporting policies and regulations that limit pollution and protect natural resources also does a lot of good in this respect.
Do modern means of transport cause harm to the environment?
Well, definitely. Through emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants that contribute to climate change and things like acid rain. People often turn a blind eye to it because of the convenience, but it does come back to haunt certain areas when the trees start dying.
Who should be responsible for protecting the environment?
That pretty much falls to everyone, since we all live on this planet. However, governments and businesses play a crucial role in implementing policies and practices that protect natural resources and limit pollution. There's this great principle called polluter pays that ensures those who cause pollution basically reap what they sow. It's a great way to determine the weight of responsibility. Though, we could all do our part to help. -