A A GENERAL ENGLISH

Deforestation
Lesson code: 1ZSX-E7EF-MF16 UPPER INTERMEDIATE +

1 Warm-up
What do you think are the most serious environmental problems in the world nowadays?

2 The environment
Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right:

1. deforestation a. a forest in the tropical regions which receives a lot of rain

2. rainforest b. cutting down trees for wood
3. carbon dioxide (CO2 ) c. gases which cause a gradual warming of the surface of Earth
4. greenhouse gases d. keeping animals on a very large farm, especially in America
5. emitter e. something that causes gases to be released into the atmosphere
6. logging f. the destruction of forests by people
7. ranching g. the gas which forms when something is burned or when living organisms
breathe
8. conservation h. the protection of the environment

3 Find the information

Read the article and find out the following information:

1. The percentage of global greenhouse gases caused by deforestation.

2. The percentage of global greenhouse gases caused by transport and industry.
3. The number of people who would produce the same amount of CO2 by flying from the UK to New
York as one day of deforestation.
4. The two countries which emit the largest amount of greenhouse gases.
5. The number of tons of CO2 entering the atmosphere every year from deforestation.
6. The percentage of life on Earth present in tropical forests.
7. The amount of the Earth's surface covered by tropical forests.
8. The number of people dependent on the tropical forests for food.
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 Deforestation
A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

Deforestation
The hidden cause of global warming
Adapted from The Independent, Monday, 14 May 2007, by Daniel Howden

1 The accelerating destruction of the rainforests is Following close behind is Brazil. Neither nation
now being recognised as one of the main causes has heavy industry on a comparable scale with
of climate change. Carbon emissions from the EU, India or Russia and yet they emit more
deforestation cause much greater damage than heat-trapping gasses than all other countries,
planes, automobiles and even factories. except the United States and China. What both
countries do have in common is tropical forest
2 The uncontrolled destruction of tropical forests is that is being cut and burned.
second only to the energy sector as a source of
greenhouse gases according to a report published 8 According to the figures from 2003, two billion
by the Global Canopy Programme (GCP), an tons of CO2 enters the atmosphere every year
alliance of leading rainforest scientists. from deforestation. That destruction amounts to
an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland.
3 Figures show that deforestation accounts for up to
25 per cent of global emissions of heat-trapping 9 International demand has driven intensive
gases, while transport and industry account for 14 agriculture, logging and ranching, which have
per cent each; and aviation makes up only 3 per proved an unstoppable force for deforestation;
cent of the total. conservation has been no match for commerce.
4 Scientists say one day's deforestation is 10 Forestry experts and policy makers want to put
equivalent to the carbon footprint of eight million deforestation on top of the agenda for the UN
people flying to New York. Reducing those climate summit in Bali, Indonesia, this year.
catastrophic emissions can be achieved most Papua New Guinea, among the world's poorest
quickly and most cheaply by slowing the nations, last year declared it would have no
destruction in Brazil, Indonesia, the Congo and choice but to continue deforestation unless it was
elsewhere. given financial incentives to do otherwise.
5 No new technology is needed, says the GCP, just 11 Richer nations already recognise the value of
the political will and a system of enforcement and uncultivated land. The EU, for example, offers
incentives that makes the trees worth more to e200 per hectare (10000m2 ) to its farmers to
governments and individuals standing than felled. leave their land unused.
6 Most people think of forests only in terms of the 12 And yet there is no agreement on placing a value
CO2 they absorb. The rainforests of the Amazon, on the vastly more valuable land in developing
the Congo basin and Indonesia are thought of as countries. More than 50 per cent of the life on
the lungs of the planet. But the destruction of Earth is in tropical forests, which cover less than
those forests will in the next four years alone 7 per cent of the planet's surface. Forests are also
pump more CO2 into the atmosphere than every home to 1.6 billion of the world's poorest people
flight in the history of aviation to at least 2025. who rely on them for subsistence.
7 Indonesia became the third-largest emitter of 13 Putting a price on the carbon these vital forests
greenhouse gases in the world last week. contain is the only way to slow their destruction.
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 Deforestation
A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

4 Checking understanding
Read the article again and decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The cutting down and burning of tropical forests is the main source of greenhouse gases.
2. New technology is needed to save the trees, according to scientists.
3. The rainforests of the Amazon, the Congo basin and Indonesia absorb the greatest amounts of CO2 .
4. Indonesia and Brazil emit smaller amounts of greenhouse gases than EU countries and Russia.
5. Intense agriculture, logging and ranching are blamed for the cutting down of forests.
6. Papua New Guinea declared that it would continue to cut down its forests even if given cash to leave
them standing.
7. Governments have agreed on how much money to pay for leaving land unused in developing
countries.

5 Phrases in the text

Match the words in the left and right columns to form phrases from the text. Explain what the phrases
mean.

1. carbon a. agriculture
2. leading b. countries
3. heavy c. footprint
4. intensive d. incentives
5. financial e. industry
6. developing f. scientists

6 Find the words

Find the word in the text which means:

1. the industry of transporting people by planes (noun, P3)

2. determination to do something (noun, P5)
3. cut down (verb -ed, P5)
4. an important formal meeting between leaders of two or more countries (noun, P10)
5. producing enough food to keep a person alive (noun, P12)
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 Deforestation - Key
A A A A GENERAL ENGLISH

2- The environment

1. f 2. a 3. g 4. c 5. e 6. b 7. d 8. h

3- Find the information

1. 25%
2. 14%
3. 8 million
4. the United States and China
5. two billion
6. more than 50%
7. less than 7%
8. 1.6 billion

4- Checking understanding

1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. F

5- Phrases in the text

1. c 2. f 3. e 4. a 5. d 6. b

1. the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by a person, organization or country

2. the most important scientists
3. industry that uses large machines
4. agriculture that uses farming practices intended to produce as much food as possible
5. money used to encourage a person to do something
6. the poorer countries of the world

6- Find the words

1. aviation 2. will 3. felled 4. summit 5. subsistence LE

i
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