The

Green
Deal
per le
Lingue comunitarie

183232
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The environmental
condition of our planet
is getting worse.
Human activity has
caused such damages as
pollution and climate
change that are producing
disasters in the physical,
chemical and biological
characteristics
of our land, air and water.
The best way to help our
environment is to
develop global ecological
conscience and establish
a new set of values.

THE IMPLICATIONS
OF GLOBAL WARMING
Signs of the effects of rising
temperatures are appearing
everywhere, and some
of them are surprising.
The heat is not only melting
glaciers and sea ice…
IN THIS ISSUE
TAKING ACTION
AGAINST GLOBAL
WARMING
How to reduce your carbon
footprint on the planet to be in
harmony with yourself and
with the environment.
GOING “GREEN”
Learn about how a British
family have changed their
lives for the better and read
about a student attending a
new university degree course
on “Climate Change”.
SINGING RESPECT
FOR NATURE
Mother Earth, a famous song
by Canadian singer
and songwriter Neil Young.

page 2 page 4 page 6 page 8

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 The

Green
Deal
The implications
of global warming
The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole,
and everywhere in between.
ABRIDGED FROM
Water and disasters,
Climate change is a monumental
UN, World Meteorological challenge1 to human adaptability.

Organization, Geneva)
Earth’s climate is a marvel of equi-
librium involving a host2 of interac-
tions and processes between the at-
mosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice
sheets3 and biosphere. This system
is driven by energy from the sun
which is naturally balanced, as the
Earth eventually re-emits solar ener-
gy back to space. The problem now
is that during the last half-century,
land clearance4 and emissions from
industry, cars and other sources have
overloaded5 the atmosphere with
greenhouse6 gases and effectively
turned up the heat. This disruption7
from the natural climatic balance is
climate change
KYOTO AND COPENHAGEN
CONFERENCES ON
The first conference on climate change took place in Kyoto, Japan, in
1997. There, developed countries agreed to specific targets for cutting
their emissions of greenhouse gases. Industrialized countries agreed to
an overall reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases to 5.2% below
1990 levels for the period 2008-2012. But the USA – as the largest CO2
producer worldwide – and most developing countries refused to sign this
agreement.
In 2009 more than 40,000 representatives of governments and non-
governmental organizations descended upon Copenhagen, Denmark,
for an historic climate conference in order to draw13 a comprehensive,
fair, and ambitious treaty that replaced the emissions reduction
mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately the delegates did not
reach a binding14 agreement.

fuelling some extreme weather mers and more risk of drought. Sea
events, such as floods, droughts8, levels could rise, in part fed by melt10
storms, heat waves. water from glaciers and ice caps11.
There are, of course, a number of Along with this, extreme high-water
natural causes driving climate levels may occur with increasing fre-
change, including variations in the quency. Higher sea levels could cause
amount of energy from the sun, vol- flooding of coastal lowlands, and
canic eruptions, asteroid impacts and erode sand dunes.
slow shifts9 in the circulation and All in all, it is a bleak12 picture.
temperature of the oceans. However,
the human input is likely to have the
more responsibility: levels of carbon 1. challenge: sfida 18. droughts: siccità
2. a host: un gran 19. shifts:
dioxide and other greenhouse gases numero cambiamenti
are constantly increasing. 3. sheets: coltri 10. melt: sciolta
A global scenario is therefore emerg- 4. clearance: 11. ice caps: calotte
deforestazione di ghiaccio
ing. A warmer world means a wetter 5. overloaded: 12. bleak: desolante
one, so the northern part of the sovraccaricato 13. to draw: stilare
Northern Hemisphere will probably 6. greenhouse: 14. binding:
serra vincolante
see even more storms, and some con- 7. disruption:
tinental areas will have drier sum- sconvolgimento

Activities 1. Read the text about global warming and say if the follow- 4. The Earth’s temperature has decreased
ing statements are true (T) or false (F). in the last half century. T F
1. Climate depends on the interactions of the earth’s 5. Floods, droughts, storms, heat waves are effects of
surface, atmosphere, and biosphere. T F climate change. T F
2. This natural balance has been broken during the 6. The human factor is most responsible for global
last ten years. T F warming. T F
3. Changes in climate are mostly due to greenhouse 7. Asteroid impacts may produce greenhouse gases. T F
gases. T F 8. The melting of glaciers is going to cause floods. T F
2

© Casa Editrice Principato

 Develop Global
Ecological Conscience

Effects of global
warming ANNUAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SECTOR
Industrial processes 16,8%

Power stations 21,3%

Transportation fuels
ADAPTED FROM Rising temperatures would raise sea 14,4%
National Geographic
levels reducing supplies of fresh water Waste disposal3 and treatment 3,4%
as flooding occurs along coastlines
world wide and saltwater reaches in- Agricultural byproducts1
12,5% Land use and biomass burning
land. Many of the world’s endangered 10,0%
species would become extinct if rising Fossil fuel retrieval,2 processing, Residential, commercial, and other sources
temperatures changed their habitat. and distribution 11,3% 10,3%

Effects that global warming has already produced

• Ice is melting world wide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes
mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland,
and Arctic sea ice.
• Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
• Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on
average.
• Ecosystems are changing – some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants
have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
• Species are extinguishing. Biologists have noted that since the mid-
1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears
have got considerably skinnier.

Effects that could happen later this century, if warming

continues
• Sea levels are expected to rise between 18 and 59 centimetres by
the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could
add between 10 to 20 centimetres.
• Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
• Plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become ac-
tive.
• Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall where
droughts are already common could decline by 10 per cent over the
next 50 years.
• With the melting of ice caps less fresh water will be available.
• Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.
• Ecosystems will continue to change – some species will move farther
north or become more successful in adapting to new environments.
Other species won’t be able to move and could become extinct.

1. byproducts: prodotti
secondari Activities 2. Read the text and find
2. fossil fuel retrieval: 1. where ice is melting;
estrazione di 2. why sea level rises;
combustibili fossili
3. waste disposal: 3. why polar bears are getting skinnier;
smaltimento rifiuti 4. what is changing as a consequence of global warming;
5. what will become scarce and what more common;
6. what will spread. 3

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 The

Green
Deal
Taking action against
global warming
Everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon
footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. Think about your
lifestyle decisions and find opportunities to reduce your climate
impact.
10 Simple tips to reduce
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle pa-

1
per, plastic, glass and alumini-
um. Up to 60% of the rubbish
that ends up in the dustbin
could be recycled.

Carry a reusable shopping

2
bag. Globally we consume be-
tween 500 billion and 1 trillion
bags each year, most of which
end up in the landfills1 or into
the sea.

Walk more, drive less. Cars

3
on the road produce millions
tons of carbon dioxide each
year. You can walk, bike, take
a bus instead.

Buy locally if possible. Ship-

4
ping burns fuel. A 5-pound
package shipped by air across
the country creates 12 pounds
of CO2 (3½ pounds if shipped
by truck).

Eat less meat. If you’re already

5
a vegetarian, you save at least
1,500 kilos of CO 2 per year
compared to meat eaters. If
you’re not a vegetarian, just in-
crease the number of vegetarian
1. landfills: discariche
2. poultry: pollame meals you eat each week. Also,
3. tuned: regolato poultry2 is less greenhouse gas
4. faucet: rubinetto intensive than beef.
4 5. unplug them: staccali dalla spina

© Casa Editrice Principato

 Develop Global
Ecological Conscience

Many nations and communi- Whether they will be able to

ties are taking action to slow
global warming by reducing
dependence on fossil fuels, in-
creasing the use of renewable
energy and expanding forests.
More and more individuals
are making significant
lifestyle choices that help to
sustain the environment.
recruit enough people to join
them, and whether their com-
bined efforts will be enough
to avoid the most serious ef-
fects of global warming, are
open questions that can only
be answered by future devel-
opments.

your carbon footprint

Don’t waste food. About one-

6
quarter of all the food prepared
annually is thrown away, pro-
ducing methane in landfills as
well as carbon emissions from
transporting wasted food.

Replace incandescent light Keep your heat-

7 8
bulbs with compact fluores- ing and cooling
cent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs system tuned 3.
save more than 2/3rds of the Move your ther-
energy of a regular incandes- mostat down 2
cent. degrees in winter
and up 2 degrees
in summer.

Save water. You can reduce

9
water and heating costs. In your
rage
bathroom turn the faucet4 off Encou
to
when brushing or shaving. others ir
the
These simple changes can save reduce
many thousands of litres of wa- carbon
ints!
ter annually. footpr

Turn electronics off and un-

10
plug them5 from when you’re
not using them to prevent
“vampire” energy loss from elec-
tricity usage on standby. Al-
ways remember to turn lights
off when you leave a room.

Activities 3. Read the tips. Find which tip(s) SPEAKING

encourages to 4. Discuss.
a. share information about recycling c. reduce waste: ___ • What else can you do to reduce your
and energy conservation: ___ d. turn off the lights: ___ impact?
b. reduce the use of energy: ___ e. become a vegetarian: ___
5

© Casa Editrice Principato

 The
Green
Deal
Going “Green”
People in search of more sustainable energy paths
VISIT
http://www.telegraph.co.
uk
BACK TO THE LAND
A different form of agriculture can change the way you live
John Rudgard was leading a
stressful life in the hospitality
sector, when his wife,
Stephanie, sent him on a
course – “Permaculture for
Busy People”. This changed
their lives. John left his job two
years ago to turn to the land;
1. advocates:
propugna
2. mimicking:
mimando
3. sewage system:
sistema delle
acque di scolo
now they no longer go on
holiday abroad or eat out in
trendy restaurants any more,
but they find their new life
healthier, invigorating and
affirmative. They raise
animals, grow food, and make
a living teaching others how to
6
follow in their footsteps, from The system is highly
their house, Rifleman Cottage, productive and biologically
in Kent.
Most of permaculture’s
principles are familiar to all of
us: use less, grow more, buy
less. The philosophy of
1
permaculture advocates a
more sustainable way of living,
using an ecologically
harmonious system that can
be adopted by anyone. John
uses the landscape as well,
growing a forest garden, sustainable, requires low
2
mimicking the structure of maintenance and it’s the most
natural woodland by planting stable type of ecosystem for
productive plants in layers. this climate. Most of John and
Stephanie’s day is spent
outside looking after their
hens and pigs, working their
orchard, improving insulation
and managing their sewage
3
system . They also give
courses promoting their way
of life and rent out half of their
cottage to visitors.
Permaculture is an approach to agriculture that is
modelled on the relationships found in nature. In
permaculture each element supports and feeds other
elements, ultimately aiming at systems that are virtually
self-sustaining and into which humans fit as an integral
part.
Activities 5. Read the text and answer the questions.
1. What changed John’s life?
2. What kind of life do he and his wife lead?
3. What else do they do, apart from cultivating?
4. What does permaculture philosophy involve?
5. What does this system require?
© Casa Editrice Principato
 Develop Global
Ecological Conscience

Lara Hill
Lara Hill, a student from the
A STUDENT’S VOICE
challenge. The impact
UK, provides a local globally is already being
perspective on climate felt. A clear indicator is the
change and its implications rising temperature and the
for her country. changing weather pattern
we are witnessing. Recent
catastrophic weather events
such as heat waves in
America, Europe, and India
attest to this. The droughts
in parts of Africa and Asia
are another manifestation.
What do you think will be the
biggest impact locally?
In the UK it is difficult to tell –
whilst global patterns1 see
a rise in average
temperatures, local weather
systems won’t necessarily
reflect this. A likely scenario
seems to be fluctuations in
extreme weather conditions
and loss of seasonality.
What do you think are the
most important steps to take
now?
To understand climate we
must think holistically;
similarly our actions must
be holistic.
The first step should be a
global energy network,
linking up national power
networks worldwide. It is
only the politics of corporate
interests that prevent it.
There are scores of other
good ideas – we have all
been told to cut our carbon
footprint. However, I worry
that by partitioning the
responsibility on individuals,
people will either feel there
is no hope or that it is all
just a big scam2 to make us
buy green technology.

What do you do?

I believe I was one of the first
1. global patterns:
students to begin a “Climate
ciò che accade a Change” degree course at
livello globale Coventry University last
2. scam: truffa
year.

How personally concerned

are you about climate
change?
Very. As it is a human-induced
threat, climate change
presents a peculiar

Activities 6. Read the interview. Are these statements true (T) or false 4. Politicians are against the creation of a global
(F)? energy network. T F
1. Lara attends a new course at Coventry University. T F 5. Lara says that sharing the responsibility will
2. She thinks there will be little or no impact of climate encourage people to take action. T F
change on British weather. T F
3. Actions to stop climate change should be thought
of globally. T F
7

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 The Develop Global

Green
Deal
Ecological Conscience

Singing respect for

Nature 
A love song to the Planet
Mother Earth
by Neil Young

Oh, Mother Earth, with your fields of green

Once more laid down by the hungry hands
How long can you give and not receive
Neil Young is a Canadian guitarist,
singer-songwriter who is widely re- And feed this world ruled by greed1?
garded as one of the most influential
musicians of his generation. Neil Oh, ball of fire in the summer sky
1. greed: avidità Young is an outspoken advocate for
2. healing: salutare Your healing2 light, your parade of days
environmental issues and one of the
3. trade away:
founders of Farm Aid, a movement Are they betrayed by the men of power
svendere
started in 1985 to keep family farm- Who hold this world in their changing hands?
ers on the land. The singer has They hold the world in their changing hands.
worked since then to make sure
everyone has access to good food
from family farmers. Oh, working man will you let this go?
Mother Earth is a call to respect Moth- Down to the streets where the numbers grow!
er Earth for her beauty, her offerings Respect Mother Earth and her healing hands
and for future generations.
Don’t trade away3 our children’s days.
(from the Album Ragged Glory, 1990)

Activities 7. Read the song lyrics and answer the questions. WEB QUEST
1. Who does the singer refer to? 8. Watch the video at
2. What are the “hungry hands” referred to in your opinion? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htcUuhwiqzo.
3. What does the singer urge people to do? This is a broadcast of Farm Aid 25, 2010:
Growing Hope for America.

Il presente fascicolo è stato curato da
Alessandra Brunetti
Direzione editoriale lingue straniere Adriana Massari
Redazione Silvia Bisi
Progetto grafico e impaginazione Enrica Bologni
Ricerca iconografica Eleonora Calamita
Referenze iconografiche
Archivio Principato, ICPOnline
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Il fascicolo è allegato al volume
8 Culture and society
Prima edizione: febbraio 2012
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