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III. READING
The UN Climate Change Conference
1. Work in pairs. Look at the pictures and discuss the environmental problems you see.
2. Read the article and choose the best title for it.
A. History of COPS
B. Main causes of global warming
C. Main goals of this year's COP
In 1994, the UN decided to bring together world leaders for an annual event, known as COP or Conference of Parties', to discuss climate change. This year's conference will review what has been achieved and discuss the key goals.
The first goal is to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C. This will require reducing global CO, emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, and by 2050 achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere and those removed from it.
The second goal is to reduce the use of coal, which is the dirtiest fuel and biggest source of planet-warming CO2 emissions. Countries will have to stop building new coal plants and switch to clean sources of energy.
The third goal is to end deforestation. Forests remove CO, from the atmosphere and slow global warming. But when they are cut down or burnt, they release the carbon stored in the trees into the atmosphere as CO2. Stopping deforestation is, therefore, an effective solution to climate change.
The last key goal is to reduce methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is more powerful than CO, at warming the earth. It is responsible for nearly one-third of current warming from human activities. Methane comes from farming activities and landfill waste. The production and use of coal, oil, and natural gas also release methane.
This conference is very important because this is the best last chance we have to slow global warming. World leaders, climate experts, organisations, and national representatives will carefully discuss these goals and agree on how to make global progress on climate change.
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3. Read the article again. Match the highlighted words with their meanings.
| 1. emissions | a. a gas without smell or colour, often used as a fuel |
| 2. balance | b. a chemical substance found in all living things |
| 3. carbon | c. a situation in which different things are equal |
| 4. methane | d. gases or other substances that are sent into the atmosphere |
4. Read the article again and choose the correct answers A, B, or C.
1. Which of the following is not a COP's key goal?
A. Stop cutting down forests.
B. Replace coal with cleaner sources of energy.
C. End methane emissions.
2. What will happen if there is a balance between the greenhouse gases released and those removed from the atmosphere?
A. Global warming will be limited to 1.5°C.
B. Global CO2 emissions will increase.
C. Countries will switch to clean energy.
3. Why is it important to reduce the use of coal?
A. Because it is easy to build coal plants.
B. Because coal is not as clean as gas.
C. Because it is responsible for a large part of the CO2 emissions.
4. How does deforestation contribute to global warming?
A. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
B. Trees release carbon into the atmosphere when they are cut down or burnt.
C. Forests trap heat and increase temperatures.
5. Why is reducing methane emissions a key goal?
A. Because its emissions result from farming activities and landfill waste.
B. Because methane's warming power is stronger than that of CO2.
C. Because it is produced through human activities.
5. Work in groups. Discuss the following question.
What should we do to reduce global warming?
