Lesson 3: What Can We Do?

Key Words: lifestyle, air-conditioning, dairy products, tackle, keep off, rechargeable

A. Samina and Arif now read about the things they can do to help stop global warming. Read the passage to know about what we can do.

It is easy to understand now that global warming and climate change are caused by humans on Earth. If we make the least use of energy, the earth will be least polluted. The golden rule is, 'Avoid machines as much as possible'. If your family has a car, use it less and walk to the shops. Walking and running are much more fun than sitting in a car. You may use bicycles too. You can save energy by changing your lifestyle. For example, you can often avoid air-conditioning in summer and use hand fans instead. You can also use solar energy. It is free and more environmentally friendly. You can use energy-saving bulbs in your room. If you make a garden, you can grow much of your own food. Do you know that if you eat fewer meat and dairy products, you can reduce greenhouse gas output? You can also save the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling the things you use. The most important idea is if you don't buy so many things in the first place, you don't need to reuse or recycle them.

You can also save energy by turning things off when you don't use them. People often leave lights, heating, air-conditioning, computers, TVs, and gas burners on when they do not use them. Thus, they waste a lot of energy. Turning them off saves money too!

So, you can tackle climate change and live comfortably. There is plenty you can do. If we all work sensibly, we can save our lovely planet.

B. Match the sentence parts in A with those in B.

A | B ------- | -------- If I have shorter showers I will | b. help save water at home. I can help keep cars off the road | i. by walking to school and shops. When I leave a room I can save energy by | g. turning the light off. Putting on a jumper instead of the heater | a. will keep me warm in winter. Plastic bags harm wildlife, instead, I can | f. use bags made of jute or paper. I can reduce, reuse, and recycle | c. the waste I make. Lean dry my hair in the sun | j. without using a hair dryer. In my garden, I should plant | d. plants that are good for the environment. When I am shopping, I should | e. choose products with less packaging. Batteries are highly toxic, if I need to use batteries I can | k. use rechargeable ones.

C. The people below are taking care of their home and car, but they are doing many things that can damage the environment, especially our water. Identify the activities which you think may damage our water.

(The text describing the people's activities is missing. Please provide the text to continue this exercise.)

D. Look at the list of Dos and Don'ts to keep the environment safe. Then make a poster in groups on what you can/can’t do to save the environment in your city, town, or village.

Dos | Don’ts ------- | -------- Walk to your school and shops. | Don’t use cars if you can walk. Dry your clothes and hair in the sun. | Don’t keep your lights and fans switched on all the time. Plant trees. | Don’t use hose pipes for washing cars and watering plants. Use water from a bucket to wash your things. | Don’t throw away your wastes here and there. Use jute or paper made bags for shopping. | Don’t use plastic bags. Use rechargeable batteries. | Don’t use electric dryers. Switch off your lights and fans when not in use. | Don’t cut down trees.

Now write a few slogans for a poster using the following clues:

1. Do not use_____ bags while shopping.
2. People must use _____.
3. Don’t throw your wastes _____.
4. You can not use too much water for_____.