 |
|
THE BALTIC SEA BASIN
Environmental problems have their roots in the use of natural resources. Forests, fields and mountains form the basis for agriculture, forestry, and industrial production, which, in the end give rise to environmental impact. Behind these, there are roads of the development of societies and economic and political decisions. It is thus important to get an understanding of these aspects to get a grip on the environmental situation.
Even if many environmental problems are the same all over the world, each area also has its specific challenges to deal with.
Although the environment has gone through negative developments, let us start by recognizing that the Baltic basin is a corner of the world where the resources are plentiful, the population limited and the societies developed, in comparison to other areas. We have good potential to take care of our environment.
The drainage area, the basin or catchment area, of the Baltic Sea is the entire land area from which water flows into the Baltic Sea. The Baltic basin, with some 85 million inhabitants, covers the whole or parts of 14 countries, and accounts for a large part of Northern Europe, 15% of all of Europe. It is an area where east meets west and north meets south. The dramatic political changes in 1989-91, when the iron curtain which went right through the middle of the region for 50 years, was removed, characterize the region politically and create a platform for present developments.
It might seem strange to focus on such a heterogeneous area as the Baltic region, but there are several reasons why a drainage basin is a natural unit for the study of the environment. The flow of water defines an area in a more relevant way than e.g. political or national borders. In the end most pollutants dissolve in water and are carried and disseminated by the water stream. In this way, in fact much impact is limited to the region. The Baltic basin is a good example of an "ecogeographical region", a natural unit for environmental issues.
A basin also naturally has much common history. For hundreds of years, waterways provided the only easy way of travelling and ships connected the coasts rather than roads the inland. This is reflected in the history of the Baltic region. Today, it is rather common interests and responsibilities that link the countries in a region to each other. Paramount are efforts to create international security, which address not only the absence of war but a secure life in a deeper sense, including environmental security. Environmental cooperation is part of the efforts to develop a Baltic security community. The Baltic region has fortunately been an area of environmental cooperation since the 1970's.
The Baltic Sea basin is one out of six major basins on the European continent, and about sixty in the world as a whole. In Europe the others are the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the smaller White Sea/ Barents Sea basins. Even if these are very different, a study of the environment of one or the other basin would have much in common.
TASK1.
FILL IN THE MISSING PREPOSITION:
1. The dramatic political changes … 1989-91 create a platform … present developments.
2. The Baltic basin is a good example … an “ecological region”, a natural unit … environmental issues.
3. The Baltic region has fortunately been an area … environmental cooperation … the 1970’s.
4. Distribution … pollutants … wind and rain is also relevant.
5. The Baltic region receives many air-borne pollutants … Western Europe, and exports some … Russia and Ukraine.
TASK 2
USE THE PROPER TENSE FORM OF THE VERB DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF CONDITION:
1. Changes in the biogeochemical cycles will take hundreds or thousands of years for global impacts to adjust even if mechanisms (to be) available.
2. If we consider that the rights or duties are equal among the groups or individuals we (to talk) about equity between them.
3. If human activities didn’t interfere with biological cycles, their balance (to be disrupt).
4. Even if many environmental problems (to be) the same all over the world, each area has its specific challenge to deal with.
5. Even if the basins on the European continent are very different, a study of the environment of one or the other basin (to have) much in common.
TASK 3
ARRANGE THE SENTENCES IN THE ABSTRACT IN A LOGICAL ORDER:
1. And so man would finally die, slowly gasping out his life on some barren hill, and his heirs would be bacteria and a few insects.
2. The wretched remnant of the human race would be packed very closely on the remaining highlands, bewildered, starving, struggling to survive from hour to hour.
3. This would be caused by the extinction of plankton algae and the reduction of land vegetation, the two sources that supply the oxygen you are now breathing.
4. We can speak about different catastrophic effects of heat caused by a “greenhouse effect”, about the flooding of almost all the world’s major cities, about sudden growth of diseases, chaos and shortage of fresh water, but the final act is yet to come.
5. Then would be visited upon them the final plague, anoxia (lack of oxygen).
TASK4
TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH INTO RUSSIAN:
1. Environmental problems have their roots in the use of natural resources.
2. Each area has its specific challenges to deal with.
3. The Baltic basin is a corner of the world where the resources are plentiful, the population limited and the societies developed, in comparison to other areas.
4. The Baltic basin, with some 85 million inhabitants, covers the whole or parts of 14 countries, and accounts for a large part of Northern Europe, 15% of all of Europe.
5. The Baltic Sea basin is one out of six major basins on the European continent, and about sixty in the world as a whole.
5 Вариант