Natural Resources and Global Problems

Konu Anlatımı

Natural Resources — Doğal Kaynaklar

Doğal kaynaklar ikiye ayrılır. Renewable resources (yenilenebilir kaynaklar) doğada kendiliğinden yenilenir: güneş, rüzgâr, su ve biyokütle. Non-renewable resources (yenilenemez kaynaklar) ise milyonlarca yılda oluşur ve hızla tüketilir: petrol, doğal gaz, kömür ve madenler. Bu kaynaklar sınırlı rezervlere sahiptir ve are running out (tükenmek üzere) ifadesiyle anlatılır. Örneğin Wind and solar power are renewable because they are naturally replaced. cümlesi yenilenebilir kaynakların özelliğini açıklar.

Global Problems — Küresel Sorunlar

Küresel sorunlar sınır tanımaz. Climate change, fosil yakıtların yakılmasıyla artan sera gazları nedeniyle küresel sıcaklığın yükselmesidir. Deforestation ormanların kesilmesi, water scarcity su kıtlığı, suyun kirletilmesi ve aşırı kullanılmasıyla artar, air pollution ise araç ve fabrika kaynaklı hava kirliliğidir. Plastik atıklar denizlerde marine pollution yaratır, türlerin yaşam alanını daraltır. Bu sorunların ortak özelliği, tek bir ülkenin çözemeyecek kadar yaygın olmasıdır; bu yüzden uluslararası iş birliği gerekir.

Causes and Effects — Neden ve Sonuç

Sorunlar neden-sonuç ilişkisiyle anlatılır: burning fossil fuels → more carbon emissions → global warming → extreme weather events. Ormanların kesilmesi toprak erozyonunu ve tür kaybını hızlandırır; tek kullanımlık plastiğin artması deniz canlılarının yaşamını tehdit eder. İngilizcede bu ilişki if koşul cümleleriyle kurulur: If we continue to burn fossil fuels, temperatures will rise further. Bu tür cümlelerde 'if'dan sonra geniş zaman (present simple) kullanılır, ana cümlede 'will + fiil' yer alır.

Solutions — Çözüm Önerileri

Çözümler bireysel ve toplumsal düzeyde ele alınır. Bireysel olarak reduce-reuse-recycle (azalt-yeniden kullan-geri dönüştür), toplu taşıma kullanımı, enerji tasarrufu ve yerel ürün tercihi etkilidir. Toplumsal olarak yenilenebilir enerji yatırımları, ağaçlandırma, atık arıtma tesisleri ve uluslararası anlaşmalar önemlidir. Görüş bildirirken In my opinion,..., It is essential that... ve should / need to kalıpları kullanılır. Sürdürülebilir kavramı, bugünün ihtiyaçlarının gelecek neslin ihtiyaçlarını kısıtlamaması olarak tanımlanır. Yenilenebilir kaynaklar doğada kendiliğinden yenilenir: güneş, rüzgâr, su ve biyokütle. Yenilenemez kaynaklar ise milyonlarca yılda oluşur ve hızla tüketilir: petrol, doğal gaz, kömür ve madenler. Bu kaynaklar sınırlı rezervlere sahiptir ve tükenmek üzere ifadesiyle anlatılır. Örneğin, rüzgâr enerjisi yenilenebilir kaynaklar arasında yer alır çünkü her gün yenilenir.

Doğal kaynakların yönetimi, sürdürülebilir kavramı ile ilgilidir. Yenilenebilir kaynakların kullanımı, toplumun geleceğine daha fazla katkı sağlar. Yenilenemez kaynakların tüketimi ise gelecekteki sorunları artırır. Bu nedenle, doğal kaynakların doğru yönetimi, günümüzdeki en önemli görevlerden biridir.

Çevre konularını anlatan İngilizce metinlerde sık kullanılan hazır ifadeler vardır: save water (su tasarrufu yapmak), recycle waste (atıkları geri dönüştürmek), reduce pollution (kirliliği azaltmak). Bu ifadeler günlük konuşmada da kullanılabilir; böylece çevre farkındalığı bir ders kitabı bilgisi olmaktan çıkıp günlük alışkanlığa dönüşür. Rapor yazarken bu kalıpları we should ile birleştirmek, önerileri soru biçiminde vermek daha etkili olur: We should save water every day.

Ne Öğreneceğiz

In this lesson you will learn the language of the environment. You will study the two kinds of natural resources — renewable resources such as sun, wind, water and biomass, and non-renewable resources such as oil, natural gas, coal and minerals — and you will learn to say that the second group is running out.

You will study the vocabulary of global problems: climate change, global warming, greenhouse gases, deforestation, water scarcity, air pollution, plastic waste, marine pollution, loss of species, drought, flood.

You will also learn the grammar of cause and effect with the first conditional (If we continue to burn fossil fuels, temperatures will rise), and you will learn to propose solutions with should, need to, It is essential that... and In my opinion,....

Ön Bilgi

You need three things before the lesson.

First, the first conditional. The if clause takes the present simple and the main clause takes will plus the base form. This is the structure that carries almost every sentence about environmental cause and effect.

Second, countable and uncountable nouns, because the words of this topic are mixed: pollution and waste are uncountable, while problem, species, flood, drought are countable.

Third, the passive voice, because environmental texts usually avoid naming the agent: Forests are cut down, Waste is dumped in the sea, Water is polluted by factories.

Basit Örnek ve Günlük Yaşam

Read this short text and mark the cause and effect links.

Burning fossil fuels increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As a result, global temperatures are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more common. If governments invest in renewable energy, the situation will improve. If people continue to cut down forests, many species will lose their homes.

The first two sentences state the cause and the effect. The last two use the first conditional, which is the standard way to talk about what will happen if we act or do not act.

Now write three sentences about a local environmental problem using one if sentence.

İleri Örnek

Compare a general statement with a reasoned argument.

General: Pollution is bad. We should protect nature. Recycling is important.

Reasoned: Although plastic is cheap and convenient, it takes hundreds of years to break down, and much of it ends up in the sea, where it harms marine life. Therefore, single-use plastic should be reduced, and governments should invest in recycling facilities. If every household avoided one plastic bag a day, millions of bags would be saved every year.

The second version opens with a concession (although), gives a consequence (therefore), makes a recommendation with should, and closes with a conditional. That combination is what an exam task on the environment is looking for.

Adım Adım Çözülmüş Örnek

Follow these steps to write about an environmental problem.

1. Step 1 — Name the problem. Air pollution is a serious problem in big cities.
2. Step 2 — Give the cause. This is because traffic and factories release harmful gases. Or use the passive: Harmful gases are released by traffic and factories.
3. Step 3 — Give the effect. As a result, many people suffer from breathing problems.
4. Step 4 — Add a conditional prediction. If nothing changes, the air quality will get worse. Remember: if + present simple, main clause + will.
5. Step 5 — Propose a solution with a modal. People should use public transport, and the city need to plant more trees.
6. Step 6 — Close with a judgement. In my opinion, small daily habits can protect the environment.

Karşılaştırma Tablosu

Environmental words are often confused. Keep them apart with this table.

Careful: pollution, waste, rubbish and energy are uncountable, so they never take -s.

Sık Yapılan Hatalar

Six mistakes are common in this topic.

• Using will in the if clause. If it will rain, the crops will die is wrong. Write If it rains, the crops will die.
• Making uncountable nouns plural. Pollutions, wastes, energies are wrong except in special meanings.
• Confusing weather and climate. Weather is today's conditions; climate is the pattern over many years.
• Using Note: environment with the wrong article. Say the environment, not just environment, in most sentences.
• Confusing save and safe. Save water means use less; safe water means water that is clean.
• Writing very instead of a comparative. Much more serious and far worse are the natural forms for degree with comparatives; very more serious is wrong.

Özet

Environmental language is built on resources, problems, conditionals and recommendations.

• Resources: renewable (sun, wind, water, biomass) and non-renewable (oil, coal, gas, minerals); the second group is running out.
• Problems: climate change, global warming, deforestation, water scarcity, air pollution, plastic waste, endangered species.
• Conditional: If + present simple, main clause with will.
• Solutions: reduce, reuse, recycle, use public transport, save energy, plant trees, invest in renewable energy.
• Opinion: In my opinion,... · It is essential that... · We should... · We need to...
• Uncountable: pollution, waste, energy, rubbish, damage.

Kendini Dene

Answer in full sentences and then check the key.

1. Complete: If we plant more trees, the air ____ (be) cleaner.
2. Which sentence is correct? (a) If it will rain, we will stay at home. (b) If it rains, we will stay at home. (c) If it rained, we will stay at home.
3. Rewrite correctly: Factory wastes pollute the river.
4. Fill in: Oil and coal are ____ (renewable / non-renewable) resources.
5. Change into a recommendation: People use public transport.
6. Write a six-sentence text about an environmental problem. Use one if sentence, one passive sentence and one recommendation with should.

Answer key: 1) will be — the main clause of a first conditional takes will. 2) (b) — the if clause takes the present simple. 3) Factory waste pollutes the river. — waste is uncountable here, so the verb is singular. 4) non-renewable — they cannot replace themselves. 5) People should use public transport. 6) Any correct text, e.g. Plastic waste is a serious problem in our city. Plastic bags are thrown into the streets, and they block the drains. If it rains heavily, the streets flood. Waste is collected by the municipality, but recycling is limited. People should carry their own bags when they shop. In my opinion, one small habit in every family can change the whole neighbourhood.