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Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 1 / 8 The best way to protect us from climate change Article Publisher: Authors: Tara Martin, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO James Watson, Associate professor at the University of Queensland Focussing on high-tech, heavily engineered solutions to protect against climate change is blinding us to a much easier, cheaper and better solution: look after our planet’s ecosystems, and they will look after us. PRE-READING Word Check • • • • • storm surge dynamite mangroves buffer zone carbon sequestering • • • • savannah dyke salt marsh biodiversity Planting mangroves in the Philippines to restore forests. Trees ForTheFuture/Flickr, CC BY Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 2 / 8 Discuss How do ecosystems, such as intact coral reefs, mangroves and forests, protect us from some of the impacts of climate
change? In Melanesia’s low-lying islands, coral reefs are dynamited to provide the raw materials to build structures to protect people against extreme weather events. What is built from these materials? Even though they play an important role in avoiding the worst effects from climate change, we continue to destroy forests, woodlands and grasslands. Why are they being destroyed? Why does this happen more during times of drought? Northern Australia is home to the largest savannah on earth and contains enormous carbon stores. What is a carbon store? Why are they important? Do you think cattle farmers in some regions should be given funds to encourage them to reduce the number of cattle and instead restore or preserve natural ecosystems? Why are intact coral reefs and mangroves and seagrass beds and forests important? What do they do? • Intact coral reefs and mangroves and seagrass beds . o o o • Intact forests . o o o a) play a key role in capturing, storing
and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. b) act as barriers against storm surges. c) are a valuable source of protein. d) have a positive influence on planetary and local climate. e) provide shelter from extreme weather events. Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 3 / 8 First read the article When we think about adapting humanity to the challenges of climate change, it’s tempting to reach for technological solutions. We talk about seeding our oceans and clouds with compounds designed to trigger rain or increasing carbon uptake. We talk about building grand structures to protect our coastlines from rising sea levels and storm surges. However, as we discuss in Nature Climate Change, our focus on these high-tech, heavily engineered solutions is blinding us to a much easier, cheaper, simpler and better solution to adaptation: look after our planet’s ecosystems, and they will look after us. Biting the hand that feeds us
People are currently engaged in wholesale destruction of the systems that shelter us, clean our water, clean our air, feed us and protect us from extreme weather. Sometimes this destruction is carried out for the purpose of protecting us from the threats posed by climate change. For example, in Melanesia’s low-lying islands, coral reefs are dynamited to provide the raw building materials for seawalls in an attempt to slow the impact of sea-level rise. In many parts of the world, including Africa, Canada and Australia, drought has led to the opening up of intact forest systems, protected grasslands and prairies for grazing and agriculture. Similarly, the threat of climate change has driven the development of more drought-tolerant crops that can survive climate variability, but these survival abilities also make those plant species more likely to become invasive. On the surface, these might seem like sensible ways to reduce the impacts of climate change. But they are actually likely to
contribute to climate change and increase its impact on people. Sea walls and drought-tolerant crops do have a place in adapting to climate change: if they’re sensitive to ecosystems. For example, if storm protection is required on low-lying islands, don’t build a seawall from the coral reef that offers the island its only current protection. Bring in the concrete and steel needed to build it. How ecosystems protect us Intact coral reefs act as barriers against storm surges, reducing wave energy by an average of 97%. They are also a valuable source of protein that support local livelihoods. Similarly, mangroves and seagrass beds provide a buffer zone against storms and reduce wave energy, as well as being a nursery for many of the fish and other marine creatures that our fishing industries are built on. Intact forests supply a host of valuable ecosystem services that are not only taken for granted, but actively squandered when those forests are decimated by land clearing. Source:
http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 4 / 8 There is now clear evidence that intact forests have a positive influence on both planetary climate and local weather regimes. Forests also provide shelter from extreme weather events, and are home to a host of other valuable ecosystems that are important to human populations as sources of food, medicine and timber. Forests play a key role in capturing, storing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, a role that will likely become increasingly important in avoiding the worst of climate change. Yet we continue to decimate forests, woodlands and grasslands. Northern Australia is home to the largest savannah on earth, containing enormous carbon stores and influencing both local and global climate. Despite its inherent value as a carbon store, there has been discussion around whether these northern regions might be opened up to become Australia’s new food bowl, putting those extensive carbon
stores in jeopardy. Cheaper than techno-solutions In Vietnam, 12,000 hectares of mangroves have been planted at a cost of US$1.1 million, but saving the US$7.3 million per year that would have been spent on maintaining dykes In Louisiana, the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 led to an examination of how coastal salt marshes might have reduced some of the wave energy in the hurricane-associated storm surges. Data have now confirmed that salt marshes would have significantly reduced the impact of those surges, and stabilised the shoreline against further insult, at far less cost than engineered coastal defences. With this data in hand, discussions are now beginning around how to restore the Louisiana salt marshes to insulate against future extreme weather events. US foreign aid in Papua New Guinea has also encouraged the restoration and protection of mangroves for the same reason. Instead of turning cattle to graze on native grasslands and savannah during times of drought,
farmers struggling to sustain livestock in marginal areas could instead be funded to farm carbon and biodiversity by restoring or preserving these ecosystems. This might involve reducing the number of cattle, or in some cases even removing cattle entirely. Australia is very well-informed about the carbon value of its many and varied ecosystems, but is yet to fully put that knowledge into practice. The cost of adapting to climate change using largely technological solutions has been put at a staggering US$70-100 billion per year. This is small change compared to current global energy subsidies estimated by the International Monetary Fund for 2015 at US$5.3 trillion per year Protecting ecosystems reduces the risk to people and infrastructure, as well as the degree of climate change: a win-win. There is no doubt that technological solutions have a role to play in climate adaptation but not at the expense of intact functioning ecosystems. It is time to set a policy agenda that actively
rewards those countries, industries and entrepreneurs who develop ecosystem-sensitive adaptation strategies. Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 5 / 8 POST READING 1. The author doesn’t think that drought-tolerant crops help us to adapt to climate change True / False / Not given 2. The author thinks we should never build seawalls to protect against rising sea-levels True / False / Not given 3. There has been debate in Australia about opening up its northern regions for a. mining purposes b. industrial purposes c. agricultural purposes 4. Where has natural coastal vegetation been restored to protect against extreme weather events at much less cost than engineered coastal defences? A. Australia B. Vietnam C. Louisiana 5. How will Papua New Guinea fund its restoration and protection of mangroves? 6. According to the author, why doesn’t Australia provide more funding to restore or preserve its valuable ecosystems? a)
Australia lacks awareness of their value b) Australia doesn’t care about their value c) The author doesn’t say why 7. Which of the points listed below does the author make? I. The development of technology to adapt to the challenges of climate change are important but there are cheaper alternatives. II. The development of technology to adapt to the challenges of climate change are important but natural ecosystems shouldn’t be destroyed to achieve this. III. We shouldn’t be relying on technology to adapt to the challenges of climate change, only natural solutions. Writing Natural ecosystems are increasingly being destroyed as a result of human activity. Why are these ecosystems being destroyed? What can be done to prevent them being destroyed? Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 6 / 8 Vocabulary 1 Which words listed below could replace the underlined words in the text? astounding grants untouched changeability
income waste appealing protect re-establish plan destroy tempting jeopardy carried out restore intact insulate variability sustain livelihood staggering squandered subsidies decimate agenda done support danger Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 7 / 8 Vocabulary 2 tempting carry out squander sustain intact decimate staggering variability jeopardy subsidy restore livelihood insulate agenda 1. After reading a magazine article about Rome and all its attractions, the woman was . to go online and book her next holiday there 2. Bushfires had destroyed dozens of homes in the town Amazingly, one house located on a hill remained .even though hundreds of hectares of surrounding forest had burnt down. 3. By allowing logging in the forest, environmentalists said the government had .the opportunity to turn the area into a national park and tourist destination as well as protect wildlife populations. 4. If
logging in the forest were allowed to go ahead, environmentalists said koala populations would be . 5. Many countries have invested large amounts of money in developing .energy sources such as hydroelectricity, solar energy and wind energy. 6. One of the United Nations’ principles is that it has no authority to intervene in the domestic affairs of a country. However, the Security Council can recommend actions which maintain or .international peace and security 7. Over the last 20 years, the huge demand for resources, especially from China, has .Australia from the economic downturns experienced by most other developed countries. 8. Scientists successfully an experiment to show the link between climate change and extreme weather events. 9. The death toll from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was a 230 thousand people. 10. The of many people living in coastal communities in developing countries depend on fishing. 11. The new head of the university said reducing tutorial sizes and
investing in new buildings was high up on her .to make the university a world class learning institution. 12. The public transport systems in many countries are heavily by the government. If they weren’t, ticket prices would be too high and fewer people would use public transport. 13. The UN said the lives of thousands of people in the region were in due to the continuing drought and shortage of food supplies. 14. While natural continues to play a key role in extreme weather, climate change is making certain types of extreme weather more frequent and more intense. Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 8 / 8 Answer Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. False False agricultural purposes Vietnam From US foreign aid The author doesn’t say why The first 2 points only tempting carried out intact variability livelihood squandered decimate appealing done untouched changeability income waste destroy jeopardy restore insulate sustain
staggering subsidies agenda danger re-establish protect support astounding grants plan 1. After reading a magazine article about Rome and all its attractions, the woman was tempted to go online and book her next holiday there. 2. Bushfires had destroyed dozens of homes in the town Amazingly, one house located on a hill remained intact even though hundreds of hectares of surrounding forest had burnt down. 3. By allowing logging in the forest, environmentalists said the government had squandered the opportunity to turn the area into a national park and tourist destination as well as protect wildlife populations. 4. If logging in the forest were allowed to go ahead, environmentalists said koala populations would be decimated. 5. Many countries have invested large amounts of money in developing sustainable energy sources such as hydroelectricity, solar energy and wind energy. 6. One of the United Nations’ principles is that it has no authority to intervene in the domestic affairs of a
country. However, the Security Council can recommend actions which maintain or restore international peace and security. 7. Over the last 20 years, the huge demand for resources, especially from China, has insulated Australia from the economic downturns experienced by most other developed countries. 8. Scientists successfully carried out an experiment to show the link between climate change and extreme weather events. 9. The death toll from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was a staggering 230 thousand people 10. The livelihoods of many people living in coastal communities in developing countries depend on fishing. 11. The new head of the university said reducing tutorial sizes and investing in new buildings was high up on her agenda to make the university a world class learning institution. 12. The public transport systems in many countries are heavily subsidized by the government If they weren’t, ticket prices would be too high and fewer people would use public transport. 13. The UN
said the lives of thousands of people in the region were in jeopardy due to the continuing drought and shortage of food supplies. 14. While natural variability continues to play a key role in extreme weather, climate change is making certain types of extreme weather more frequent and more intense
change? In Melanesia’s low-lying islands, coral reefs are dynamited to provide the raw materials to build structures to protect people against extreme weather events. What is built from these materials? Even though they play an important role in avoiding the worst effects from climate change, we continue to destroy forests, woodlands and grasslands. Why are they being destroyed? Why does this happen more during times of drought? Northern Australia is home to the largest savannah on earth and contains enormous carbon stores. What is a carbon store? Why are they important? Do you think cattle farmers in some regions should be given funds to encourage them to reduce the number of cattle and instead restore or preserve natural ecosystems? Why are intact coral reefs and mangroves and seagrass beds and forests important? What do they do? • Intact coral reefs and mangroves and seagrass beds . o o o • Intact forests . o o o a) play a key role in capturing, storing
and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. b) act as barriers against storm surges. c) are a valuable source of protein. d) have a positive influence on planetary and local climate. e) provide shelter from extreme weather events. Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 3 / 8 First read the article When we think about adapting humanity to the challenges of climate change, it’s tempting to reach for technological solutions. We talk about seeding our oceans and clouds with compounds designed to trigger rain or increasing carbon uptake. We talk about building grand structures to protect our coastlines from rising sea levels and storm surges. However, as we discuss in Nature Climate Change, our focus on these high-tech, heavily engineered solutions is blinding us to a much easier, cheaper, simpler and better solution to adaptation: look after our planet’s ecosystems, and they will look after us. Biting the hand that feeds us
People are currently engaged in wholesale destruction of the systems that shelter us, clean our water, clean our air, feed us and protect us from extreme weather. Sometimes this destruction is carried out for the purpose of protecting us from the threats posed by climate change. For example, in Melanesia’s low-lying islands, coral reefs are dynamited to provide the raw building materials for seawalls in an attempt to slow the impact of sea-level rise. In many parts of the world, including Africa, Canada and Australia, drought has led to the opening up of intact forest systems, protected grasslands and prairies for grazing and agriculture. Similarly, the threat of climate change has driven the development of more drought-tolerant crops that can survive climate variability, but these survival abilities also make those plant species more likely to become invasive. On the surface, these might seem like sensible ways to reduce the impacts of climate change. But they are actually likely to
contribute to climate change and increase its impact on people. Sea walls and drought-tolerant crops do have a place in adapting to climate change: if they’re sensitive to ecosystems. For example, if storm protection is required on low-lying islands, don’t build a seawall from the coral reef that offers the island its only current protection. Bring in the concrete and steel needed to build it. How ecosystems protect us Intact coral reefs act as barriers against storm surges, reducing wave energy by an average of 97%. They are also a valuable source of protein that support local livelihoods. Similarly, mangroves and seagrass beds provide a buffer zone against storms and reduce wave energy, as well as being a nursery for many of the fish and other marine creatures that our fishing industries are built on. Intact forests supply a host of valuable ecosystem services that are not only taken for granted, but actively squandered when those forests are decimated by land clearing. Source:
http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 4 / 8 There is now clear evidence that intact forests have a positive influence on both planetary climate and local weather regimes. Forests also provide shelter from extreme weather events, and are home to a host of other valuable ecosystems that are important to human populations as sources of food, medicine and timber. Forests play a key role in capturing, storing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, a role that will likely become increasingly important in avoiding the worst of climate change. Yet we continue to decimate forests, woodlands and grasslands. Northern Australia is home to the largest savannah on earth, containing enormous carbon stores and influencing both local and global climate. Despite its inherent value as a carbon store, there has been discussion around whether these northern regions might be opened up to become Australia’s new food bowl, putting those extensive carbon
stores in jeopardy. Cheaper than techno-solutions In Vietnam, 12,000 hectares of mangroves have been planted at a cost of US$1.1 million, but saving the US$7.3 million per year that would have been spent on maintaining dykes In Louisiana, the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 led to an examination of how coastal salt marshes might have reduced some of the wave energy in the hurricane-associated storm surges. Data have now confirmed that salt marshes would have significantly reduced the impact of those surges, and stabilised the shoreline against further insult, at far less cost than engineered coastal defences. With this data in hand, discussions are now beginning around how to restore the Louisiana salt marshes to insulate against future extreme weather events. US foreign aid in Papua New Guinea has also encouraged the restoration and protection of mangroves for the same reason. Instead of turning cattle to graze on native grasslands and savannah during times of drought,
farmers struggling to sustain livestock in marginal areas could instead be funded to farm carbon and biodiversity by restoring or preserving these ecosystems. This might involve reducing the number of cattle, or in some cases even removing cattle entirely. Australia is very well-informed about the carbon value of its many and varied ecosystems, but is yet to fully put that knowledge into practice. The cost of adapting to climate change using largely technological solutions has been put at a staggering US$70-100 billion per year. This is small change compared to current global energy subsidies estimated by the International Monetary Fund for 2015 at US$5.3 trillion per year Protecting ecosystems reduces the risk to people and infrastructure, as well as the degree of climate change: a win-win. There is no doubt that technological solutions have a role to play in climate adaptation but not at the expense of intact functioning ecosystems. It is time to set a policy agenda that actively
rewards those countries, industries and entrepreneurs who develop ecosystem-sensitive adaptation strategies. Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 5 / 8 POST READING 1. The author doesn’t think that drought-tolerant crops help us to adapt to climate change True / False / Not given 2. The author thinks we should never build seawalls to protect against rising sea-levels True / False / Not given 3. There has been debate in Australia about opening up its northern regions for a. mining purposes b. industrial purposes c. agricultural purposes 4. Where has natural coastal vegetation been restored to protect against extreme weather events at much less cost than engineered coastal defences? A. Australia B. Vietnam C. Louisiana 5. How will Papua New Guinea fund its restoration and protection of mangroves? 6. According to the author, why doesn’t Australia provide more funding to restore or preserve its valuable ecosystems? a)
Australia lacks awareness of their value b) Australia doesn’t care about their value c) The author doesn’t say why 7. Which of the points listed below does the author make? I. The development of technology to adapt to the challenges of climate change are important but there are cheaper alternatives. II. The development of technology to adapt to the challenges of climate change are important but natural ecosystems shouldn’t be destroyed to achieve this. III. We shouldn’t be relying on technology to adapt to the challenges of climate change, only natural solutions. Writing Natural ecosystems are increasingly being destroyed as a result of human activity. Why are these ecosystems being destroyed? What can be done to prevent them being destroyed? Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 6 / 8 Vocabulary 1 Which words listed below could replace the underlined words in the text? astounding grants untouched changeability
income waste appealing protect re-establish plan destroy tempting jeopardy carried out restore intact insulate variability sustain livelihood staggering squandered subsidies decimate agenda done support danger Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 7 / 8 Vocabulary 2 tempting carry out squander sustain intact decimate staggering variability jeopardy subsidy restore livelihood insulate agenda 1. After reading a magazine article about Rome and all its attractions, the woman was . to go online and book her next holiday there 2. Bushfires had destroyed dozens of homes in the town Amazingly, one house located on a hill remained .even though hundreds of hectares of surrounding forest had burnt down. 3. By allowing logging in the forest, environmentalists said the government had .the opportunity to turn the area into a national park and tourist destination as well as protect wildlife populations. 4. If
logging in the forest were allowed to go ahead, environmentalists said koala populations would be . 5. Many countries have invested large amounts of money in developing .energy sources such as hydroelectricity, solar energy and wind energy. 6. One of the United Nations’ principles is that it has no authority to intervene in the domestic affairs of a country. However, the Security Council can recommend actions which maintain or .international peace and security 7. Over the last 20 years, the huge demand for resources, especially from China, has .Australia from the economic downturns experienced by most other developed countries. 8. Scientists successfully an experiment to show the link between climate change and extreme weather events. 9. The death toll from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was a 230 thousand people. 10. The of many people living in coastal communities in developing countries depend on fishing. 11. The new head of the university said reducing tutorial sizes and
investing in new buildings was high up on her .to make the university a world class learning institution. 12. The public transport systems in many countries are heavily by the government. If they weren’t, ticket prices would be too high and fewer people would use public transport. 13. The UN said the lives of thousands of people in the region were in due to the continuing drought and shortage of food supplies. 14. While natural continues to play a key role in extreme weather, climate change is making certain types of extreme weather more frequent and more intense. Source: http://www.doksinet Grabaword.com Learning Materials Published February, 2016 Page 8 / 8 Answer Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. False False agricultural purposes Vietnam From US foreign aid The author doesn’t say why The first 2 points only tempting carried out intact variability livelihood squandered decimate appealing done untouched changeability income waste destroy jeopardy restore insulate sustain
staggering subsidies agenda danger re-establish protect support astounding grants plan 1. After reading a magazine article about Rome and all its attractions, the woman was tempted to go online and book her next holiday there. 2. Bushfires had destroyed dozens of homes in the town Amazingly, one house located on a hill remained intact even though hundreds of hectares of surrounding forest had burnt down. 3. By allowing logging in the forest, environmentalists said the government had squandered the opportunity to turn the area into a national park and tourist destination as well as protect wildlife populations. 4. If logging in the forest were allowed to go ahead, environmentalists said koala populations would be decimated. 5. Many countries have invested large amounts of money in developing sustainable energy sources such as hydroelectricity, solar energy and wind energy. 6. One of the United Nations’ principles is that it has no authority to intervene in the domestic affairs of a
country. However, the Security Council can recommend actions which maintain or restore international peace and security. 7. Over the last 20 years, the huge demand for resources, especially from China, has insulated Australia from the economic downturns experienced by most other developed countries. 8. Scientists successfully carried out an experiment to show the link between climate change and extreme weather events. 9. The death toll from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was a staggering 230 thousand people 10. The livelihoods of many people living in coastal communities in developing countries depend on fishing. 11. The new head of the university said reducing tutorial sizes and investing in new buildings was high up on her agenda to make the university a world class learning institution. 12. The public transport systems in many countries are heavily subsidized by the government If they weren’t, ticket prices would be too high and fewer people would use public transport. 13. The UN
said the lives of thousands of people in the region were in jeopardy due to the continuing drought and shortage of food supplies. 14. While natural variability continues to play a key role in extreme weather, climate change is making certain types of extreme weather more frequent and more intense
