Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot on the climate crisis

In this video, climate activists Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot tell us how we should use nature to tackle the climate crisis.

Do the preparation task first. Then watch the video and do the exercises. You can also read the transcript.

Preparation

Transcript

This is not a drill. 

My name is Greta Thunberg. We are living in the beginning of a mass extinction. Our climate is breaking down. Children like me are giving up their education to protest. But we can still fix this. You can still fix this. To survive, we need to stop burning fossil fuels, but this alone will not be enough. Lots of solutions are talked about, but what about a solution that is right in front of us? I'll let my friend George explain.

There is a magic machine that sucks carbon out of the air, costs very little and builds itself. It's called ... a tree. A tree is an example of a natural climate solution. Mangroves, peat bogs, jungles, marshes, sea beds, kelp forests, swamps, coral reefs, they take carbon out of the air and lock it away. Nature is a tool we can use to repair our broken climate. These natural climate solutions could make a massive difference. 

Pretty cool, right? 

But only if we also leave fossil fuels in the ground. 

Here's the crazy part ... right now we are ignoring them. We spend one thousand times more on global fossil fuel subsidies than on natural-based solutions. 

Natural climate solutions get just two per cent of all the money used on tackling climate breakdown. 

This is your money, it is your taxes and your savings. 

Even more crazy, right now where we need nature the most, we're destroying it faster than ever.

Up to 200 species are going extinct every single day.

Much of the Arctic ice is gone. Most of our wild animals have gone. Much of our soil has gone. So what should we do? 

What should you do? 

It's simple ... we need to protect, restore and fund.

Protect. Tropical forests are being cut down at the rate of 30 football pitches a minute. 

Where nature is doing something vital, we must protect it. 

Restore. Much of our planet has been damaged.

But nature can regenerate and we can help ecosystems bounce back.

Fund. 

We need to stop funding things that destroy nature and pay for things that help it. 

It is that simple. Protect, restore, fund. 

This can happen everywhere. Many people have already begun using natural climate solutions. We need to do it on a massive scale. 

You can be part of this. 

Vote for people who defend nature. 

Share this video. Talk about this. 

All around the world there are amazing movements fighting for nature. Join them!

Everything counts. What you do counts.

© The Guardian

Task 1

Task 2

Discussion

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Worksheet58.87 KB
Average: 5 (4 votes)

Submitted by burak41 on Sat, 19/10/2019 - 10:35

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Hi, I'm Energy System Engineering student. We need more renewable energy like solar energy to protect our planet.
Solar panels will not provide our planet with sufficient energy, moreover it is very toxic technologies, both in the production and disposal of solar panels and acamulators.

Submitted by enesfurkanomeroglu on Fri, 18/10/2019 - 21:39

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Who can help me for learning English :/

Hello enesomeroglu,

The material on our site is designed for self-access, so it can function as a learning library. We do not organise lessons on this site. However, there are courses you can take both online and in British Council teaching centres:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/courses

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

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Submitted by Smiley1 on Mon, 14/10/2019 - 01:25

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I’m trying to carry an eco-bag with me around every time and every corner so that I don’t waste to receive plastic or paper bags.

Submitted by Emilia on Wed, 09/10/2019 - 14:57

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Of course, nowadays we need a lot of changes in our lives to prevent the Earth from destruction. To change the way of life might be not the easiest thing to do, but that’s how we can protect future generations and save a flourishing place to live for them. As for me there not so many things that I can do for it. But even a small decision helps, so I can think more about the environment in my everyday life. For example, choose to walk instead of using a car if I can, not to waste a lot of water and separate the garbage.
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Submitted by luis avellar on Tue, 01/10/2019 - 18:51

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Hi, the point is that, the world is phisical and divine, divided by an stage of things or characters, we are enterprisers, looking for the progress of civilization, living nowdays on the medias. But, like the activism is uneasy understood, nobody may be solve ou claim itself activist, if the activism sound like a retrocess, it may be disturb to the perspectivies economics and industrial revolution.

Submitted by Plcbmnx on Mon, 30/09/2019 - 21:00

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thank you for sharing

Submitted by Birgit17 on Sat, 28/09/2019 - 07:35

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Hello Maybe I am wrong but I think there has been a mistake in the task 2 You write" Up to 200 species are going extinct every day". Don't you think that we must write : Up to 200 species are going to extinct every day or Up to 200 species are going extincted every day. That confuses me. Thanks a lot for looking into.
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Submitted by Peter M. on Sat, 28/09/2019 - 08:41

In reply to by Birgit17

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Hello Birgit17,

The form 'going extinct' is correct.

We can use 'go' with certain adjectives to show a change or process. For example:

The milk will go bad if it's not in the fridge.

The soup will go cold if you don't eat it soon.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team