Climate Change

Question 1

Some useful Links

Answer 1

Simple lesson introducing climate change
https://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/environment/climatechange/climate-change-listening-activities.html
More in-depth talk about climate change
https://www.ted.com/talks/
katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_cli
mate_change_talk_about_it
A children’s guide to Climate Change
https://www.science-sparks.com/what-is-climate-change/

Question 2

You don’t need to know everything about climate change, but you
should know enough, so you can discuss this topic, share some ideas
and give some examples

Answer 2

This topic is most likely going to appear in IELTS Speaking Part 3.
It is often a good idea to read or watch material made for children on
topics like this.
It will give you the key ideas, directly and in simple English.
It can be a good place to start.

For example,
https://www.science-sparks.com/what-is-climate-change/
You then may want to look at more official information such as this one,
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-climate-change-what-you-needknow

Question 3

When it comes answering questions, you can use the following
expressions to show off your language.

Answer 3

I am by no means an expert, but…
I don’t know a great deal about this but…

Question 4

Collocations for Climate

Answer 4

Inhospitable (=not kind) / severe / mild (=not hot/not cold) / hot /
tropical

Inhospitable:
(آب و هوا) بد، نامساعد، ناخوشایند

Question 5

Collocations for Weather

Answer 5

Extreme / changeable / good / beautiful / atrocious / awful / dismal / fair

Question 6

We can also describe the weather as….

Answer 6

Nippy / chilly (quite cold)
Bone dry (very dry)

خشک خشک، به طور کامل خشک، خیلی خشک

Question 7

Difference between weather & climate

Answer 7

Weather - is more about short term changes
Climate - is more about longer term changes

Weather tells you what to wear each day.
Climate tells you what types of clothes to have in your
wardrobe!

اشکاف، قفسه، جا رختی، موجودی لباس

Question 8

Global Warming

Answer 8

an increase in the global average temperature on arth

Question 9

Climate Change

Answer 9

~ the change in general weather conditions on the earth over a long period of time.
For example, we see more extremes weather nowadays, such as
storms, tornadoes and floods than in the past.

Question 10

Gas emissions

Answer 10

~ the production of gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4)

Question 11

The Greenhouse effect

Answer 11

~ greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere. The heat cannot escape and so the planet gets hotter.

Question 12

Fossil fuels

Answer 12

~ non-renewable fuels, e.g. coal, carbon, oil, gas

Question 13

Deforestation

Answer 13

the cutting down of trees on a large scale

Question 14

Habitats

Answer 14

~ where animals and plants live

Question 15

An ecosystem

Answer 15

~ a community of living things connected to their environment

Question 16

A Carbon footprint

Answer 16

The amount of greenhouse gases produced from any person or organisation’s activity.
I can reduce my carbon footprint by using less electricity at home

اثر کربنی

Question 16

Renewable energies

Answer 16

~ water (hydro), wind, sun (solar)

Question 17

Try to solve / tackle / address
climate change / global warming

Answer 17

We need to tackle climate change head on (=directly)

Question 18

Mitigate climate change

Answer 18

(=reduce, alleviate, minimise)

Question 19

Causes of Climate Change

Answer 19

The main human cause is probably the burning of fossil fuels, like
coal, oil and gas, for electricity, heat and transportation.

When we use cars, planes and other forms of transport we burn fossil fuels and emit
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The exhaust fumes from cars produce CO2

When we use electricity at home,we are most likely burning fossil fuels and so producing
greenhouse gases which cause global warming.

Deforestation is a major cause of climate change. Trees take in CO2 and produce oxygen, so when we cut down trees this stored CO2 is released. Also, as there are fewer trees, this balance of CO2 and oxygen is lost.

Tree roots hold the soil together and keep the soil fertile. Without trees the land is less farmable, and also the soil moves leading to both landslides and possible drought.

Farming, including raising livestock (e.g. cows, sheep, and goats) produces harmful greenhouse gases because cows emit methane gas when they fart (when they defecate).

When farmers use this as fertiliser, it is also emitting more greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere.

Apparently, the fashion industry that pushes us to buy new clothes every season, produces vast amounts of greenhouse gases.

These come from the processes needed to produce the fabrics, especially man-made ones, and also the transportation needed for the complex supply chains.

Did you know a shirt made of man-made polyester has twice the carbon footprint of a cotton shirt?

Such consumerism also leads to huge amounts of waste and nonbiodegradable fabrics that damage the environment.

Question 20

The problem of Climate Change

Answer 20

In the past, the climate occurred in regular cycles and it used to rain during a particular season but now, it rains heavily any time and this is leading to floods.

The Ozone layer is being depleted due to daily increasing CO2 emissions. Such gaps in the Ozone layer mean the sun’s harmful rays are doing more damage to the planet.
The polar ice sheet is melting (thawing out) and the sea levels are rising
We are disrupting the balance in the ecosystem. It leads to the melting of the polar ice sheets
It leads to destruction of wildlife and their habitats
Some species are becoming extinct
It might lead to sea-level rise which in turn causes damage to coastal
regions
The earth is getting hot and hotter and so there are more droughts
which has a devastating impact on farming and the livelihood of local
communities
At the same time, we are experiencing increasingly adverse and
extreme weather conditions. Floods and flooding are more and more
common place.
When we have floods, contagious diseases can spread like wild fire
Farmers face problems due to soil erosion and so use artificial
fertilisers which can cause water and air pollution.

Question 21

The solutions to Climate Change

Answer 21

We can change the way we travel, opting for public transport and
avoiding travel by plane whenever possible.
We can eat less meat, and so reduce the demand for livestock and
cattle.
We can shop locally, so food supply chains do not need excessive
travel by train, boat or plane.
By and large, we should consume less, whether it be for electrical
appliances or clothes. We shouldn’t be a victim of fast fashion.
We can also consume less electricity at home, by using energy saving
bulbs and be more careful to turn off lights and save energy.

Question 22

Student’s Questions
Keith, what do you think about climate change?

Answer 22

Well, for sure, climate change is a hugely controversial subject
nowadays and I think, it’s a problematic thing, its a problematic issue, clearly
because the growing rise in the temperature, the global warming we are experiencing, is having a huge impact on our lives, and on nature and the the world around us.

For example, climate change…the increase of the temperature that is happening due to the emission of methane from cows or carbon emissions from traffic, is leading to this increased temperature which in turn leads to the sea level rise which is getting worse and worse, and that’s destroying habitats for animals like the polar bear and penguin.
But not only that, it’s having a really detrimental impact on coastal cities and lower level land.
It can lead to tsunamis, flooding in lots of areas around the world and that’s gonna have a really really bad impact.

So, personally, I think climate change is a serious problem {and} that we need to take radical action, right now. I go along with Greta Thunberg saying we need to wake up to the reality around us. I don’t really go along with the skeptics who don’t believe it’s a serious problem. I think it a problem and we need to take action.

Question 23

Keith, what can we do to stop climate change?

Answer 23

Well, I think there is a number of things that we can do. First of all as
countries we can introduce policies that will prevent for example,
deforestation.
Policies that will encourage countries to take positive actions towards
climate change,
but there is also things that we as individuals can do.
For starters, we can save energy at home, we can be turning off lights
when we don’t need them so we are using less electricity.
We can take public transport, so reducing our carbon footprint, so
there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
We can also vote with our feet when it comes to consumerism,
and we can choose to buy fewer clothes, so that we are
not pushed by the fashion industry to be consuming all of these
fabrics that then are just left as waste
and are having a negative impact on the balance of the ecosystem as
well.
So, I think both of these areas we need to address in order to tackle
climate change head on.