Greenpeace Protects the Environment

Read and translate the text.

Greenpeace is an international organization that protects the environment. In past years, they have worked to end whale hunting and nuclear testing. More recently, they have added other environmental issues to their crusade, such as global warming, nuclear power, and genetic engineering. Greenpeace has offices in over forty countries, and has about 2.8 million supporters worldwide. The organization receives money from private donations only, never from governments or corporations. Any government or corporate money is returned. Charitable foundations may also donate money.

The organization began in the early 1970s when it wanted to stop an underground nuclear test in Alaska. The United States had planned to detonate a nuclear bomb in a wildlife refuge for sea otters, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and other wildlife. Greenpeace sailed a boat into the testing area. Although the US removed the activists and carried out the test, a national outcry prevented additional tests. The area was later turned into a wildlife sanctuary. Similar protests were made against the French, who tested nuclear devices in the Pacific Ocean.

Greenpeace is well known for its protests around the world. Of course they also attend international conferences, meet with politicians, advertise, and educate the public, just to name a few of the ways they fight for the environment. But they are most famous for the protests which involve “direct action”. Volunteers sabotage or vandalize facilities, as well as arrange demonstrations and sit-ins. These are only some examples of direct action. A less hands-on approach, such as donating money, is indirect action. With direct action, Greenpeace hopes to bring the media’s attention to a problem, who will then report it to the general public. As such, Greenpeace looks for creative ways to get on the news. One common method has been for volunteers to place their boat in front of a harpoon or whaling ship to save the whales. This creates a powerful image for TV news and newspapers. The organization refrains from any violent protests, though. Their official mission statement is: Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organization which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force solutions for a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace’s goal is to ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is Greenpeace?

2. What does Greenpeace fight against?

3. Who donates money to the organization?

4. How did the organization start?

5. What happened to the Alaskan sanctuary?

6. How does Greenpeace bring change and protect the environment?

7. What is Greenpeace particularly noted for?

8. Can you explain “direct action?”

Match to make word combinations. Use them to compose your own sentences. ( 4 sentences)

1. global a) transport

2. ecological b) disasters

3. air c) activity

4. natural d) problem

5. human e) pollution

6. acid f) forecast

7. weather g) rain

8. public h) warming

Fill in the gaps with the words and word combination: water, pollution, scientists, air, acid rain, serious, water, soil

Everyone wants to reduce 1_. But the pollution problem is as complicated as it is 2_, because much pollution is caused by things that benefit people. For example, exhaust from automobiles causes a large percentage of all  3__ pollution.

But the automobile provides transportation for millions of people. Factories discharge much of the material that pollutes air and 4_, but factories provide jobs for people and produce goods that people want. Too much fertilizers and pesticides can ruin 5_, but fertilizers and pesticides are important for growing  crops.

Scientists are finding effects of 6__. In some large areas trees are dying. Not just one tree here and there, but whole forests. At first 7__ could not understand why. There were no bugs or diseases in these trees. The weather was not dry. But now they think that the rain was the cause. Some kinds of trees cannot live in the soil that is very acidic.