Air contaminationHaze and airborne dust – the visible portions of air pollution – were once seen as minor irritants, but they are gathering force like a coming storm. In August 2002, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released “The Asian Brown Cloud: Climate and other Environmental Impacts”, which describes a “new scenario” of air pollution in South Asia, involving haze, smog, ozone and global warming. A little later the Asian Brown Cloud was ranked in terms of its implications for health, business and politics. The term “Asian Brown Cloud” originally referred to a brownish soup of pollutants and particles over India from forest fires, the burning of farm wastes, and huge increases in emissions from vehicles, industries, and wood-burning cookstoves. But new satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration show that the Asian Brown Cloud is part of a much larger-scale pollution event encompassing most of East and Southeast Asia. The haze is heaviest between December and May, the main home – heating season, but is getting worse year round. The UNEP report was based largely on the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), conducted by scientists in the United States, India and Europe. INDOEX examined the movement of aerosols specifically over South Asia (comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka). An INDOEX report suggested that aerosols in the haze could seriously disrupt the Earth’s cycle of evaporation and precipitation. By interfering with sunlight’s breakdown of hydroxyl radicals, the haze could affect water availability and crop production. The UNEP report draws preliminary conclusions about air pollution effect on the South Asian environment and the implications for human health, agriculture, and climate change. For example, the report states that the haze reduces natural solar energy levels by about 10 %, with significant consequences for farm yields, namely for rice. The report also cites figures for deaths worldwide related to air pollution. Indian scientists do not consider the Asians to be blame for pollution, Western countries have polluted the air for decades at far higher rates. The most scientists agree that the report’s importance lies in the public recognition that it has stimulated, and say the problem of transboundary pollution is likely to grow. The director of observatories for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory says that this phenomenon is an international, integrated problem.
Grammar study: Objective Infinitive Construction Объектный инфинитивный оборот состоит из подлежащего, сказуемого, дополнения, выраженного существительным в общем падеже или местоимением в объектном падеже, и инфинитива. При переводе на русский язык подлежащее и сказуемое становятся главным предложением, затем следует дополнительное придаточное предложение, в котором подлежащим становится существительное в общем падеже или местоимение в объектном, а сказуемым – инфинитив. Придаточное дополнительное предложение вводится союзами «что», «чтобы», «как». Объектный инфинитивный оборот употребляется после глаголов to want, to wish, to desire, to suppose, to expect, to consider, to assume, to believe, to observe, to watch, to see, to hear и др. Sample: Scientists consider air contamination to be one of the reasons of bad health of the people. – Ученые считают, что загрязнение воздуха является одной из причин плохого здоровья людей. Indian scientists do not consider the Asians to be blame for pollution. – Индийские ученые не считают, что азиатские страны виновны в загрязнении. Сравните данный оборот с субъектным после неопределенно-личных оборотов it is said (говорят), it is known (известно), it seems (кажется), it is likely (вероятно): The most scientists say the problem of pollution is likely to grow. – Большинство ученых говорят, что проблема загрязнения, вероятно, будет увеличиваться. Exercise 2 . Define Infinitive Construction and translate the sentences into Russian: 1. Air contamination is considered to be one of the reasons of bad health of people. 2. Dust and exhausted gases are known to be the pollutants of air. 3. Haze and global warming were reported to be a new factor of air pollution. 4. People’s activity appears to cause global warming. 5. The mankind seems to be unable to overcome the consequences of its activity. 6. Emissions from vehicles and industrial enterprises are proved to be the serious danger of air pollution. 7. The scientists note the data about nature pollution to grow. 8. The ecologists observe the state of the nature to become worth. 9. The scientific report supposes interfering into the water system to lead to disruption of Earth’s cycle of evaporation and precipitation. 10. The authorities believe the problem of transboundary pollution to be recognized.
Exercise 3 . Define the form of the –ing words in the text: gathering, coming, involving, burning, encompassing, heating, getting, comprising, interfering.
Exercise 4 . Insert the proper words into the sentences: 1. The Asian Brown Cloud is a part of a large scale (загрязнение) (охватывающее) East and Southeast Asia. 2. (Дымка) is the visible portion of air pollution. 3. The scientists (исследовали) the movement of aerosols over South Asia (включая) India and Sri-Lanka. 4. To Indian scientists’ opinion Western countries (загрязняли) the air for decades. 5. The most scientists agree that the problem of (глобальное загрязнениe) should be recognized. 6. The Climatic Laboratory says that this (явление) is an international, integrated problem. 7. The United Nations Environment Programme report (приводит заключение) about air pollution effect and (его отношение) for human health. 8. (Дымка) and airborne (пыль) cannot be seen as minor irritants any more.
Exercise 5 . Translate into English: 1. Термин «Asian Brown Cloud» первоначально относился к загрязнителям от лесных пожаров, сжигания сельскохозяйственного мусора, выхлопов автомобилей. 2. Аэрозоли в дымке воздуха могут нарушить цикл испарения и выпадения осадков. 3. Аэрозольная дымка снижает уровень солнечной энергии и таким образом влияет на урожаи. 4. Индийские ученые не считают, что Азия виновна в загрязнении воздуха. 5. В докладе ученых отмечается, что многие смерти соотносятся с загрязнением воздуха. 6. Факторы загрязнения воздуха включают аэрозольную дымку, смог, озон и глобальное потепление. 7. Загрязнение воздуха влияет на окружающую среду, здоровье людей, сельское хозяйство и изменение климата. 8. Аэрозольная дымка может повлиять на наличие воды и получение урожая. 9. Для борьбы с загрязнением окружающей природы были созданы некоторые структуры: Программа по изучению окружающей среды Организации Объединенных наций, Лаборатория диагностики и слежения за климатом. 10. В результате исследований ученые приводят данные о последствиях загрязнения окружающей среды.
Exercise 6. Read the additional text paying attention to the words given below:
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