9.2 Listening
47 Part 2
Let’s turn now to the topic of global warming. We’ll look at how it impacts on health, first of all, and then we’ll consider the role of public health authorities and how they are dealing with the situation. I would be very surprised if anyone in this room has not heard of global warming. But have you ever stopped to think about the effects it may have on the health of the nation, indeed the planet? Before we go into the details in terms of health, I just want to look at the term ‘global warming’. You don’t need to take notes on this, but I just
want to give you a bit of background. According to the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC, that’s the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human activity over the last 70 years has had an extremely negative effect on the atmosphere. In simple terms, roughly 66% of solar energy reaching the Earth is absorbed by and heats the Earth’s surface. The heat then radiates back into the atmosphere, where some of it is trapped by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. Over the last 70 years, the burning of fossil fuels, for example, has released large quantities of CO2, which have in turn had an effect on the climate. Now, where was I? Oh yes, right, I was talking about
the effects of climate change on health. Of course, extremes of climate and weather can have both direct and indirect impacts on human life. Floods in Caracas in Venezuela in 1999 killed some 30,000 people. And Europe hasn’t escaped such large-scale human loss either – the heatwave of 2003, for example, was linked to 35,000 deaths, mainly of the elderly, through heatstroke and dehydration. Indirectly, the effects of climate change vary
depending on the direct cause. Heatwaves, for example, mean increased UV exposure, which the UK Department of Health and Social Care predicts will result in a gradual increase in the number of cases of skin cancer and cataracts over the next few decades. Higher temperatures also raise the probability of food poisoning, and exacerbate the production of air pollutants. Air pollution in turn increases the frequency of cardiovascular diseases and respiratory disorders, such as emphysema, asthma and allergies. Vector-borne disease – that’s diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks – would also be on the increase due to higher temperatures. In fact, there is even a chance that malaria could be reintroduced into the UK. Storms, tornadoes and flooding not only give rise to injury from flying debris but also intestinal illnesses and other waterborne diseases brought about by the subsequent flooding of sewage treatment plants, as well as the possible exposure to hazardous toxic chemicals from run-off from agricultural land and urban stormwater systems. The UK Department of Health and Social Care reports that flooding also leads to psychological problems: displaced persons can experience mental health consequences due to the stress of the immediate disruption to their lives, not to mention enforced migration, even if it is only on a temporary basis. Crowded conditions in temporary shelters only further increase the risk of the spread of infectious disease.
So, what exactly have we looked at this morning?
Well, to sum up, we’ve looked at a definition of public health. I then went on to outline two major issues that are currently preoccupying public health authorities across the world – obesity and the impact of climate change on health. With obesity, we talked about the extent of the problem as well as its cause, the health risks of obesity, and finally the measures being taken to resolve the problem. Secondly, with climate change, we looked at the direct followed by the indirect problems in terms of health brought about by climate change. Next, I want us to consider the role of public health authorities in preventing further negative effects from climate change …
D
Explain that some fi xed phrases used in lectures can help with predicting the type of information which follows.
Set students to read the phrases and the types of information, checking for any words they don’t understand.
Tell them that they will listen to some examples which will help them to match each phrase to the type of information which follows. Explain that some of the information types will be needed more than once. You could ask them to suggest matches before they listen and then listen to check their answers.
48
Play the sentences one at a time, allowing time for students to identify the type of information which follows. Verbally check the answer after each sentence, asking for the actual information as well as the information type.
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