US Carbon Emissions Rise in 2018 Because of Industry, Fuel Demand

Activity 1.

Words in the article:

emission - /iˈmɪʃ.ən/ -the act of sending out gas, heat, light, etc.:

Environmental groups want a substantial reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases.

diesel /ˈdiː.zəl/ - a type of heavy oil used as fuel:

My new car runs on (= uses) diesel.

jet /dʒet/– related to or involving a fuel used to power airplanes

The airline seeks to protect itself from rises in the jet fuel price in the future.

consumption - /kənˈsʌmp.ʃən/ -the act of using, eating, or drinking something:

These products are not for national consumption, but for export.

Activity 2.

Article

After falling for three years, carbon emissions in the United States rose in 2018.

The Rhodium Group studies U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas linked to rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere. Its new report estimates that the country’s carbon emissions increased 3.4 percent last year. This would be the largest yearly increase since 2010, when the nation was recovering from a financial crisis known as Great Recession.

The research also suggests that the American coal industry continues to struggle because of low-cost, plentiful natural gas.

Natural gas is now by far the energy of choice in the United States.

American power consumption - and carbon emissions - increased in 2018. The transportation industry was largely responsible for the nation's record emissions.

Demand for gasoline -- the fuel used in most motor vehicles -- decreased. But increases in the demand for other fuel, such as diesel and jet fuel, made transportation the industry most responsible for U.S. carbon emissions.

The report said another big producer of carbon emissions is the construction industry. Emissions from buildings and homes also were up last year, partly because of very cold winter weather in parts of the country.

The country’s carbon emissions had been decreasing year by year since 2015, as the nation worked to honor the Paris Agreement on climate change. But even with those reductions, the United States was unable to meet reductions agreed to by the administration of former President Barack Obama.

Officials from almost 200 countries gathered at United Nations’ headquarters in 2016 to sign the climate agreement. Under the deal, the United States promised to cut its carbon emissions by at least 26 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2025.

But in June 2017, President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the deal. The U.S. will officially withdraw in 2020.

Activity 3.

Comprehension questions

1. How long were carbon emission levels in the United States falling before they started to rise again in 2018?

1. 1,000 days

2. Six months

3. Three years

4. 230 years

2. What is the main tool being tested on smartphone apps aimed at predicting depression?

1. Facial recognition

2. Virtual reality

3. Artificial intelligence

4. Augmented reality

3. What is one of the next steps researchers want to take if smartphones turn out to be good predictors of depression.

1. Offer users the chance to provide voluntary information about depression

2. Offer users automated text messages and links to assistance

3. Allow police to examine records collected from the depression app

4. Make the depression app available in all US schools

4. What did the Stanford University study find were the main causes of teen depression?

1. Too much pressure from teachers to do well in school

2. Living in poor communities

3. Spending too much time on social media

4. Bullying or family issues

Activity 4.

Discussion

1. What is your take on the current carbon dioxide emission situation in the world and in your country?

2. What do you think about the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement? Why?

3. Do you think the American government cares more about its economy or the environment?

4. Are you concerned about the state of environment in your country?

5. What do you know about climate change? Do you believe it is really happening?

6. What actions are you ready to take to help protect the environment?

7. Are you environmentally friendly?

8. Do you think international meetings on the environment are useful?