EC-6 A - Chapter 3 (Plastic Pollution)
Watch the videos below.
What are the problems created by plastic? Is there any solution to the problem? What is it?
Problems of plastic :
1.
2.
3.
Solution to the problems:
1.
2.
3.
A World of Plastic
When the first plastic was invented in the 1870s, it was thought to be an amazing new material. It was light and it could be easily made into different shapes and colors. But, because it was so cheap, people threw away plastic things instead of using them again.
This created a very wasteful lifestyle. Plastic is still a very useful material, and it lasts a long time. But now we know this isn't good for the environment. When plastic is thrown away, it breaks down very slowly. Tiny pieces of plastic float in the ocean currents for maybe 500 years. Sometimes plastic is eaten by animals, and the chemicals can harm them.
Some people say that plastic has been good for the environment. Factories used to make cars from metal. Now that more plastic is used, cars are much lighter so they use less gas and produce less pollution. The world produces 300 million tons of plastic every year, but only 5% of it is recycled.
Most plastics are still made from oil, and the factories that make plastic create a lot of pollution, too. There are some new plastics now which arc made from plants, like corn. Corn can be easily grown and this plastic breaks down without pollution. It's true that some types of plastic can be recycled, but what happens to all the plastic you throw away?
Vocabulary list
Listen and repeat these words.
Repeat after me.
plastic
invented.
amazing.
light.
shapes and colors.
threw away.
wasteful lifestyle.
useful material.
environment.
breaks down.
float.
ocean currents.
chemicals.
Factories.
less gas.
less pollution.
produce.
recycled.
corn.
pollution.