Text 1B. Agricultural runoff in West Central Wisconsin

(after L. Neuburg)

 

Wisconsin is famous for its dairy products. In fact, Americans often refer to Wisconsin as the Dairy State. “Wisconsinites” are proud of their rich farming history, but unfortunately, poor farming techniques are heavily contributing to west central Wisconsin’s biggest environmental problem: agricultural runoff. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agricultural runoff is the single largest source of water pollution in America. Hazardous chemicals are carried by rainwater or melting snow into water systems and pollute the water. Furthermore, they can seep into the ground and contaminate underground water sources. The results can be harmful, if not deadly to those who drink the water.

The first source of agricultural runoff is soil. Rainwater washes the soil into nearby lakes and rivers. The water becomes cloudy and prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic plants. Soil can also clog the gills of fish and harm other water creatures. Other forms of agricultural runoff are often carried by soil particles into the water systems.

The second source of agricultural runoff is fertilizer. Farmers use fertilizers to add nutrients to their fields, thereby increasing the amount of crops they produce. One natural fertilizer commonly used in agriculture is manure. Farmers gather the manure in storage systems until an appropriate time when it can be spread in their fields. Although manure is beneficial for the ground, it may contain bacteria such as Escherichia coli, which can contaminate the drinking water and make people ill. Symptoms include nausea, fever, and diarrhea.

Fertilizers also contain nitrate (NO₃), which easily dissolves in water and is not absorbed by the soil. Nitrate is especially dangerous for infants less than 6 months of age. Nitrate decreases the amount of oxygen blood cells can absorb. If a child drinks too much nitrate-containing water, he/she could develop a condition called “methemoglobinemia”, which is better known as “blue-baby syndrome”. Babies with blue-baby syndrome turn blue, because they are not getting enough oxygen. If they are not immediately treated, they can fall into a coma and/or die.

The third source of agricultural runoff consists of pesticides and herbicides. Farmers use these chemicals to get rid of pests and weeds that hinder their crops from properly growing. 14 different types of pesticides and herbicides have been found in Wisconsin water supplies, the most common being atrazine. Underground water systems in close proximity to corn fields often have traces of atrazine in their water. As with most pesticides and herbicides, atrazine is considered to be carcinogenic (causes cancer).

Needless to say, many people in west central Wisconsin are concerned about agricultural runoff and the role it plays in their family’s health. Many citizens have been actively petitioning for stronger laws to reduce it.

Back in 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed to reduce the amount of pollution that entered waterways. Unfortunately, this act focused primarily on municipal sewage plants and industrial facilities; farms were given little attention. Over the past few decades, however, more and more work has been done to reduce agricultural runoff. Wisconsin’s legislature passed new rules in 2002 which set standards and prohibitions to prevent it. It also established a set of practice farmers must follow in order to meet the new standards.

Agricultural runoff continues to pose a threat to Wisconsin’s water systems and the health of its people; nevertheless, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is committed to addressing and resolving these problems. The DNR continues to post success stories on its websites, highlighting the achievements and changes taking place throughout Wisconsin. Through cooperation between farmers, the government, and residents, the threats of agricultural runoff can be eliminated and Wisconsin residents will once again enjoy clean, healthy water systems.

 

gills – жабры to clog – забивать fertilizer – удобрение manure – навоз nausea – тошнота fever – лихорадка diarrhea – расстройство желудка

treat – лечить to get rid of – избавиться pest – вредитель сельского хозяйства weed – сорняк municipal sewage plant – городская станция очистки сточных вод

 

1. What is the main environmental problem of central Wisconsin?

2. What are the three sources of agricultural runoff?

3. Why is nitrate especially dangerous for babies?

4. When are fertilizers considered harmful?

5. How many kinds of pesticides and herbicides are found in agricultural runoff?

6. What has been done to reduce water pollution?

 

XI. Explain the difference between the verbs “to pollute” and “to contaminate”

pollute smth by/with smth – to add dirty or harmful substances to land, water, soil, etc, so that it is no longer pleasant or safe to use

contaminate – to make a substance or place dirty or no longer pure by adding a substance that is dangerous or carries disease

 

XII. Analyse the main idea of each paragraph in 1-2 sentences.

XIII. Write down an abstract to Text 1B.

Unit 2. Air Pollution

 

Words to remember:

to release – выделять waste – отходы to alert – предупреждать об опасности to exhaust - выделять, испускать to exaggerate - преувеличивать inflammation – воспламенение volatile – летучий incinerator - мусоросжигательная печь to account for - составлять to contribute - вносить вклад to emit - излучать, испускать cardiovascular - сердечнососудистый

to inhale – вдыхать breathing - дыхание susceptible - восприимчивый occurrence – явление precautions- меры предосторожности respiratory - дыхательный suffocation – удушение to stack on – накапливаться landfill - мусорная яма to oversee – предвидеть to ensure - гарантировать to enforce - вводить severe - суровый, резкий trap - ловушка

 

I. Match the words to their definitions:

a) to release b) breathing c) precaution d) suffocate e) landfill f) incinerator g) to inhale  h) to exaggerate i) legal j) patient

1) to breathe smth through your nose into your lungs 2) to describe smth in a way that makes it seem better, worse, larger or more important 3) smth done to protect people or things against possible harm or trouble 4) to stop holding smth, to let smth spread out 5) a large hole in the ground where waste from people’s homes or from industry is buried 6) smth allowed by the law or legislation 7) the process of taking air into the body and letting it out again 8) to die because you can not breathe 9) a person receiving medical treatment 10) a machine that destroys waste or other material by burning

 

II. Find the synonyms, match them

1) to account for 2) occurrence 3) to release 4) severe 5) to alert 6) require 7) to emit 8) to ensure 9) to foresee 10) to enforce

a) to predict b) to radiate c) to introduce d) guarantee f) constitute g) to set free h) event i) strict j) to warn k) to demand

 

III. Make up all possible collocations:

 

1) to exhaust 2) to implement 3) to oversee 4) volatile 5) to account for 6) to emit 7) severe 8) respiratory 9) to exaggerate 10) to produce

a) substance b) data c) climate d) radiation e) disease f) results g) future h) gas i) measures j) smog

 

IV. Fill in the table. Write adjectives and nouns, add suffixes, if necessary

 

Noun	Adjective
ecology
	dangerous
nature
	safe
globe
environment
variety
industry
	numerous
poison

 

V. Read text 2A and put it in Russian.