Environment in the United States of America

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 595.

Unit 9

Unit 9 Getting around

English for International Tourism 2

baby seat

boarding pass

breakdown

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)

check-in desk

criminal record

departure lounge

emergency roadside assistance

entry

expiry date

luggage tag

overbooking

pick-up date

rental contract

return date

road sign

speed limits

standby ticket

to apply for a visa / visa application

to be allowed to

to be authorised to

to be required to

to cancel / cancellation

to check in

to delay / delay

to get a visa

to submit

unhelpful staff

valid / invalid

vehicle

Give definitions:

crossing

excursion

journey

tour

trip

voyage

1. Look at the pictures and comment on them:

· What situation is depicted: routine or emergency?

· In what region of the US can it be?

· What is going on?

· What are people doing (or not doing)?

· What is the possible outcome?

· How do the pictures characterize ecological situation on the United States?

2. Read about EPA.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or sometimes USEPA) is an agency of the U.S. federal government which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress. The EPA was proposed by President Richard Nixon and began operation on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order. The order establishing the EPA was ratified by committee hearings in the House and Senate. The agency is led by its Administrator, who is appointed by the president and approved by Congress. The current acting administrator is Bob Perciasepe. The EPA is not a Cabinet department, but the administrator is normally given cabinet rank.

The EPA has its headquarters in Washington, D.C., regional offices for each of the agency's ten regions, and 27 laboratories. The agency conducts environmental assessment, research, and education. It has the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with state, tribal, and local governments. It delegates some permitting, monitoring, and enforcement responsibility to U.S. states and Native American tribes. EPA enforcement powers include fines, sanctions, and other measures. The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.

The agency has approximately 17,000 full-time employees and engages many more people on a contractual basis. More than half of EPA human resources are engineers, scientists, and environmental protection specialists; other groups include legal, public affairs, financial, and information technologists.

One of its functions is to provide the US citizens with information about the current ecological state of their city, region, street or other locality in terms of greenhouse gas emission and many other factors. This, as they state, may be changed by every individual or household. Visit the site, and calculate the carbon footprint of an average American family. Share your experience with the class.

3. Read the text Pollution in New York and discuss the following: