Hot, Hot, Hot: Drought and Other Effects of Warmer Temperatures

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From the course by University of Pennsylvania

English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

561 оценки

University of Pennsylvania

English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

561 оценки

Welcome to English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs. To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select "Full Course. No certificate." If you want to get a Coursera Verified Certificate for free, please fill out the Financial Aid form. This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in improving their English skills in the sciences. In this course, you will explore some of the most innovative areas of scientific study, while expanding your vocabulary and the language skills needed to share scientific information within your community. In unit 1, you will learn how to preview texts and practice some of the language used to make comparisons when talking about global warming and climate change. In unit 2, you will examine the chemistry of climate change and the language of cause and effect. In Unit 3, you will learn about some of the impacts of Climate Change and the language used to describe these effects. In Unit 4, you will learn reading strategies that can help you explore the science behind some new energy systems. In the final unit, you will investigate practical advances in Nanotechnology that help slow down climate change, while developing your own research skills in English. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that's just right for each English language learner.

From the lesson

The Impacts of Climate Change on our World

Hot, Hot, Hot: Drought and Other Effects of Warmer Temperatures4:30

Hurricanes & Storms5:07

Language Focus: Scanning for Details5:33

Unlockable Achievement 50:09

Rising Sea Levels4:26

Meet the Instructors

Jack Sullivan
Director of Programs
English Language Programs
Alyssa Swanson
Intensive Program Manager
English Language Programs

Hello.

In the previous unit, you looked at the greenhouse effect.

In this unit, we're going to be looking at the impacts of climate change.

One of those impacts is that the Earth is going to be hotter,

and we're going to introduce ways that this will affect people,

animals, and the natural world.

We'll look at drought and how this will affect both the water we need to drink

and the water we use for crops and animals.

We'll also look at other effects of a hotter planet.

Let's begin by looking at drought.

Drought means there is a long period of time with little or no rain,

and there is a water shortage as a result.

The year 2016 was the hottest year on record, impacting global weather patterns.

Consequently, many parts of the world suffered from drought

-- India, Latin America, California, and parts of Southeast Asia have all suffered

from heat waves and drought recently.

The worst effects, however, have been seen in parts of Africa.

Not every part of Africa has been experiencing drought;

some parts of Western Africa have seen heavy rainfall which is also causing problems.

However, in Eastern and Southern Africa,

especially hot weather and very little rainfall have created serious drought conditions.

Without rain, wells, the places where water is stored underground,

have dried up and there is not enough water to drink.

This is a direct result of too much heat.

To make things worse, there is not enough water for the animals that humans rely on.

And crops, the plants that humans grow to eat, which need water to grow, are failing too.

Millions of people are at risk from the thirst and hunger that are caused by drought.

There are other negative effects of excessive heat.

Every year, heat waves, a short period of higher than usual temperatures,

cause a number of deaths.

For example, in 2003, nearly 15,000 people died during a heat wave in France;

most were elderly people living alone or who did not have air conditioning.

Greater use of energy is another negative consequence of excessive heat.

This arises from air conditioning units and other cooling systems being turned on

for a longer time and consuming more energy.

If we create this energy by using fossil fuels, it can add to the global warming process.

Other negative impacts of excessive heat can include physical damage to infrastructure,

such as roads, bridges, and railways.

This damage is caused by metals and other materials melting

because they are exposed to the hot sun,

and can be especially dangerous to people traveling by cars and on trains and buses.

A hotter atmosphere can also cause an increase in air pollution.

When pollutants are released into the atmosphere, warm air can act like a cover,

trapping the pollutants lower to the ground

and not letting them escape to the upper atmosphere.

In this case, the diseases caused by air pollution can be made even worse.

In addition to this, hot weather can also put more pressure on relationships

and often result in greater conflict.

Crime rates often rise as temperatures go up.

And productivity, the amount of work that people do, goes down.

So as we have seen, excessive heat can cause many problems for people.

Drought affects the amount of water available to drink but also affects animals and crops.

Other effects include deaths from heat waves, greater use of energy,

infrastructure damage, spreading air pollution,

and social problems, such as an increase in crime and a decrease in productivity.

Next, you're going to learn about the effects of hurricanes and storms.

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