關于氣候變化的話題，最近十幾年一直成為社會各界關注的焦點，在雅思考試當中也會經常出現各類的社會熱點問題，本期我們就結合climate change氣候變化這個話題，給大家介紹一下如果寫作當中出現了這個話題，我們應該如何拓寬寫作思路。

Rising Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

The level of CO2 has been rising since the industrial revolution (mid-19th century). These are years which saw world wars, technological innovation, trade on an unprecedented scale and a staggering creation of wealth.

Billions of tonnes of CO2 are sent into the atmosphere every year from coal, oil and gas burning and there is no sign of these emissions starting to fall rapidly.

The changing climate of the planet and the remarkable growth in human numbers and riches both stem from the combustion of billions of tones of fossil fuel to produce industrial power, electricity, transport, heating and, more recently, computation.

The felling of forests for timber, cattle, soy and palm oil is a big contributor to carbon emissions. It is also a major cause of the annihilation of wildlife on Earth.

The Consequence (I) – Global Temperature Rise

The planet’s average temperature started to climb steadily two centuries ago, but has rocketed since the second world war as consumption and population has risen. Global heating means there is more energy in the atmosphere, making extreme weather events more frequent and more intense.

The consequence (II) – rising sea levels

Sea levels are inexorably rising as ice on land melts and hotter oceans expand. Even if the temperature rise is restricted to 2C, one in five people in the world will eventually see their cities submerged, from New York to London to Shanghai.

The upside (I) – wind and solar energy is soaring

Renewable energy has become the cheapest energy in many places and the rollout is projected to continue. Analysts also expect coal use to fall. But much government action is still required to reach the scale needed, and solve difficult problems such as aviation and farming.

The upside (II) – electric vehicles

The global fleet of electric cars and vans is still small compared with those running on fossil fuels. But sales are growing very fast. Electric cars are cheaper to run, suggesting they will become mainstream.

The upside (III) – battery costs

Renewable energy is intermittent, depending on when the sun shines or wind blows. So storage is vital and the cost of batteries is plummeting. But other technologies, such as generating hydrogen, will also be needed.