Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC
Learning English. I'm Neil.
And I'm Rob.
In this programme, we'll be discussing
climate change and teaching you some
useful vocabulary so you can talk about it too.
Such as 'emitters' - a word used to describe
countries, industries or just things
that produce harmful substances that
harm the environment.
Substances such as carbon dioxide - an
example of a greenhouse gas. These gases
contribute to our warming planet.
And we're going to be discussing
whether the world's two biggest
emitters of greenhouse gases - the USA
and China - can work together for
the good of the environment.
But a question for you first, Rob.
In November this year, world leaders
are due to meet at a climate conference.
In which city will this be taking place? Is it...
a) Brisbane, b) Glasgow, or c) Vienna?
Well, I've heard about this, so I think it is
the Scottish city of Glasgow.
OK, Rob, I'll tell you if you are right or
wrong later. Let's talk more about
climate change then. Back in 2015,
world leaders met in Paris. It was the
first time virtually all the nations of
the world came together to agree they
all needed to tackle the issue.
Under the terms of the Paris deal,
countries promised to come back
every five years and raise their
carbon-cutting ambitions. An ambition
is something you want to achieve
even if it is difficult to do so.
President Trump pulled out of this
Paris agreement but now President
Biden has brought the USA back into it.
But the USA still has a lot to do to help
reduce its contribution to air pollution.
In China, where smog is a common
occurrence, President Xi Jinping has
pledged the country will be carbon
neutral by 2060. That means it will
do things to reduce the amount of
carbon dioxide by the same
amount that it produces.
The BBC World Service programme,
The Climate Question, has been
looking at this is more detail.
BBC journalist, Vincent Ni, explains
why Xi Jinping's plans might
be tricky to achieve...
What I'm really thinking is that this
is actually a real inherent paradox
of today's China. It is leading in
many ways on green initiatives
while at the same time it's also
a big polluter and greenhouse gas
emitter. It's got to alleviate poverty
as well as fight pollution. The thing to
watch now is how this dynamic
will play out in the next few years.
So, China currently has two things
going on - one good, one bad - an
impossible situation because it has
two opposite factors - what Vincent
called a paradox.
And this paradox is that, on one hand,
China has many projects to improve
the environment, but on the other
hand, it is a big polluter.
And as well as tackling pollution,
Vincent also said China has to
alleviate poverty - alleviate means
make less severe or serious.
But as we've said, China is not alone.
The USA is another big polluter which
is also trying to develop ways to
clean up its act - an informal way
of saying change the way it
behaves for the better.
President Biden wants the US to
achieve an 100% clean energy
economy and reach net zero
emissions by 2050. He also wants
to create 10 million new 'green' jobs.
'Green' means related to protecting
and helping the environment.
The former governor of California,
Jerry Brown, who's now with the
California-China Climate Institute
at Berkeley, also spoke to The
Climate Question programme. He thinks
the USA should do its bit to help
climate change, but it also involves
working together, globally
We have to really face reality with
humility. We have put more heat-trapping
gases in the atmosphere that are still there,
than China has - that's the historical fact...
So, I think we need to stop pointing
fingers as though evil is outside ...
and we have to work with China
and Russia and Europe and
everywhere else, as partners in
humankind's very dangerous
path forward. So, I'd worry more
about that than figuring out all
the flaws of which there are many
in my competitive friends and enemies.
Jerry talks about facing the situation
with humility... so, not trying to be more
important than others and admitting
your bad qualities. He says the USA
should not think evil - the polluters in
this case - are from elsewhere.
Stop pointing fingers at other people!
Yes. The solution, maybe, is not to
blame others but to work together,
trust each other, and make tough
choices rather than pointing out
each other's flaws - faults or mistakes.
Hopefully many countries can work
together more when they attend
this year's climate conference, Rob.
But in which city?
Yes. I said Glasgow, in Scotland.
Was I right?
You were, Rob. Well done. World leaders
are due to meet there in November this year.
Right, now there's just time to recap on
some of the vocabulary we've discussed.
Yes. We talked about emitters - countries,
industries or just things that produce - or
emit - harmful substances that harm
the environment.
'Ambitions' are things you want to
achieve even if they are difficult.
A 'paradox' is an impossible situation
because it has two opposite factors.
To 'alleviate' means, make less
severe or serious.
'Humility' involves trying not to be more
important than others and admitting your
bad qualities. And 'flaws' is another word
for faults or mistakes.
Well, hopefully there were no flaws
in this programme! That s all for now,
but we'll be back again soon to
discuss more trending topics and
vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.
Goodbye for now!
Bye!