Cotton or plastic: which kind of bag is better for the environment? Many of us would naturally say that the cotton bag is best, but that might only be true if you use that bag thousands of times. Surprised? Keep listening and we'll explain.
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There is no doubt that plastic is damaging for the environment in many ways. Producing it can cause toxins to be released into the atmosphere. It's used in great quantities and often disposed of after a single use, meaning even more then needs to be produced.Thrown-away plastic can sit in landfill sites for centuries, or alternatively can contaminate the sea causing harm to wildlife and breaking down into polluting microplastics.
Because of these factors, many people are looking for ways to reduce their plastic use. However, the picture is not straightforward. Let's return to our cotton bag. It's certainly more biodegradable than plastic, but this might be where the advantages end. The industrial production of cotton requires far more energy, along with water and pesticides. As the bags are heavier, transporting them will lead to higher carbon emissions. An article from Columbia University suggests that cotton shopping bags need to be used over 7,000 times before they are more sustainable than plastic ones.
It's not just about shopping bags. Lightweight plastic components in cars and planes help reduce fuel use and emissions. If we didn't use so much plastic in clothing and footwear, the amount of land, water and chemicals that would be needed to produce enough natural textiles and leather would be enormous. Researchers have been looking to see if carbon could be sequestered during the production of plastics, reducing the amount in the atmosphere.
One other characteristic of plastic might actually be the key to this issue. The fact that plastic lasts for centuries is what causes much of the environmental harm, but it also means it can be used to make items that can be re-used again and again. The problem is that we often don't. Plastic can cause serious harm to the environment, and efforts to throw less of it away can reduce this. Re-using it more could be one way to achieve this.
词汇表
environment 自然环境
toxin 毒素
atmosphere 大气
dispose of 扔掉，处理
thrown-away 丢弃的
landfill 垃圾填埋场
contaminate 污染，毒害
microplastic 微塑料
biodegradable 可降解的
carbon emission 碳排放
sustainable 可持续的，不破坏环境的
plastic components 塑料零件
textile 纺织物
sequester 封存
harm 危害
测验与练习
选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1._______ are dangerous chemicals.
A. Textiles B. Toxins C. Landfills D. Atmospheres
2.Too many people _______ plastic after using it once.
A. dispose of B. sequester C. landfill D. thrown-away
3.The climate is getting warmer due to carbon dioxide in the _______.
A. landfill B. toxins C. textile D. atmosphere
4.Re-using plastic makes it more _______.
A. environmental B. sustainable C. contaminated D. textile
5.Plastic waste is hard to deal with because it is not _______.
A. thrown-away B. landfill C. biodegradable D. environmental
答案：
1.Toxins are dangerous chemicals.
2.Too many people dispose of plastic after using it once.
3.The climate is getting warmer due to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
4.Re-using plastic makes it more sustainable.
5.Plastic waste is hard to deal with because it is not biodegradable.
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