low_emission_zones.mp3
low_emission_zones.pdf
Sam
Hello This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English I'm Sam…
Neil
And I'm Neil
Sam
In this programme, we’re discussing low emission zones and explaining some
useful items of vocabulary along the way
Neil
Well, that’s good, Sam But what exactly is a low emission zone?
Sam
Well, the noun emission is an amount of, usually, gas, that is sent out into the air
and harms the environment – it’s pollution And a low emission zone is an area of
a city where the amount of pollution is controlled
Neil
Of course, and cities like London have them - most vehicles, including cars and
vans, need to meet certain emissions standards or their drivers must pay a daily
charge to drive within the zone – or they might even be banned altogether
Sam
Exactly It’s all about making the air we breathe cleaner And my question today
is about one UK city which recently announced it wants to be the country’s first
‘net zero’ city - placing their greenhouse emissions at a neutral level But which
one is it? Is it…
a) Glasgow
b) Manchester
c) Cardiff
Neil
Ah yes, I’ve heard about this and I’m sure it is a) Glasgow
Sam
OK, I'll let you know if that was correct at the end of the programme Now, Neil
mentioned that London already has an ultra-low emission zone But this year,
other UK cities, including Bath, Leeds and Birmingham, are also bringing in Clean
Air Zones
Neil
And around the world, many other cities like Beijing, Paris and Madrid have these
zones Although there are many types of emissions, such as from factories, these
zones predominantly target exhaust fumes from vehicles – poisonous gases
called nitrogen dioxide
Sam
Let’s hear from an expert on this - Alastair Lewis who is a Professor of
Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York He spoke to BBC Radio 4’s
Inside Science programme and explained why we should be trying to reduce
these pollutants – a word for the substances that cause pollution…
Alastair Lewis, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry, University of York
Most of the evidence we have now on air pollution is that we continue to see
health benefits by reducing pollution, even when you're below the target value
So, just because the city meets a particular value, there is still an
incentive to continue to improve air quality, because the health benefits
continue to build up as you do that So, targets are very good at focusing the
mind, but they shouldn't be the only thing that we're considering
Neil
Alastair Lewis mentions ‘targets’ These are official levels of something that need
to be achieved They give us something to aim for – in this case reducing air
pollution
Sam
He uses the phrase ‘focusing the mind’ – that means to concentrate on one idea
or thought
Neil
But, while setting a target to cut air pollution is good – it has health benefits – we
shouldn’t just focus on meeting the target Even if the target is met, we shouldn’t
stop trying to improve The incentive should be that we are improving people’s
health
Sam
And an incentive is something that encourages someone to do something
So, I think it’s accepted that creating low emission zones is an incentive because
it encourages people to either not drive into cities or to, at least, drive low[1]polluting vehicles
Neil
And, of course, changing to electric-powered cars is one way to do this There’s
more of an incentive to do this now, at least in the UK, because the government
has said new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the from 2040
Sam
But pollution from vehicles is just part of the problem, as Alastair Lewis points
out…
Alastair Lewis, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry, University of York
One has to accept that air pollution is an enormously complex problem with a
very very large number of contributing sources, and there will never be any one
single action that will cure the problem for us So, low emission zones
are one way to reduce concentrations, but they are not, in isolation, going to
be the solution
Neil
So, Alastair points out that air pollution is a complex problem – it’s complicated,
difficult and involves many parts
Sam
Yes, there are many sources – things that create these emissions So, it’s not
possible to solve - or cure – the problem by doing one thing Low emission zones
are only one part of the solution to the problem
Neil
He said it was one way to reduce concentrations – he means amounts of
substances, pollutants, found in something, which here is the air
Sam
Well, earlier, Neil, you had to concentrate your mind and answer a question
about emissions I asked which UK city recently announced it wants to be the
country’s first ‘net zero’ city - placing their greenhouse emissions at a neutral
level Was it…
a) Glasgow
b) Manchester, or
c) Cardiff
?And, Neil, what did you say
Neil
I said it’s Glasgow
Sam
And it is Glasgow! Well done, Neil It wants to become the UK's first ‘net zero’
city And later this year it is hosting a major United Nations climate change
summit
Neil
OK, Sam, I think we need a recap of the vocabulary we’ve discussed, starting with
emissions…
Sam
Emissions are amounts of, usually, gas that is sent out into the air from things
like cars They harm the environment And pollutants are the actual substances
that cause pollution…
Neil
To focus the mind means to concentrate on one idea or thought
Sam
And we mentioned an incentive, which is something that encourages someone to
do something
Neil
Complex describes something that is complicated, difficult and involves many
parts
Sam
And when talking about pollution, we sometimes talk about concentrations
These are amounts of substances, or pollutants, within something
Neil
So, in a polluted city, we might find high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide
because of all the traffic – it’s not great for our health, Sam
Sam
Indeed, Neil – that’s why we need low emission zones!
And that brings us to the end of this 6 Minute English programme See you soon
Bye
Neil
Goodbye
VOCABULARY
emissions
amounts of, usually, gas that is sent out into the air from things like cars
pollutants
substances that cause pollution
to focus the mind
to concentrate on one idea or thought
incentive
something that encourages someone to do something
complex
something that is complicated, difficult and involves many parts
concentrations
amounts of substances, or pollutants, within something
