Climate Change
Vocabulary
Reach each word out loud.
wasteful
/ˈweɪst fəl/
adjective
useless consumption or throwing away of items
Example:
Humans are a very wasteful species that cause our landfills to overflow with trash.
powerless
/ˈpaʊ ər lɪs/
adjective
the feeling we have when a situation is out of our control
Example:
I don't like to watch the news because it reminds me of how powerless I am.
fossil fuels
/ˈfɑːsəl ˈfjuːəlz/
noun
coal, petroleum, and natural gas used to power vehicles, industries, etc.
Example:
Gas cars burn fossil fuels as their energy source, but electric cars use electricity.
consumerism
/kənˈsu məˌrɪz əm/
noun
the practice of constantly acquiring or consuming new products
Example:
Because of consumerism, our landfills are overfilled and trash is piling up too fast.
carbon footprint
/ˈkɑːrbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/
noun
the amount of carbon compounds released into the atmosphere due to the activities of an entity
Example:
In an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I've decided to purchase an electric vehicle.
Story
Read the story out loud or play the audio and follow along.
Audio generated by AI
Climate Change
Lately, I keep thinking about how the weather feels different compared to when I was a child. Winters in my city used to be longer and colder, but now they are short and mild. Summers have gotten much hotter, and heat waves happen more often. This year, we set a new record for the hottest summer ever recorded in my city.
Scientists call this climate change. It’s caused by too much carbon dioxide in the air. Cars and factories are usually the ones being blamed the most for this problem, but they’re not alone. In my opinion, each individual persons growing carbon footprint is to blame. Through constant consumerism and wastefulness to our reliance on fossil fuels, everything we do each day makes this problem worse.
The problem is so big that I often feel powerless, but I know small actions matter. I try not to create as much waste, use less plastic, and I avoid driving gas powered vehicles whenever I can. Still, I wonder if that’s enough.
When I talk with friends, some believe we can still fix things, while others feel it’s already too late. I don’t know the answer, but I do know that ignoring the problem is not an option. What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint?
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Written by:
Thomas
Lesson updated:
6 de novembro de 2025