Question 1

1

Question 2

2

Question 3

3

Question 4

4

Question 5

5

Question 6

6

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

The "bleaching" or dying of the Great Barrier Reef. Coral reefs are very fragile when it comes to the temperature of the ocean. Just a few degrees increase can wipe out entire reefs. I'm not a scubadiver, but the reefs and surrounding marine life are beautiful.

Question 2

No snow in Nagano. My friends planned a ski trip last winter in Nagano and Shiga, but they had to cancel because there was no snow.

Question 3

Growing up in Boston we had very clear seasons. The summer was short June, July, August. We had high temperatures, but it wasn't very humid. My home and many of my friend's homes had an inground pool. We would swim and hang in the pool all day. The nights tended to cool down a bit, so it was comfortable to sleep without air conditioning. Now, I stay inside the air con all day. It is way too hot and humid here to enjoy outdoor activities in the summer.

Question 4

In America back in the 1990's aerosol cans like air refreshener or deoderant were banned because they were destroying the ozone layer. It seems to have helped a bit as the hole in the ozone layer has shrunk.

Question 5

We have a car now that we live in the countryside of Nara, but we didn't own a car in Osaka or back in America. We recycle everything.

Question 6

I think that the Obama administration was on track and making ground in the fight against global warming, but the Trump administration has taken a few steps back. I think that it is important for all world leaders to come together and at least have an understanding of how serious this could be. I hope that my children will have a world that isn't burning up. Japan is already very hot. India recently had a heat wave in the North. Some areas recorded temperatures of 50 degrees.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
fragile	壊れやすい
humid	湿度
ozone layer	オゾン層

Question 1

I think the ice melting at the North and South Poles is a very clear indication of global warming.

Question 2

I think that there are fewer insects than 15 years ago, apart from mosquitos. It is a shame that ladybugs and bettles are rare now.

Question 3

We avoided summer heat by playing in the water sprinklers in the garden.

Question 4

I think high taxes on carbon emissions is a good policy. Companies want to pay less tax so they will invest in cleaner techniques or produce less carbon.

Question 5

My wife brought a dehumidifier which is supposed to be energy efficient.

Question 6

I think a positive affect of the COVID-19 virus is that it has shown us how badly humans are politing the Earth and how it can get much better after 3 months of people staying inside. It gives me hope for the future.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
it's a shame	それは残念だ
water sprinklers	水スプリンクラー
dehumidifier	除湿機