Text 2. A BIO-SOLUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING?

Sustainability, biodiversity, ecosystem health and integrity, climate change, energy consumption and clearcutting. A few decades ago terms like these were mostly unheard of by the general public. Today, they are so commonly used, and often misused, that they have become part of our everyday vocabulary.

Twenty years ago, the public in the industrialized nations was largely uninformed about, and uninterested in, forests and forestry. Since then we have had «Our Common Future» (the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development), and the Rio de Janeiro international summit meeting on the environment. Both focused world attention on the problems of deforestation, loss of species, and the need for the sustainable management of forests.

The global forest products industry can play a significant role in combating climate change by optimizing the use of raw material, increasing efficiency, producing bio-energy and expanding into bio-refinery products. This was the conclusion of a meeting in Rome in October 2006 at which intergovernmental and private sector organizations of the global forest product industry joined forces. Participants stressed that well integrated and carefully balanced energy and forest policies around the globe set the stage for these developments. Governments, industry, institutions and society at large each have a role to play and should work together.

The forest products industry is a major consumer of energy, using 6 % of total industrial energy use in 2003. But the industry also produces energy, as well as other by-products that can be used for energy generation. It is the only sector that already generates approximately 50 % of its own energy needs, the majority from renewable CO₂-neutral biomass. Energy costs, energy supply and climate change are among the core issues impacting on the future of the forest products industry.

Governments have a key role to play in encouraging industries to use cleaner and more efficient energy technologies and in promoting bio-energy. Wood and paper products are uniquely renewable and recyclable products that help reducing greenhouse gas emissions by absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere. The industry is committed to innovative energy solutions that meet the challenge of climate change, increase efficiency, reduce reliance on fossil fuel and expand the use of renewable energy sources. The fiber from sustainably-managed forests makes a positive contribution to the world's future energy supply.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) considers that sustainable bioenergy has to be part of the global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other measures aiming to reduce the ecological footprint. Credible certification of bioenergy feedstocks with focus on social and environmental issues — including greenhouse gas calculations — and land use planning are part of the solution to ensure the sustainability of development. It was agreed to continue working together to apply the unique potential of the forest sector to mitigating climate change and increasing energy security.

Answer the questions:

1. Are the terms used in ecology part of our everyday vocabulary?

2. On what problems did the Rio de Janeiro summit focus the world attention on?

3. Can the global forest products industry play a significant role in combating climate change?

4. Who must join efforts to mitigate climate change and increase energy security?

5. Does the forest products industry consume or produce energy?

6. Why do we say that wood and paper products help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

7. What are the roles of the governments and industries in dealing with the problem of energy supply?

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IV. Fill in the spaces with the suitable words and word combinations	\|	Make up a list of topical vocabulary.

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