Academic Writing - Model Answer (Task 2)

 Many countries are experiencing serious problems with their environment, with pollution of their land, water and air.

What are these problems and how might they be reduced?

The level of pollution that plagues the world today is a topic that is discussed by many governments. Similarly ways of tackling these problems are at the top of the agenda.

Pollution is brought about by human activity and the areas most affected are land, water and air. Fumes from cars and factories dirty the air and lead to health problems for citizens and global warming, melting ice caps etc. Deforestation and soil erosion contribute to land pollution as does dumping rubbish in landfill sites. This has an impact on harvests and provides little protection against harsh weather conditions. Finally, industries and household waste may contaminate rivers and seas. This reduces the amount of clean water used for irrigation, drinking water and household use.

Action need to be taken on an individual level by consuming less, thus reducing the amount of waste produced and re-cycling more. The government needs to encourage alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind energy in order to reduce the dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels. Industries could be fined heavily for polluting the atmosphere or failing to produce products that are not biodegradable. Alternatively, subsidies could be provided to people who chose to use other environmentally friendly energy sources.

Summing up, we have destroyed our natural environment by waste disposal and industrialisation making it unsafe to live it and destroying valuable ecosystems. If we don’t re-cycle or use alternative methods of energy it will be too late to save the earth.

Question taken from Focus on Skills for IELTS Foundation p.96