Should goverments interfere in issues like global warming or not?

It is said that some people believe that global warming will be tackled if goverments take strong measures to control the situation , while others insist that goverments should not interfere  in the everyday lives of people no mattter what the reason is.
  As I see it , global warming is caused by human interaction as more and more people leave their electrical appliances on standy, consume more energy than is needed and use means of transport such as buses or taxis which release carbon dioxide (CO2) in their exhasust fumes which later goes into the atmosphere.It has to be mentioned that carbon dioxide is more commonly produced in industries and factories where tons of carbon dioxide is released every year.
   In my point of view,goverments should interfere in a matter like this . They should offer financial incentives, for instance, force factories and industries to pay a hefty tax for every tone of CO2 they produce, raise the taxes of electricity in order to motivate consumers to consume lessand persuade manufacturers of electrical appliances , cars etc to make them more energy efficient. Furthermore ,apart from goverments , people should also take action. For example; Start a campaign which will motivate people to alter their behavior, turn the thermostat down and wear warmer clothes indoors in the winter  and will also show them the importance of global warming.
  Taking all things into consideration, the obvious conclusion tha can be drawn is that global warming is an issue that concerns all of us and we have to do whatever we can in orded to alleviate the situation. Adopting a green conscience will not only be benefitial  for the envirotment , it will also amelliorate our lifestyle.

Climate Change:An issue that conerns all of us .

It is said that nowdays, the climate of our planet will change in the future..Thanks to a lot of researches, startling evidence has recently come to light which indicates  that the climate of our planet changes gradually .However, the overwhelming majority of scientists , insist that natural factors, such as the cycle in solar activity cannot be responsible for the change of our climate . If no natural factors were responsible , the temperature ought to be falling.

 The main factor that causes the temperatures to rise is the carbon dioxide (CO2) which is released by the combustion of fossil fuels. Means of transport such as buses taxis which are more commonly used release the carbon dioxide from their exhaust fumes. After the carbon dioxide is released from exhaust fumes, it goes into the atmosphere where infared solar radiation is trapped.

 To alleviate the situation , the first step should be to launch a campaign in order to motivate people to alther their their behavior , encouraging them , for istance to insulate their homes , turn the thermostat down in the winterand wear warmmer clothes indoors , and noot leave electrical appliances on standby. Another measure that could tackle the climate change is a financial incentive . For instance, the goverment should make electricity much more expensive in order to motivate consumers to reduce their consumption or impose a hefty tax on industries for every ton of Co2 they produce .Furthermore , manufacturers of electrical appliances, cars etc should make them more energy efficient.

 Taking all things into consideration, the obvious conclusion that has to be drawn is that the climate change is an issue that concerns all of us an we have to do whatever we can to tackle it .If we adopt a green conscience not only the enviroment will be benefited, but our lifestyle will also be ameliorated  

Nassia's thought-provoking paragraph on misinformation

Why don't you take photographs of the buildings which are destroyed in the Middle East by the U.S. Army?

This is the answer to one of classmates' questions. Read more about the project here:

THE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK THE WORLD

It is a fact that misinformation from the media is a major problem of society. Not only do the press, the Intermet and other sources of information present false data and events, but they also change them in order to suit individuals and cover up for some of the nation's, the government's or even some people's mistakes. Moreover, it is very common for the media to hide some of the most grotesque facts about wars taking place, the repercussions of extreme phenomena, like floods and earthquakes, which are a peril to plenty of countries and, last but not least, the situation in which the under-developed countries live in. By doing that, they make us feel safe and secure, but totally oblivious to what is going on around us. They offer us a feeing of living in a restless utopia where everything is perfect and there is no injustice. Acknowledging all this, it is not peculiar that we do not see a lot of things about the destruction of buildings in the Middle East, as the government wish that people, and especially Americans, have their heads in the sand about what their fellow U.S. citizens are doing to others, and instead regard them as national heroes fighting for the defence of their country and/or the protection of their allies. However, not all information sources choose to be quiet when it comes to such matters, but it is important that we understand that the community does not really want to believe them. We, ourselves, prefer to ignore despair and misery around us and focus on the positive aspects of life, thus creating a false sense of happiness and ease.

This is how you can get a higher speaking score!

SPEAKING TIPS GIVEN BY EXAMINERS

How can we tackle the economic crisis that torments our country?

The economic crisis which torments our country will be tackled only if the citizens of Greece become active.Greek citizens have to admit that voting politicians who are irresponsible , unreliable and useless in   taking decisions which will promote development  , will lead the country to bankruptcy. Greece has suffered enough!!! It is time for the greeks to defend their rights and put an end to this once and for all . The economic crisis came to Greece in 2001  when the Euro replaced the Drachma and Greece entered the Eurozone .Since then the debt of the country increased.In order to stop the growth of the debt Greece has to exit from the Eurozone and turn back to Drachma as Greece owes more money to the Eurozone .Furthermore, to accomplish this , a referentum needs to be provided in order to decide the fate of the Euro.Greeks are  proud people and only if they open their minds  and fight for the good of their country, they will tackle the economic crisis once and for all.

A world without war

   In a world without wars the idea of competition between countries will go away and the idea of cooperation would get enhanced. A lot of opportunities for people to get taught by teachers and grow in a normal environment where people won't dread the sudden death from lethal weapons. People will get along with each other and work together for mutually desired outcomes. No country will be pressured and countries wouldn't be competitive with others. Happiness will be dispersed around the world.

How can we let people suffer from famine or die fighting in wars while we are safe and well-nourished at home?

 This problem mainly occurs because of two reasons. First of all, had there not been governments, doing nothing but something for their own ambition, the problem would be alleviated. As they look only for their own interest, they take advantage of the mal-nourished and the ones in need. But it is not governments fault only, it is our fault too. Not only have we rested on our laurels but we keep voting for the same groups again and again. In order to see the problem with a different eye, what we should change first is our mindset.

Many people resort to animal cruelty.But are they really human?

Nowadays, some violent behaviour is noticed called animal cruelty. More specifically, this attitude is also known as animal neglect or animal abuse. This means that humans make animals suffering for purposes other than self-defence or survival. Moreover, laws concerning animal cruelty are designed to prevent needless cruelty to animals. From my point of view, we are behaving to animals in this way because they are helpless against us and they are also weaker than us, so we can do everything we want to them. However, this misbehaviour must be averted as animals have rights too and by acting in this way we violate their rights.Is it an irreversible situation or it is too late to solve this problem?

Essay on technology

Read Nassia's essay and think whether you agree with her or not:

http://girls-english.blogspot.gr/2013/09/technology-blessing-or-curse.html 

Can YOU answer those questions?

Flabbergasted, I happened to read the article about the British actor currently starring as Sherlock Holmes in popular TV series, Benedict Cumberbatch, who bravely decided to hold up paper signs attacking the UK government over its abuse of civil liberties.

The next thing I knew was that my C2-level students were eager to do exactly the same in an attempt to express their thoughts on topics discussed in class or the current affairs, which would also allow them to exploit the new vocabulary in a more creative way. Therefore, we proudly present you with the photos taken today, depicting certain questions which cannot be easily dealt with. You can click on the images to view them in a larger size.

Take a look at a fun GIF image comprising all the students' photographs here.

After the photo shoot, the ECPE 'celebrities' exchanged signs with the intent of answering the questions their classmates came up with on the class blog. The links to those blog posts will be shared within this post as soon as they are published.

We would love to hear our readers' opinions on the following controversial topics.

Nassia: How can we let people suffer from famine or die fighting
in wars while we are safe and well- nourished at home?

Konstantinos: How can we tackle the economic crisis
which torments our country?

Andrew: Many people resort to animal cruelty.
But are they really human? 

Hercules: Do you think, if we use cloning wisely,
it can contribute to making the world a better place?

George: Why don't you take photographs of the buildings
which are destroyed in the Middle East by the U.S. Army?

Rafaela: How is the world going to be without war?
Why not live in a safe place in peace? 

GENETIC MODIFIED CROPS (GM CROPS)

GM crops are plants whose DNA is modified using genetic engineering techniques .The main reason of GM crop's existance is that products like soya can be produced in larger quantities so as to tackle the world hunger and malnutrition.The question that arises is : Are GM crops a blessing or a curse?
   Proponents of GM crops claim that over the next 60 years more mouths will have to be fed and that there will not be sufficient agricultural land to satisfy this pressing need . GM crops are the only option as new crops with much greater yields have to be developed . Another important benefit of GM crops is that the quality of food can be enhanced , as it can be engineered to stay fresh for a long time . Furthermore , crops which are geneticaly modified are more resistant  to weather fluctuations . This means that sufficient yields and quality can be provided despite potentially adverse weather conditions .
  On the other hand ,detractors of GM crops insist that not enough tests have be done to prove that GM crops are healthy for humans. ANother disadvantage is that despite the abudance of food, which could fight famine and hunger , people still go hungry either because they do not have the financial ability to buy food or because they do not have land to cultivate.
  The obvious conclusion that has to be drawn is that GM crops can tackle world hunger and famine which will relieve lots of people , but we cannot be sure about the effects that GM crops have on our health. A research has   to be conducted in order to to be sure if GM crops have possitive or negative effects in our health . If the effects are positive lots of people will be relieved .

Genetic Modified Crops

   In recently years new crops have been created which can be produced in larger quantities and are excessively resistant. The DNA of the these crops has been modified using genetic engineering techniques.They can be used in periods of malnutrition and hunger; however, it is also claimed that they harm our health.

   A lot of countries cope with hunger and they need large quantities of food for the starving people. This can be made possible with the use of GM crops because they are more economical and more durable despite the fact herbicides, fungicides and pesticides put on the GM crops have been reduced. It is also important that weather not affect these crops . Therefore, the quality of the products will remain stable even if there are weather fluctuations. Last but not least people need to be fortified with certain vitamins. Therefore, transgenic crops can be modified as to have a kind of vitamin which can be more convenient for those people. Those crops can also be financially accessible by indigent people.

   On the other hand, many companies exploit weaker countries and sell the crops more expensively to under developed countries; as a result, their proceeds increase at the same time malnutrition in these countries soars. Furthermore, not only can GM crops trigger allergies to people, but they can also cause fatal diseases. When these crops are modified, some of the genes that are implanted in the crops can influence the health of some people if they have some particular allergies. Additionally, the fatal diseases are created in the modification of the crops because of the use of viruses and bacteria. Some people firmly believe that we should not change the DNA of  food and we have to keep it the way God gave it to us.

   To sum up, I reckon that genetically modified crops should be used in specific situations in order to suppress hunger around the world or help people who need a particular kind of vitamins.