IELTS Task 2 : Environment

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Model answer 1

An increase in production of consumer goods results in damage of natural environment. What are the causes and possible solution?

The ever-increasing quantities of manufacturing consumer goods have been condemned as a sole mean to lead to environment degradation. From my perspective, I believe that the of over-producing of industrial goods poses a potential threat to the environment by either overgrazing from nature or contaminating the environment excessively.

To begin with, the quickening tempo of modern lifestyle contributes to the rubbish increase, because many people prefer takeaway fast food and the use of disposable items for the convenience’s sake. It is common that by the aggressive marketing, disposable packaging becomes fashionable these days, from baby nappies to milk cartons to burger wrappers. Also, it is not deniable that most tillable land has been used as landfills to bury the increasing rubbish, a huge amount of which is not biodegradable. That is to say that rubbish of disposable items will remain the same in the soil for a long period of time, thus bringing great harm to the residents nearby.

Subsequently, the by-product of the process endangers the nature. Firstly, modern wood processing factories are logging as many as they may possible at the price of environment, in order to produce more chopsticks and furniture. Secondly, there is an increasing prevalent trend that industrial effluent is poured into rivers and lakes without reasonable management. Moreover, the original vibrant farmland is employed with the force of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, thus eroding the soil. Also crazy is the plastic bags floating in the coast. Additionally, even when people come to realize their “evil”, they remain pursuing their profits regardless of any side effects to the environment.

In response to solve this increasing adverse effect, some viable solutions must be put forward. Not surprisingly, the primary way is to encourage individuals to participate in saving. Furthermore, the government should focus more measures, including public activities and recycling schemes. In the first place, public activities should be sponsored by the government to promote the awareness of environmental protection. Make sure that everyone is conscious preserver. If possible, government should take stronger and harsher measures to combat the littering behavior, such as hefty fines. In the second place, some restaurants sell takeaway food, like KFC or McDonald’s, should be encouraged to reduce the amount of packaging they use for their products and make their packaging out of more environmental-friendly materials. In other words, companies can use technology to turn useless into useful tools.

All in all, as is indicated above, it is inevitable that the higher pressure of population and over-industrialization will lead to larger scale of consumer goods production at the risk of environment. But this pressing situation is expected to turn well, as people have already paid more attention to environment deterioration.


Model answer 2

An increase in production of consumer goods results in damage of the natural environment, what are the causes and possible solutions?

Globally, intensive talks go on for effective remedies to solve dilemma between the consumer-goods-increase and eco-deficit. Why is so much attention paid on this correlativity? For me, my answer tries to explore some major environment impairing in conjunction with modern consumerism plus solutions suggested below.

First foremost, excessive garbage has been accumulating harmfully on our earth owing to the over-production of consumer goods, stimulated by joint-force of science, economics and human appetite. The favor of disposables, from fast food to MP3, must be blamed firstly. Products are ready to be dumped since the day manufactured under a banner of “convenience” or “speeding”. Furthermore, either the birth of dumping of hot products releases tremendous poisonous element, as lead, arsenic or mercury, deposited in the air, soil, even deep down the sea, causing an “evolutionary-endanger”, a sword of Damocles on our head, as warned by many ecologists, unless the instant-goods-favor-lifestyle is discarded.

Second, the relentless pursuit of consumerism also deprives our un-renewable resources seriously. Motor vehicle and aircraft are the most notorious examples in this regard. According to the statistics, the world total petroleum reserves would only last for another 35 years in case private cars increase at today’s speed. In addition, animals are sacrificed to devote their fur or leather for human’s vanity, giving rise to the loss of bio-diversification danger. Also, the crazy hunger for luxury goods over-consumes water and land, leading to the shrinking of Amazon forest or mangrove along the shores, results in abnormal climate world-wide. A vicious circle might be just around the corner if man does not learn how to resist the endless obsession of fashioned-goods. The global warming, a sign of future risk, must be understood a scourge visits on man from above, for instance.

Confronted with the agreement that consumerism indulgency is the source of eco-deficit, it is suggested that some ways should alleviate the deterioration, which are international joint efforts, new-technology and larger public campaigns. To begin with, carbon-footprint cutting, committed by political figures and scientists globally, is a good start. Then, the researches to develop clean-substitute energy and new materials are ongoing. Last but not least, people must be called on to live simpler life-less luxurious consumer goods-launch sustainable lifestyle, as saying “Think big, start small and act now.”

In a whole, the major reasons why consumer goods production deteriorates the ecosystem and measures proposed have been listed above, though there are some other minors.