Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
A. Climate change is one of the most hotly contested environmental debates of our time. Will the West Antarctic ice sheet melt entirely? Will the Gulf Stream ocean current be disrupted? Will it be the end of the world as we know it? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Antarctica is a crucial element in this debate — not just because it’s the only place in the world, which has never sustained a human population and therefore remains relatively ‘pristine’ in this respect; but more importantly, because it holds in its ice-cores half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. (Journey to the End of the Earth)
How does the absence of a human population in Antarctica make it significant in the climate change debate?
Answer:
The absence of a human population in Antarctica makes it significant in the climate change debate because it means that it is relatively untouched by human activities and therefore reflects the natural changes in the environment.
Step-by-step explanation by Teachoo:
- The extract tells us that Antarctica is the only place in the world that has never sustained a human population and therefore remains relatively 'pristine' in this respect.👥
- This implies that Antarctica has not been affected by human activities such as deforestation, pollution, or greenhouse gas emissions, which are some of the main causes of climate change.🌲
- Therefore, we can infer that Antarctica represents a natural baseline for measuring the changes in the environment over time.⏳
- This is especially true because Antarctica holds in its ice-cores half-million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice.🧊
- These records can tell us how much carbon dioxide was present in the atmosphere in different periods of history and how it influenced the climate.🌡️
- By comparing these records with the current levels of carbon dioxide and temperature, we can see how much human activities have impacted the climate and what consequences it may have for the future.🔮
- Hence, we can conclude that the absence of a human population in Antarctica makes it significant in the climate change debate because it means that it is relatively untouched by human activities and therefore reflects the natural changes in the environment. 👏
