Chemical Chemical engineering – English II Lic. Cecilia Orsini K.

UNIT 1
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
I. Pre-reading
1. Watch the video and answer the questions:
a) Who is the girl speaking on the video?
b) What is / are the solutions to change climate destruction. Why is she worried about?
according to the video?
c) What can trees do?

Unknown words from the video:

Drill = simulacro fix = arreglar burn = quemar fossil fuels = combustibles

fósiles survive = sobrevivir enough = suficiente suck = succionar

breaking down= venirse abajo, desomponerse, arruinarse, desplomarse anímicamente

Giving up = renunciar, darse por vencido, rendirse. Little= poco

Itself = asimismo mangroves= manglares peatbogs =pantanos de turba

Jungles = junglas Marshes= marismas seabeds= fondos marinos

kelp forests = bosques de algas swamps= pantanos

Coral reefs = arrecifes de coral lock away = Encerrarlos tool = herramienta

II. While-reading
2. Read the text, circle all the words similar to Spanish (cognates) and underline all the
nominal groups.

* Cognate : English word written similarly in Spanish. E.g. natural. This word is written and
means the same in both languages but it has a different pronunciation.

* Nominal Group : It is group of words that go together with the following combination:
Noun + Noun = The forest ecosystem

Adjective + Noun = Natural stands

 Ten ways chemical engineers can save the world from climate
change #COP21

12 December 2015 will go down in history as the day the world agreed to do something about
climate change. The impact of countries around the world reaching such an agreement
cannot be ignored. However, for us to actually achieve the targets set in Paris we need to act
now.

Chemical engineers have been working for some time to find and implement ways to combat
climate change. Here are just ten of the ways that chemical engineers can save the world from
the impact of climate change:

1. Systems-thinking

Chemical engineering makes its professional contribution by understanding how whole systems
work, and generating engineered system solutions to meet desired targets. The ideology and
discussion behind climate change solutions is in place, but it needs a chemical engineering,
systems thinking approach to apply the technical solutions.

2. Energy efficiency

Becoming more energy efficient is the obvious easy win (at least for chemical engineers). The
2012 Global Energy Assessment stated that 66 per cent of the energy produced today is
wasted. The chemicals sector is the most energy intensive industry, but current internal rates of
return stand at just 12-19 per cent. Chemical engineers can change this and make energy
efficiency the number one priority

3. Renewables

The low carbon energy system can only work if the way we generate and consume
energy changes. This means applying renewable energy technologies, such as wind and solar. A
lot of the problems with applying these technologies is finding a way to make them more cost
efficient. Chemical engineers are working on ways of producing low-cost renewable energy
sources, like spray on solar cells.

4. Carbon capture, storage and utilisation

If we intend to continue using fossil fuels, we need to decarbonise electricity production; and
carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a readily deployable technology solution to do this. Chemical
engineers are also working on technologies to turn captured carbon into useful products, such
as plastic bottles, face cream and wood glue. Chemical engineers have the ability to deploy CCS
technology today, and in so doing, take a major step forwards to the least-cost mitigation of
dangerous climate change.
5. Nuclear

Nuclear power is already playing a vital role in decarbonising the global energy economy. Its
capacity to provide base-load power makes it a stable and low-carbon energy supply, because
nuclear doesn’t emit carbon dioxide during power generation. Chemical engineers are essential
in the nuclear industry, not only do they work to design new reactors, but they also ensure
standards of safety, efficiency and environmental performance are met.

6. Sustainable bioenergy

More than half of the world’s annual carbon emissions could be prevented over the next 50 years
by using sustainable bioenergy. However, the raw materials used in bioenergy production – food
crops like maize and sugarcane – come with a lot of associated challenges. Chemical engineers
have the technology to use these materials efficiently and bioenergy production has the
potential to be cost effective.

7. Unconventional gas

Using unconventional gas (for example shale gas or coal seam gas) is a more environmentally
friendly option than existing fossil fuels. Switching, for example, from coal to gas can result in
around 50 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions being produced in power generation. Chemical
engineers work to ensure that extraction of unconventional gases is performed to the highest
environmental standards.

8. Energy storage and grid management

Being more flexible in the way we generate and consume energy will require new energy storage.
When we think of storage batteries are what commonly spring to mind, but .on demand via
chemical conversions. Effective energy storage is a major part of the climate change solution, and
chemical engineers can help.

9. Sustainable food

Food is a major greenhouse gas emitter. The agriculture sector emits 24 per cent of global GHG
emissions, the second biggest after only energy, and these emissions are increasing – driven
by population growth and changes in dietary preferences. Chemical engineers are helping to cut
emissions by making food production more efficient, for example by making fertilizer in a low-
energy way or by reusing food waste.

10. Water-energy-food Nexus

Global demand for food, energy and water is increasing, these resources cannot be considered
in isolation. But most importantly water, energy, food and climate change are intrinsically linked.
Chemical engineers play a major role in delivering sustainable solutions at the water-energy-food
Nexus. We should not think of water, energy and food as separate entities, they are dependent
on each other, Nexus-thinking should play a part in all our climate change solutions.

We all need to work together to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change.
Chemical engineers are developing the technology, but we also need to stand up, speak out and
call for action. Because together, we can prevent climate change.

3. Complete the chart below using the information taken from the reading.
 Chemical Engineers’ proposals to help Action to be developed
with climate change
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

LANGUAGE FOCUS I
Present Progressive / Continuous: We use the continuous tense to talk about actions that
are developed in the moment of speaking or developed for limited period of time.

The structure of the Present Continuous tense is:

Subject + Auxiliary be + Main verb

Conjugated in Present Simple

am is are Present participle (-ing)

Chemical are working on technologies to

Engineers turn captured carbon into
useful products.
 6. There are seven sentences written in present progressive tense, scan the reading again
and find them. Copy the sentences, change them into negative sentences and finally into yes-
no questions.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

Bolivian strategies on climate change

Bolivia experiences a variety of climates determined by the tropical humid influences of the
Equatorial Amazonian Current and the Southern Current cold-air masses. Additionally, latitude
and altitude gradients between east and west have an influence on the climate.
Bolivia is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Glaciers have long provided water
for agriculture and electricity. Across the Andes, 100 million people rely on these “water silos” to
survive. According to the World Bank, they are under direct threat from rising temperatures. As
glaciers recede and the availability of water from the glaciers declines, agricultural areas are
being abandoned. This has created the first generation of climate refugees. Cities like La Paz now
have to provide these migrants living in newly-created slums with shelter, water and other
services.
The Bolivian Strategy on Climate Change will be based on the following four areas, designed to
follow action within an economic and social development framework:

• Promoting clean development in Bolivia by introducing technological changes in the agriculture,

forestry, and industrial sectors, aimed to reduce GHG emissions with a positive impact on
development.
• Contributing to carbon management in forests, wetlands and other managed natural
ecosystems.
• Increasing effectiveness in energy supply and use to mitigate effects of GHG emissions and risk
of contingencies.
• Focus on increased and efficient observations, and understanding of environmental changes in
Bolivia to develop effective and timely responses.

III. Post-reading

5. Answer the following questions.

a) According to the reading how does climate change affect Bolivia?

b) According to the reading what are the strategies proposed to solve the climate problems in
Bolivia?
c) As future chemical engineers, what would you propose in order to change this fact?

d) Write a summary in your own words of both readings in Spanish.

LANGUAGE FOCUS II

ING forms

We can use the -ing form of a verb as a noun:

Ex. Using unconventional gas is one of the solutions to solve the problem.

7. Scan the readings and find sentences using ING forms. Copy them.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)