Read the following transcript regarding environmental news. Listen to the excerpt and later discuss the issues around activism:
Greenpeace activists
arrested: Russian coast guard threaten with knives and guns
A group of Greenpeace activists who
were trying to board an oil rig in the RUSSIAN Arctic have been arrested.
25 protesters, including six
Britons, were met with heavily armed Russian coastguards, who they say
threatened them with knives and guns. The environmentalist group said the
coastguards, who were also wearing balaclavas, stormed their ship, the Arctic
Sunrise. The activists were trying to gain access to Gazprom Oil Rig which they
believe is about to start drilling for oil but their protest ended shortly
after the guards fired shots at them.
"We're here in the Russian
Arctic taking action against the first Arctic oil platform to go into
production which pose a huge threat to the fragile environment. Gazprom is
known for its poor safety standards and we've seen Shell screw up in the
Alaskan Arctic last year, and now these two reckless oil companies are teaming
up. It's a disaster waiting to happen."
Moscow has accused the protesters of
aggressive and provocative behavior and summoned the Dutch ambassador to
discuss the issue as Greenpeace is based in the Netherlands.
Difficult words: rig (oil platform),
balaclava (piece of cloth that covers your head and neck), reckless (not caring
about possible dangerous situations), accuse (say that you think that somebody
did something wrong), summon (order somebody to come somewhere).
Questions:
- Do extremist tactics push environmentalism forwards or backwards?
- Is environmental activism power without accountability?
- Some people refer to extreme activists as eco-extremists or eco-terrorists.
- Do you agree with them?
- "It's not the activists' job to find alternatives. Their job is just to draw attention to the problems." Do you agree with the above statement?
Vocabulary:
- Collective behavior: συνολική συμπεριφορά – των πολλών
- Contagion theory: (μετάδοση) μαζική ύπνωση συμπεριφορά
- Cultural diffusion: η διάχυση ιδεών από μια κουλτούρα στην άλλη
- Riot: εξέγερση
Further study article:
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6423061.stm
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8303381.stm
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8340537.stm
