Introduction to a book about the assessment of carbon footprints
Read Introduction to a book about the assessment of carbon footprints and check the IELTS Reading answers. As this book is about ways of measuring the carbon footprint of particular things, I should start by making it clear what I mean. I am using the word ‘carbon’ as shorthand for all the differen…
Passage preview
As this book is about ways of measuring the carbon footprint of particular things, I should start by making it clear what I mean. I am using the word ‘carbon’ as shorthand for all the different global-warming greenhouse gases, and I am using the word ‘footprint’ as a metaphor for the total impact that something has. So I am using the phrase ‘carbon footprint’ as shorthand to mean the full climate-change impact of something. That something could be anything – an activity, an item, a lifestyle, a company, a country, or even the whole world.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- altitude noun
The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level
Greenhouse gases emitted at a high altitude are known to have a more severe impact on global warming.
- carbon footprint noun
The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide
Accurately assessing a nation's carbon footprint requires evaluating both domestic production and the impact of imported goods.
- hybrid approach noun
A method that combines different elements or techniques to achieve a more accurate or effective result
Adopting a hybrid approach allowed the researchers to utilize both micro-level data and broad economic models simultaneously.
- ingenious adjective
Characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction; brilliantly conceived
Leontief's ingenious mathematical formula allowed for the tracking of indirect environmental impacts across diverse industrial sectors.
- intensity noun
The measurable amount of a property, such as carbon emissions, per unit of another property, such as economic output
The carbon intensity of imported products is often higher than that of domestically manufactured goods due to transport requirements.
- life-cycle analysis noun
A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from raw material extraction to disposal
A comprehensive life-cycle analysis reveals that the most significant environmental impact often occurs during the manufacturing phase.
- macroeconomic modelling noun
The use of mathematical representations to simulate the behavior of an entire economy and its broad aggregates
Macroeconomic modelling helps researchers understand how national carbon taxes influence global trade and industrial production.
- omission noun
The act of leaving something out or the state of having been left out; a failure to include
The omission of transportation data in early environmental reports led to a significant underestimation of the total impact.
- ripple effect noun
The continuing and spreading results of an event or action; a sequence of consequences
The reduction in coal consumption has a ripple effect throughout the entire supply chain, affecting logistics and manufacturing.
- robust adjective
Able to withstand or overcome adverse conditions; strong, reliable, and unlikely to fail
While measuring emissions is difficult, top-down analytical methods provide a robust framework for estimating total economic impact.
Answers with explanations
- 14. E
Paragraph E mentions an **award-winning formula** by referring to 'ingenious maths' that earned its creator, Wassily Leontief, a **Nobel Prize**. This matches the information required by the question.
- 15. D
Paragraph B outlines the **general shortcomings** of calculating carbon footprints. The author explicitly acknowledges that the overall process is 'a long way from being an exact process' and that the figures are merely 'best estimates and nothing more', demonstrating its broad limitations.
- 16. F
Paragraph F contains a mention of a **working partnership**. It explicitly states that a specific model was developed 'in **collaboration** with Lancaster University', demonstrating a partnership between the author's company and the university.
- 17. D
Paragraph D refers to the **demanding nature** of the process-based life-cycle analysis method. The author highlights how difficult it is by explicitly describing the calculation process as '**back-breaking work**'.
- 18. G
Paragraph G explains the **advantage of combining two different methods** (life-cycle and input-output analysis). It notes that a hybrid approach is like looking through a microscope and telescope simultaneously, allowing you to end up with a 'passable understanding' of the topic.
- 19. F
Paragraph F presents a **comparison between goods from home and abroad**. It contrasts 'imported products' with 'products from within the UK', noting the discrepancy in their actual carbon intensities.
- 20-21: AC
The text explicitly states that process-based life-cycle analysis 'is the most common approach,' making it a frequently used procedure. Additionally, the author points out that 'it may sound simple, but it is not at all', indicating that it is more complicated than it sounds. Options concerning exaggerated results, widely recognized faults, and UK origins are not supported by the passage.
- 22-23: CE
The passage highlights two distinct features of environmental input-output analysis. First, it states the method 'succeeds in capturing the endless ripple effects in a way that is one hundred per cent complete,' proving it is comprehensive in scope. Second, it notes that 'if you know how much something costs, you can get an instant crude estimate,' verifying it can use prices to estimate footprints. Other options are incorrect or unmentioned.
- 24. government
The summary blank requires a noun identifying the source of data for the UK economy in 2007. The text explicitly states that the model draws on data obtained from **government** sources. The word grammatically fits the gap and accurately reflects the text.
- 25. weakness
The blank requires a singular noun describing a negative aspect of the model regarding its failure to distinguish product origins. The text refers to this exact flaw as a 'key **weakness**'. The word perfectly bridges the textual meaning and grammatical requirement of the sentence.
- 26. products
The sentence needs a plural noun referring to the items whose origin the model fails to differentiate. The text explains that the weakness is treating imported **products** as having the same carbon intensity as local ones. The word fits semantically and syntactically.