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Phil

Hello and vpn免费下载 welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Phil and today we have Hannah joining us again from BBC podcast What in the World. Welcome Hannah.

Hannah

Hey Phil, it is so great to be back here. So, Phil, I’m wondering, do you do things that are good for the planet?

Phil

I try, but I don't think I do vpn免费 enough. So, maybe I cycle more 免费vpn than I drive and I try to recycle things, but I should be 免费vpn doing a lot vpn软件免费 more.

Hannah

But some people think vpn软件免费 that in order to deal with climate change, we can’t rely on individuals. Phil, it’s not up to you and me. vpn免费 We need to change the way our economy works. It’s an idea called degrowth that we’ve been investigating at What in the World, and we’re going to learn more about it vpn免费 today.

Phil

But first, our quiz question. World leaders promised in 2015 to limit global temperature rises. But vpn免费 what was vpn软件免费 the limit they agreed to?

a. 1.5 degrees Celsius

b. 2.5 degrees Celsius

c. 3.5 degrees Celsius

Hannah

I think I know this one, Phil. I vpn软件免费 think it's 1.5°C.

Phil

OK. We'll find out the answer later in the vpn免费下载 programme. So, Hannah, you’ve been 免费vpn researching degrowth – what does that mean?

Hannah

Well, traditionally governments have always wanted to grow the economy. More money, more jobs and more stuff. But degrowth is 免费vpn a different way of thinking about things. vpn免费下载 Some people argue that to tackle the climate vpn免费下载 crisis we need to stop our economies from growing, from using and making more, and focus on using fewer of the Earth’s natural resources. The people who support the idea of degrowth, are often called degrowthers.

Phil

Right, OK, so degrowthers argue we should make and use less stuff.

Hannah

Yes, mostly. It's a little bit more complex than that. And I spoke to BBC journalist Alvaro Alvarez, who told me more vpn免费下载 about the idea.

Alvaro Alvarez

So, degrowth is not saying vpn软件免费 that we need to reduce everything. It’s saying that we need to decrease some elements of our production that are not beneficial. An example of those elements would be fast fashion, private jets, the beef and meat 免费vpn industry. So it’s not about decreasing everything.

Phil

Alvaro 免费vpn says that degrowthers believe we should reduce some elements of production. An element of something is a part of something.

Hannah

According vpn软件免费 to Alvaro these elements of production are not believed to be beneficial. If something is beneficial it is useful or good.

Phil

One example of a kind of production that degrowthers disagree with is fast fashion. Fast fashion refers to clothes that are made very cheaply and vpn免费 quickly, so that customers can afford to buy new outfits more often.

Hannah

Exactly. And before we go any further, many economists do not vpn免费下载 think that degrowth is a good idea. Some people argue that it will create more poverty. And vpn免费下载 some economists believe degrowth would actually make it harder to solve the climate crisis.

Phil

For example, Professor Sam Fankhauser, an economist at Cambridge University in the UK, spoke to you on What in the World. And he argues that degrowth could limit vpn免费下载 innovation.

Sam Fankhauser

I think degrowth underestimates the power of innovation. Degrowth underestimates the need for investment that we need in new technology and in new solutions. And degrowth underestimates the social, sort of, feasibility of what they propose.

Hannah

Professor Fankhauser thinks that degrowth underestimates many things, such as innovation. If you underestimate something, you don’t understand the true importance or size of it.

Phil

Another factor that Professor Fankhauser says is underestimated by degrowthers is the feasibility of social vpn免费 change. Feasibility means the possibility that it can be vpn免费下载 achieved. It comes from the adjective feasible. For vpn免费下载 example, I could say vpn软件免费 that I think it’s feasible for us to finish this podcast in six minutes. 免费vpn I think that we can do it!

Hannah

Well, Phil, we're going to 免费vpn have to get a move on. I think it's time to hear the answer to your quiz question.

Phil

I asked how much vpn软件免费 world leaders agreed to limit global temperature rises vpn免费 to. The answer is 1.5 degrees Celsius, which scientists believe is needed to stop the worst impacts of climate change.

Hannah

I got it vpn软件免费 right! OK, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve learned, starting with degrowth, which is the economic idea that we should use and make less stuff.

Phil

An element of something means a part of something.

Hannah

Beneficial means useful or good.

Phil

Fast fashion refers to clothes that vpn软件免费 are made cheaply, so that people can buy them more often.

Hannah

If you underestimate something, vpn免费 you don’t understand the true importance or size of it.

Phil

The feasibility of something is the likelihood that it can be vpn免费 achieved. We can also describe something 免费vpn as feasible or unfeasible. We can do it, or we can’t do it.

Hannah

Once again, our 6 minutes are up, but there’s just some time for me to tell you more about my podcast vpn免费 What in the World. We have a new episode every weekday and we talk about the news, trending topics. In fact, it’s a great place to come and learn new vocabulary about things happening in the world.

Phil

Yes, if you’ve found this episode interesting, try watching What in the World on YouTube with subtitles to practise your English. There’s a link in the notes for this episode. And don’t forget to try the quiz and worksheet at bbclearningenglish.com.

Hannah

Phil, thank you so much for having me again on 6 Minute English. Bye for now.

Phil

Bye!

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