Lesson 12: Environmental Issues
Discuss environmental topics using 由于 + cause constructions and 对...有影响 at B1 level.
Overview
Environmental discourse is a major theme in contemporary Chinese society and media. To participate meaningfully in this topic, you need both the vocabulary (climate change, carbon emissions, sustainable development) and the grammar structures that express causation and impact. The patterns 由于 (due to, because of) and 对...有影响 (has an impact on) are workhorses of formal written and spoken Chinese on any topic involving cause and effect. Understanding how these patterns differ from colloquial 因为 and 影响 prepares you for authentic engagement with news, reports, and academic texts.
Learning Objectives
- Use 由于 correctly to introduce formal causal explanations.
- Construct 对...有(很大/积极/消极的)影响 phrases to describe impact.
- Discuss environmental problems and solutions using HSK 4 vocabulary.
- Read and comprehend authentic environmental news passages.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 环境保护 | huánjìng bǎohù | n | environmental protection | 重视环境保护 |
| 气候变化 | qìhòu biànhuà | n | climate change | 应对气候变化 |
| 碳排放 | tàn páifàng | n | carbon emissions | 减少碳排放 |
| 可持续 | kě chíxù | adj | sustainable | 可持续发展 |
| 能源 | néngyuán | n | energy | 清洁能源 |
| 回收 | huíshōu | v/n | to recycle; recycling | 垃圾回收 |
| 污染 | wūrǎn | n/v | pollution; to pollute | 空气污染 |
| 资源 | zīyuán | n | resources | 自然资源 |
| 保护 | bǎohù | v/n | to protect; protection | 保护环境 |
| 排放 | páifàng | v/n | to emit; emission | 温室气体排放 |
| 全球变暖 | quánqiú biànnuǎn | n | global warming | 应对全球变暖 |
| 生态 | shēngtài | n | ecology, ecosystem | 生态平衡 |
| 节能 | jiénéng | v/adj | to save energy; energy-saving | 节能措施 |
| 植树 | zhíshù | v | to plant trees | 植树造林 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: 由于 + Cause + 结果/导致
Structure: 由于 + [cause clause/NP], [result clause] / 导致 + [negative result]
由于 is more formal than 因为. It appears in written Chinese, news reports, and academic arguments. Unlike 因为, 由于 usually appears at the beginning of a sentence, and its result clause can be introduced by 因此 (therefore), 导致 (led to), or nothing at all.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 由于大量使用化石燃料，全球碳排放量不断增加。 | Yóuyú dàliàng shǐyòng huàshí rányào, quánqiú tàn páifàng liàng bùduàn zēngjiā. | Due to the heavy use of fossil fuels, global carbon emissions continue to increase. |
| 由于近年来的气候变化，极端天气事件越来越频繁。 | Yóuyú jìnnián lái de qìhòu biànhuà, jíduān tiānqì shìjiàn yuèlái yuè pínfán. | Due to climate change in recent years, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. |
| 由于缺乏环境保护意识，一些地区的生态平衡遭到破坏。 | Yóuyú quēfá huánjìng bǎohù yìshí, yīxiē dìqū de shēngtài pínghéng zāodào pòhuài. | Due to a lack of environmental awareness, the ecological balance of some regions has been damaged. |
Contrast with 因为: 因为 is used in speech and informal writing. 由于 is formal. Both can introduce causes, but 由于 cannot be combined with 所以 in a paired structure the way 因为...所以 works.
Pattern 2: 对 + NP + 有 + [degree] + 影响
Structure: [Agent/cause] + 对 + [affected entity] + 有 + [degree adj] + 影响
This is the standard way to express "has an impact on X" in formal Chinese. The degree word (很大, 严重, 积极, 消极, 深远) is placed before 影响.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 工业污染对当地居民的健康有很大影响。 | Gōngyè wūrǎn duì dāngdì jūmín de jiànkāng yǒu hěn dà yǐngxiǎng. | Industrial pollution has a significant impact on the health of local residents. |
| 减少碳排放对应对气候变化有积极作用。 | Jiǎnshǎo tàn páifàng duì yìngduì qìhòu biànhuà yǒu jījí zuòyòng. | Reducing carbon emissions plays a positive role in addressing climate change. |
| 滥用农药对土壤和水源有长期的负面影响。 | Lànyòng nóngyào duì tǔrǎng hé shuǐyuán yǒu chángqī de fùmiàn yǐngxiǎng. | Overuse of pesticides has a long-term negative impact on soil and water sources. |
Pattern 3: 为了可持续发展 (purpose + environmental context)
Combining Lesson 9's 为了 with environmental vocabulary creates complete policy-level statements.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 为了实现可持续发展，各国需要共同减少温室气体排放。 | Wèile shíxiàn kě chíxù fāzhǎn, gè guó xūyào gòngtóng jiǎnshǎo wēnshì qìtǐ páifàng. | In order to achieve sustainable development, all countries need to jointly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. |
| 为了保护生态环境，政府出台了多项节能措施。 | Wèile bǎohù shēngtài huánjìng, zhèngfǔ chūtái le duō xiàng jiénéng cuòshī. | In order to protect the ecological environment, the government has introduced multiple energy-saving measures. |
Dialogue
Context: Two people discussing environmental policies in China.
A: 你觉得中国在应对气候变化方面做得怎么样？
Nǐ juéde Zhōngguó zài yìngduì qìhòu biànhuà fāngmiàn zuò de zěnmeyàng?
What do you think about how China is doing in addressing climate change?
B: 应该说有明显的进步。由于政府的重视，清洁能源的发展速度非常快。
Yīnggāi shuō yǒu míngxiǎn de jìnbù. Yóuyú zhèngfǔ de zhòngshì, qīngjié néngyuán de fāzhǎn sùdù fēicháng kuài.
There has been obvious progress. Due to government attention, the development of clean energy is very fast.
A: 但是工业污染对环境的影响还是很大吧？
Dànshì gōngyè wūrǎn duì huánjìng de yǐngxiǎng háishi hěn dà ba?
But industrial pollution still has a large impact on the environment, right?
B: 是的，由于历史上大量使用煤炭，部分地区的空气质量问题还需要时间解决。
Shì de, yóuyú lìshǐ shàng dàliàng shǐyòng méitàn, bùfen dìqū de kōngqì zhìliàng wèntí hái xūyào shíjiān jiějué.
Yes, due to historically heavy use of coal, air quality issues in some areas still need time to resolve.
A: 那垃圾回收方面呢？
Nà lājī huíshōu fāngmiàn ne?
What about garbage recycling?
B: 近几年有很大改善。垃圾分类政策对城市居民的环保习惯有很积极的影响。
Jìn jǐ nián yǒu hěn dà gǎishàn. Lājī fēnlèi zhèngcè duì chéngshì jūmín de huánbǎo xíguàn yǒu hěn jījí de yǐngxiǎng.
There has been big improvement in recent years. The garbage sorting policy has had a very positive impact on urban residents' environmental habits.
A: 我觉得个人行为也很重要，比如减少使用一次性产品。
Wǒ juéde gèrén xíngwéi yě hěn zhòngyào, bǐrú jiǎnshǎo shǐyòng yīcìxìng chǎnpǐn.
I think personal behavior is also very important, like reducing the use of single-use products.
B: 对，由于消费者意识的提高，越来越多的人开始关注自己的碳足迹。这对实现可持续发展目标有重要意义。
Duì, yóuyú xiāofèizhě yìshí de tígāo, yuèlái yuè duō de rén kāishǐ guānzhù zìjǐ de tàn zújī. Zhè duì shíxiàn kě chíxù fāzhǎn mùbiāo yǒu zhòngyào yìyì.
Right. Due to the rise in consumer awareness, more and more people are starting to pay attention to their carbon footprint. This has important significance for achieving sustainable development goals.
Extended Reading
全球变暖是当今世界面临的最严峻的环境挑战之一。由于人类活动导致的温室气体大量排放，地球平均气温在过去一百年里显著上升。这对全球生态系统和人类社会都有深远影响。为了应对这一挑战，世界各国正在努力推动清洁能源的使用，减少对化石燃料的依赖。中国作为最大的发展中国家，承诺在2060年前实现碳中和目标，这对全球环境保护事业具有重要意义。可持续发展不仅是一个环境问题，也是一个经济和社会问题。
Quánqiú biànnuǎn shì dāngjīn shìjiè miànlín de zuì yánjùn de huánjìng tiǎozhàn zhī yī. Yóuyú rénlèi huódòng dǎozhì de wēnshì qìtǐ dàliàng páifàng, dìqiú píngjūn qìwēn zài guòqù yī bǎi nián lǐ xiǎnzhù shàngshēng. Zhè duì quánqiú shēngtài xìtǒng hé rénlèi shèhuì dōu yǒu shēnyuǎn yǐngxiǎng. Wèile yìngduì zhè yī tiǎozhàn, shìjiè gè guó zhèngzài nǔlì tuīdòng qīngjié néngyuán de shǐyòng, jiǎnshǎo duì huàshí rányào de yīlài.
Global warming is one of the most serious environmental challenges the world faces today. Due to the massive emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activities, the average global temperature has risen significantly over the past one hundred years. This has profound impacts on global ecosystems and human society. In order to address this challenge, countries around the world are working to promote the use of clean energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Practice
Exercise 1: Rewrite using 由于 instead of 因为.
- 因为工厂排放废水，河流受到了严重污染。→ ___
- 因为缺乏保护，很多野生动物面临灭绝。→ ___
Exercise 2: Build sentences using 对...有影响.
- 汽车尾气 / 空气质量 / 很大的负面
- 植树造林 / 生态环境 / 积极
Exercise 3: Write a paragraph (5-6 sentences) about what individuals can do to reduce their environmental impact. Use 由于, 对...有影响, and 为了 at least once each.
Cultural Note
China's relationship with environmental policy has shifted dramatically in recent decades. The phrase 绿水青山就是金山银山 (Green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver), attributed to President Xi Jinping, has become a guiding slogan for environmental policy. This phrase encapsulates an attempt to reframe the economic development versus environmental protection debate: the environment is not an obstacle to wealth but a form of wealth itself. Understanding this rhetorical context helps you read Chinese environmental news with greater comprehension of the policy logic behind specific measures.