Đề kiểm tra chủ đề Môi trường SVIP

1. Over the past few years, the number of people enjoying their holidays on cruises has increased dramatically. Many people view a cruise as the perfect vacation because they offer a chance to unwind and leave everyday stress behind. On board, everything you might need is conveniently available: shops, theatres, cinemas, swimming pools, and leisure centres. There are more facilities, in fact, than most towns offer their residents. It's therefore easy to understand why they are so popular. But what is the environmental impact of this trend?

2. Although it usually takes less energy for a vehicle to move through water than over land, cruise ships are often huge, with the largest ones carrying up to 6,000 passengers. Moving such large vehicles requires enormous engines, which burn as much as 300,000 litres of fuel a day. One scientist has calculated that cruise ships create as much pollution as 5 million cars going over the same distance. Because they are out at sea, they also burn dirtier fuel that isn't allowed on land. Unfortunately, no government regulates the amount of air pollution that occurs at sea.

3. Cruises also generate a lot of waste, and cruise ships are not usually efficient at recycling. Wastewater from showers and toilets is often dumped directly into the ocean, producing as much waste per day as a small town. While food waste from restaurants isn't thrown into the sea, it still creates problems when it is brought back to land.

4. Cruise ships also create issues in the cities where they visit. Popular destinations might receive five or six ships daily, bringing thousands of tourists at once. Is this good for local restaurants? Not really. Restaurant owners complain that tourists only explore for a few hours before returning to the ship to eat. Additionally, the large crowds can deter other visitors, who complain that the streets are too crowded. Some towns have banned cruise ships or limited the number that can stop at the same time. Environmentalists worry that as the cruise industry grows, so will the environmental problems for our planet.