Jan 6, 2016 Blog Discussion

This is today's article. Please read and understand it before Wednesday's class. The difficult vocabulary is defined at the end of the article. Try to read it first before studying the vocabulary.

Don't forget the questions below the article.

See you in class!

More than 100,000 of these baby turtles have been released into a river near the Bolivian Amazon. 

Bolivia's President, Evo Morales, along with Alexandra Moreira, Bolivian Minister for the Environment and

Water, attended the releasing ceremony.

The goal is to repopulate the area with the small turtles. These can eventually measure up to 3.2 feet (1

 metre), weigh up to 154 pounds (70 kilograms) and live for up to 100 years.

The repopulation plan dates from 2007 and has the support of Brazil. According to Moreira since they 

started, 10 million baby turtles have been released back into the wild near the border with Brazil.

River turtles inhabiting the rivers of the Bolivian Amazon are endangered due to the high demand for 

their meat and eggs which are high in protein.

Morales praised conservation work being carried out for the turtles, pointing out how more than ever 

there are new generations joining political projects that allow us to take care of Mother Earth. The 

president of the ecological association in the area, Jose Suarez from Brazil, said conservation work was

 important for the biodiversity in the region. He pointed out that turtles have no nationality. They belong

 to nature and it is imperative, therefore, that projects like this are undertaken.

The turtles live in the rivers of the Departments of La Paz, Pando, and Santa Cruz. They play an 

important role in the ecosystem there, as they help to save flooded forests by digesting food which can

 clean the rivers.

Difficult words: the support of Brazil (the people in Brazil want this plan to happen), inhabit (to live somewhere), endangered (at risk of dying out), due to (because of), praise (to say good things about), ecological (studying plants and animals), biodiversity (the different living things in a place), imperative (very important), therefore (for that reason), digest (to eat).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com

Read more: http://www.newsinlevels.com/products/river-turtles-in-bolivia-level-3/

1. Do you think it is humans responsibility to replace extinct or endangered animals?
2. Are there any animals in your country you think should be re-populated?
3. Do you think re-populating just encouraged polluters to pollute more?
4. What actions do you do to conserve the environment?
5. Who do you think should pay the money to clean the environment? Government? Taxpayers? Companies? Why?