Close-up p 48. Global Warming and Climate Emergency. Oral Mediation.

A friend of yours does not have a TV and has never seen an episode of The Simpsons. How would you compare the environmental activist Greta Thunberg to Lisa Marie Simpson? How are they similar and how are they different?

Your MONOLOGUE should last about 4 minutes.

Sample Issues:
air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
climate change
global warming
the depletion of the ozone layer (destruction)
alternative sources of energy
thawing of ice caps
minimise carbon footprint
locally grown food
public transport
electric cars
consumerism
recycling
environmental issues
saving species from extinction
inequality

politics

Useful language:
To start with, I would like to describe the pictures and the message they convey.
To begin with, it must be said that..
There is a sense of disillusionment in...
These pictures depict/ illustrate/ show...
The two girls depicted in these pictures might be giving a talk on climate emergency.
As a matter of fact, Greta Thunberg is currently in the limelight/spotlight.

Both girls are intelligent. They are also extremely passionate about worthy causes like greenhouse gas emissions.
Lisa Simpson is also the moral centre of her family. She is eight years old and the second child of Homer and Marge. She has an older brother, Bart, and a younger sister, Maggie.
Lisa's high intellect and her support for social issues and equality create a barrier between her and other children her age, therefore she is a bit of a loner and social outcast. On the other hand, Greta Thunberg's strike for the climate outside the Swedish parliament at age 15 soon inspired other students engaged in similar protests in their own communities. Together, they organised a school climate strike movement under the name Fridays for Future. After Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes took place every week somewhere in the world. In 2019, there were multiple coordinated multi-city protests involving over a million students each. 
Whilst Lisa is a vegetarian, a strong environmentalist, a feminist, and a Buddhist, Greta...
Greta's sudden rise to world fame has made her a leader and a political target for critics. Conversely, Lisa advocates for a variety of political causes (e.g. standing with the Tibetan independence movement) which usually sets her against most of the people in Springfield.
However, Lisa's environmentalism has been especially well received by audiences; several episodes featuring her have won awards. In this sense she bears a striking resemblance to Greta, who has not only received many awards but she has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice.
Furthermore, her impact on the world stage has been described as the "Greta effect"
Many see Greta as a role model, whereas...
There is little to choose between (hardly any difference between) the two girls in terms of activism and intelligence.
There are several obvious/striking similarities between the two girls. For both of them it is of the utmost importance that we stem (stop the flow) greenhouse gas emissions as they are at the root of the problem.
There is a world of difference between the two girls, despite their shared views on the climate.
What sets the two girls apart from others of the same age is their ability to inspire and to make us reflect on issues that concern us all. 
A considerable/huge/marked/slight difference might be that Greta...
A close/remarkable/striking/ similarity can be found in their passion to galvanise people into action.
Both girls are very much alike in the sense that they both call on the governments to replace coal power and other fossil fuels with renewable energy alternatives like wind farms and solar parks.
The two girls are not dissimilar (= are similar) in their condemnation of air pollution.
Greta differs from Lisa in the aspect of... 
Greta has a great deal in common with Lisa because they both fight for a wider use of renewable sources of energy like wind turbines and solar panels.
The two girls resemble each other because they deem that the use of fossil fuels is an injustice. 
Our society needs a wind of change in order to put an end to the climate crisis.
Undoubtedly, the most serious crises people face today are global warming and the use of fossil fuels.
I can speak from experience when I say that education plays a crucial role in solving these problems.
The government should take action to prevent and resolve such crises.
The action taken to deal with these issues leaves a lot to be desired.
Climate change activists can make a difference.
It is also up to politicians to tackle these issues
By comparing the two pictures we emphasise that we should care for the environment.
I would like to stress that environmental groups can bring about sweeping changes in our society.
As I see it, our society needs a drastic and far-reaching change that will alter radically our world.
It is worth bearing in mind that certain situations call for a dramatic change in our world.
I am convinced that we need a wind of change to blow through our world 
The two girls are definitely experiencing a certain kind of disillusionment with the outcome of recent climate change summits.  
Even though we have had conferences on climate change, the same old problems still exist.  
Both girls are not entirely convinced that our governments will change things for the better.
It is worth bearing in mind that every charismatic activist is bound to ring the changes with new proposals.
Having a group of young activists may result in a refreshing/pleasant change.
Needless to say, carpooling and the use of public transport help to reduce pollution levels.
unbridled /ʌnˈbraɪdld/ not controlled and therefore extreme. E.g. We need to put a stop to this unbridled shopping spree that has taken hold of (control) society at large (as a whole; in general).
It is generally accepted that the situation has come to a head (if a situation comes to a head, you are forced to deal with it quickly because it suddenly becomes very bad)
Without a shadow of a doubt our survival is at stake (that can be won or lost, depending on the success of a particular action. Sp . en juego.
Water power: power produced by the movement of water, used to drive machinery or produce electricity.
Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of power that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity.
Wave power: power extracted from the motion of sea waves at the coast.
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth.
Curb something: /kɜːb/ to control or limit something, especially something bad. E.g. Curb air pollution. Curb water pollution.
Reduce (the size of) your carbon footprint: a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the daily activities of a person or company. E.g. Flying is the biggest contribution to my carbon footprint. An analysis of the carbon footprints of leading companies. Companies are measuring their carbon footprints.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions  /iˈmɪʃnz/
Preserve natural resources
Protect endangered species
Prevent/ stop soil erosion/ overfishing/ massive deforestation/ damage to ecosystems
Raise awareness of environmental issues 
Use recycled/ recyclable/ biodegradable material
Recycle bottles/ packaging/ paper/ plastic/ waste
Promote/ encourage recycling/ sustainable development/ the use of renewable energy.  
Develop/ invest in/ promote renewable energy. 
Reduce your dependence/ reliance on fossil fuels.
Get/ obtain/ generate/ produce electricity from wind, solar and wave power/ renewable sources. Build/ develop a (50-megawatt /ˈmeɡəwɒt/ /offshore) wind farm.
Install solar panels.
non-renewable: (of natural resources such as gas or oil) that cannot be replaced after use. E.g. non-renewable resources. Non-renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels are non-renewable and rapidly running out. opp renewable (adj) renewables (N) E.g. renewables such as hydro-electricity and solar energy. Renewables are more commonly referred to as renewable energy (sources).

sustainable: involving the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment. E.g. sustainable forest management. An environmentally sustainable society.
unsustainable: that cannot be continued at the same level, rate, etc. E.g. unsustainable growth.
infinite: /ˈɪnfɪnət/ without limits; without end. E.g. infinite sources of energy.
finite: /ˈfaɪnaɪt/  having a definite limit or fixed size. E.g. a finite number of possibilities. The world's resources are finite.
biodegradable /ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/ a substance or chemical that is biodegradable can be changed to a harmless natural state by the action of bacteria, and will therefore not damage the environment. E.g. Most plastics are not biodegradable. Much of the marine debris is non-biodegradable (not biodegradable).

 

All in all,
All things considered,
To sum up
In conclusion