Golf has gained popularity recently, becoming a common hobby among people my age. However, golf courses have a significant impact on our environment.
One of the biggest issues with golf courses is that they waste water. A single golf course consumes about 1,000 tons of water per day. Based on the number of golf holes in the country as of 2020, this amounts to nearly 450,000 tons of water every day. It’s a staggering amount of water used solely for the purpose of maintaining golf courses.
The second issue is environmental pollution and destruction. Golf courses use various pesticides to maintain the greens. The amount used is increasing even more because of extreme weather events. Plus, building golf courses leads to deforestation, and the local wildlife loses its natural habitat.
Areas that were once forests are turned into turf, exposing them to a higher risk of flooding.
staggering - shocking because of being extremely large
pesticide - a chemical substance used to kill organisms that are not wanted, such as harmful insects or small animals
take up - to start doing a particular job or activity
최근 골프 인기가 높아지면서 내 또래의 사람들 사이에서 흔한 취미로 자리 잡았다. 하지만 골프장이 우리 환경에 끼치는 영향 또한 상당하다.
골프장의 가장 큰 문제 중 하나는 바로 물 낭비이다. 골프장 한 곳당 하루에 약 1,000톤의 물을 소비한다고 한다. 2020년 현재 국내 골프장 홀 수를 기준으로 하면 매일 약 45만 톤의 물이 소비되는 셈이다. 골프장 유지 관리 목적으로만 사용되는 엄청난 양의 물이다.
두 번째 문제는 환경오염과 환경파괴이다. 골프장에서는 그린 유지를 위해 다양한 농약을 사용한다. 기상이변으로 인해 그 사용량은 더욱 증가하고 있다. 또한 골프장 건설은 산림이 파괴되고 인근 야생동물은 서식지를 잃는다.
한때 숲이었던 지역이 잔디로 바뀌면서 홍수 위험에 더 많이 노출되기도 한다.
- One of the biggest issues with the device is its price. / Range is one of the biggest issues with electric cars.
- You need a staggering amount of butter for this recipe. / Data centers use a staggering amount of electricity.
- People who smoke have a higher risk of developing cancer. / There is a higher risk of failure, but also a greater reward.
A: It seems like golf courses are becoming more common as more people take up golf.
B: It does seem that way.
A: But I’ve heard that golf courses have a negative impact on the environment.
B: Yes, I heard they consume a huge amount of water.
A: That’s right. And using pesticides to maintain the greens is another issue.
B: There are definitely many aspects that are bad for the planet.
