Deep-sea mining - 6 Minute English

Some solutions to deal with climate change could damage the environment. An idea under scrutiny is deep-sea mining - the exploration of metals used for 'green' products, which could undermine delicate ocean ecosystems. Sam and Neil discuss the topic and teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question
According to recent estimates by Unesco oceanographers, how many different marine species have their home in the ocean?
a) 70,000
b) 170,000
c) 700,000
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
paradox
situation that seems impossible because it contains two opposite ideas

conundrum
problem that is very difficult to solve

increase/grow by a factor of (x)
be multiplied by that many (x) times

silver bullet
simple and immediate solution to a complicated problem

slippery slope
situation or habit that is difficult to stop and is likely to get worse and worse

open the door to (something)
(idiom) allow something new to start, or make it possible to happen

[Cover: Getty Images]
You can download audio and text here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish...

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