Raymond W. Brooks
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Enthusiasm and attendance during the project.
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Questions and answer after oral report.
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Request for information.
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Ideas for solving problems.
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Land Biomes
School Study Area
Parks/Park Ranger
Conservation
Conservation is the wise use of natural resources. However, there are times when economics wins out over conservation.
People need jobs to feed their families, but are these needs more important than saving the environment?
Can alternatives be found to lessen the impact on our environment? The answer is probably yes. But are people willing to sacrifice some of their conveniences?
Pollution
Briefly let’s discuss some of the major pollutants to our environment and the steps that are now being taken to bring them under control.
Air Pollution
Industrialized countries are serious offenders with air pollution as their burning of fossil fuels provides an opportunity for a variety of pollutants and other unwanted substances to be released into the atmosphere.
Another major source of air pollution, especially in the United States, is caused by automobile exhaust.
These pollutants can cause SMOG, which damages peoples health and acid rain which damages building, and both plant and animal life.
The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to help control this problem by placing into law a number of regulations that restrict the amount of pollutants that can be released into the atmosphere by industry and automobile emissions.
Are commuters willing to use mass transit instead of driving to work everyday?
Are we willing to pay a higher price for goods so that factories can use cleaner fuels?
Water Pollution
Because our water supply is limited, it is necessary that we use good water conservation practices and prevent the pollution of our water.
Water can be polluted in many ways such as placing untreated sewage into rivers and streams, dumping chemicals from industry into the waters, fertilizers from lawns being brought into bodies of water from rain, and the release of warm water into lakes and streams from power plants.
We are now trying to prevent some of this pollution by having sewage treatment plants in many cities and towns to remove the pollutants from sewage before the water is released into the larger body of water.
Many industries are having their own water treatment centers installed in their factories to make sure the waste water is clean enough to be released into the environment without any harmful effects.
Land Pollution
Land pollution, which is caused by wastes that are disposed on land, has two major sources.
One source is municipal garbage from our homes. Our landfills are now overflowing and if steps are not taken soon it will be a disaster. Hopefully the recycling program will gain even more momentum and help alleviate much of the problem.
The other source of land pollution is the disposal of hazardous waste by industry. Many of these waste are buried improperly and leak out of their containers into the environment causing much harm.
Although there are regulations on the books for the disposal of hazardous waste, more supervision and enforcement of waste disposal regulations are needed to bring this problem under control. But, probably more important than regulations is the desire of the individual to want to save the environment.