OBJECTIVE #2
Students will:
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be able to list many causes for our trash crisis and discuss why this problem exists.
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b.
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generate ideas as to what can be done to solve such problems. That is, to revise a way of life so as to reduce the amount of waste we produce.
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c.
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discuss the greatest possible use of a material in the most efficient manner.
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d.
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be able to describe different methods of disposal of solid waste.
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e.
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discuss natural resources and their conservation and the problems of pollution.
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Approximate time: 2 weeks
Sometimes people have disposed of trash carelessly, resulting in unsightly litter. This type of activity pollutes the environment and can damage land and water. Americans throw out 160 million tons of solid waste each year. This means that each of us creates three and one-half pounds of garbage every day. More than three quarters of this trash is trucked to landfills. If this continues, many landfills will reach their capacity in the not-too distant future.
Municipal refuse is composed largely of packaging materials and of items that have been discarded because they were not built to last in the first place. Depletion of resources and environmental disruptions are caused when these goods are produced.
Much of the solid waste in the U.S. is deposited in unsightly, uncontrolled, smelly, polluting open dumps. Recycling conserves not only material resources but fuel reserves as well. If an item cannot be reused or repaired, it may be practical to recover and reuse the materials of which it is made.
In the past, most products were not as “packaged” as they are today. For example, some frozen foods are covered in plastic then sealed in a paper box. Much food was formerly purchased in bulk, not individually wrapped. There was a time when it was common to use and wash and reuse cloth diapers. Today billions of disposable diapers crowd landfills.
Eighty-two percent of the collected urban solid waste is deposited in landfills; eight percent is burned in municipal incinerators, ten percent is recycled and a tiny fraction is composted.... Organic matter is broken down in the presence of oxygen by aerobic bacteria to produce a humus-like end product, which can be used as a soil conditioner. Incineration and sanitary landfills are two accepted methods of disposing garbage. Unfortunately, both of these methods can present environmental problems. Even though they reduce the volume of garbage, some pollutants are still given off. In addition, these incinerators produce ash that can be toxic and needs to be buried. In garbage dumps, poisonous chemicals can mix with biodegradable materials. This causes toxic substances to form. These substances can leach into groundwater.
Probably the single most effective way to reduce waste is to recycle it. By recycling, we reduce air pollution, water pollution, and we conserve energy. The following are four different techniques used in recycling:
a.
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Melting
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e.g. metal, glass
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b.
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Repulping
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e.g. cloth, paper
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c.
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Composting
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e.g. any plant or animal matter
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d.
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Rendering
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e.g. fat, bones to tallow, the raw material for soap
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Each American uses directly or indirectly an average of about 600 pounds of paper every year. Almost three quarters of the United States paper production ends up in the trash with waste paper making up about half the volume of urban solid waste produced each year.
Recycling a stack of papers only 36 inches high saves one tree and reduces the harmful environmental effects of clearcutting. In addition, about 30-55 percent of the energy needed to produce paper is saved and reduces air pollution from the pulp mills by about 95 percent.
Many large companies are actively seeking ways to make products and packaging friendly to the environment. These products or packages are designed to be recycled, or they are made of recycled materials. This attempt to produce these goods is a result of an awareness and concern of our environment.
Mandatory recycling laws are being enacted across the country. Voluntary recycling is on the rise. Everyone, from kids to big corporations, must reduce the amount of trash thrown out. This will reduce landfill consumption and lower consumption of precious natural resources and energy.
Materials left at the recycling center are sorted out, and sometimes sold to a broker who looks for the best market for specific material. Other times big companies buy back their containers to reuse in their products.
Today, state and local governments are working together with waste-management companies and industry. They are seeking ways to insure there will be enough markets for recycled materials and enough recycled materials.
To solve our garbage crisis, we need to practice recycling in the fullest sense: REDUCE—REUSE—REPAIR—RECYCLE
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Packaging costs us 10 percent of our grocery budgets and becomes 30 percent of our nation’s trash.
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Buy products in bulk or in large quantities.
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Avoid single-serve products and convenience packaging. e.g. juice packs, toothpaste pumps.
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Avoid aerosol containers.
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Use cloth towels and napkins instead of buying paper products.
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Reuse grocery bags.
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Don’t make unnecessary photocopies, and make two-sided copies when possible.
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Use a lunch box instead of brown paper bags.
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Adopt the practice of writing on both sided of the paper.
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c.
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DON’T USE DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS
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Buy durable products that are designed for reuse and repair.
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Repair small appliances, furniture, clothing, and shoes.
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Use reusable items such as cloth.
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d.
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AVOID STYROFOAM AND PLASTICS
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Use a coffee mug at work and keep one in your car for coffee breaks while travelling.
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Purchase goods packaged in paper, glass, or aluminum.
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Recycle glass, aluminum, paper, and yard wastes.
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Buy recycled paper and packaging by looking for the recycled symbol. Buying recycled products, particularly paper, is critical for encouraging the development of recycling plants.
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Give old clothing and furniture to the Salvation Army and/or Goodwill.
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Start a recycling program in your school.
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Endagered Species
Objective #3
Students will have the opportunities to:
a.
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Recognize that every organism is part of an ever changing environment.
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b.
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Describe how human activities cause extinction.
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c.
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Explain how habitat destruction endangers plants and animals.
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d.
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Integrate other disciplines e.g. math, art in the presentation of environmental issues.
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Approximate time: 1 week
When there is an imbalance in the ecosystem it makes it very difficult for many species to survive. Living things in danger of dying out are called “endangered species”, for example, giant panda, elephant, humpback whale, bald eagle and whooping crane. Endangered species have so few members left that they are in danger of becoming extinct. Human activities such as farming, lumbering, and house, dam, and road building, often destroy habitats. Preventing the extinction of species is important for human survival.
Species have become extinct throughout the history of life. However, many species today are becoming extinct in a short amount of time. Many others have been reduced to such small numbers of individuals that they are in danger of becoming extinct. Often human activities destroy habitats, upsetting ecological balances. For example, when a forest is cut down to build housing or farms, or for lumber, a complex environment is destroyed. Populations adapted to life in the forest cannot always survive during such rapid changes.
The Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 demonstrated concern for disappearing species on a worldwide scale, but the laws did not directly protect the species themselves. The 1973 Endangered Species Act was the most effective and far-reaching law ever passed in the United States to protect plants and animals in the natural ecosystem. The act made it illegal for anyone to injure, molest, kill, capture, or transport species identified as endangered or threatened. The legislation provided habitat protection programs for endangered plant species, and led to the protection of endangered species in other countries through the control of the importing of skins, feathers, shells, and living specimens for commercial purposes.
With the knowledge of how these life systems work, it should be our primary concern that we clean our air and our water and protect ourselves from the chemical pesticides. We must find new alternatives to safe-guard our crops and become active advocates for a clean and balanced ecosystem.