Download 2 Environmental Solutions

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CHAPTER 4
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Date
Environmental Problems and Solutions
2 Environmental Solutions
SECTION
National Science
Education Standards
BEFORE YOU READ
After you read this section, you should be able to answer
these questions:
LS 5c
• What is conservation?
• What are some things people can do to protect the
environment?
How Can People Conserve Resources?
As the human population grows, it will need more
resources. People will need food, health care, transportation, and ways to get rid of wastes. All of these needs
will affect the Earth. If people don’t use resources wisely,
people will continue to pollute the air, soil, and water.
More natural habitats could be lost and many species
could die out. However, there are many things people can
do to protect the environment.
Conservation is the protection and wise use of natural resources. When you conserve resources, you use
fewer of them. Conservation not only keeps us from
using up resources, but also reduces waste, pollution, and
habitat destruction. For example, using a bike instead of
a car can save fuel and help prevent air pollution.
There are three ways to conserve resources: Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle. These are known as the three Rs.
STUDY TIP
Organize As you read,
make a Spider Map to show
different ways you can help
protect the environment.
READING CHECK
1. List What are the three Rs
of conservation?
TAKE A LOOK
2. Infer How is the girl with
the bag reducing her use of
resources?
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REDUCE
READING CHECK
3. Identify What is the best
way to conserve resources?
The best way to conserve resources is to use fewer of
them. Using fewer resources also helps reduce pollution
and the amount of waste we produce.
Almost one third of the waste produced by some countries is packaging material, such as boxes, plastic bags,
and paper. Wrapping products in less paper and plastic
reduces waste. For example, fast-food restaurants used
to serve sandwiches in large plastic containers. Today,
many wrap food in thin paper instead. Paper is biodegradable. Biodegradable means that living organisms,
such as bacteria, can break it down.
In addition to reducing waste, people need to reduce
the amount of nonrenewable resources they use. For
example, scientists are looking for sources of energy that
can replace fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. One way to
use fewer nonrenewable resources is to use renewable
resources, such as solar and wind energy.
TAKE A LOOK
4. Identify Are the people
living in this house using a
renewable or nonrenewable
resource for energy?
The people who live in this house use solar panels to get energy from the sun.
Scientists are also studying energy sources such as wind,
tides, and waterfalls. Car companies have developed automobiles that use electricity and hydrogen for fuel. Driving
these cars uses less gas and oil, and produces less pollution.
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Environmental Problems and Solutions
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REUSE
Every time you reuse a plastic bag, one bag fewer
needs to be made. This also means that one bag fewer
will end up in a landfill. Reusing products is an important
way to conserve resources.
You can reuse many things. For example, clothes
can be passed down and worn by someone else. Sports
equipment can be repaired instead of being thrown away.
Builders can reuse materials such as wood, bricks, and
tiles to make new structures. Even old tires can be used
again. They can be reused for playground surfaces or
even in new homes.
Critical Thinking
5. Identify Relationships
How are reducing and
reusing related?
This home is made of reused tires and aluminum cans
American homes use about 100 billion liters of
water each day. When you wash your hands or take a
shower, most of the water goes down the drain. This
is called wastewater. No new water is ever made on
Earth. Wastewater eventually returns to Earth as rain in
the water cycle. However, this takes a very long time.
Because of this, many communities are learning how to
reuse, or reclaim, wastewater.
Reclaiming wastewater allows people to use the same
water for more than one thing. One way to do this is to
clean the water so that it can be used again. Some organisms can be used to filter water and take out many of the
wastes. These organisms include plants and filter-feeding
animals, such as clams. The reclaimed water may not be
pure enough to drink. However, it can be used to water
crops, lawns, and golf courses.
READING CHECK
6. Explain What does
reclaiming wastewater mean?
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RECYCLE
Say It
Investigate Find out where
in your neighborhood you
can take materials to be
recycled. Does your city or
town pick up recyclables?
What sort of things can you
recycle in your community?
Share with the class what
you learn.
Recycling is the recovery of materials from waste. This
means that new products can be made from old products.
A material that can be recycled is recyclable. Some recyclable items, such as paper, are used to make the same kind
of product. Other recyclable items are made into different
products. For example, yard wastes, such as dead leaves
and cut grass, can be recycled into a natural fertilizer.
Paper
Aluminum
Plastics
Common Recyclables
Wood
Cardboard
Glass
READING CHECK
Recycling newspapers could save millions of trees.
Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than turning
raw ore into aluminum. Glass can be recycled many times
to make new bottles and jars. This uses less energy than
making new glass.
Burning some wastes can produce electricity. Using
garbage to make electricity is an example of resource
recovery. When companies make electricity from their
waste products, they save money and conserve resources.
However, some people are concerned that burning wastes
for electricity pollutes the air.
7. Identify What is one
problem with burning
garbage to make electricity?
A waste-to-energy plant can provide electricity for many homes and businesses.
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How Can People Help Maintain Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is important because each species has a
unique role in an ecosystem. Losing one species could
affect the entire ecosystem. Biodiversity also protects
against the spread of disease. For example, if a disease
spreads in a forest that has only one species, the entire
forest may be destroyed. If there are many different species, a disease is not likely to affect them all.
READING CHECK
PROTECTING SPECIES
One way to maintain biodiversity is to protect individual
species. In the United States, a law called the Endangered
Species Act was designed to do just that. An endangered
species is one that generally has few individuals left.
Without protection, an endangered species may become
extinct. Scientists identify endangered species and put that
species on a special list. The law forbids activities that
would harm any species on this list.
The law also requires recovery programs for endangered
species. This means that scientists work both to protect
existing individuals of an endangered species, and to
increase the population. To help some species recover,
scientists remove individuals from the wild to breed
them. This is known as captive breeding. It can help
some species produce more offspring than they would in
the wild.
Individuals that are bred in captivity are often released
back into the wild. However, this is not a solution for
all endangered species. Many species are endangered
because their habitats have been destroyed. They may
have no habitat left to return to. These species can only
survive if their habitat is protected as well.
8. Identify Give two reasons
that maintaining biodiversity
is important.
READING CHECK
9. Explain What is the
purpose of a species recovery
program?
Captive-breeding programs
have helped the population of
California condors to grow.
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PROTECTING HABITATS
Scientists want to keep species from becoming endangered. They don’t want to wait until a species is almost
extinct before they try to protect it.
Plants, animals, and microorganisms depend on each
other. Each is part of a huge, interconnected web of
organisms. To protect the web, whole habitats need to be
protected, not just individual species.
Say It
Describe Have you ever
visited a nature reserve or
national park? Tell the class
about your visit. If you have
never been to a reserve or
national park, tell the class
about the kind of park you
would like to visit.
Nature preserves are
large areas of public
land set aside for
wildlife. They can
protect important
habitats.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
Laws have been passed to help protect resources and
preserve habitats. By following these laws, people can
help the environment. People can also use the following
environmental strategies.
• Reduce pollution. Recycle as much as possible and
Critical Thinking
10. Infer How could
recycling help protect
habitats?
•
•
•
•
buy recycled products. Do not dump wastes in forests,
lakes, rivers, or oceans. Participate in a local cleanup
project.
Reduce pesticide use. Use pesticides that work only
on harmful insects. Use natural pesticides whenever
possible.
Protect habitats. Preserve entire habitats. Use fewer
resources, such as wood and paper, that can destroy
habitats.
Learn about local issues. Research how laws or
projects will affect your area, and let people know
about your concerns.
Develop alternative energy sources. Use fewer
nonrenewable resources, such as coal and oil. Use more
renewable resources, such as solar and wind power.
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EPA
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is a government organization. Its job is to help
protect the environment. The EPA keeps people informed
about environmental problems and helps enforce environmental laws.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Protect the Earth. These
are jobs for everyone. Children and adults can help clean
up the environment. As they improve their environment,
they improve their quality of life.
How You Can Help the Environment
1. Volunteer at a local preserve or nature center, and help
other people learn about conservation.
2. Give away your old toys.
3. Use recycled paper.
4. Fill up both sides of a sheet of paper.
5. Start an environmental awareness club at your school
or in your neighborhood.
6. Recycle glass, plastics, paper, aluminum, and batteries.
7. Don’t buy any products made from an endangered plant
or animal.
8. Turn off electrical devices when you are not using them.
9. Wear hand-me-downs.
10. Share books with friends, or use the library.
11. Walk, ride a bicycle, or use public transportation.
12. Carry a reusable cloth shopping bag to the store.
13. Use a lunch box, or reuse your paper lunch bags.
14. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
15. Buy products made from biodegradable and
recycled materials.
16. Use cloth napkins and kitchen towels.
17. Buy things in packages that can be recycled.
18. Use rechargeable batteries.
19. Make a compost heap.
TAKE A LOOK
11. Apply Concepts Next to
each item in the figure, write
whether the activity is a way
to reduce, reuse, or recycle.
Some items might have more
than one answer.
12. Identify Circle five
things in this figure that you
could start to do today to
help the environment.
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Environmental Problems and Solutions
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Section 2 Review
NSES
LS 5c
SECTION VOCABULARY
conservation the preservation and wise use of
natural resources
recycling the process of recovering valuable
or useful materials from waste or scrap
1. Define What does biodegradable mean?
2. Describe Decribe one way that water can be reclaimed.
3. Identify What are two roles of the EPA?
4. Explain How would driving a car that uses hydrogen for fuel be helpful to the
environment?
5. List Name six materials that can be recycled in many communities.
6. Explain What is the purpose of the Endangered Species Act?
7. Apply Concepts How is using cloth napkins an example of both reusing and
reducing?
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Environmental Problems and Solutions
E
Environmental Science Answer Key continued
Chapter 5 Energy
Resources
SECTION 2 FOSSIL FUELS
from fossil fuels
mostly in Texas and Oklahoma
heating
Tiny sea creatures die and are buried in
sediment. Over time, their remains become
natural gas.
5. Petroleum occurs naturally as a liquid.
6.
7%
1.
2.
3.
4.
SECTION 1 NATURAL RESOURCES
1. any natural material that people use to fulfill
their needs
2. Possible answers: water, air, coal, metal
3. a resource that cannot be replaced as fast as
it is used
4. Many renewable resources are renewable
only if people do not use them too quickly. If
they are used too quickly, they become nonrenewable resources.
5. Possible answer: Nonrenewable resources
should be conserved so that we don’t use them
up. Renewable resources should be conserved
so that they have time to regenerate.
6. Instead of...
You can...
...keeping your home very
warm in the winter and
very cool in the summer,
...use less heat and air
conditioning.
...taking long, hot
showers,
...take shorter showers
and use less hot water.
12%
Middle East
North and South America
15%
Europe and Asia
66%
7. lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite
8. anthracite
9. Fossil fuels are fairly cheap and are very
compact sources of energy. We now rely on
fossil fuels.
10. rain, sleet, snow that contains a lot of acid
7. Fewer natural resources and less energy are
needed to make recycled objects than to
make new objects.
Review
1. Petroleum exists as a liquid in its natural state.
Review
1. A renewable resource can be replaced as
2.
3.
4.
5.
Africa
Natural gas exists as a gas in its natural state.
fast as it is consumed. A nonrenewable
resource cannot.
Turn off the water when you brush your
teeth. Wash only full loads of laundry. Turn
the lights out when you leave a room. Use
both sides of a piece of paper.
In most cases, wood can be replaced at the
rate at which it is consumed. If people
use it faster than it can grow back, it is a
nonrenewable resource.
Conserving resources means using only
what you need and protecting resources,
even when you are not using them.
They take millions of years to form.
2.
Kind of fossil
fuel
What it is
How it forms
Coal
a solid fuel
made from plant
matter
Partly
decomposed
plant matter is
put under heat
and pressure.
Natural Gas
a mixture of
gases containing
carbon,
hydrogen, and
oxygen
Tiny sea
creatures die
and are buried
in sediment.
Petroleum
a mixture of
liquids containing
carbon,
hydrogen, and
oxygen
Tiny sea
creatures die
and are buried
in sediment.
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Environmental Science