Protecting Earth's Systems
What happened to the T.Rex?
His needs were no longer met so he became extinct.
What is conservation?
Conservation is the wise use of materials and energy resources.
Scientists have suspected _________ ________ as a major source of pollution.
power plants
What is something YOU could do in your community to protect Earth's systems?
Start a club or organization....like recycling.
What is a rule that a country or government makes?
a law
TRUE OR FALSE:
Changes to the environment occur all the time.
TRUE
Which is bad for the atmosphere: carbon dioxide or oxygen?
carbon dioxide
The bad part of power plants is not the plant itself, but the ______________.
chemicals coming out of it
How does recycling help the geosphere?
It allows for less metal to be mined from Earth's crust and less trash in landfills.
What does endangered mean?
It means an animal has so few left in the population that they could go extinct.
Systems interact with _________ __________ so if one if unprotected it can change another.
each other
TRUE OR FALSE:
A good way to conserve resources is by polluting the environment.
false
Engineers have found a few solutions to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals. Explain one of them.
low-sulfur coal
design better smokestacks
use scrubbers
How does a tree planting program work?
Tree planting is when a community plants more trees along sidewalks and streets to help soak up carbon dioxide.
A wildlife refuge is an area of land or water that is set aside to ___________ wildlife.
protect
What is happening to the polar bears? Explain using the words environment, food, needs.
Their environment is changing because of pollution, so they have to fight to find food. Because this need isn't being met, they will go extinct.
What are the three Rs?
Reduce, reuse, and recycle
It is tough to balance solutions to pollution because...
...places need different things and businesses still want to make money.
What is one way a community can help protect the atmosphere?
Bike paths, farmers' markets, bike lanes, ride sharing
The Clean Air Act of 1970 & 1990 set dates for reducing the amount of _______ in the air.
pollution
Burning ________ __________ pollutes the atmosphere by putting carbon dioxide into the air and this warms the overall temperature of the Earth.
fossil fuels
Explain the difference between reuse, reduce, and recycle.
reuse: use again
reduce: use less
recycle: turn into something else
What is the difference between the eastern US and the western US when it comes to power plants?
Eastern power plants burn high sulfur coal with scrubbers.
Western power plants burn low sulfur coal.
A water treatment plant takes water from a water source and....
treats it to make sure it is safe to use and drink.
In 1997 the United Nations called a meeting of countries to find ways to prevent ________ ________ on Earth.
climate change