Zombies
Dr. Rathje would dig through landfills and look at the stuff other people threw away. What was his job title?
Archeologist
Name three species of decomposers?
Fungus, Bacteria, Invertebrates
What is a decomposer?
What is a landfill?
What is waste colonization?
Discarded plastics, electronics, and other forms of waste are often exported from wealthy Global North countries to more vulnerable Global South countries.
How long had the guacamole been in the landfill? How do you know?
There was a newspaper that was dated from 25 years ago near the bowl of guacamole.
Name three of the four natural kinds of decomposers?
Oxygen, Water, Temperature and Sunlight
What is an animal that eats plats; also called a primary consumer?
Herbivore
How many tons of garbage go to Columbia Ridge Landfill each day?
7,000-8,000 tons of garbage go to the landfill each day.
What are the main principles of this natural farming? (Name at least two)
Describe the guacamole that Dr. Rathje found in the landfill?
The guacamole was well-preserved. There were chunks of avocado still in the bowl. It was lumpy and bright green.
According to the articles we read and discussed in class, what are some ways to preserve food?
Oxygen absorbers, smoking and salting, freeze drying, air drying, sun drying.
Microscopic organisms that live in the ocean and other bodies of water are called plankton. Which type of plankton cannot photosynthesize?
Zooplankton
What is leachate?
Leachate is formed when rainwater filters through wastes placed in a landfill. When this liquid comes in contact with buried wastes, it leaches, or draws out, chemicals or constituents from those wastes.
Explain the range of Usefulness? What is the opposite of useful?
Usefulness refers to how well the system makes use of materials that could otherwise be considered “waste.” A wasteful system is one where significant waste is generated that is not put to any further use. A landfill would rate low on usefulness, because once something is in the landfill, it serves very little purpose.
Why didn't the guacamole decompose?
In a landfill there is no air, water, sun, heat or FBI's. These are needed for decomposition.
Decomposers are often called "recyclers". Why? What are they recycling?
Decomposers are organisms that consume dead organisms and other organic waste. They recycle materials from the dead organisms and waste back into the ecosystem.
What is an organism?
A living or formally living thing
What are some precautions that are taken to ensure landfills do not contaminate surrounding areas.
1. 30-ft wind fences to contain garbage
2. Liner system to protect ground soil.
3. Garbage is covered each night with soil.
4. Leak detection system.
As a society, is a landfill the best we could do with our trash? What are other possible alternative systems?
Example Answer: We must start by reducing the amount of waste we produce as a society by composting.
Why do zombies go to sleep early?
They are dead tired.
According to the article, why didn't the Wooly Mammoth decompose?
It was in an air tight, piece of ice (frozen).
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food web is a series of events in which one organism eats another to obtain energy. A food web is overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
What type of gas is produced at a landfill? What are some positive and negative effects of this gas?
Methane Gas.
Negative: highly flammable, high quantities are bad for environment
Positive: It can be cleaned and used to produce electricity or heat.
What are possible barriers to low-waste and zero-waste lifestyles and why might some people have more access to the lifestyle than others?
All opinions are correct IF you can back it up.
Example answer: Many poor communities and communities of color do not have the same access to fresh foods, therefore use more packaging. They may not have the money to pay for proper waste disposal.