Cow Farts and Climate Crimes
What gas produced by cows contributes to climate change?
methane
What do we call plastic items used once and thrown away, like straws and plastic bags?
Single-use plastics
Turning off lights when you leave a room helps save what resource?
Electricity/Energy
What is the most commonly littered item in the world?
Cigarette butts
What do we call animals that are at risk of disappearing forever?
Endangered species
Cows primarily release methane through what surprising bodily function?
Burping (more so than farting!)
About how long does it take for a plastic bottle to break down in the environment? (Hint: hundreds of years)
About 450 years
What household activity uses the most water in many homes: showers, washing dishes, or watering plants?
Showers
What percentage of the Earth’s water is freshwater humans can easily drink?
Only about 1%
Planting trees helps animals by giving them what essential resource?
Habitat/Shelter
Raising cattle requires large areas of land. What natural environment is often cut down to make space for grazing?
Forests (especially rainforests)
Tiny broken pieces of plastic found in oceans, animals, and even human bodies are called what?
Microplastics
What do we call turning food scraps and organic waste into nutrient-rich soil?
Composting
Air pollution contributes to millions of deaths worldwide each year. About how many?
About 7 million deaths each year
Bees and butterflies help plants grow by spreading what between flowers?
Pollen
Which global industry uses up 70% of our freshwater sources?
Agriculture
What ocean garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean is famous for collecting massive amounts of plastic?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
What type of energy can homes produce using panels on the roof that capture sunlight?
Solar
Where should you dispose of batteries?
Designated, official battery collections sites or disposers. Not in your household garbage can!
What large ocean animals often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them?
Sea turtles
Scientists are experimenting with adding what type of ocean plant to cow feed to reduce methane emissions?
Seaweed
Only about 9%
How many times can paper be recycled before its fibers become too short to use?
5-7 times
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from fossil fuels create this, which damages forests, acidifies lakes, and corrodes buildings.
Acid rain
Some animals are called “ecosystem engineers” because they change the environment to help other species. What animal builds dams that create ponds and wetlands?
Beavers