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there is so much trash

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The Mariana Trench-The deepest point in the ocean-extends nearly 10,975 meters (36,000 feet) down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. But if you thought the trench could escape the global onslaught of plastics pollution, you would be wrong.

A recent study revealed that a plastic bag, like the kind given away at grocery stores, is now the deepest known piece of plastic trash, found at a depth of 10,975 meters (36,000 feet) inside the Mariana Trench. Scientists found it by looking through the Deep-Sea Debris Database, a collection of photos and videos taken from 5,010 dives over the past 30 years that was recently made public.

Of the classifiable debris logged in the database, plastic was the most prevalent, and plastic bags in particular made up the greatest source of plastic trash. Other debris came from material like rubber, metal, wood, and cloth, and some is yet to be classified.

Most of the plastic-a whopping 89 percent-was the type of plastic that is used once and then thrown away, like a plastic water bottle or disposable utensil.

While the Mariana Trench may seem like a dark, lifeless pit, it hosts more life than you might think. NOAA's Okeanos Explorer vessel searched the region's depths in 2016 and found diverse life-forms, including species like coral, jellyfish, and octopus. The recent study also found that 17 percent of the images of plastic logged in the database showed interactions of some kind with marine life, like animals becoming entangled in the debris.
Where Did the Plastic Come From?
The new study is just one among many showing just how prevalent plastic pollution has become worldwide. Single-use plastics are virtually everywhere, and they may take hundreds of years or more to break down once in the wild.

Last February, a separate study showed that the Mariana Trench has higher levels of overall pollution in certain regions than some of the most polluted rivers in China. The study's authors theorized that the chemical pollutants in the trench may have come in part from the breakdown of plastic in the water column.

Plastic has recently become a greater focus of the environmental movement, being featured prominently this past Earth Day, for example. While plastic can enter the ocean directly, such as trash blown from a beach or discarded from ships, a study published in 2017 found that most of it is flowing into the sea from 10 rivers that run through heavily populated regions.

Discarded fishing gear is also a major source of plastic pollution, and a study published last March found that the material comprised the bulk of the Texas-size Great Pacific Garbage Patch floating between Hawaii and California.

While the ocean clearly contains much more plastic than a single plastic bag, the item has now gone from a wind-flung metaphor for listlessness to an example of how deep an impact humans can have on the planet.

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Plastic Bag Found at the Bottom of World's Deepest Ocean Trench | National Geographic Society

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The Mariana Trench-The deepest point in the ocean-extends nearly 10,975 meters (36,000 feet) down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. But if you thought the trench could escape the global onslaught of plastics pollution, you would be wrong.

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trees are getting cut down for land and resources

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trees are getting cut down for land and resources

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read me  /\
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Enter the Access ID and Passcode provided by your school to access Britannica School.

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By Andrew Krosofsky

Oct. 21 2021, Published 10:25 a.m. ET

Offshore drilling is the mechanical process by which oil companies extract petroleum from beneath the seabed. Because fossil fuel companies repeatedly assure the public that there is no danger to their processes, many are surprised to find out why offshore drilling is bad, and how this dangerous, environmentally pollutive process is more trouble than it's worth.

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Offshore drilling is bad for the environment in every way.

The dangers posed by offshore drilling are myriad. The process itself poses a risk to local wildlife, local human populations, wetlands, and beaches. Basically, if it lives and breathes near the ocean, offshore drilling will affect it in a negative way. Most of these dangers happen during oil spills, mind you, but ocean pollution seems part and parcel of the whole drilling process.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, oil spills release 157,000 barrels of oil into the ocean each year. These spills can come from a variety of sources, including pipelines, tankers, oil platforms, and coastal facilities. This oil is toxic if ingested and debilitating if it winds up attached to birds, mammals, or other marine animals. Over the years, oil spills have upset huge swaths of marine plant and animal populations.

Nevertheless, the drilling process itself also creates its fair share of pollutants. According to Beachapedia, the drilling fluids, called muds, contain toxic and sometimes radioactive compounds such as arsenic and benzene. Volatile organic compounds, greenhouse gases like methane, and air pollutants are also created during the drilling process, which create long-term environmental problems across the globe.

Offshore drilling isn't worth the risk.

Offshore drilling advocates will argue that our current energy concerns and global economy necessitate a need for undersea sources of oil. But there are a few good reasons why this is just not true. First, according to the World Economic Forum, renewable energy sources have been the most cost-effective sources of energy since 2020. This is reflected by the fact that many countries are already trying to move away from fossil fuels.

With fossil fuels becoming increasingly obsolete, offshore drilling becomes a superfluous and costly process that carries huge, unnecessary risks for coastal habitats and economies. According to Oceana, many coastal economies rely on clean beaches, shorelines, and marine habitats. The tourism and fishing industries provide jobs to millions across the world, and their livelihoods are needlessly put at risk by the presence of offshore oil concerns.

Offshore drilling sites are not safe for workers.

In 2010, BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded. According to Energy News, the event killed 11 workers and triggered one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history. 4 million barrels of oil went into the sea that day, killing thousands of fish, marine mammals, and seabirds in the bargain. The incident fouled the shoreline for 1,300 miles and revealed some serious safety gaps in day-to-day drilling operations.

And while safety provisions were improved across the board as a result of the incident, recent changes by the Trump administration have begun to strip down many of those protocols. According to Ocean Conservancy, several of these safety requirements have been stripped down, but the most egregious seems to be reduced testing requirements on oil rig blowout preventers, devices that are designed to prevent uncontrolled releases of oil from a well.

It's easy enough to see why such an enterprise can be construed as bad. Drilling for oil hundreds of miles below the ocean's surface and carrying it through pressurized pipes for weeks on end, basically invites misfortune. The oil companies can blame the bad press on accidents all they want, but there are obvious gaps in the system, and it seems like those with any stake in the business are doing all they can to avoid slowing things down to fix them.

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Offshore Drilling: It's Dangerous, Pollutive, and Wholly Unnecessary

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By Andrew Krosofsky Oct. 21 2021, Published 10:25 a.m. ET Offshore drilling is the mechanical process by which oil companies extract petroleum from beneath the seabed. Because fossil fuel companies repeatedly assure the public that there is no danger to their processes, many are surprised to find out why offshore drilling is bad, and how this dangerous, environmentally pollutive process is more trouble than it's worth.

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I found this, enjoy

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Britannica Schools explain Habitat loss and how it affects us By-Charlotte

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

Discover encyclopedia articles, multimedia, primary sources, games, and other learning resources that support student research and reinforce curriculum standards.

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when you put  stuff in the water it gets bad stop this now not bok no need to do this stop it's not ok go stay away.

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when you put  stuff in the water it gets bad stop this now not bok no need to do this stop it's not ok go stay away.

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we should not have straws too much no more 

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we should not have straws too much no more 

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Since 1990, the world has lost 420 million hectares or about a billion acres of forest
-National geographic

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Eighty percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and deforestation threatens species including the orangutan, Sumatran tiger, and many species of birds.
-National geographic
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Environmental Change - Science Lesson Plans - Environmental Science - Flocabulary

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Learn about environmental change and how to protect the environment with Flocabulary's educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Reduce, Re-use, Recycle - Elementary Science Lesson Plan - Recycling for Kids - Flocabulary

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This is an article made by the national parks telling you how climate change affects the parks and the animals in them. -James

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NPS Photo / Graphic by 4C

Climate change has produced a number of threats to wildlife throughout our parks. Rising temperatures lower many species survival rates due to changes that lead to less food, less successful reproduction, and interfering with the environment for native wildlife. These detrimental changes are already apparent in our National Capital Area parks.

Rising Temperatures and Invasive Species

Rising temperatures risk destabilizing the balance between wildlife and their ecosystem. As plants adapt to changing warming patterns, usually by blooming earlier or shifting to cooler locations, the wildlife that has adapted to them will be forced to face new environments.

Some species will struggle to find nutritious enough food to fit their existing gut biomes. Pollinators, for example, must feed from flowers that are blooming earlier in the year. Other animals may find their habitats are no longer able to support their biology.

However, it is also possible that some animals will do better in a warmer climate. Those species will outcompete others, expanding their own territory and food sources. But not all wildlife belong where they flourish. When species adapted to their environments lose their natural advantages, that leaves room for invasive species to multiply in the changing environment. Emerald Ash Borers and Gypsy Moths are examples of invasive species commonly found in the National Capital Region that have devastated native communities.

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Wildlife and Climate Change (U.S. National Park Service)

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Wildife in the National Parks will be negatively affected by climate change. Here's how parks in the National Capital Area are adapting.

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About 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down in the last 50 years.
- national geographic

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In 2020 the amount of deforestation and wildfires increased by 21%
- national geographic

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estimated that the risk worldwide of highly devastating fires could increase by up to 57 percent by the end of the century, primarily because of climate change.
-Google
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Humans have been using straws for thousands of years. The straw dates back to at least 3000 B.C., when Sumerians drank beer through tubes made of gold. In the 1800s, people used stalks of rye as straws. The paper straw was introduced in 1888, but by the 1970s, plastic straws became popular.

Today, straws are widely used. About 170 million to 490 million plastic straws are used in the United States each day. Straws offer an easy, sanitary way to drink beverages. They also help people with disabilities safely consume liquids.

However, drinking through a straw may have more drawbacks than benefits. The practice can lead to negative health and environmental effects over time.

Drinking with a straw has potential advantages. The practice:

Increases convenience

When you drink straight from a cup, you have to tip it toward your face. This increases the risk of spills. Using a straw makes it easier to sip the drink without tilting it too far. The practice is especially helpful if your beverage has ice.

Improves hygiene

Drinking through a straw may be ideal when consuming a canned beverage. It's more sanitary than directly putting your mouth on the can.

Harmful bacteria can survive on the lids of aluminum cans. The bacteria can contaminate the cans during storage, transportation, or handling at the store.

Drinking with a straw is also more hygienic at restaurants. It prevents you from putting your mouth on glasses, which can harbor bacteria if they're improperly washed or handled.

Helps people with disabilities

Drinking from a cup might be difficult for people with:

By using a straw, people with these conditions drink beverages with ease.

Prevents staining of front teeth

Drinks like soda, tea, and coffee can discolor your teeth.

Using a straw can decrease the contact between these drinks and your front teeth. To reap this benefit, place the straw past your front teeth.

Although drinking with a straw has some benefits, it also has potential downsides. This includes the following drawbacks:

Causes smoker's lips

The act of using a straw requires you to pucker your lips. Over time, this can lead to lip wrinkles, also known as smoker's lips.

The term "smoker's lips" refers to wrinkles around the mouth due to prolonged cigarette smoking. It can also happen due to repeated use of a straw, which involves a similar lip movement.

Causes bloating and excess gas

When you place a straw in a drink, it captures some air. The air travels to your digestive tract, causing increased gas and bloating.

For this reason, avoiding straws is often recommended for reducing excess gas.

Stains your back teeth

Although straws might help reduce staining of your front teeth, it won't prevent staining altogether.

The drink will still touch other teeth, leading to discoloration in these areas. Additionally, your front teeth can still stain if you place the straw in front of your teeth.

Many people think drinking alcohol with a straw will get you drunk faster.

One theory is that the straw acts like a vacuum and reduces oxygen, which increases intoxication. Another theory is that alcohol vapor gets trapped in the straw and is absorbed through your lungs.

These explanations are purely hypothetical. There's no scientific evidence to support the notion that a straw changes your body's alcohol absorption.

But using a straw can make you drink more alcohol without realizing it. That's because it's more convenient to drink with a straw.

As a result, you might get drunk faster due to the increased intake of alcohol. The straw, however, has no effect on your rate of alcohol absorption.

Companies now make recyclable paper straws to help reduce plastic waste. You can also buy reusable straws made of metal, glass, silicone, or bamboo.

Disposable plastic straws are still the most common type, though. They can also indirectly cause health problems by negatively affecting the environment.

Here's how:

Their production creates air pollution

Plastic products, like straws, are made with a variety of potentially toxic chemicals.

The plastic production process releases these chemicals into the air. These substances are known as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).

HAPs are associated with harmful health effects, including cancer and reproductive issues. HAPs also accumulate in the air, but they're difficult to detect. The chemicals are colorless and odorless.

They can't be recycled

Plastic straws are usually made with No. 5 plastic, a type of recyclable material.

However, straws can't be recycled due to their size. When they enter a recycling sorting machine, they fall through the gaps on the conveyer belt. The straws are tossed in the trash instead.

They pollute the ocean and endanger marine life

Straws and other plastic products can end up in the ocean. This happens for several reasons, including littering by humans and overflowing landfills.

In the ocean, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces called microplastics. If animals like turtles, seagulls, and fish eat these microplastics, they can develop serious health issues.

Additionally, some marine animals are eaten by humans. It's possible for people to unknowingly consume animals that have ingested microplastics.

If you have a motor or swallowing disorder, straws can help you safely drink beverages. Otherwise, if you only use straws for convenience, it may be healthier to ditch them. Drinking through a straw can contribute to lip wrinkles, bloating, cavities, and teeth staining.

If you must drink through a straw, consider using a reusable straw to reduce plastic waste. The production and disposal of plastic straws contribute to environmental pollution.

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Is Drinking Through a Straw Better or Worse for Your Health?

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Humans have been using straws for thousands of years. The straw dates back to at least 3000 B.C., when Sumerians drank beer through tubes made of gold. In the 1800s, people used stalks of rye as straws. The paper straw was introduced in 1888, but by the 1970s, plastic straws became popular.

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Ten years ago an experimental satellite-based Marine Pollution Surveillance Report program was thrust into the national spotlight during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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In the decade since the largest oil spill in American history, scientists have advanced lessons learned during the Deepwater Horizon

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Vessel traffic and oil development have increased in the Arctic in response to warming oceans and declining sea ice. Anywhere oil

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water.

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Sequoia

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Tristan

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Every year, the third Friday of May is National Endangered Species Day.Here in South Florida, there are ways you can learn more about how endangered animals that are living right here in our backyard are being protected. A look at the world around us: WPBF 25 News Forecasting Our FutureMark McCarthy is the owner and director of McCarthy Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to more than 200 animals. Some animals that are endangered include a leopard to venomous snakes. The sanctuary is home to other exotic animals that were relocated like lions and tigers.“Any animal is endangered when they are where they are at the point of disappearing or going extinct,” McCarthy said. “So they put them on the endangered species list.”According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there are more than 1,300 endangered or threatened species in the United States. This number includes plants and animals that are at risk of becoming extinct.There are other factors besides poaching that impact these beautiful creatures according to Haley McCann, the public relations and social media manager at Lion Country Safari located in Loxahatchee is home to several endangered animals. Video below: Florida biologists reunite mother panther and her kitten McCann said some animals are affected by the changing climate and increasing temperatures. things that will cause loss of habitat. Pollution can also affect wildlife and contribute to the loss of life.“Desertification that is very much connected to changing climate,” McCann said. “Warming temperatures, which can also result in change of rainfall patterns. So as these species have fewer viable habitats, they have less resources, less opportunities for food and that not only affects them, but other species in our ecosystem as well.“McCann suggests that there are ways we can help these animals from becoming extinct.“Some of the things that everyone can do to help endangered species is you basic conservation actions such as reduce, reuse, recycle which area always easy to implement in your day to day life,” McCann said.National Endangered Species Day is a day to bring awareness to the fragile existence of some animals. It also helps remind us to learn why it’s so important to protect endangered animals from further harm. Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. —

Every year, the third Friday of May is National Endangered Species Day.

Here in South Florida, there are ways you can learn more about how endangered animals that are living right here in our backyard are being protected.

A look at the world around us: WPBF 25 News Forecasting Our Future

Mark McCarthy is the owner and director of McCarthy Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to more than 200 animals. Some animals that are endangered include a leopard to venomous snakes. The sanctuary is home to other exotic animals that were relocated like lions and tigers.

“Any animal is endangered when they are where they are at the point of disappearing or going extinct,” McCarthy said. “So they put them on the endangered species list.”

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there are more than 1,300 endangered or threatened species in the United States. This number includes plants and animals that are at risk of becoming extinct.

There are other factors besides poaching that impact these beautiful creatures according to Haley McCann, the public relations and social media manager at Lion Country Safari located in Loxahatchee is home to several endangered animals.

Video below: Florida biologists reunite mother panther and her kitten

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McCann said some animals are affected by the changing climate and increasing temperatures. things that will cause loss of habitat.

Pollution can also affect wildlife and contribute to the loss of life.

“Desertification that is very much connected to changing climate,” McCann said. “Warming temperatures, which can also result in change of rainfall patterns. So as these species have fewer viable habitats, they have less resources, less opportunities for food and that not only affects them, but other species in our ecosystem as well.“

McCann suggests that there are ways we can help these animals from becoming extinct.

“Some of the things that everyone can do to help endangered species is you basic conservation actions such as reduce, reuse, recycle which area always easy to implement in your day to day life,” McCann said.

National Endangered Species Day is a day to bring awareness to the fragile existence of some animals. It also helps remind us to learn why it’s so important to protect endangered animals from further harm.

Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Friday is Endangered Species Day, how you can learn more

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Here in South Florida, there are ways you can learn more about how endangered animals that are living right here in our backyard are being protected.

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should plastic be banned?

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By Andrew Krosofsky

Oct. 22 2020, Updated 5:16 p.m. ET

In terms of recycling, the world is in a much better place than it was a few decades ago. Plastic bags have already been banned in many cities, counties, and countries the world over. Recycled plastic is being used to make just about everything you could imagine. Toys, bottles, tumblers, cutlery, and even a few recycling bins are just the beginning of what we can do with recycled plastic.

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Unfortunately, recycling and repurposing the plastic is like putting a Band-Aid on a wound that already needed stitches to begin with. Plastics are everywhere, and while some, like those used for cars or appliances, are a necessary evil, many can be completely eliminated; that's the argument at least. But how feasible is this solution and why are plastics so bad in the first place?

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Why is plastic bad for the environment?

Why is plastic bad for humans?

Can plastic really be recycled?

Recycling can also be logistically and financially difficult. Plastic recycling requires specialized equipment that is not readily available. Recycling plants require energy to run and people to man them. And unlike plastic production, which is cheap and easily handled after so much practice, recycling offers far less return on investment for businesses. Thus, it's not nearly as popular as it should be. Not to mention, only about 9 percent of plastic actually gets recycled.

Should plastic be banned?

How can we ban plastic?

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Just a Few Choice Arguments as to Why Plastic Should be Banned

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By Andrew Krosofsky Oct. 22 2020, Updated 5:16 p.m. ET In terms of recycling, the world is in a much better place than it was a few decades ago. Plastic bags have already been banned in many cities, counties, and countries the world over.

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This a flocabulary video about climate change. -James

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Climate - Climate Changes - What is Climate - Flocabulary

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Learn about Earth’s diverse climates with Flocabulary’s hip-hop song and lesson resources.

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What is the difference between Food Chain and Food Web? - Giulia

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In a food chain, there is a straight line from producers to first consumers to second consumers to third consumers

In a food web, each organism eats and is eaten by 2 or more organisms. So, everything is connected by a web.

An organism at higher level of food chain eats a specific organism at the lower level

An organism at higher level of food web can eat more than one organism from the lower level

Food chain is a simplified version of food web

Food web is what happens in reality. A food web contains many food chains.

Single food chains is unstable in an ecosystem

Food webs are stable in an ecosystem

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel - https://you.tube/teachoo

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What is the difference between Food Chain and Food Web? - Teachoo

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Food ChainFood WebIn a food chain, there is a straight line from producers to first consumers to second consumers to third consumersIn a food web, each organism eats and is eaten by 2 or more organisms. So, everything is connected by a web.An organism at higher level of food chain eats a specific or

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Here's how little plastic straws are wrecking our oceans

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Straw or No Straw: How Our Choices Impact Aquatic Wildlife One Straw at a Time

How does plastic impact the environment?

Plastic can be used to save wildlife, but it can also be extremely dangerous, especially when we over-produce, over-use, and over-consume and then fail to reuse, recycle, and/or dispose of it properly. Most plastics are not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria or other living things, and as a result, most of it ends up in wildlife habitats where it poses a threat to plants and animals.

More than 50% of all of the plastic ever made has been produced since 2004. Plastic pollution is a result of the buildup of plastic waste that has accumulated over decades and especially over recent years. The accumulated plastic finds its way into our lakes, rivers, and oceans, where aquatic life is in danger of ingesting plastic or being exposed to the toxins that leach from it. Some wildlife, like sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals, can even get trapped or ensnared in plastic waste. Millions of turtles, seabirds, and other wildlife die each year from complications directly related to plastic consumption. It's estimated that as many as 70% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have ingested some type of plastic from the ocean. [1]

Why are straws being banned? How do straws hurt the environment?

As one of the most common types of single-use plastic, or plastic products that are generally used only one time and then thrown away, straws are one of the culprits of unnecessary plastic pollution.

The particular problem of plastic straws

Five hundred million straws are used each day by people in the United States alone.[2] Plastic straws are one of the most widely used, and therefore disposed of, plastic products. Many types of straws cannot be reused or recycled due to the chemicals they are made from. Most plastic straws are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials.

Straws are particularly prone to ending up in our waterways, and ultimately the oceans, due to beach littering, wind that transports the lightweight objects from trash cans and trash collection facilities, and barges, boats, and aquatic transport vehicles. Most plastic straws simply break into ever-smaller particles, releasing chemicals into the soil, air, and water that are harmful to animals, plants, people, and the environment.

What are some alternatives to plastic straws?

If you or a loved one is required to use a straw for medical purposes, or if you just prefer to consume your beverages with straws, there are many non-plastic straw options available. Simply replacing cheap and disposable plastic straws with reusable stainless steel, glass, or biodegradable paper alternatives is an easy way to cut down on plastic pollution. Check out the gift store at your local AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium and you might just find one in stock!

Where are straws banned?

Banning plastic straws may very well become a standard initiative in the next few years. Several organizations have already taken steps to ban plastic straws in order to protect the environment. Plastic straws have been banned in several cities and countries around the globe, including New York City, Seattle, Miami Beach, Vancouver, Hawaii, California, Great Britain, Scotland, and Taiwan. Other locations and organizations where straws are banned or no longer in use include:

Royal Gift Shops and Museums in the UK (at Queen Elizabeth II's request)

Various Members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The University of Portland

The Art Institute of Chicago

McDonald's (UK)

What are AZA facilities doing to help prevent plastic pollution?

A number of accredited members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums make it a priority to reduce their impact on the environment by implementing green practices in their business operations.

"Saving animals starts with saving habitats, and by choosing to act responsibly in our business practices, we provide support for our field conservation work around the world and our conservation education programs at home," said Wanda Evans, former chair of AZA's Green Scientific Advisory Group. "We cannot, as an industry, be serious about saving wildlife without being serious about natural resource conservation."

To address the plastic straw problem, among other issues affecting aquatic wildlife, a group of AZA-accredited aquariums formed the Aquarium Conservation Partnership and launched the "In Our Hands" and "First Step" campaigns. These nationwide initiatives, as well as several local efforts, empower individuals to reduce their own straw usage by choosing not to use them at restaurants and/or buying non-plastic alternatives. Visit the Aquarium Conservation Partnership's website, take the pledge to skip straws, and learn more about the effect of plastic straws, and other single-use plastics, on the environment.

AZA Marketplace

With AZA's Marketplace, zoos and aquariums can easily find commercial members who offer sustainable products to make implementing and sustaining conservation efforts easy.

Initiatives like the Aquarium Conservation Partnership are why zoos and aquariums matter. They help in saving species and habitats, while also spreading awareness about conservation. Learn more about other initiatives AZA is a part of that help conservation such as Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE), Species Survival Plans (SSPs), and more at our website www.aza.org.
NOTES:
[1] Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing, Chris Wilcox, Erik Van Sebille, and Britta Denise Hardesty, http://www.pnas.org/content/112/38/11899

[2] Eco-cycle: Building Zero Waste Communities, http://www.ecocycle.org/bestrawfree/faqs

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Why are straws harmful for the environment? Straws and other plastics pose a threat to plants and animals because they are not biodegradable - meaning they cannot be broken down naturally. As a result, they accumulate in ecosystems and habitats around the world, where they will remain for hundreds of years to come.

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Straw or No Straw: How Our Choices Impact Aquatic Wildlife One Straw at a Time

How does plastic impact the environment?

Plastic can be used to save wildlife, but it can also be extremely dangerous, especially when we over-produce, over-use, and over-consume and then fail to reuse, recycle, and/or dispose of it properly. Most plastics are not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria or other living things, and as a result, most of it ends up in wildlife habitats where it poses a threat to plants and animals.

More than 50% of all of the plastic ever made has been produced since 2004. Plastic pollution is a result of the buildup of plastic waste that has accumulated over decades and especially over recent years. The accumulated plastic finds its way into our lakes, rivers, and oceans, where aquatic life is in danger of ingesting plastic or being exposed to the toxins that leach from it. Some wildlife, like sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals, can even get trapped or ensnared in plastic waste. Millions of turtles, seabirds, and other wildlife die each year from complications directly related to plastic consumption. It's estimated that as many as 70% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have ingested some type of plastic from the ocean. [1]

Why are straws being banned? How do straws hurt the environment?

As one of the most common types of single-use plastic, or plastic products that are generally used only one time and then thrown away, straws are one of the culprits of unnecessary plastic pollution.

The particular problem of plastic straws

Five hundred million straws are used each day by people in the United States alone.[2] Plastic straws are one of the most widely used, and therefore disposed of, plastic products. Many types of straws cannot be reused or recycled due to the chemicals they are made from. Most plastic straws are also not biodegradable and cannot be broken down naturally by bacteria and other decomposers into non-toxic materials.

Straws are particularly prone to ending up in our waterways, and ultimately the oceans, due to beach littering, wind that transports the lightweight objects from trash cans and trash collection facilities, and barges, boats, and aquatic transport vehicles. Most plastic straws simply break into ever-smaller particles, releasing chemicals into the soil, air, and water that are harmful to animals, plants, people, and the environment.

What are some alternatives to plastic straws?

If you or a loved one is required to use a straw for medical purposes, or if you just prefer to consume your beverages with straws, there are many non-plastic straw options available. Simply replacing cheap and disposable plastic straws with reusable stainless steel, glass, or biodegradable paper alternatives is an easy way to cut down on plastic pollution. Check out the gift store at your local AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium and you might just find one in stock!

Where are straws banned?

Banning plastic straws may very well become a standard initiative in the next few years. Several organizations have already taken steps to ban plastic straws in order to protect the environment. Plastic straws have been banned in several cities and countries around the globe, including New York City, Seattle, Miami Beach, Vancouver, Hawaii, California, Great Britain, Scotland, and Taiwan. Other locations and organizations where straws are banned or no longer in use include:

Royal Gift Shops and Museums in the UK (at Queen Elizabeth II's request)

Various Members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The University of Portland

The Art Institute of Chicago

McDonald's (UK)

What are AZA facilities doing to help prevent plastic pollution?

A number of accredited members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums make it a priority to reduce their impact on the environment by implementing green practices in their business operations.

"Saving animals starts with saving habitats, and by choosing to act responsibly in our business practices, we provide support for our field conservation work around the world and our conservation education programs at home," said Wanda Evans, former chair of AZA's Green Scientific Advisory Group. "We cannot, as an industry, be serious about saving wildlife without being serious about natural resource conservation."

To address the plastic straw problem, among other issues affecting aquatic wildlife, a group of AZA-accredited aquariums formed the Aquarium Conservation Partnership and launched the "In Our Hands" and "First Step" campaigns. These nationwide initiatives, as well as several local efforts, empower individuals to reduce their own straw usage by choosing not to use them at restaurants and/or buying non-plastic alternatives. Visit the Aquarium Conservation Partnership's website, take the pledge to skip straws, and learn more about the effect of plastic straws, and other single-use plastics, on the environment.

AZA Marketplace

With AZA's Marketplace, zoos and aquariums can easily find commercial members who offer sustainable products to make implementing and sustaining conservation efforts easy.

Initiatives like the Aquarium Conservation Partnership are why zoos and aquariums matter. They help in saving species and habitats, while also spreading awareness about conservation. Learn more about other initiatives AZA is a part of that help conservation such as Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE), Species Survival Plans (SSPs), and more at our website www.aza.org.
NOTES:
[1] Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing, Chris Wilcox, Erik Van Sebille, and Britta Denise Hardesty, http://www.pnas.org/content/112/38/11899

[2] Eco-cycle: Building Zero Waste Communities, http://www.ecocycle.org/bestrawfree/faqs

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Why are straws harmful for the environment? Straws and other plastics pose a threat to plants and animals because they are not biodegradable - meaning they cannot be broken down naturally. As a result, they accumulate in ecosystems and habitats around the world, where they will remain for hundreds of years to come.

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The word "Mottainai" in Japanese literally translates to "it is a shame to waste." It stems from Buddhist philosophy on living minimally and appreciating nature's gifts. The practice has been in place for generations.

Japan is often heralded as having one of the most sophisticated recycling systems in the world, with detailed separation of everything from radios to cat litter. But as UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Anatomy of Action campaign demonstrates, to live sustainably means not only to recycle but make green consumer choices every day. Considering that Japan generates around 32 kg per capita plastic waste every year, second only to the United States, the choices of plastic products have been damaging to the country's environmental record.

"We seem to have lost our way a bit," says No Plastic Japan founder Mona Neuhass, who noticed the proliferation of single-use plastics when she first relocated back to Tokyo.

"I was at a café and the waiter served me water in a plastic cup as a side to my coffee," she said. "I thought 'this is ridiculous! For a few millilitres of water, they are using a new cup every time.'"

Neuhass wrote to the café about changing their policy but didn't stop there. Inspired by other eco Japanese youth movements, like the operation to make shopping hub Cat street in Tokyo waste free, she decided to launch No Plastic Japan-a company that offers alternatives to single-use plastic straws.

"There are ways to avoid single-use plastics in everyday life," the 27-year-old founder said. "It's about making a conscious effort to pick the loose vegetables in the supermarket or refuse the plastic cutlery that comes with your takeaway."

Through beautifully curated posts on Instagram, No Plastic Japan's not only managed to create a successful stainless-steel straw business but has also birthed an online community which shares ideas and best practices on sustainable living.

"I think there's definitely a movement now where younger people understand that there's a problem," she said.

This is only one example in one country. There are inspiring examples to be found in every corner of the globe.

UNEP's Anatomy of Action campaign encourages three simple actions when purchasing "stuff". First, consider what you need and buy products that will last longer, be used multiple times, and can be recycled; two, stay away from fast fashion that mass produces at the cost of environmental and human justice, and three, refuse everyday products that cannot be reused.

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Every straw counts in the fight against climate change

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The word "Mottainai" in Japanese literally translates to "it is a shame to waste." It stems from Buddhist philosophy on living minimally and appreciating nature's gifts. The practice has been in place for generations. Japan is often heralded as having one of the most sophisticated recycling systems in the world, with detailed separation of everything from radios to cat litter.

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https://www.brainpop.com/science/climatechange/conservingenergy/movie/

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Learn how everyday things we consume affect our environment on a large scale, and how renewable, natural energy resources can help undo the damage.

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Google sums up a reason why straws and plastic hurt the environment. 

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Google sums up a reason why straws and plastic hurt the environment. 

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.

Straws are a particular hazard. Small and light, they can end up lodged in the nostrils of sea turtles and perforating the stomachs of penguins." Whether still fully-formed or broken down into tiny fragments, the plastic straws polluting our oceans continue to endanger wildlife - and, by extension, the environment.

Plastic straw alternatives

Washington DC (Hagerstown MD), Virginia

From your IP address - Learn more

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straws and how the are bad - Google Search

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About this step

Gaining an understanding of the issues surrounding packaging waste is the first step in mitigating it.

What is the problem

Plastics are a product of human innovation as they are lightweight, durable, decay resistant, inexpensive and moldable. Unfortunately, this innovation comes at a price.

Plastic packaging is extremely wasteful and impacts earth's ecosystems, on which we depend. Due to poor product design and lack of political infrastructure, the majority of plastic waste is sent to landfills or disposed of into the environment. 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been produced, of which only 9 percent has been recycled properly.

Because plastic isn't biodegradable, every piece of plastic ever made is still on this planet. Whether it breaks down into microplastics or not, plastic that is either dumped or washed into the oceans are consumed by marine animals.

Corporations are supplying the rapidly growing populations with single-use plastic. The graph to the right shows the projected four-fold increase in plastic production tonnage by 2050.

Plastic packaging is one of the greatest generators to plastic pollution, for its shortest life-span. Here is a snapshot of plastic waste generation by sector, in 2015.

The business costs

Handling waste on site costs time, energy, and manpower. This includes time spent cleaning, collecting, transporting and removing waste from your facility. Reducing total waste produced by using biodegradable alternatives or circling the material back into the system for reuse would save labor costs.

Dumping waste at landfills is costly. Certain city waste management systems' waste removal costs depend on the size and weight of the load. Reducing the amount of waste you produce thus decreases waste disposal costs.

Be mindful of your country's federal regulations in regards to plastic. There is currently a increase in plastic bans around the world, which may impact your business.

Improving the life-cycle of your products allows for greater transparency throughout the supply chain, increasing efficiency, reducing costs and opening up new opportunities for improvement.

Improving your environmental performance can help improve your business' image and reputation among stakeholders such as customers, the public, regulatory

Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impacts of the products they consume. Complying with the growing desire for environmentally-friendly products will further develop your customer-base as well as make you a leader in this space.

What are the environmental costs?

Reducing overall plastic packaging is imperative to mitigating further environmental damage for numerous reasons:

Landfill space is limited. As of now, 91 percent of packaging waste is sent to the landfills and/or in the environment. Reducing single-use plastics and increasing the usage of biodegradable materials would lighten the load for waste-management systems around the world and increase efficiency for the necessary waste needed for processing.

Plastics are made out of natural resources, like crude oil, natural gas and coal. Extracting natural resources for material needs for an ever-growing population serves long-lasting effects on the environment (deforestation, fracking, oil and gas leaking, etc.) Reducing the amount of plastic packaging produced would inherently decrease the demand for such resources, leaving the planet and the ecosystems, on which we all depend, stable.

Creating new materials from existing materials naturally uses less energy than using raw materials. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling one pound of polyethylene (the most commonly used material in plastic water bottles) conserves up to 12,000 BTUs (British thermal units) of heat energy. Recycling processes use up to two-thirds less energy than traditional manufacturing, significantly reducing the strain on the traditional power grid, which relies heavily on burning fossil fuels.

Plastic manufacturing is energy intensive and emits greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, which to a certain degree, are damaging to the environment and atmosphere and contribute heavily to global warming. EPA estimates that every family can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by up to 340 pounds annually, simply by recycling their plastic waste.

Due to poor waste management systems around the world, the majority of plastic packaging that is sent to landfills ends up in our natural environments. 8 million tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year. Plastic pollution threatens wildlife, alters ecosystems and poses risks to human health. Reducing the production of plastic packaging would decrease the chance of such damage.

Moreover, plastic waste that is sent to landfills is ultimately incinerated to make room for more incoming waste. Burning plastic emits toxic pollutants and irritants into the air we breathe. Reducing the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills can dramatically increase air quality around the world.

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Its probably for Willa, A national geographic on the history of composting

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Its probably for Willa, A national geographic on the history of composting

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:D

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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What was the melting point and how it is melting.

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A national Geographic on poaching      :(

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A national Geographic on poaching      :(

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sad animals :(

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Wild animals are being poached on a massive scale, with millions of individual animals of thousands of species worldwide killed or captured from their native habitats. Poaching poses a growing threat to elephants, rhinos, and other charismatic animals, as well as to smaller and more obscure creatures, like certain lizards and monkeys.

Poachers sometimes kill or capture animals to sell them locally or for the global trade in wildlife. Wildlife trading is a major black market that has increased alongside rising wealth in Asia-a major consumer of wildlife-and the advent of e-commerce and social media websites.

Some animals, such as birds, reptiles, and primates, are captured live so that they can be kept or sold as exotic pets. Slaughtered animals,

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Wild animals are being poached on a massive scale, with millions of individual animals of thousands of species worldwide killed or captured from their native habitats. Poaching poses a growing threat to elephants, rhinos, and other charismatic animals, as well as to smaller and more obscure creatures, like certain lizards and monkeys.

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Everyday Ways to Reduce Packaging Waste - Eco & Beyond

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Packaging is a necessary evil, it holds and protects our food - yet it is often excessive. With a few small steps we can reduce packaging waste at home.

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Some animals are not going extinct

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Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are searching for the few remaining wood turtles still found east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but low population densities combined with the cryptic behavior of wood turtles makes finding them a challenge.

It turns out that finding a wood turtle's DNA can be almost as useful as finding the real thing. Field researchers collect water samples each spring and fall from streams that could potentially contain traces of wood turtle eDNA, or environmental DNA.

The samples are processed at the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation Genomics, and within a matter of weeks, geneticists can tell whether wood turtle eDNA was detected within each sample.

The information can be used as a form of surveillance that is almost as effective as traditional visual encounter surveys and significantly cheaper, said Tom Akre, program scientist at the Conservation Ecology Center at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute .

The Smithsonian will pass its survey results directly to county planners in Virginia to give them a better handle on where wood turtle populations are and what kind of threats they might be facing, said Jonathan Drescher-Lehman, eDNA researcher for the Smithsonian's wood turtle surveys.

Wood turtles are disappearing quickly from their native range in northern Virginia because of a wide range of threats. "With wood turtles and a lot of turtles in general, there's not just one single smoking gun that you can address," said J.D. Kleopfer, Virginia's state herpetologist.

The intrusion of development

"For northern Virginia east of the Blue Ridge, there are only maybe one or two locations where you could still find wood turtles consistently," Kleopfer said. "Most of our best populations and our healthiest ones are west of route 81."

Scientists can say with certainty that the extirpation, or local extinction, of Virginia's wood turtles is mainly a result of human development.

"The habitat that remains in northeastern Virginia is heavily degraded," Kleopfer said. "A lot of the streams up there are referred to as the Yoo-hoo streams. They look like chocolate milk because there's just so much sediment runoff, they're scoured down to bedrock and they have 5- to 6-foot high banks caused by runoff from impermeable surfaces."

The negative impacts of human development on wood turtles are visible elsewhere throughout their native range, which extends north to Nova Scotia.

It is not just special to Virginia. "There is more or less a fairly direct correlation between the amount of development and the decline of a population," Akre said. "We have places in Virginia just like they do in West Virginia where populations appear to have declined as a result of development and where populations appear to be robust because of a lack of development."

Scientists believe that northeastern Virginia would contain large and healthy populations of wood turtles if it weren't for the abundance of human development. "It has baseline natural features that would potentially promote a lot of turtles," Akre said.

"Unfortunately development is only going to keep continuing, so in our minds from a conservation perspective and to manage our resources, money and personnel time they're basically dying populations," said Jessica Meck, project manager at the Smithsonian's Conservation Ecology Center. "We're actively watching population collapse because of this intrusion of development that is growing from D.C. to the Blue Ridge."

The process of urbanization, suburbanization and development is difficult to reverse in general and its impacts can be everlasting. "That's not to say there isn't hope," said Scott Buchanan, Rhode Island's state herpetologist and co-chair at the Collaborative to Combat the Illegal Trade in Turtles.

One major step toward protecting wood turtles from the worst threats associated with development is watershed restoration. "There are places we know of in northeastern Virginia, where watershed restoration techniques can have absolutely positive benefits to wood turtle populations potentially," Akre said. "That's yet to be fully tested in Virginia, but the science is there in terms of concept, and in some places it's there in terms of evidence in other states."

Wood turtles depend on a healthy watershed for survival. They spend summers on land and then slow their metabolism around November to overwinter on the bottom of creeks and streams until spring. Nesting season has just begun for wood turtles in northern Virginia who have now moved into the terrestrial phase of their year.

Land management strategies like reduced mowing during nesting season, installing wildlife passages at known turtle crossing hotspots and conserving more land are other strategies that can be used to protect wood turtles in developed regions, Buchanan said.

"Even just one or two turtles per year getting hit by cars at a population of 100 or 200 turtles can be the difference long term between conservation and extirpation," he added.

Relentless poaching and trafficking

"Turtles are probably the most illegally trafficked group of vertebrates there are out there," said Kleopfer. "People get outraged over the illegal wildlife trade when they see rhino horns or or all of these charismatic feathered and furry animals, but there is this humongous illegal trade happening that people aren't really very knowledgeable on because it doesn't get the press coverage that other animals do."

Wood turtles are particularly attractive in the illegal pet trade because they are moderate-sized with an average length of about 5 to 8 inches, are relatively easy to care for and display an intricately patterned carapace or shell that sits atop colorfully pigmented legs and neck.

The domestic and overseas demand for illegally traded turtles as pets is significant. "Every year, thousands of turtles are illegally harvested and trafficked around the world," Kleopfer said.

The exact numbers of how many turtles are poached and trafficked nationally are hard to pin down, even to an order of magnitude, said Buchanan. "The majority of the international demand is coming from Asia, that much we know. We know it's enormous and it just seems like a bottomless demand for some of the species involved."

Since wood turtles are not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, it is up to individual states to regulate the collection and trade of wood turtles.

"It just makes for a patchwork of regulations," said Buchanan. "The trend in regulations is certainly toward being more restrictive, and the federal government does regulate interstate commerce. So if you illegally poach an animal in one state and bring it to a state where it is legal to sell, you still committed a federal crime."

Virginia's Board of Wildlife Resources approved amendments to the Commonwealth's regulations last July to close some of the loopholes that were being taken advantage of by turtle poachers.

The old regulations allowed for private possession of up to five individuals of any single native or naturalized species of amphibian or reptile, as long as they weren't on any state or federal endangered species lists or specifically banned from possession by regulation, Kleopfer said.

"This was way over collection, so we changed the regulation to be one per residency, and it could only be species that are not in our state wildlife action plan ," he added.

Wood turtles are listed as a species of "critical conservation need" in Virginia's wildlife action plan. They were protected under the former regulations, but that never stopped people from poaching them, Kleopfer said.

A brief search of headlines from around the country is perhaps one of the best ways to understand the true scale of the illegal turtle trade. "It's happening at the state and federal level all the time," said Buchanan, referring to dozens of seizures from around the country over the past three to four years that involve or in some cases of illegally collected wild turtles.

"All it takes is for one unscrupulous person to identify a really important site or population of some species of turtles, whether it's wood turtles or maybe spotted turtles or bog turtles," said Buchanan. "If they come in and poach a significant chunk of that population in a small amount of time, they will profit handsomely, and in doing so they will erase years or decades worth of conservation work."

The future of Virginia's wood turtles

As more becomes known about Virginia's remaining wood turtles, local communities can better understand how to protect them.

"It's county ordinances that continue to allow for development in flood plain areas and along streams," Kleopfer said. "Unfortunately, I think that ship has kind of sailed for most of northern Virginia."

That is not to say that some areas wouldn't benefit from restoration and potentially have wood turtles recolonize them. "We're focusing on putting our efforts into preserving what's left up there," he said.

Over time, the probability of wood turtles being listed as an endangered species at the federal or state level will likely increase, Buchanan said. "That's just because of the relentless march of development and human population density."

The Smithsonian's wood turtle surveys will help inform the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they make their decision whether to list wood turtles federally under the Endangered Species Act, said Meck of the Smithsonian's Conservation Ecology Center.

Even if wood turtles do not become listed, the information will help scientists track wood turtles long into the future to develop different trends associated with extirpation.

The surveys will include more locations in this round of research in an effort to represent the entire range of conditions where wood turtles could be found in Virginia, from small forested streams in the mountains to large streams that feed into the Potomac in Fairfax County "and everything in between," Akre said.

The study began in 2013, and the results of the initial round of research were in 2019. Akre and his team at the Smithsonian will continue sampling for wood turtles in Virginia through 2023 or 2024 as part of a second round of funding from the Smithsonian and a competitive U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant awarded to Virginia's Department of Wildlife Resources.

"If someone comes back and samples the same sites in a decade or two, it would be really easy to look at how fast populations are declining or how fast ranges are restricting at these more rural versus urban areas," said researcher Drescher-Lehman. " It's kind of like a snapshot in time of where the turtles are that could be referenced in the future."

This information could also be useful for observing the effects of climate change on wood turtle populations in northern Virginia, where dramatic fluctuations in temperatures can presumably kill wood turtles after they come out of the water to bask during an early, unusually warm spring day. "Then you get these immediate freezing temperatures that they get caught in, and it can kill them if they don't get back into the water," Meck said.

If Virginia's climate is more like Georgia's in 100 years, wood turtles won't be able to survive the warmer winters in general, Meck said. Their range will contract in the south and into New England, Canada, and the upper Midwest.

There are things we can do now to protect future populations of wood turtles if society is willing to make a big investment in wildlife and conservation, Buchanan added. A big step in that investment is getting people to consider what are commonly described as non charismatic species.

"It's hard for me to even describe a wood turtle as non charismatic," Buchanan said. "I think it's the coolest thing going."

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Development and poaching erasing years of work to protect wood turtles in Virginia - Virginia Mercury

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Human development and poaching are erasing years of conservation work to protect wood turtles in Virginia Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are searching for the few remaining wood turtles still found east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but low population densities combined with the cryptic behavior of wood turtles makes finding them a [...]

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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A BrainPOP homepage where you can pick a natural disaster article!

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A BrainPOP homepage where you can pick a natural disaster article!

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products

BrainPOP Family
Transform passive screen time into active learning with movies and quizzes on 1,100+ topics.

BrainPOP Homeschool
Upgrade your teaching tools with creativity projects, assignment builder, professional resources, and more.

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Learn more and understand better with BrainPOP's animated movies, games, playful assessments, and activities covering Science, Math, History, English, and more!

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By: Mayanna Caradec
Enjoy!

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Welcome to Britannica School , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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A brainPOP on Climate CHange and how it works!

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A brainPOP on Climate CHange and how it works!

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It is pretty amazing!

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets.

Sources of Air Pollution

Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people, taking the form of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-hand cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. These man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources.

Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes, occur naturally. These are called natural sources.

Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated. Sometimes, mountains or tall buildings prevent air pollution from spreading out. This air pollution often appears as a cloud making the air murky. It is called smog. The word "smog" comes from combining the words "smoke" and "fog."

Large cities in poor and developing nations tend to have more air pollution than cities in developed nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some of the worlds most polluted cities are Karachi, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; Beijing, China; Lima, Peru; and Cairo, Egypt. However, many developed nations also have air pollution problems. Los Angeles, California, is nicknamed Smog City.

Indoor Air Pollution

Air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But there are many types of indoor air pollution as well.

Heating a house by burning substances such as kerosene, wood, and coal can contaminate the air inside the house. Ash and smoke make breathing difficult, and they can stick to walls, food, and clothing.

Naturally-occurring radon gas, a cancer-causing material, can also build up in homes. Radon is released through the surface of the Earth. Inexpensive systems installed by professionals can reduce radon levels.

Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to people's health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold's spores enter the air and spread throughout the house. People can become sick from breathing in the spores.

Effects On Humans

People experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed to air pollution. Effects can be broken down into short-term effects and long-term effects.

Short-term effects, which are temporary, include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. They also include discomfort such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Bad smells made by factories, garbage, or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant.

Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead to a person's death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people's nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants cause birth defects. Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year from the effects of outdoor or indoor air pollution.

People react differently to different types of air pollution. Young children and older adults, whose immune systems tend to be weaker, are often more sensitive to pollution. Conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors.

Effects On The Environment

Like people, animals, and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution. Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds.

Air pollution particles eventually fall back to Earth. Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil. This can kill crops or reduce their yield. It can kill young trees and other plants.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air, can create acid rain when they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles. When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition; degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams; damages crops; and can cause buildings and monuments to decay.

Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Birth defects, diseases, and lower reproductive rates have all been attributed to air pollution.

Global Warming

Global warming is an environmental phenomenon caused by natural and anthropogenic air pollution. It refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world. This temperature rise is at least partially caused by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat energy in the Earths atmosphere. (Usually, more of Earths heat escapes into space.)

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming. Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, and natural gas). Humans have come to rely on fossil fuels to power cars and planes, heat homes, and run factories. Doing these things pollutes the air with carbon dioxide.

Other greenhouse gases emitted by natural and artificial sources also include methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Methane is a major emission from coal plants and agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture, and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons, are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gases are often used instead of gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer.

Worldwide, many countries have taken steps to reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming. The Kyoto Protocol, first adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is an agreement between 183 countries that they will work to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The United States has not signed that treaty.

Regulation

In addition to the international Kyoto Protocol, most developed nations have adopted laws to regulate emissions and reduce air pollution. In the United States, debate is under way about a system called cap and trade to limit emissions. This system would cap, or place a limit, on the amount of pollution a company is allowed. Companies that exceeded their cap would have to pay. Companies that polluted less than their cap could trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance to other companies. Cap and trade would essentially pay companies to limit pollution.

In 2006 the World Health Organization issued new Air Quality Guidelines. The WHOs guidelines are tougher than most individual countries existing guidelines. The WHO guidelines aim to reduce air pollution-related deaths by 15 percent a year.

Reduction

Anybody can take steps to reduce air pollution. Millions of people every day make simple changes in their lives to do this. Taking public transportation instead of driving a car, or riding a bike instead of traveling in carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Avoiding aerosol cans, recycling yard trimmings instead of burning them, and not smoking cigarettes are others.

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets. Sources of Air Pollution Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways.

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recycling, recovery and reprocessing of waste materials for use in new products. The basic phases in recycling are the collection of waste materials, their processing or manufacture into new products, and the purchase of those products, which may then themselves be recycled. Typical materials that are recycled include iron and steel scrap, aluminum cans, glass bottles, paper, wood, and plastics. The materials reused in recycling serve as substitutes for raw materials obtained from such increasingly scarce natural resources as petroleum, natural gas, coal, mineral ores, and trees. Recycling can help reduce the quantities of solid waste deposited in landfills, which have become increasingly expensive. Recycling also reduces the pollution of air, water, and land resulting from waste disposal.

There are two broad types of recycling operations: internal and external. Internal recycling is the reuse in a manufacturing process of materials that are a waste product of that process. Internal recycling is common in the metals industry, for example. The manufacture of copper tubing results in a certain amount of waste in the form of tube ends and trimmings; this material is remelted and recast. Another form of internal recycling is seen in the distilling industry, in which, after the distillation, spent grain mash is dried and processed into an edible foodstuff for cattle.

External recycling is the reclaiming of materials from a product that has been worn out or rendered obsolete. An example of external recycling is the collection of old newspapers and magazines for repulping and their manufacture into new paper products. Aluminum cans and glass bottles are other examples of everyday objects that are externally recycled on a wide scale. These materials can be collected by any of three main methods: buy-back centres, which purchase waste materials that have been sorted and brought in by consumers; drop-off centres, where consumers can deposit waste materials but are not paid for them; and curbside collection, in which homes and businesses sort their waste materials and deposit them by the curb for collection by a central agency.

Society's choice of whether and how much to recycle depends basically on economic factors. Conditions of affluence and the presence of cheap raw materials encourage human beings' tendency to simply discard used materials. Recycling becomes economically attractive when the cost of reprocessing waste or recycled material is less than the cost of treating and disposing of the materials or of processing new raw materials.

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Recycling | Definition, Processes, & Facts

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Recycling, recovery and reprocessing of waste materials for use in new products. The basic phases in recycling are the collection of waste materials, their processing or manufacture into new products, and the purchase of those products, which may then themselves be recycled.

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Welcome to Britannica School , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Also by JaCqUeLlE

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How air pollution affects human health. Paragraph 4-6

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How air pollution affects human health. Paragraph 4-6

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Just some general information about climate change!

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Just some general information about climate change!

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:D

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How is plastic affecting us??

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By Tristan

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Electricity is a source of power. Many machines work because of electricity. There are two kinds of electricity. One kind is static electricity. The other kind is electrical current.
Electrons
Everything in the world is made of tiny parts called atoms. Atoms are made up of even smaller parts. The smallest parts of atoms are called electrons, neutrons, and protons. Two of the parts of an atom-electrons and protons-have a charge, or power.

This is a model of an atom. The yellow lines show electron move around the nucleus of the atom.

Protons have a positive (plus or +) charge. Electrons have a negative (minus or -) charge. (Neutrons have no charge.)

Most of the time, atoms have the same number of protons as electrons. These atoms are balanced. If a balanced atom has four protons, it will also have four electrons. Sometimes atoms do not have the same number of protons and electrons. These atoms are charged atoms. Atoms with more protons than electrons have a positive charge. Atoms with more electrons have a negative charge.

Sometimes, electrons jump from one atom to another. When electrons move from one atom to another, they make or produce energy (power). This kind of energy is called electrical energy, or electricity.
Static Electricity
There are two kinds of electricity. One kind is called static electricity. Static electricity is electricity that does not move. It stays in one place.

However, static electricity seems to jump from one thing to another. That is because millions of electrons move between things at the same time. One example of this is lightning. Lightning is a kind of static electricity. Lightning happens when electrons move between the ground and storm clouds in the sky.

Static electricity is in people's homes, too. If a person walks across a rug on a dry day, the number of electrons in the person's body can change. When that person touches a light switch, a cat's fur, or a piece of metal, lots of electrons might move between that object (thing) and the person's body. This causes a sudden sting in the person's hand. That is called an electric shock. Electric shock is an example of static electricity.
Electrical Currents
The other kind of electricity is called an electrical current. In an electrical current, electricity moves from one place to another. Electrical current is a lot like a river. The energy moves or flows from one place to another, just like water in a river. People use this kind of electricity every day.

Wires or cables are used to delivery electricity.

Electrical current can move through many different kinds of objects. If electricity (the current) moves easily through a certain material, the material is a good conductor of electricity. Wood is not a very good conductor of electricity. However, salt water isa good conductor.

Metal is an excellent conductor of electricity. That is why people usually use metal wire to send electric currents. Most towns and cities have electric wires. The wires may hang overhead, or they may be under the ground. These wires carry electricity. There are electric wires inside homes and schools, too.

In most homes and buildings, the source (starting place) of electrical power is electrical outlets in the walls. This is a place in the wall where people can plug in things like stoves, televisions (TVs), lamps, and computers. When people plug in a stove, they are connecting a wire from the stove to a wire inside the wall through an electrical outlet. The wires carry electricity to power the stove.
Power Plants
People use a lot of electricity, so they need to make a lot of it. Electricity is made at special factories called power plants. Power plants take materials, such as oil, coal, or gas, and burn them to make electricity. Then the electricity flows out through power lines. The power lines deliver or bring the electricity to homes and other buildings, so that people can use the electricity.

This illustration shows how electricity is created in power plants and delivered to homes.

Some electricity is made from other kinds of power, too. For example, the water in rivers can make electricity. People build dams to stop rivers. As water pours over the dam, it makes electrical power. Windmills and wind turbines can also make electricity. Parts of windmills and wind turbines move when the wind blows on them, and this makes electrical power.
Batteries
People can also get electricity from batteries. Batteries turn chemicals into electrical currents. The battery holds the energy.

Batteries all work the same way. A person connects the battery to something that uses electricity, such as a radio. The person turns the radio on. Then the electricity moves from the battery into the radio. This lets the radio start to work.
Bibliography Reference Book
Baldasso, Renzo. "Electricity." Encyclopedia of the Scientific Revolution, 2000. Online. EBSCO. 26 September 2008. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&amp;db=sch&amp;AN=20062902&amp;site=ehost-live.
Websites
Energy Kid's Page. Department of Energy. 27 September 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html.

Energy Story: What Is Electricity? California Energy Commission. 27 September 2008. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter02.html.

Energy Story: Static Electricity and Resistance. California Energy Commission. 27 September 2008. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter03.html.

~~~~~~~~

By Stephen Currie

Copyright of Salem Press Primary Encyclopedia is the property of Salem Press. The copyright in an individual article may be maintained by the author in certain cases. Content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. Source: Salem Press Primary Encyclopedia, 2021, 3p
Item: 99251606

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Electricity is a source of power. Many machines work because of electricity. There are two kinds of electricity. One kind is static electricity. The other kind is electrical current. Electrons Everything in the world is made of tiny parts called atoms. Atoms are made up of even smaller parts.

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How animal behavior and how it affects there life and how they survive.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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A good source for learning about recycling and how it works!

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A good source for learning about recycling and how it works!

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enjoy! :D

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Welcome to Britannica School , a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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A good history on poaching,what it is, and what it does!

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A good history on poaching,what it is, and what it does!

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Enjoy! :D

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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About how Kakapos live and why they're endangered.

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Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

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Deforestation and Its Effect on the Planet

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Learn about the manmade and natural causes of deforestation–and how it’s impacting our planet.