Welcome to the Environmental Corner
This page consists of links to essays written by Grade 7 and 8 students at St. Richards Catholic Elementary School in Scarborough, Ontario. The students were asked to write a response on their feelings about the environment. The goal of this was to give students an audience for their writing. So please look around. Also the students would love to hear from you so after your done, email the SC_TEC@sbe.scarborough.on.ca and I will pass them along! Enjoy :-)
Grade 7's | Grade 8's |
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There is more on the way, so stay tuned!! (Last updated on 97-11-14 @ 11:43 pm )
Air Pollution, an Environmental Issue
By Dexter
Air pollution is one of the serious environmental problems today and all over the world. Alot of people are responsible for this problem. There are some harmful gases in the air that people breathe. Some of these gases can result in injury and even death.
There has been a great history of air pollution. In Donora, Pennsylvania, in 1948 caused respiratory illnesses in over 6000 people and 20 died. There was another severe air pollution in London that took 3500 to 4000 lives and another 700 in 1962.Also, the air pollution is not just harming us but also the plants and crops. I hope his horrible history of air pollution stops as soon as possible and that there was no air pollution left.
There are alot of causes to this environmental problem. Just to name a few, automobiles that we drive, burning materials, forest fires, and the smells of gasoline, oil, and coil when they are burned. Me and alot of other people are concerned for these problems because some people scared to take one breathe of air that is around them and maybe if they do, they can be severely injured , ill or they can die. I would probably be like that if there was so much gases in the air.
There are alot of kinds of gases in the air that you probably don't know we're breathing. To name a few: smog, the radioactive gas known as radon, and the chemicals that are entering a burning process ( for example gasoline). The radioactive gas known as radon is known as a major health threat. rocks that have uranium minerals that are under houses, radon can seep into the basements of those kind of houses. Smog is made out of a combination of gases that are from sunlight. If we breath it, sometimes we get sick and the smog can damage vegetables and crops. Chemicals that are being burned can make us sick, disey, and can give us large headaches.)
Gasoline sometimes gives me a headache but probably would other types of air pollution that won't only give me a headaches but probably an illness or death. Mostly all of these kinds of gases can scare me and maybe even you. Just imagine that the air around you suddenly absorbed one major harmful gas and you started feeling weird, it was hard to breathe and you felt the life getting sucked right out of you. It wouldn't be very pretty. Wouldn't you wish that all the pollution went away?
There are some solutions to all of this. First of all, if you can't eliminate the pollution , prevent it. Some ways are to ride a bike, walk, carpool, or to take public transportation to the place you are going to instead of driving a car. That is one way to prevent yourself from polluting. Another thing you can do that if you are doing should be doing is to quit smoking. The last thing I could think of doing is to write a letter to someone you know who can advertise public transportation and to can try to tell people to quit smoking. So get involved and make a difference against air pollution.
By Cheryl
Are you concerned about the air that you breathe in, and exhale out? Well , many people are. Some people don't even know about what chemicals are in the air and what we breathe in. Some people say "Well, thats the way it is and there's nothing you can do about it." But, what they don't know is that there is something we can do about it.
Here are some suggestions:
To go to work use public transportation or ride a bike or roller blades. You can even walk if its close enough. Air pollution has gotten more and more serious over the years. Cars, factories, and other things are the start of air pollution. Our job, as the people who live and breathe this air, is to tell these factories that we want to live long and not let our lungs get dirty with the chemicals in the air that they're spreading.
But you say, "The factories won't listen to one person" and you're right, but hey will if you find all the people that feel the same way you do. Get a petition and get the people who want this to happen, to sign it, or if you really want this to make an effect, try to find supporters, that will support you through your struggle, to fight and stop air pollution as well.
As I said already, automobiles are one of the main causes of air pollution. How can we stop people from driving their cars, or going anywhere in a motor vehicle? Well, we can't. But we can tell them what they're doing to themselves, the air and the people around them, which is polluting the air and basicly filling other peoples lungs with gross, dirty, chemical filled air. I don't thing anyone is happy that what they're breathing is dirty and chemical filled, I know I'm not!
In the future, do you want the world and atmosphere to be filled with dirt in the air.? Well, I sure don"t and I'm sure that you don"t want that either. But, that's only possible if we don't start working on the problem right now. If you are interested in finding a way to stop air pollution, find someone that is environmentally friendly or maybe someone esle that you think can help. This is a very serious problem. If you know someone that smokes or that in someway pollutes the air, tell them how you feel and that you feel the world and the people living in the world are in danger.
Well, in conclusion, we have to work together to try and stop air pollution, so that everyone, even our kids have a healthier and safer future, because everyone, knowing about what air pollution does, I'm sure, will all try as best they can to try and stop it. So in this essay, I hope I have encouraged you to try and stop polluting the air everyone breathes. Even if you persuade one person to stop smoking you're helping the air be cleaner and healthier for everyone.
by Natalia
Animal Testing is one of the greatest Environmental problems of today. Shampoo, soap,
cream (etc.) companies are using animals to see if their product actually works. This
procedure is very cruel and ruthless, and I think that any company who tests on animals
should be ashamed of it. In this essay I will talk about why animal testing is wrong, what
is being done about it, and what we can do to help the banning of this thoughtless
deed.
Why is animal testing bad? This is a question often asked. The answer is very obvious
but it is not often used to answer that question. The answer is here: Animals are ours to
love, to care for, to understand and to respect. Can you imagine anyone shaving off a
rabbit's fur, and then rubbing the skin with soap to see if it gets a rash? If it does get
a rash, the rabbit can actually die. Of course it is not always a rabbit. Sometimes it is
a dog or guinea pig. Animal testing also brings animals closer and closer to extinction.
That is just about the worst thing that can happen to us or to them.
There are many things that are being about t the problem of animal testing. There are
protests and demonstrations against it, there are also many, many people who simply refuse
to buy any products that are tested on animals. Even so, many people are still not aware
that there is such a thing as animal testing being done.
There are endless ways that you could get involved to stop animal testing. I will give
you a few ideas and then maybe you can come with some of your own. As I have mentioned
before, some people refuse to use animal- tested products. You could do that too. It
doesn't really matter what brand of shampoo you use, you hair will be clean anyway. That
same thing counts with soap. If you want to know if a product is tested on animals, read
the packaging well. If it is not tested on animals, it will say so on the package. If it
doesn't say anything, then, yes, it probably is tested on an animal. Another way you could
get involved is to write letters. Politicians usually think that if one person has an
opinion against them, then at least twenty more people think so too. To make your letters
more effective, you could ask other people to sign it too. (petition form) Maybe you could
also find out if there are any demonstrations or protests in the near future. It is not
very difficult to make a sign saying that you are against something, and then stand
outside for half and hour. And anyway, it is all for a good cause. Finally, you ask your
friends and family to stop buying animal-tested products. Here I have given you ideas on
how to get involved, and I'm sure you can come up with many more ways.
Here I come to the conclusion of my report. I sincerely hope that I have given you something to think about and you have become aware of about animal testing. In this essay I have talked about what animal testing is, what is being done about it and what we can do to help. I want to leave one last thought with you: Now we have our animals. If things don't change, soon we won't.
Pollution! What Is It and How Can We Stop It?
by Antonio
What is the environment? The environment is everything that is surrounding you and me.
We wouldn't be here without the environment, so why are people harming it in such a big
way that they are harming the human race too? Things like big factories, overcrowded
cities, products packed with unnecessary packaging and things like that are hurting the
environment and some are even bad for our health. In this essay I will talk about some
forms of pollution, how we can help to stop it, and my feelings on the subjects.
Well, I think ever since the beginning of time there has been pollution. That's why I
think garbage cans and recycling boxes are such great inventions. I bet you that whoever
invented the garbage can must've been really fed up with garbage laying around everywhere
he or she went!
Imagine a world without garbage cans! But even still with garbage cans and recycling
boxes allot of people either forget to put garbage in its place or are just way too lazy
to get up from their chair, walk to a garbage can, and put garbage in its proper place.
But this isn't even half of the world's pollution problem. There are much bigger problems.
Cars, Trucks, factories, and over-crowded cities are the much bigger pollution problem.
Now, over-crowded cities, why would over-crowded cities be harmful to the environment?
Well, the more people in a city, the more cars, trucks and vans, and the more cars and
vans, the more gas fumes floating in the air, and the more gas fumes in the air, the more
pollution. Another thing that is polluting our environment are some factories. Factories
are another reason why over-crowded cities are a problem. The more people, the more
factories they need to supply them with anything they need from food to home theaters. The
reason factories are harmful is because some factories release gas, or other chemical and
toxic fumes that cannot only but can be very harmful to our health. Other forms of
pollution are oil spills, products hurting our earth like disposable cameras, etc. But I
can't just keep on going on about different forms of pollution. I have to talk about how
we can stop pollution and make our environment look beautiful!!
Now, how can I help and save the environment from pollution? Is that the question that
is in your mind right now? Well, the answer to that question is also in your head, you
just have to reach for it a little harder. You can use practicality to solve that
question. For example, you can start by not being a litter bug, but if you are concerned
about a certain company that has a product that you think is harming our environment you
could E-mail or write a letter to the company telling them that you are concerned about
the environment and asking them to change their product or whatever you want to ask them
to do. One company you would probably write to is McDonald's and tell them they don't have
to use unnecessary packaging to make business. Other ways to save the environment are:
using your car less or if you don't want to do that, you can use natural gas on your car
that some gas stations sell.
Those are some of my thoughts and ideas to help save our environment. I hope you have enjoyed reading my essay and have also learned at least one thing about the environment. Well, that's about all I have to say, but for now, please don't be a litter bug and help to save the environment!
By: Larisa
Pollution, is it good for anything? Everyday the world is getting polluted more and more by factories, cars, boats, and even us, humans. Sometimes when we pollute we don't notice it, but after we've done it, we can't take it back. In this essay I will discuss water pollution, air pollution, indoor pollution, what causes these problems and how we can solve them.
Water covers about three - quarters of the earth and is essential for our survival.
Water pollution causes "sick" rivers and "dead" lakes. It has killed
millions and millions of fish, contaminated drinking supplies and decreased the amount of
water available for agriculture. Some common causes of water pollution are factories,
motor boats, and people. So unless you only want to swim in swimming pools, take a little
care because lakes and beaches will become too dirty.
Humans can live for days without food or drink, but only a couple of minutes without
air. Whenever we breathe, we breathe in air. All air contains some pollutants because of
human activity. Some of these pollutants create smog while others contribute to acid rain
and thinning of the ozone layer among other things. People should be more aware of the
effect their actions have on the quality of air and try to be more carefull.
Do you think there are only pollutants in the air outside? Well think again. There is
another kind of pollution called indoor pollution. Indoor pollution is just like air
pollution but indoors. Indoor pollution is caused by hairspray, bug spray, fireplace fumes
etc. We can prevent indoor pollution by having houseplants. They take in all of the bad
air and change it into fresh oxygen.
What can we do to improve these situations? Well for one thing we can all try to stop
littering. Some other things we could do to stop water and air pollution may be difficult
but we could try. For instance we could use public transportation, a bike or even try
walking. Instead of using plastic bags, tin foil or wax paper, why not use Tupperware
containers? Maybe this will decrease the amount of garbage being produced. We could try
and make the government aware so they could take action towards trying to clean it up, or
try to get the community involved in working to clean up. There are so many things we can
do to help if we only put our minds to it.
Pollution is not new to our world. It has existed since the beginning of mankind in one form or another. It is our current society with it's technological advances that has both increased pollution levels yet at the same time worked to bring awareness of this problem forward. I think pollution is a big mess that should be cleaned up before it gets out of control so that all people can live in a clean environment. What we have done in a short period of time will take many years, perhaps generations to correct.
By: Kati
If you like wheats , fruits , vegetables , or anything else that is agricultural then
you better read this warning before eating any of these delicious essential nutrients.
Pesticides are chemicals that farmers use to keep insects away from the crops. If
however the insect eats the crops when the crops are covered in pesticides then the insect
will become very ill , and will eventually die. If however by chance one of your pets or
farm animals ate a crop that had pesticide on it then this animal will also get very ill .
Pesticides are spread by a huge airplane. This airplane has many little spray taps ,
when this machine is operated and the right buttons are pushed, the valves in the spray
taps open and sray the pesticides while flying in the air. For this reason the local
people in the area of this machine are usually inside and are not allowed outside until
the pesticide spraying is completed. Most people , espcially pregnant women are not
supposed to work on farms while pregnancy because the fumes are toxic and can be really
damaging for the baby and can even cause brain damage.
When these toxic chemicals of pesticide land on the plant or crop most of these plants
will die. Because such toxic fumes are entering their ecosystem and ruining the plants way
of life they will die. These fumes of pesticide are toxic , most farmers find it to
expensive and do not buy the chemicals. So if the insects go to those farms that do not
have pesticides they do not die but these farms have less crops. I think that the farmers
who do not use pesticide are more natural more simple.
When the toxic pesticide chemicals are travelling through the air they would eventually
land on the crops and plants. About forty percent of the toxic pesticide chemicals are
blown away by the wind . About twenty percent of this lands in other countries and cities
and it usually makes these local people very ill , and sometimes they even make the people
die . So when the toxic gases of pesticide chemicals are in the local city, it would be
safer especially if you live on the countryside to stay inside during pesticide spraying.
When I see movies with the airplanes that spread these toxic pesticide fumes and that
kill plants, animals, and even human I feel very sorry to know that these people, even if
it is just a movie, are in much danger. Even if in a different city they still should be
inside if not they could get very ill , and this could even cost them their lives.
I think that the use of pesticides, even if they help plants, should stop because it is
not good for anyone. It kills the plants, animals, the insects, and the humans that are
involved in it. If it dosen't kill them , then it will leave them very ill so, therefore
before you eat an apple out of your fridge think about what you have just read and I hope
you decide to wash the apple or orange at least twice just to make sure there isn't any
pesticide left on it from the pesticide spraying. If you feel sick be sure to see the
doctor as soon as possible.
By Anna
Power is something we all need and use at one point or another. Nuclear power plants can cause Chernobyl which causes cancer and it can be fatal at times. Cancer is the number one cause of death in Canada.
You may not think these power plants are near you but you can get radiation from things in your very own home like household appliances such as microwaves. It has the word waves right in it.
You can also get radiation from power lines. The main cause is power plants. Power plants? Why not solar power plants,oil power plants, gas power plants? Why can't we just get rid of all nuclear power plants?
You, or someone you know might work in a power plant. What they don't know is that by what they do every day when they go to work is creating radiation everywhere in the world.
Some school grounds are based in a field of power lines. Think of the children when they go out for recess. Some kids might write and sign petitions to help stop radiation. Maybe even join clubs or committees and those are great ideas.
There's one thing I've always wondered about radiation. Tanning beds are for your own pleasure, they make you look good, they might even make you feel good.
But it causes radiation. There are a lot of little things that cause radiation you would least expect. Television, even the computer screen you are looking at right now. I'm not telling you not to watch television or use your computer, just not as often.
Like I said before writing and/or signing petitions and maybe joining clubs is a great
way to make the world a better place to live in the year of nine-teen hundred and
ninety-seven.
By: Aruntha
Have you ever wondered where your garbage goes, after the garbage truck takes it away?
Well most of us don't really think about what we do with our garbage. When the garbage
truck takes it away, it dumps it in a great big hole in the ground. We are starting to
have a big problem because we are running out of places to put the garbage, so more
garbage means more space. So we need to cut down our garbage consuming our land.
There are many different ways in which you can reuse your garbage. All your scraps and
food leftovers, can be reused. If you grind up all your food scraps, it becomes a good
compost. I heard in the news there was a town in Ontario and they have this new system.
You put all your compost scraps in a black bag. They send trucks to go pick it up and it
gets turned into compost. So they end up with a small amount of garbage. Now the plastic,
tin, and glass are already being recycled. You put it into a blue bin for the city of
Scarborough. And there is a grey bin for all your paper and newspaper then it goes to a
factory where it gets turned into new paper, glass, tin, and plastic.
In grade six I wrote to John Colman the president of McDonland's restaurants, all over
the world. It was a school assignment. I wrote to him explaining my concerns about the
garbage intake. Do you know the Big Macs at McDonland's? Well they have a separate box for
the Big Macs , when they just wrap up the cheeseburgers. Well I wrote to him telling him
that it was unnecessary to do that. Because more garbage gets consumed. His company also
put a cardboard ring around it to keep it together, I told him this was unnecessary as
well. Because if you want the ring to keep it together, when you take the ring out it
falls apart anyways. So John Colman, actually his representative wrote back and said the
ring was there to keep the heat inside. But what would you have a warmer burger or a clean
environment?
Have you ever driven by a road in your neighbourhood or somewhere else and seen a wooden table or something similar to that? Well what my father does is , he breaks the wood up or sawsit into pieces and uses it for our fireplace. Well just the other day me my father and my dog Jessi went for a walk around the block, and we saw a wood frame couch, on the roadside. It's a one seater couch and I had an idea. Me and my father decided to take it home wash it nicely and make a nice warm bed for my dog Jessi when she plays in the back yard. You see there are numerous of ways to reuse our garbage, and I just gave you two.
Well my whole point is that I'm trying to tell you that we have to much garbage and need
to reduce them. Because if we don't take care of this beautiful world it won't be here for
our children. There are many ways to save the environment. If we don't who will?
By Zsolt
INTRODUTION
My fellow friends we all litter at parks , and litter many other places when we litter ,we don't notice and sometimes we do notice, but people don't care about garbage they litter and do many other things. This article will tell you about garbage , why we should not litter, and why care about the environment and what can we do about garbage.
LITTERING
If you litter you are polluting the planet and polluting yourself . If you litter all
the time it is a very bad habit. Many people litter, maybe I have littered too and maybe
you have littered ,but if you littered and thought it was a bad thing please stop for your
own sake, if we litter the world it would be garbage planet. Please all you listeners
don't litter it's not a very nice thing.
WHY NOT TO LITTER
People should not litter because they are polluting the planet. But most of all littering is garbage, because littering is not good lots of people clean up what you may have thrown away. I'm sure we all want our park and cities to be clean , but how can it be clean if you litter. I want our park clean not a mess but clean. I'm sure you agree with me.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Do you want your environment to be full of garbage ? no, I thought so . If you want
people to stop throwing garbage in our environment you can put up sign's like please don't
litter , and also keep our environment clean and lot's more you can say . Maybe if you
want you can clean up the city and street and park .I am not forcing you to do this but if
you want you can.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS GARBAGE
For garbage you can do lot's of things. Like help clean up the environment. You can
join a group that clean up garbage or you can just go and clean up a park. You can start a
group that can clean up the environment and get some members for your group and start
cleaning up in your spare time. You can send a letter to the government and tell them to
make more groups that clean up garbage. You can also tell the government to make more
garbage cans. You can start telling people to clean up garbage, or in your group you can
say if you clean up parks , and cities and streets then you can give them a Certificate of
their Achievement for cleaning up many things in the world. You can also tell garbage
groups that you want to be a garbage collector for a part time job.
CONCLUSION
So I have told you lot's of things I hope you will do some or all or as much as you wish to do in your community . Most of all I hope you don't litter but rather you can pick up garbage and put it in it's place .Most of all please take care of the environment and don't litter I would very like that and maybe we all can clean up the garbage and not to litter. Thank you for listening and have a good day.
By Bianca
This world is full of animals, many that we do not know of, and many that we have or
never will come to know of. This is because of extinction. In this world we are still
finding new animals everyday. Many animals like these new ones we will never find out
about because their existence has been wiped from the face of the Earth. Their lac of
existence was caused by the sudden changes in their environment, they were chased from
place to place by settelers.
Like dinosaurs fossils, there are many bones we have found, these bones help us
identify certain animals. There are still thousands of fosslis lying around to be found.
The Saber-toothed Tiger and the Hairy Mammoth, were hunted to extinction by the cave
people. The Bighorn Sheep, the Koala's and the Gray Whale, Are already extinct in some
areas of the world. The Giant Panda and the Javan Rhinoceros(there are only 50 of this
sepcies in the world) are threthened with extinction at this very moment. The polecat was
once extinct in Britian, but Teir population is now multiplying. Some animals weren't
extinct until last century, some were even extinct this century.
The Archaeopterx, The Tasmanian wolf, The Giant Ground Sloth, And the dodo bird, have
been hunted to extinction by man(or woman) as early as 10 000 years ago. The last
Tasmanian Wolf on earth died in 1933. The dodo bird was extinct less than two centuries
after man found it. The last dodo died in 1680. The killing of animals must be stopped,
And animals must not be killed for sport.
Animals have been hunted, for their fur, over many decades. hunted animals are now
extinct or endangered. Some animals like the Koala have been extinc in some parts of
Austrailia, but their numbers are now in creasin in that area. The reason their population
is increasing is because the government banned the hunting of Koala's and bought Koala's
from another part of Austrailia to South Austrailia. They kept the Koala's in a zoo. The
zoo helped keep the animals safe.
Zoo's have been a part of saving animals for decades. The part that a zoo plays is
essential in stopping extinction. A zoo keeps at least four of every animals and, that
will help to increase the number of animals. When the number of the animal increases
theywill let a few of they animals out into the wild. The a nimals number will increase
even more in the wild, And the animal will no longer be in great danger of extinction.
There is a law saying that hunting certain animals is a federal offense.
Many people hear but do not heed the calls to stop endangering the animals. If you would like to hear and heed these calls, you could do any of the following-
1)Sponsor the World Wildlife Federation(WWF)
2)Adopt an ankmal from the Humaine Society
If you adopt an animal or sponsor the WWF you willbe helping our earth. Remember humans are animals too.
By: Megan
Extinction: In geological history, it's the complete disappearance of a species of a
living thing. Extinction is a very bad problem that is in our environment. It's bad
because animals are a part of our earth. If you destroy the animals, you destroy some of
the earth.
Some ways that you can stop and help stop extinction is to stop hunting. Why people
have hunting licenses in the first place is way beyond me! I can only imagine what it must
feel like after you have just shot an animal. Hunting is bad. Why not have different
hobbies like collecting stamps or drawing? Those are two very fun hobbies that don't
require killing anyone or anything.
I know that there are required vitamins in meat and I'm not telling you to stop eating
meat but maybe have fish, eggs or salad a little more often. Some people eat meat every
night. Fish is also good for you and salad is too. Why not eat fish once a week and salad
once a week too? It can't hurt to try.
Many people may not realize this but animals have just as much right to live as we do. I really wouldn't want to have someone come up to me, shoot me and eat me. I don't think you would ether. Think about this. We don't have any higher life forms to kill us and eat us so we really don't know how it feels. I really feel sorry for the animals that are shot and eaten.
I'm not a vegetarian and not everyone is but there is one meat that I will not eat. I won't eat any kinds of bacon. Though pigs aren't hunted they are raised to be eaten. Pigs are used for so many things:
Ham, bacon, pork roast, pork chops, pork tenderloin and sausage. Who knows? Maybe even in ten years, pigs will be on the endangered species list or maybe even extinct.
Extinction is effecting the world in a very harsh way. Soon if we don't cut down on
meats, maybe in the year three thousand there won't be anymore meats. No more meats means
no nutrition, no nutrition means us dying, us dying means no more humans. Then what will
happen? None of us will ever know because we will be the ones who are extinct.
In my opinion, we should all try our best to stop hunting and do other things, eat
other things such as fish, eggs or salad, give respect to the animals and be grateful that
we don't have a higher life form to kill us and eat us like we do to the other animals.
In conclusion, if we had respected animals' rights in the beginning there might not be extinction now. So let's all work together to make extinction extinct and if we try our best I'm sure that the world will live in peace with less hunting and more animals. Wouldn't it be beautiful?
By Laura V
Poaching is a serious problem all around the world. Hundreds of animals die each day. A
lot of adult animals are being hunted and their young are left to die. Animals are on the
edge of extinction. We have to save the animals before it's too late or the circle of life
will be destroyed.
A lot of people poach for fur and do it as a sport. They show off their prizes, which
encourages more people to poach. Why do people have to wear fur if they already have skin
for themselves?
Poachers who kill take organs and leave the rest of the body to rot. Poachers that kill
seals, hunt only males, kill them, and take their organs and leave rest of the body. The
poacher's sell the organs to Asia and people pay hundreds of dollars for a little piece of
organ. Poachers who hunt for seals cut out their organs and leave them, still alive to die
and to rot. They sell their organs as aphrodisiac to Asia for thousands of dollars. They
leave the seal mutilated and in great suffering. One day the seals can become extinct if
poachers don't watch what they're doing.
The poachers should stop poaching animals because some animals are on the link of
exinction, and they should not poach for a sport. Poachers should find a cure for diseases
instead of killing animals. With lots of technology we should find a cure. What's the
point of killing animals and admiring their fur when you could admire the animal alive
instead of dead. What's the point of killing animals if they did nothing to you?
Every year more and more animals are going on the endangered list, because people are
poaching animals every day. Killing an animal is like killimg a normal person. We should
treat animals the same way as we treat our friends and family. Every animal you kill is
breaking a piece of the circle of life.
To help save the animals we can stop buying fur coats and products tested on animals.
Don't buy animal parts such as organs, turtle shells, ivory, bear paws, elephant foot
stools, shark teeth or any other kind of animal body parts. Don't buy these things, you
are buying a part of an animal. Never in my life will you see me wearing animal furs.
Instead of seeing animals or parts of the animals on your wall or floor, learn about them
first. It's better to see them alive in their natural habitat that way you can see the
real beauty of wild animals.
You can adopt an animal by sponsering the 'World Wild Wildlife Fund'. You can also recycle paper because every 10 minutes 1 acre of land is being destroyed. Animal homes are becoming smaller which causes them to move into human area's. These animals get hit by cars, get shot also get poisoned. So lets stop poaching and save the animal kingdom.
By: Leena
One thing that most of us do not do without realizing is throwing things out in the
garbage. Most things we through in the garbage we can put in the recycling or even reuse,
before putting it in the recycling, but true we cannot recycle everything. Do not just
think that you can't use certain things anymore because you can't recycle them. Recycling
is a very good thing.
Some things you can recycle which I see you do not when I walk by. Here is a few things
that I do not see you recycle. Sometimes I see you not recycling paper, boxes, cardboard,
cans and bottles. Sometimes I just see some stuff just lying around that you put there but
you could put them there for recycling. You can recycle a lot of things instead of not
recycling.
I also see you doing something else that you could change. Another thing I see some of
you doing is using only one side of your paper. You might think this is not really reusing
but it is because you are using both sides instead of one. Another thing you could do is
reuse wrapping paper for covering books or wrapping up gifts. We could also wrap up
Christmas presents in newspaper. Instead of just recycling an egg carton you can just use
it to make stuff or have it to hold things like paint. That is some things you could do
instead, before throwing it out or recycling out.
If you are wondering how you can do here are somethings below what you could do. First
of all you could buy things if possibly things that are made out of recycled things. If
you do this hopfully other companies may change too. Another thing you could do is reuse
plastic bags by using them each time you go shopping or to carry stuff. Another thing you
can use a plastic bag for is to cover a book or to cover something else. A third thing you
could do is if you photocopy you canuse both sides. A fourth example is that you can reuse
bottles. For example you could fill a bottle up with water, juice, etc....... and them
when you are done you can refil iThese are examples how you can recycle and reuse.
As you read above certain ways how you can reuse and recycle. I hope you will think more about this from now on. If you want to recycle you can use a grey box or blue box that everyone gets and put recyclable things in there. On certain days people will come and pick it up. You might do some of these things that I have listed above but there are some other things you can do. Remember you are helping enviroment and it is very easy to recycle and reuse so maybe you could start doing the things above.
By Leszek
The process of cutting down trees is called deforestation, and is carried out by people. Trees are very important to our survival because, like other green plants, they produce oxygen. Without oxygen, animals and human beings cannot survive.
People destroy forests every day. They cut down trees because they want to make paper and other paper products. When they cut down trees, it effects the animals habitats. The animals that live in trees like birds, bugs, Koala bears, etc... loose their name and more air will be disappearing. If people keep on cutting down trees, a lot of different animals will move to another place or will die. If people cut down most of the trees on the earth, everybody will die because there will not be enough to breathe.
Forests once covered about fifteen billion acres of the earth, but now only ten billion acres of forest are left. It only takes two minutes to cut down a tree, but it takes years and years for a treeto grow big and healthy.
In Southeast Asia, Japanese demand for timber is the principal cause of deforestation throughtout Southeast Asia. Japan alone accounts for one-third of the world market for tropical hardwoods. The most share of its supply comes from Malaysia: 440 million cubic feet of logs were imported from the states of Sarawak and Sabah in 1987.
A lot of logging companies cut down trees very quickly, huge sections of forest at a time. The falling of large trees brings others tumbling down with them, and their extraction disturbs the soil. Once the loggers have finished, they generally leave the degraded land and move elsewhere. Less than 0.2 percent of tropical forest is manged not to be cut down and used as timber.
For 300 years the virgin forest in the United States of America have been cut down before there where any loggers, any farmers, any industrialists and any forest fires. Two thirds of an estimated original 8,123,000 board feet of wood was consumed, leaving 200 million acres of treeless land, much of it eroded and burned, so that by 1920, 80 million acres were useless even for crops.
There are many different ways to help the forests. A lot of people go to different stores and buy trees, then they take the trees and plant them. It helps the earth because the trees that people plant, produce more oxygen. When you buy paper, after you have used it, you can recycle it and use the paper again and you do not need to throw out your paper. Another way that is helpful for forests is to have a reservation for them, so nobody could cut down any of the trees. You could even put up your own sign saying not to cut down trees. You can also write an letter to the prime minister or the president of your country, so they can do something about the big problem of cutting down trees. When you get a letter back to you, you can read it and make up new ideas of how you can help the forest, if they have given you information about it.
By Peter
Do you know in how many dangerous ways our water gets polluted. Oil spills can be deadly to the fish, plants and other animals. Our own kitchen and sewage waste goes to the lakes and oceans. I think this is not fair for the plants and animals. We can start caring more for the living creatures by acting more careful about what we do to our environment.
Oil spills are the worst nightmare to a living creature because of careless people. Careless people spill oil in to the sea where many innocent plants and animals live. Some people dump oil on purpose because they are to stupid and careless to take a moment and see all the wondrous creatures living in the water. Would you feel good swimming in all that poisonous oil ready to die. I know I wouldn't. I feel very sad when I see animals with oil all over their body.
Kitchen products are also very dangerous to the living creatures. We use poisonous cleaning products to wash our dishes. Carelessly all of this poison goes to the oceans and lakes. That's where all the animals live, drink and eat. We should use non-poisonous cleaning products, so the living creatures won't die. Next time you buy a cleaning product make sure it won't harm the animals.
Millions of animals die cause of water pollution. Soon there will be no more animals left in the world. Some species are already extinct. Wouldn't the world be a boring place with no animals. No dogs to play with, no dolphins to swim with. Imagine yourself in a world with no animals.
Humans are the most harmful beings on earth. We don't care allot about the animals. Some of us rather get money than save thousands of animals. I feel very mad that we the humans can't keep this planet clean. We rule this planet it is up to us to keep it clean. We say we are the most intelligent creatures on earth. But are we the most caring that is the question.
When we dirty the water we don't only harm the animals we harm ourselves. The water gets dirty then we have to drink it again. That would not taste good. We could kill each other just by not caring. If we keep on polluting the water, soon there will be no one left on this planet. We must stop destroying this planet and start saving it.
There are already some people who make organizations to save all the animals that are
being killed by water pollution. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the organizations
that save animals that are in danger because of water pollution and other dangers. There
are more than five million members. I feel very happy when I see people helping the
environment. Because when we help the environment we help every one else. There are other
organizations that prevent water pollution and other pollutions. We all want to live in a
nice and clean world. We should all be careful for what we do to the water. Because if
there's no water there's no life.
Let's Make the Water we Use Clean
By: Melissa
We all like to swim in clean water. Unfortunately, we can't swim in some waters because
it is polluted with things like garbage, and poisonous wastes. Water pollution is caused
because of this careless thinking. All of us know water pollution is terrible but none of
us know what to do to stop the pollution. In the next few paragraphs I will talk about why
we need clean water, what we can do to help prevent water pollution and what we should
know about water pollution.
Plants, animals, and human beings need water to stay alive. A lot of plants and animals
live in water. Fish are the most popular water animals. Other water animals like shrimp,
lobster, and starfish also live in the water. Plankton, are little animals and plants that
also live in the water. If plankton eats the chemicals that are in the water, other bigger
animals would eat plankton. Everything or everyone who eats the poisons in the animal or
plant will be poisoned. This could be very hazardous to our health. People use water a lot
for drinking. Humans must drink clean water to live. Farmers use water to grow their
crops. If the crops don't get enough water, nothing will grow, which means there will be
no fruits or vegetables to eat.
A lot of different things can cause water pollution. Most pollution is caused by
humans, but many other things are pollute. Blue-green algae, a water plant poisons ponds.
Algae kills the fish and animals who drink the water. Red-tide, another type of algae
gives off a reddish colour in the water. Red-tides are poisonous to a lot of sea animals.
Things like ash or dust from volcanoes pollute lakes and rivers. When this is done, the
water can turn into thick mud. When the water is mud, no animal on land can drink the
water, and fish are unable to breathe. Most of the pollution today comes from chemical
like oil which is another polluting chemical. Rain can bring the chemicals lower to the
soil and into the water from the ground. About two hundred chemicals can be found in our
drinking water today.
Water pollution has been a problem for thousands of years. Towns and cities were always
built near a lake or river because the water was used for drinking for the people. People
dumped all their sewage into the water with a lot of germs. It made the people sick with
disease, and some people died from this. More than one hundred years ago, chemical wastes
from factories began to pollute the rivers and lakes. Factories are usually built near
water so that the chemicals that weren't used could be dumped into the water. Today
dumping sewage directly into the water has been banned.
We are very disappointed when we can't swim in lakes because they are polluted. It is
unsafe to swim in polluted water. I think that if we can protect our water we can be safe
from pollution.
There are some ways that we can prevent so much water pollution. Drinking water can use a chemical called chlorine, which can kill the germs in the water. Lakes can be protected from acid rain by making factories that burn hard coal. We would all like to have clean water, so let's cooperate and take care of our water.
By: Edward
Did you know that air pollution is a big problem in our environment? There are a big number of air polluters in our world. Air is important in our lives so we should take care of it right?
All mammals and reptiles need air to survive. They need nice clean air. So, why do we pollute?
Automobiles are one of the biggest polluters on the world. People say they need them to get around quickly and on time. But why do they use gasoline? Why not use hydrogen, electric, or solar powered automobiles? In fact, these cars have already been invented and can be bought.
Airplanes can also cause air pollution high up in the sky. Planes use gasoline powered engines to move it through the air. Jet planes release more pollution than normal planes. People use planes for transportation, defense, offense, cargo, weather, and courier. You can use hydrogen powered fuel cells instead of gasoline. You did it with cars, why not do it with planes?
Some boats pollute as well. They have big smoke stacks that release toxic fumes into the air. The boats are used for cargo transportation and sometimes military bases. Boats should not use gasoline as power. Instead they might be able to use water as power.
Modern trains pollute too.
Another big polluter is power plants. People use plants to get electricity to every house in a city. Nuclear power plants have been one solution, but they cause too much radiation. The solution would be wind or hydroelectric plants. They use water and wind to produce electricity. They both do not pollute and cause radiation.
Fires are also a big air polluter. It can cause a cloud of smog that covers our cities
and towns. We don't know when or where a fire is going to happen. We have to be more
careful around flammable objects.
MY PROBLEM WITH TREES BEING CUT DOWN
By: Kenneth
Trees, in many ways, are useful. People have been using them ever since man existed.
You could build a fire with them, you can make paper with them, and they keep us alive by
producing the fresh oxygen we breathe. Where would we be without them? We could very well
find out in the near future.
Most likely there are hundreds of zillion trees around the world today. But every year,
over a billion are cut down, according to Forbes magazine. Everyone destroys trees either
on purpose or by accident. If you are one of those people who just happened to step on a
baby tree, I forgive you because I've done it before too. If you cut down trees for a
living, it's okay because we all need furniture, paper, and pencils. But if you are one of
those people who chop down trees for fun, I am less forgiving.
If you cut down trees, you are eventually going to destroy yourself in the long run. Trees give off the oxygen we use to breathe. If there's no oxygen to breathe, we're all going to drop dead one day. You wouldn't want that, would you? If you don't want this to happen read on and good for you. If you don't care and you want to die, don't read on. But keep this in mind; you're not the only one who's going too die.
If you're the only one who dies, only your family will mourn your death. But you're not the only who dies.
Everyone on the face of the earth, even the poor innocent animals, will die. So nobody
will be around to mourn and weep over your death. They'll all be dead, all because you cut
down a couple of trees. But you're not the only one who doesn't like and appreciate trees,
there are some others out there like you, and I encourage you to take the time and read
what I have to say.
I don't think the trees are going to run out in the next ten years or even fifty years
from now. But it will happen soon enough to affect our grandchildren and definitely our
great grandchildren. To prevent this from happening, we must go out each year to someplace
that allows us to plant trees, like a provincial park, and start planting trees like it
was your last night on Earth. Another thing you can do is start buying recycled paper. It
may cost more, but it's worth it. You should avoid using chemical products for protecting
your tree from insects and animals. The insects look creepy and to some people, feel
repulsive, but they help protect the tree bark by keeping away animals and human kind.
Overall I think trees are the most valuable resource we have because they can do so
many things for us. If you want to learn more about trees as a natural resource, you can
send a letter to the ministry of forestry asking for more information. They should send
you a package within the next few days. Always remember that trees are the things that are
responsible for keeping you alive. If you cut them down, you'll regret it one day and
before you know it, you're dead!
A Major Threat To Our Environment
By Lenny
One of the major threats to our environment today is air pollution. Air
pollution is affecting our health and could effect the long term situation of our planet.
We need air to breathe and yet we pollute the air everyday. Can't we try to carpool, take
the bus, walk or bike to work (school, etc.) more often so we can decrease the exhaust
fumes going into our air everyday? Can't we try to stop burning fossil fuels, coal, etc.?
I'm not saying don't heat your house because it can also pollute the air, but we have to
find alternative sources for our necessities. The atmosphere can't repair itself.
Cars pollute the air by making exhaust fumes. The fumes are made when a
car burns gasoline. The gas doesn't burn up completely, so whatever doesn't burn comes out
the tailpipe and forms dangerous gases which pollute the air. Lead (another dangerous
pollutant) is also found in gasoline. Tiny lead particles come out in the exhaust and into
the air we breathe. Lead also lands on the soil or the ground. Once, all gas contained
lead, but now unleaded gas is more popular.
The most polluted air comes from the big cities because of the
population of cars, factories and houses. Sunlight makes a chemical reaction in the fumes
that creates a kind of pollution known as smog. The word smog comes from the two words
smoke and fog. Dirt particles in smoke cling to water droplets in the air which makes
another kind of smog. Weather also makes the smog worse. If warm air moves in over cold
air the layers of air trap the pollution.
The Green House Affect is caused by air pollution. On a normal day the
sun's rays go through the atmosphere, and most of the heat escapes again. However, if the
sun's rays go through the atmosphere but can't escape since the atmosphere is clogged with
pollution, the warm air is trapped and this is called The Green House Affect. This problem
leads to another problem in Global Warming.
So, polluted air is harmful to the environment as well as
humans as it causes sickness and disease. The main chemical in smog, ozone is harmful to
people; it makes the eyes water and irritates the nose, throat and lungs. Ozone can be
fatal to old people, babies or people with asthma. Lead fumes can cause lead poisoning and
harms the blood, brain and liver. Pollutants from the air can even cause lung cancer.
Unless we change our ways, the future of our planet looks grim.
IS IT EVEN SAFE TO EAT ANY MORE?
By Jeanette
Would you drink pesticides? Probably not. Than why are we poisoning our food and the rest of the earth?
Pesticides are "any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any insects, rodents, nematodes, fungi, or weeds, or any other forms of life declared to be pests; and any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or dessicant" as defined by The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
With this definition of pesticides I must point out one particular part: INTENDED FOR the preventing, DESTROYING, repelling, or Mitigating ANY INSECTS, RODENTS, nematodes, fungi, or weeds. Now let's put the upper- case words together: Intended for destroying any insects, or rodents. If pesticides can destroy rodents and insects, what can it do to us?
It is estimated that 3 million people are poisoned, globally, by pesticides, 20,000 of whom die. In 1991 a press report realised this information: In the 31 deaths they Displayed, 10 were accidental, 8 consumed the pesticide, and the other 13 were suicides. Of those that were accidental, 3 inhaled the pesticides when they were working, 2 ate contaminated rice, and 1, a 3 year old, died of a head lice treatment with paraquat that left 3 of his siblings seriously ill.
If this many people die, than how come pesticides aren't banned? We must Keep in mind this is a materialistic world and to some people, money is everything.
A Chemical Feast by W.Harding leRiche denotes any danger to our health and well-being caused by technology. Is this person blind to all the deaths and illnesses caused by pesticides, which were a technological advance in the growth and maintenance of plants? Like many others do they have to have some pesticide related death in their close or immediate family before they see the light?
These people cover the fact that pesticides are harmful by telling us the benefits, like "Their use enhances and stabilises crop yields, protects the nutritional integrity of food, facilitates storage to assure year-round supplies, and provides for attractive and appealing food products." or "40% of the world's food supply would be at risk without pesticides."
Aren't human rights more important than all of this? Don't we have a right to live without contaminated food and water? Not to be poisoned by technological `advances', if that's what they are to be called. But how can they be technological advances if they have little benefit for the earth's health and well being?
A study in 1980 carried out random tests on milk and found that all of the samples had traces of harmful Pesticides. This was confirmed by a report by the National Science and Technology Council. It concluded that the US' food was contaminated with pesticides. Research in 1986 found that large amounts of food and drinking water in urban areas was contaminated.
As insects, rodents, fungi, nematodes, and weeds gradually build up resistances to the pesticides, and newer and stronger ones must be produced. The stronger ones are potentially more harmful and poisonous.
We're not the only ones being poisoned. Have you ever seen a borrowing owl? If you have you're one of the lucky few. They are being poisoned by the farmers they used to help.
Burrowing owls eat mice and insects and find farmer's fields home. Plenty of food good soil to make or find borrows, but they don't realise that the pesticides the farmers spray on their plants can kill them. Some die as a direct result of the poison; they are sprayed while they are hunting insects or mice. Others eat eat the insects and mice who have eaten the contaminated produce. The poison affects the birds reproductive organs or makes shells frail. When the parents incubate the eggs, the pressure on the weakened shell causes it to brake. this is one of the many birds affected.
The oceans and lakes are dyeing also. When it rains the water seeps into the underground fresh water `lakes' or `ponds'. It also flows into our streams, lakes, and oceans, carrying chemicals and pesticides with it. The fish, and mammals, like all the other animals, die if exposed to too much poison, but the first to go are the bottom feeders like crustaceans, catfishand insect larva.
If this is what technology is doing, is it really a blessing or a curse? There are other problems that we wouldn't have if it weren't for technology.
But how do we stop this poisoning of the earth? I believe that the only way to stop this senseless slaughter is to put pressure on the governments to ban the widespread use of pesticides and implement the use of more natural remedies for these problems.
Will We All Die in the Year 2000 ???
By Justyna
There are many things that harm the environment. Many things interest me about the
envirnment and they even scare me to know that the pollution around us, keeps getting
worser evereyday and the Ozone Layer get's polluted and polluted and we hardly know what
to do about the circumstances.
Many of us don't know what is happening, but we should all know what is happening.There
are many thing's that are happening with the Ozone Layer but here are some fact's about
the garbage the main polluter in Canada. A scrap of paper of paper lying on the ground
will take a full month to decompose, and a soda can won't dissapear for over 200 years,
recycling half the world's paper would save 20,000,000 acres of forestland. It takes 50%
less water and 64% less energy to make paper from waste paper pulp than using virgin wood,
on an average college campus, over one half of the waste is generated from paper.
There are many solutions of not polluting the environment.Here are some solution's we can use like bus transportation instead of cars, we can reduse, reuse, and recycle, we can use things that can be recycled like paper, pop cans,and when we use things like that then we should recycle them.
One of the things that get's polluted is our air. It is all caused by substances
harmful to health. The contaminant's may derive from natural sources, such as plant pollen
or dust from open land. However, most of the pollutant's consist of the exhaults and waste
created by motor vehicles, incinerators, and heating and electrical power systems. Another
important and dangerous sourse of air pollution is radioactive fallout.
We can stop air pollution by disposing of waste products from industrial processing, by throwing away chemicals where they can be thrown, by using things that don't use up as much gas or chemicals, by also redusing the smoke from factories and industries.
The second biggest pollution is of our water it is probably one of the biggest thing that
ruins our health. Contaminated water may affect human health, interfere with industrial
processes requiring relatively pure water, it may reduse farmland dependant on irrigation
water and it will hurt aquatic life. Nearly all areas of the world have water- pollution
problems.
We can help the water by caring for it more and maybe even getting involved in agencies
that help you know what to do with polluted water. Especially the industries that throw
away chemicals into the water, they should find other solutions that can help them. There
are also many animals that get harmed by the water pollution and we should think about
what we are doing, and to also think about the animals which are being harmed and also
about the contaminated water.
I hope that when anyone will read this essay about pollution, then they will think what
I am trying to say. The thing that I am trying to say is that polluting everything on this
world will make us all die. I have one question for people when they read this essay
"Where will we be in the year 2000 if we keep polluting like we are today''
"Where will we get our oxygen from and what will we drink, the contaminated water''?
I feel very deeply about this topic and I feel that if we don't do something about this
now then what will happen to us in the following years?
By Mattias
For many years the Rainforests have been cut down and each day acres of trees are being
cut and shiped to different countries, for lumber and for houses. the Rainforest is
disappearing and there are already animal that are becoming extinct. What is going to
happen to the World? And what can we do about it?
We are struggling enough as it is. We are just making it worse, but there's still hope
for the survival of the Rainforest. People are volounteering to help the Rainforest like
doing fund raisers which help to restore trees, but it takes time and not enough people
are caring. We can make a difference if every one just has a little faith and courage.
In the cities there are some organisations which help to restore the Rainforest. For
millions of years the Rainforest has almost been covering all of South America, But now
there is only some in Brazil. The Rainforests only have a little help from the
organizations and people are helping.
There are also volounteers who give money to funds at national parks near the Amazon
rainforests in Brazil and there are people who study the Rainforests suroundings.
If we cut down all the trees in the Rainforest we won't have enough oxygen for the
whole world and also trees in North American forests are being cut down for lumber. Wild
life is also disapearing in the Canadien forests and the American Red Wood forests.
Sooner or later people, animals, plants, and all living things are coming to an end
this a horrible nightmare , Do you want to die of suffication? or doyou want to live in a
paradise with all creatures and living things? every time atree is cut down a piece of the
world dies! The world is a living thing full of life sharing it's lands with people. Can
we save it and the Rainforest?
We can save the Rainforest people just need to have faith and it can happen we are also starting to have faith and many people who really care will put their lives at stake giving in aot of money. It is going to work and I know It my whole class has many issues on world crisis's and we all want to put a helping hand.
By Olivia
Do you know how many problems garbage causes on our earth today? Well in just one year most people throw away about 80 cans full of garbage We're talking 80 big stinking garbage cans packed to the top per one person. That's just one person's share for one year. I never thought I could possibly throw away that much garbage and I'm sure you're surprised too.
So if we keep on at this rate things won't be that great. There is many ways we can
help. Most of the stuff we throw away can still be useful. Toys that could be fixed,
paper, metal plastic and glass that could be recycled Even most of the food scraps that
can be composted, With a little care we can make a difference. That's if we care.
Right now most of our garbage is either buried or burned. Dumping garbage is quick easy
and not too expensive; but takes up a lot of space. In Los Angeles, New York and in
Toronto, in two years or ten the dumps will be full. Can you imagine it? All these stinky
garbage dumps all full. I'm sure, I wouldn't want to live next to a garbage dump.
That's why no one sells disposal space any more, Some cities tried to ship their
garbage to poor nations, hoping that someone will sell them disposal space. But these days
nobody wants to take in other people's trash , not even if they are going to be paid, And
there are many reasons for that.
Garbage dumps can be dangerous. When rain falls on a landfill water trickles over dirty
diapers or soiled tissues it picks up germs. If it flows through spilled paint, motor oil
or household cleaners, it picks up dangerous chemicals. It flows into the ground beneath.
It doesn't stop there.
The polluted water soaks into the land and soil. On and on it flows trickling into
underground streams. This is the water that flows into our rivers and lakes. Where fish
swim in it; people drink it. Then its almost impossible to clean. Yuck! Disgusting, I
can't believe that it gets to us so easily. And most of us don't eve know , we drink this
water. I'm sure you're surprised. And it doesn't just end there.
There are many other problems garbage causes. As you know it takes hundreds of years
for plastics, glass an metal cans to break down.
Another problem with dumps is that they catch on fire very easily. Sometimes they might
explode. But thankfully well run dumps have vent pipes to carry the gas away so it cannot
explode.
I'm sure you feel disgusted about your environment, after you read this. I do too. But
when I imagine our world in a few years it sounds even worse. Just think about it. All
that garbage every where and all these problems and even new problems. I sure don't feel
good about our future environment.
But of course our future doesn't always have to be like that. You can always help out.
You can recycle or reuse. So the next time you see a piece of paper lying on the floor,
just pick it up and throw it in the recycling box or reuse it. The little things we do
help a lot and there are many ways you can help out. So get involved now.
Nuclear Power Plants at their Worst
By Pawel
I didn't really care that there is a Nuclear Power Plant in Pickering until I found out what could happen if one of the generators exploded. What if it did explode? What would we do? What would happen to us? Would we want to have six fingers on one hand or have two heads. Would we want to end up like the people in Chernobyl.
I don't think anybody would like to end up like the people in Chernobyl or have six fingers on one hand or even have two heads. I think everybody would like to live a safe life like people in Europe. We all would like to live in a safe environment with plenty of trees, flowers and animals surrounding us from every side. So when we look out the window we see green colors instead of black and gray colors. We would all like to see clean water instead of dirty water full of all sorts of chemicals from the Nuclear Power Plant. We would like our country to look like a clean park where there are trees, flowers and animals.
A few days ago I found out that the Nuclear Power Plant is dumping radioactive chemicals into Lake Ontario. When I thought that I'm drinking water with all sorts of radioactive chemicals I started to feel sick. We are lucky that the water we drink is filtered. But imagine if it wasn't filtered. We would be drinking water with radioactive chemicals. Our children would be born deformed. In a few months, we could develop cancer. Just remember that they can't kill all the bacteria. So we actually are drinking water with a very little amount of radioactive chemicals. Who knows, in a few years we could develop cancer because the water is not completely filtered.
A few months ago the Nuclear Power Plant shut off one of the generators because the little generator that is covered by layers of safety walls started to leak. Now they plan on turning that generator back on. We were all very lucky back then that the safety walls didn't start to leak too because if they did, we all would probably have been dead by now. Don't you get scared when you think that your dying because you have plenty of radiation in your self. You can feel the pain of all your little cells dying one by one. Are you scared of dying?
I think we should close down all the Nuclear Power Plants so we can live a safer life
without worrying about the Nuclear Power Plants blowing up. We all should protest against
the Nuclear Power Plant so our wish comes true. If we all do our part we can shut down the
Pickering Nuclear Power Plant.
By Rose
When fossil fuels like gasoline , coal , and oil that's used as fuel are burned together and put them together and what do you get ? Well you get what is called oxides of sulfur ,carbon and nitrogen in the air . These oxides combined with moisture in the air this will make sulfuric acid , nitric acid and carbon carbon acid .
When it rains or snows these acids are realeased in to the earth , this is also well known as acid rain . well you're probably saying to yourself , so what ? Well if i were you i wouldn't be saying so what . This is a very impotant thing for you to know . so listen up and read on
The effects of acid rain can be threatening not just to all of us but to all life forms on earthit's affects could be most sharp and has accurate details seen .In lakes , in rivers , in vegetation and in streams . Acidity kills vurtuallall life forms in the water .By the early 1990 's tens of the thousand of lakes have been destroyed by acid rain . The acid rain is probably most severe in Canada , Norway and in Sweden
During the course of the 20 th century . the acidity of the acid rain and the air have become to be recognized to be as the leading threat to the stability and the quality of the Earth's environment . Most of all the acidity is produced in the industrious nations of the Northern Hemisphere , or the United States , Japan , Canada and most of the Western and Eastern Europe
Scientists use a substance what is called the pH factor to measure alkalinity or acidity of liquid solutions . On a scale of 0 to 14 the number 0 represents the highest level of acid and 14 represents the most basic or alkaline . Another solution of distilled water containing alkies or acids , or bases ,is designated 7 or neutral . If the pH level of rain fals below 5.5 , then the rain will be said or called to be acidic .In the Eastern States and western europe are usually ranging from 4.5 to 4.0 .
Well what are you sayin to yourself now ? You're probably surprised !! This is a very serious thing problem . that also affects us . When the acid rain fall to the ground and into our water , then from there we drink that water . Not only does it affect us but it affects the animals , and the ones who are relly having problems is the things that live in the water . When it rains acid rain the water is contaminated with acid or affects the homes of the fish . there's more to say than that so read on .
The structures made of cement , metal , and of stone has been damaged , destroyed or rusted . Some of the worlds most famous memorials or monuments . including the most famous cathedrals of all over the world . The colluseum of Rome showed signs of damaged and chipped blocks caused by the acid rain . If this continues and the blocks get more damaged like this then maybe they won't have a structure to stay on then it or might fall . But then it would take lots of acid rain to fall to do that
Although the cost of antipollution equipment as filters , burners , chemical , and washing devices is great the cost of damage to life an human life and of the environment is said to may be irreversable .
Well now that i told you all about acid rain . What do you think ?There is so much that we can do like we can do lessen acid rain . We can use less of cars , we can carpool , take the bus , better yet we can walk , bike , rollerblade ,do anything you have to so you can help . So once again I ask you , What do you think now ?
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, AT THEIR WORST
By Rafal
You probably think that nuclear power plants are good things because they give us a lot of electricity. If you know a little bit more about them you think that they are very dangerous because if there is a leak you might either get cancer or die. But a lot of people don't know or just don't care. What if I told you that if there would be a big leak, like in Chernobyl or Pennsylvania, then it would spread all over the world? If you haven't made up your mind yet then here are some things about nuclear power plants that might help you.
The buildings and equipment of a nuclear power plant became dangerously radioactive over time , and will remain so for centuries. After 50 or so years of operation, they become too old or too radioactive to be useful any longer. What if they are operated for too long? I think that there would be a slight problem there. Even if they do close it down, what will they do with it? All I know is that they wouldn't start building new homes in the exact same spot where the power plant was! People would be scared if they found out that there used to be a power plant in the same spot because they would think that they would get sick or even get cancer.
The most durable and hazardous of all nuclear wastes is used-up fuel. After a year or so, uranium fuel is no longer useful as a source of energy but remains highly radioactive. It contains plutonium, which is both toxic and radioactive, and which will remain radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. Imagine not able to get rid of it for hundreds of thousands of years. Where could you store such a dangerous thing that no one shouldn't get to for such a long time? I heard that some power plants, for example the Pickering Power Plant, spill their wastes into the lakes. I think the government should stop it because it's illegal. Not only is it illegal, but it also pollutes our environment. Image swimming in a lake full of radioactive wastes or drinking water from it.
There is no way to stop radioactive decay. All we can do is shield ourselves from the radiation. Since water both cools and blocks radioactivity, used fuel bundles are sometimes stored in "swimming pools". For decades, Canadian scientists have been developing methods for safely getting rid of these wastes. One suggestion is that such wastes should be sealed and buried in firm rock deep underground. I think that would be the best idea because it would be safe underground, away from all the people.
People against nuclear energy say that even if we do this, we will be leaving these wastes for our children and for future generations that will remain dangerous forever. But the people that are saying this shouldn't be whining and making it worse at the same time. What I'm trying to say is that you can help by not using-up so much electricity. You can do this by turning off the lights in the rooms that you're not in, because you're wasting electricity and also your own money. The same thing with heaters and furnaces, if you don't need to make it boiling hot, then don't because you are also wasting electricity and your own money. I think that this would help a lot because if you would use-up less electricity, then there would be less radioactive waste and maybe they would be forced to close down one of the nuclear power plants.
There are also a lot more ways to cause less radioactive waste but it all matters up to you, people. If you want our environment to be clean and healthy then try to make a difference yourself. You wouldn't want to live in an environment where there are no trees, animals, or any living thing, would you? So it really is up to you, you can either live in a normal and clean environment or somewhere where your children are going to be born with two heads or three legs.
By Lisa
Toxins are one of the world's major problems. Many products that we use today were made
using toxins or gave off toxins as they were made. You may not know it, but you are
probably breathing in 75 different chemicals as you read this. Toxins are all around us,
and they can, and will someday, kill us all.
So, what are toxins anyway? Toxins are basically chemicals that can be harmful to us
and the environment. Toxins can be produced by people, animals or plants and can take the
form of a solid; like some plant leaves; a liquid; like oil; or a gas; like paint fumes.
Toxins can get into our system when we inhale, if we eat contaminated food, or even if we
touch something toxic and then touch ourselves or another person. These harmful chemicals
are all around us, and we need to learn how to keep ourselves toxin-free.
Some toxins are produced by nature. Many animals use toxins to defend themselves
against predators. Snakes are probably the most well known carriers of toxins. Some snakes
carry deadly venom that not only kills their lunch, but almost 10,000 people a year in
India. Plants are also natural producers of toxins. Some mushrooms can be very harmful if
eaten. Other plants, like the hemlock are very poisonous. But, as you will see, natural
occurring toxins are not our biggest problem.
Toxins produced by humans are probably on of the biggest threats to the environment. In
the past few years, scientists have discovered that many things that we see and use every
day are contain toxins. When we use gasoline in our cars, it gives off carbon monoxide,
which is a deadly gas. Solvents that are used by many industries, such as xxylene, can
cause vomiting and chest pains. The bad news is that most of the time, this and other
harmful chemicals are dumped into our lakes and streams, where it can easily be absorbed
into our water supply. Old buildings have been insulated with asbestos. We have just
learned that this foam can be harmful to our health if it is inhaled or it comes in
contact with the skin. Cigarettes produce harmful smoke that not only endangers the health
of the smoker, but the health of everyone around them as well. The gas in our air
conditioners has been found toxic and venetian blinds have just recently been recalled due
to lead content. Who knows, maybe one day a product that you use every day will be
discovered to contain a harmful toxin. Something to think about, isn't it?
I think that the real problem behind toxins is two words; ignorance and greed. So many
companies are so interested in making products that will make them a ton of money, they
fail to see what they are really doing,; polluting our world. All the chemicals that are
used in the making of products are either pumped into our water supply or blasted into our
air. Companies are either to lazy to care where their waste goes, or they don't want to
spend a lot of money on recycling. This brings me to my next point, greed. A lot of people
who work at big time companies don't want to spend money on the safe removal of waste.
They have become so materialistic that they think money is, well, the be all and end all
of existence. They just don't see the point of " throwing money away" to get rid
of their unused chemicals. What do you mean "throwing money away?" That money is
being used not only to help clean up the environment, but also to safeguard their health
and everyone else's. Now, it's not just companies that are being ignorant and greedy, it's
us too. I know you may like to blame someone else, but toxins aren't just their problem,
toxins are our problem. I mean, at some point in your life, you must have thrown litter on
the ground thinking that one piece of litter isn't going to hurt anyone. You also were
only thinking about yourself and how you didn't want to walk the few extra steps to the
garbage can. It's the same with our toxin problem. Many of us just don't care whether our
air is unsafe to breathe of if our water is unsafe to drink because we have poisoned it
with toxins. But when the world becomes a smelly toxic dump, or when, heaven forbid, you
find yourself in the hospital after drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated
food, don't say I didn't warn you.
In conclusion, I would just like to point out three things. One, if we don't want our
earth to become totally contaminated, we should be aware of the dangers that toxins pose
and make wise decisions. Two, you have read about most of the things that contain toxins.
I don't want you to suddenly rush out and demand a ban on these things. Instead, it is
better to write letters to your local government telling them your concerns. Keep writing
until they start listening. Three, everyone thinks that there are more important
environmental issues to talk about, like air and water pollution or global warming. But,
don't you see, all these problems are in some way connected with toxins! So please,
remember what you have read, and realize that the only way to eliminate our toxin problem
is to stop being ignorant and greedy, and start being open-minded and giving.