CONSERVING RESOURCES Chapter 27

Section 1 - Resources Warm-Up: How are a corn oil and motor oil alike and different? Answer: Both are oil and come from living things. Corn is a renewable resource that grew in one summer. The motor oil is a non-renewable resource that took millions of years to form from the remains of organisms.

Natural Resources The parts of Earth’s environment that are useful or necessary for the survival of living organisms. Fuel Water Food Plants

Renewable Resources Any natural resource that is recycled or replaced constantly by nature. Trees Sunlight Water

Nonrenewable Resources Natural resources that are used up more quickly than they can be replaced (ex: petroleum). Plastic Paint Gasoline

Fossil Fuels Fuels formed in Earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years. Oil Coal Jet fuel Deisel Natural gas

What are some Alternatives to Fossil Fuels?

Water Power Hydroelectric power is electricity that is produced when the energy of falling water is used to turn the turbines of an electric generator

Wind Power Wind turns the blades of a turbine, which powers an electric generator.

Nuclear Power Nuclear energy is released when billions of atomic nuclei from uranium, a radioactive element, are split apart in a nuclear fission reaction.

Geothermal Energy The heat energy contained in Earth’s crust is called geothermal energy. Most geothermal power plants use this energy to produce steam to generate energy.

Solar Energy Solar energy comes from the sun, and is inexhaustible. It can be used when captured by solar cells.

Water Power Hydroelectric power is electricity that is produced when the energy of falling water is used to turn the turbines of an electric generator

Section 2 – Pollution

Air Pollution Pollutants are substances that contaminate the environment. Air pollutants are soot, smoke, ash, gases, dust, sand, & evaporation of chemicals.

Acid precipitation Air pollutants react with water in the atmosphere to form acid rain, with a pH below 5.6. Lucy Lake

Greenhouse Effect Sunlight that is trapped in Earth’s atmosphere by gases causes the greenhouse effect, which increases temperatures.

Global Warming The Earth’s average temperature has increased about 1 degree Celsius in the past 100 years, likely as a result of more fossil fuels in the atmosphere. Results? – Changing rainfall patterns, # of storms & hurricanes increases, polar ice caps melt, warmer weather (leads to more tropical diseases)

Ozone Depletion Ozone is a form of Oxygen. The ozone layer is 20 km above Earth’s surface, and it absorbs some of the Sun’s UV rays. The thinning of the ozone layer is called ozone depletion, & is caused by pollutant gases, especially CFC’s, which are found in some spray bottles, refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners.

UV Radiation Because of ozone depletion, the amount of UV radiation that reaches Earth’s surface is increasing, leading to a rise in the # of skin cancer cases, and harming other organisms such as plants and animals.

Indoor Air Pollution Buildings that are well-insulated reduce the flow of air into and out of a building, so air pollutants (smoke, carpet fibers, glue, paint, formaldehyde from photocopiers) can build up indoors.

Carbon Monoxide CO is a poisonous gas that is produced whenever charcoal, natural gas, kerosene, or other fuels are burned. It can cause serious illness or death.

Radon Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is given off by some types of rock and soil. It has no color or odor. It can seep into basements, and is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer!

Water Pollution Pollution enters water when litter or waste materials are dumped into rivers, lakes, & oceans, when factories and sewage-treatment plants release it into waterways, or when air pollutants are washed out of the sky by rain.

Soil Loss The movement of soil from one place to another is called erosion; it is a natural process, but human activities increase it. Eroded soil that washes into a river or stream can block sunlight and slow photosynthesis. Erosion photos

Soil Pollution Solid Wastes – dumped in landfills, pollutants seep into the surrounding ground and water Hazardous wastes – waste materials that are harmful to human health or poisonous to living organisms; usually handled separately from trash; treated in ways that prevent environmental pollution.

Section 3 – The Three Rs of Conservation

Conservation Conservation efforts can help prevent shortages of natural resources, slow growth of landfills, reduce pollution levels, and save people money. Every time a new landfill is created, an ecosystem is disturbed. Reducing the need for landfills is a major benefit of conservation. The 3 Rs of conservation are REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE!

Reduce Use fewer products that are made of fossil fuels. Carpool/walk/ride a bike/take public transport Don’t buy things you don’t need

Reuse Use items more than once – ex: reuse canvas grocery bags, donate clothes to charity, use washable dishes rather than disposable ones

Recycle Recycling is a form of reuse that requires changing or reprocessing an item or natural resource. Glass, metals, paper, plastics, yard & kitchen waste can all be recycled.