ISSUE 2 March 2015
Exploring the Earth From the Inside
Wenonah Elementary School Class 5-3
this issue
Special Edition Community Night 2015 Journey to the Center of the Earth
Energy Everywhere by Allyson Bernardo
What do you think about when you hear the words “geothermal energy”? Volcanoes? Power plants? Here’s two words that probably don’t come to mind: powering homes. Governments may not know much about the downside of geothermal energy, but this kind of power is needed to make a change for our future.
Dangers All Around Even though geothermal energy is useful, there are some other negative issues that go along with it. One of these issues is that it pours toxins into drinking water. Therefore, drinking water is getting polluted. Even when people are drilling the energy out of the ground, it’s causing the effect of global warming. That’s
A Giant Egg
another one of these issues.
Geothermal energy is the energy that powers our
Even geysers and volcanoes are powered by this type of
homes, cities, and other buildings. Even though
energy. Geothermal energy causes geysers and volca-
some people might think that geothermal energy
noes to grow and explode. This way, people could lose
is wrong, they don’t realize that it creates less
their homes, or their lives.
damage to the environment. Geothermal energy comes from inside the Earth. If the Earth were an egg, it would have a shell, and other materials inside it. That’s what the Earth is like. The shell is the Earth’s crust, and the other materials are the core and magma. That’s where geothermal energy comes from. Energy Efficient Geothermal energy is a renewable resource. It is also
environment-
friendly and it gives us energy. Some people also use it for light and heat. There is also
Power plants are a safe way to generate energy.
something called power plants. Power plants also help generate power. The three types of power plants are called drysteam, flash, and binary.
Old Faithful is a geyser at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Powerful Power Plants Power plants are a safe way of getting and generating energy. Dry-steam power plants are built by steam fields, which are very rare. This is how dry-steam power plants generate energy. First, it transforms magma heated water into steam. Then, the steam is piped up to the surface. A flash power plant uses water from 360oF–700oF. The water keeps getting heated until it’s super heated. When the water is super heated, it’s pumped to the surface and sprayed into a low-pressure flash tank. The water eventually turns into water vapor and then into steam. In binary power plants, geothermal energy is transferred to a binary liquid, which is also called a secondary liquid. Two examples of binary liquid are isobutene and isopentane. Binary power plants transfer warm water that is eventually flashed (transformed) into steam. That steam is then cooled down and reused. Now that you know a lot more about geothermal energy, it is up to you to decide if geothermal energy is helpful, or harmful.
Flash Steam Power Plants are the most common form of geothermal power plant.
In a "dry steam" power plant the steam is released from the pressure of a deep reservoir, through a rock catcher, and then past the power generator turbines.
Binary plants, like dry-steam and flash-steam plants, make use of naturally sourced hot steam generated by activity from within the Earth's core.
Fracking Mania by Aaron Poletski
How do you heat your home? Natural gas? Oil?
ent, and also be able to export natural gas. Another benefit
Wood burning fire place? Everyone needs some
is using natural gas to heat and power our car. The natural
kind of energy to heat their home. Natural gas may
gas that is produced from fracking releases far fewer car-
seem like the best way, but fracking is causing a
bon emissions than fossil fuels.
problem. Some people say fracking is dangerous, but some people say it has some advantages. Peo-
CONS OF FRACKING
ple needs to know the facts about fracking to
Fracking has many cons! One downside to fracking is that
make an informed decision.
companies do not have to tell people which chemicals they use, or the formula of the mixture in the process of frack-
WHAT IS FRACKING?
ing. Another downside is fracking uses millions of gallons
Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas
of water to extract natural gas. For example, in Michigan,
from underground from a rock called shale rock.
more than 35 million gallons of pure fresh water were tak-
Do you know how people get the natural gas out
en from near by aquifers to use for fracking. This is the
of the ground? They are have to drill down in the
highest in the nation. A third downside is water for fracking
ground about a half a mile down to get the natural
is taken to well sites using heavy trucks. Fracking is done
gas
they
day and night, so it creates noise and light pollution.
need.
How
Fracking has its advantages and disadvantages. Some peo-
does the pro-
ple think it is bad, others think the opposite. Every person is
cess of fracking
entitled to their opinion. Now it’s time for you to decide.
create
fractures? It extends from wells into oil and gas for-
As you see that the drill is underground and hits the shale rock. That is where natural gas comes from!
mations. People do this by pumping highly - pressurized fluid, water, sand, ceramic beads, and a mixture of chemicals into the oil or gas formation. PROS OF FRACKING! Fracking has many benefits. One benefit is that North America has a lot of natural gas “locked” in bedrock shale formations underground.
This
means the United States can be energy independ-
Natural gas cracks from shale up to the well.
How We End Up Like Mars By Andrew Pawlak
Fracking has been going on for at least 15 years
lived within a mile of a fracking well since 2000. Frack-
and is still going on today. Fracking gets natural
ing also destroys the ozone and hurts the atmosphere
gas out of the ground and can help us with oil. But
which is how we end up like Mars.
Fracking hurts the environment in the process, so stop fracking because more bad is happening than good!
How Fracking Helps Us Fracking is a really good source of energy and when natural gas is used in place of nuclear fuel to generate
What is Fracking
electricity, it ends up saving water. It also makes it so
Fracking is a drilling
there is no mercury, sulfur dioxide, and ash in the air.
technique used for ex-
Fracking reduces the use of fossil fuels, like oil and coal.
tracting oil or natural gas from deep underground. It also involves using huge amounts of water,
sand,
and
chemicals (slickwater) deep underground (which we can’t get back) into rock formations to access valuable oil and natural gas. How Fracking Hurts The Environment Fracking caused a rare earthquake in Ohio. According to researchers fracking may lead to more man-made earthquakes. Fracking can also harm animals and contaminate our ground water, which is water we drink. Fracking can also contribute to the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Fracking is becoming popular. For example, In 2000, there were about 276,000 natural gas wells in the United states. But by 2010, that number had almost doubled to 510,000 according to the U.S. Department of energy (DOE). According to a 2014 study, at least 15.3million Americans have
Fracking may be a good source of energy, but we’ll end up like Mars because fracking destroys the ozone layer and Mars has no ozone layer. If you think fracking is a good thing then when the world blows up, you’ll be like this guy.
Willing to Survive
o
by Briana Edgar
This person has nowhere to go.
How Can We Prevent So Much Damage? It’s here! Imagine people are safe inside. Some stuck at friends’ houses. The television is on. No one pan- To prevent so much damage during an earthquake, you can put as many fragile objects on the floor. Also, you can put ic, its going to be alright. every kind of high up objects on the floor just in case. AnEveryone still indoors, a few still outdoors, lots of other way is, put important objects on the floor, so they damage will be done. Earthquakes are extremely don’t fall on top of you. dangerous. Where Do We Go During An Earthquake? What Can Happen During An Earthquake? During an earthquake, the best place to go is under a sturdy During an earthquake, lots of damage occurs. For table or desk. Some people may ask why will this help us? example, when two tectonic plates under earth’s Others say that the table or desk will fall on top of you, but surface collide, it causes an under-
it won’t. That’s the good thing about tables and desks, noth-
ground shaking. The shaking vi-
ing will fall on you.
brates and everything on earth’s surface,
collapses
or
falls
down, and creates a lot of damage.
Many buildings have been destroyed and knocked down.
What Can Experts Tell Me About Earthquakes? Experts say that earthquakes are extremely dangerous. Experts say they are dangerous because think of everything
During earthquakes, objects fall and break. Objects that can possibly happen during an earthquake. For examcrash down on the ground and papers float around ple, heavy objects will fall off shelf’s and break or even fall everywhere. Most objects blow around and don’t on you and really hurt you. stop. Keeping windows shut is the best way to pre- What Does It Look Like After An Earthquake? vent papers from blowing around everywhere. After an earthquake, some people think oh everything looks What Can We Do To Protect Ourselves? the same as it did before, but it To protect yourself during an earthquake, the best doesn't. Earthquakes don’t just thing to do is stay together under a sturdy object cause a lot of damage, but they like a table or desk. For example, if you are under also leave a big mess to clean up something sturdy, how is something going to fall on after. The mess they make aren't you? It won’t! That’s the good thing about tables always easy to clean up.
Many people have lost homes in and during an earthquake.
and desks. They prevent objects from falling on top Surviving an earthquake is easy of you. once you know what to do. Earthquakes may do a lot of Another thing to do is, to go in an area that doesn’t damage and destruction to our environment, but people have a lot of high up objects that can fall on you. For protect themselves from being harmed in many different example, people move high up objects down onto ways. All you need to do now is to see what it was like for others to survive an earthquake to know what it will feel like the floor, so they don’t fall and break. to lose many things.
What about the aquatic animals in this water. They are dying because of drilling for oil and natural gas . Is this what we want to watch?
ANWR to the Max by Bryanna Pero
Arctic rescue, animal shelter. Animals, plants,
uge is used for drilling, the coastal plain has been at the
land, and sea, who can’t speak for themselves are
center of an ongoing debate over oil and natural gas
dying because of us. If we don’t stop the Arctic
drilling for more than 30 years.
could be in danger, so can the animals and plant life that live there. The Arctic Nation-
Drills Are Worse Than Oil Spills
al Wildlife Refuge has about 1.2 mil-
Drilling for oil is extremely dangerous for all animals.
lion acers of land. Let’s save all of
Drilling may be dangerous to all animals, but drilling in
that for the animals not for drilling.
sensitive habitats is even worse and
What is ANWR? Have you ever heard of ANWR?
This is part of the millions of acres of land that belongs to ANWR.
Well they need
help to save the animals that are living in the Arc-
even more dangerous. One major problem is ANWR could be disturbed by human interaction, and animals’ lives possibly could be changed in the process.
tic. That is why it’s called the Arctic National Wild-
This is the oil that should not be getting drilled for cars or anything else.
life Refuge. There are oil spills happening, and
To Wrap Up the Arctic
there has been some drilling in sensitive habitats.
All of this put together why mankind is doing all of this,
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the
we don’t care about these dying and sick animals. We
largest ecosystems in the world. Originally ANWR
just drill where they live and destroy where they call
was ANILCA also known as the Alaska National In-
home for our benefit of oil and natural gas. Why would
terest Lands Conservation Act.
you take a chance on killing any animal when there is
Oil Drills Are No Good
even more oil and natural gas in other places besides the Arctic? Drilling for oil and gas may seem necessary but
Drilling
can
have
a
you are killing animals in the process.
chance for oil spills. This is fatal to all animals and plant life, but even more deadly in sensitive
This is one of the 37 land mammals that are being harmed due to oil drilling in sensitive habitats.
habitats.
These animals are dying. Also they are in more danger here because of the cold climate. Oil spills can effect animals and plants that are living in the Arctic. Although only 10 percent of the Arctic Ref-
Did You Know? In 1960 President Eisenhower put ANWR aside, and to this day it remains the only National Wildlife Refuge established “for the purpose of preserving unique wildlife, wilderness, and recreational values.
Diamonds by Christian Lanuto
Diamonds are made of carbon under the earth for 100s of years . Miners mine the carbon and it becomes a diamond.
hope, the white great mogul, and the yellow tiffany diamond. Colorful stories surround many of
How Are Diamonds Mined?
the world’s greatest diamonds. The
Here comes the most rariest gem in the world. The
Regant, or Pitt Diamond was discov-
diamond BOOM! In mining Kimberlike shafts are
ered in India in 1701. It was later worn by Napoleon who had it set
sunk some distance from the blue ground pipe. Tunnels are then driven from the mine shaft to the pipe. Elevators take the Kimberlike above ground
This is a white diamond oval cut.
into the hilt of his sword. The Orlov, also of Indian in 1701, was
later worn by an admirer to the Russian empress Cathe-
where it is processed . Cutting and Polishing a Diamond
rine II, who had it mounted onto the Romanov imperial scepter . The star of the south, one of the largest stones
When diamonds are mined they look like frag-
ever found in brazil, was discovered in 1853 by a slave
ments of glass. Two or more gems are usually cut
named Gavin . They only gave her freedom if she gave
from a rough stone. Diamonds are first split or
them the stone.
sawed along the grain of the stone. How Industry Uses Diamonds
Many Famous Diamonds Many diamonds are state owned to crown jewelers. On
Diamonds are used for a lot of things. They use
the other hand, the other diamonds are transferred to
them for tools and jewerly. Engineers use diamond
museums or privately owned.
tipped, hollow steel bits for
These are ways that diamonds are mined, their popular-
drilling. Did you know it
ity, how industries use them, and cutting and polishing
takes a diamond to cut a diamond? Diamonds may be white
them. Yellow Tiffany, The White Great and The Red Diamond
or any of several colors. As is seen in these three famous gems the blue
Oil Aboard! by Christopher Caputo
This is the area of water where an oil spill has happened causing black and sticky water.
The United States alone consumes about 7 billion barrels of oil per year. Combined with other countries, we consume a lot of oil. In fact oil/gas
The Black, the Sticky and the Ugly of Offshore Drilling.
company, B.P., estimates that we only have somewhere between 50 and 250 years left of oil! If we
Instead of searching for more efficient and safe ways to
don’t stop offshore drilling, we may never see oil
use alternative energy sources, we are continuing to use
again!
up all of our oil in dangerous and risky ways. Maybe you are changing your mind about offshore drilling, but there
What Is Offshore Drilling ?
is still more you need to know. If you think oil is the only
Offshore Drilling is a process which oil is drilled
thing that comes up when offshore drilling takes place,
from about 7,000 or more feet down below by a
you’re wrong. Deadly chemicals such as mercury, lead
huge lumbering oil rig
and arsenic come up and go into our waters and can
above the ocean surface.
harm sea life. We need to protect our waters and put a
First, the oil rig drills
stop to offshore drilling.
down until it finds a large
How Humans Are Affected
amount of oil. Then they send a tube down from the oil rig and take the oil. It may not seem like drilling oil out of the ground is dangerous, but the slightest mistake can be devastating to nature.
Offshore Drilling is the reason why eleven workers died on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico when the oil rig exploded. It’s also to blame for spreading harmful oil for more than 45,000 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico.
Wildlife isn't the only thing in danger when we offshore drill, humans are affected to. Here’s why. Offshore drilling doesn't only bring up these deadly chemicals, it also produces a waste product and harmful smoke. Also, in rare cases a huge oil spill can cost millions or billions in cleanup damage and loss of oil. Now let’s put a stop to offshore drilling. Offshore drilling may seem good in some ways on the
The Pros of Offshore
economic side, but the disadvantages far outweigh the
Drilling
advantages.
There are some pros of offshore drilling starting
What Can You do About it?
with the fact that if the U.S.A continues offshore drilling, we would get oil independently and not from other countries. Another way we would be benefitted by encouraging offshore drilling is that we will have lower gas prices and the drilling will be unseen and unheard. So honestly, its not all bad.
Unless you’re the president or in charge of the whole world, there’s not too much you can do. A first easy step could be something like telling people about the dangers of offshore drilling. To the right there is a picture of an oil rig that would be used in offshore drilling.
Should We Stop Geothermal Energy? by Colin Herr There is more then one reason the earth is heating up that you might not know about. The Earth is heating up from geothermal energy. It is a energy that can heat homes, but beware it’s dangerous and hopefully you will chose what you think is good for the world. How Geothermal Energy Will Doom Us All Geothermal energy starts as steam and afterwards becomes energy at a factory that takes the steam and hot water from the ground and com-
Places With Geothermal Energy and How It’s Formed There are very little amounts of places that have geothermal energy, but it’s steam spreads. Here are the places it has been used. It’s been used in western united states, new Zealand, Iceland, and Italy. How geothermal energy’s resources were created was some people have no idea, but you will find out now so listen up! Some geothermal energy was left behind from when the world was forming or some of it was a result of decay of radioactive elements like uranium.
presses it into en-
You chose what you think is right about geothermal en-
ergy.
Geothermal
ergy. Is it bad or is it good? Chose a decision your com-
energy has some
fortable with the out come of. If you chose that it’s bad,
downsides.
One
then you probably know what’s going to happen. If it
thing is it can get in
doesn’t stop, the earth will heat up too much to the
the
atmosphere.
Since the steam is
This is a diagram of the cycle of geothermal energy.
point we could dehydrate in minutes. If you chose good, then let’s just hope that all the people that chose bad
still inside the gas
are wrong in the future and the world doesn’t heat up
when it gets in the atmosphere, it heats up caus-
to that point or worse.
ing global warming and destroys the ozone layer, which will allow solar flares to destroy earth. So lets stop geothermal energy!!! How Geothermal Energy Is Helping Us There are some things that make geothermal energy negative, but it’s not all negative. Here’s two things that make it positive. One thing is it heats our homes, so we don’t freeze and another thing is it gives us light so we can see, so it’s not as bad sometimes.
Behold the Expensive Gold by Daniel Ilardo In the earth people do things that are not good
bucket with holes in the water and you look for gold.
to do. For example gold mining. Gold mining is a
Another way is surface mining. Surface mining is when
terrible thing to do because it destroys the
you use large equipment to mine such as draglines or
earth. Come explore and find out how!
shovels. Another method is long wall mining. It is second to the underground coal mining system. It formed
What Is Gold Mining?
in Europe, but now is popular in the U.S. because of it’s
Gold mining is when you destroy mountains,
greater safety. The last method is pillar mining. In pillar
habitats and the whole earth just to find a min-
mining interconnected tunnels are formed. Gold is
eral. The worst thing about that is the destroy-
loaded onto a mechanized loading machine.
ing the whole earth
How Is Gold Mining Dangerous?
thing. If they keep mining for gold, good luck surviving. How Does Gold Mining Effect the Earth? Gold mining effects the earth
by
destroying
habitats of endangered
This picture is a tool that gold miners use. This is also an example of how they also take away the earth and destroy it.
species. If gold miners keep mining for gold, those animals will be extinct. Additionally when the gold miners mine, toxic substances are released into the earth due to gold mining. What Is Dirty Gold? Dirty gold is used to buy weapons from people with illegal weapons to start mini wars. If people start mini wars, then it will turn into a ginormous war. How To Mine For Gold There are many different ways to mine for gold. One way is to pan. Panning is when you put a
Gold mining is dangerous by releasing a toxic substance into the earth. Gold mining has destroyed landscapes and contributed to destruction of important ecosystems. To limit the environmental damage, miners often contract dams and place toxic waste inside the dams. Gold mining also caused a global health crisis using mercury. 15 million gold miners release about 10,000 tons of mercury each year. Mercury is it is a liquid metal used to extract gold from the other rocks. Go Green And Stop Gold Mining If you want to make a change in the world, start here and stop gold mining . Mining for gold is causing major destruction to the environment If miners keep mining for gold they will destroy the earth. The earth is important to all people and if miners keep going banana's looking for gold, good luck surviving!!!
The Ground Is Sinking! by Daniel Story Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Boom! The
holes, collapse sinkholes are far more dangerous. The
sound awoken me in the middle of the night. I
wreck of the Summer Bay Resort is an example of a col-
looked out the window. I saw a huge hole in the
lapse sinkhole.
ground. I started to panic. Then I woke up my mom and dad. They saw the hole. The hole was
Watch Where You Build
even bigger now. We all were panicking now.
Sinkholes can happen almost anywhere in the world. In
Then all of us ran to my brother’s room and woke
the U.S., sinkholes form most often in Alabama, Florida,
him up. We rushed outside to see what was go-
Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Tex-
ing on. It was a deep hole. A sinkhole! Sinkholes
as. Mostly, sinkholes form in Florida. If you look at a
can cause injury or death. They can be really dan-
map of Orlando, Florida, where Disney World is, you’ll
gerous.
see lots of circular lakes surrounding the city. Those lakes were formed by sinkholes. Disney World has to be
What Are Sinkholes?
careful about where they place the rides and buildings.
Sinkholes are a deep hole in
You wouldn't want to be on a ride and end up at the
the ground that appear out of
bottom of a sinkhole!
nowhere. Roads and buildings
An example of a dangerous sinkhole happened on Feb-
can hide sinkholes. As the hole is forming, the cement keeps it covered up. Once a
This is an example of a Sinkhole.
bus car or truck drives near the hole, the road weakens. The weight of the vehicle cracks the road. Suddenly, the ground opens into a sinkhole. If the whole is big enough, a hole car might fall in!
ruary 3, 2014 at the Summer Bay Resort in Clermont, Florida, near Disney. The hotel guests heard cracking noises. The windows in their rooms began to shatter. The guests felt shaking, and heard glass breaking. Next thing, people are yelling, “Get out of the building! Get out of the building!” The security evacuated all the rooms. A sinkhole 100 feet wide had opened up in the ground and the building col-
Types of Sinkholes
lapsed.
Sinkholes form two
How Does a Sinkhole Form?
different ways. One
We already know that a collapse
happens more quickly than the other. A col-
Some sinkholes even happen in the water.
lapse sinkhole moves quickly, but a subsidence sinkhole moves a lot
sinkhole forms quickly. Below is a step by step on how a sinkhole forms.
This is how a sinkhole forms.
more slowly. Collapse sinkholes are much rarer
1. Erosion carves out cavities in the bedrock beneath
than subsidence sinkholes. Even though collapse
the soil. Sediment flows down into a cavity through
sinkholes are much rarer than subsidence sink-
cracks in the bedrock.
2. Sediment keeps flowing into the cavity, but
some of the soil particles catch against each other and forms
an arch over the hole. 3. The cavity grows larger over time but remains undetectable from the surface. 4. Eventually, the roof over the cavity collapses, creating a sudden and dramatic sinkhole. The charming lakes in Disney were formed by sinkholes, however, sinkholes can be extremely dangerous. Sinkholes can swallow up cars roads buildings and people. They begin to form deep in the ground, and when they reach the surface, the ground starts to explode.
“Fracking” for the Regular Person by Elizabeth Augelli
What’s the first thing to come to you’re mind, when you think of the word “Fracking”?
Fracking is a solution to squeezing more fossil fuels through shale. Sound’s simple, but when you hear the outcome you will think differently. Fracking is harmful environ-
ment. Some people think
fracking
is
good, but the some people think fracking is bad. A good thing is shale has natural gas in the rock (shale). Fracking gives off less carbondioxide. The gas recourses make Reservoirs. That helps The U.S.A reduce independence on foreign oil supplies. Fracking also has negative outcomes. Serious leaks of methane is one downside to fracking. Fracking can even cause
small
earth-
quakes. Fracking also needs many different chemicals
comes from Hydraulic Fracturing.
Harmful Outcome
Using Fracking
to the
Here is a interesting factoid, the word “Fracking”
It ruins our but also, animal’s.
which
Earth. Fracking causes environmental changes which aren't good for the Earth or anyObama got involved.
Fracking also uses a lot of water. It uses as much as 5 million gallons of water per well. It also uses many toxic chemicals including methane and naphthalene. About 25 % of “fracking” chemicals could cause cancer, according to scientists. Evidence is showing throughout the country that these chemicals are making their way into aquifers and drinking water. These chemicals can give you cancer. “Fracking” is bad for humans and for our environment. Make the right decision and help make the earth Fracking Free and a better place. Fracking pollution is going to harm the earth. Please stop it in the process of hurting our homes or anywhere else. It all depends on you and your decision to make the world a better place.
aren't good for the
where. Even President
Shale formations are typically fractured in many places to extract fossil fuels. This requires multiple routes for trucks, adding more pollution to the air and more disturbance of wildlife’s habitats. Fish die when “fracking” fluid contaminates streams and rivers. Studies have shown that leakage rates of more than about 3% have happened in the past year.
WOW! Obama went to the place where fracking originally started.
Gold, Gold, Gold Mining! by Emily Ciulla In 1848 a man named James Marshall saw
and water to CRUSH and move huge rocks and
some shiny bits of gold in the American
deep holes were made in valuable farmland.
River in Columba, California. Gold mining is one way to get gold. A lot of people like
Why Is Gold Valuable?
gold because it is shiny and pretty, so they
We all know that gold is
wear it on their necks, fingers and wrists
valuable, but why is gold
as jewelry called necklaces, rings and
valuable? It’s shiny, use-
bracelets. What you may not know is that
ful and it’s rare! Also,
gold mining can be dangerous.
gold is not always the col-
Some tools miners used for gold mining.
or gold. Gold can be
What Is Gold Mining?
made into a different shapes, polished, carved,
There is many ways to get
rolled and can be made thinner by being ham-
gold. Gold mining is one
mered down. Most importantly lots and lots of
way. It’s one way to get gold and a lot of people have tried. By 1849 Califor-
Gold jewelry that comes from real gold.
nia’s population exploded with people looking for gold. Some people don’t like the thought of gold mining. For example, it is one of the most environmentally destructive forms of getting gold. Is Gold Mining Dangerous? Gold mining can be dangerous. Gold mining is dirty, backbreaking and sometimes violent. Some gold miners work by hand. They use shovels, picks and pans to sift the gold and gravel from streams and rivers. Gold mining requires high-pressure hoses
people all over the world think it has value. Kids like the crayon color and gold miners like it so they get money. You can get money from gold and getting gold to get money means gold mining. Also, gold mining can be dangerous. Some people don’t think its dangerous, but you might think differently.
Gold can be made into a different shapes.
GOLD MINING! GOLD MINING! GOLD MINING! by Emma Trippeda Gold mining can be very destructive to our environment. Gold mining is difficult and dangerous work to do. Gold mining is one of the most environmentally destructive forms of mining. Is Gold Mining Destructive? Gold mining is destructive because gold mining ruins landscapes, pollutes rivers with sulfuric acid, and contributes to the destruction of the Amazon. For example, the environmental damage left by mining can last generations. First gold mining often leads to a long lasting problem know as acid mine drainage. The problem results when underground rock is moved by mining. The gold is then exposed to air and water. Once acid mine drainage starts, it is difficult to stop. Gold mining today is still extremely harmful to our environment. To limit the environment damage, mines often construct dams and place the toxic waste inside. In the last 500 years about 80,000 tons of gold have been taken from the Earth. What Is Gold Mining? Gold mining is digging underneath the ground to find expensive and valuable gold. Gold is very hard to find and mining it is very dangerous work. Digging deep in Gold mines can contain much the ground can gold or very little gold. cause health problems and also physical conditions. Gold mining is the process of mining gold or gold ores from the
ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold can be extracted from the Earth. Gold mining from alluvium ores was once achieved by techniques associated with placer mining such as simple This is a pan of gold! A man gold planning and sluicing, went to a river and found little resulting in direct recovery of pieces of gold. small nuggets and flakes. Placer mining techniques since the mid late 20 century have generally only been the practice of artisan miners. Hydraulic mining was used widely in the California Gold Rush, and involved breaking alluvial deposits with high pressure jets of water. Hard rock gold mining extracts gold encased in rock, rather than fragments in loose sediments, and produces most of the world’s gold. Gold In Decoration A great use of gold has been jewelry! You can’t use gold for clothing because its to hard, but you can use it for jewelry around your neck and wrist called necklaces and bracelets and fine watches and rings. Many different objects are made out of gold! Alloys of the rare metal are used as settings for the precious jewels in rings and necklaces. Gold in smaller amounts also has a variety of decorative uses. Many other metals are often coated with thin layers of gold. Gold is commonly deposited from a chloric or cyanide solution. Metals that are covered with gold are often used jewelry . Those covered with gold by mechanical means, are termed rolled gold (also rolled gold plates) or gold filled. An article described as “130 10kt rolled gold plate” consist of base metals covered with 10-karat gold, which makes up 120 or more of the article. Gold mining is very dangerous work and very dangerous to mine. Gold mining is one of the most environmental destructive forms of mining!!!!
Tar Sand Attack by Gabrielle Williams
What’s a pipeline that travels crude oil from Cana-
factory. Another reason is
dian ground to Oklahoma to Illinois right through
when it got in the water it
a major drinking source? Have you guessed it yet?
killed the fish and turned the
If you guessed Canadian tar sands you are right!
water poisonous. The last reason is that there was a major
What Are Canadian Tar Sands? Canadian tar sands are a source to get oil. It’s a pipeline that travels crude oil. Some people say it’s a fantastic idea, but on the other hand some people say that it’s a horrible idea. But which one? Say Yes To Canadian Tar Sands! Canadian tar sands can be a great idea in some ways. One reason is we will get oil which is a non renewable resource, so we need to take care of it so we don’t run out. Meanwhile there is so much oil in Canadian’s soil that will meet America and Canada's needs and all of the oil is not being used and we need it! Another reason is it will create more jobs. The last reason why the Canadian tar sands can be good is the place America is getting there oil from is a not so friendly place. Oh No! Don’t Say Yes! On the other hand there are a lot more serious issues and threats that are not worth a shot! One reason is that in 2011 a pipeline
broke
and
about 800,000 gallons of oil spilled into a river which then polluted the area and got into a
The Karzoo River was totally ruined because of the oil.
People have got cancer and died because the Canadian tar sands.
increase in cancer cased by the major destruction.
Get Up And Help! There are many ways you can help. One way is by helping international stop the tar sands by spreading the word. Please Some people make signs and tell tell your family, their government how they feel. friends, neighbors and anyone else that you could tell. It would really help! Tell the world! Another way that you can help is by sending emails and putting up posters. Lastly you can organize an event in your community to spread awareness. This is a big way to spread your word. To those people who think the Canadian tar sands are a great idea think again! A NASA scientist named James Hansen said “if The pipeline goes to Candida to the middle of United States to the Gulf of Mexico. we fully develop this field, it’s essentially game-over for the clement”. I hope you changed your mind about this deadly pipeline!
Freaky Fracking! by Gianna Ferraro What is fracking? Is it dangerous? What does it do? Those are some questions you probably have when you hear the word fracking. One question that probably doesn't come to mind is, how can we stop fracking?
Beneficial Energy You may not know it, but fracking has a good side too. The natural gases we collect from fracking are much cleaner than coal or oil because it doesn't cause as much pollution. We have lots of natural gases in the United
Fracking is dangerous. It is harmful to the environ-
States, and we won’t run out for years, so even though
ment. Fracking may be beneficial, but the disad-
fracking may seem dangerous, it has some benefits too.
vantages far outweigh the benefits. You just need the full scoop. What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?
Danger, Danger! Many people are excited about fracking, but is
Hydraulic fracturing [better known as fracking] is a
fracking really good? To
way of extracting natural gas out of the ground.
be honest fracking caus-
The process of fracking starts with a tube drilled by
es more pollution than
Petroleum Engineers 8,000 feet deep! That's long-
burning coal or oil when
er than 1,000 pick up trucks lined up next to each
the fracking process is
other. Then the fracking starts at a rock called
not done properly.
shale. The tube is horizontal inside the rock. Millions of gallons of water mixed with toxic chemicals
come tube,
those
caused problems in the United States too.
can get into our making
There are dangerous chemicals used in the fracking pro-
water it
toxic.
Then the rock is
of global warming, and that’s a problem most people all the pollution fracking makes. Fracking has also
and
chemicals
drinking
Fracking is also a cause want to stop. It is a cause to global warming because of
shooting through the
The natural gas being pumped up from this fracking station has gone on fire and has made the fracking well explode.
cess. Those chemicals get into the air, and can poison tp A well used to pump up natural gas.
fractured. The natural gas is released and caught by the petroleum engineers like they’re playing a game of catch. This process can be harmful to the environment and make many people very sick.
seep into our drinking water. Those chemicals are toxic and can make someone very sick if they drink them. Fracking also creates a large amount of waste water and uses a lot of water. Millions of gallons of water mixed with toxic chemicals are put into the ground, and that’s enough water for a whole community to drink for about a year. That water is then wasted.
Fracking has also caused some major earthquakes around the globe. This happens when the petrole-
Stop The Fracking Fight!
um engineers take the tube out of the ground
Stop all the fracking madness! Many people don’t
when they’re finished and that leaves empty holes
know breathing the air near a fracking station can
in the ground. Petroleum engineers know about
make you very sick. Fracking can put your safety at
the downside of fracking, but refuse to put a stop
risk. We need to take charge and make a change,.
to it.
If we don’t stop the fracking fight now, we might
Why Do We Need Natural Gases?
never be able to. If we stop fracking, it will cut the level of toxic materials in the air in half. If more
We need natural gases for almost everything we
people know about the downside of fracking it will
use. Turning on the stove to cook food and heating
be possible to stop the fracking fight.
our homes to stay warm are examples of ways we use natural gases. You would not be able to drive your car to your local supermarket without natural gas, however you could possibly have to walk or ride a bike. Having a warm winter would be difficult without natural gases heating your home. If we wanted to change back to coal energy there would be twice as much pollution in the air, that People in Virginia protest to stop fracking.
would mean more toxic gases that we’re breathing in. Natural gas is more efficient than burning coal or oil, and is used to run our daily lives, but we need to find a more efficient way of getting natural gases out of the ground.
The fracking process.
No Drilling, No Spilling! by Grace Nolan Imagine the ANWR habitat, which is home to many
government puts in miles of pipe lines,
animals like the Snowy Owl and the Caribou, filled
pumping stations, roads, and electric
with millions of miles of pumping station and oil
plants that can cause oil spills.
drills. Would you like to live there and how would you survive? If we don’t stop the government from
The Debate
drilling oil, soon all the animals that live there will
Many people have been debating
die and may become endangered, or even worse
about whether to allow oil drilling
extinct.
in the Artic or not. Even President
If we don’t stop the oil drilling the animals in the habitat will become covered in oil just like this bird.
George Bush wanted to drill oil there, so it could create jobs for
What Is ANWR?
people. Also he said, “It will take pressure off gas prices over
ANWR is the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. This 19
time.” But to allow the drilling, both congress and the administra-
– million acre piece of land in Alaska, tis federally
tion office have to lift their bands.
protected by the government and they want to drill oil there. If you
Pros and Cons
where in the gov-
There are many pros about drilling oil in ANWR habitat. One pro
ernment and you
is that if the government drills oil, we can use it to heat our
got
decide
homes, so we can stay warm. Another pro is if they get the oil, we
whether or not
could also use it as fuel for our cars. Also it will create jobs for
you should
many people, so they can make some money.
to
drill
oil
there,
This is a map of Alaska that shows the ANWR habitat where lots of animals live like the wolverine and arctic fox.
would you want to take that risk and drill oil there?
There are also many cons about drilling oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. For example, one con is the drilling will spoil and destroy one of the last unspoiled habitats in the U.S. Also the oil
Oil Attack
could take years or even decades before it could be used for anything. One last con is that the oil drilling involves processes that
Even though the land is federally
protected,
can cause explosions deep down in the Earth. So if the govern-
oil
ment drills oil, the inside of the Earth could go KABOOM!
drilling might happen there eventually. If they drill, the
Ways To Help
government will be destroying one of the last unspoiled habitats in the United States.
This is the ANWR habitat that might be filled with oil drills soon.
You can help ANWR in many different ways. One way to help is to ask a U.S. representative to support the Udall-
Eisenhower
Arctic Wilderness Act. Another way to help is to send a letter to President Obama to show your support. You can also join the
Since the oil may be drilled, the United States will be closer to becoming independent from foreign oil countries. But our animal populations will go down, because if the
Audubon Action Alert Network. Also you can donate money online to Audubon Alaska to show your support. You can show your support by doing any of these things and if we act fast we can stop the oil from being drilled and the animals will be safe and their homes won’t be destroyed.
What do you think when you hear the word
earthquake? Don t you think of the ground, shaking, destruction of homes, buildings, restaurants and homes of animals. That s what many people think of when they hear earthquakes. What s An Earthquake ? An earthquake is two tectonic plates pushing against each other and making a big scrape in the
ground. Then the ground starts to shake and makes everything break, and it all falls down and every thing will get destroyed.
Destruction Caused By Earthquakes The diagram shows what a earthquake could do. The top shows the before picture and the bottom
shows the after picture. Earthquakes can be very destructive.
Resources Needed for an Earthquake
Offshore Drilling Oil A Perfect Patent by ulianne Amanatidis
Buzzzz! Buzzzz! Do I hear the drilling alarm? Yep, that s it. In that case
Attention ladies and gentle-
men, get ready! For offshore drilling is going to blow...your...mind!
Isn t Offshore Drilling Dangerous?
Sometimes it s a bad thing. For example, many drilling tools are sharp, powerful, and could hurt a driller if it s not used carefully. Also, an oil well can have a blowout. Consequently,
Offshore drilling may seem dangerous and life-risking,
it can make things quickly catch on fire or explode. Finally,
but the benefits will outweigh the dangers. You just
only one part of the deck is called a floor gate, which only
need a full pump
keep drillers from falling into the water and drowning or hit
What Is An Oil Rig? An oil rig is a pla orm where drillers extract oil from deep below the ocean surface. What s inside is de-
ting their head at the end of the deck. It can be dangerous on an oil rig. So, How Is Offshore Drilling A Good Thing?
pending on how big an oil pla orm is. It has space for
Sure it s dangerous, but it is a great thing to do, too. To sup-
all the tools for drilling pumps and drills. That takes
port it, the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell said, The
up most of the space.
President s decision will mean thousands of new jobs.
The rest is for the workers. If it s small, it could fit small living areas places for visitors to stay, a kitchen,
and a cafeteria. However, if it s big, it can fit all of the above, including a restaurant, a coffeehouse, a gym or even a movie theater! So kick back and relax [for a
while. Then get back to work!] How Did Offshore Drilling Start?
McDonnell also added, It will also help our nation take a further step towards energy independence. Also, it could provide America with substantial economic and geopolitical gains. America imports approximately 60% of its oil, making
it vulnerable to leaders of oil-producing countries. Another reason is that the O.C.S s [ Outer Continental Shelf s] oil reserves could sustain America for decades. So, our oil prices would go down, not up. Plus it would cut down on air pollu-
tion. When oil is transported to America, it gives off more air Offshore drilling started in 1869. In that same time, a
man named T.F. Rowland got a patent a writing from the government recognizing as a property or idea of
pollution. When we start drilling our own oil, it will divide all of the air pollution in the world by a half. It really is better.
an answer] for the first offshore drilling
Good old oil. This time, American oil. Offshore drilling is way
pla orm. It was made to work in very shal-
better than getting it from other countries. No flex on
low water but looked similar to many cur-
this one EIA [Energy Informational Association]. Offshore
rant models. The whole structure was sup-
drilling is a great thing. Should it stop? Or continue? It s
ported by 4 legs. In 1947, the first offshore rig was so
far out, it couldn t be seen from the tip of the Gulf of Mexico! Oil rigs have been working offshore ever since.
up to you to decide.
Stop The Drilling by Mia Mattera Imagine you re on a cruise ship and you see men drill-
somewhere else also. Drilling oil into animals homes is wrong,
ing oil into a piece of ice and there s a polar bear
they deserve homes too.
watching her home being destroyed. How would you
Not ust The Animals
feel? Would you feel angry, upset, uncomfortable? You
would probably feel really guilty if you had to watch
The drilling doesn t just affect the
that. Meanwhile, animals are dying and losing there
animals it can affect us. Oil is toxic
homes because of this stinky, gross, thick, hot oil. How
and when we drill, gasses are re-
would you feel if you were that polar bear? With no
leased into the air. Drilling oil can also create oil spills that are
home or food, knowing you are going to die soon. Drill-
dangerous for the land which are not uncommon. We would
ing oil into the arctic habitats are harmful to the ani-
have drilling pads, factories, and huge pipe lines all over the
mals that are living there.
arctic! Close your eyes and think about it. You re driving by
beautiful icy land and right in the middle of it is a huge, smelly The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
factory with oil all over the ground, and right under it in the
What is ANWR? The Arctic National
soil are oil filled pipes. There are houses next to it and around
Wildlife Refuge was established in
it! Would you want to live next to a smelly, dirty, disgusting
1960, and is 19 million acres of pro-
factory? I don t think you would.
tected land in Alaska. ANWR pro-
tects the animals that live in the
How You Can Help
area. Nature groups are working
I hope you are wondering how you can help. Well, there are
together with ANWR to try and
many different ways. One way you can help is to send a letter
stop people from drilling oil into
to the president. You can also support ANWR, which will help
animals homes. They are living creatures too. Animals
a lot. You can also join a nature group that is working together
have homes, food, and some have babies to take care
with ANWR. Animals are losing there homes and dying be-
of. They don t need people drilling oil into their homes,
cause of this matter. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is do-
and ANWR is trying to prevent that.
ing everything they can to try and prevent the drilling. Please
How Oil Affects The Animals I bet your wondering how the oil affects the animals? Well oil can kill animals such as endangered animals. If the oil kills the rest of
that animal population, then that animal will never be seen again! The oilcan also destroy animal habitats, and they
would be forced to move somewhere else. How would you like it if someone drilled oil into you your home and destroyed it? You would be forced to live
support ANWR. The animals need your help. If I were you I would definitely do something about this. Please, help ANWR stop people from
drilling oil into animals
homes. They
are dying because of this. Would you want to die from smelly oil? I don t
think you would. Animals need our help. We are the only ones who can do something about it, we are the
only ones who can help them. Animals are living creatures too. That s why we need to stop drill-
ing oil into their homes that they need to survive.
Priceless Diamonds by Peter Ferrizz The glory of the rich, expensive diamond. For years
Where Are Diamonds Found?
people have been drilling and cutting into the ground for fortunes. Diamonds are more than just
Diamonds are found in alluvial soils, or sediment that
jewelry.
have been deposited by running water. Diamonds were
What Makes Diamonds So Valuable? Diamonds are some of the world s most expensive gems. Diamonds are expensive
for the first time taken from the ocean floor, near Na-
mibia. Diamonds are also found about 3,500 feet under the earth.
What Are Diamonds Used For?
because of their popularity. Not
--
many diamonds are perfect. It
Diamonds are used for drilling for oil. Diamonds are
depends on it s weight, color,
used for drilling because diamonds are the hardest sub-
clarity, and how well it is cut.
stance found in nature. Often steel and tungsten car-
Also diamonds are so valuable
bides do not work to drill into the ground and the drill
because diamonds are sparkly.
wears down. They add diamonds to make sure the
The most expensive diamond
hardest rocks get drilled. They add diamonds to the drill
in the world is the KOR-I-NOOR diamond. It is
because it is
priceless.
resistant than tungsten carbide, and has 20 times the
When Were Diamonds Formed?
times harder than steel, 10 times more
compressive strength of granite. On the other hand, oil is bad for the environment, so they should not do
Diamonds were formed
it .
millions of years ago in
You can find diamonds in alluvial soils, or soils of sedi-
molten lava in volcanos.
ment rock. Also you know that diamonds are the most
As
expensive gems. For example the most expensive dia-
the
through
lava the
flowed pipes,
it
mond in the world is the KOH-I-NOOR diamond and it is
cooled. When a volcano erupts, diamonds are
thrown out of the top in
named the Big Hole. It is located in Kimberley, South Africa.
the lava or they are left in the pipe. People go to extinct volcanoes and
they have to dig about 3,500 feet down through the kimberlite pipe to find the diamonds. Diamonds are also found in rivers, streams, or rock around extinct volcanoes.
priceless. They use diamonds for drilling into the ground for oil.
The glory of the rich expensive gold! After years
of mining and searching for gold, miners have found their fortune, but the environment has suffered. Panning For Gold
One way to mine gold is to pan for gold. It is less expensive. Also it is harmless to the environment.
The Best Way To Gold Mine Some ways of mining are harmful, but some aren't. The
type that isn't harmful is panning. It is non harmful because there is no digging, use of trucks and heavy equipment is not needed . The only thing you need is a gold mining pan and a river .
What Gold Is Worth
It is harder to find gold. Panning for gold is also
very good for the environment. This would be a
Gold is worth different amounts,
good way to mine gold.
objects and powers. Gold is worth a lot of money because of
Strip Mining The second way to gold mine is strip mining. This way of mining cost a lot of money! You must have
it s value and weight. It is also power
because the more gold,
the more money, the more pow-
a lot of money because you have to buy a lot of
er a person may have.
equipment and supplies. You don't need as much
The Worst Way To Mine and How You Can Help
money as Bill Gates, but you might want to barrow some money for the equipment and the E.P.A bill. This way of mining is bad for the environment.
Underground Mining
Strip mining for gold is bad for
earth. It takes away many layers of earth. This way of mining also puts harmful toxins into the earth. You can help stop
gold mining by just following Another way to gold mine is underground mining. This way of mining is a disadvantage to the envi-
ronment. It costs a lot of money for drilling the
these steps: 
state.
holes and the electric and fuel for the machines. Many miners get killed. Experts say about 12,000 miners die each year on the job." Also this way of
Step 1. Call your city, town or

Step 2. Tell them what the local gold mine is doing to the environment.
mining puts many harmful toxins into the earth. You should help stop gold mining. You could help stop gold mining. You have the power. Gold mining is terrible
and eventually the earth will be too.
The Frack Attack! By Tyler Davide Have you ever heard of fracking? Do you know all
ground in shale rock that is unused. Scientists say it s
the damage it does? Did you ever think of dying
better to use our own gas and not other countries.
because of fracking? Or maybe you never even
Fracking also creates more jobs and the United States
heard of the word.
needs jobs. Another fact is it lowers fuel costs.
What is Fracking?
The Negative Effects
Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas
Some people are disappointed about fracking because of
from a underground rock called shale. Until re-
poisoning water supplies. Supporters of fracking point
cently there was no way to get this natural gas to
out that burning natural gas doesn t cause as much pol-
the surface, but the fracking process has allowed
lution as oil or coal. People who are against fracking say
energy companies to get to it.
this can be misleading. They say this because the pro-
Steps for Extracting Natural Gas
cess itself causes a lot of pollution and other environmental damage. Fracking already harmed the water sup-
First, workers drill very deep wells in the ground.
ply in communities in at least five states. Another prob-
Some are as deep as 8,000 feet or up to a half mile
lem is some areas of the country have water shortages,
into the ground. Secondly, millions of gallons of
and fracking creates huge amounts of leftover water
water, sand and different chemicals blast into
called waste water. This water is full of chemicals.
these wells at a very high rate of speed. This also of
Fracking has disadvantages and advantages. The disad-
under
vantages are poisoning the water supplies, wasting fresh
the ground. This
water and pollution. The advantages are adding jobs,
causes fractures,
lower fuel costs, and it allows us to access large natural
or little cracks, in
gas reserves. Which side are you on?
creates a lot pressure
the shale rock. It
then releases natural gas from the rock. Finally, the natural gas travels up the wells with the water and the workers then have to sep-
arate the two forms. The Positive Aspects Many people are excited about fracking because
the United States has a lot of natural gas under-