Environmental Conservation & Stewardship In addition to learning about environmental science and benefiting from your interaction with your mentor, EnvironMentors, will introduce you to the concepts of environmental conservation and stewardship. Environmental conservation refers to resource use, allocation and protection with the goal of maintaining the health of natural ecosystems. Environmental stewardship involves the responsible management of environmental resources for the benefit of present and future generations of people, plants and animals. Environmental conservation contributes to the maintenance of the free ecological services provided by natural ecosystems: •
Improved air quality – vegetation and forests can filter pollution from the air, making it healthier for us to breathe
•
Improved water quality – wetlands and other vegetation filter pollutants from water before it gets to streams and rivers
•
Reduced stormwater runoff – leaf litter and the root systems of trees and other vegetation absorb excess water, which reduces the need for expensive storm sewer systems
•
Energy savings – trees planted around your home and other buildings can provide shade that reduces the need to use air conditioning in the summer
•
Human health – in addition to providing cleaner air and water, natural ecosystems encourage outdoor recreation which can have positive impacts on both physical fitness and mental health
Ecological footprint is another concept you should become familiar with. This is a measurement tool used to describe the demand on Earth’s ecosystems and natural resources due to a given human lifestyle. The ecological footprint measures the amount of land and ocean that are needed to regenerate (if possible) the resources a human population consumes, and to absorb and treat the waste a population produces. A carbon footprint is a type of ecological footprint, and is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activities. You can measure your carbon footprint at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
Environmental Issues and Terms Test Your Knowledge 1. What is the current (2009) human population in the world? a. 3.5 billion b. 6.8 billion c. 9.2 million d. 18.1 billion
6. Worldwide, how many cars and trucks are used each day? a. 10 million b. 100 million c. 200 million d. 600 million
2. What is the name of the natural environment of a plant or animal? a. surroundings b. biosphere c. habitat d. atmosphere
7. What uses the most water, worldwide? a. agriculture b. swimming pools c. chemical plants d. household use
3. What is the most populous country in the world? a. China b. United States c. South Africa d. Australia
8. What term describes something that can be broken down by organisms such as bacteria? a. compound b. environmentally friendly c. biodegradable d. recycled
4. What is the name of a substance that dirties the air, water and/or ground? a. pesticide b. garbage c. pollutant d. insecticide
9. What percentage of the world’s energy is produced by carbon-based fuels? a. 20% b. 40% c. 60% d. 80%
5. What country has the largest ecological footprint per person? a. United States b. Italy c. Japan d. Afghanistan
10. What is the haze caused by the effect of sun on air that is polluted by car exhaust? a. fog b. smoke c. smog d. ozone
1. b; 2. c; 3. a; 4. c; 5. a; 6. d; 7. a; 8. c; 9. d; 10. c Adapted from Facing the Future: Education on Sustainability and Global Issues (www.facingthefuture.org)
Environmental Issues and Terms Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS 2. Something to drink when you’re thirsty 3. Knowledge acquisition 4. Largest, most populous region of the world 6. Grower of food 9. Starvation 10 What geese and other birds do 12. Having an option 14. Over 6 billion worldwide 16. Raw materials 19. Cast a ballot 20. Your use of resources is your ecological __________ 22. Wanderer 23. Country 24. Contentious disagreement 27. Air current 28. Wind and solar are two forms 31. Edges 33. Body of salt water 35. Make different 37. Lend a hand 38. Safe and sound 39. Folks
DOWN 1. Power from the sun 2. Cultural perspective 3. Our surroundings 5. Continent where Zambia is 7. Everyone living together happily 8. Give choices to 11. Linked 13. Gas guzzlers 14. Lack of wealth 15. Deadly combat 17. Study of balance in nature 18. A resource that regenerates is __________ 21 Liberty and __________ for all 24. Not dirty 25. Nourishment for the body 26. See in your mind’s eye 29. Having the same rights 30. Getting bigger 32. Biological classification 34. 2-wheeled, environmentally clean transport 36. Optimism
Reproduced from Facing the Future: Education on Sustainability and Global Issues (www.facingthefuture.org)
Environmental Issues and Terms Crossword Puzzle Key
Reproduced from Facing the Future: Education on Sustainability and Global Issues (www.facingthefuture.org)
Environmental Issues and Terms Worksheet 1. Describe some of the negative effects of polluted water in our rivers, streams, lakes and oceans.
2. What would be the impacts of no clean air to breathe outdoors or indoors?
3. What might happen if a large number of species were to become extinct?
4. What could happen if there were no forests left on Earth?
5. If you had to live in one of the following worlds, which would you choose, and why? a. A world with clean water in all the rivers, streams, lakes and oceans. b. A world with non-polluted air both outdoors and indoors. c. A world with a diversity of wildlife. d. A world with an abundance of plants including trees and other vegetation. 6. Choose two of the following social issues that are most important to you: food availability, transportation, water quality, education, affordable housing, air quality, healthy ecosystems, energy, employment, and healthcare. Using the space below, describe your vision of the world in 25 years, being sure to incorporate the two social issues you chose. (Focus on what you would like the future to be like, and use positive language. For example, instead of writing “In the future, people will not use polluting fossil fuels,” say “In the future we will use clean, renewable energy sources.” Please use additional paper to expand your ideas for your personal and positive vision for the future.)* In my vision of the future…
*Adapted from Facing the Future: Education on Sustainability and Global Issues (www.facingthefuture.org)