I.E.S Puerta de la Axarquia LA CALA DEL MORAL MÄLAGA
The term "healthy environment" is a huge one, encompassing many different meanings. To complicate the matter, environments that are healthy for one population aren’t always healthy for another. This makes it hard to agree upon what is needed in order to create a healthy environment, and to determine what has priority in this environment, such as humans, other animals, insects or plants. Usually, when people use this term, they refer to a human environment that would pose few risks for disease or health hazards. Our health depends mainly on our way of life: Our actual food, the pollution in our environment, the traffic, a lot of types of radiations around us, the noise and so on. “Progress” is also a danger for human beings, if we understand it without taking care of Nature.
Environmental Factors Affecting Health Environmental factors affect human health in important ways, both positive and negative.
Positive environmental factors sustain health, and promoting them is preventive medicine. They include:
sources of nutrition (farming: soil quality, water availability, biodiversity, genetically modified organisms (GMOs); hunting, fishing: wildlife, fish populations.) water (drinking, cooking; cleaning / sanitation); air quality; ozone layer (protection from UV, cancers, etc);
space for exercise and recreation;
sanitation / waste recycling and disposal
However….
Negative environmental
factors
threaten our health
They include
Look at the diagram and the pictures. They are both related…Match the pictures with the corresponding negative factor and if they can affect our health.
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Human-caused climate changes lead to the deaths of at least 150,000 people around the world every year, a figure which is likely to increase as global warming continues to exacerbate existing environmental health threats around the world. Children, the elderly, and those in disadvantaged communities are the most vulnerable to such exacerbations. The following expected health impacts of global climate change can be separated into direct and indirect effects. Direct impacts stem from extreme events such as heat waves, floods, droughts, windstorms, and wildfires, while the indirect effects may arise from the disruption of natural systems, causing infectious disease, malnutrition, food and water-borne illness, and increased air pollution. Both, direct and indirect effects, are the reasons for disasters to happen. Answer the following questions: ďƒ˜ Can you explain what a disaster is? ďƒ˜ Name at least 5 natural disasters and the reasons why they happen.
Have they increased in the recent years? Is climate change contributing to these natural disasters happening? Can you think of any examples of man-made environmental disasters that have taken place anywhere in the world? How do they affect our health? (click on the link to get information in order to answer this question) In case the link is not available here you have the complete text. IS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTING OUR HEALTH? That’s a question I had always wondered about. When we think about climate change, or global warming, we often visualize an image like a polar bear precariously balanced on a small floating patch of ice but, in the bigger picture, can it affect our own health? The answer is absolutely. Unfortunately, there are many ways that are often overlooked and never even discussed when we consider climate change. The change in global temperature can have long-term effects on human health because it affects the food we eat, the diseases we get, the disorders we develop, the air we breathe and the water we drink… all the things essential to a healthy body. Here are just a few concerns to consider if anyone ever thinks this is only an environmental issue:
Greenhouse gasses can cause respiratory issues and more severe problems for asthma suffers because plants will actually produce more allergens when temperatures increase.
Extra heat creates more ground-level ozone, and increases pollution, which creates addedstress for our heart and lungs.
Rising temperatures can increase the range of infectious parasites and therefore increase the rate and severity of infectious diseases.
Weather extremes will increase, resulting in intense heat waves or bouts of bitter cold, resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.
Crops can become compromised, decreasing the yield and reducing their nutritional quality.
Water supplies are reduced along with the quality of water, coupled with an increase of water-borne illnesses.
Research has shown that bugs, plants, animals are all literally moving closer to the poles to escape the increases in heat. Tropical fish have even been found off the coast of Long Island, New York, because of the rise in water temperature. The next time someone rejects the idea of climate change affecting their lives, remind them that our environment can’t change without changing us too!
Can we do anything to stop these natural disasters? How can we help?
In the following pages you are going to work on this last question. Consider the pictures bellow.
Environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places. Click on the picture and then roll your mouse to do some research on how toxic chemicals may affect us.
Write a brief summary of what you have discovered in Tox Town in relation with health and how we can be affected .
Ok. In my opinion you are ready to click on the following link to learn how you can do your bit. Why go green? After reading activity Find 6 reasons in the link above Why go green , write them down and you will be ready for next section:
“ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION”
In case the following link is not available, the complete text is included below. Why go green?
So, You're Finally Ready To Learn How To Go Green? That's great news. You're about to take a positive step in your life that will make you feel better about yourself, and help save the Earth, and your family, all at once! How can you go wrong? The collection of short, mostly free, courses here at How To Go Green University will help you understand the simple steps it takes to "going green" in your life. Browse through our classes and when you're ready to learn, simply enroll at any time.
WHO AM I?
My name is Doreen Kukral and I'm an active and proud member of the green movement. I write a popular blog at MomGoesGreen.com, please stop by.
WHY GO GREEN?
This IS the most fundamental of questions. We each have our own idea of what “going green” means, and perhaps, a variety of reasons for doing so. But it’s a question worth answering. If you ever asked yourself this question, or if someone ever asks you “why”, think about the big picture and the reasons we “do what we do”. I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a cause worth fighting for. 1.
In a nutshell, I believe the “go green” movement is all about the concerns for the depletion and contamination of the earth’s greatest, and most important, natural resources… think
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
about clean water, clean air, clean soil… (not to mention a clean and healthy body). They are directly linked to our well-being and they are in jeopardy. When we choose not to recycle, our trash (that reaches landfills) contains harmful chemicals and ingredients that affect the soil, leach into the ground and surface water, and contaminate everything… from the soil that grows our food to the water we drink. This contamination also creates harmful conditions for wildlife and eco-systems.
When we DO recycle, we save the resources needed to create new products and the energy needed for their production, which prevents excessive CO2 emissions caused by the production process. Reducing energy consumption reduces your demand on polluting power plants that create excessive emissions and seriously contribute to global warming. Water is essential to our survival and it is NOT renewable. Being conscious of our use(and preventing overuse) of water and seeing that we do all we can to prevent contamination of our fresh water supply simply protects this invaluable resource. Buying organic locally-grown foods means avoiding harsh chemicals, supporting agriculture that does not contaminate the soil and food (with pesticides/herbicides and harmful chemicals), and avoiding the emissions created by shipping produce from somewhere across the country or (potentially) another hemisphere entirely. This, in turn, slows deforestation by reducing the demand for producing news crops… therefore saving delicate eco-systems, valuable trees (that hold CO2) and precious wildlife.
7.
Choosing products that are biodegradable and contain natural ingredients prevents absorption of chemicals into our own bodies and the contamination of resources when they reach landfills and water sources. This includes everything from body products and cosmetics
to household cleaners and lawn care chemicals. Choosing products made from recycled or sustainable resources does everything from protecting resources, habitats and forests, to preventing more landfill waste, to the reduction of production energy. 9. When we choose NOT to use resources, it SAVES resources. Is there really any reason NOT to want to do that? 10. People, plants, animals and the environment/eco-systems are all interconnected. We cannot change one without affecting the other and, the way I see it, we are the only “element� in that equation that has the true ability to make a positive change. 8.
Look at these pictures, identify the different types of natural disasters or natural hazards, write their names, the reason for them to happen and the effects they leave.
Disaster or Hazard?
Cause
Effects
Disaster
Disaster or Hazard?
Cause
Effects
Now it’s time for your task. Your task will consist of an oral presentation about one disaster, “The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico” or “The Japan Earthquake -Tsunami” .Compare them. Contrast them. Differentiate them. Illustrate them. Related Websites where you can find information.
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8650000/newsid_8658100/8658152.stm A BBC Newsround report on the oil spill (3rd May 2010). http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8660000/newsid_8660100/8660102.stm Another Newsround report (4th May 2010). http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p_word/newsid_10090000/newsid_10093100/10093178.stm Facts about the oil spill from BBC Newsbeat (30th April 2010). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8670501.stm A BBC article on problems encountered in trying to contain the oil leak (8th May 2010).
Japan earthquake: Tsunami hits north-east (11 March 2011) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598 Japan's most powerful earthquake since records began has struck the north-east coast .Live coverage from BBC News. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/japan/index.html Japan — Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis (2011) http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch?query=March+11%2C2011+japan&submit.x=22&submit.y=10 A series of links where you can find all the information you need. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/14/japan-nuclear-031411.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/asia/15japan.html?hp http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/13/asian-markets-mondya-tsunami.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/15markets.html?_r=1&hp http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/14/japan-reactor-monday.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/13/japan-quake131.html
See if you can match the following words with their correct definitions.
____Waste
____Resources
A. Materials made by nature that are necessary for life (also called raw materials). B. A specially constructed site for disposing of garbage. The less garbage we throw away, the less we need this.
____Conserve
C. Made from raw or recycled materials, consumers buy these every day.
____Products
D. Although it protects products before they are bought, some products, like fresh produce, don’t need any. Look for products with less of this.
____Recyclable
____Composting
E. This can be collected in your community and made into a new product by a manufacturer. F. Nature’s way of recycling food scraps and yard trimmings.
____Landfill
G. Something that can harm people or the environment if not disposed of properly is called this.
____Toxic
H. To use wisely, avoiding waste.
____Packaging
I. Metal comes from this mineral or rock in the ground.
____Ore
J. Food scraps, soiled paper, and other things you throw away.
______
J. Food scraps, soiled paper, and other things you throw away
Before you start Reading the text listen to the following information on “Changes in the Environment” ( click on the blue sentence)
What’s in our trash? Each year, we generate millions of tons of trash in the form of wrappings, bottles, boxes, cans, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, phone books, and much, much, more. Durable goods (tires, appliances, furniture) and nondurable goods (paper, certain disposable products, clothing) account for several million tons of the solid waste stream. Container and packaging waste is a significant component of the waste stream as well. This material includes glass, aluminum,
plastics, steel and other metals, and paper and paperboard. Yard trimmings such as grass clippings and tree limbs are also a substantial part of what we throw away. In addition, many relatively small components of the national solid waste stream add up to millions of tons.
What Can We Do? Since we all produce garbage, we are all part of the problem. But we can also be part of the solution. Of all the environmental issues we face today, garbage is one each of us can (and should) do something about. It's all about making wise choices. The choices we make every day affect the amount and types of garbage we toss. When we rethink the way we live, reduce what we buy, reuse things instead of getting new ones, recycle and compost; we not only make less waste, we also save valuable natural resources and energy, and create less pollution. Take responsibility for the waste you produce. Make a difference at home, school and when shopping. It's easy and every little bit helps! The Problem Is Too Much Trash!!!
Tips for Reducing Solid Waste
ďƒ˜ Reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging. ďƒ˜ Adopt practices that reduce waste toxicity.
Reusing products is just one way to cut down on what we throw away. Consider reusable products. Maintain and repair durable products. Reuse bags, containers, and other items. Borrow, rent, or share items used infrequently . Sell or donate goods instead of throwing them out
Choose recyclable products and containers and recycle them. Select products made from recycled materials.
Compost yard trimmings and some food scraps
Educate others on source reduction and recycling practices. Be creative - Find new ways to reduce waste quantity and toxicity. Look at the picture on the right. Does it suggest something to you? Try to design one and participate in the class competition. Draw types of recycle bins.
STORY TIME
Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964) Books can open closed minds. The books by Rachel Carson helped to open the minds of government regulators, executives in the chemical industry, and the general public about the environment and the dangers of insecticides and herbicides. Just as mighty forests spring from tiny seeds, Rachel’s powerful books sprang from her childhood fascination with nature
Rachel grew up loving nature and exploring its wonders. She thought that everybody should enjoy nature. Rachel wrote: "The pleasures, the values of contact with the natural world are not reserved for the scientist. They are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of a lonely mountain top – or the sea – or the stillness of a forest; or who will stop to think about so small a thing as the mystery of a growing seed."
In this part of the unit you will work with “power point” or “movie maker”, it’s up to you! Your project will be based on Rachel Carson’s life, who has contributed to save the environment or at least has helped doing it. Good luck!!!
Name………………………………………………………………………………………….. Date……………………………
Each year, we produce enough trash to fill enough garbage trucks to reach halfway to the moon! Where does all that waste go? How can we reduce the amount of garbage we make? Think about these questions as you complete the chart below.
Object
The number of times I use this object in one month
The number of times I reuse this object in one month
The time it takes for this object to decay in a landfill
Paper bag
30 days
Plastic bag
1,000 years
Aluminum can
200 to 500 years
Glass bottle
1 million years or more
One way that I can use this object more efficiently
Another use for this object
Data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency shows that somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. National Geographic News September 2, 2003
Less than 1% of bags are recycled. It cost more to recycle a bag than to produce a new one.
- Christian Science Monitor News Paper
“There's harsh economics behind bag recycling: It costs $4,000 to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can then be sold on the commodities market for $32� - Jared Blumenfeld (Director of San Francisco's Department of the Environment)
Then… Where Do They Go?
A study in 1975, showed oceangoing vessels together dumped 8 million pounds of plastic annually. The real reason that the world's landfills weren't overflowing with plastic was because most of it ended up in an ocean-fill
- U.S. National Academy of Sciences
Bags get blown around‌
…and to our seas, lakes and rivers.
Bags find their way into the sea via drains and sewage pipes
- CNN.com/technology CNN.com/tecnhology November 16, 2007
Plastic bags have been found floating north of the Arctic Circle near Spitzbergen, and as far south as the Falkland Islands
- British Antarctic Survey
Plastic bags account for over 10 percent of the debris washed up on the U.S. coastline
- National Marine Debris Monitoring Program
Plastic bags photodegrade: Over time they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymers
- CNN.com/tecnhology November 16, 2007
which eventually contaminate soils and waterways
- CNN.com/tecnhology November 16, 2007
As a consequence microscopic particles can enter the food chain
- CNN.com/tecnhology November 16, 2007
The effect on wildlife can be catastrophic
- World Wildlife Fund Report 2005
Birds become terminally entangled
- World Wildlife Fund Report 2005
Nearly 200 different species of sea life including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles die due to plastic bags
- World Wildlife Fund Report 2005
They die after ingesting plastic bags which they mistake for food
- World Wildlife Fund Report 2005
So‌ What do we do?
If we use a cloth bag, we can save 6 bags a week
That's 24 bags a month
That's 288 bags a year
That's 22,176 bags in an average life time
If just 1
out of 5 people in our country did this we would save
1,330,560,000,000 bags over our life time
Bangladesh has banned plastic bags
- MSNBC.com March 8, 2007
China has banned free plastic bags
- CNN.com/asia January 9, 2008
Ireland took the lead in Europe, taxing plastic bags in 2002 and have now reduced plastic bag consumption by 90%
- BBC News August 20, 2002
In 2005 Rwanda banned plastic bags
- Associated Press
Israel, Canada, western India, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Taiwan, and Singapore have also banned or are moving toward banning the plastic bag
- PlanetSave.com February 16, 2008
On March 27th 2007, San Francisco becomes first U.S. city to ban plastic bags
- NPR.org (National Public Radio)
Oakland and Boston are considering a ban
- The Boston Globe May 20, 2007
Plastic shopping bags are made from polyethylene: a thermoplastic made from oil
- CNN.com/tecnhology November 16, 2007
Reducing plastic bags will decrease foreign oil dependency
China will save 37 million barrels of oil each year due to their ban of free plastic bags
- CNN.com/asia January 9, 2008
It is possible...
It is time you evaluate yourself!!!! Read the text: Our planet is in trouble! Almost every day we seem to hear of yet another problem affecting the environment - and what a list of problems! - pollution, acid rain, climate change, the destruction of rainforests and other wild habitats, the decline and extinction of thousands of species of animals and plants and so on. Nowadays, most of us know that these threats exist and that humans have caused them. Many of us are very worried about the future of our planet and unless we can find a way of solving the problems we have made then the environment will suffer even more. It all sounds so depressing - but we certainly mustn't despair! Every one of us, whatever age we are can do something to help slow down and reverse some of the damage. We cannot leave the problem-solving entirely to the experts - we all have a responsibility for our environment. We must learn to
live in a sustainable way i.e. learn to use our natural resources which include air, freshwater, forests, wildlife, farmland and seas without damaging them. As populations expand and lifestyles change, we must keep the world in a good condition so that future generations will have the same natural resources that we have.
Complete the following quiz (Click on the blue word or the picture below) and you will discover some interesting facts about yourself!
Now you can play a game and have some fun! (Click on the link blue word or the picture)
With this interactive you can discover how green you are at home. Click on the house or the blue word and then on each room items!
Many things we buy have unnecessary amounts of plastic and paper around them. (Power point plastic bags) In case you can’t use audio visual aids, a copy on paper is enclosed with the didactic unit.
Conclusion: Now write a brief paragraph in which you express your attitude before and after working with this unit.
Look at the poster. Here you can get some ideas for your group Project. Can you guess?
When you buy a new toothbrush, what do you do with the old one? Throw it in the dustbin? I’d rather you didn’t because there are lots of ways of using it for other purposes. And the same is true about other devices. Here is a list of ideas: Choose the correct verb form in each sentence to make the text complete.
Toothbrushes: Old toothbrushes can use / be using / be used in the kitchen cleaning around the kitchen sink, including the taps. Your keyboard and monitors can cleaned /clean / be cleaned with an old toothbrush. Your lips may make /be made / made softer by brushing them gently with an old toothbrush. Silver objects will be cleaned / cleaned/ cleaning perfectly. Old toothbrushes can also use / used / be used for cosmetic purposes: clumps on your eyelashes will removed / removing/ be removed very easily.
The following ideas are about old plastic bags. Change them into the Passive Voice.
Old Plastic Bags You should cut them into strips and knit the strips into a stronger reusable shopping bag. _________________________________________________________________ You can keep bags in your car to help keep it tidy. You may need them if you stop at the supermarket __________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ If you have pets, you can use plastic bags to clean out the litter box _________________________________________________________________ When you take your dog for a walk, you may tie a couple of bags to the leash handle so you will always have a bag available to pick up the poop. __________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ You should take them with you to the grocery store. You can reuse them and you needn’t buy new ones. __________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
Use the given words and write down what could be done with old CDs and DVDs. Use the Passive Voice again. Don’t forget to add some extra words e.g. prepositions!
CDs and DVDs They / can / decorate / stickers. _________________________________________________________________ Designs / may / draw / them / markers _________________________________________________________________ Artwork / can / create / discs _________________________________________________________________ Discs / may / mould / hot water. Then / they / can / cut / different shapes / scissors _________________________________________________________________ They / mustn’t / put / oven. _________________________________________________________________ Junk CDs / can / turn / a disco ball _________________________________________________________________ Your mirror / may / decorate / old CDs _________________________________________________________________
How creative are you? Here is a list of different things that you usually get rid of, although they could be reused. Come up with as many suggestions as you can. Use the Passive Voice.
Empty Beer/Coke Cans: _______________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Broken Cups/Vases/Plates: _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
Old Toys _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
Old Socks/Stockings/Tights __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________
Old Magazines/Newspapers _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
Beginning 1
Developing 2
Very Good 3
Exemplary 4
Score
Pair work
You haven´t worked in pairs.
You have shared your ideas and listened to your partner.
You have worked together with your partner sharing your ideas and solving any conflict
You have worked side by side solving any possible problem with respect.
%20
Individual Performance
Your collaboration has not been as much as should be. You have played a passive role.
You have collaborated with your partner but you has not shown a good attitude towards the tasks.
You show respect to your partner´s ideas and interest when doing the tasks. You have done a good job!
You show respect, interest and master of new technologies. You are a great partner!
%20
PowerPoint Presentation
Some significant grammar mistakes. Very simple presentation with no images. Don´t follow the guidelines.
Very few grammar mistakes. Good presentation but no creativity.
Not too many grammar mistakes. Well-organised presentation.
No significant grammar mistakes. Creative presentation. Text and pictures well-balanced.
%30
Oral Presentation
You haven´t prepared your presentation. You read what it was written.
Low accuracy when speaking and don´t look at the audience.
Your language is accurate but you speak too low and you are very serious.
You speak clearly and loudly. Very good pronunciation and body language.
%30
Total Score: %100
always
sometimes
never
I have done my homework on time. I have respected my partners’ opinions. I have helped my partner or the members of my group.
YES
With difficulty
NO
I can say things about the topics of this unit and about an important person. I can read web sites and find information. I can understand oral presentations and listenings. I can write about an important person. I can use the grammar rules explained in this unit
YES I know new things about the environmental factors . I know new things about disasters and their consequences. I know things about The London Fog, , The Great fire of London, The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico or the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. I have learnt new vocabulary about environmental issues I have learnt how to be greener.
NO