When nature produces waste, it recycles it all!

Today we produce a lot of rubbish, and most of it ends up under ground. How much of all this waste could be recycled?

Step 1

Look at the content of your rubbish bin, and see what you have thrown away (do it outside on newspaper).

Weigh the contents and separate them, e.g. glass, food waste, plastics, textiles, paper and metals.

• You should have your parents' permission (or help) before doing this.
• Wear a pair of washing-up gloves and old clothes.
• Be very careful with broken glass and sharp edges of cans as you could cut yourself and get infected!
• Never taste or inhale unknown substances!

Step 2

How much of this rubbish do you think can be recycled or put back into nature's natural cycle? You can contact your local environmental or conservation group for ideas on how you can recycle some of your rubbish. Find out where your nearest recycle centre is!

Here are some examples to get you started!

Paper

• Many charities and organisations collect old newspaper and magazines to be recycled. You can try and contact those in your area.
• There are also recycle bins at supermarkets.

Glass

• There should also be bottle-banks for bottle and jars at your nearest supermarket, or at your nearest recycle centre.
• You can ask your local authority about this.
• There are different colours of glass, make sure you separate them, and put them in the right recycle bin!

Aluminium cans

• Aluminium cans can be washed and crushed and taken to a recycle centre. Again, there should be one at your nearest supermarket, if not, contact your local authority or look in the yellow pages.
• At concerts, fairs, and other events, you could be paid for every can you collect!
• Only aluminium can be recycled not other ones! To find out if a can is made of aluminium, use a magnet! Aluminium cans are NOT magnetic, others are!

Organic Waste

• This is anything that will rot (vegetables, fruits…). You can use it as compost for your vegetable garden, and if you do not have one, you can start one!

Plastics

• Plastic bottles and containers are usually all recyclable, you should also be able to find a recycle bin for plastics at your recycle centre.
• You can probably crush some of them (some plastic bottles for water have now been designed for this), and then it will take less space in the bin.
• You could find out if your council collects them from your house.

Step 3

• Hopefully, you should have nothing left. But if you do, it is probably rubbish like chemicals, plastic bags and non-aluminium cans, these cannot be recycled at the moment.
• Weigh this waste - the less there is the better! See if you can reduce it in the future, for example, you could start buying products with less packaging or by always taking with you the same bags when you go to the shops.

Source : http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/recycling1.html

Rain is very important for life. All living things need water to live, even people.

Rain brings us the water we need. But in many places in the world even where you live, rain has become a menace.

Because of pollution in the air, acid gases from factories, cars and homes, the rain is becoming dangerous for the life of every living creature.

This rain is known as 'acid rain'.

WHAT IS ACID RAIN?

Acid gases are produced when fossil fuels like coal and oil are burned in power stations, factories and in our own homes. Most of these acid gases are blown into the sky, and when they mix with the clouds it can cause rain - or snow, sleet, fog, mist or hail - to become more acidic.

The opposites of acid are alkalis; for example, toothpaste and baking powder are both alkalis. Strong alkalis can also be dangerous, such as ammonia and bleach.

Lemon juice, vinegar and cola are all acidic. Rain is naturally acidic, but acid gases make it even more acidic, sometimes as acid as lemon!

Nature can also produce acid gases, such as volcanoes. When they erupt, the smoke that comes out of the crater is also full of acid gases.

HOW DO WE MEASURE ACIDITY? There is a special scale called the pH scale that measures the strength of acids and alkalis. A low pH number means something is acid. A high number means something is alkali. And something in the middle is called neutral. Acidity can be tested using litmus paper. Usually rain is a little acidic, and has pH of about 5.5, if the pH of rainfall is less than 5.5, then the rain is probably polluted by acid gases. Acids turn litmus paper red, and alkalis turn it blue. With a special paper called universal indicator, you can test levels of acidity.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN GASES THAT CAUSE ACID RAIN? When we burn fuels, chemicals called 'sulphur' and 'nitrogen' are released into the air. Once in the air, they mix with water in the air - rain, snow, etc - and are transformed into different chemicals called 'sulphur dioxide' and 'nitrogen oxides', which can be very dangerous for plants, animals and people. Most of the 'sulphur' comes from power stations, which make electricity, and also from volcanoes. Most of the 'nitrogen oxides' come from car and truck exhausts. We call 'air pollution' the bad gases that we produce and release in the air. 'Sulphur dioxide' and 'nitrogen oxides' are the most important causes of acid rain.

A PROBLEM ALL OVER THE WORLD

Air pollution can be carried over long distances. When acid gases are released, they go high up in the sky, and then they are pushed by strong winds towards other countries.

The acid rain in Sweden is caused by air pollution in Britain and other countries of Europe. The pollution produced in Britain ends up mostly in Scandinavia - countries in northern Europe including Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

In the USA, the winds blow the air pollution to certain areas in Canada.

HOW BAD IS ACID RAIN?

When rain is acidic, it affects what it falls on: trees, lakes, buildings and farmland. Sometimes rain is not very acidic and does not cause a lot of problems, but when it is acidic, it can be very harmful to the environment.

TREES AND PLANTS

Acid rain can have terrible effects on a forest. The acid takes away important minerals from the leaves and the soil.

Minerals are like vitamins for trees and plants. Without them, trees and plants cannot grow properly. They lose their leaves and become very weak. They are no longer strong enough to fight against illnesses and frost. They become very ill and can even die.

Some soils are alkaline, when acid rain falls on them the acid becomes neutral. Plants and trees living on these soils are not in any big danger..

LAKES AND WATER LIFE

Acid rain has a terrible effect on water life. Even if the acid rain does not fall straight into the lake, for example, it may enter from rivers and streams. Some of the life in the lake such as fish and plants may end up dying, because they cannot survive in acidic lakes.

Thousands of lakes in Scandinavia have no more life in them. They have received so much acid rain for so many years, because of the winds pushing the acid gases, that nothing can survive.

You can recognise a lake dead from acid rain by its clean and crystal clear water. But they look clean because there is very little living in them anymore. Tiny plants and animals are mostly unable to survive..

OUR HEALTH

Particulates - very small particles of debris found in some of the air pollution - are one of the main causes of health problems. In towns and cities, these are released mainly by diesel engines from cars and trucks.

When we breathe in air pollution, these very fine particulates can easily enter our body, where they can cause breathing problems, and over time even cause cancer.

Water we drink from taps can be contaminated by acid rain, which can damage the brain..

BUILDINGS

Acid rain can also ruin buildings because the acid eats into metal and stone. It also damages stained glass and plastics. Some types of building materials are softer than others, and it is the softer ones which are most affected by acid rain. Sandstone and limestone are examples of stone which are fairly soft and are damaged easily. Granite is an example of a harder stone that can resist the effects of acid rain.

In many places in the world, ancient and famous buildings and monuments are affected by acid rain. For example, the Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, has had to be restored because of acid rain damage. Buildings are naturally eroded by rain, wind, frost and the sun, but when acidic gases are present, it speeds up the erosion.

Source : http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/acidrain.html

The Earth is wrapped in a blanket of air called the 'atmosphere', which is made up of several layers of gases. The sun is much hotter than the Earth and it gives off rays of heat (radiation) that travel through the atmosphere and reach the Earth. The rays of the sun warm the Earth, and heat from the Earth then travels back into the atmosphere. The gases in the atmosphere stop some of the heat from escaping into space. These gases are called greenhouse gases and the natural process between the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth is called the 'Greenhouse Effect', because it works the same way as a greenhouse. The windows of a greenhouse play the same role as the gases in the atmosphere, keeping some of the heat inside the greenhouse.

THE NATURAL GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The atmosphere has a number of gases, often in tiny amounts, which trap the heat given out by the Earth.

To make sure that the Earth's temperature remains constant, the balance of these gases in the atmosphere must not be upset.

The GREENHOUSE GASES are very important and are mainly: water vapour occurs naturally in the atmosphere. carbon dioxide produced naturally when people and animals breathe. Plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide to live. Volcanoes also produce this gas. Carbon dioxide is not the same as carbon monoxide (See Air Quality) methane comes from cattle as they digest their food. The gas also comes from fields where rice is grown in paddy fields. nitrous oxide when plants die and rot, nitrous oxide is produced. ozone occurs naturally in the atmosphere.

THE ENHANCED GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Some of the activities of man also produce greenhouse gases. These gases keep increasing in the atmosphere. The balance of the greenhouse gases changes and this has effects on the whole of the planet.

Burning fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas - releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cutting down and burning trees also produces a lot of carbon dioxide.

A group of greenhouse gases called the chlorofluorocarbons, - which are usually called CFCs, because the other word is much too long! - have been used in aerosols, such as hairspray cans, fridges and in making foam plastics. They are found in small amounts in the atmosphere. They are dangerous greenhouse gases because small amounts can trap large amounts of heat.

Because there are more and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped which makes the Earth warmer. This is known as GLOBAL WARMING.

A lot of scientists agree that man's activities are making the natural greenhouse effect stronger. If we carry on polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, it will have very dangerous effects on the Earth.

THE EFFECTS

With more heat trapped on Earth, the planet will become warmer, which means the weather all over Earth will change. For example, summers will get hotter, and winters too. This may seem a good idea, but the conditions we are living in are perfect for life, and a large rise in temperature could be terrible for us and for any other living thing on Earth.

At the moment, it is difficult for scientists to say how big the changes will be and where the worse effects will occur.

The Weather

In Britain, winter and summer temperatures will increase and the weather will be warmer. In winter it may also rain more but in summer it may become drier.

In other parts of the world, the effects will be different, some places will become drier and others will be wetter. Although most areas will be warmer, some areas will become cooler. There may be many storms, floods and drought, but we do not know which areas of the world will be affected.

All over the world, these weather changes will affect the kind of crop that can be grown. Plants, animals and even people may find it difficult to survive in different conditions.

Sea Levels

Higher temperatures will make the water of the seas and oceans expand. Ice melting in the Antarctic and Greenland will flow into the sea.

All over the world, sea levels may rise, perhaps by as much as 20 to 40 cm, by the beginning of the next century.

Higher sea levels will threaten the low-lying coastal areas of the world, such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Throughout the world, millions of people and areas of land will be at danger from flooding. Many people will have to leave their homes and large areas of farmland will be ruined because of floods. In Britain, East Anglia and the Thames estuary will be at risk from the rising sea.

Farming

The changes in the weather will affect the types of crops grown in different parts of the world. Some crops, such as wheat and rice grow better in higher temperatures, but other plants, such as maize and sugarcane do not. Changes in the amount of rainfall will also affect how many plants grow.

The effect of a change in the weather on plant growth may lead to some countries not having enough food. Brazil, parts of Africa, south-east Asia and China will be affected the most and many people could suffer from hunger.

Water

Everywhere in the world, there is a big demand for water and in many regions, such as the Sahara in Africa, there is not enough water for the people. Changes in the weather will bring more rain in some countries, but others will have less rain.

In Britain, the Southeast will be at risk from drought.

IN DANGER!

Plants & Animals

It has taken million of years for life to become used to the conditions on Earth. As weather and temperature changes, the homes of plants and animals will be affected all over the world.

For example, polar bears and seals, will have to find new land for hunting and living, if the ice in the Arctic melts.

Many animals and plants may not be able to cope with these changes and could die. This could cause the loss of some animal and plant species in certain areas of the world or everywhere on Earth.

People

The changes in climate will affect everyone, but some populations will be at greater risk. For example, countries whose coastal regions have a large population, such as Egypt and China, may see whole populations move inland to avoid flood risk areas. The effect on people will depend on how well we can adapt to the changes and how much we can do to reduce climate change in the world.

Go to the next sheet on the Ozone Hole.......

Source : http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/globalwarming.html

Agenda 21

Agenda 21, established at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, or "Earth Summit", in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the blueprint for sustainability in the 21^st century. Agenda 21 is a commitment to sustainable development, which was agreed by many of the world's governments. Nations that have pledged to take part in Agenda 21 are monitored by the International Commission on Sustainable Development, and are encouraged to promote Agenda 21 at the local and regional levels within their own countries. Agenda 21 addresses the development of societies and economies by focusing on the conservation and preservation of our environments and natural resources.

The Conventions, Principles and Declarations of the Earth Summit, provide guidelines to deal with the problems of poverty, hunger, resource consumption and the deterioration of ecosystems. Agenda 21 provides a format for this to happen, detailing an action plan for sustainable development and establishing targets for actions that combine economic development and environmental protection. Agenda 21:

• Is the blueprint for sustainability in the 21^st century.
• Provides options for combating the deterioration of land, air and water, whilst conserving habitats and their diversity.
• Deals with poverty, over consumption, health and education.
• Promotes roles for all. Everyone – governments, business, trade unions, scientists, teachers, indigenous people and youth – have roles to play in achieving sustainable development and should be involved in the decision making processes.
• Encourages the reduction of environmentally and socially detrimental processes, but within a framework which allows economic success.

Presently a nation’s wealth is gauged by its financial standing, and the more money the better. Agenda 21 promotes the attitude that a nation’s wealth should also account for the full value of its natural resources. Agenda 21 also encourages nations to consider the costs of environmental degradation. In addition, to reduce the risk of damage, environmental assessments should be carried out and where degradation does occur, those responsible should bear the costs.

Agenda 21 highlights the need to eradicate poverty. One of the major problems facing poorer nations is their lack of resources and ability to live sustainably. Developed nations have taken on the responsibilities of assisting poorer nations to reduce their environmental impacts and achieve sustainable development.

Agenda 21 asks governments to integrate sustainable development into their national strategies and highlights the importance of involving non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public in the process. For sustainable development to work, issues must be tackled on a local, national and international level and nations must work ‘towards international agreements which respect the interests of all and protect the integrity of the global environmental and developmental system.’

Source : http://www.sustainable-environment.org.uk/Action/Agenda_21.php

Environment > Air Pollution

One of Earth's most important natural resources is its atmosphere. The atmosphere contains air without which plants and animals could not survive. It contains greenhouse gases which keep the planet naturally warmer than it would be otherwise, maintaining an average global temperature above freezing that allows water to exist in its liquid state, a necessary condition for most life. If mankind is to protect and preserve this unique natural resource for future generations as well as other ecosystems, it must continue to address the problem of air pollution which affects the atmosphere from the local to the global scale.


Air Pollution and concern about air quality are not new. Complaints were recorded in the 13^th century when coal was first used in London. Since the middle of the 19^th century, the atmosphere of the major British cities was regularly polluted by coal smoke in winter, giving rise to an infamous mixture of fog and smoke known as smog.

In the 1970s the transboundary effects of industrial air pollution become known as acid rain. Acid rain is a widespread term used to describe all forms of acid precipitation such as rain and snow. Atmospheric pollutants, particularly oxides of sulphur and nitrogen react with water in the atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acid, causing precipitation to become more acidic when converted to sulphuric and nitric acids, hence the term acid rain. Acid deposition, acid rain and acid precipitation all relate to the chemistry of air pollution and moisture in the atmosphere. Scientists generally use the term acid deposition but all three terms relate to the same issue.

Acid rain is particularly harmful to vegetation as the acid in the rain changes the pH of the soil and leeches away important minerals. The amount of acid rain that an ecosystem can tolerate is known as its critical load. After the sulphuric and nitric acids have formed in the atmosphere, they can travel long distances with the wind before being deposited. In fact, much of the acid rain found in Scandinavia originated from the UK. In response to these problems, a number of agreements, including the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (Geneva, 1979), have set out to reduce acid rain.

Although acid rain remains an international concern, poor air quality in cities is now considered to be a more pressing environmental problem. Today poor air quality can be mainly attributed to the production and consumption of energy, industrial processes and road transport. The main pollutants associated with poor air quality are sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulates (PM₁₀), and volatile organic compound (VOCs). These pollutants can lead to respiratory problems, particularly amongst the young and elderly.

Transport in particular is becoming an increasing source of air pollution. The transport related problems experienced now are likely to worsen according to the projected increase in traffic. Individually, a vehicle engine is not a particularly important source of pollution. Collectively however, vehicles represent a major source of air pollution in the UK and throughout the world. The best way to reduce the threat of air pollution is to use cleaner fuel and less of it, and to adopt more sustainable modes of transport like public transport, walking and cycling.

The UK Government has recognised the problems that air pollution causes for the environment and for society and in 1997 published the first National Air Quality Strategy, setting air quality standards for today and making commitments to achieve new air quality objectives by 2005.

Source : http://www.sustainable-environment.org.uk/Environment/Air_Pollution.php

Berita Hari Ini

Environmental and Sanitation

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