Nareefa N. Bacchus Grade 8 Science. Conserving resources Nareefa N. Bacchus Grade 8 Science.

first OF ALL, WHAT IS CONSERVATION? Conservation means saving, preserving, or not wasting. This presentation will discuss the ways we can save resources.

Natural Resources: things that exist in nature that we use for survival. Natural resources are parts of the environment that are useful and necessary for the survival of living things. Natural resources are the raw material that organisms use for survival or to enhance life. Some natural resources are plentiful while others are scarce.

Renewable resources Renewable resources are any natural resources that is recycled or replaced constantly by nature. In other words, these resources can be regenerated as it is being used up. Renewable resources can be replaced quickly by nature. For example, sunlight, water, plants, animals, etc. This resource is inexhaustible and constant in supply.

Non renewable resources Non-renewable resources are used up more quickly than they can be replaced by natural processes. Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced quickly by nature. For example, petroleum, diamonds, metals, phosphorous, etc.

Supply and demand Supply is the amount of resources available. Demand is the need for the resources. Supply= resources present Demand= resources needed

Fossil fuels There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. Coal, oil, and natural gas are renewable resources that supply energy. Fossil fuels are NON-RENEWEABLE RESOURCES.

ISSUE WITH USING FOSSIL FUELS. Fossil fuels must be burned to release the energy stored in them. The issue with this is that the burning of fossil fuel results in air pollution due to release of carbon dioxide which further contributes to global warming. So the carbon dioxide that is released from burning fossil fuels go into the atmosphere and depletes or thins the ozone layer. The thinner the ozone layer becomes, the more harmful UV rays from the sun penetrates the earth. This increases the overall temperature of the earth which leads to a host of other issues.

Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuel

FIXING THE ISSUE So how do fix the issue of using fossil fuels? We could first start by minimizing the use of fossil fuels (conservation). We can also use alternatives to fossil fuels, which are other forms of energy such as: wind power, water power, nuclear power, geothermal energy, solar energy, etc.

Fossil fuel conservation Switch off the lights when you leave the room. Turn off the television when not in use. These actions reduce your use of electricity which often is produced in power plants that burn fossil fuels.

Alternative to fossil fuel Alternatives to fossil fuels include: water power, wind power, nuclear power, geothermal energy, and solar energy.

ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL: 1. WATER POWER 2. WIND POWER 3. NUCLEAR POWER 4. GEOTHERMAL ENEGRY 5. SOLAR ENERGY 6. SOLAR CELLS

POLLUTION POLLUTION: “this is the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects”.

Types of pollution 1. Air Pollution 2. Water Pollution 3. Soil Pollution 4. Visual Pollution 5. Noise Pollution (You might be familiar with this one). 6. Acid Precipitation

AIR POLLUTION When burning fossil fuels to release energy, carbon dioxide is also released. This carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere and it depletes the ozone layer. In other words, the carbon dioxide makes the ozone layer thinner. The thinner the ozone layer becomes, the more UV rays from the sun hits earth thereby increasing the overall temperature. This leads to issues such as: 1. Cancer, because the UV rays are harmful and can change your DNA resulting in cancer. 2. The increased temperature of the earth can cause glaciers to melt, thereby leading to increased sea level, and potential flooding.

ACID PRECIPITATION 1. What is acid rain? Water vapor condenses on dust particle in the air to form droplets that combine to create clouds. Eventually, the droplets become large enough to fall to the ground as precipitation. Air pollutant from burning fossil fuels can react with water to give strong acids. 2. Effects of acid rain? Its washes away the nutrients from the soil which can lead to death of trees and other plants. The acid rain can also runoff from the soil and into lakes or ponds. This may hinder plant growth in the water which makes the fishes unable to eat. (this can lead to a bigger problem, of the fish population dying). 3. Preventing acid rain? One way of preventing acid rain would be to reduce the amount of fossil fuels being burnt, thereby reducing the amount of pollutant in the air and thereby, reducing the amount of acid rain.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT Greenhouse Effect: this is heat-trapping. As the sun projects its UV rays onto Earth, some are trapped by certain gases in the atmosphere, while some are reflected back into space. The rays that are trapped contribute to keeping the earth warm. Without this greenhouse effect, the earth would be too cold to support life of various organisms. GLOBAL WARMING- this refers to the temperature increase of the earth as a whole. It is not significantly clear as to whether this increase in temperature is caused entirely by human activities or if its just a naturally occurring phenomenon.

Changes caused by global warming 1. Changing rainfall patterns which could alter ecosystems and affect the kinds of crops that can be grown in different parts of the world. 2. The number of storms and hurricanes may increase. 3. Polar ice caps or glaciers will start to melt increasing sea levels, causing flooding. 4. The warmer climate may lead to an increase in tropical diseases. 5. There may be an increase in the population of people with skin cancer because the UV rays can hinder and change a person’s DNA. (And the list goes on).

THE THREE RS OF CONSERVATION 1. REDUCE 2. REUSE 3. RECYCLES

REDUCE You contribute to conservation whenever you reduce your use of natural resources. For example, you use less natural resources when you walk or ride a bike as opposed to using a car or taking the bus.

REUSE Another way to help conserve natural resources is to use items more than once. Reusing an item means using it again without changing it or reprocessing it. For example, take your own reusable shopping bag to the supermarket as opposed to using paper or plastic bags every time.

RECYCLE If its not possible to avoid using an time, and if its not possible to reuse it. Then the next best option would be to recycle it. Recycling is a form of reuse that requires changing or processing an item or natural resources. Materials that can be recycled incudes glass, metal, paper, plastic, and yard, and kitchen waste, etc.

LA FIN