Conserving Earth’s Resources P.Lobosco

Earth’s Resources  Today, Earth’s population continues to grow even as the resources shrink.

Fossil Fuels and Minerals  Fossil fuels and minerals are nonrenewable resources. Fossil fuels and minerals can be conserved by saving energy and by recycling.

Energy Conservation  Use energy efficient light bulbs.  Turn off lights when they are not needed.  Turn off television when you are not watching it.  Take a quick shower instead of a bath.  Fix leaking faucets and pipes.  Use the clothes washer and dryer only for full loads.  Thaw frozen foods.

Energy Conservation  Cook the entire meal in the oven instead of using several burners.  Make sure refrigerators and freezers are properly sealed.  Set the thermostat as low as possible.  Use the dishwasher only for full loads.  Allow dishes to air dry.

Energy Efficiency  Conserve fossil fuels by using them more efficiently. More efficient cars use less gasoline. Smaller cars also use less gasoline. Adding 100 kilograms to the mass of a car increases its consumption of gasoline by 6 %. Driving slowly also saves gasoline. Use public transportation. Walk or ride a bicycle.

Recycling  Keep minerals in usable form by recycling. If recycling becomes an accepted part of everyday life, existing mineral resources would last longer, less land would be dug up and destroyed in the search for new mineral resources. The solid-waste problem would also be reduced. Recycling also contributes to energy conservation.

Pollution  Pollution is the release in to the environment of substances than can change the environment for the worse. If nothing is done to prevent pollution, the problem will only get worse as the human population increases. All parts of the environment are interrelated. Anything that damages one part can also damage other parts.

Protecting the Environment  People can prevent pollution by using energy wisely and be discarding wastes safely.

Safeguarding the Air  Gases and particles given off when fossil fuels are burned are called emissions. Some pollution-causing emissions are given off. These emissions include the poisonous gas carbon monoxide as well as nitrous oxides and sulfur oxides which cause acid rain when they react with water vapor in the air.

Reduction of Polluted Emissions  Improve emission control devices. Scrubbers can be used to wash suspended particles and sulfur oxides out of smokestack. Car emissions can be reduced by catalytic converters. A catalytic converter changes the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and water vapor. Pass a stronger Clean Air Act.

Greenhouse Effect  The carbon dioxide released into the air by automobiles and the burning of fossil fuels by industries contributes to the green house effect. The greenhouse effect has resulted in rising temperatures that are affecting the Earth’s climate resulting in melting ice caps an d more turbulent weather. Find and use alternative fuels.

Safeguarding our Water  In 1972 and 1974, the United States Congress passed two laws to fight water pollution. They were the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of Both of these laws were intended to stop the flow of untreated wastes into waterways form point sources. Point sources include sewers and pipes through which wastes are discharged.

Sewage Treatment Plants  Towns and cities were not required to build sewage-treatment plants or to improve existing plants. Such plants clean wastewater before it is discharged in to waterways. Similar treatment plants purify water for drinking. Industries were now required to clean their wastewater before releasing it into lakes and streams.

Nonpoint Sources  Nonpoint sources of water pollution include sanitary landfills that ooze poisonous liquids and industrial waste ponds that leak into the surrounding ground. Nonpoint sources also include illegally dumped hazardous wastes and runoff of pesticides and fertilizers. This are most harmful to the environment. They are also difficult to find and clean.

Solutions  Hazardous waste dumps must be checked carefully for leakage. Whenever possible hazardous waste should be properly disposed off at the factory.This is often difficult and expensive.