What is the difference between ecology and environmental conservation?
Write a 500 word essay on how the increase in human population is threatening our existence on earth.
What does the term "death" of a lake or river mean? Is there a lake or river in your area or country that is classified as "dead"?
Carry out a stream investigation of a small stream flowing through or near your home town. Check for the following:
Signs of Purity
Abundance of small fish present
Water visually clear and fresh smelling
Stream banks covered with vegetation down to water's edge
Small amounts of green algae in water (light green in color)
Some aquatic plants present such as cattails, arrow leaf, or pickerel weed
Turtles present in the stream
Crayfish under stones in the stream
Sandbars covered with growing weeds indicating relatively stable water level
Signs of Stream Deterioration and Death
Large masses of blue green algae present (dark green in color)
Scoured banks from high water level during storms
Putrid smell of the water
Detergent foam present
Trash sticking out of mud and sand bars along the stream
Water loaded with silt
No aquatic insects or fish present
Presence of raw sewage
Presence of oil on surface of the water
No salamanders or frogs under rocks along stream bank
Stores or small factories dumping their wastes into the stream
If your stream is showing some of the above signs of death, do something about cleaning it up. Go talk to the people responsible for its contamination or pollution. Most people don't think about such things and are only too glad to cooperate if made aware of the situation. Organize a group of young people to help you to clean up the trash along your stream. Get businessmen to supply trucks or pick ups to help your campaign.
Make a visit to the city or regional trash dump to see how this waste is handled. Find out:
How many tons of trash are dumped daily? Yearly?
What attempts are made to recycle any of this trash?
Is any of the trash burned or is all of it buried?
What is the cost per person, per year, for handling trash in your town?
What happens to junked autos in your area?
Make a visit to the nearest sewage plant. Draw and label a detailed diagram of what happens to the liquid and solid wastes from the time they come into the plant until they leave. In what form do they leave? Is any further use made of this waste?
Where possible, visit a water purification plant. Construct a flow diagram of the steps in water purification from the time the water enters the plant until it leaves for distribution to homes and stores. Through reading and discussion with water works officials, determine whether water resources in the future are going to be enough to meet the demand.
Read and write a book report on an environmental issues book such as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.
What are rare and endangered species? Determine what efforts are being put forth to protect such species in your area. What can you do to help?
