The “Big 3” Current Events

Directions: We’ve identified the “Big 3” for environmental issues as being Pollution, Extinction,
and Resource Depletion. Today you will need to find a current event for each category.

Places to look for current events if you need help:

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/topic/earth-environment
https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/environmental_science/

Pollution
Title of Article:
Where is this taking place? Everywhere

Paragraph Summary Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the

environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants.
Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also
be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced
by factories.

Why is this a problem? because it is destroying the environment we live in,

contaminating our food and water, causing diseases and
cancers in humans and wildlife, and destroying the air we
breathe and the atmosphere that protects us from harmful
ultraviolet radiation.

How is it being resolved? reducing toxic emissions from industrial sources, reducing
emissions from vehicles and engines through new stringent
emission standards and cleaner burning gasoline

Extinction
Title of Article:
Where is this taking place? In all kinds of species

Paragraph Summary Extinction is the dying out of a species. Extinction plays an

important role in the evolution of life because it opens up
opportunities for new species to emerge.

Why is this a problem? The current extinction crisis is entirely of our own making. More
than a century of habitat destruction, pollution, the spread of
invasive species, overharvest from the wild, climate change,
and population growth.

How is it being resolved? Parks, wildlife refuges, and other open space should be
protected near your community. Support wildlife habitat and
open space protection in your community.

Resource Depletion
Title of Article:
Where is this taking place? In many places

Paragraph Summary
Resource Depletion occurs when the renewable and non-
renewable natural resources become scarce because they are
consumed faster than they can recover. The term resource
depletion is commonly associated with water usage, fossil fuel
consumption, trees and fishing.

Why is this a problem?
Depletion of finite resources such as oil, gas, useable water or
minerals is likely to impact on world GDP well before the worst
impacts of global warming. The two together are likely to
constrain world food production seriously, particularly in
countries with high population densities or insufficient fertile
lands.

How is it being resolved?
Rotating crops and planting cover crops helps to keep soil
healthy. Using fewer chemicals and integrating biological pest
control and natural fertilizers can help, as well. Precision
agriculture, which uses technology to optimize resource use,
can help farmers use less fertilizer, pesticides, water and other
inputs.

Question: Which of the articles do you think is a bigger issue? Explain.

Extinction because Humans are causing other species to become extinct by hunting,
overharvesting, introducing invasive species to the wild, polluting, and changing wetlands and
forests to croplands and urban areas. Even the rapid growth of the human population is causing
extinction by ruining natural habitats.