Name Class Date

CHAPTER 4 Environmental Problems and Solutions

2 Environmental Solutions
SECTION

National Science
BEFORE YOU READ Education Standards
After you read this section, you should be able to answer LS 5c
these questions:
• What is conservation?
• What are some things people can do to protect the
environment?

How Can People Conserve Resources?

As the human population grows, it will need more STUDY TIP
resources. People will need food, health care, transpor- Organize As you read,
tation, and ways to get rid of wastes. All of these needs make a Spider Map to show
different ways you can help
will affect the Earth. If people don’t use resources wisely, protect the environment.
people will continue to pollute the air, soil, and water.
More natural habitats could be lost and many species
could die out. However, there are many things people can
do to protect the environment.
Conservation is the protection and wise use of natu-
ral resources. When you conserve resources, you use
fewer of them. Conservation not only keeps us from
using up resources, but also reduces waste, pollution, and
habitat destruction. For example, using a bike instead of
a car can save fuel and help prevent air pollution.
There are three ways to conserve resources: Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle. These are known as the three Rs. READING CHECK
1. List What are the three Rs
of conservation?

TAKE A LOOK
2. Infer How is the girl with
the bag reducing her use of
resources?

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SECTION 2 Environmental Solutions continued

READING CHECK
3. Identify What is the best
way to conserve resources?
REDUCE
The best way to conserve resources is to use fewer of
them. Using fewer resources also helps reduce pollution
and the amount of waste we produce.
Almost one third of the waste produced by some coun-
tries is packaging material, such as boxes, plastic bags,
and paper. Wrapping products in less paper and plastic
reduces waste. For example, fast-food restaurants used
to serve sandwiches in large plastic containers. Today,
many wrap food in thin paper instead. Paper is biode-
gradable. Biodegradable means that living organisms,
such as bacteria, can break it down.

In addition to reducing waste, people need to reduce

the amount of nonrenewable resources they use. For
example, scientists are looking for sources of energy that
can replace fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. One way to
use fewer nonrenewable resources is to use renewable
resources, such as solar and wind energy.

TAKE A LOOK
4. Identify Are the people
living in this house using a
renewable or nonrenewable
resource for energy?

The people who live in this house use solar panels to get energy from the sun.

Scientists are also studying energy sources such as wind,

tides, and waterfalls. Car companies have developed auto-
mobiles that use electricity and hydrogen for fuel. Driving
these cars uses less gas and oil, and produces less pollution.
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Interactive Textbook 52 Environmental Problems and Solutions
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SECTION 2 Environmental Solutions continued

REUSE
Every time you reuse a plastic bag, one bag fewer
needs to be made. This also means that one bag fewer
will end up in a landfill. Reusing products is an important
way to conserve resources. Critical Thinking
You can reuse many things. For example, clothes 5. Identify Relationships
can be passed down and worn by someone else. Sports How are reducing and
reusing related?
equipment can be repaired instead of being thrown away.
Builders can reuse materials such as wood, bricks, and
tiles to make new structures. Even old tires can be used
again. They can be reused for playground surfaces or
even in new homes.

This home is made of reused tires and aluminum cans

American homes use about 100 billion liters of

water each day. When you wash your hands or take a
shower, most of the water goes down the drain. This
is called wastewater. No new water is ever made on
Earth. Wastewater eventually returns to Earth as rain in
the water cycle. However, this takes a very long time.
Because of this, many communities are learning how to
reuse, or reclaim, wastewater. READING CHECK
Reclaiming wastewater allows people to use the same 6. Explain What does
water for more than one thing. One way to do this is to reclaiming wastewater mean?
clean the water so that it can be used again. Some organ-
isms can be used to filter water and take out many of the
wastes. These organisms include plants and filter-feeding
animals, such as clams. The reclaimed water may not be
pure enough to drink. However, it can be used to water
crops, lawns, and golf courses.
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Interactive Textbook 53 Environmental Problems and Solutions
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SECTION 2 Environmental Solutions continued
Say It
Investigate Find out where
in your neighborhood you
can take materials to be
recycled. Does your city or
town pick up recyclables?
What sort of things can you
recycle in your community?
Share with the class what
you learn.
READING CHECK
7. Identify What is one
problem with burning
garbage to make electricity?
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Interactive Textbook
Class Date
RECYCLE
Recycling is the recovery of materials from waste. This
means that new products can be made from old products.
A material that can be recycled is recyclable. Some recy-
clable items, such as paper, are used to make the same kind
of product. Other recyclable items are made into different
products. For example, yard wastes, such as dead leaves
and cut grass, can be recycled into a natural fertilizer.
Paper
Plastics Aluminum
Common Recyclables
Cardboard Wood
Glass
Recycling newspapers could save millions of trees.
Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than turning
raw ore into aluminum. Glass can be recycled many times
to make new bottles and jars. This uses less energy than
making new glass.
Burning some wastes can produce electricity. Using
garbage to make electricity is an example of resource
recovery. When companies make electricity from their
waste products, they save money and conserve resources.
However, some people are concerned that burning wastes
for electricity pollutes the air.
A waste-to-energy plant can provide electricity for many homes and businesses.
54 Environmental Problems and Solutions
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SECTION 2 Environmental Solutions continued

How Can People Help Maintain Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is important because each species has a
unique role in an ecosystem. Losing one species could
affect the entire ecosystem. Biodiversity also protects
against the spread of disease. For example, if a disease
spreads in a forest that has only one species, the entire
forest may be destroyed. If there are many different spe-
cies, a disease is not likely to affect them all. READING CHECK
8. Identify Give two reasons
PROTECTING SPECIES that maintaining biodiversity
One way to maintain biodiversity is to protect individual is important.
species. In the United States, a law called the Endangered
Species Act was designed to do just that. An endangered
species is one that generally has few individuals left.
Without protection, an endangered species may become
extinct. Scientists identify endangered species and put that
species on a special list. The law forbids activities that
would harm any species on this list.
The law also requires recovery programs for endangered
species. This means that scientists work both to protect
existing individuals of an endangered species, and to
increase the population. To help some species recover,
scientists remove individuals from the wild to breed
them. This is known as captive breeding. It can help
some species produce more offspring than they would in
the wild. READING CHECK
Individuals that are bred in captivity are often released 9. Explain What is the
back into the wild. However, this is not a solution for purpose of a species recovery
all endangered species. Many species are endangered program?
because their habitats have been destroyed. They may
have no habitat left to return to. These species can only
survive if their habitat is protected as well.

Captive-breeding programs
have helped the population of
California condors to grow.

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Interactive Textbook 55 Environmental Problems and Solutions
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SECTION 2 Environmental Solutions continued

PROTECTING HABITATS
Scientists want to keep species from becoming endan-
gered. They don’t want to wait until a species is almost
extinct before they try to protect it.
Plants, animals, and microorganisms depend on each
other. Each is part of a huge, interconnected web of
organisms. To protect the web, whole habitats need to be
protected, not just individual species.

Say It
Describe Have you ever
visited a nature reserve or
national park? Tell the class
about your visit. If you have Nature preserves are
never been to a reserve or large areas of public
national park, tell the class land set aside for
about the kind of park you wildlife. They can
protect important
would like to visit. habitats.

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
Laws have been passed to help protect resources and
preserve habitats. By following these laws, people can
help the environment. People can also use the following
environmental strategies.
• Reduce pollution. Recycle as much as possible and
buy recycled products. Do not dump wastes in forests,
lakes, rivers, or oceans. Participate in a local cleanup
Critical Thinking project.
10. Infer How could • Reduce pesticide use. Use pesticides that work only
recycling help protect on harmful insects. Use natural pesticides whenever
habitats? possible.
• Protect habitats. Preserve entire habitats. Use fewer
resources, such as wood and paper, that can destroy
habitats.
• Learn about local issues. Research how laws or
projects will affect your area, and let people know
about your concerns.
• Develop alternative energy sources. Use fewer
nonrenewable resources, such as coal and oil. Use more
renewable resources, such as solar and wind power.
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Interactive Textbook 56 Environmental Problems and Solutions
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SECTION 2 Environmental Solutions continued

EPA
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is a government organization. Its job is to help
protect the environment. The EPA keeps people informed
about environmental problems and helps enforce envi-
ronmental laws.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Protect the Earth. These
are jobs for everyone. Children and adults can help clean
up the environment. As they improve their environment,
they improve their quality of life.

How You Can Help the Environment

1. Volunteer at a local preserve or nature center, and help

other people learn about conservation.
2. Give away your old toys.
3. Use recycled paper.
4. Fill up both sides of a sheet of paper.
5. Start an environmental awareness club at your school
or in your neighborhood.
6. Recycle glass, plastics, paper, aluminum, and batteries.
7. Don’t buy any products made from an endangered plant
or animal.
8. Turn off electrical devices when you are not using them.
9. Wear hand-me-downs.
10. Share books with friends, or use the library.
11. Walk, ride a bicycle, or use public transportation.
12. Carry a reusable cloth shopping bag to the store.
13. Use a lunch box, or reuse your paper lunch bags.
14. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
TAKE A LOOK
11. Apply Concepts Next to
15. Buy products made from biodegradable and each item in the figure, write
recycled materials. whether the activity is a way
to reduce, reuse, or recycle.
16. Use cloth napkins and kitchen towels. Some items might have more
17. Buy things in packages that can be recycled. than one answer.
18. Use rechargeable batteries. 12. Identify Circle five
things in this figure that you
19. Make a compost heap. could start to do today to
help the environment.

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Interactive Textbook 57 Environmental Problems and Solutions
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Section 2 Review NSES LS 5c

SECTION VOCABULARY
conservation the preservation and wise use of recycling the process of recovering valuable
natural resources or useful materials from waste or scrap

1. Define What does biodegradable mean?

2. Describe Decribe one way that water can be reclaimed.

3. Identify What are two roles of the EPA?

4. Explain How would driving a car that uses hydrogen for fuel be helpful to the
environment?

5. List Name six materials that can be recycled in many communities.

6. Explain What is the purpose of the Endangered Species Act?

7. Apply Concepts How is using cloth napkins an example of both reusing and
reducing?

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Interactive Textbook 58 Environmental Problems and Solutions
 E Environmental Science Answer Key continued

Chapter 5 Energy SECTION 2 FOSSIL FUELS

1. from fossil fuels
Resources 2. mostly in Texas and Oklahoma
SECTION 1 NATURAL RESOURCES 3. heating
1. any natural material that people use to fulfill 4. Tiny sea creatures die and are buried in
their needs sediment. Over time, their remains become
2. Possible answers: water, air, coal, metal natural gas.
3. a resource that cannot be replaced as fast as 5. Petroleum occurs naturally as a liquid.
it is used 6. 7%
4. Many renewable resources are renewable
12%
only if people do not use them too quickly. If Middle East
they are used too quickly, they become non- North and South America
renewable resources.
15% Africa
5. Possible answer: Nonrenewable resources Europe and Asia
should be conserved so that we don’t use them
66%
up. Renewable resources should be conserved
so that they have time to regenerate.
6. Instead of... You can...
...keeping your home very ...use less heat and air 7. lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite
warm in the winter and conditioning.
very cool in the summer, 8. anthracite
...taking long, hot ...take shorter showers 9. Fossil fuels are fairly cheap and are very
showers, and use less hot water. compact sources of energy. We now rely on
7. Fewer natural resources and less energy are fossil fuels.
needed to make recycled objects than to 10. rain, sleet, snow that contains a lot of acid
make new objects.
Review
Review 1. Petroleum exists as a liquid in its natural state.
1. A renewable resource can be replaced as Natural gas exists as a gas in its natural state.
fast as it is consumed. A nonrenewable 2. Kind of fossil What it is How it forms
resource cannot. fuel
2. Turn off the water when you brush your Coal a solid fuel Partly
teeth. Wash only full loads of laundry. Turn made from plant decomposed
matter plant matter is
the lights out when you leave a room. Use put under heat
both sides of a piece of paper. and pressure.
3. In most cases, wood can be replaced at the Natural Gas a mixture of Tiny sea
rate at which it is consumed. If people gases containing creatures die
carbon, and are buried
use it faster than it can grow back, it is a hydrogen, and in sediment.
nonrenewable resource. oxygen
4. Conserving resources means using only Petroleum a mixture of Tiny sea
what you need and protecting resources, liquids containing creatures die
carbon, and are buried
even when you are not using them. hydrogen, and in sediment.
5. They take millions of years to form. oxygen

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Interactive Textbook Answer Key 33 Environmental Science