this issue

Exploring the Earth From the Inside

Special Edition

Community Night 2015

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Wenonah Elementary School

Class 5-3

ISSUE 2

March 2015

What do you think about when you hear the

words “geothermal energy”? Volcanoes? Power

plants? Here’s two words that probably don’t

come to mind: powering homes.

Governments may not know much about the

downside of geothermal energy, but this kind of

power is needed to make a change for our future.

A Giant Egg

Geothermal energy is the energy that powers our

homes, cities, and other buildings. Even though

some people might think that geothermal energy

is wrong, they don’t realize that it creates less

damage to the environment.

Geothermal energy comes from inside the Earth.

If the Earth were an egg, it would have a shell,

and other materials inside it. That’s what the

Earth is like. The shell is the Earth’s crust, and the

other materials are the core and magma. That’s

where geothermal energy comes from.

Energy Efficient

Geothermal energy is a

renewable resource. It is

also environment-

friendly and it gives us

energy. Some people also

use it for light and

heat. There is also

something called pow-

er plants. Power plants also help generate power.

The three types of power plants are called dry-

steam, flash, and binary.

Dangers All Around

Even though geothermal energy is useful, there are

some other negative issues that go along with it.

One of these issues is that it pours toxins into drinking

water. Therefore, drinking water is getting polluted.

Even when people are drilling the energy out of the

ground, it’s causing the effect of global warming. That’s

another one of these issues.

Even geysers and volcanoes are powered by this type of

energy. Geothermal energy causes geysers and volca-

noes to grow and explode. This way, people could lose

their homes, or their lives.

Old Faithful is a geyser at Yellowstone

National Park in Wyoming.

Energy Everywhere

by Allyson Bernardo

Power plants are a safe way

to generate energy.

Powerful Power Plants

Power plants are a safe way of getting and generating energy.

Dry-steam power plants are built by steam fields, which are very rare. This is how dry-steam power plants gener-

ate energy. First, it transforms magma heated water into steam. Then, the steam is piped up to the surface.

A flash power plant uses water from 360oF–700oF. The water keeps getting heated until it’s super heated. When

the water is super heated, it’s pumped to the surface and sprayed into a low-pressure flash tank. The water even-

tually turns into water vapor and then into steam.

In binary power plants, geothermal energy is transferred to a binary liquid, which is also called a secondary liq-

uid. Two examples of binary liquid are isobutene and isopentane. Binary power plants transfer warm water that

is eventually flashed (transformed) into steam. That steam is then cooled down and reused.

Now that you know a lot more about geothermal energy, it is up to you to decide if geothermal energy is helpful,

or harmful.

In a "dry steam" power plant the steam is

released from the pressure of a deep res-

ervoir, through a rock catcher, and then

past the power generator turbines.

Flash Steam Power Plants are the

most common form of geother-

mal power plant.

Binary plants, like dry-steam and flash-steam plants, make use of

naturally sourced hot steam generated by activity from within the

Earth's core.

How do you heat your home? Natural gas? Oil?

Wood burning fire place? Everyone needs some

kind of energy to heat their home. Natural gas may

seem like the best way, but fracking is causing a

problem. Some people say fracking is dangerous,

but some people say it has some advantages. Peo-

ple needs to know the facts about fracking to

make an informed decision.

WHAT IS FRACKING?

Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas

from underground from a rock called shale rock.

Do you know how people get the natural gas out

of the ground? They are have to drill down in the

ground about a half a mile down to get the natural

gas they

need. How

does the pro-

cess of frack-

ing create

fractures? It

extends from

wells into oil

and gas for-

mations. People do this by pumping highly - pres-

surized fluid, water, sand, ceramic beads, and a

mixture of chemicals into the oil or gas formation.

PROS OF FRACKING!

Fracking has many benefits. One benefit is that

North America has a lot of natural gas “locked” in

bedrock shale formations underground. This

means the United States can be energy independ-

ent, and also be able to export natural gas. Another benefit

is using natural gas to heat and power our car. The natural

gas that is produced from fracking releases far fewer car-

bon emissions than fossil fuels.

CONS OF FRACKING

Fracking has many cons! One downside to fracking is that

companies do not have to tell people which chemicals they

use, or the formula of the mixture in the process of frack-

ing. Another downside is fracking uses millions of gallons

of water to extract natural gas. For example, in Michigan,

more than 35 million gallons of pure fresh water were tak-

en from near by aquifers to use for fracking. This is the

highest in the nation. A third downside is water for fracking

is taken to well sites using heavy trucks. Fracking is done

day and night, so it creates noise and light pollution.

Fracking has its advantages and disadvantages. Some peo-

ple think it is bad, others think the opposite. Every person is

entitled to their opinion. Now it’s time for you to decide.

As you see that the drill is underground and hits

the shale rock. That is where natural gas comes

from!

Fracking Mania

by Aaron Poletski

Natural gas cracks from shale up

to the well.

Fracking has been going on for at least 15 years

and is still going on today. Fracking gets natural

gas out of the ground and can help us with oil. But

Fracking hurts the environment in the process, so

stop fracking because more bad is happening than

good!

What is Fracking

Fracking is a drilling

technique used for ex-

tracting oil or natural

gas from deep under-

ground. It also involves

using huge amounts of

water, sand, and

chemicals (slickwater) deep underground (which

we can’t get back) into rock formations to access

valuable oil and natural gas.

How Fracking Hurts The Environment

Fracking caused a rare earthquake in Ohio. Ac-

cording to researchers fracking may lead to more

man-made earthquakes. Fracking can also harm

animals and contaminate our ground water, which

is water we drink. Fracking can also contribute to

the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Fracking is becoming popular. For example, In

2000, there were about 276,000 natural gas wells

in the United states. But by 2010, that number

had almost doubled to 510,000 according to the

U.S. Department of energy (DOE). According to a

2014 study, at least 15.3million Americans have

lived within a mile of a fracking well since 2000. Frack-

ing also destroys the ozone and hurts the atmosphere

which is how we end up like Mars.

How Fracking Helps Us

Fracking is a really good source of energy and when

natural gas is used in place of nuclear fuel to generate

electricity, it ends up saving water. It also makes it so

there is no mercury, sulfur dioxide, and ash in the air.

Fracking reduces the use of fossil fuels, like oil and coal.

Fracking may be a good source of energy, but we’ll end

up like Mars because fracking destroys the ozone layer

and Mars has no ozone layer. If you think fracking is a

good thing then when the world blows up, you’ll be like

this guy.

How We End Up Like Mars

By Andrew Pawlak

It’s here! Imagine people are safe inside. Some stuck

at friends’ houses. The television is on. No one pan-

ic, its going to be alright.

Everyone still indoors, a few still outdoors, lots of

damage will be done. Earthquakes are extremely

dangerous.

What Can Happen During An Earthquake?

During an earthquake, lots of damage occurs. For

example, when two tectonic plates under earth’s

surface collide, it causes an under-

ground shaking. The shaking vi-

brates and everything on earth’s

surface, collapses or falls

down, and creates a lot of

damage.

During earthquakes, objects fall and break. Objects

crash down on the ground and papers float around

everywhere. Most objects blow around and don’t

stop. Keeping windows shut is the best way to pre-

vent papers from blowing around everywhere.

What Can We Do To Protect Ourselves?

To protect yourself during an earthquake, the best

thing to do is stay together under a sturdy object

like a table or desk. For example, if you are under

something sturdy, how is something going to fall on

you? It won’t! That’s the good thing about tables

and desks. They prevent objects from falling on top

of you.

Another thing to do is, to go in an area that doesn’t

have a lot of high up objects that can fall on you. For

example, people move high up objects down onto

the floor, so they don’t fall and break.

How Can We Prevent So Much Damage?

To prevent so much damage during an earthquake, you can

put as many fragile objects on the floor. Also, you can put

every kind of high up objects on the floor just in case. An-

other way is, put important objects on the floor, so they

don’t fall on top of you.

Where Do We Go During An Earthquake?

During an earthquake, the best place to go is under a sturdy

table or desk. Some people may ask why will this help us?

Others say that the table or desk will fall on top of you, but

it won’t. That’s the good thing about tables and desks, noth-

ing will fall on you.

What Can Experts Tell Me About Earthquakes?

Experts say that earthquakes are extremely dangerous. Ex-

perts say they are dangerous because think of everything

that can possibly happen during an earthquake. For exam-

ple, heavy objects will fall off shelf’s and break or even fall

on you and really hurt you.

What Does It Look Like After An Earthquake?

After an earthquake, some people think oh everything looks

the same as it did before, but it

doesn't. Earthquakes don’t just

cause a lot of damage, but they

also leave a big mess to clean up

after. The mess they make aren't

always easy to clean up.

Surviving an earthquake is easy

once you know what to do. Earthquakes may do a lot of

damage and destruction to our environment, but people

protect themselves from being harmed in many different

ways. All you need to do now is to see what it was like for

others to survive an earthquake to know what it will feel like

to lose many things.

o

Many people have lost

homes in and during an

earthquake.

Many buildings have

been destroyed and

knocked down.

This person has nowhere to go.

Willing to Survive

by Briana Edgar

Arctic rescue, animal shelter. Animals, plants,

land, and sea, who can’t speak for themselves are

dying because of us. If we don’t stop the Arctic

could be in danger, so can the animals and plant

life that live there. The Arctic Nation-

al Wildlife Refuge has about 1.2 mil-

lion acers of land. Let’s save all of

that for the animals not for drilling.

What is ANWR?

Have you ever heard of

ANWR? Well they need

help to save the animals that are living in the Arc-

tic. That is why it’s called the Arctic National Wild-

life Refuge. There are oil spills happening, and

there has been some drilling in sensitive habitats.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the

largest ecosystems in the world. Originally ANWR

was ANILCA also known as the Alaska National In-

terest Lands Conservation Act.

Oil Drills Are No Good

Drilling can have a

chance for oil spills. This

is fatal to all animals

and plant life, but

even more deadly in

sensitive habitats.

These animals are dying. Also they are in more

danger here because of the cold climate. Oil spills

can effect animals and plants that are living in the

Arctic. Although only 10 percent of the Arctic Ref-

uge is used for drilling, the coastal plain has been at the

center of an ongoing debate over oil and natural gas

drilling for more than 30 years.

Drills Are Worse Than Oil Spills

Drilling for oil is extremely dangerous for all animals.

Drilling may be dangerous to all animals, but drilling in

sensitive habitats is even worse and

even more dangerous. One major prob-

lem is ANWR could be disturbed by hu-

man interaction, and animals’ lives pos-

sibly could be changed in the

process.

To Wrap Up the Arctic

All of this put together why mankind is doing all of this,

we don’t care about these dying and sick animals. We

just drill where they live and destroy where they call

home for our benefit of oil and natural gas. Why would

you take a chance on killing any animal when there is

even more oil and natural gas in other places besides the

Arctic? Drilling for oil and gas may seem necessary but

you are killing animals in the process.

Did You Know?

In 1960 President Eisenhower put ANWR aside, and to

this day it remains the only National Wildlife Refuge

established “for the purpose of preserving unique wild-

life, wilderness, and recreational values.

This is one of the 37 land

mammals that are being

harmed due to oil drilling

in sensitive habitats.

This is part of the mil-

lions of acres of land that

belongs to ANWR.

This is the oil that

should not be getting

drilled for cars or any-

thing else.

What about the aquatic

animals in this water.

They are dying because

of drilling for oil and

natural gas . Is this what

we want to watch?

ANWR to the Max

by Bryanna Pero

Diamonds are made of carbon under the earth for

100s of years . Miners mine the carbon and it be-

comes a diamond.

How Are Diamonds Mined?

Here comes the most rariest gem in the world. The

diamond BOOM! In mining Kimberlike shafts are

sunk some distance from the blue ground pipe.

Tunnels are then driven from the mine shaft to the

pipe. Elevators take the Kimberlike above ground

where it is processed .

Cutting and Polishing a Diamond

When diamonds are mined they look like frag-

ments of glass. Two or more gems are usually cut

from a rough stone. Diamonds are first split or

sawed along the grain of the stone.

How Industry Uses Diamonds

Diamonds are used for a lot of things. They use

them for tools and jewerly. Engineers use diamond

tipped, hollow steel bits for

drilling. Did you know it

takes a diamond to cut a

diamond?

Diamonds may be white

or any of several colors.

As is seen in these three famous gems the blue

hope, the white great mogul, and the yellow tiffany dia-

mond.

Colorful stories surround many of

the world’s greatest diamonds. The

Regant, or Pitt Diamond was discov-

ered in India in 1701. It was later

worn by Napoleon who had it set

into the hilt of his sword. The Or-

lov, also of Indian in 1701, was

later worn by an admirer to the Russian empress Cathe-

rine II, who had it mounted onto the Romanov imperial

scepter . The star of the south, one of the largest stones

ever found in brazil, was discovered in 1853 by a slave

named Gavin . They only gave her freedom if she gave

them the stone.

Many Famous Diamonds

Many diamonds are state owned to crown jewelers. On

the other hand, the other diamonds are transferred to

museums or privately owned.

These are ways that diamonds are mined, their popular-

ity, how industries use them, and cutting and polishing

them.

Yellow Tiffany, The

White Great and The

Red Diamond

This is a white dia-

mond oval cut.

Diamonds

by Christian Lanuto

The United States alone consumes about 7 bil-

lion barrels of oil per year. Combined with other

countries, we consume a lot of oil. In fact oil/gas

company, B.P., estimates that we only have some-

where between 50 and 250 years left of oil! If we

don’t stop offshore drilling, we may never see oil

again!

What Is Offshore Drilling ?

Offshore Drilling is a process which oil is drilled

from about 7,000 or more feet down below by a

huge lumbering oil rig

above the ocean surface.

First, the oil rig drills

down until it finds a large

amount of oil. Then they

send a tube down from

the oil rig and take the oil.

It may not seem like drill-

ing oil out of the ground

is dangerous, but the

slightest mistake can be

devastating to nature.

The Pros of Offshore

Drilling

There are some pros of offshore drilling starting

with the fact that if the U.S.A continues offshore

drilling, we would get oil independently and not

from other countries. Another way we would be

benefitted by encouraging offshore drilling is that

we will have lower gas prices and the drilling will

be unseen and unheard. So honestly, its not all

bad.

The Black, the Sticky and the Ugly of Offshore Drilling.

Instead of searching for more efficient and safe ways to

use alternative energy sources, we are continuing to use

up all of our oil in dangerous and risky ways. Maybe you

are changing your mind about offshore drilling, but there

is still more you need to know. If you think oil is the only

thing that comes up when offshore drilling takes place,

you’re wrong. Deadly chemicals such as mercury, lead

and arsenic come up and go into our waters and can

harm sea life. We need to protect our waters and put a

stop to offshore drilling.

How Humans Are Affected

Wildlife isn't the only thing in danger when we offshore

drill, humans are affected to. Here’s why. Offshore drill-

ing doesn't only bring up these deadly chemicals, it also

produces a waste product and harmful smoke. Also, in

rare cases a huge oil spill can cost millions or billions in

cleanup damage and loss of oil. Now let’s put a stop to

offshore drilling.

Offshore drilling may seem good in some ways on the

economic side, but the disadvantages far outweigh the

advantages.

What Can You do About it?

Unless you’re the president or in charge of the whole

world, there’s not too much you can do. A first easy step

could be something like telling people about the dangers

of offshore drilling.

Oil Aboard!

by Christopher Caputo

Offshore Drilling is the

reason why eleven

workers died on an oil

rig in the Gulf of Mexico

when the oil rig explod-

ed. It’s also to blame for

spreading harmful oil

for more than 45,000

square miles in the Gulf

of Mexico.

To the right there is a pic-

ture of an oil rig that would

be used in offshore drilling.

This is the area of

water where an oil

spill has happened

causing black and

sticky water.

There is more then one reason the earth is

heating up that you might not know about. The

Earth is heating up from geothermal energy. It is a

energy that can heat homes, but beware it’s dan-

gerous and hopefully you will chose what you

think is good for the world.

How Geothermal Energy Will Doom Us All

Geothermal energy starts as steam and after-

wards becomes energy at a factory that takes the

steam and hot water from the ground and com-

presses it into en-

ergy. Geothermal

energy has some

downsides. One

thing is it can get in

the atmosphere.

Since the steam is

still inside the gas

when it gets in the atmosphere, it heats up caus-

ing global warming and destroys the ozone layer,

which will allow solar flares to destroy earth. So

lets stop geothermal energy!!!

How Geothermal Energy Is Helping Us

There are some things that make geothermal en-

ergy negative, but it’s not all negative. Here’s two

things that make it positive. One thing is it heats

our homes, so we don’t freeze and another thing

is it gives us light so we can see, so it’s not as bad

sometimes.

Places With Geothermal Energy and How It’s Formed

There are very little amounts of places that have geo-

thermal energy, but it’s steam spreads. Here are the

places it has been used. It’s been used in western united

states, new Zealand, Iceland, and Italy. How geothermal

energy’s resources were created was some people have

no idea, but you will find out now so listen up! Some

geothermal energy was left behind from when the

world was forming or some of it was a result of decay of

radioactive elements like uranium.

You chose what you think is right about geothermal en-

ergy. Is it bad or is it good? Chose a decision your com-

fortable with the out come of. If you chose that it’s bad,

then you probably know what’s going to happen. If it

doesn’t stop, the earth will heat up too much to the

point we could dehydrate in minutes. If you chose good,

then let’s just hope that all the people that chose bad

are wrong in the future and the world doesn’t heat up

to that point or worse.

This is a diagram of the cycle

of geothermal energy.

Should We Stop Geothermal Energy?

by Colin Herr

Behold the Expensive Gold

by Daniel Ilardo

In the earth people do things that are not good

to do. For example gold mining. Gold mining is a

terrible thing to do because it destroys the

earth. Come explore and find out how!

What Is Gold Mining?

Gold mining is when you destroy mountains,

habitats and the whole earth just to find a min-

eral. The worst thing about that is the destroy-

ing the whole earth

thing. If they keep

mining for gold, good

luck surviving.

How Does Gold Min-

ing Effect the Earth?

Gold mining effects the

earth by destroying

habitats of endangered

species. If gold miners keep mining for gold,

those animals will be extinct. Additionally when

the gold miners mine, toxic substances are re-

leased into the earth due to gold mining.

What Is Dirty Gold?

Dirty gold is used to buy weapons from people

with illegal weapons to start mini wars. If people

start mini wars, then it will turn into a ginor-

mous war.

How To Mine For Gold

There are many different ways to mine for gold.

One way is to pan. Panning is when you put a

bucket with holes in the water and you look for gold.

Another way is surface mining. Surface mining is when

you use large equipment to mine such as draglines or

shovels. Another method is long wall mining. It is sec-

ond to the underground coal mining system. It formed

in Europe, but now is popular in the U.S. because of it’s

greater safety. The last method is pillar mining. In pillar

mining interconnected tunnels are formed. Gold is

loaded onto a mechanized loading machine.

How Is Gold Mining Dangerous?

Gold mining is dangerous by releasing a toxic sub-

stance into the earth. Gold mining has destroyed land-

scapes and contributed to destruction of important

ecosystems. To limit the environmental damage, min-

ers often contract dams and place toxic waste inside

the dams. Gold mining also caused a global health cri-

sis using mercury. 15 million gold miners release about

10,000 tons of mercury each year. Mercury is it is a liq-

uid metal used to extract gold from the other rocks.

Go Green And Stop Gold Mining

If you want to make a change in the world, start here

and stop gold mining . Mining for gold is causing major

destruction to the environment

If miners keep mining for gold they will destroy the

earth. The earth is important to all people and if min-

ers keep going banana's looking for gold, good luck

surviving!!!

This picture is a tool that

gold miners use. This is also

an example of how they

also take away the earth

and destroy it.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Boom! The

sound awoken me in the middle of the night. I

looked out the window. I saw a huge hole in the

ground. I started to panic. Then I woke up my

mom and dad. They saw the hole. The hole was

even bigger now. We all were panicking now.

Then all of us ran to my brother’s room and woke

him up. We rushed outside to see what was go-

ing on. It was a deep hole. A sinkhole! Sinkholes

can cause injury or death. They can be really dan-

gerous.

What Are Sinkholes?

Sinkholes are a deep hole in

the ground that appear out of

nowhere. Roads and buildings

can hide sinkholes. As the

hole is forming, the cement

keeps it covered up. Once a

bus car or truck drives near the hole, the road

weakens. The weight of the vehicle cracks the

road. Suddenly, the ground opens into a sink-

hole. If the whole is big enough, a hole car might

fall in!

Types of Sinkholes

Sinkholes form two

different ways. One

happens more quickly

than the other. A col-

lapse sinkhole moves

quickly, but a subsidence sinkhole moves a lot

more slowly. Collapse sinkholes are much rarer

than subsidence sinkholes. Even though collapse

sinkholes are much rarer than subsidence sink-

holes, collapse sinkholes are far more dangerous. The

wreck of the Summer Bay Resort is an example of a col-

lapse sinkhole.

Watch Where You Build

Sinkholes can happen almost anywhere in the world. In

the U.S., sinkholes form most often in Alabama, Florida,

Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Tex-

as. Mostly, sinkholes form in Florida. If you look at a

map of Orlando, Florida, where Disney World is, you’ll

see lots of circular lakes surrounding the city. Those

lakes were formed by sinkholes. Disney World has to be

careful about where they place the rides and buildings.

You wouldn't want to be on a ride and end up at the

bottom of a sinkhole!

An example of a dangerous sinkhole happened on Feb-

ruary 3, 2014 at the Summer Bay Resort in Clermont,

Florida, near Disney. The hotel guests heard cracking

noises. The windows in their rooms began to shatter.

The guests felt shaking, and heard glass breaking. Next

thing, people are yelling, “Get out of the building! Get

out of the building!” The security evacuated all the

rooms. A sinkhole 100 feet wide had opened up in the

ground and the building col-

lapsed.

How Does a Sinkhole Form?

We already know that a collapse

sinkhole forms quickly. Below is

a step by step on how a sinkhole

forms.

1. Erosion carves out cavities in the bedrock beneath

the soil. Sediment flows down into a cavity through

cracks in the bedrock.

This is how a sink-

hole forms.

This is an example of

a Sinkhole.

Some sinkholes even happen

in the water.

The Ground Is Sinking!

by Daniel Story

2. Sediment keeps flowing into the cavity, but some of the soil particles catch against each other and forms

an arch over the hole.

3. The cavity grows larger over time but remains undetectable from the surface.

4. Eventually, the roof over the cavity collapses, creating a sudden and dramatic sinkhole.

The charming lakes in Disney were formed by sinkholes, however, sinkholes can be extremely dangerous. Sink-

holes can swallow up cars roads buildings and people. They begin to form deep in the ground, and when they

reach the surface, the ground starts to explode.

What’s the first thing to come to you’re mind,

when you think of the word “Fracking”?

Using Fracking

Fracking is a solution to squeezing more fossil

fuels through shale. Sound’s simple, but when

you hear the outcome you will think differently.

Fracking is harmful

to the environ-

ment. Some people

think fracking is

good, but the some people think fracking is

bad. A good thing is shale has natural gas in

the rock (shale). Fracking gives off less carbon-

dioxide. The gas recourses make Reservoirs.

That helps The U.S.A reduce independence on

foreign oil supplies.

Fracking also has nega-

tive outcomes. Serious

leaks of methane is

one downside to frack-

ing. Fracking can even

cause small earth-

quakes. Fracking also

needs many different

chemicals which

aren't good for the

Earth. Fracking causes

environmental chang-

es which aren't good

for the Earth or any-

where. Even President

Obama got involved.

It ruins our but also, animal’s.

WOW! Obama went to the place

where fracking originally started.

Here is a interesting factoid, the word “Fracking”

comes from Hydraulic Fracturing.

Harmful Outcome

Shale formations are typically fractured in many

places to extract fossil fuels. This requires multi-

ple routes for trucks, adding more pollution to the

air and more disturb-

ance of wildlife’s habi-

tats. Fish die when

“fracking” fluid con-

taminates streams and

rivers. Studies have

shown that leakage rates of more than about 3%

have happened in the past year.

Fracking also uses a lot of water. It uses as much

as 5 million gallons of water per well. It also uses

many toxic chemicals including methane and

naphthalene. About 25 % of “fracking” chemicals

could cause cancer, according to scientists. Evi-

dence is showing throughout the country that

these chemicals are making their way into aqui-

fers and drinking water. These chemicals can give

you cancer.

“Fracking” is bad for humans and for our environ-

ment. Make the right decision and help make the

earth Fracking Free and a better place. Fracking

pollution is going to harm the earth.

Please stop it in the process of hurting our homes

or anywhere else. It all depends on you and your

decision to make the world a better place.

“Fracking” for the Regular Person by Elizabeth Augelli

Gold, Gold, Gold Mining!

by Emily Ciulla

In 1848 a man named James Marshall saw

some shiny bits of gold in the American

River in Columba, California. Gold mining

is one way to get gold. A lot of people like

gold because it is shiny and pretty, so they

wear it on their necks, fingers and wrists

as jewelry called necklaces, rings and

bracelets. What you may not know is that

gold mining can be dangerous.

What Is Gold Mining?

There is many ways to get

gold. Gold mining is one

way. It’s one way to get

gold and a lot of people

have tried. By 1849 Califor-

nia’s population exploded

with people looking for gold. Some people

don’t like the thought of gold mining. For

example, it is one of the most environ-

mentally destructive forms of getting gold.

Is Gold Mining Dangerous?

Gold mining can be dangerous. Gold min-

ing is dirty, backbreaking and sometimes

violent. Some gold miners work by hand.

They use shovels, picks and pans to sift the

gold and gravel from streams and rivers.

Gold mining requires high-pressure hoses

and water to CRUSH and move huge rocks and

deep holes were made in valuable farmland.

Why Is Gold Valuable?

We all know that gold is

valuable, but why is gold

valuable? It’s shiny, use-

ful and it’s rare! Also,

gold is not always the col-

or gold. Gold can be

made into a different shapes, polished, carved,

rolled and can be made thinner by being ham-

mered down. Most importantly lots and lots of

people all over the world think it has value. Kids

like the crayon color and gold miners like it so

they get money.

You can get money from gold and

getting gold to get money means

gold mining. Also, gold mining can

be dangerous. Some people

don’t think its dangerous, but

you might think differently.

Gold jewel-

ry that

comes from

real gold.

Gold can be made

into a different

shapes.

Some tools miners used

for gold mining.

Gold mining can be very destructive to our envi-

ronment. Gold mining is difficult and dangerous

work to do. Gold mining is one of the most envi-

ronmentally destructive forms of mining.

Is Gold Mining Destructive?

Gold mining is destructive because gold mining

ruins landscapes, pollutes rivers with sulfuric acid,

and contributes to the destruction of the Ama-

zon. For example, the environmental damage left

by mining can last generations. First gold mining

often leads to a long lasting problem know as acid

mine drainage. The problem results when under-

ground rock is moved by mining. The gold is then

exposed to air and water. Once acid mine drain-

age starts, it is difficult to stop. Gold mining to-

day is still extremely harmful to our environment.

To limit the environment damage, mines often

construct dams and place the toxic waste inside.

In the last 500 years about 80,000 tons of gold

have been taken from the Earth.

What Is Gold Mining?

Gold mining is digging underneath the ground to

find expensive

and valuable

gold. Gold is very

hard to find and

mining it is very

dangerous work.

Digging deep in

the ground can

cause health prob-

lems and also physical conditions. Gold mining is

the process of mining gold or gold ores from the

ground. There are several tech-

niques and processes by which

gold can be extracted from the

Earth. Gold mining from alluvi-

um ores was once achieved by

techniques associated with

placer mining such as simple

gold planning and sluicing,

resulting in direct recovery of

small nuggets and flakes.

Placer mining techniques since the mid late 20 century

have generally only been the practice of artisan miners.

Hydraulic mining was used widely in the California Gold

Rush, and involved breaking alluvial deposits with high

pressure jets of water. Hard rock gold mining extracts

gold encased in rock, rather than fragments in loose sed-

iments, and produces most of the world’s gold.

Gold In Decoration

A great use of gold has been jewelry! You can’t use gold

for clothing because its to hard, but you can use it for

jewelry around your neck and wrist called necklaces and

bracelets and fine watches and rings. Many different ob-

jects are made out of gold! Alloys of the rare metal are

used as settings for the precious jewels in rings and

necklaces. Gold in smaller amounts also has a variety of

decorative uses. Many other metals are often coated

with thin layers of gold. Gold is commonly deposited

from a chloric or cyanide solution. Metals that are cov-

ered with gold are often used jewelry . Those covered

with gold by mechanical means, are termed rolled gold

(also rolled gold plates) or gold filled. An article de-

scribed as “130 10kt rolled gold plate” consist of base

metals covered with 10-karat gold, which makes up 120

or more of the article.

Gold mining is very dangerous work and very dangerous

to mine. Gold mining is one of the most environmental

destructive forms of mining!!!!

This is a pan of gold! A man

went to a river and found little

pieces of gold.

GOLD MINING! GOLD MINING! GOLD MINING!

by Emma Trippeda

Gold mines can contain much

gold or very little gold.

What’s a pipeline that travels crude oil from Cana-

dian ground to Oklahoma to Illinois right through

a major drinking source? Have you guessed it yet?

If you guessed Canadian tar sands you are right!

What Are Canadian Tar Sands?

Canadian tar sands are a source to get oil. It’s a

pipeline that travels crude oil. Some people say

it’s a fantastic idea, but on the other hand some

people say that it’s a horrible idea. But which

one?

Say Yes To Canadian Tar Sands!

Canadian tar sands can be a great idea in some

ways. One reason is we will get oil which is a non

renewable resource, so we need to take care of it

so we don’t run out. Meanwhile there is so much

oil in Canadian’s soil that will meet America and

Canada's needs and all of the oil is not being used

and we need it! Another reason is it will create

more jobs. The last reason why the Canadian tar

sands can be good is the place America is getting

there oil from is a not so friendly place.

Oh No! Don’t Say Yes!

On the other hand there are a lot more serious

issues and threats that are not worth a shot! One

reason is that in 2011 a

pipeline broke and

about 800,000 gallons

of oil spilled into a riv-

er which then polluted

the area and got into a

factory. Another reason is

when it got in the water it

killed the fish and turned the

water poisonous. The last rea-

son is that there was a major

increase in cancer cased by

the major destruction.

Get Up And Help!

There are many ways you

can help. One way is by

helping international stop

the tar sands by spreading

the word. Please

tell your family,

friends, neigh-

bors and anyone

else that you could tell. It would really help! Tell

the world! Another way that you can help is by

sending emails and putting up posters. Lastly you

can organize an event in your community to

spread awareness. This is a big way to spread your

word.

To those people who

think the Canadian tar

sands are a great idea

think again! A NASA sci-

entist named James

Hansen said “if

we fully devel-

op this field,

it’s essentially game-over for the clement”. I hope

you changed your mind about this deadly pipeline!

Tar Sand Attack

by Gabrielle Williams

The Karzoo River was

totally ruined because of

the oil.

The pipeline goes to Candida to the middle

of United States to the Gulf of Mexico.

Some people make signs and tell

their government how they feel.

People have got can-

cer and died because

the Canadian tar

sands.

What is fracking? Is it dangerous? What does it

do? Those are some questions you probably have

when you hear the word fracking. One question

that probably doesn't come to mind is, how can

we stop fracking?

Fracking is dangerous. It is harmful to the environ-

ment. Fracking may be beneficial, but the disad-

vantages far outweigh the benefits. You just need

the full scoop.

What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?

Hydraulic fracturing [better known as fracking] is a

way of extracting natural gas out of the ground.

The process of fracking starts with a tube drilled by

Petroleum Engineers 8,000 feet deep! That's long-

er than 1,000 pick up trucks lined up next to each

other. Then the fracking starts at a rock called

shale. The tube is horizontal inside the rock. Mil-

lions of gallons of water mixed with toxic chemi-

cals come

shooting through

the tube, and

those chemicals

can get into our

drinking water

making it toxic.

Then the rock is

fractured. The natural gas is released and caught

by the petroleum engineers like they’re playing a

game of catch. This process can be harmful to the

environment and make many people very sick.

Beneficial Energy

You may not know it, but fracking has a good side too.

The natural gases we collect from fracking are much

cleaner than coal or oil because it doesn't cause as much

pollution. We have lots of natural gases in the United

States, and we won’t run out for years, so even though

fracking may seem dangerous, it has some benefits too.

Danger, Danger!

Many people are excit-

ed about fracking, but is

fracking really good? To

be honest fracking caus-

es more pollution than

burning coal or oil when

the fracking process is

not done properly.

Fracking is also a cause

of global warming, and that’s a problem most people

want to stop. It is a cause to global warming because of

all the pollution fracking makes. Fracking has also

caused problems in the United States too.

There are dangerous chemicals used in the fracking pro-

cess. Those chemicals get into the air, and can poison tp

seep into our drinking water. Those chemicals are toxic

and can make someone very sick if they drink them.

Fracking also creates a large amount of waste water and

uses a lot of water. Millions of gallons of water mixed

with toxic chemicals are put into the ground, and that’s

enough water for a whole community to drink for about

a year. That water is then wasted.

Freaky Fracking! by Gianna Ferraro

The natural gas being pumped

up from this fracking station

has gone on fire and has made

the fracking well explode.

A well used to pump up

natural gas.

Fracking has also caused some major earthquakes

around the globe. This happens when the petrole-

um engineers take the tube out of the ground

when they’re finished and that leaves empty holes

in the ground. Petroleum engineers know about

the downside of fracking, but refuse to put a stop

to it.

Why Do We Need Natural Gases?

We need natural gases for almost everything we

use. Turning on the stove to cook food and heating

our homes to stay warm are examples of ways we

use natural gases. You would not be able to drive

your car to your local supermarket without natural

gas, however you could possibly have to walk or

ride a bike. Having a warm winter would be diffi-

cult without natural gases heating your home. If

we wanted to change back to coal energy there

would be twice as much pollution in the air, that

would mean more toxic gases that we’re breathing

in. Natural gas is more efficient than burning coal

or oil, and is used to run our daily lives, but we

need to find a more efficient way of getting natural

gases out of the ground.

People in Virginia protest to stop

fracking.

Stop The Fracking Fight!

Stop all the fracking madness! Many people don’t

know breathing the air near a fracking station can

make you very sick. Fracking can put your safety at

risk. We need to take charge and make a change,.

If we don’t stop the fracking fight now, we might

never be able to. If we stop fracking, it will cut the

level of toxic materials in the air in half. If more

people know about the downside of fracking it will

be possible to stop the fracking fight.

The fracking process.

No Drilling, No Spilling! by Grace Nolan

Imagine the ANWR habitat, which is home to many

animals like the Snowy Owl and the Caribou, filled

with millions of miles of pumping station and oil

drills. Would you like to live there and how would

you survive? If we don’t stop the government from

drilling oil, soon all the animals that live there will

die and may become endangered, or even worse

extinct.

What Is ANWR?

ANWR is the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. This 19

– million acre piece of land in Alaska, tis federally

protected by the government and they want to drill

oil there. If you

where in the gov-

ernment and you

got to decide

whether or not

you should

drill oil

there,

would you want to take that risk and drill oil there?

Oil Attack

Even though the land is

federally protected, oil

drilling might happen there

eventually. If they drill, the

government will be de-

stroying one of the last

unspoiled habitats in the

United States.

Since the oil may be

drilled, the United States will be closer to becoming

independent from foreign oil countries. But our

animal populations will go down, because if the

government puts in miles of pipe lines,

pumping stations, roads, and electric

plants that can cause oil spills.

The Debate

Many people have been debating

about whether to allow oil drilling

in the Artic or not. Even President

George Bush wanted to drill oil there, so it could create jobs for

people. Also he said, “It will take pressure off gas prices over

time.” But to allow the drilling, both congress and the administra-

tion office have to lift their bands.

Pros and Cons

There are many pros about drilling oil in ANWR habitat. One pro

is that if the government drills oil, we can use it to heat our

homes, so we can stay warm. Another pro is if they get the oil, we

could also use it as fuel for our cars. Also it will create jobs for

many people, so they can make some money.

There are also many cons about drilling oil in the Artic National

Wildlife Refuge. For example, one con is the drilling will spoil and

destroy one of the last unspoiled habitats in the U.S. Also the oil

could take years or even decades before it could be used for any-

thing. One last con is that the oil drilling involves processes that

can cause explosions deep down in the Earth. So if the govern-

ment drills oil, the inside of the Earth could go KABOOM!

Ways To Help

You can help ANWR in many different ways. One way to help is to

ask a U.S. representative to support the Udall- Eisenhower

Arctic Wilderness Act. Another way to help is to send a letter to

President Obama to show your support. You can also join the

Audubon Action Alert Network. Also you can donate money

online to Audubon Alaska to show your support. You can

show your support by doing any of these things and if we

act fast we can stop the oil from being drilled and the ani-

mals will be safe and their homes won’t be destroyed.

This is the ANWR habi-

tat that might be filled

with oil drills soon.

If we don’t stop the oil drill-

ing the animals in the habi-

tat will become covered in

oil just like this bird.

This is a map of Alaska that shows the

ANWR habitat where lots of animals live like

the wolverine and arctic fox.

What do you think when you hear the word

earthquake? Don t you think of the ground, shak-

ing, destruction of homes, buildings, restaurants

and homes of animals. That s what many people

think of when they hear earthquakes.

What s An Earthquake ?

An earthquake is two tectonic plates pushing

against each other and making a big scrape in the

ground. Then the ground starts to shake and

makes everything break, and it all falls down and

every thing will get destroyed.

Destruction Caused By Earthquakes

The diagram shows what a earthquake could do.

The top shows the before picture and the bottom

shows the after picture. Earthquakes can be very

destructive.

Resources Needed for an Earthquake

Buzzzz! Buzzzz! Do I hear the drilling alarm? Yep,

that s it. In that case Attention ladies and gentle-

men, get ready! For offshore drilling is going to

blow...your...mind!

Offshore drilling may seem dangerous and life-risking,

but the benefits will outweigh the dangers. You just

need a full pump

What Is An Oil Rig?

An oil rig is a pla orm where drillers extract oil from

deep below the ocean surface. What s inside is de-

pending on how big an oil pla orm is. It has space for

all the tools for drilling pumps and drills. That takes

up most of the space.

The rest is for the workers. If it s small, it could fit

small living areas places for visitors to stay, a kitchen,

and a cafeteria. However, if it s big, it can fit all of the

above, including a restaurant, a coffeehouse, a gym

or even a movie theater! So kick back and relax [for a

while. Then get back to work!]

How Did Offshore Drilling Start?

Offshore drilling started in 1869. In that same time, a

man named T.F. Rowland got a patent a writing from

the government recognizing as a property or idea of

an answer] for the first offshore drilling

pla orm. It was made to work in very shal-

low water but looked similar to many cur-

rant models. The whole structure was sup-

ported by 4 legs. In 1947, the first offshore rig was so

far out, it couldn t be seen from the tip of the Gulf of

Mexico! Oil rigs have been working offshore ever

since.

Isn t Offshore Drilling Dangerous?

Sometimes it s a bad thing. For example, many drilling tools

are sharp, powerful, and could hurt a driller if it s not used

carefully. Also, an oil well can have a blowout. Consequently,

it can make things quickly catch on fire or explode. Finally,

only one part of the deck is called a floor gate, which only

keep drillers from falling into the water and drowning or hit

ting their head at the end of the deck. It can be dangerous

on an oil rig.

So, How Is Offshore Drilling A Good Thing?

Sure it s dangerous, but it is a great thing to do, too. To sup-

port it, the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell said, The

President s decision will mean thousands of new jobs.

McDonnell also added, It will also help our nation take a

further step towards energy independence. Also, it could

provide America with substantial economic and geopolitical

gains. America imports approximately 60% of its oil, making

it vulnerable to leaders of oil-producing countries. Another

reason is that the O.C.S s [ Outer Continental Shelf s] oil re-

serves could sustain America for decades. So, our oil prices

would go down, not up. Plus it would cut down on air pollu-

tion. When oil is transported to America, it gives off more air

pollution. When we start drilling our own oil, it will divide all

of the air pollution in the world by a half. It really is better.

Good old oil. This time, American oil. Offshore drilling is way

better than getting it from other countries. No flex on

this one EIA [Energy Informational Association]. Offshore

drilling is a great thing. Should it stop? Or continue? It s

up to you to decide.

Offshore Drilling Oil A Perfect Patent by ulianne Amanatidis

Imagine you re on a cruise ship and you see men drill-

ing oil into a piece of ice and there s a polar bear

watching her home being destroyed. How would you

feel? Would you feel angry, upset, uncomfortable? You

would probably feel really guilty if you had to watch

that. Meanwhile, animals are dying and losing there

homes because of this stinky, gross, thick, hot oil. How

would you feel if you were that polar bear? With no

home or food, knowing you are going to die soon. Drill-

ing oil into the arctic habitats are harmful to the ani-

mals that are living there.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

What is ANWR? The Arctic National

Wildlife Refuge was established in

1960, and is 19 million acres of pro-

tected land in Alaska. ANWR pro-

tects the animals that live in the

area. Nature groups are working

together with ANWR to try and

stop people from drilling oil into

animals homes. They are living creatures too. Animals

have homes, food, and some have babies to take care

of. They don t need people drilling oil into their homes,

and ANWR is trying to prevent that.

How Oil Affects The Animals

I bet your wondering how the oil affects the animals?

Well oil can kill animals such as endan-

gered animals. If the oil kills the rest of

that animal population, then that animal

will never be seen again! The oilcan also

destroy animal habitats, and they

would be forced to move some-

where else. How would you like it if

someone drilled oil into you your

home and destroyed it? You would be forced to live

somewhere else also. Drilling oil into animals homes is wrong,

they deserve homes too.

Not ust The Animals

The drilling doesn t just affect the

animals it can affect us. Oil is toxic

and when we drill, gasses are re-

leased into the air. Drilling oil can also create oil spills that are

dangerous for the land which are not uncommon. We would

have drilling pads, factories, and huge pipe lines all over the

arctic! Close your eyes and think about it. You re driving by

beautiful icy land and right in the middle of it is a huge, smelly

factory with oil all over the ground, and right under it in the

soil are oil filled pipes. There are houses next to it and around

it! Would you want to live next to a smelly, dirty, disgusting

factory? I don t think you would.

How You Can Help

I hope you are wondering how you can help. Well, there are

many different ways. One way you can help is to send a letter

to the president. You can also support ANWR, which will help

a lot. You can also join a nature group that is working together

with ANWR. Animals are losing there homes and dying be-

cause of this matter. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is do-

ing everything they can to try and prevent the drilling. Please

support ANWR. The animals need your help.

If I were you I would definitely do something about this.

Please, help ANWR stop people from

drilling oil into animals homes. They

are dying because of this. Would you

want to die from smelly oil? I don t

think you would. Animals need our

help. We are the only ones who can do

something about it, we are the

only ones who can help them.

Animals are living creatures too.

That s why we need to stop drill-

ing oil into their homes that they need to survive.

Stop The Drilling

by Mia Mattera

The glory of the rich, expensive diamond. For years

people have been drilling and cutting into the

ground for fortunes. Diamonds are more than just

jewelry.

What Makes Diamonds So Valuable?

Diamonds are some of the world s most expensive

gems. Diamonds are expensive

because of their popularity. Not

many diamonds are perfect. It

depends on it s weight, color,

clarity, and how well it is cut.

Also diamonds are so valuable

because diamonds are sparkly.

The most expensive diamond

in the world is the KOR-I-NOOR diamond. It is

priceless.

When Were Diamonds Formed?

Diamonds were formed

millions of years ago in

molten lava in volcanos.

As the lava flowed

through the pipes, it

cooled. When a volcano

erupts, diamonds are

thrown out of the top in

the lava or they are left

in the pipe. People go to extinct volcanoes and

they have to dig about 3,500 feet down through

the kimberlite pipe to find the diamonds. Dia-

monds are also found in rivers, streams, or rock

around extinct volcanoes.

Where Are Diamonds Found?

Diamonds are found in alluvial soils, or sediment that

have been deposited by running water. Diamonds were

for the first time taken from the ocean floor, near Na-

mibia. Diamonds are also found about 3,500 feet under

the earth.

What Are Diamonds Used For?

Diamonds are used for drilling for oil. Diamonds are

used for drilling because diamonds are the hardest sub-

stance found in nature. Often steel and tungsten car-

bides do not work to drill into the ground and the drill

wears down. They add diamonds to make sure the

hardest rocks get drilled. They add diamonds to the drill

because it is times harder than steel, 10 times more

resistant than tungsten carbide, and has 20 times the

compressive strength of granite. On the other hand,

oil is bad for the environment, so they should not do

it .

You can find diamonds in alluvial soils, or soils of sedi-

ment rock. Also you know that diamonds are the most

expensive gems. For example the most expensive dia-

mond in the world is the KOH-I-NOOR diamond and it is

priceless. They use diamonds for drilling into the

ground for oil.

Priceless Diamonds

by Peter Ferrizz

named the Big Hole. It is

located in Kimberley, South

Africa.

- -

The glory of the rich expensive gold! After years

of mining and searching for gold, miners have

found their fortune, but the environment has

suffered.

Panning For Gold

One way to mine gold is to pan for gold. It is less

expensive. Also it is harmless to the environment.

It is harder to find gold. Panning for gold is also

very good for the environment. This would be a

good way to mine gold.

Strip Mining

The second way to gold mine is strip mining. This

way of mining cost a lot of money! You must have

a lot of money because you have to buy a lot of

equipment and supplies. You don't need as much

money as Bill Gates, but you might want to bar-

row some money for the equipment and the E.P.A

bill. This way of mining is bad for the environ-

ment.

Underground Mining

Another way to gold mine is underground mining.

This way of mining is a disadvantage to the envi-

ronment. It costs a lot of money for drilling the

holes and the electric and fuel for the machines.

Many miners get killed. Experts say about 12,000

miners die each year on the job." Also this way of

mining puts many harmful toxins into the earth.

The Best Way To Gold Mine

Some ways of mining are harmful, but some aren't. The

type that isn't harmful is panning. It is non harmful be-

cause there is no digging, use of trucks and heavy equip-

ment is not needed . The only thing you need is a gold

mining pan and a river .

What Gold Is Worth

Gold is worth different amounts,

objects and powers. Gold is

worth a lot of money because of

it s value and weight. It is also

power because the more gold,

the more money, the more pow-

er a person may have.

The Worst Way To Mine and How You Can Help

Strip mining for gold is bad for

earth. It takes away many lay-

ers of earth. This way of mining

also puts harmful toxins into

the earth. You can help stop

gold mining by just following

these steps:

Step 1. Call your city, town or

state.

Step 2. Tell them what the local gold mine is doing to

the environment.

You should help stop gold mining. You could help stop

gold mining. You have the power. Gold mining is terrible

and eventually the earth will be too.

Have you ever heard of fracking? Do you know all

the damage it does? Did you ever think of dying

because of fracking? Or maybe you never even

heard of the word.

What is Fracking?

Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas

from a underground rock called shale. Until re-

cently there was no way to get this natural gas to

the surface, but the fracking process has allowed

energy companies to get to it.

Steps for Extracting Natural Gas

First, workers drill very deep wells in the ground.

Some are as deep as 8,000 feet or up to a half mile

into the ground. Secondly, millions of gallons of

water, sand and different chemicals blast into

these wells at a very high rate of speed. This also

creates a lot of

pressure under

the ground. This

causes fractures,

or little cracks, in

the shale rock. It

then releases nat-

ural gas from the

rock. Finally, the natural gas travels up the wells

with the water and the workers then have to sep-

arate the two forms.

The Positive Aspects

Many people are excited about fracking because

the United States has a lot of natural gas under-

ground in shale rock that is unused. Scientists say it s

better to use our own gas and not other countries.

Fracking also creates more jobs and the United States

needs jobs. Another fact is it lowers fuel costs.

The Negative Effects

Some people are disappointed about fracking because of

poisoning water supplies. Supporters of fracking point

out that burning natural gas doesn t cause as much pol-

lution as oil or coal. People who are against fracking say

this can be misleading. They say this because the pro-

cess itself causes a lot of pollution and other environ-

mental damage. Fracking already harmed the water sup-

ply in communities in at least five states. Another prob-

lem is some areas of the country have water shortages,

and fracking creates huge amounts of leftover water

called waste water. This water is full of chemicals.

Fracking has disadvantages and advantages. The disad-

vantages are poisoning the water supplies, wasting fresh

water and pollution. The advantages are adding jobs,

lower fuel costs, and it allows us to access large natural

gas reserves. Which side are you on?

The Frack Attack!

By Tyler Davide