Society and health

Environmental issues

Sustain our environment

What is our environment? The combination of external and physical conditions that

affect and influence the growth, development and survival of organisms, circumstances and conditions that surround us.

Waste- find out what the waste hierarchy is? Disposal, recover energy, compost, recycle, recover, reuse,

reduce.

The key is to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Give a few tips on how we can do this for each. Our waste goes to landfill sites unless it is recycled.

We need to sustain our environment

Sustain means maintain.

As a society, we need to:Use fewer resourcesMake products last for longerUse waste as a resource

The best way to manage waste, is not to produce it in the first place.

What can you do?

Reduce- buy foods with less packaging, use less packaging

Reuse- shopping carrier bags, batteries, light bulbs, old food- stale bread- bread and butter pudding, old cake- trifle.

Recycle- foil, plastic, card, paper, food waste and glass.

All this will SUSTAIN our environment and free up landfill sites which contaminate the environment, ruin habitats of animals and cause pollution.

What are the fair trade and soil association marks? (54)

Factors in the quality of our environment

Global warming- heating up of earths atmosphere. (greenhouse effect)

Ozone depletion- Ozone layer surrounds the earth in the atmosphere, this is destroyed by CFC’s and CO2, burning fossil fuels- oil, coal.

Acid rain- industrial gas emissions cause this from factories, aircraft. Lakes have become acidified and soil has been affected causing less crops to grow, due to acid rain.

Deforestation- cutting down of forests, cause of global warming, destruction also causes plants and animals who live there to become extinct. When trees are cut down, they intensify the greenhouse effect because forests take in CO2 and give out O2.

Fisheries depletion- overfishing has caused depletions. Air, water and noise pollution- cars contribute to CO2 pollution,

emissions cause acid rain and ozone depletion. Water pollution from landfill sites, sewerage and industrial waste, noise pollution from aircrafts, machinery and traffic.

Activity 5- page 55

Research agencies that protect environment.

Department of Environmental Health. The Environment Agency. The Department of Environment, Transport and

Regions. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural

affairs. Friends of the Earth. Greenpeace Environmental Protection UK. The Soil Association.

Agencies for the environment

Department of Environmental Health- they monitor noise pollution. Follow up complaints.

The Environment Agency- control waste management and industrial pollution.

The Department of Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR)- they monitor air quality.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. (DEFRA)- monitor air pollution.

Friends of the earth- raises awareness of what individuals can do to protect environment.

Greenpeace- highlights global, environmental problems. Environmental Protection UK- solving environmental issues. The Soil Association- promotion of organic farming.

Management and conservation of energy in the home

Energy efficient light bulbs, switch off lights etc.. Find out more, page 59.

Preparing, making and cooking food- shop online, recycle food.

Water- shower instead of bath.Heating- timer, thermostats.Exam questions- page 61