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Learn about conservation and how we can use natural resources responsibly for the future.
Imagine waking up to brush your teeth, but when you turn the handle, only a few drops of muddy brown water come out. What would you do if our natural resources simply ran out?
Conservation is the wise use and protection of our natural resources. Think of Earth like a giant battery; if we use all the energy at once, we won't have any left for later! Resources like clean water, healthy soil, and trees are limited. When we practice conservation, we make sure these resources stay healthy and plentiful for people, animals, and plants. It isn't just about 'saving' things; it is about being a steward, or a caretaker, of the environment so that the world stays beautiful and functional for everyone.
Let's look at how much water we can save with one small change: 1. A running faucet uses about gallons of water every minute. 2. If you brush your teeth for minutes with the water running, you use gallons. 3. If you turn the water off while brushing, you use only gallons. 4. By turning the tap off, you save gallons every single time you brush!
Quick Check
In your own words, what does it mean to practice conservation?
Answer
Conservation means using natural resources wisely and protecting them so they don't run out.
You can help the Earth every day by using the Three R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. - Reduce means using less of something. For example, turning off lights when you leave a room reduces the electricity we need. - Reuse means finding a new way to use an old item. Instead of throwing away a glass jelly jar, you could wash it and use it as a pencil holder. - Recycle means turning old materials into new products. Your old soda cans can be melted down to make new cans or even parts for an airplane!
Imagine your class wants to reduce waste. You follow these steps: 1. Identify: You notice the trash can is full of paper that only has writing on one side. 2. Action: You create a 'Scrap Paper' bin for the classroom. 3. Result: Instead of using new sheets of paper for a quick drawing, the class uses scrap pieces. You have successfully Reduced the demand for new paper and Reused the old paper!
Quick Check
Which of the Three R's are you practicing if you use an old t-shirt as a cleaning rag?
Answer
Reuse
Pollution happens when harmful substances enter the environment. In a specific region, pollution can strike two main areas: water and soil. When chemicals from factories or litter from streets wash into rivers, the water becomes toxic for fish and unsafe for humans to drink. Similarly, when trash or harmful chemicals seep into the ground, the soil loses its nutrients. This makes it hard for plants to grow, which means animals (and humans!) have less food to eat. Protecting our water and soil is the foundation of a healthy ecosystem.
Consider a local farm that uses too much chemical fertilizer: 1. Rain falls on the fields and picks up the extra chemicals. 2. This 'runoff' flows into a nearby stream. 3. The chemicals cause too much algae to grow in the stream, which uses up all the oxygen. 4. Without oxygen, the fish in the stream cannot survive. This shows how soil pollution quickly becomes water pollution!
Which of the following is the best definition of conservation?
If you buy a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones every day, which 'R' are you primarily practicing?
Pollution in the soil can eventually affect the food that animals and humans eat.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to name the Three R's and think of one example for each while you are getting ready for school.
Practice Activity
Conduct a 'Home Resource Hunt': Walk through your home and find one way to reduce water use and one item that could be reused instead of thrown away.