Pollution Prevention. (Environmental Ethics) Grade(s): (8)

Transcription

1 Title: Pollution Prevention (Environmental Ethics) Grade(s): (8) Introduction: More than 60 million gallons of oil enter the oceans every year, but it is not reported on the news. That is because this oil seeps from oil-bearing rock layers into the ocean as part of a natural process. When tankers running aground spill oil, that is news, and currently these accidents deposit about 37 million gallons of oil into the ocean every year. The largest amount of oil entering the ocean through human activity is the 363 million gallons that come from industrial waste and automobiles. When people pour their used motor oil into the ground or into a septic system, it eventually seeps into the groundwater. Coupled with industrial waste discharged into rivers, oil becomes part of the run-off from waterways that empty into the ocean. All of this oil affects ocean ecosystems. When an oil spill occurs in the ocean, the oil may spread across miles of open water and up onto beaches, littering them with tar balls. The intertidal zones-coastal areas that are the habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife-are often the most vulnerable. Animals may perish when the oil slicks their fur or downy feathers, decreasing the surface area so they are no longer insulated from the cold water. Or the animals may ingest the oil, then become sick or unable to reproduce properly. Learner Objectives: The student will be able to predict the effects of an oil spill on a marine environment. The student will be able to establish a list of solutions to avoid unnecessary oil pollution. Florida Sunshine State Standards: Science: SC.G SC.G.2.3.3; Math: MA.E Competency Based Curriculum: Math: M/J-I-V-1-A/M/J-3-VI-2-A; Science: M/J-I-V-2-A Materials: Copies of Student Page Additional photographs or articles about oil spills IV-A-6

2 Activity Procedures: 1. Introduce the topic of oil pollution and how it affects the global ocean. Make a pie chart to show the actual small percentage of oil (5%) that enters the ocean through oil spills. Then discuss oil spills with which students may be familiar, such as the spill off the coast of Rhode Island in January 1996 and the one in Prince William Sound in Alaska in You may wish to check your library or online sources for magazine and newspaper articles about actual oil spill events, perhaps an incident that occurred close to your region to make the topic more relevant to students. 2. Explain to students that crude oil is taken directly from its rocky source below ground or under the sea. It is often transported in huge tankers across vast distances to oil refineries. There the crude is distilled and refined into many familiar petroleum products. During the distillation process, petroleum is heated to extremely high temperatures to separate it into various components such as gasoline and kerosene. Students may not know that petroleum is used for waxes contained in petroleum jelly, lipstick, and many personal care products. 3. After an initial discussion, administer Student Page In this page students can use problem-solving skills to decide what strategies they would use if they were actually cleaning up an oil spill. They can work in small groups and brainstorm to come up with answers cooperatively. Student Assessment: Allow students to answer critical thinking skills questions assigned by the teacher. a. A team of scientists needs to determine whether the water in a large reservoir is safe to drink. How could they use the skill of making generalizations to help them? What should they do? b. What is your main recommendation(s) to solve the world problem of water pollution? Assess student understanding of the importance of ocean resources by having them describe one way that a nation could prevent pollution in its waters. Student problem-solving skills in cleaning up an oil spill. Activity Extension(s): 1. Allow students to identify and explain practices that they could implement at home to reduce water pollution (Health/Life Management Skills). 2. Develop appreciation for the social and financial issues involved in controlling pollution by citing an example of a developing nation s efforts to reduce water pollution (Social Studies). 3. Encourage students to write a letter to a local newspaper recommending that a program for safely disposing hazardous wastes to prevent water pollution be implemented (Language Arts). IV-A-7

3 Home Learning Activity: Design and create a poster that would inform the public about water pollution prevention. Vocabulary: industrial waste, ocean ecosystems References/Related Links: Environmental Protection Agency National Academy Press Water Environment Federation Student Page (Pollution Solution) IV-A-8

4 POLLUTION SOLUTION STUDENT PAGE A Suppose you are in the business of cleaning up oil spills in the ocean. Your team has just received word of a tanker leaking oil in the Pacific Ocean. How will you use your resources to effectivly clean up the oil and prevent it from spreading? Brainstorm in a small group to predict what will happen during the oil spill, then plan your cleanup strategies. 1. What special problems arise if an oil spill occurs in the open ocean, on a rocky coast, or near a sandy beach? (Hint: You might think about things like currents, surface area, and habitat for wildlife.) List the kinds of equipment and vehicles you might need to do the cleanup at each site in the data chart below. OIL SPILL SPECIAL PROBLEMS POSSIBLE STRATEGIES FOR CLEANUP Open Ocean Rocky Coast Sandy Beach 2. What kind of information would be important to find out from these government services? Weather Service or Coast Guard U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 3. Which do you think is denser, oil or water? 4. What do you think will happen to the oil (or other petroleum product) as it spills out of a tanker into theocean

5 Pollution Prevention Reading Passage Oil spills at sea threaten animals, plant life and other marine resources. Oil can also cause long term environmental and economic damage to the marine ecosystem near a spill. There are several ways to fight oil spills at sea. The best method is to contain the oil then physically recover it from the water. But mechanical removal of the oil is not feasible if, for example, seas are too rough, or if an oil slick is rapidly approaching a bird colony and there is not sufficient time to mount a full-scale clean-up. The natural action of ocean waves can break up oil slicks into small droplets, especially if the seas are rough. But in cases where time is limited, chemical dispersants ar used to quicken this natural break up of the oil. The rougher the seas, the better the chance the dispersants will work. Chemical dispersants are usually applied by spray systems mounted on vessels or aircraft. They work on oil in much the same way that laundry soaps break down oils and greases. The active ingredients in dispersants are called surfactants. They reduce the surface tension between the oil and the sea water. This helps the wave action to break the oil into droplets and mix it in with the water below the surface. The dispersal of oil slicks with chemicals may reduce damage to birds, shorelines, fishing gear and the like. But speeding up the transfer of oil into the water could also result in a mixture of oil and the dispersant chemicals that will kill marine creatures, or affect the taste of commercial fish species. Spills of volatile fluids such as fresh crude oil are potential fire or explosion hazards. Chemical dispersants may increase that risk because, as they break up the oil they can increase the amount of explosive hydrocarbons in the atmosphere. Consequently, dispersants should not be used near populated areas. Plastics are in demand because they are durable, relatively inexpensive and light weight. However, these same properties can create problems when they are not managed properly. Plastic does not break down readily and, therefore, tends to remain in the marine environment for three to five years or longer. Each year, the amount of debris in the marine environment increases as more plastic is released into the environment and accumulates faster than it can break down. Tides, winds, storms and currents carry the plastic debris all over the world before depositing it on sea beds and coastline. The marine environment is especially sensitive to plastic debris. Wildfowl and sea creatures are hurt or killed when they are mistakenly eat or become entangled in it. IV-A-10

6 Pollution Prevention FCAT Questions Directions: Read the passage, then answer all the questions below. Answer multiple-choice questions by circling the letter of the answer that you select. Write your answer to the Read, Think, and Explain question on the lines provided. 1. Which is the best method to fight oil spills at sea? A. Mechanical removal B. Chemical Dispersants C. Time D. Adding fresh water directly into the oil spill Answer: A 2. What are the active ingredients in dispersants called? A. Oxides B. Plastics C. Surfactants D. Metals Answer: C 3. The pollution cleanup group is mainly made up of: A. Business companies B. Volunteers C. National Environmental Protection Agency D. Better protection agency Answer: C 4. How does ocean pollution affect human population and wildlife? IV-A-11