(Part 2)

By

When sunlight hits the atmosphere, about 30% is reflected back into space. 1/2 heats the earth.

1/4 sets in motion water cycle, the winds and water currents.

0.02% is used by plants

Septic systems (40 states contaminated) cause disease-carrying bacteria

To leak into ground and surface water.

Most 90,000 landfills leak into soil.

Nuclear power plants produce thousand cubi meters of radioactive wastes

Hazardous wastes from homes (oven cleaners, paint, aerosols, etc.) are another source of pollution.

Carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere, creating a blanket that traps heat that would radiate in outer space

This greenhouse effect could raise the temperature of the Earth and could cause damage to the biosphere.

In the clouds, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide combine ti form sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

This acid rain falls when it is raining, damaging the global ecosystem.

The purpose of this Unit is to inform the reader about major problems related to pollution nowadays in the World. The Unit tried to touch every possible subject related to Pollution; not to study it through, but to give the maximum chances for the reader to seize the big picture. Positive and negative aspects are both exposed with an emphasis on the problems since the aim is to provoke an awareness among the readers without exaggerating or causing panic or passiveness before the overwhelming difficulty of the problems.

On the contrary the unit tries to expose while reassuring about he fact that we all can do something in our own ways. Some questions are open questions, which means nobody really has an answer for them. This was done on purpose, first to stimulate the imagination of the reader, second, to provoke an awareness concerning the multiplicity of the challenges involved as far a National or an International cooperation is concerned.

Allah Ta’alah has foreseen the future and warned all the Muslims about the importance of respecting our planet, and the great sin linked to the idea of wasting: wasting our time, our youth, our money, our health. For all we waste, we will be accountable at doom day.

A Haadith says:

This unit addresses all Muslims, bigger and smaller, for a better world.

Insha Allah!

The Qur’an tells us many things about water cycles, food chains, ecosystems, air, the ground protection as well as wildlife protection, and sometimes the Qur’an educate us about many things only recent scientific discoveries verified.

The Qur’an also warns us about wasting and destroying the earth, but these problems, even if they were important at the time of Rasulullah (PBUH) have really become crucial since the 10^th C.

The purpose of this unit is to keep in mind what Islam says about natural resources while studying recent statistics and problems.

We want to keep in mind that we have to study natural cycles of life in order to have a comprehensible apprehension of what is hurting them.

First of all, as Islam constantly warns us about, pollution do not describe only something we can see, it also describes developing diseases we do not really see from the outside even if they are perceptible for a keen eye.

Can you site different kinds of pollution?

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

What do you think is the most dangerous? Explain:

__________________________________________________________

But where does come the pollution we know nowadays?

What important discoveries were found between the 19^th century and the 20^th century? What is new since 2 centuries that did not exist for thousand of years since the earth was created by Allah Ta’alah?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Imagine yourself in the time of Rasulullah (PBUH), when there were no fridge, no TV, no modern appliances…What would be your life?

How would you preserve the food?

____________________________________________________________________

What would this imply?

____________________________________________________________________

How would you spend most of your time without computer, television, video game, or Recreation Center?

____________________________________________________________________

How would this change your life?

____________________________________________________________________

Would you feel more happy or balanced? Would you be very unhappy ?

____________________________________________________________________

Look at the way most Muslims in the world live? Without modern appliances, how is their lives characterized?

____________________________________________________________________

Do you think Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions were concerned by problems related to the environment? Why?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, imagine you live in the desert where water is scarce and you need hard work to allow crops to thrive. What concerns would be yours? Or, imagine you live in Saudi Arabia, in the middle of the Hijaz desert, living with the Bedouins, and you want your palm tree to grow, what are your basic problems in order to achieve this?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What do nomads live of? What does the word "nomad" means?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Do you think it is possible to make the desert become green? How?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Now, do you think Allah Ta’alah gave some rules for the protection of the environment?

______________________________________________________________________

There are different kinds of pollution:

Garbage, waste

Chemical

Noise

Intellectual

Moral

The environment has been a great concern for many centuries, even if people did not call the attitude of taking care of their surroundings as environmental problems.

In arid regions of the world, people are still very concerned about the preservation of water. They care not only about keeping suitable amount of water for irrigation and mainly for drinking and ablution purposes, but also about keeping it safe from illnesses and impurities.

In the desert, water is a constant problem since the wells are not many and they are soon covered with blowing sand, making it hard to find them and dig for water. In the desert, Bedouins say water is the greatest treasure, well before gold or gems, why?, because water is life.

People of the desert hate to spill water and would kill a person whom they would see waste water intentionally since it is still considered a great crime to waste water; to waste water is putting in danger many people.

For us Muslims, clean water is an essential problem since we need water to do our ritual ablutions for the prayer, even if a smooth rock or sand can do the purpose, at least for minor ablutions.

Clean water is also necessary in hot countries were many dangerous diseases can spread rapidly through water to entire populations. Usually, people boil the water before drinking.

Preserving the soil is also a great concern for many agricultors. For instance, in Japan, there are so many people and the country is so small that it is hard to find ground to cultivate crops. So, the portion of earth they can get is dear for many Japanese since it means independence and comfort.

As far as the protection of wildlife is concerned, the forest is very essential. Most animals and insects, birds live in the forest; they need trees and green leaves in order to live and be well protected against natural enemies. Grooves have been well kept by Muslims of all times since trees and especially fruit trees is life and a good source of income as well as many blessings coming from the fact that people and animals can profit from those trees. Animals must not be killed for pleasure, not even tortured for pleasure, furthermore Muslims are discouraged from eating too much meat, so more animals can live and provide a balanced food chain and ecosystems.

Did you ever thought about other forms of pollution?

Can Muslims be fat?

Medical studies report that a person who looses a few pounds feels more active, less prone to laziness and droziness and feels well.

What do you conclude about a person who gains a few pounds as far as waking up for Fajr prayer, go to sport in order to make his/her body healthier, and all the activities that please Allah Ta’alah?

Imagine a fat person going to war to defend other Muslims? This person would be certainly short of breath, could not run or move easily, would have problems carrying loads, and so on. As far as private life is concerned, if the fat person is not subject to an illness, we can conclude that it is very difficult for this person to bow and kneel on the ground for prayers, that this person has problems restraining from the worldly goods. However, fat people should not be criticized, but advised that they are polluting their bodies with food and sweet drinks, that they risk a heart failure in the long run, and that they are displeasing Allah.

What can we conclude about the strength of the faith of this person?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Can Muslims waste? Or throw away dishes after a meeting because people did not finish their contents? Was Rasulullah fat? Did he eat everyday, him and his family?

At the time of Rasulullah (PBUH), a man came to see Muhammad to ask him for hospitality. Our prophet (BUH) did not have anything to give him in the manner of food, so he asked around his companions who could take care of the man. A man stepped forward and drove the guest to his home. He asked his wife to give their dinner to the guest, but they did not have enough for everybody, so the couple sent the children to bed without eating and dimmed the light. When dinner was served, only the guest ate; in the dim light he could not see the couple was pretending eating with him. The day after this event, Rasulullah (PBUH) met the host and gave him good tidings from Allah Ta’alah for his act.

What can we learn from this true story?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Can Muslims drink alcohol or use drugs? Why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is it ok to sell wine if we do not drink of it or profit from it? Explain:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Can Muslims watch or enjoy movies showing forbidden things like scenarios showing discrimination or celebrating Western holidays as good things? Why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

All these examples are related to the pollution of the body and mind.

What is pollution of the body and mind?

It is the fact to fill one’s head with wrong ideas or things Allah Ta’alah has forbidden for us. These things are not forbidden just to make sure there are some rules and because they are difficult to follow. No. We all have desires and we might want to try one day to answer back to our parents or we might get sick of always obeying the rules. Sometimes we might be willing to try some pork in our diet. However we have to resist the temptation, not because we have to, but because Allah Ta’alah knows us perfectly and he knows what will make us unhappy. Allah has created us in the most prefect manner and he knows that when we drink alcohol, for instance, we are not completely conscious of what we are doing and we may fall into a greater sins.

It is related that there was a man who was a pious man. He swore he would never drink, kill or be dishonest. People told him never to swear such a thing because nobody knows the future and he might be tempted one day. One day arrived for him when he was tested. He fell in love with a bad woman. The bad woman made him drink alcohol, at first he refused, but felt pressed by her, and accepted just to put his lips on the rim of the glass. Having the flavor of the wine in his nostrils, he felt it smelled good contrary to what he had thought before. He then took a sip of alcohol in his mouth, and soon another sip, and another one. There was no moment he did not think he was perfectly conscious. He thought he had just drink a little bit when his glass was filled in again and again, till he did not know what was going on around him. He could see only his desire. So, he became dishonest to the wife’s husband by touching his wife. At this moment, the husband came back unexpectedly. Our man killed the husband for fear of the husband, and escaped, leaving everything behind him. When he woke up the day after, he realized how wrong he was to say he would never commit sins; he became more humble and paid his debt to the community by giving himself away.

Allah Ta’alah knows that when we give way to a first temptation, other temptations soon follow, and we become polluted by our actions or thoughts. Actually, a person who disobeys Allah Ta’alah feels right away sad and uneasy, this person feels polluted.

When what we eat, drink, do or think is clean, we feel clean and healthy and happy, this is why we have to keep our environment clean as well. It is a question of happiness and safety. Pollution of the mind is closely related to the pollution of the physical environment; it would be wrong to forget that!

 Pollution already existed hundred years before now.

Many historians speculate that the overuse of lead plumbing for drinking water in Rome caused chronic lead poisoning among rich people.

The mining and smelting of ores that accompanied the transition from the Stone Age to the Metal Age resulted in piles of mining wastes that spread potentially toxic elements such as mercury, copper, lead, and nickel in the environment.

By the 10^th century, chimney sweeps contracted cancer from hydrocarbons in chimney soot; hatters became disoriented, or "mad," from nerve-destroying mercury salts used to treat felt fabric; and bootblacks suffered liver damage from boot polish solvents.

During the 20th century, pollution became so widespread that pollutants not only persisted in the environment, but changed atmospheric and climatic conditions.

In the United States, the Clean Air Act (1970) reduced certain types of air pollution.

The Clean Water Act (1977) and Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) set water quality standards.

Followed laws to control toxic wastes, such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (1976) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976).

The Liability Act (CERCLA) provides funds to clean up the most severely contaminated hazardous waste sites.

International agreements have also played a role in reducing global pollution, such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) or the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989).

But to avoid ecological disaster and increased poverty, developing countries will require aid and technology from outside nations and corporations, community participation in development initiatives, and strong environmental regulations.

Non-governmental organizations are also very active; they form at the local, national, and international level to combat pollution problems worldwide.

Greenpeace International is one of them!

 Pollution can be defined as a contamination of the earth's environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystems.

However, pollution can also have natural causes like volcanic eruptions, cyclones, and so on.

There are two main categories of polluting materials made and used by humans; these materials are called pollutants. The first category biodegradable pollutants (sewage, feces, vegetables, fruits, etc) that rapidly decompose by natural processes. However, these pollutants become a problem when they cannot decompose rapidly enough and people continue adding more and more everyday.

The second category are non-degradable pollutants that cannot decompose or decompose slowly in the natural environment. Once they are launched into the environment, it is almost impossible to remove them.

Even DDT, dioxins, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and radioactive materials can be utterly dangerous when they pass through our bodies when we consume plants or animals.

Because we humans are at the top of the food chain, we accumulate a lot of toxins coming from what we eat. In the 60’s, at Minamata Bay, Japan, people developed nervous disorders, tremors, and paralysis in a mysterious epidemic. Over 400 people died. Why? Because a local industry was releasing mercury into the Bay, and people were eating the fish infected by it!.

Expenditures to reduce pollution in the United States in 1993 totaled $109 billion, including $105.4 billion on reduction, $1.9 billion on regulation, and $1.7 billion on research and development. Twenty-nine percent of the total cost went toward air pollution, 36 percent to water pollution, and 36 percent to solid waste management.

In addition, low-income populations and minorities are lodged near toxic waste incinerators, chemical plants, and solid waste dumps, therefore they do not receive the same protection against hazardous wastes.

Solid wastes are solid materials we do not want anymore, such as garbage, paper, plastics, metals, etc.

Billions of tons of solid waste are thrown out annually.

A typical American generates an average of 4 pounds of solid waste each day.

How much does that make in one year?

________________________________

Developed countries produce much more solid waste that in developing countries.

Give examples of developed countries: _____________________________________________________

Give examples of developing countries: _____________________________________________________

What are Muslim countries in general? Mark your answer:

Moreover, waste from developed countries more of synthetic materials that take longer to decompose than biodegradable waste materials of developing countries.

Why is that?

__________________________________________________________________________________

 Wastes are buried in landfills, but landfills quickly become overfilled and usually contaminate air, soil, and water because of leakage.

Incineration, or burning, of waste reduces the volume of solid waste, but produces dense ashen wastes full of dangerous, hazardous materials such as heavy metals and toxic compounds.

Composting is the act of using natural processes such as making a pile of organic materials in your garden and airing it now and then. When decomposed, the product can be used as natural fertilizer.

Recycling, reducing and reusing materials that take longer to decompose has become an important of community life in many developed countries where people are sensitive to landfill and incineration problems and become more conscious of pollution around them.

Over one-fifth of the municipal solid waste produced in the United States would be now recycled.

But developing countries also become more sensitive to the problems because of epidemics and sanity concerns. But it is also true that people in these countries are very poor and try to make a living by recycling materials. For instance, many Asian countries have organized waste-pickers that comb streets and dumps for items such as plastics they can use or resell.

Nowadays the challenge is how to make products easier to reuse in order to reduce the high costs of environmental pollution.

Hazardous Waste are products nondegradable; they are toxic chemicals and flammable or radioactive substances, including industrial wastes from chemical plants or nuclear reactors, agricultural wastes such as pesticides and fertilizers, medical wastes, and household hazardous wastes such as toxic paints and solvents. The United States generates 240 million metric tons of hazardous wastes each year.

During many yearts, most hazardous wastes were legally dumped in solid waste landfills, buried, or dumped into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Legal regulations now restrict them.

Cleaning the 10,000 abandoned hazardous waste dumps in the US could take 50 years and cost $100 billion.

Noise Pollution:

Noise, such as that produced by airplanes, traffic, or industrial machinery, is considered a form of pollution. Noise pollution is at its worst in densely populated areas. It can cause hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction, and lost productivity.

Most humans can hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 hertz, while dogs can hear high-pitched sounds up to 50,000 hertz.

High-frequency sounds are really annoying to humans, even dangerous.

Measured in decibels, noise intensity can range from zero, the quietest sound the human ear can detect, to over 160 decibels. A conversation reaches 40 decibels; a rock concert, 100 decibels; a jet, 110 decibels. The threshold for pain, tissue damage, and potential hearing loss in humans is 120 decibels.

The effects of pollutants over the environment may be immediate or delayed. Primary effects of pollution occur immediately after contamination occurs, such as the death of marine plants and wildlife after an oil spill at sea. Secondary effects may be delayed or may persist in the environment into the future.

For instance, birds eat grains that have been contaminated by pesticides. The more they eat of that grain, the more they accumulate poison in their body. Birds with high concentration of pesticide lay thin-shelled eggs that fail to hatch or produce deformed offspring, such as the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, species now in danger.

The same cycle is to be found in us. The more we are indifferent to our natural environment, the more the environment get polluted, the greatest our sin is for not doing anything!

Water rises high into the sky. Water is almost invisible (vapor). Only 10% of sea water goes inland.

Water Evaporates :

100% from sea; returns directly to sea.

Water is released from plant leaves: 20% from evaporespiration

Water vapor forms clouds: inland, clouds are formed 20% evaporespiration and 10% from non-salty sea water. Total: 30%

Plant roots absorb water. Part of water infiltrate underground.

Water is the natural resource maybe the most present in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is constantly evoked and bears several meanings.

But maybe the most interesting feature is the fact that the water natural cycles are well explained in the Qur’an itself.

(The unbelievers state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: Depths of darkness, one above another: If a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For any to whom Allah does not give light, there is no light.

Allah Ta’alah could have chosen the darkness of the night in order to explain how lost unbelievers feel themselves, but the comparison with the depth of the sea is even more stronger than it is unexpected, especially at the time of the Prophet (PBUH) when nobody was able to dive deep enough to tell if the sea depths had layers of darkness or not.

Scientists now know the sea darkness by means of submarines. Human beings can only dive unaided for twenty to thirty meters deep.

This darkness is caused by water waves, and also by the absorption of colors at the different levels that are layered one over the other.

The fact to compare the unbelievers moving about the darkness of the sea is a very effective description. There are many different layers or depths in everybody as far as sins are concerned and also the awareness; some people are completely in the dark about the revelations of life, some other have almost understood what life really is and that only Islam is the way. For those who are completely lost, it seems that there is almost no hope for them like a person stretching his/her hand in the dark in a middle of the ocean, reaching for nothing and only concerned about his/her present desires.

The Qur’an goes on to say:

And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it whomever He wills, and turns it from whoever He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning nearly blinds the sight.

One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud associated with thunderstorms.

They have found that cumulonimbus cloud go through the following steps to produce rain:

Clouds are pushed by the wind. Then they join together forming a larger cloud.

When the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges. These updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up. This vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the clouds as rain, hail, etc.

Meteorologists have found that these cumulonimbus clouds, that shower hail, reach a height of 25,000 to 30,000 feet (4.7 to 5.7 miles), like mountains, as the Qur'an said.

So the Qur’an really describes the water cycles in the sky as well as the nature of the waters in the oceans. These examples are but a few in the Qur’an. Most of the time the Qur’an speaks about how the rain falls on the earth and revives it; it tells that there is much wisdom by looking at all forms water takes, and those who are wise enough to think about it receive a great Benediction.

Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.

And remember Moses prayed for water for his people; We said: "Strike the rock with thy staff." Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each group knew its own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah, and do no evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth.

The Prophet said,

[Haadith, Imam Malik: 001.003.079 - Knowledge - Narrated Abu Musa] 

From the water (actually the male semen) comes everything that lives. This have been verified by modern scientists.

Water has really something of a miracle because it is the heart of life. Consider how many gallons of water our body is made of?

About 65% of our body contains water and we drink water to clean our body from inside out.

We drink an average of 2 ½ quarts (2.4L) of water per day

Your body is 2/3^rd water by weight; your blood is 92% water; your brain 75% water; bones are 20% water.

We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

[Qur’an 24:45] 

It is He Who has created man from a drop of water (semen): then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).

[Qur’an 25:54] 

Water revives us when we are sick. Our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) asked to be basked into water when he was on his death bed.

Water is so essential to sustain life that one needs a strong faith in order to resist the urge of drinking when s/he is very thirsty. Allah Ta’alah has put to the test several of his armies like the one of Muhammad (PBUH) and the one of Talut:

When Talut set forth with the armies, he said: "(Allah) will test you at the stream: if any drinks of its water, He goes not with my army: Only those who taste not of it go with me: A mere sip out of the hand is excused." but they all drank of it, except a few. When they crossed the river,- He and the faithful ones with him,- they said: "This day We cannot cope with Goliath and his forces." but those who were convinced that they must meet Allah, said: "How oft, by Allah’s will, Hath a small force vanquished a big one? Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere."

The Prophet said,

"A man saw a dog eating mud from (the severity of) thirst. So, that man took a shoe (and filled it) with water and kept on pouring the water for the dog till it quenched its thirst.

So Allah approved of his deed and made him to enter Paradise."

[Haadith Bukhari: 001.004.174 - Ablutions (Wudu') - Narrated Abu Huraira] 

Water is closely related to Paradise.

One of the bounties of Paradise are gushing waters and springs that taste like honey.

The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (of clear-flowing water).

The Prophet said,

"When the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hell will go to Hell, Allah will order those who have had faith equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed to be taken out from Hell. So they will be taken out but (by then) they will be blackened (charred). Then they will be put in the river of Haya' (rain) or Hayat (life) (the Narrator is in doubt as to which is the right term), and they will revive like a grain that grows near the bank of a flood channel.

Finally, what is the practical lessons we, Muslims, can learn from the story below?

Explain: ___________________________________________________________________________

I heard Anas bin Malik saying,

Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know.

The Earth’s surface contains 70% water and 97% of this water is available.

Americans consume about 100 gallons (378 L) of water per day, how many gallons that makes in one week?

__________________ gallons

How many gallons in one month?

__________________________ gallons

Water is not free; it is purified and brought to your home, and you must pay each month for the service.

Water meter for home usage is measured in cubic feet.

1 cubic foot = 7 ½ gallons (284 L).

So, how many cubic feet does an average American family use each month?

________________________________________________________

How much do you pay for each cubic of water?

_________________________________

Thus, how much do an average American family pay each month for its water needs?

_____________________________________

Nowadays, we need more freshwater because we are more numerous on earth and our seas are polluted. We are more numerous because less people die and we are fed better and we are well protected against many natural hazards. So, we need water not only for drinking, but also for eating, think about agriculture, bakeries, restaurants, schools that need more water as they are more customers.

Of the water consumed each year, 73% is used for agriculture, 21 % for industry, and only 6% for domestic uses.

What is the % of water used to grow crops and in industry?

______________ %

What do you use water for in your house?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Can you sometimes reduce the amount of water you are using daily? How?

__________________________________________________________________________________

If a lot of water is used to grow plants, and if we know that many pesticides (a dangerous pollutant when it accumulates) are used in the fields, what can we conclude as far as pollution is concerned?

______________________________________________________________________________

Why do industries need water?

______________________________________

Where does the industries’ soiled waters go when released?

______________________________________

When you wash the dishes or go to the bathroom, where is the water you used released?

______________________________________________________________________________

What does the word SEWAGE mean?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are the main cause of water pollution.

In 1995, about 37% of the US's lakes and estuaries, and 36% of its rivers, were too polluted for people to fish or swim in them!

How many (in %) natural water locations are polluted each year?

_______________________________________________________________________________

That makes how many (in %) water locations not polluted, in 1995?

_______________________________________________________________________________

How long ago was that?

_______________________________________________________________________________

Do you think it is better or worse in year 2,000? Explain:

If you know that over 95 % of urban sewage is discharged untreated into rivers and bays, what can you conclude? Imagine you were bathed in sewage, what would probably happen to you?

____________________________________________________________________________

Two things show how important water is on earth. First, water is essential to life survival. Second, the total amount of water in the world is constant and can neither be increased or diminished, as it is true for wood or for coal, oil, etc.

The total volume of water on earth is about 1,400 million cubic kilometers (1018 tones).

How many zeros that makes after the number 10?

10 _______________ tones

That is a lot of water!

However, more than 97% of this water is seawater.

How many cubic kilometers are then seawater?

__________________________________

How many tones?

_________________________________________

How many % of water is not seawater?

_____________________________________

How many cubic kilometers are not seawater?

________________________________________

How many tons?

_____________________________________

Of the percentage of water that is not seawater on Earth, 22% is groundwater, and 77% is ice, locked in glaciers and ice caps.

How many cubic kilometers of water are available then for land usage?

____________________________________________________

How many tons?

_______________________________________________

So, less than 1% of fresh water is available for groundwater or surface water (actually 0.6%)

Actually, 3% of these 0.6% of surface water are found inside living creatures, in the atmosphere (7%), in soil moisture (33%), in rivers and lakes (57%).

Even though, there is plenty of water for all our needs.

But surface water is unevenly distributed: some areas of the world are desertic or semi-arid while others suffer from torrential rains and seasonal flooding. In fact, 15% of world’s largest rivers carry one-third of the global runoff (roughly rivers of the Americas and Russia).

Problems:

Most of the surface water is used for agriculture, but 70 to 80% never reach the crops, so there is much waste. Furthermore, the soil can become water-logged and salinized in the process because of men’s ignorance of the nature of their soil.

Even if industry do not use much water, it pollutes much more since water is needed for cooling and cleaning. Actually 80% of the water is being returned to its source, if not polluted, at least hot (in the case of nuclear bases) which can disturb significantly the natural environment of rivers and lakes.

Domestic usage can however spare more water since 10 L. of water is required to flush a toilet and 100 L. for a shower and a lot more is used by washing machines.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to do the ritual ablutions with a bucket of water (a sa’), while he used to bath with 5 buckets only! And at this time a small bucket of water was still enough to wash private parts.

Consider putting a bottle full of water inside the tank of your toilet in order to reduce the amount of water you use daily, and use the shower only to rinse the soap from your body!

Other problems:

Developing countries do not have sanitary facilities the western world possesses. In fact, human waste is simply deversed into rivers without treatment, and 4 out of 5 common diseases in these countries (thyphoid, cholera, etc) are caused by dirty water or lack of sanitation.

The problem is major since 20,000 people die everyday of these diseases!

To complicate the matter, one-fifth of city dwellers in these countries have access to safe water, but one half is wasted already though leaks in pipes and taps!

Oceans & Rivers?

Since most streams of water end up naturally in the oceans, the pollution started in the rivers finally pollutes the seawater as well. But 90% of the pollution stays around the shore, never reaching deep sea and making local fishery and swimming unsafe. The Mediterranean sea is a good example; it is the most polluted of all seas in the world. WHY?

Think about the Mediterranean sea. What are its characteristics? Do you think the pollution can reach the Atlantic easily, so the sea can be cleaned more easily?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

This situation is important to know if we keep in mind that two-thirds of the world’s population live within 80Km of a coast, and 90% of the fish worldwide is catched around the coasts!

What kind of problems do you think this generates?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Now, what about that?

Water runoff carries fertilizers from the fields into lakes, streams and rivers. These fertilizers are called phosphates and nitrates. When combined with the phosphates and nitrates from sewage, they speed the growth of algae and water plants. It is probably interesting to look, but this causes an ecological unbalance, and much more than that… Try to find the main danger of this phenomenon through he following series of questions:

 What is the role of plants living in the water?

___________________________________

___________________________________

If you do not know, remember, what do you need in order to provide livable conditions in an aquarium?

You need:

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

What do you think happens when there are too many plants in the water?

____________________________________________________________________________

If you do not know, remember the case of the Kudzu vine. This vine can live on the ground, but it can also live in rivers and cover an entire stream of water in a few years!

What is happening here, in picture B?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Picture A: Beautiful Kudzu Picture B

Experiment:

If you still did not guess the answer, make this little experiment:

Sewage = dried fruits

Decay bacteria = yeast

Oxygen detectors: methylene blue test solution.

0xygen present=methylene turns blue; without oxygen = turns light blue or clear

Mix dried fruits that we place for sewage (organic elements) with yeast (what you use to make bread rise) in a recipient. Let it stand a little.

Then look for a chemical product called methylene blue test solution, and add it to the solution.

If your solution turns blue, that means there is oxygen in your solution; on the contrary, if the solution turns light blue or becomes clear, that means there is very little oxygen to none at all in your solution.

What happened?

_________________________________________________________________________________

How does this relate to the proliferation of plants in water?

___________________________________________________________________________________

Water is to be found on the ground, and in the sky. Water coming from the sky can also be the cause of pollution if combined with other factors.

Erosion and water can play the role of a pollutant.

How?

We will try to help you to find this out:

What is the role of tree roots except from the fact that roots bring nutrients from the ground to the tree?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Therefore, what happens when deforestation occurs and rain falls ?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever seen a flooded area? What happens to the vegetation, especially when the water is drawn away?

__________________________________________________________________________________

What causes the erosion of the ground?

You can play hangman on this one!

__D_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ N_____

Water animals we find in lakes, seas and rivers are means of survival for many people in the world. As the world population grows, we need more fish, especially in countries where it is the main dish.

Can you site some of these countries? Are they some Muslim countries included?

__________________________________________________________________________

Not only people overfish in some areas of the world (about 1000 people eat fish, not meat, as their primary source of protein), but oil tankers destroy or contaminate their food!

Thousands of spills are reported every year! However, we do need oil!

Why do we need oil?

______________________________________________________________________

Can we find a solution to this problem? Propose yours:

_________________________________________________________________________________

In 1969, the Cuyahoga river in Ohio, USA, caught fire and burned for several hours because of the river’s heavy chemical contamination. Now, it is fishable. Modern water and sewage treatment technologies slowly make a difference.

Create your own Water cycle, and learn to create an ecosystem:

1) Jar, 2) plants, 3) water, 4) soil, 5) sand. 6) pebbles

Water in lakes, rivers, and swamps often contains impurities that make it look and smell bad. The water may also contain bacteria and other microbiological organisms that can cause diseases. That is why water must be cleaned before it can be drunk by people.

Water treatment plants do this job! They clean the municipal water you receive at home if you live in developed countries. Below is the explanation of what does a treatment plant.

In the treatment plant, water go through a series of cleansing processes known as:

aeration;

coagulation;

sedimentation;

filtration;

disinfection.

Coagulation removes dirt and other particles suspended in water. Alum and other chemicals are added to water to attract the dirt particles. The weight of the dirt + the alum sink to the bottom.

Clear water moves to filtration. The water passes through filters, some made of layers of sand, gravel, and charcoal that help remove even smaller particles.

Chlorine can help killing any bacteria or microorganisms that may be in the water.

Water is placed in a closed tank for disinfection.

The water then flows through pipes to homes and businesses in the community.

This experiment do not make water drinkable; it just makes it clear!

Collect a few Liters of soiled water.

Put the water into a large bottle, ten shake it vigorously. Poor water into other recipients, then pour back into the main recipient again for a few minutes: AERATE.

Add 20 g of alum crystals to the water. Stir: COAGULATION.

Let the water stand half an hour to let the particles sink at the bottom of the recipient: SEDIMENTATION.

Attach a coffee filter with an elastic band at the neck of a bottle. Cut off the bottom of a bottle. The bottle upside down, place into it a layer of pebbles, then a layer of sand. Pour the water over it without disturbing the layer of sands to make sure it stays effective: FILTRATION.

Add disinfectants to the water to purify it and kill any organisms still present: DISINFECT.

Photosynthesis releases OXYGEN

into the atmosphere

There are not many references in Islam concerning the air. The Qur’an describes how the birds are using the air, its warm currents in order to fly.

Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe.

And (remember) her (Mary) who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples.

"And (appoint him) an apostle to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah’s leave; and I declare to you what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if you did believe;

Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou did speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathed into it and it becomed a bird by My leave, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! You brought forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when you did show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.'

The earth's atmosphere have been polluted since long, in fact, since humans first began to use fire for agriculture, heating, and cooking. But, during the Industrial Revolution, people began to build cars and plastic products, cameras, etc. These new inventions made life more enjoyable, and it was affordable for many. Therefore, in the 18th and 19th centuries, air pollution became a major problem because nature could not handle that amount of pollutants released into the air.

Urban air pollution is nowadays commonly known as smog.

Smog is a mixture of carbon monoxide and organic compounds from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, and sulfur dioxide from impurities in the fuels. As the smog ages and reacts with oxygen, organic and sulfuric acids condense as droplets, increasing the haze.

Another type of smog, called photochemical smog, alters the air quality over large cities like those of California. The sky is charged with dark clouds, and gives an impression of stormy weather. This latter smog is caused by combustion in cars, trucks, and airplane engines, which produce nitrogen oxides and release hydrocarbons from unburned fuels.

Sunlight causes the nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons to combine and turn oxygen into ozone, a chemical agent that attacks rubber, injures plants, and irritates lungs. The hydrocarbons are oxidized into materials that condense and form a visible, pungent haze. This haze is also called acid rain!

In 1952, 2000 Londoners died of its effects.

Can kill plants and fish.

The black smoke you see reaching into the air from the chimneys of most industries is made of two basic chemical compounds known as sulphur dioxide (So2) and nitrogen oxides (NO).

These two compounds are transformed into other compounds when they are in contact with the sun rays and the water in the air (water in the air takes the form of clouds or the evaporation of water coming from seas and plants).

This is called a Chemical Reaction.

What is a Chemical Reaction?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Imagine you want to bake a bread. You will need separate and very different elements such as water, maybe eggs, flour and yeast. As you mix the elements together, you cannot recognize anymore the eggs from the flour, and the water makes the mixture become like a smooth ball to form the dough. Add some yeast and a chemical reaction happens. How do you know it is a chemical reaction? You know it because the dough rises; some kind of magic happens, something you could not obtain without the yeast!

In the pollution process, a very different chemical reaction occurs.

SO2 and NOx become something else when mixed with the sun rays and the water present in the clouds or the atmosphere.

Oxidation means that some parts of the product will be detached and recomposed differently. Have you ever seen a metal rusting? This is an oxidation; the oxidation is caused by a chemical reaction. The bright metal becomes red in contact for a certain time with water and the air.

See, in the figure below, SO2 and NO oxide. The elements obtained by oxidation are dissolved.

Do you know what the word dissolution means?

____________________________________________________________________________

Put a lump of sugar in a glass of water, then watch. What happens? The sugar disappears and the water tastes of sugar, right? This is called a dissolution.

It is pointless at this stage to explain all these chemical reactions. The most important thing to remember is that some dangerous chemical elements are dissolved into the atmosphere and fall into the earth. This is called the Acid Rain because SO and NO are transformed into acids. We will see later what the word acid means.

60-70 % of the acid deposition coming from emissions of sulphur dioxide (So2) is from human origin.

The sulphur dioxide is obtained from coal burning, by smelting metals, volcanic eruptions adding to a local problems, and organic decay.

In Europe, emissions of SO2 have been well reduced, about 40% in 20 years.

In Western Europe, emissions are almost 50% lower now than in 1980.

The reasons are the economic decline followed by the closure of factories, and the introduction of new technology to clean up emissions.

When in the air, sulphur dioxide can land on the Earth's surface in the form of dry dust, or it can be turned into acid by a chemical reaction in contact with the moist air (H2O).

What do the transcriptions So and NO mean?

They are the symbols of two basic elements in our natural world.

For example, plants release Oxygen that we breathe in order to ventilate our lungs and stay alive. Oxygen’s symbol is O. We release Carbon Dioxide from our lungs into the air; this Carbon Dioxide is inhaled by plants who need it to live. The Carbon’ symbol is CO2. The symbol of Carbon is C. CO2 is only one form that can take the carbon knowing that our bones are made of Carbon, pencils are made of Carbon called Graphite, and many things around us are made of Carbon.

CO2 means that an atom of Carbon bonds with 2 atoms of Oxygen. The equation could also be written that way: COO = CO2.

This meeting of two basic elements is called a Chemical Reaction.

What does SO2 mean then?

It means that _______________________________________________________________________

In the following equation:

SO2 + H2O = H2SO3

the basic elements add to each other.

Can you write this equation in a different way?

SO2 + H2O = ______________________ = H2SO3

See how the elements add to each other. In this equation, SO2 + H2O, we have:

You get:

2 O+ 1 O = O2 + O1 = 3 O or O3

O3 + H2 + S1 = H2 SO3

The order the elements are written down follow an alphabetical order (H is before S which is before O).

Now, try to find out the solution to this equation or chemical reaction:

SO2 + 1/2O2 = ___________________

95 % of the nitrogen oxides (Nox) in the atmosphere are the result of human activities; 5% come from natural processes.

NO + 1/2O2 = _________________________________?

NO2 + OH = _______________________________?

& nitrogen (from high temperature flames)

Affects

What is acid?

What happens when acid falls on something: an object, an animal or food? If you do not know, try to look at the exhaust pipe of old cars, and you will have a good hint:

____________________________________________________________________________________

Acid occurs naturally in nature.

Of course, other acids that do not come from food are very dangerous!

Where can you find acid?

In drinks: ___________________________________________________________

In fruits: ____________________________________________________________

In candies: __________________________________________________________

Cite a few dangerous acids; usually they are products parents try to hide in the cabinets for the safety of their children:

____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

What happens after a few days when you deep a piece of meet into coca-cola?

Describe: ____________________________________________________________

Along with acid, there is in nature what we call basic.

What taste bitter in food?

___________________________________________________________

ACID BASE SCALE.

Dark pink: 1

Yellow-Green: 7

Seagreen : 8

Green- Blue: 10

Navy Blue: 11

trees & plants at pH 3.5 and stronger (smaller numbers);

buildings at pH 5 and stronger(smaller numbers), what can you conclude?

____________________________________________________________________________________

Why cannot fish live in a swimming pool?

Because _______________________________________________________________

Why cannot prairie flowers live in sea water?

Because _____________________________________________________________

Why animal urine destroys apartment plants?

Because _____________________________________________________________

Where does the acid rain is most prominent? Cross out the ones you judge less at risk:

Europe, Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Far East Asia, South America, North America, South-East Asia, Caribbean Islands, Ireland, Antarctica, Russia.

Are Muslim countries heavily touched by acid rains? Why?_________________________________________________________________________________

Regions that are downwind of heavily industrialized areas, such as Europe and the eastern United States and Canada, are the most hit by acid rain. Acid rain can affect not only human health, but also slowly dissolves historic stone statues and building facades.

Can you guess the consequences of losing historical monuments or vestiges? Explain:

____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Acid rain affects the life in the rivers:

The acidification of lakes begins whenever the precipitation (acid rain) falls on the earth, then infiltrates in the ground. Then chemicals move into lake soil and bedrock where they can react with limestone and aluminum-containing silicate minerals and give toxic elements such as heavy metals. Then, they flow down to the lakes. This flow is called leachate.

The good news is if the soil and bedrock is rich in limestone, the acidity of water can be reduced. 

Picture courtesy of: http://royal.okanagan.bc.ca/

Acidic lakes show a rapid decline in fish numbers. Lake life cannot reproduce or they die of cancer like illnesses. The important reduction in plant nutrients (potassium, magnesium, etc) and the difficulty to absorb these nutrients due to root damage causes the decline in plant growth rates.

Many important soil organisms die below a pH of about 6.0 which upsets the decomposition and nutrient cycles.

In humans, this process causes respiratory problems and other illnesses due to the food chain cycle. 

There are several things that can be done in order to alleviate the problems of acid deposition. The pH od lakes can be increased by a technique called liming (deposition of hydrated lime or soda in the lake).

Environmental regulations can limit the amount of sulphuric pollution released in the atmosphere from industrial sources.

It would help to reduce the number of motor vehicles and to return to walking and biking or generalize the usage of community buses. New cars mst be more adapted to prevent pollution, and many companies are working on this.

There have been some progress so far, but everyone has to participate in order to make the Earth more livable.

The GREENHOUSE effect:

The global warming is another effect of the smog.

What is it?

It is an increase in the earth's temperature due to the buildup of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other gases, known as greenhouse gases, reduce the escape of heat from the planet, but they block radiation coming from the sun. Because of this, the temperatures will be rising 1° to 3.5° C (1.8° to 6.3° F) by the year 2100.

Thus, this global warming would affect climate, crop production, it would disrupt wildlife, and raise the sea level because more glaciers would melt into the ocean.

However, some people are against a negative interpretation of changes in weather. They say that if you look far back in the world history, this is not unusual.

Using logic and your knowledge of prehistoric times, can you farther explain this point of view?

___________________________________________________________________________________

OZONE:

Excessive production of chlorine-containing compounds (CFCs) (compounds used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and in the polystyrene production) has depleted the ozone layer, creating a hole above Antarctica. This lasts for several weeks each year. Consequently, as the earth is not protected, during this time, against the negative rays of the sun, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, human health in high-latitude are threatened.

What can you do to protect yourself against negative sunrays? To protect plants?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

However, air quality is improving because of national laws setting air quality standards. It is estimated that new cars of the 21^st century will emit 99% less hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide than in the 1970’s.

Greater use of electricity replacing other sources of energy in manufacturing, services and household appliances

New technologies allow businesses to recycle gases and particules before their release into the air.

If we are doing something nationally, the effort must continue inside our own homes!

What is indoor air quality?

ETS is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers.

The health effects can start after few years; they are eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; lung cancer; may contribute to heart disease. Specifically for children, increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and ear infections; build-up of fluid in the middle ear; increased severity and frequency of asthma episodes; decreased lung function.

Particle levels in homes without smokers or other strong particle sources are the same as, or lower than, those outdoors. Homes with one or more smokers may have particle levels several times higher than outdoor levels.

The steps to reduce indoor pollution are simple.

Do not smoke in your home or permit others to do so. Do not smoke if children are present, particularly infants and toddlers. If smoking indoors cannot be avoided, increase ventilation in the area where smoking takes place. Open windows or use exhaust fans. Do not smoke in the car. The high concentration of smoke in a small, closed compartment substantially increases the exposure to other passengers. Respect yourself, respect those who live with you.

Even though smoking is not a great problems among Muslims, still some families re exposed to this problem, and we must be aware that the practice is not recommended in Islam because it endangers our health and the health of our families, neighbors too!

Another problem we might consider as far as indoor air is concerned is that the usage of chemicals inside the house can be dangerous, especially the use of pesticides and sprays. Reduce their usage as much as possible and replace them by natural products like repellents or natural detergents.

NITROGEN in air

Go back to Earth

Animals eat plants

Organic materials decompose

Produce Amonia (NH3)

First of all Allah Ta’alah created human beings from clay. More than that, Allah Ta’alah built the Earth for humans, so that they may enjoy it and be tested on it in order to select the best men and women.

The first test is the donation itself. Humans are the guardians of the Earth, and they will be judged considering what they have done to protect it and make it more enjoyable for every living creature.

Many times the Qur’an tells about men who are not grateful for the gift of the Earth, and how they will be punished for that.

Many times it is revealed that nothing can be done or grown without the permission of Allah. When we plant trees or vegetables, anything, we should say "Insha Allah" because we cannot make these plants grow unless Allah hears our duas and help them grow.

Many times it is mentioned that the earth could not live without water, that water is sent by Allah in order to revive what was dead.

Verily! We made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We test them (mankind)- as to which is best in deeds.

Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil (without growth or herbage)

Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth).

[Qur’an 2:22] 

But the earth, the possession of land, can be a reward for those who show piety and obedience to Allah:

And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected (with such pride).

When the son of Adam saw that he could not cancel into the earth his brother that he had killed. The earth is the witness of his exaction.

Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets

There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him." Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out.

They said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out.

They said, "This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).

Everything coming from the earth must be pure for the Muslims. Muslim do not pollute their bodies with food that is forbidden like pig, and Muslims do not pollute their souls by eating of food that have been stolen or taken unjustly.

Not only the products of the earth must be shared with the poor and those who ask from it like the birds or animals, but also the soil itself do not belong to the peasant. Actually, the one who can revive himself the land possesses the land. Private property do not exist in Islam, so the earth belong to everyone who can take care of it!

O you who believe! Give of the good things which ye have (honourably) earned, and of the fruits of the earth

The earth is diversity, diversity of its people, its geography, its fauna and flora; it has been spread out for us to explore it and meet with different people so we might learn to respect each other and help each other:

Soil is a mixture of mineral, plant, and animal materials that accumulate during thousands of years. The soil is essential for most plant growth because it contains the plant food!

Soil pollution is an accumulation of toxic chemical compounds, salts, pathogens (disease-causing organisms), or radioactive materials that have a negative effect on the environment.

Pollution was often due, in the past, to ignorance: people did not know good soil management methods, so they have contributed to the degradation of soil quality. Pollution and erosion are the main consequences of this ignorance.

Agricultors overused chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides that upset the natural way of things, and destroyed useful organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms along with the pests.

Bad irrigation practices in areas with poorly drained soil have caused salt deposits that inhibit plant growth.

Problems of soil erosion existed since the Middle Ages. People had noticed that crop rotation was the best way to let the earth take a rest as people go to sleep. Earth is alive; it needs to regenerate itself when harvested. Now, we know a great deal about how to take care of the soil.

Some people in the world have already implemented natural ways of getting rid of pests and cultivating crops without destroying the soil.

In USA some people practice sustainable farming, called "regenerative agriculture". They are expert in ridge-tilling. They do not use herbicides anymore, but they turn the ground into rows of tiny ridges and valleys. Before fall harvest, they plant oats, hay in the valleys. During winter, the plants protect the soil from erosion and inhibit weeds before it is time to plant the crops on the ridges. They practice crop rotation. They compost manure to enrich the soil. They do not let their cattle graze but feed them on grains.

Only 25 % of ice-free land is suitable for agriculture in the world. We use half of it for crops. Soil and replenished and renewed indefinitely if well cared of. In Southeast Asia, rice paddies are as fertile as before because the soil is constantly nurtured.

Create your own terracing like the picture of Yemen! Have fun creating your own botanical garden. It is useful as well as beautiful. Build your own garden for real or build a model, making sure you have a water drainage system available. Then poor water on it; see how the earth absorbs the water.

Nearly 5% of New York City street trees doe every year.

Urban trees are usually planted where it fits, not where it is most suitable for them!

Often the concrete has already been laid, so crews tear out a 4-by-4 foot piece of concrete, put in a 4 by 4 b plant and hope for he best!

The average life of a tree in urban environment is 4 to 7 years, a real disaster if on consider that trees, in good conditions, can live many centuries! What a waste!

The problems are:

Insufficient soil and nutrients for growth; insufficient space for the root structure to grow (either roots crack the sidewalk or their growth will be stunted); insufficient water or excess water in the tree pit; insufficient oxygen: tree roots need enough air to capture a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide to convert C into O.

Furthermore, the salt used to treat roads, especially when it snows damage the tree; the heat as well: concrete radiates heat and the reflections from the shops glass is not good either. Bumps and bruises damage the trees since people are in the habit of tying heavy objects such as bicycles to them. Pollution plays its role: smog, ozone, urine.

Finally, a road or sidewalk joint repair severs roots, especially those of older trees that are more sensitive even if the roots of young trees can still grow back. Some trees however still thrive in cities going to 15 years of age! But is that enough?

Knowing what precedes, what advises and solutions would you provide for the urban architect who designs towns?

___________________________________________________________________________________ 

Americans are so interested in very big things that the Sequoia trees can well be in danger. When the biggest trees in the world are discovered, people come to see them from all over the US and from abroad. They destroy other trees by using their cars around the non-frequented paths, bringing cars of tourists, and walking around the trees, so the earth become packed around the roots, making it impossible for the tree to breathe through its roots.

What do you think of this craze about the tallest trees in the world? If you were a forest guard, what would be your attitude? Would you try to hide the trees, mislead people by giving them false directions or would you create ways of making them happy without endangering the trees?

___________________________________________________________________________________

Deforestation is a crucial problem on earth since we draw the oxygen that we breathe from the forest, plants and algae. Many species from the fauna and flora have already disappeared due to this problem.

While temperature forests slightly expand due to reforestation and abandonment of marginal farmlands, tropical forests are shrinking rapidly and 1 or 2 species lost per day. People look for tropical forest wood because the quality of the wood is high, and the countries that sell it do not have fixed regulations concerning cutting down trees. If they have regulations, these countries are developing countries and need the money, or they are so corrupted that they can do whatever suits their greed.

In 1990, Brazil cut down 8 million of hectares of trees.

In the 1900’s, it has been estimated that 20 million square km of tropical lands covered with canopy forest existed, i.e., an area twice as big as the US.

200,000sq km are cleared each year due to farmers and commercial logging or fuel wood gathering. 

However, China reforested 4.5 million hectares per year during the last decade.

Korea and Soviet Union seem to have reforested effectively.

357,480

36,540

113,895

4,458

8,000

1,500

900

290

561

173

164

8

2.2

4.1

0.8

6.5

__________________________________________________________________________________

carnivores (eat only meat): 5% energy loss

Secondary consumers:

omnivores (eat plants and meat): 10% energy loss

Primary consumers:

Herbivores: absorbs 20% energy

80% of energy loss.

Producer:

Photosynthetic plants, algae, bacteria.

Look at the picture in the precedent page, then answer the questions below, using logic.

1) Knowing the existence of the loss of energy in the food chain, what do you think is the best interest for each species while feeding?

____________________________________________________________________________________

2) If the producers disappear, as in the deserts, what happens to the rest of the chain?

____________________________________________________________________________________

If the producers are poisoned, what happens to the rest of the food chain?

__________________________________________________________________________________

4) It is known that the world is overpopulated by human beings. Since this population needs more and more food, farmers tend to plant only one to two sorts of crops. Since this growing population is in need of houses, furniture, paper, etc., more forests are cut down every day. In the light of what you know, what do you think is happening to the food chain?

____________________________________________________________________________________

1) Answer: It is preferable to eat a lot of producers. The shortest the food chain, the best it is!

Answer: If the producers are scarce, the rest of the food chain suffers from it. Animals migrate to places they can feed themselves, that is why some countries see new species invade their territory, causing more problems. In fact, other food chains can be broken by the new afflux of species. Eventually the former food chain reconstitutes itself differently. Otherwise the species that were dependant on these producers that disappeared cannot feed anymore and die. Pandas die out because they feed only on weeds and these forests of weeds are slowly destroyed by humans.

Answer: If the producers are poisoned, the rest of the food chain is affected. Either other living creatures die or they learn to eat something else.

Consumers that feed on organisms are called

Parasites: organisms that live in or on a living host.

Scavenges: animals that feed on dead plants or animals

Decomposers: fungi and bacteria that digest organic matter

Do you think they are useful? Yes? No? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Give an example of a parasite: ____________________________________

Give an example of a scavenger: ____________________________________

Give an example of a decomposer: ____________________________________

A predator lives by eating other animals. The eagle is a predator.

Do you think a predator has many natural enemies? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Are predators necessary? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________

The leaves and roots of black walnut trees, sunflowers, and wild cherries release toxic chemicals that poison its neighbors, to give them growing space.

Do you think these plants are some kind of predator? Yes? No? Explain:

________________________________________________________________________________

What are these plants trying to do by killing other plants around? They are assuring their S _ _ _ _ _ _ L

The cycles of life and death depend on the ability for plants and animals to be the strongest, to go unnoticed, to share with other animals, plants who can help them survive. If one species disappears, the total ecosystem is upset, and many other plants and animals can die in the process. Pollution can cause this unbalance and transforms what we are going to eat tomorrow. When pollution destroys useful creatures like scavenges or decomposers, dead bodies of animals become another pollution; when predators disappear, they are too many rabbits or fast breeding animals that can survival and invade entire territories like kangaroos in Australia that has really become pests by their number.

Scavengers creatures that eat dead plants and animals. They include zooplankton, sea birds, crustaceans, molluscs, and many more. They are important in getting rid of plant and animal remains. What they leave behind is used by the decomposers.

Decomposer are the organisms that break down the final remains of living things. They are called bacteria and fungi; they are creatures that recycle.

Phytoplankton are the main producers of the marine food chain. They take energy from the sunlight, exactly like plants. Most are single celled and microscopic. Many of the minerals they need to survive come from the wastes of animals and decomposers.

Thus, everything in the environment affects everything else. Symbiosis is an association of two different organisms that have a special relationship. They live together, or one for another, or one despite another. When pollution or pesticides destroy one species, it is sure to destroy the other in the process.

An example of symbiosis is called mutualism:

The roots of clover and other members of the pea family have root nodules. These nodules contain bacteria which convert nitrogen into nitrates for them. Nitrate is an important plant food essential for the clover. In compensation, bacteria get food from the plant as well as nutrition.

They are actually three symbiosis relationships; they are called respectively:

MUTUALISM = a relationship that helps both organisms.

Example: Green plants need the elements of the feces from animals to survive, and animals need plants to eat.

COMMENSALISM = One helps the other.

Example: The sucker fish (remora) lives on the shark; it receives protection and food.

PARASITISM = One (the ‘guest’) can harm the other (the ‘host’).