REDUCING HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Which activity would be part of a logical plan to reduce each person’s resource use at home?

• The city installs a recycling center.

• People turn off all lights that are not in use.

• People drive below the speed limit to save gas.

• People burn trash instead of putting it out for pick up.

As part of a natural resources management plan, an apartment’s owner wants to reduce overall water usage. Which recommendation should she include that will help her renters reduce water usage?

• Buy drinking water from the store.

• Shower before entering the swimming pool.

• Don’t let water run while brushing your teeth.

• Bathe only in the afternoon while others are out.

Which of these is an example of a way that a school can reduce the amount of water the school uses?

• Install automatic faucets in the restrooms.

• Recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles in the cafeteria.

• Turn off computers in the computer lab when they’re not in use.

• Collect waste food and create a compost pile for a school garden.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the standards for water quality in the United States. The EPA’s maximum contaminant level for chlorine in drinking water is 4 ppm. What does this mean?

• Drinking water must have more than 4 ppm of chlorine.

• Drinking water in the United States contains 4 ppm of chlorine.

• The EPA has never found more than 4 ppm of chlorine in drinking water.

• The amount of chlorine in drinking water must be less than or equal to 4 ppm.

What is one challenge that comes with using new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

• New technologies are not yet available.

• New technologies only work in certain areas.

• New technologies can consume more fossil fuels.

• New technologies can be more expensive than existing technology.

In general, organic material breaks down faster than inorganic material. Which type of solid waste is likely to take the longest to break down in a landfill?

• paper plate

• glass bottle

• wood scraps

• banana peel

A city wants to use the engineering design process to develop a way to monitor resource use in the city. What is the first step the city should take?

• identify the resource that the city needs to monitor

• create and test a model of one way to monitor resources

• brainstorm different ways to monitor the city’s resource use

• determine the criteria and constraints for monitoring resource use

Choose the ways in which humans impact the environment positively . Choose all that apply.

• planting trees

• saving energy

• throwing

• Using cars that burn fossil fuels

Activities that can disturb the environment.

• Natural events

• Human activities

• Planting a tree

• Recycling

Human activities don't have any effect on Earth systems.

• True

• False