Earth's problems
Our Planet has 3 main problems:
- Global warming
- Plastic pollution
- Deforestation
Below you will see what each of these mean and how they affect Earth
Global warming
Main info:
CO2 emissions
Factories, cars, planes etc. emit gas called carbon dioxide (CO2) - this gas goes to atmosphere and blocks heat which causes climate change - this means that every year the average temperature is becoming higher and higher
More natural disasters
Global warming makes weather more extreme. There are more hurricanes, more heavy rainfall, more draughts. Tornadoes and other natural disasters are happening more frequently and in bigger extremes
Glaciers are melting, the coral reef is dying
Higher temperatures make glaciers and ice in Arctica melt. This in turn makes sea level go up, so some places can be flooded. Also coral reef is dying, as water becomes too warm. Coral reefs are home to a variety of different species of animals and without them many creatures will die
The Ozone layer gets thinner
Ozone is another gas in the atmosphere. It is protecting us from sun's radiation. But it's being destroyed by CO2, so it's easier to get a sunburn and water and land temperatures are rising
Watch these videos to understand more about GLobal Warming
Global Warming explained
Melting of Bear Glacier in Canada
Great work!
Here are some games for you to play!
– EASY – Game about using renewable energy (requires Flash)
– MEDIUM – Game about time machine (requires Flash)
– EASY – Recycling game (requires Flash)
Plastic pollution
Main info:
Plastic does not degrade
It means that a plastic bottle will stay on Earth even for 1000 years!!! And even then it never fully breaks down but becomes smaller microplastics which are extremely dangerous to our ecosystem
Plastic kills marine animals
One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans. Animals such as sea turtles are eating plastic bags as they resemble jelly fish
Ocean pollution
8 million tons of plastic goes to oceans every year! It's drifting, being moved by sea currents. Later it becomes smaller, and smaller, till it's impossible to remove it (microplastic). Tiny fish are eating them. Those tiny fish are then eaten by bigger fish and it continues up the food chain
Plastic is everywhere
Toys, plastic bags, plastic bottles, packaging, straws are all made of plastic. In a year we produce so much plastic, that it could circle the Earth 4 times!
These videos will explain you how plastic affects our lives
Lives of plastic bottles
Plastic Planet
Awesome!
Now you can enjoy some games!
– EASY – Sorting the rubbish
– MEDIUM – Game about cleaning the ocean, tetris version
– DIFFICULT – Cleaning the ocean with Tweety
Deforestation
Main info:
Why forests are cut?
People are cutting forests for new farming spaces , e.g. for palm oil plantations or crops. Trees are also cut for paper and wood production, as well as for mining and oil exploration. Another reason is to get space for housing and cattle ranching
200 trees per minute are cut
That many trees are cut every minute. It's equivalent to the area of 20 football fields!
Animals are suffering
If their natural home is destroyed, animals need to escape and hide somewhere else. Many species, like orangutans, are dying out as they have no place to live and limited food
Trees absorb CO2
Forests play an important role as they soak carbon dioxide from the air. With no trees, CO2 stays in the atmosphere and it contributes to global warming
