52 L6-Caring For Our Planet

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Introduction On our planet Earth there are many beautiful places. Sadly, some of the things that people do are damaging our planet. We must care for it, to keep it safe and clean for all the plants, animals, and people living here. What beautiful places can you see below? What beautiful places are there in your country? How do people damage our planet? How can we care for our planet? Discover! Now read and discover more about caring for our beautiful planet!

Chapter 1 using Resources Carefully Our planet gives us many natural resources like air to breathe and water to drink. It gives us plants and animals to eat, and coal and oil to make electricity. We need to use all these resources carefully. Renewable Resources Some natural resources, like water, sun, wind, soil, animals, and plants, can replace themselves naturally. They are called renewable resources. They will not run out if we don't use them too quickly. If we use them carefully, we will have lots of these resources to use for a long time. We All Need Water Water is one of the most important natural resources on Earth. We need fresh water to drink, and we need it to grow and cook food, and to wash. Plants, animals, and people all need water to live. About 70% of Earth is covered with water, but most of this water is salt water in oceans. People need fresh water to drink, but only about 3% of Earth's water is fresh water. In some countries there isn't enough water. Sometimes, people have to travel a long way to collect water, or they move to a new place where there is water.

Non-Renewable Resources We use fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil in power stations to make electricity. We use electricity to power lights. Refrigerators, televisions, and computers all need electricity, too. Many people use electricity to cook and to heat their homes. We also use electricity to power some vehicles, and we use oil to make gasoline to power cars and other vehicles. The problem is that these fossil fuels cannot be replaced, so when we have used them all, they will run out. They are called non-renewable resources, and we are using them too quickly. Discover! In 2007, the four countries that used the most electricity were the USA, China, Russia, and Japan. Countries with more people need more electricity. Pollution Sometimes we make our resources dirty. This is called pollution. We pollute the air when we use fossil fuels to make energy like electricity. We pollute water when we put waste into it. People, animals, and plants all need clean air and water. What Can We Do? There are lots of ways we can help. We must keep water clean, and we must not waste it. Some charities are helping people to collect and store water. They are also building new dams, wells, and pumps, so that people can have clean water nearer their homes. We must use non-renewable resources carefully, and we must not waste them. Scientists are investigating ways to use renewable resources, like sun, wind, and water, to make electricity so that we don't need to use so many fossil fuels. We can also try to use less electricity.

Chapter 2 Keeping Our Planet Cool Scientists think that Earth's climate is changing and the weather is getting more extreme. They think that this is happening because Earth is getting warmer. Why is this happening, and how can we keep our planet cool? The Greenhouse Effect Earth gets heat from the sun. Some of the heat escapes into space, but some is trapped by a blanket of gases. This keeps Earth warm enough for us to live here, and it's called the greenhouse effect because it works like a greenhouse. Global Warming When we use fossil fuels we make a gas called carbon dioxide. Scientists think that we are putting too much carbon dioxide into the air. The carbon dioxide increases the greenhouse effect and Earth gets warmer. This is called global warming. Extreme Weather Scientists think that global warming is changing our climate and making the weather more extreme. This is a problem for people, animals, and plants. Hurricanes are getting more dangerous. In 2005, a huge hurricane hit New Orleans in the USA. About 2,000 people died, and most of the city was flooded. There are many rivers in Bangladesh. There are always floods in the rainy season, but the floods are getting worse. Every year, some people die and thousands of people lose their homes. Discover! In Bangladesh, some people make floating gardens. They grow food on them, so that they have food during the floods.