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5) Each year, it costs $7.5 billion to get rid of household and office garbage. If you know that this amount
is enough to pay for 1,000 schools or 500 hospitals, how much does it cost to build a school?
Answer: _______________________________________________
6) 700,000 tons of toxic wastes are produced in the US every day. How many in one year?
Answer: ____________________________________________________
7) 12 million of tons of pesticides sprayed per year. How many that makes per month?
Answer: _______________________________________________
In 1950, the average use of fertilizers was 20 kg per hectare; today it is 91 kg.
Critical thinking: Imagine:
1)
Steps to force recycling in the US:
Recycling is mandatory in 10 US states. These states help recycle hundred of tons of paper, glass and
metal in each town every year. Recycling helps them to save some million dollars on energy costs,
thousand of dollars in disposal costs, and create new jobs. In order to implement recycling laws, some
towns like Hamburg, N.Y., force people to recycle. The city informs people of the laws concerning
recycling in the town. If people do not recycle, the city warns them they will stop picking up garbage if
they refuse to cooperate. In other towns, people are reduced to the use of one garbage bag per household;
this forces them to recycle and reduce waste.
Can you think of other ways to encourage people to recycle and reduce their wastes? Explain:
____________________________________________________________________________________
2) Can we recycle landfills?
Canyons in Los Angeles are filled with garbage and covered with soil to make new parks.
How is it possible? Ask around if you do not know?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Dupage County, Illinois, piled the garbage into a mountain and converted it into a winter ski slope.
How do you think this was made possible? What are the problems encountered with this type of solution?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3)
True stories:
Johny Apple Seed was a man who grew apple trees during the early settlements in North America.
One day, he decided to follow the people who were heading to the Wild West. He took a sack of apple
seeds and began his journey, planting apple seeds whenever he found a nice place for his future trees.
a)
Up to Islamic standards, what do you think of Johny Apple Seed?
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__________________________________________________________________________________
b) With your knowledge of ecology, especially concerning the disruption of the natural habitat, do you
have an opposite viewpoint?
__________________________________________________________________________________
c) What do Muslims traditionally do for their environment? What do you think about the effort made
by the Saudi farmers to revive deserts by planting crops on it? Is it a new idea?
________________________________________________________________________________
d) Oasis are scattered all over the deserts. Traders moved to these places and began planting trees
near water. A palm tree takes at least 20 years to give fruits, often it takes more time. Thus, people
who plant palm trees barely or rarely see the result of their efforts. Most of the time trees and houses
end up buried in the sand dunes. People have to struggle every minute with the natural elements in
order to survive. Why do desert people plant palm trees? What benefits do they gain from growing
oasis? Is it worth it?
_________________________________________________________________________________
4)
Arbor Day in the US is the day when people gather and plant trees together. This celebration,
originated by Julius sterling Morton since April 1872 is now celebrated all over America.
a)
Do Muslims have a special day for planting trees or taking care of the environment? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________
b)
Would you like to celebrate such a day? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________________
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