THE ANTHROPOCENE LYDIA KOROMPELI HELEN KOUKOURAKI ENGLISH PROJECT 2016-2017 Γ3 2 ND EXPERIMENTAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF ATHENS TEACHER: DIMITRA DERTILI •Humankind is responsible for the massive use of fossil fuels which has changed the atmosphere and temperature of the planet. Toxins and plastic are an accumulating problem of the oceans, land and air, while technology is becoming our second, if not our first, nature.
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THE ANTHROPOCENE
LYDIA KOROMPELIHELEN KOUKOURAKI
ENGLISH PROJECT 2016-2017
Γ32ND EXPERIMENTAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF ATHENS
TEACHER: DIMITRA DERTILI
•Humankind is responsible for the massive use of fossil fuels which has changed the atmosphere and temperature of the planet. Toxins and plastic are an accumulating problem of the oceans, land and air, while technology is becoming our second, if not our first, nature.
Humans have been relying on fossil fuels for many decades now, and everything is in place and ready for us to gather and use such energy resources. We already have plenty of people gathering coal and oil, for instance, from all the places in the world that are rich in fossil fuels, using all the equipment that has been specially created for the extraction of fossil fuels. Therefore, it is better to use fossil fuels because we have already invested a lot of time, effort and money in them.
Easy to find Fossil fuels are actually very easy to find. They occur all over
the world and they are sourced from the very deep regions of the planet which means that, when they are extracted from the ground or sea, we are guaranteed to get a lot of resources from that particular area. The fact that they occur all over the world means that all countries and regions should be able to have access to at least some type of fossil fuel.
Extremely efficient Fossil fuels are extremely more efficient than newer energy
sources. This means that they can generate huge amounts of energy, even if we just use a small amount of it. So far, the most effective fuel for vehicles has always been petroleum. Nothing else – no renewable energies, at least – even comes close to generating the same amount of energy that it does.
Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. Their supply is limited, and there will come a point in time where the earth’s fossil fuel deposits will have been completely used up. When this happens, we will need to be able to transfer to some other form of energy generation. Consequently, we shouldn’t be investing time and money into extracting more fossil fuels and improving our extraction techniques. Rather, we need to focus on developing alternative, renewable forms of energy.
Health issues The burning of fossil fuels is not at all environment friendly,
so it’s hazardous to human health. Pollution-related diseases kill millions of children a year. High levels of air pollution can affect your lungs and trigger asthma. People who live in areas with a large amount of traffic are at a higher risk.
Unfortunately, the biggest disadvantage to burning fossil fuels for energy is the fact that they are so damaging to the environment. Fossil fuel combustion emits some common air pollutants that have local and global effects on human health and the environment.
Air pollution When fossil fuels are burned, pollutants are released into the
air. These pollutants include carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4),nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), known as greenhouse gases.
Global Warming The release of carbon dioxide has been directly linked to
global warming. Climate scientists believe that if the amount of carbon dioxide transmitted in the atmosphere continues to increase, the planet will become warmer in the next century and may possibly result in a rise in sea levels due to the melting ice, altered weather patterns that may result in extreme weather events, and increased frequency of droughts in agricultural zones. These climate changes in turn look likely to change the world as we know it.
Not only are fossil fuels harmful when burnt, but they can also cause huge environmental damage if spilled. It is known that fossil fuels have damaged the environment through accidental oil spills. Oil spills are one of the leading causes of marine disasters, and can cause the deaths of millions of birds, mammals, and fish every time they happen. These disasters would not only affect the seas but also the land, especially the animals that live in them. Though oil spills are not often, they can kill thousands of animals if they occur.
They are poisonous substances, especially produced by bacteria, that cause diseases.
There are two types of toxins: endogenous or biotoxins that are produced by the body and exogenous or environmental toxins that are ingested into the body from external factors (air, water, food, etc)
Plastic It is an artificial substance that can be shaped
(when it is soft) into many different forms and has many different uses.
Plastics are used in all human activities, such as feeding, clothing, transportation, communication, health care. Human Consumption exceeds 150 million tons of plastics per year.
Plastic pollution involves the hyper-concentration of plastic waste in the environment that affects the land, oceans, wildlife and humans.
Land: Chlorinated plastics may release toxic chemicals in the ground, which can then be soaked up by groundwater and the ecosystem
Oceans: plastic litters, such as plastic bags or bottles end up in the ocean and release toxins to plankton, fish and finally to humans through the food chain. Consuming the fish that have these toxins can develop cancer, immune disorders and birth defects.
Technology’s everywhere It improves communication It provides access to information - Social Networking It improves housing and our lifestyle It enriches entertainment (more video games now, good
music to listen to and visual systems) It provides better education – online It facilitates traveling It provides a better health system – modern technology
in hospitals, improves patient treatments It promotes efficiency and productivity of businesses.