35 In Ghana, locals work with a foreign aid charity to bore deep water wells near communities without clean, safe water–thus transforming the lives of villagers. In this example finance is raised by islanders several thousand miles away on the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Faustina Awane, a Ghanaian citizen, who has been responsible for dozens of similar projects, said ‘she loves to see the difference it makes to a whole community’s health and well-being.’ A Dutch charity Floating City Apps Foundation is working with people in Bangladesh to install facilities that will not be damaged during flooding. Using pontoons containing recycled plastic bottles, and recycled shipping containers, they are creating clinics and other facilities that will float in the rainy and flood seasons, and settle in the dry season. This will keep the vital infrastructure dry and safe all year round. Frank van den Akker describes this as a transformational way to protect infrastructure using already existing items and recycled materials. Renewable energy is cheap, sustainable, and already improving the environment of our planet. However, installing solar and wind power equipment is expensive. In Bristol, a specialist engineer, Charles Gamble, is working with a charity to generate cheap electricity using solar panels installed for free on people’s homes. He funds his operations by selling them the electricity at a lower rate than what the big energy firms charge. Case Study 1: Ensuring a clean water supply in Ghana Case Study 2: Building resilience in areas of frequent flooding in Bangladesh Case Study 3: Providing ‘green’ solar energy for poorer communities in Bristol, England An experimental floating classroom in use in The Netherlands. What environmental projects have you heard about? Explore the short-term and long-term effects of global warming on our planet and suggest measures to reduce them. Locals in Ghana Chapter 3: Environmental Pollution
36 Test Yourself Section 1: Quiz Questions 1. How does the growth of the human population impact the natural environment? 2. Define light pollution and describe its hazardous effects. 3. How does consumerism lead to excess waste? Explain why plastic waste is difficult to properly dispose of. 4. How did the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak impact air quality and pollution? 5. How can the demand for energy be met in a sustainable way? 6. Describe the dangerous effects of the overuse of pesticides and antibiotics in agriculture. 7. Explain how the capitalist economy promotes wasteful attitudes and adds to ‘The Greenhouse Effect.’ 8. Outline the impacts of industrial pollution, specifically the impacts in Pakistan. 10. Take a look at Case Study 2. How will this charity work impact Bangladesh, a frequently flooded place? Section 2: Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following term best describes the growth of population to the extent that resources become scarce? A. high population density B. rapid population growth C. overpopulation 2. Which type of pollution is problematic for nocturnal animals and for our ‘body clocks’? A. noise pollution B. light pollution C. water pollution 3. Which of the following is not a cause of increased amount of waste production? A. multiple use products B. over-production C. uselessness 4. Which of the following terms is not associated with plastic? A. non-biodegradable B. biodegradable C. carcinogenic 5. Which of these is the most sustainable way of energy generation? A. fossil fuels B. power plants C. renewable sources 6. Coal is burnt to produce electricity. Which of the following categories of energy generation does coal belong to? A. fossil fuels B. nuclear power plants C. renewable sources