Community Scorecard
Environmental pollution of our air, water and soil is often generated as a by-product of energy production and use. What kind of pollution exists in your part of the world? How well does your community control its pollution sources? How much is your community a part of the global warming problem? What kind of access do you have to information about pollution within your community? Explore these ideas in this exploration!
Pollution Information in Your Community
Explore pollution information in your community by checking out the following website(s) that are relevant to you. You can also perform a web search of your own. In fact, you'll have to if your country is not already listed below. (Let us know if you find any worthwhile links and we'll add them to this page!)
United States
Scorecard: The Pollution Information Site
China
Air Pollution Map
Water Pollution Map
India
Central Pollution Control Board
International
Global Community Monitor
Here are some things we want you to think about as you look through the online resources. What are the big issues in your community? Where does most of your community's pollution come from? Industry (what kind)? Transportation? Residential? Do you see a relationship between pollution in your community and global warming? How complete is the data that you can find? Is it presented clearly? What would make it easier for you to understand? If you had a hard time finding data, why do you think that is? Do you think it is important for citizens to understand this issue within their community?
GRAB YOUR POINTS!
Tell us what you learned (and think!) by preparing a 1 or 2 page reflection.
Log into your team wiki space. Create an attachment for your file by clicking Page Operations, Attachments. Title your file Explorations-Community Scorecard: Pollution Information so that we can credit you for your work!
Choose Your Poison
Choose one of the chemicals identified as a threat in your community to look at more closely. Try this Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc. site for information about your compound or look for other resources on the web.
- Which one did you choose and what is its chemical formula?
- Draw a picture of it. (Show its chemical structure.)
- Have you ever heard of it before?
- Is it an organic or inorganic compound?
- Describe it! What does it look like? What is its molecular weight? What are its properties and how does it behave? (i.e. what is its density, when does it boil, freeze, etc.)
- Why is it of concern in the environment?
- Is it dangerous to humans? Why?
- How does it move through the environment? (air? water?) Can you relate this to its properties? (i.e. a chemical that is very volatile is probably transported by air.)
- Add anything else you'd like to share.
GRAB YOUR POINTS!
Include answers to the above questions in a document that you can upload.
Log into your team wiki space. Create an attachment for your file by clicking Page Operations, Attachments. Title your file Explorations-Community Scorecard: Choose Your Poison so that we can credit you for your work!
If You Need Help
If you have specific questions about this exploration, please contact your Mentor.
