Tenzin Samphel
12/29/10
12th Grade
Environmental Science Fair Question
1)
How long does the garbage in a landfill usually stay for?
The garbage in a landfill stays for about 30 years.
2)
How many pounds of garbage does each person throw everyday
Each person throws away approximately four pounds of garbage every day.
3)
How many people can a bus carry in comparison to a car?
One bus carries as many people as 40 cars!
4)
What fraction of all energy is used by people at home?
More than 1/3 of all energy is used by people at home
5)
How many pounds of plastic are thrown every year by each family?
Most families throw away about 88 pounds of plastic every year
6)
How many gallons of water do we use every year?
We each use about 12,000 gallons of water every year
7)
What fractions of all the water present in your house is used in flushing?
1/3 of all water is used to flush the toilet.
8)
Each gallon of fuel releases how many pounds of CO2?
Each gallon of fuel releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.
9)
How many tons of oil produced in the world ends up in the ocean?
Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each ear ends up in the ocean.
10)
The energy we save from recycling one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb for
how many hours?
The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a traditional light
bulb for four hours
11)
For every 2000 pounds of paper recycled, how many gallons fresh water do we save?
For every 2000 pounds of paper (1 ton) recycled, we save 7,000 gallons of water free
from chemicals.
12)
How much less energy is required to make recycled paper than from virgin wood pulp?
Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and
can save many trees
13)
One ton of paper recycled can save how many trees?
Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees
14)
The amount of wood and paper we throw away in a lifetime is enough to heat how many
homes and for how long?
The amount of wood and paper we throw away is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20
years
15)
How many pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year?
14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year
16)
How much less energy is required to recycle aluminum cans than to make them?
It takes 90% less energy to recycle aluminum cans than to make new ones
17)
How many aluminum cans are used each year?
5 billion aluminum cans are used each year
18)
What percent of household appliances can be recycled?
84 percent of all household waste can be recycled.
19)
A typical computer monitor contains how many pounds of lead?
A typical monitor contains 4-5 pounds of lead.
20)
About how many batteries are thrown in the US every year?
Each year billions of used batteries are thrown away in the United States.
21)
What percent of every landfill can be cleaned up?
Approximately only 10 percent of every landfill can be cleaned up.
22)
Which animal does ivory come from?
Ivory comes from elephants; it’s best not to buy it.
23)
Fur comes from what kind of animals?
Fur coats often come from endangered animals; it's best not to buy them.
24)
One gallon of motor oil can contaminate how many gallons of water?
One gallon of motor oil can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of water.
25)
About how long does it take a Styrofoam cup to decompose?
400 years
26)
What is the most polluted city in the world?
Linfen, China has held the dubious distinction for a few years.
27)
What is the most common type of debris that litters our oceans?
Volunteers for the International Coastal Cleanup removed nearly two million cigarettes
and cigarette filters in their most recent effort to clear litter from the world's oceans.
Three Mile Island was the site of what disaster?
On March 28, 1979, at the nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, coolant
(the fluid that keeps a machine cool) escaped from the reactor core due to a combination
of mechanical failure and human error.
29) What is the most common type of trash thrown away by Americans?
Paper products and cardboard account for about 39% of all trash.
28)
30)
How much of the world's water is available for human use?
Only about one-third of 1% of all water on Earth is available for human use.
31)
Name a non-renewable resource?
Petroleum.
32)
What is the leading source of energy in the United States?
Oil. Oil provides the U.S. with about 39% of its energy.
33)
What country consumes the most energy in the world?
The United States produces about 16% of all the energy produced in the world.