Environmental Articles
RECYCLED BRACELETS
By: Michelle Kim & Katie Hsu
“It’s just a wrapper! Now, go throw it away!” People don’t care where they leave wrappers after they had just popped their candies into their mouths. We think they are being wasted after being carelessly thrown into the trash can. These dull candy wrappers can turn into fabulous bracelets. We have figured out a way to reuse candy wrappers! There are NOT JUST so called “a wrapper” anymore!
Helping the Environment
These wrappers that are made into bracelets are not just fashionable bracelets, but they are made of recycled and reused material. These bracelets are made of wrappers from Dum Dum lollipops wrappers, gum wrappers and Starburst wrappers. Think about how many people eat these foods and think about how much space in the landfills those food wrappers are taking up. The bracelets also help save trees. Since these wrappers are made of paper, the trees that are cut down to make the wrappers are wasted because we just throw the wrappers out, not knowing how much we could have saved. The wrapper bracelets help reduce the size of landfills, just by a little bit, but that little bit is a huge start to reducing, reusing and recycling. If people make bracelets, it will save so much. Although it is just a little thing, it can add up. We realized that these precious things are going into waste and that people don’t care. Bracelets like these might not be such a WOW, but it can be if you think about it and see how it saves so much paper.
Basically, these wrapper bracelet are bracelets that are fun to make. You design the colors and which order and pattern you will make your bracelet into. They are also very fashionable because these wrappers vary in colors. You may have a gum wrapper that is shiny and a Dum Dum wrapper has little picture of the flavor all over it then you have a Starburst wrapper that vary in color. Overall, and these wrapper bracelets are a fun and fashionable way to reuse, reduce and most of all recycle.
By: Michelle Kim & Katie Hsu
“It’s just a wrapper! Now, go throw it away!” People don’t care where they leave wrappers after they had just popped their candies into their mouths. We think they are being wasted after being carelessly thrown into the trash can. These dull candy wrappers can turn into fabulous bracelets. We have figured out a way to reuse candy wrappers! There are NOT JUST so called “a wrapper” anymore!
Helping the Environment
These wrappers that are made into bracelets are not just fashionable bracelets, but they are made of recycled and reused material. These bracelets are made of wrappers from Dum Dum lollipops wrappers, gum wrappers and Starburst wrappers. Think about how many people eat these foods and think about how much space in the landfills those food wrappers are taking up. The bracelets also help save trees. Since these wrappers are made of paper, the trees that are cut down to make the wrappers are wasted because we just throw the wrappers out, not knowing how much we could have saved. The wrapper bracelets help reduce the size of landfills, just by a little bit, but that little bit is a huge start to reducing, reusing and recycling. If people make bracelets, it will save so much. Although it is just a little thing, it can add up. We realized that these precious things are going into waste and that people don’t care. Bracelets like these might not be such a WOW, but it can be if you think about it and see how it saves so much paper.
Basically, these wrapper bracelet are bracelets that are fun to make. You design the colors and which order and pattern you will make your bracelet into. They are also very fashionable because these wrappers vary in colors. You may have a gum wrapper that is shiny and a Dum Dum wrapper has little picture of the flavor all over it then you have a Starburst wrapper that vary in color. Overall, and these wrapper bracelets are a fun and fashionable way to reuse, reduce and most of all recycle.
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AQUAPONICS
By: Alexis Aguiar & Katie Hsu
Ever heard of aquaponics? The system is kind of complicated. First the fish get rid of their waste. Then the plants use the manure as fertilizer. Once the plants use the fertilizer, the plants filter the water, which returns to the fish. There is a difference between hydroponics and aquaponics, hydroponics is basically the same process but is done with moving water. Aquaponics is done with still water. This activity is used at many schools in New York City, including our school; Ps 165 Q.
Why Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a program that teaches us kids that we can our combine ecosystems with agriculture. People are teaching children about the aquaponics because the system teaches children about ecosystems, recycling and agriculture. They teach kids about the importance and balance of living and nonliving organisms. This teaches young citizens a type of way to combine both their prior knowledge of ecosystem with agriculture for those who live in urban areas. This process teaches children that they can clean their water in their fish tanks without having to change the water every time.
Our School
Classes now are observing the aquaponics system with their own fish tanks. Maya Camou, a parent of three kids who attend PS 165Q, came and talked to our class to share her thinking and opinion. Children and teachers have been working together to make this possible. Maya states, “Last year I wanted to bring a garden to the school. It didn’t work. So then I thought how I could bring a garden to every classroom. This was a hard process because both the teacher and the students need to collaborate.”
Aquaponics really shows us a different way to save the environment. This teaches us that one thing can affect another. We can save the environment not only for humans but for every single species on this earth. Aquaponics is a great idea for people who are interested in science or live in the urban area and just want to start doing some agriculture. “What we do now is going to affect our future.” Maya reminds us.
By: Alexis Aguiar & Katie Hsu
Ever heard of aquaponics? The system is kind of complicated. First the fish get rid of their waste. Then the plants use the manure as fertilizer. Once the plants use the fertilizer, the plants filter the water, which returns to the fish. There is a difference between hydroponics and aquaponics, hydroponics is basically the same process but is done with moving water. Aquaponics is done with still water. This activity is used at many schools in New York City, including our school; Ps 165 Q.
Why Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a program that teaches us kids that we can our combine ecosystems with agriculture. People are teaching children about the aquaponics because the system teaches children about ecosystems, recycling and agriculture. They teach kids about the importance and balance of living and nonliving organisms. This teaches young citizens a type of way to combine both their prior knowledge of ecosystem with agriculture for those who live in urban areas. This process teaches children that they can clean their water in their fish tanks without having to change the water every time.
Our School
Classes now are observing the aquaponics system with their own fish tanks. Maya Camou, a parent of three kids who attend PS 165Q, came and talked to our class to share her thinking and opinion. Children and teachers have been working together to make this possible. Maya states, “Last year I wanted to bring a garden to the school. It didn’t work. So then I thought how I could bring a garden to every classroom. This was a hard process because both the teacher and the students need to collaborate.”
Aquaponics really shows us a different way to save the environment. This teaches us that one thing can affect another. We can save the environment not only for humans but for every single species on this earth. Aquaponics is a great idea for people who are interested in science or live in the urban area and just want to start doing some agriculture. “What we do now is going to affect our future.” Maya reminds us.
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8 Ways People Affect Animals
By: Varivashya Poladi, Katie Hsu, and Michelle Kim
Littering- Plastic bottles and plastic bags end up in bellies of whales and other fish and sea life. They eat them because they think that the plastic bags are jelly fish. After that, they can’t eat anything because the balloon, plastic bag or water bottle is blocking the way the food digests so the food can’t be digested. After that, the food builds up and eventually loads the whole stomach. Then, the fish or whale or turtle, or what ever ate the plastic will just die and they will float a shore.
Over Fishing- People are fishing too much and this can affect the environment because this can destroy the food chain. Also, this means the population is going down and all the other animal’s population is either going up or down. People are hunting animals for their fur, tusks, horns and many more valuable parts of their body. After that they don’t use their whole body. After that, the animals body is left to rot. Most animals, like elephants have a very sensitive heart. They may stay by their mother’s or whoever died and cry.
Zoos- Zoos don’t put animals in the right environment and they also take the animals out of their natural environment. This change may destroy the food chain. The predators that feed on the animal that was taken out of the habitat can’t feed on anything. The prey animal that the animal that was put in the zoo will overpopulate and then they will eat all the grass which is a producer. After all the grass is gone, there's nothing else to eat and so the animal die out. This means that at least 4 species of animals have died out.
Pets- Many people have pets, but people are catching animals. Especially reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Also, we don’t have the correct equipment in order to keep them healthy and alive. about 50-90 percent of these animals die each year probably because they are not treated properly. On the internet, we saw a picture of several people carrying a bloody tusk of a dead elephant. What did we think? Aw... Poor animal, but frankly that's not what typical humans would think if they were going to get paid (and they were beyond poor) if they killed that elephant and got the tusk off. They would think, hurry up people, I'm ready to kick some elephant booty now!
By: Varivashya Poladi, Katie Hsu, and Michelle Kim
Littering- Plastic bottles and plastic bags end up in bellies of whales and other fish and sea life. They eat them because they think that the plastic bags are jelly fish. After that, they can’t eat anything because the balloon, plastic bag or water bottle is blocking the way the food digests so the food can’t be digested. After that, the food builds up and eventually loads the whole stomach. Then, the fish or whale or turtle, or what ever ate the plastic will just die and they will float a shore.
Over Fishing- People are fishing too much and this can affect the environment because this can destroy the food chain. Also, this means the population is going down and all the other animal’s population is either going up or down. People are hunting animals for their fur, tusks, horns and many more valuable parts of their body. After that they don’t use their whole body. After that, the animals body is left to rot. Most animals, like elephants have a very sensitive heart. They may stay by their mother’s or whoever died and cry.
Zoos- Zoos don’t put animals in the right environment and they also take the animals out of their natural environment. This change may destroy the food chain. The predators that feed on the animal that was taken out of the habitat can’t feed on anything. The prey animal that the animal that was put in the zoo will overpopulate and then they will eat all the grass which is a producer. After all the grass is gone, there's nothing else to eat and so the animal die out. This means that at least 4 species of animals have died out.
Pets- Many people have pets, but people are catching animals. Especially reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Also, we don’t have the correct equipment in order to keep them healthy and alive. about 50-90 percent of these animals die each year probably because they are not treated properly. On the internet, we saw a picture of several people carrying a bloody tusk of a dead elephant. What did we think? Aw... Poor animal, but frankly that's not what typical humans would think if they were going to get paid (and they were beyond poor) if they killed that elephant and got the tusk off. They would think, hurry up people, I'm ready to kick some elephant booty now!
Whaling- Whaling is another huge issue. And we don’t mean whaling as just whales. We mean all animals. Sort of like poaching, but for different reasons. Some people hunt animals for display in their house. “Oh I killed this…”, but some people kill for uses. Blubber off of whales and seals… But we aren’t saying it’s totally wrong to catch fish to cook and for dinner, but we are overdoing it with all animals. It’s wrong, and we aren’t saying this because we aren’t the ones that are being hunted, but because if a part of the animal ecosystem disappears, a part of us will disappear.
Plastic- Also in addition to that, we are not being who we should be. We are killing off the other species and saving ourselves, namely yours truly. We should also recycle more water bottles but please, please, please try to use the reusable water bottles instead of the regular water bottles. Plus, the aluminum soda cans are also a big problem in recycling. Do you realize that the material that has made these bottles and cans may take forever to decay and decompose by themselves in landfills if you do not decide to recycle them. Remember, the haze in a fortune teller's crystal ball just may be there because of the people out there who don't care.
Deforestation- We are mining and putting up factories and all. For example, in Borneo, about the only place left for orangutans to roam freely and eat, people have put up palm oil trees, and that’s destroying their habitat. When the palm oil trees are ready to be dug up, humans invade the property. In the process, if some orangutans pop up, investigating, they are shot with guns, and that’s a life. It’s a life. We repeat, it’s a life. Human or not, it’s a life. And now, even Borneo has a foundation of palm oil trees, and they are only doing it for us to buy and them to get rich!
Dirty Water- People throw their used cigarettes and on the sidewalks. Then it rains and the cigarettes float down into the sewers. This may sound like a small effect, but once the garbage gets into the sewage, it gets into our water. Sometimes, people just litter their water bottles into the ocean and other places and animals eat it... and die. Also, people are just basically littering. I mean, can't they just pick up their little scrap of garbage and bring it home? Or, if it's a candy wrapper... make it into a bracelet! There are so many things you can do with your litter! Reuse! Reduce! Recycle!
Plastic- Also in addition to that, we are not being who we should be. We are killing off the other species and saving ourselves, namely yours truly. We should also recycle more water bottles but please, please, please try to use the reusable water bottles instead of the regular water bottles. Plus, the aluminum soda cans are also a big problem in recycling. Do you realize that the material that has made these bottles and cans may take forever to decay and decompose by themselves in landfills if you do not decide to recycle them. Remember, the haze in a fortune teller's crystal ball just may be there because of the people out there who don't care.
Deforestation- We are mining and putting up factories and all. For example, in Borneo, about the only place left for orangutans to roam freely and eat, people have put up palm oil trees, and that’s destroying their habitat. When the palm oil trees are ready to be dug up, humans invade the property. In the process, if some orangutans pop up, investigating, they are shot with guns, and that’s a life. It’s a life. We repeat, it’s a life. Human or not, it’s a life. And now, even Borneo has a foundation of palm oil trees, and they are only doing it for us to buy and them to get rich!
Dirty Water- People throw their used cigarettes and on the sidewalks. Then it rains and the cigarettes float down into the sewers. This may sound like a small effect, but once the garbage gets into the sewage, it gets into our water. Sometimes, people just litter their water bottles into the ocean and other places and animals eat it... and die. Also, people are just basically littering. I mean, can't they just pick up their little scrap of garbage and bring it home? Or, if it's a candy wrapper... make it into a bracelet! There are so many things you can do with your litter! Reuse! Reduce! Recycle!