Population
iEARN Learning CirclePlaces and Perspectives
Spring 2013University Prep 6th Grade
Seattle, WA, US
Major Themes Population has increased significantly in
the last 50 years in all but one of our Learning Circle regions
Increasing total population has significant impacts on the environment
Increasing population density has significant impacts on quality of life
Population GrowthSeattle 1960City: 557,087
Region: 935,014
Grodno 196098,000
Starye Dorogi 19601,000
Seattle 2010City: 620,778
Region: 3,439,809
Grodno 2010325,800
Starye Dorogi 201011,100
Population GrowthVentura 1960
57,964Pop density:
31 per sq. mile
Lida 197064,000
Moscow 19707.061.008
Ventura 2010107,514
Pop density: 105 per sq. mile
Lida 201098,744
Moscow 198911.977.988Pop density:
4.770 per sq km
Environment:Impacts of Population Growth
Moscow: Air pollution: due to motor transport - more cars for more people - Plan for reduction of emissions from cars - Will take a long time for plan to make a difference Water use and pollution: - over 100 small rivers have disappeared in the city - Snow dumping in Moskva River has been stopped - Treatment now of wastewater runoff Waste Products: recycling - New recycling factories
Environment:Impacts of Population Growth
Starye Dorogi: air and water pollution have increased, but beautiful
forests nearby
Campbellton: the exception! - clean air and water - with decline in population, less garbage and sewage
Environment: Impacts of Population Growth
Ventura: Land Use Issues Agriculture Housing Increased population density
Air Quality Has decreased, but geographic location makes a
positive difference – sea breezes bring clean air
Water Quality Oil runoff Pollutants Toxins Drought
Environment: Impacts of Population Growth
Lida- Air pollution the major problem- Industrial waste- Chemical discharge into
waterways- Sewage treatment- Terrible traffic- Waste recycling needs
improvement- Noise level is bad for human
health- Forests are disappearing- Lessons not learned from
Chernobyl
Grodno- Population has
tripled in 50 years!- Air and water
quality have deteriorated
- More factories and more cars create more pollution
Environment:Impacts of Population Growth
Seattle- City boundaries limit the population growth
within the city itself- But this is misleading as the region’s
population has quadrupled in 50 years!- Highways were designed 50 years ago and
cannot accommodate all the cars- Traffic is frustrating for people and bad for the
economy- Huge sprawling suburbs – much less farmland
Quality of Life:Impacts of Population Growth Rivers cannot be used for recreation in
Moscow Forests are being cleared in Belarus Less natural and recreational space in
Ventura; with more people, more trash and more land is used for landfills
Air and water quality issues in Moscow Population density hurting quality of life
in Seattle – loud, crowded, lots of traffic
Hopeful Signs Cleanup of Lake
Washington in Seattle – once was highly polluted, now you can swim in it
River Neman in Lida, BLR, is clean and clear
Green Zones in Belarus
Recycling in Seattle is very well-developed and effective; recycled materials are picked up at the same time as garbage
More Hopeful Signs Government in
Grodno focuses on improving ecology of region
Community effort to save and reclaim water in Ventura
Quality of life in Campbellton is very attractive
Forests are preserved in Starye Dorogi – helped by clean air and water
Effective recycling program in Ventura
Monorail electric trains in Moscow will reduce pollution
Hopeful Conclusion In many areas, population growth rates are declining. It is clear that we all care about our communities a great deal. We are all willing to work hard and sacrifice to make
them better. We observe that the smaller communities in our
Learning Circle – Starye Dorogi and Campbellton – are more successful in preserving quality of life.
It may be more difficult in areas with larger populations, but we can learn from the examples of smaller communities.
Thank You!!! We are inspired by the collaboration in our Learning
Circle this spring and are grateful for your thoughtful work and contributions.
We wish you the very best and hope our paths will cross again.
We hope you will join us in making a pledge to do the little things that make our communities better, our water cleaner, and our landscapes more attractive.
Each action adds up to make it a better world.
From the 6th Graders of University PrepSeattle, WA, US
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