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What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

A massive floating collection of trash between Hawaii and California, mostly from China and Indonesia.

What is zero-waste living?

A lifestyle focused on minimizing waste by reducing, reusing, recycling, and avoiding single-use products.

Name three fossil fuels.

Coal, oil, and natural gas.

Why are fossil fuels considered nonrenewable?

They take millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly.

What is OPEC?

An organization of oil-exporting countries that work together to control oil production and prices worldwide.

How does OPEC influence the global economy?

By raising or lowering oil supply, they can drive global oil prices up or down, impacting economies.

What percentage of the Earth’s water is fresh and usable?

Only 1%.

What sector uses the most water globally?

Agriculture, using about 70% of the world’s freshwater.

Why is the water crisis a gender issue in poor countries?

Women and girls are often responsible for collecting water, which takes hours daily and limits education and work opportunities.

What is the situation in Karachi, Pakistan regarding water?

People wait in long lines, rely on illegal water sources, and suffer from severe shortages and contamination.

Who are the Zabbaleen in Cairo?

A Coptic Christian community that collects and recycles Cairo’s garbage.

What percentage of garbage do the Zabbaleen recycle?

About 90%, far more than government or foreign efforts.

How did the Egyptian government negatively impact the Zabbaleen?

They banned pigs (which ate organic waste) and hired private companies that couldn’t manage the waste as well.

Why did foreign garbage companies fail in Cairo?

Their trucks couldn’t access narrow streets, and residents resisted using their services.

Where does 80% of ocean trash come from?

Just 1% of the world’s rivers.

What is the Interceptor created by Boyan Slat?

A robot placed in rivers that catches trash before it flows into the ocean.

Why do people dump trash into rivers?

Lack of garbage trucks, trash bins, and proper waste management systems.

Where does most ocean plastic end up?

Sinks to the bottom, gets eaten by marine animals, or washes up on beaches.

What is consumerism?

A lifestyle focused on buying more and more goods, often equating happiness with material possessions.

How does consumerism harm the environment?

It leads to overconsumption, overproduction, and massive waste of water, energy, and land.

What’s one solution to the problems of consumerism?

Choosing sustainability—buying less, reusing, and reducing waste.

What does off-the-grid living mean?

Living without public utilities like electricity and water, often using solar or wind power.

What are the benefits of off-grid living?

Environmental sustainability, independence, and reduced carbon footprint.

What are the challenges of off-grid living?

Less convenience, high setup costs, and dependence on weather for power.

What is desalination and why isn’t it widely used?

It’s the process of turning salt water into drinking water. It’s rarely used because it’s very expensive and energy-intensive.

What happened to Mexico City’s original water source?

The city was built over a lake, and now poor infrastructure prevents rainwater collection—causing flooding and groundwater overuse.

Why is Mexico City sinking?

Because too much groundwater is being pumped out, causing the land to subside.

What are blue, green, and grey water?

Blue: freshwater in rivers and lakes; Green: rainwater used by crops; Grey: used water that can sometimes be reused after cleaning.

Why is the Ganges River both sacred and problematic?

It’s sacred to Hindus and supports over 500 million people, but it’s heavily polluted with sewage and industrial waste.

What are some health problems caused by polluted rivers?

Skin rashes, lung inflammation, cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea, especially in developing countries.

What is the Citarum River known for?

It’s considered the most polluted river in the world, contaminated by 300+ textile factories and local dumping.

Why do people continue using polluted rivers like the Citarum?

They have no access to clean alternatives and no waste collection services.

How do scientists track plastic in oceans?

They use computer simulations and virtual particles to study where plastics travel, sink, or gather.

What’s a surprising fact about ocean plastic?

Only about 1% floats; most sinks or ends up in marine animals or on coasts.

What causes smog and what are its effects?

Smog is caused by pollutants reacting with sunlight. It causes breathing problems and eye damage.

What are the two types of smog?

Sulfurous smog (from factories) and photochemical smog (from cars, VOCs, and sunlight).

What are toxic pollutants and where do they come from?

Chemicals like mercury and lead from burning coal, gasoline, and waste; can cause cancer and birth defects.

What is America’s “oil addiction”?

The U.S. uses 20% of global oil but has only 4.5% of the world’s population—making it highly dependent on oil.

What happened during the 1970s OPEC oil embargo?

OPEC stopped selling oil to the U.S., causing shortages, inflation, and economic disruption.

What was Brazil’s solution to oil dependency?

They switched to using ethanol made from sugarcane—one of the world’s most successful clean energy programs.

What is the Great Green Wall?

A project in China and Africa to plant billions of trees to fight desertification and climate change.

Why is the Sahel region vulnerable to desertification?

Because of overgrazing, drought, and deforestation, 65% of the land there is already degraded.

What is the link between deforestation and disease outbreaks?

Cutting down forests drives wild animals closer to humans, increasing the risk of diseases like Ebola and COVID-19.

Why are coral reefs important?

They support 25% of marine life, provide food and income to 500 million people, and protect coastlines from storms.

How does food waste contribute to climate change?

Wasted food decomposes in landfills, releasing methane—a powerful greenhouse gas.

What’s a major cause of food waste in the U.S.?

People overbuy and throw out food because they dislike seeing empty shelves and fridges.

Who is Komal Ahmad and what did she create?

She developed an app that connects leftover food from events/restaurants to people in need.

Why does waste management matter for sustainability?

Poor systems pollute land and water, while good ones reduce emissions and protect the environment.

What is air pollution?

The presence of harmful substances in the air that damage human health and ecosystems.

What are renewable energy sources?

Energy sources that don’t run out—like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biofuels.

Why can hydroelectric power cause international conflict?

Because dams and water control can affect other countries’ access—like Ethiopia and Egypt over the Nile.

Why isn’t solar power always ideal?

It’s weather and location dependent, and energy storage can be expensive.

What is infrastructure lock-in?

When a country is so dependent on old systems (like oil-powered transport), it becomes hard to switch to new technologies.

What is sustainability?

Meeting present needs without harming future generations’ ability to meet theirs.

What is desertification?

When fertile land turns to desert due to deforestation, drought, overgrazing, and climate change.

What is deforestation?

Cutting down forests for farming, grazing, mining, or logging.

What is virtual or hidden water?

Water used to produce everyday products (e.g., 1650L for a burger).

What is ocean acidification?

CO₂ is absorbed by oceans, making them acidic and harming marine life.

What is coral bleaching?

When warm water causes corals to expel algae and lose color.