http://www.ck12.org Chapter 2. Visualizations of Data
FIGURE 2.1
The Recycling Center on Santa Cruz in
the Galapagos turns all the recycled glass
into pavers that are used for the streets in
Puerto Ayora.renewing, reducing, and reusing materials as much as possible. There have been recent positive efforts to encourage
recycling programs.
It is not easy to bury tons of trash in solid volcanic rock. The sooner we realize that we are in the same position of
limited space and a need to preserve our global ecosystem, the more chance we have to save not only the uniqueness
of the Galapagos Islands, but that of our own communities. All of the data in this chapter is focused around the
issues and consequences of our recycling habits, or lack thereof!
Water, Water, Everywhere!
Bottled water consumption worldwide has grown, and continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. According to the
Earth Policy Institute, 154 billion gallons were produced in 2004. While there are places in the world where safe
water supplies are unavailable, most of the growth in consumption has been due to other reasons. The largest
consumer of bottled water is the United States, which arguably could be the country with the best access to safe,
convenient, and reliable sources of tap water. The large volume of toxic waste that is generated and the small fraction
of it that is recycled create a considerable environmental hazard. In addition, huge volumes of carbon emissions are
created when these bottles are manufactured using oil and transported great distances by oil burning vehicles.
One of the reasons for the large increase of bottled beverages has been an increased focus on health and fitness and
it has spilled over into all aspects of life. Ask your teacher if they ever had water bottles in their classes when they
were students?