permaculture

76 Facilitator’s Handbook for Permaculture Workshops

Presentation : Pollution of water, soil, and living creatures

Method : Facilitator presentation

Tools : Images of sources and impacts of various types of pollutants

Objective : Participant understand more about the impacts of pollution

Depending on the level of pre-existing knowledge about pollutants in the

group, the facilitator can present and/or discuss the affects of pollutants

as follows:

• Each pollutant has a different amount of time that it takes to break down and
  become less harmful or in some cases harmless, ranging from a few weeks to
  many years, to never.


• Different types of pollutants have different levels of toxicity and effects.


• The frequency that pollutants enter the environment impacts their destructive
  effects.


• The effects of pollutants on air and all creatures that need air to live.


• Pollutants in the air can travel widely and have serious negative impacts for all
  living creatures.


• Even in small amounts pollutants can be harmful by changing the natural
  chemical balance of air – over time this can effect weather patterns and
  eventually leads to global problems, such as global warming.


• Pollutants are absorbed through skin, which can harm growth.


• Over time, as air becomes increasingly polluted and creatures and plants breathe
  and absorb the polluted air, the pollutants build up in their bodies. This can harm
  and even kill all types of creatures and plants.

Effects of pollutants on water and water creatures

The following negative effects of pollutants can occur in rivers, lakes, and oceans, mostly

near coastlines. Pollutants from rivers will feed into larger bodies of water.

• Even in small amounts pollutants can be harmful by changing the natural
  chemical and pH balance of water – the living environment of many creatures.


• Pollutants are absorbed by natural water born bacteria, microscopic animals, and
  small and large water creatures, which can harm their growth.


• Over time, as the environment becomes increasingly polluted and water
  creatures eat polluted bacteria, microorganisms, and small water creatures, the
  pollutants build up in their bodies. This can harm and even kill all types of water
  creatures.

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