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#2 ....................... A Publication Of SchoolNet Global
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A Norwegian Challenge...
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... from Rovar Skole, Norway
We live on an island 6 miles off the West Coast of Norway. The number of people living here is roughly 100.
Here at Rovar Skole in Norway, we are very proud to be one of the chosen five to start this project. The spring is a very busy time, however, and up till now little has been done in connection with this project. But, being such a small school, it is fairly easy gain some speed when we set our minds to it. And that is what we intend to do now.
We have informed the teachers about the project, and they are bringing it to their students. We will have some articles ready within a week or two. The topics will relate our everyday life in a place where ocean and boats and weather and fisheries are essential.
There are only 23 students (aged 6 to 15) in our school, so the quantity of our contribution will be limited. So, we will do our best to focus on quality instead. We will also work on a presentation in English, telling about the people at school and about the tiny community in which we live.
Anders Farevag
Now for the challenge! Anders asks what important thing is wrong with the banner he designed for Rovar seen on above?
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Pollution Continues in Rehoboth Beach
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Despair of the Turtle
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by Kiran Parasher (Grade 6), Worcester Preparatory School, Berlin, Maryland, USA
Like all communities, Rehoboth Beach has to worry about the quality of its water. The area in which Rehoboth is located is in the watershed of the Atlantic Ocean, and one of our problems is that DNREC continues to allow the Waste Water Treatment Plant to put water back into the Lewis and Rehoboth canal. DENREC stands for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
In August of 1996, the Sierra Club and the American Littoral Society filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court against the EPA saying that it failed to perform its duty for the Clean Water Act. EPA stands for Environmental Protection Agency. The Clean Water Act was put in place to keep the Rehoboth Canal clean, so that the Atlantic Ocean would stay clean too. The new Consent Order allows Rehoboth's WWTP to continue discharging 3.4 million gallons of treated sewage water into the Rehoboth Canal everyday! Rehoboth Canal has maximum levels of 24,000 pounds of nitrogen and 5,308 pounds of phosphorous per year. There are still questions about how the DNREC could make this kind of hazardous decision, but until someone takes a stand, Rehoboth Beach's marine wildlife and health will be in grave danger.
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The JASON Project
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The JASON Project is a multi-disciplinary program that sparks the imagination of students and enhances the classroom experience. From oceans to rain forests, from polar regions to volcanoes, the JASON Project explores Planet Earth and exposes students to leading scientists who work with them to examine its biological and geological development.
From the depths of dark oceans to the heights of wet rain forests, from icy Polar Regions to red-hot volcanoes, the JASON Project travels the world, taking students and teachers on an exciting educational adventure. More>>
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Problems Of Growth
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by Mary Mazcko (Grade 6) Worcester Preparatory School, Berlin, Maryland, USA
Currently Saddle Creek, my neighborhood in Berlin, Maryland, USA, is experiencing growth problems. Ours is a popular area, and people want to live near the beaches. Some of the people only live in our area during the summer.
About two years ago I used to see white-tailed deer visiting in my backyard. It was so much fun in the summer after long days at the beach (my family works at the beach) coming home and seeing the white-tailed deer. I also remember one day in the Fall that I looked in our backyard and saw almost forty wild turkeys. Now, the white deer are gone and the number of turkeys seems to be cut in half. Why has this happened? Because of the hunters? Perhaps. So many trees are also being cut down, and the animals have nowhere to go. Everyone is building and cutting to make way for homes and roads.
It used to be that I could go out into the woods and not ever see anyone, but recently I was walking in the woods, and I saw a hunter. He just walked right by me with his gun. At first, I thought it was like something in a movie like Voldemort in Harry Potter. I was scared, so I hid behind a tree. The hunter saw me and said, "Hi." He seemed nice, but I still didn't trust him. I didn't think it was safe being in the woods with a hunter around.
Then, that same day that I saw the hunter, I came upon a clearing. I walked over to it in disbelief. It was a place that used to be filled with wonderful trees where my brother and I used to play. There were no trees anymore. I was very disappointed and ran home to tell my Mom. She explained that they were building another house in that clearing.
Today there are over twenty houses already built near me, with four more under construction. To build three of those new homes, trees will go down. I know people have to have places to live, but it seems that they don't care about the animals or the trees. That's something I worry about. Without animals, we wouldn't have the food we need and the Earth would be so changed. Without trees, we wouldn't have the oxygen and the beauty they offer. It is very sad, but I don't know if there is an answer to the problem.The picture is of the area behind my house. It's a woods no more.
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Eco-Explorer
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Colette Cotton from St. Mary's CE Primary School in Folkestone Kent UK reports that Kent has just launched a great new website for young learners called Eco-Explorer. Check it out! More>>
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The Wildlife Trusts Partnership
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The Wildlife Trusts partnership is the UK's leading conservation charity exclusively dedicated to wildlife.
The network of 47 local Wildlife Trusts and the junior branch, Wildlife Watch, work together to protect wildlife in all habitats across the UK in towns, countryside, wetlands and seas. More>>
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Dolphin Deaths
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by Rebecca Parkes (11) St. Mary's CE Primary School, Folkestone Kent, UK
Year upon year many dolphins and porpoises die as a result of European Fishing. I would like to draw your attention to one of the harmful things that we do to our wildlife. Just this year in January, 114 dolphins were found dead on the beaches of Devon/Cornwall in England. Last January 63 dead dolphins were found. This is only some of the dolphins, there could be hundreds or thousands more whose bodies have sunk to the bottom of the ocean or drifted off.
This heartless damage is caused by the European bass fishermen. Their nets are so big that they unfortunately catch the dolphins as well. Many dolphins show signs that fishermen's nets do harm as they have broken beaks and damaged skin and many drown. This brutal killing is making dolphins extinct. I am sad to say that nothing is being done to prevent this! This is why we need your help. Would you like to find a DEAD dolphin? No, I wouldn't either, but every day more than three dolphins are found dead. You can help by signing the petition on the Wildlife Trusts website. We need to get 20,000 signatures to present to the European Fisheries Minister, Franz Fischler.Get your friends and family to sign the petition.
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Dolphin Deaths
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by John T (11) St. Mary's CE Primary School, Folkestone Kent, UK
We are disgraced by the number of dolphins that have died in one month. In January this year 114 animals were found dead in Devon and Cornwall compared with 63 in January last year and 17 in the January before that.
Dolphins stranded each year show obvious signs of being caught in fishing nets, such as broken beaks and damaged skin. When caught the victims frantically struggle to free themselves from the nets. The nets are hauled in quickly and the dolphins have little chance of escaping. Do you think it is right to harm and torture living creatures? I don't. We need to put a stop to the slaughter of harmless dolphins. Your support makes a lot of difference. Please visit the Wildlife Trusts website.
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What Are POPs?
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Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are toxic substances composed of organic (carbon-based) chemical compounds and mixtures. They include industrial chemicals like PCBs and pesticides like DDT. They are primarily products and by-products from industrial processes, chemical manufacturing and resulting wastes. The existence of POPs is relatively recent, dating to the boom in industrial production after World War II. More>>
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