Fix the Planet

Science is the most important subject that you study at school because a good knowledge of science will help you save the world. Humanity as a species on the planet Earth is in a bit of trouble because it is using up the world's resources like oil and fresh water faster than they can be replaced. You are going to have to solve some tricky problems in the next few years and only a scientific approach can help you.

Here are some of the top conundrums

1. Fossil fuel dependency and "peak oil"
2. Maintaining food crop yields
3. Fresh water shortage
4. Soil degradation
5. Rising sea levels
6. Coping with climate change
7. Population stability
8. Preserving biodiversity
9. Over fishing
10. Nuclear waste storage
11. Toxic waste disposal
12. The next pandemic

Links for more information

Fossil fuel dependency and "peak oil"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/111704_end_oil.shtml

Maintaining food crop yields
http://energybulletin.net/node/281

Fresh water shortage
http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=671&section=14
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/aug/17/
water.internationalnews

Soil degradation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/31/climatechange.food

Rising sea levels
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/issues/naturalhazards/sealevels.asp

Coping with climate change
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/index.htm
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/
Thewiderenvironment/Climatechange/index.htm

Population stability
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6898/full/nature01013.html
http://fire.pppl.gov/energy_population_pt_0704.pdf

Preserving biodiversity
http://www.wildlife-gardening.org.uk/default.asp?ftr=Features\
WildlifeTrusts\0502-february-2005.xml
http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2128

Over fishing
http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/over-fishing/29
http://overfishing.org/

Nuclear waste storage
http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/rwaste1.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/nuclear_waste_storage/
nuclear_waste_storage.html

Toxic waste disposal
http://www.eoearth.org/article/
Transboundary_dumping_of_hazardous_waste

The next pandemic
http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=2697
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/21/pandemic.warning

Other Subjects

Other subjects at school are important of course! History teaches us how we came to be where we are today and how science has improved our standard of living. Geography shows us where we may best develop renewable energy schemes. English and foreign languages allow us to discuss our best way forward with all the peoples of the world. Mathematics will help us calculate how much time we have to solve these problems. Design, technology and engineering will let us implement the solutions that we choose.

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