Population

iEARN Learning CirclePlaces and Perspectives

Spring 2013University Prep 6th Grade

Seattle, WA, US

Major Themes Population has increased significantly in

the last 50 years in all but one of our Learning Circle regions

Increasing total population has significant impacts on the environment

Increasing population density has significant impacts on quality of life

Population GrowthSeattle 1960City: 557,087

Region: 935,014

Grodno 196098,000

Starye Dorogi 19601,000

Seattle 2010City: 620,778

Region: 3,439,809

Grodno 2010325,800

Starye Dorogi 201011,100

Population GrowthVentura 1960

57,964Pop density:

31 per sq. mile

Lida 197064,000

Moscow 19707.061.008

Ventura 2010107,514

Pop density: 105 per sq. mile

Lida 201098,744

Moscow 198911.977.988Pop density:

4.770 per sq km

Population Growth – or not!

Campbellton 20067,385

Campbellton 20117,384

Environment:Impacts of Population Growth

Moscow: Air pollution: due to motor transport - more cars for more people - Plan for reduction of emissions from cars - Will take a long time for plan to make a difference Water use and pollution: - over 100 small rivers have disappeared in the city - Snow dumping in Moskva River has been stopped - Treatment now of wastewater runoff Waste Products: recycling - New recycling factories

Environment:Impacts of Population Growth

Starye Dorogi: air and water pollution have increased, but beautiful

forests nearby

Campbellton: the exception! - clean air and water - with decline in population, less garbage and sewage

Environment: Impacts of Population Growth

Ventura: Land Use Issues Agriculture Housing Increased population density

Air Quality Has decreased, but geographic location makes a

positive difference – sea breezes bring clean air

Water Quality Oil runoff Pollutants Toxins Drought

Environment: Impacts of Population Growth

Lida- Air pollution the major problem- Industrial waste- Chemical discharge into

waterways- Sewage treatment- Terrible traffic- Waste recycling needs

improvement- Noise level is bad for human

health- Forests are disappearing- Lessons not learned from

Chernobyl

Grodno- Population has

tripled in 50 years!- Air and water

quality have deteriorated

- More factories and more cars create more pollution

Environment:Impacts of Population Growth

Seattle- City boundaries limit the population growth

within the city itself- But this is misleading as the region’s

population has quadrupled in 50 years!- Highways were designed 50 years ago and

cannot accommodate all the cars- Traffic is frustrating for people and bad for the

economy- Huge sprawling suburbs – much less farmland

Quality of Life:Impacts of Population Growth Rivers cannot be used for recreation in

Moscow Forests are being cleared in Belarus Less natural and recreational space in

Ventura; with more people, more trash and more land is used for landfills

Air and water quality issues in Moscow Population density hurting quality of life

in Seattle – loud, crowded, lots of traffic

Hopeful Signs Cleanup of Lake

Washington in Seattle – once was highly polluted, now you can swim in it

River Neman in Lida, BLR, is clean and clear

Green Zones in Belarus

Recycling in Seattle is very well-developed and effective; recycled materials are picked up at the same time as garbage

More Hopeful Signs Government in

Grodno focuses on improving ecology of region

Community effort to save and reclaim water in Ventura

Quality of life in Campbellton is very attractive

Forests are preserved in Starye Dorogi – helped by clean air and water

Effective recycling program in Ventura

Monorail electric trains in Moscow will reduce pollution

Hopeful Conclusion In many areas, population growth rates are declining. It is clear that we all care about our communities a great deal. We are all willing to work hard and sacrifice to make

them better. We observe that the smaller communities in our

Learning Circle – Starye Dorogi and Campbellton – are more successful in preserving quality of life.

It may be more difficult in areas with larger populations, but we can learn from the examples of smaller communities.

Thank You!!! We are inspired by the collaboration in our Learning

Circle this spring and are grateful for your thoughtful work and contributions.

We wish you the very best and hope our paths will cross again.

We hope you will join us in making a pledge to do the little things that make our communities better, our water cleaner, and our landscapes more attractive.

Each action adds up to make it a better world.

From the 6th Graders of University PrepSeattle, WA, US