Conservation

Helpful Hints:

For each category, we have provided several examples to get you thinking about the wide variety of topics on which you might develop a website. Remember, your website entry is only required to fit into one of the broad categories, such as Conservation.

You will notice that many of our examples include cross-cultural references or highlight international aspects of a particular topic. The criteria used to score ThinkQuest entries reward collaboration among student teams in different regions or countries, so we have provided examples that we hope will inspire you to think globally and collaboratively as you choose your topic area and develop your website.

Here is one way you might choose a topic with your team:

• Look at all six official categories. Which one is most interesting to you?
  
• Read the examples provided below. Remember, they are only examples.
  
• Then, discuss/brainstorm topic ideas:
  • Which ideas are you most excited to learn about?
  • If you’re doing ThinkQuest as part of a class, what are some subjects you will learn about this school term? In other words, can you think of a topic that links to your curriculum?
  • Are you an expert on a certain topic already? What about your friends and family? Think about all of the resources available to you.
  • Look at the ThinkQuest Library. Are there already lots of web sites about your topic? Can you think of something new?
  • Is this a good topic for collaboration—with kids from another school, community, or country?

Conservation Examples:

Conservation is the idea of meeting human needs today, without harming the planet or exhausting its resources for future generations. This is also called sustainable development. Governments, businesses, and communities around the world are embracing this idea. Increasingly, our decision-making about all kinds of issues seeks to balance economic, environmental and social needs. In this category, you could look at how businesses are using eco-friendly practices to make money and “do good” at the same time. Or you could research how governments are trying to improve their peoples’ quality of life today, while preserving the planet’s resources for tomorrow. We’re sure you will have lots of ideas, but here are a few examples to get you started.

Academic Subjects/Standards you could explore in this category: Language Arts, Technology, Social Studies, Civics, Physical Science, Life Science, Earth Science

Example one: Wind power in Germany

Many countries are turning to new sources for the energy needed to power their citizens’ homes, offices, and factories. One example is Germany, the world’s top producer of wind power. Currently, there are over 12,500 wind generators located throughout the German countryside. These generators have the capacity to produce 12,000 Megawatts of power. In addition, there are plans to build offshore “wind parks” in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Offshore parks are appealing because space on land is limited, and the wind is stronger at sea. The European wind power industry estimates that it could be possible for wind power to provide energy for 50 million Europeans in less than 10 years’ time.

Example two: Shade-grown coffee

Over 2/3 of the world’s coffee is exported from Latin America and the Caribbean. Traditionally, this coffee has been grown under the canopy of trees that are native to rain forests. This type of coffee is known as “shade-grown coffee”. Recently, many farmers have switched to “sun-grown coffee” that grows under direct sunlight and produces higher yields. Farmers must clear forests and use larger amounts of fertilizers and chemicals to produce sun-grown coffee. Naturalists warn that this farming method is not sustainable because it causes soil erosion and pollution and disturbs the natural habitat of wildlife. In response, international agencies have begun helping shade-grown coffee farms by providing financial support for and promoting their products to coffee drinkers worldwide.

Example three: Fish farms

People around the world are eating more and more seafood. To meet this demand, some companies are raising fish in farms, just like chicken and cattle. In fact, almost 20% of today’s seafood comes from farms. Fish farms are made up of large underwater pens where thousands of fish crowd together. These pens are often very polluted. A high density of fish can produce tons of feces. Also, many farmed fish are treated with antibiotics and other drugs because disease can spread quickly in a pen. Because of this pollution, marine biologists say that fish farms should be enclosed systems that are located inland, far away from the coastal waters where fish live and breed in the wild.

Citations:

• “Blowing hot and cold over wind power.” Taipei Times. 11 Jun. 2003. 10 Mar. 2004 <http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2003/06/11/2003054877>.
• Bartlett, Patrick. “Germany boosts wind power.” BBC News. 16 Jan. 2002. 10 Mar. 2004 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1765054.stm>.
• Hull, Jennifer Bingham. “Can Coffee Drinkers Save the Rainforest?” The Atlantic Online. Aug. 1999. 20 Feb. 2004 <http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/99aug/9908ecocoffee.htm>.
• “Why Migratory Birds are Crazy for Coffee.” Home page. Smithsonian Institution – National Zoological Park. 20 Feb. 2004 <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Fact_Sheets/default.cfm?fxsht=1>.
• “Aquaculture: Is Fish Farming the Answer?” Home page. Monterey Bay Aquarium. 10 Mar. 2004 <http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_ac.asp>.