OCEAN POLLUTION QUIZ- A CONTEST TO LEARN/ACT and win a prize (for students in grades 5-12). Our oceans are in grave danger, due to plastic pollution and other environmental threats. Here is your chance to test your knowledge about this problem... by passing this quiz! And then take action to reduce the scourge of pollution that is devastating the world's oceans! And finally pledge to become a P.O.P.E! A Protector of Planet Planet Earth!

Above image: L'isola delle Femmine / Women's Island, near Palermo, Sicily.

Directions: Circle all the correct letters/choices.

 I. WORLD OCEAN DAY

1.    When is World Ocean Day? It’s on…    
a. January 1st        b. June 8        c. July 4
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2.    What’s the purpose of World Ocean Day? It’s a day when people all over the world…
a.    celebrate, appreciate, honor and protect the oceans         
b. don’t care, and do nothing to celebrate and/or take care of it
____________________________________________________

3.    People all over the world celebrate the oceans because they realize/appreciate the fact that the oceans are…
a. insignificant (not important) for life on earth      
b. essential (very important)                                 for life on earth.
_____________________________________________________

4.     The oceans are the source…        
 a. all troubles         b. of all life        c. aliens
_____________________________________________________
 
5. Without the oceans, humanity, all of the people of the world…
a. would         b. would NOT     c. possibly         be able to survive.
______________________________________________________

II. HOW THE OCEAN PROVIDES FOR LIFE ON EARTH

1. The oceans give us…
a. toys and games
b. food, fish, air, water, salt, fun and a highway for vessels (boats, ships, subs...)
______________________________________________________

2. In order to survive (live) the oceans has to be…
a. full of trash, plastic and chemicals
b. protected and kept clean
c. left alone and hope for the best
_____________________________________________________

3. The ocean…         a. does          b. does not
affects (changes) the weather, by it making it cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter.
______________________________________________________

4. How much oxygen (air) does the ocean produce (make)? It produces/makes…
a. 10%, or 1/10th      b. 25% or ¼ (one quarter)     c. 100% 

d. 60-70% (well over half)      e. 0% none
____________________________________________________

5. Circle things that we can do in the ocean…
a. running, flying b. diving, swimming.     
b. driving cars/trucks
c. fishing, sailing, whale watching 
d. riding boats/ships,
e. scuba diving, snorkeling h. admiring, looking, learning about it
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 III. THREATS TO THE OCEANS of the WORLD

1. Circle all the correct threats to the ocean, in questions 1 & 2.
a.    Natural products    b. chemical products      c. wood    
d. grass              e. humans       
f. single-use plastic items like; bottles, bags, straws, dishes, silverware, cups, lids, stirrers, cigarette. lighters,   disposable razors, markers, pens, deflated balloons 
g. Styrofoam (foam) packaging, cups, dishes and food trays    
h. CO2 emissions (pollution from auto vehicles and factories 
i. fishing nets (640,000 tons/year)       
j. pesticides, herbicides, some toothpaste, and some cosmetics
k. bicycles         
L. sewer waste with micro plastics 
m. motor vehicle tires    
n. electric clothes driers when they dry polyester clothes
o. Most people think that it's OK/safe to throw plastic in the trash.
p.  Most people think that it's not OK/safe to throw plastic in the trash, so they recycle it.
________________________________________________
 
2. The biggest polluting threat to the oceans is/are…    
a. natural products     
b. Single-use plastic and plastic/foam packaging        
c. fruit peels... from apples, bananas, tangerines/oranges, etc.
_______________________________________________________

IV.    THINGS WE CAN DO TO PROTECT THE OCEANS AND OUR PLANET

1. To protect the oceans we can follow the…    
a.  boat        b. 4Rs          c. 250-Ps      d. the signs
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2.    To REFUSE means to say…    
a. yes, accept    b. no, don’t accept them   single use plastics, like bags, cups, lids, straws, stirrers, cigarette lighters, markers, etc.
____________________________________________________

3.     To REDUCE means to use…   a. more    b. less       things.
_____________________________________________________

 4.    To REUSE means to use…    a. again and again    
 b. only once    c. never  
_____________________________________________________

5.    To RECYCLE means to…    
a. throw it out, then buy some more and throw it out again.  
b. Save it, use it over and over, then recycle it, so that factories can make something new with it.
_____________________________________________________

6. These 4 actions; RECYCLE, REDUCE, REUSE & REFUSE are called the…             a. 4Rights     b. 4Rs        c. 4Rates   
 which are actions, that help us keep the earth clean.
 _____________________________________________________

7. We can recycle…    a. paper, wood, glass, plastic, metal & food
                                     b. nothing
____________________________________________________

8. The environment is the…    
a. land, water and air (or nature)    b.  animals, land & factories

___________________________________________________

V. CORRECT ACTIONS/ATTITUDES

Directions. CIRCLE all the good actions/choices that help keep the ocean clean & healthy.

CROSS OUT the negative, or the bad actions/choices, that harm (endanger, kill) the ocean and the environment (water, air, & land) or nature (also plants and all animal).

Examples:    a. Throw plastic TRASH  in the environment.         (b.) REFUSE to use plastic bags.

           

1a. Believe in science and its findings.   1b. Dismiss science and facts (don’t believe them).

2a. Don’t sort/separate the trash from the…       b. sort/separate the trash

3.  Turn off lights, appliances, computers and electric clothes dryer, and instead dry clothes in the sun, or in the home (empty room, basement, etc.,)                       

5. Use more fossil fuels. These fuels pollute (gasoline, coal and natural gas).

6. Use less fossil fuel and more clean or renewable energy- from the wind and the sun.

7a. Turn up...     b. Turn down...  
                             your home thermostat (the temp) in the winter; to 60– 65 degrees F.

8a. Start a recycling program at home, school and at work.     
                                                                                          b. throw everything in the trash

 9a. Be good/considerate…        b. mean, rude, violent, indifferent (uncaring...
                                                                              to our planet earth and all living things.

10. When you go shopping…     a. use/get plastic bags
b. use reusable shopping bags only, or refuse them totally- or ask for paper

_________________________________________________________________________________

11. When you purchase a drink in a cup, request a…            a. plastic cup with a straw

a.    Request a paper cup without a straw and/or plastic coffee stirrer

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. We should recycle…   b. plastic, glass, metals, paper & cardboard        a. nothing

_______________________________________________________________________________

VI. WHERE PLASTIC ORIGINATES- COMES FROM
1. Plastic is made mostly by...
a. big corporations (Exxon Mobil and DuPont, etc.)

b. small corporations
c. some individuals 
_____________________________________________________

2. PLASTIC INDUSTRY IS represented by the umbrella organization called American Chemistry council (ACC), also known by SPI. How big is it?
a. 1st
b. 2nd
c. 3rd largest industry in the USA. 
________________________________________________________________________________

3. The Plastic industry tries to...
a. tell the truth about the effects of plastic on people and the environment (just like the tobacco industry in the 1960)
b. hide any negative news about plastics because it doesn't want to face its environmental responsibility/cost
_________________________________________________________________________________

4. The plastic industry...
a. uses the same tactics that the tobacco industry used in the 60s, when they denied the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, and insisted that smoking was not harmful to our health. 
b. is honest and it uses different tactics that the tobacco industry
_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Why does the plastic industry hide/cover up any news/facts and/or scientific findings about plastic pollution?
They do because they...            (Circle all correct choices)

a. cover them up any news that may jeopardize their ever increasing production of plastic without any restraint.
b. do not want to incur costs- don't want to lose money. 
c. can make more money and be wealthier/ richer without taking the responsibility of protecting the environment/oceans
d. want help people and the environment
e. want people and animals to be healthy
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VII. HOW MUCH PLASTIC DOES THE WORLD PRODUCE?
AND HOW MUCH WINDS UP INTO THE OCEANS?

1. By 2050, if we keep this pace of polluting the oceans, plastic production will be...    a. 2          b. 0 (zero)     billion pounds/year! 
Therefore, unless we take steps to prevent this trend (bad habit) and/or at least reduce (lessen, decrease) pollution of the oceans, we will cause more harm (hurt, poisoning, pollution, destruction, death) to them.
_________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the percentage of trash that we recycle in the USA?
a. 9%
b. 25%
c. 50%
d. 95%
_____________________________________________________

3. What is the percentage of trash that accumulates in landfills or sits in the natural environment in the USA? 

a. 100%
b. 25%
c. 79%
d. 10%
 ______________________________________________________

4. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in the world’s oceans. That's equal to a garbage truck full every...
a. day
b. night
c. hour
d. minute
__________________________________________________________________________________

5. Circle the items/trash that endanger the health of the ocean;
a. discarded fishing nets- that fishermen don‘t want anymore
b. pesticides (chemicals to kill bugs/insects) and herbicides (used by farmers to kill weeds)  
c. food        d. toothpaste, cosmetics         
e. high level of CO2 emissions (air pollution, smog)
f. single-use plastic like bottles, bags, straws, stirrers, dishes, cups
g. computers, legos        h. hamburgers, bread
____________________________________________________
 
6. According to National Geographic and Green Peace what percentage of our trash does the US recycle?
        a. 90%        b. 50%        c. 9%        d. 3%
_____________________________________________________

7. How much trash is accumulating in landfills or sitting in the natural environment?

    a. 79%        b. 97%     c. 50%        d. 91%      
_____________________________________________________
 
8. We are polluting the oceans at an alarming rate with our single-use…   
a. paper, cardboard, yard waste; grass, leaves and wood
b. plastic/foam packaging and plastic trash; bottles, bags, silverware, dishes, cups, lids,  straws, stirrers, lighters, markers, disposable razors, and more.
___________________________________________________

9. What percentage of all drinking water in the USA is    polluted with micro-plastics?
    a. 94%  (most of it)   b. 50% (half of it)       c. 10%  (a tenth)
_________________________________________________
 
10. Micro-plastics are…  a. large     b. tiny        pieces of plastic.
________________________________________________
 
11. According to scientists, how much trash ends in the ocean EVERY YEAR?     a. 12          b. 6        c. 1         
million tons of plastic is entering our oceans every year.
_______________________________________________
 
12. And that's a rubbish truck full every…    a. day        
       b. hour    c. minute      d. week
________________________________________________
 
13. When you throw plastic in the trash it…    a. is safe      
       b. isn’t safe                                    for the environment.
________________________________________________
 
14. Plastic in the environment (on/in land/water/air)…        
       a. does     b. doesn’t         
contaminate the environment and the food chain, hence animals will get sick and die, and humans (who eat these animals; fish, birds, etc.) also will get sick and may die.
_________________________________________________

15. How this trash gets to the ocean? Circle the correct choices.    
a. garbage dumps near rivers (in Asia), hence the chemicals that are released from plastic trash (items, like plastic bottles, foam and many others) seep into the ground and water, and a large amount of it floats to the ocean.  

b. the wind and rivers/creeks carry plastic bags and bottles to the ocean
    
c. truckers  and fishermen dump it in the oceans
_________________________________________________

16. Micro-plastic come from…    a. the ground 
b. produce, fruits and vegetables         
c. cosmetics and certain toothpastes, automobile tires, polyester clothes   
_________________________________________________
 
17. To reduce micro-plastic in the air we need to use only…    
a. polyester/synthetic clothes
b. natural fibers instead         
c. drive more and dry polyester clothes in the dryer for hours
d. Dry polyester clothes out in the sun or inside a warm room
__________________________________________________
 
18. According to one scientific estimate we have only…    
       a. 100        b. 50      c. 10    
         years left before the ocean may collapse and die.
___________________________________________________
 
19. According to another scientific estimate we have only…    
      a. 3     b. 2      c. 1           
     generations before the ocean may collapse and die.
____________________________________________________

20. How much damage do you think we cause to the environment, when we do not recycle plastic? We cause…
a. no damage, plastic is healthy             in the environment    
b. lots of damage because plastic isn’t healthy
____________________________________________________

21. American families use between...
a. 100-200          b. 200-300      c. 300-700   plastic bags/year.         

____________________________________________________________________________

VIII. SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE POLLUTION

Circle some of the solutions that could reduce plastic pollution, and or any other type of pollution and global warming trends.
a. Throw plastic in the trash.      b. Don't throw plastic garbage.     
b. Refuse plastic bags.                 c. Don't use to use plastic bags.
d. Believe in science and its findings.   e. Don't believe in science

f. Follow/apply the 4Rs (Recycle, Refuse, Reuse, Reduce) every where, at home, at work and in school.        g. Don't bother! 

h. Clean up the trash from the ocean.         i. Don't bother!   

j. Walk, ride bikes and/or electric cars.    k. Drive everywhere!
L. Watch documentary films like: A PLASTIC OCEAN, also  Earth. Disney Nature and read/learn as much as you can about the oceans and nature (the environment). 

m. Turn off lights and appliances (driers, washers, TVs, computers) when not needed. 

n. Don't turn off the dryer and dry clothes in the sun, or in the home (empty room, basement, etc.,) 
o. Write to your leaders in government and the media (newspapers, magazines, radio/TV stations) about ocean pollution.        
p. Use more fossil fuels; gasoline, coal and natural gas.
q. Use less fossil fuels and more clean or renewable energy fuels from the wind and the sun. 
r. Keep the dryer and other appliances on for hours.
s. Use clean/renewable energy (from the sun, wind, ocean, earth). 
t. Turn down your home thermostat (the temperature) in the winter; to 60 – 65 degrees F. 
u. Start a recycling program in your home, school and at work.
v. Burn trash to create clean energy (as they do in Sweden).
w. Purchase/use biodegradable (natural) products, like cups, silverware, and even edible cutlery (silverware) ... that can be eaten!
x. Buy/use plastic silverware, dishes, cups, straws and plastic coffee stirrers.
_________________________________________________________________________________

IX.   HOW STATES/COUNTRIES ARE PROTECTING EARTH

a. Sweden charges a little more on plastic bottles deposits; they get from 5 cents to 30 cents per bottle/can- depending on its size (the bigger ones will get you 20-30 cents) so their recycling/return rate is 95%!  Sweden also burns trash to make electricity! From 3,000 lbs. of trash they get 1,000lbs of fuel! They even import it! They buy trash from other countries! Their trash turned into energy pollutes only 1% !

Swedish runners pick up plastic trash as they run!

b. Germany has turned recycling into a business- into a circular economy! They make a profit from trash! Because the government has regulated it.

c. England charges taxes to plastic manufactures (of plastic containers, bottles, etc.) and to packaging makers. This is the industry that packs meats, and other foods. England paves road with recycled plastic, which is 60% stronger than asphalt (what we normally use). 

d. Costa Rica (a small country in Central America) and Rwanda (a small country in Africa) have banned all plastics bags. In addition Costa Rica and Indonesia (a company named AVANI) make biodegradable/natural plastic from the Yuca root! It can be eaten by animals and will not harm them! In India a family makes edible cutlery (silverware) that you can eat! Because it is made from food (rice, millet water, etc.)!  Costa Rica has also banned straws, and uses instead straws made from plants, like bamboo.

e. CANADA is the country that suggested, to the United nations, to adopt WORLD OCEAN DAY, which is celebrated on June 8^th. Canadians are very environmentally conscious, they care about our planet.

f. The USA has passed many laws to protect the environment and the ocean, like the Clean Air Act (CAA), Ocean Dumping Act - Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA), and the Endangered species Act (ESA). (Source: https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/laws-and-executive-orders )

However, in June 2017, U.S. President Trump withdrew the US from The Paris Climate Accord or Paris Climate Agreement, signed by 195 countries. The Agreement aims to reduce global climate change threat by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (Source: Wikipidia)

G.  California has met its carbon reduction goals ahead of schedule in 2016! It did it by applying its CAP & TRADE  PROGRAM, which limits carbon emissions by polluters and makes them pay for the damage they create. In addition, California  has recently passed a law that aims at lowering emissions by another 40% by 2030, and by 80% by 2050!

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X. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST, THAT WE IN THE USA, DO TO IMPROVE OUR WAYS, our lifestyles in order to REDUCE our CARBON FOOTPRINT (the amount of energy and products we use)  and our CONSUMPTION (our use) of SINGLE-USE PLASTIC? You’ll get 3 points for every good/effective suggestion… that is different from the solutions above. Good luck!

I suggest that we...

____________________________________________________________________________

XI. DOCUMENTARY FILMS ON EARTH, THE OCEAN AND ITS POLLUTION.

 

"Planet Earth is our #1, absolute favorite of the nature documentaries perhaps because it came out in 2007 when my daughter was 2 and I was pregnant. I had to rest a lot and we would snuggle and watch the box set (we had the David Attenborough version). We were overjoyed when the polar bear mama and her cubs emerged from their icy bed, imitated the baboons crossing the water without getting their paws wet and the silly birds of paradise dancing, closed our eyes when the wolves chased the baby caribou or the great white shark caught its dinner, cried when the polar bear couldn’t get its food… but my daughter’s favorite moment, that had her in belly laughs every time, was the ducks jumping from their nests onto the forest floor."

Source:  29 Incredible Nature Documentaries for Kids (image shown below).

https://kidworldcitizen.org/incredible-nature-documentaries-kids/  

Below: A view from Torretta, my birthplace- near Palermo- the capital city of Sicily.

XII. TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ and to reserch these topics- CHECK OUT this;
1. RESOURCE LIST. If you'd like to learn more about this ocean plastic pollution, please visit a post/resource article, by copying/pasting, the link below in your address browser;  
http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2017/12/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

2. The OCEANS' 13 ESSENTIAL (very important) QUESTIONS
http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2017/11/oceans-13-essential-questions-and.html

Also enter a contest! Write an essay for a bigger prize! Answer the following questions and/or discuss/talk about:
a. CAN WE SAVE OUR PLANET FROM FURTHER (more) ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION (destruction)?  
b. WHAT ARE YOUR SOLUTIONS/SUGGESTIONS TO STOP POLLUTING and hence, SAVE THE OCEANS? 
c. What will you do, from now on, to help the environment and the oceans stay clean? 
d. How can we make everyone follow the 4Rs of recycling, reducing, reusing and refusing single use plastic? 
 c. Do you care about our planet?            
d.    What do you actually do to take care of the environment?
f.    How do you dispose of plastic objects like bottles, straws, yogurt/juice cups, cereal bowls, etc.? 

Below: Another view from Torretta, province of Palermo, in Sicily (Italy) 

Let's remember; that true love, or caring, is shown through our actions and attitudes!

Thank you for taking this quiz and caring for our oceans and planet earth! 
Mr. "O" 
ENL Teacher and social/environmental activist.


XIII. If you want hard copies of this ocean quiz, and other lessons on the ocean, like;
a. The Ocean K-W-H-L chart
b.  HOW I TEACH ABOUT OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION
Movies, Videos on Nature, the Ocean and my ENL Lessons/Strategies

c. Ocean. Why do we like it? This lesson is basically an introduction/presentation that can be used for primary grades; k-12th grade. http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2016/06/ocean-why-do-like-it-lets-take-look.html (If the link doesn’t work, do a search in this blog and type this title: Ocean- Why do we like it?)
 
d. Oceans’ 13 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1152318122222144980#allposts/postNum=0 This is a simple written lesson with 13 questions and 13 answers (on the ocean) and many images. I also have a hard copy version of this lesson. 

e. WORLD’S OCEANS SUBMERGED in our PLASTIC POLLUTION! LET’S work together and RESCUE our Oceans! This is an extensive research article that I wrote soon after I became aware of this problem in 2016. You’ll learn about this issue in more details from National Geographic sources, the documentary films: A Plastic Ocean, Plastic Paradise, and others.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1152318122222144980#editor/target=post;postID=4352937638082951406;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=link

f. SOS! WARNING! OCEANS in DANGER! Resources, ideas, Suggestions… and my Socially Engaging Art works.
http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2017/12/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
(Note: you'll have to pay for copies and shipping costs).
You may contact me via email at : ottaviolopiccolo5@gmail.com  

XIV. Help End Plastic Pollution by finding out how many plastic items you consume every year and make a PLEDGE to reduce the amount of plastic you use.
Earth Day 2018 is dedicated to providing the information and inspiration needed to fundamentally
change human attitude and behavior about plastics.
Choose an option below to take further action to End Plastic Pollution on Earth Day and beyond! To join log on to:
https://www.earthday.org/