AP Environmental Science Scavenger Hunt

By: Carolina Delgado, Hang Nguyen, Erika Banuelos, Jeanette Tavares

Product Farthest AwayThe product that we found that was the farthest away if we were to travel across Europe to Asia, and down to Australia was New Zealand’s Whiting.

It takes:

-17177.5 miles

-27643.51 km

Product that Contains GMO’sProducts that come from subsidize crops may be

canned corns, peas, etc.

Produce that is a GMO Products like these are beneficial

because they have more vitamins and nutrients. They are genetically modified to have certain vitamins that they may lack in order to better the diet of many people, like the Golden rice, which was enriched with Vitamin A, to help fight Vitamin A deficiency.GM Corn is another crop that could help rid of world hunger.

Major Food Groups The USDA has six categories of major food groups: Fats, oils and

sweets, Meat, Milk, Vegetable, Fruit and Grain. For young adults (18) the amount of calories needed is approximately

2,800. This means that they should approximately consume:Grain Group Serving: 11

Vegetable Group Serving: 5

Fruit Group Servings: 4

Milk Group Servings: 2-3

Meat Group: 7

Fat (grams): 93

Sugar (teaspoons): 18

For Female young adults (18) their calories consumption is around 2,200 and should consume:

Grain Group Serving: 9

Vegetable Group Serving: 4

Fruit Group Servings: 3

Milk Group Servings: 2-3

Meat Group: 6

Fat (grams): 73Sugar (teaspoon): 12

Essential Vitamins And Essentials

Essential minerals include: phosphorous, calcium, sodium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur and magnesium. Essential vitamins include: Iron, B, Calcium/Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin A, B-12. Deficiency in Iron can lead to iron deficiency anemia. A lack of iron means that your blood does not have enough hemoglobin. If not enough hemoglobin is found in the blood, then oxygen is not being transported efficiently and this can lead to several problems.

Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Products Labeled : “natural”, “100% Organic”,”organic”,”made with organic materials”

Products labeled “100% organic” must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients and processing aids. Products labeled “organic” must consist of at least 95 % organically produced ingredients (including water and salt). Processed products that contain at least 70 %organic ingredients can use the phrase “made with organic materials”. A product labeled "natural" should be made up of only, or at least almost only, natural ingredients and be manufactured with appropriate processes to preserve ingredient purity.

Beef produced by Tyson, Sanderson Farms, Butterball, Jennie-

O, BoarsHead, Hillshire, or Oscar Meyer Industrial meat production is the raising and killing of

animals (e.g. cows, chicken) for monetary gain. Animals are raised under precarious situations. Animals are given all sorts of things in able for them to grow the biggest and fattest in the smallest amount of time. They can be given artificial growth hormones and antibiotics to allow them to grow the “healthiest”. This product approximately took: Water: 50 gallonsEnergy: 30% of Energy produced in American goes into the production of bags like these.

Chicken produced by Tyson, Sanderson Farms, Butterball,

Jennie-O, BoarsHead, Hillshire, or Oscar Meyer

Fish: Best, Good, And Avoid

Green = Best Choice. These are the best seafood choices. These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.Tilapia from America : $ 5.75

Yellow = Good Alternative These are good alternatives to the best choices column. However, there are some concerns with how they're fished or farmed—or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Tilapia from Ecuador: $6.50

Red = Avoid these products, because these fish come from sources that are overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. Price of Farm Raised Tilapia from Asia: $6.99 at Superior

Examples of fish or shellfish that is "Wild Caught" or "farm raised" What are some pros and cons of each type of product?

Wild Caught:

Pros: they are not fed hormones and corn.

Cons: they might contain mercury.Farm raised:

Pros: Fish are bigger and fatter.

Cons: They are kept in nets underwater and are not cleaned. Fish are also crammed in one place, so, diseases among the fish can spread faster.

An example of fish for each: “best choices”, “good alternatives”, and “avoid”

An example of fish for each: “best choices”, “good alternatives”, and “avoid”

Meats labeled "farm raised", "wild caught", "grain fed", "Organic", "Hormone Free" What are the pros and cons of each of these?

Farm Raised: Pros: Animals raised this way are usually healthy and the costs to maintain them are very low. Cons: They are more difficult to control. They can eat sown seed and baby chicks are easy targets for predators.

Wild Caught: Pros: fish are not fed with corn, with causes E Coli. They are not given antibiotics as well. Cons: Wild caught fish may contain mercury and other metals that can effect the nervous system.

Grain Fed: Pros: Cows are fattened faster before slaughter. Cons: This can cause diseases in the cows.

Hormone Free: Pros: hormones can end up in the cows manure and then used in plantations. Rain can then wash away the manure and it can end up in river and lakes, thus, disrupting the reproductive cycle of fish and contaminating the water. Some of it can also end up in the meat. Cons: Companies with cows that are raised without hormones don’t produce much milk and they might have to buy more cows in order to meet the needs of the company.

Examples may be found in slides above.

High Fructose Corn Syrup DebatesThe debate around HFCS concerns the kind of sweetener (sugar

or corn) and whether they are different or not. Companies argue that one type of sugar is the same as the next one, yet studies have shown that these sweeteners differ in important ways, including how they affect the appetite-control centers in the brain. Con: This suggests that HFCS may be partly responsible for the obesity epidemic, since it causes a craving for more.

Pro: High fructose corn syrup promotes freshness in several ways. High fructose corn syrup actually inhibits microbial spoilage by reducing water activity and extends shelf life through superior moisture control. Foods also taste fresher because HFCS protects the firm texture of canned fruits and reduces freezer burn in frozen fruits.

Product made with High Fructose Corn Syrup

Overly Packaged & Similars

Pro: The packing of food allows it to be received by the customer the safest and healthiest way.

Con: However, the packing might sometimes be over excessive and therefore cause issues like the need for more plastic, which does not degrade easily.

Overly packaged food & similar food in less packaging

Milk Labels

Soy milk comes from soy beans, which is a GM crop and also encourages clear cutting for the production of the beans.

Organic milk reduces the use of toxic and persistent synthetic pesticides that can remain in the air, water or soil for years.

Almond milk increases the amount of almond production.

Milk labeled: “soy”, “almond”, “organic”, and regular milk

Environmental Problems Of Coffee

Waste products from production of coffee are a serious environmental concern. The result from increasing production has been river pollution, soil erosion, and deforestation.

Millions of small producers and their families depend upon coffee as their major source of income. Their livelihood is threatened today by a price crisis brought on by overproduction of coffee.

Coffee labeled: “fair trade”, “organic”, “rainforest certified”. “shade grown”

“Organic”, “Natural”, and “Regular”

The marketing done by each of these is done to appeal buyers. The organic baby food is pot rayed with afield and whatnot. This appeals to an environmentally friendly parent who cares where her or his baby food comes from. The “natural” baby food is used to lure in mothers that want their kids to eat something with no preservatives and such.

Assuming each product was shipped from the original company location:Gerber: 2,263 milesEarth’s Best: 2,868

Each brand was packaged in a container, glass or plastic. Glass is 100% and endlessly recycled without any loss of quality to produce another glass bottle. Yet glass packaging can break easily, whereas plastic is more resistant to drops. However, plastic is not very

recyclable and will decompose after many years. 

“Organic”, “Natural”, and “Regular” baby food.

Heirlooms

Heirloom plant species are vegetables, flowers, and fruits grown from seeds that are passed down from generation to generation.

Heirloom fruits are important to food security because they promote the genetic diversity of plant species.

Example of a heirloom variety of produce

Most Local Product: Why use?

Buying locally does not only help the environment, but it also helps the economy of a community. By purchasing locally, one can reduce the amount of fossil fuels and other natural resources being used.

This product came from San Bernardino and traveled approximately 9.81 miles.

This product traveled 15.7876646 kilometers.And Approximately 3 gallons of gas was used.

The most local product you can find. 5 extra points for the most local product in the class (to CWHS)

A non-edible organic product (candles, fabric, etc)

Phosphorus Fertilizers

Phosphorus is vital to the growth and health of plants. It assists in converting the sun's energy and other chemicals, such as nitrogen, into usable food for plants. A phosphorus deficiency will lead to stunted, sickly looking plants that produce a lower quality fruit or flower. Mismanagement of Phosphorous can pose a threat to water quality. The concentration of P is usually sufficiently low in fresh water so that algae growth is limited. When lakes and rivers are polluted with Phosphorous, excessive growth of algae often results. High levels of algae reduce water clarity and can lead to decreases in available dissolved oxygen.

A Phosphorus-based fertilizer

Nitrogen Fertilizers

Nitrogen helps the chlorophyll create the green color in the leaves of the plant. It is also important for plant development, the amount of grain it produces, and to take water and nutrients up the plant’s roots.

When it’s used as a fertilizer and not naturally, itcan be washed away by rain or irrigation andend up in rivers and lakes, and algae will growuncontrollably and suck up all the oxygen and kill allthe organisms that live there.

A Nitrogen-based fertilizer

Organic vs. Inorganic Fertilizers

Organic:Pro: Organic fertilizers are less prone to leaching and causing the eutrophication of water ways. They also make the soil have a better nutrient and water holding capacity. Con: Because organic fertilizers are slow-acting, you have to apply them early and often in the growing season, so that plants get the nutrients they need at the right time.

Inorganic:Pro: Inorganic fertilizers are cheaper and release the nutrient found in them much faster than organic fertilizers. Con: The main ingredients in inorganic fertilizers are potassium and phosphorus. Over usage of these fertilizers causes natural fertility to go down.

An organic fertilizer and an inorganic fertilizer

General and Specific Pesticides

GeneralPro: Kills pest that threaten the productivity if the plan or crop. Con: Pesticides can run in to the soil and cause the contamination of ground water.

SpecificPro: Targets the pest that will most likely do the most damage to the species of plant or crop.Con: Promotion of genetic resistance , the killing of natural pest enemies, the creation of new pest species.

A pesticide that is general and a pesticide that has a specific target

Why are hormones fed to cattle? Why are antibiotics given to cattle? Cows are fed to cattle in order for them to

produce more milk.Antibiotics are given to cattle to fatten

them.

Define bycatch.

Bycatch are unwanted fish or other marine creatures that are caught in the net while fishing.

Eggs labeled "cage free" and "organic"

Cage free: Hens that produce these eggs are not kept in a cage and are allowed to roam free.

Organic: Same as “cage free” hens, but these are fed with organic food.

How do these eggs differ from regular eggs?

Hens are caged and crammed in one spot, unable to stretch their wings or move. These hens never get to see sunlight most of the time and are often stressed out.

Cage Free and Organic Eggs

Farmer’s Market Interview

From Amy’s Farm How do you keep away pests? Do you use

pesticides? If not, what?

These farmers keep pest away by using plants that keep them from getting close to their plantation(ex. sunflowers and sage bush).

How do you fertilize? Do you use chemicals? If not, what?

They use worm castings and organic fertilizer that they make out of plants, peelings, etc.

“Do you think vegetarianism is good for the environment?”

“Do you think eating meat is bad for the environment?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying from the grocery store; the farmers market?

Advantages• The fruits and vegetables are

grown locally and picked when perfectly ripened.

• This enhances the taste, texture, and aroma of the produce. 

• Often, market prices are lower than at grocery stores.

• Shopping at the Farmers Market benefits the local farmer and strengthens your local community

Disadvantages

• The farmers sell their products and goods according to season and for that reason certain products are not available all the time.

• Costs of gas to drive to far off Farmers markets.

Grocery Stores: Pros and Cons

Advantages

• They have a variety of products, not just fruits and vegetables.

• They have fruits and vegetables all year round.

• Stores like these are available everywhere and at anytime.

Disadvantages

• Fruits and vegetables are not as fresh.

• Time consuming around festivities.

• Does not help the communtity.