Polish video from Comenius 2015

1. LOGO
Myths and facts about ecology

2. Chlorinated drinking water
Myth : You should resign from the chlorination of drinking water.
Fact: Contrary to the propaganda practiced by Greenpeace nobody got
sick from drinking water free from bacteria by chlorination, while in
poor countries, millions of children die from dirty water.

3. Nuclear energy
Myth : One nuclear power plant within a year produces as much
radioactive poison as a thousand atomic bombs.
Fact : Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is safely stored
deep underground, where it will never leak to the surface, while
products of burning coal in power plants remain on the surface.

4. The energy obtained
from 1 g of uranium
235
How many kilos of coal
we need to burn to get
as much energy as
from burning 1 g of
uranium 235
Calorific value of 1 kg of coal

5. The ozone hole
Myth : Gases used in refrigerators and freon deodorants are the main
cause of the ozone hole.
Fact : The ozone hole was noted already in the 50s, when freon was not
used on a massive scale yet. Thus, although the freon reduces the
amount of ozone, it certainly should not sit in the dock alone.
Moreover, in modern refrigerators and sprays other gases are used
already for a long time, which are much smaller threat to the ozone
layer above our heads.

6. Energy at rest?
Myth : If you do not use the device plugged into the socket, it uses no
electricity.
Fact : Still not all mobile phone users are aware of the fact that a
charger left alone in the socket uses electricity. Doing so we are
wasting energy and operating at the expense of the environment.
A big waste of electricity is also leaving appliances on "stand by”
mode. The equipment in standby mode needs energy.

8. How much it costs one off the charger
power
equipment
average time
use ( per day )
results energy used
[ kWh]
expense
[PLN]
0.4 W 18hours daily 0 0
monthly 0.03 0.02
annually 0.36 0.24
1kWh = 0.6731 PLN

9. Without the global warming there would be no Sid
Myth: If we do not reduce greenhouse gases emissions, in a few years
the Arctic ice will melt, sea levels will rise by up to ten meters and
oceans will flood the densely populated coast.
Facts: Fluctuations in the global temperature are calculated in geologic
time, not within a human life. And our world since its beginning
repeatedly cooled down and heated up. Hence the movie "Ice Age”.

10. Waste incinerators
Myth: Waste incinerators are a threat because they produce poisonous
gases and people living near them are beginning to suffer from cancer,
asthma and many other diseases.
Facts: Who has not heard that burning garbage is toxic and harmful to
the environment? In fact, the escape of air during this process is less
harmful than the air we breathe every day.
It is also not so that when we burn garbage, we risk cancer, asthma and
other diseases of the modern world.

11. Ecological countryside?
Myth : The vision of an ecological, peaceful and rural countryside is
unfortunately a myth.
Fact : In the forests there are commonly large amounts of garbage.
But a small village seems to be top ecological - everyone knows
everything about each other, also whether they segregate waste)
Also, towns and small municipalities have interesting ecological
solutions and ideas which implementation brings measurable results
and ... savings.

12. Natural resources are infinite
Myth : Natural resources are finite.
Fact : Humanity gradually discovers the value of a substance, and when
its usefulness is exhausted, there is a substitute. For example, crude oil
for centuries was considered only a threat to agriculture. Only in the
mid-nineteenth century mankind suddenly discovered a new use for oil.
But even oil is not valuable in itself, it is a valuable energy. However, if
humanity would find other, cheaper source of energy, it immediately
would forget about the oil.

13. We are too many on the planet?
False: Human population has grown to a serious problem.
Fact : Increase in the number of people results mainly from the increase
in average life expectancy. Fewer newborns die, too. And ordinary
people will live longer rather than shorter.
Fear of the continuous increase of the population is due to the fact that
we may, in the end, simply run out of space on our planet. But most
researchers agree that at the current stage of technology development,
the Earth would be able to accommodate 20 or maybe even 30 billion
people. And this level could be achieved in nearly 200 years.

14. Seller makes us stupid people
Myth : Any label releases me from thinking.
Fact : Many people, seeing the label with the words "organic",
"natural", "healthy", "good for the environment" believe these words.
We stop being critical, and this is often used by dishonest companies.
You have to be inquisitive, verify the facts and myths yourself. Most of
the information is at your fingertips, you just must want to check them
out.

15. The signs denoting organic food in Poland and European Union

16. Asbestos
Myth : We must exchange asbestos at any price.
Fact : The harmfulness of asbestos has been proven, it is a fact. Indeed,
the fine filaments of the substance inhaled by many years with air may
result in cancer. However, in order for that to happen, the
concentration of fibers must be sufficiently large and the exposure of
their operation sufficiently long.
It is important to focus on the recycling of used asbestos boards that
have already been dismantled from roofs of many houses.

17. What bag to choose?
Myth : Do I need to have reusable shopping bags, yet in the store
there are biodegradable ones?
Fact : Unfortunately, the myth of the green bags is still doing well.
However, there are many ambiguities and misunderstandings.
First of all, not all the bags referred to as "biodegradable” are truly
biodegradable and, secondly - the certified ones, made from plant
materials, must be disposed of properly - to be composted, and that
most consumers it is not aware of it. They should be disposed to
organic waste containers.

18. LOGO
Activities in our school.
February / May 2015

19. What's your ecological footprint?
The students in our school completed a questionnaire about
their habits, lifestyle and CO2 emission involved. The results
of the survey were presented on the school's noticeboard.

21. “Melting away for the climate”
Comenius educational trip
On 13 May our students had a chance to see the
local sewage plant and learn about the process of
sewage purification.
Each step of the process was explained and students
could ask questions to the staff who kindly showed
guests around the premises.

23. Sources of information:
http://www.menshealth.pl/sprawy/8-mitow-o-ekologii,4335,
http://futureblog.pl/2009/07/prawda-czy-falsz-szkodliwe-mity-
ekologiczne/
https://www.youtube.com