Unit 4 – Keeping It Green: Reading Text

Highlights from our new exhibition

Changing Environment, Changing World

3rd-24th January
A
Have you ever opened a cupboard and found a giant spider looking at you? You’ll be happy to
know, spiders of the future will probably be smaller. Spiders are cold-blooded animals and they are
affected by the temperature around them. In warm environments, cold-blooded animals become
adults more quickly, so they stop growing earlier than in cold environments. During a period of
global warming around 56 million years ago, some cold-blooded animals became smaller by 50 to
75 per cent.

B
The invasion of giant rats sounds like the name of a horror film. But for some British towns, it’s
frighteningly real. These towns were recently invaded by 45-centimetre-long rats. Higher
temperatures mean more rats are surviving winter. The British are terrible litterers, so rats can find
food easily. That helps them grow even more.
Huge animals aren’t only on land, either. Giant jellyfish over a metre wide and weighing hundreds
of kilos were photographed in the ocean near Britain, Australia and parts of Asia. Due to climate
change, the jellyfish can survive in areas once too cold for them. Overfishing means there is also a
smaller number of fish in the ocean and the jellyfish haven’t got much competition for food.

C
Do your parents make you eat vegetables every day? Maybe air pollution will change that. Until
recently, people thought plants weren’t endangered by higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the
air, because they need CO2 to grow. But new studies show too much CO2 makes plants lose
vitamins and minerals. By the year 2050, vegetables won’t be as healthy as they are today. Imagine
future parents telling their children NOT to eat their vegetables!
Unit 4 – Keeping It Green: Reading Text

The Plastic Bank

Using Plastic to Change the World

You can’t change everything in the world, but the key to changing some things is right in front of
you. It’s in the plastic cup and the plastic bottle of fizzy drink on your desk. These containers are
often thrown in the rubbish at the end of the day because they aren’t considered important. But one
man, David Katz, thinks plastic is an important tool for social and environmental change. He’s
using his organisation, The Plastic Bank, to make that happen.

The Problem
Right now, someone, somewhere, is throwing an empty packet of crisps or a plastic bottle onto a
beach. Somewhere else, the wind is blowing plastic bags and boxes into the ocean. Last year, the
oceans were polluted by about 7 million tons of plastic, mainly because rubbish was left on beaches.
The problem of plastic litter is the worst in countries like Colombia and Peru.

The Solution
Using 3D printing, The Plastic Bank will turn plastic litter into products to help people in these
countries. How? The organisation opens a collection bank with a 3D printer. People collect plastic
and bring it to the bank. The plastic waste is recycled and the people are given credit for it. The
credit is then exchanged for items like food and clothes, or it’s used to pay for the 3D printing of
tools, water filters and other things to improve life in their communities. The more people collect,
the better their lives – and the world – will be.

How You Can Help

Any donation of time or money is appreciated. Help The Plastic Bank make the world a better place
today!
For more information, visit the website: www.plasticbank.org