As students work through this activity, encourage them to base their opinions on scientific principles as well as on social values and ethics. Humans are part of the biosphere and are dependent upon it. They need to exercise judgment, care and planning in their use of natural resources including plants, animals, soil, and water, and in their practices of disposing of wastewater and materials. Land use, pollution, energy use, and application of technology all involve ethical considerations for individuals and society. Humans are unique among the earth's organisms in their intelligence and adaptability.
Humans can choose to change their behavior and plan to provide for the needs of future generations.
In addition, visual, auditory, and thermal pollution not only detract from human appreciation of natural ecosystems but also affect adversely other organisms living in them. This mountain is a giant pile of chopped concrete from the quake damaged Santa Monica Freeway, crushed asphalt and a mixture of other debris piled more than 60 feet high and weighing over 600,000 tons. It will eventually be crushed and ground in a recycling process and resold as roadbase or for other commercial uses. Residents in this mostly immigrant community complain that not only is the pile unsightly, they are firmly convinced it is the cause of many respiratory and other health problems they have been experiencing. The people, however, backed by an outside environmental group from San Francisco commissioned their own study which showed a very high concentration of airborne particulate matter in the vicinity.