Earth Day

Eco-Jeopardy - Round 2

Climate Change | It Adds Up | Power Down | Re-Defined | Go With the Flow | Final Jeopardy

Climate Change 400

Climate Change 800

  • In the United States, most greenhouse gases come from burning these. 
  • What are fossil fuels?
  • In the U.S., our energy-related activities account for three-quarters of our human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.  More than half the energy-related emissions come from large stationary sources such as power plants and about a third comes from transportation.  Industrial processes, agriculture, forestry, other land use and waste management are also sources of greenhouse gas emissions. For more information on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases, visit:  www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usgginventory.html

Climate Change 1200

  • The most abundant man-made greenhouse gas is this. 
  • What is carbon dioxide?
  • Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), a number of fluorinated gases and water vapor (H2O).  In the U.S., our energy-related activities account for over three-quarters of our greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels. For more information on greenhouse gases, visit: www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.html

Climate Change 1600 (DAILY DOUBLE)

  • Greenhouse gases have become more abundant since this historical event. 
  • What is the Industrial Revolution?
  • Beginning late in the late 1700s, human activities associated with the Industrial Revolution have changed the composition of the atmosphere and therefore very likely are influencing the Earth's climate.  In 2005, global atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were 35% higher than they were before the Industrial Revolution. For more information on greenhouse gases, visit: www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

Climate Change 2000

It Adds Up 400

  • By recycling one ton of paper, we can save 17 of these.
  • What are Trees?
  • By recycling paper and cardboard we can conserve trees and produce recycled-content paper. Every ton of paper recycled saves more then three cubic yards of landfill space. More than 37% of the fiber used to make new paper products in the United States comes from recycled sources. To learn more about paper recycling, visit:

It Adds Up 800

  • Improperly dumping one gallon of this can contaminate 1 million gallons of water.
  • What is motor oil?
  • In South Carolina, used motor oil must be recycled. It’s the law. All South Carolina counties have collection sites for used motor oil recycling. In addition, most counties also accept used oil filters and motor oil bottles for recycling. If you have your oil changed for you (at a car dealership, garage or quick lube), your used motor oil is recycled by that business. If you are a do-it-yourselfer (DIYer – an individual who changes oil in a personal vehicle), you must recycle that used motor oil. In calendar year 2006, DIYers in South Carolina recycled 1,002,006 gallons of used motor oil at more than 800 collection sites throughout the state. To learn more about used motor oil visit:

It Adds Up 1200

  • In 30 days an aluminum can go from your recycling bin to this place.
  •  What is back on the shelf?  Or in the store?
  • Recycling just one ton of aluminum cans rather than throwing them away conserves more than 207 million BTUs (a unit of energy), the equivalent of 36 barrels of oil or 1,655 gallons of gasoline. South Carolina recycled more than 7,080 tons of aluminum in 2007. Of all the aluminum recycled, 32 percent is used in transportation vehicles followed by packaging at 20 percent. The average amount of recycled content in new aluminum cans in 2006 was 41.3 percent. To learn more about recycling aluminum cans, visit:

It Adds Up 1600

It Adds Up 2000

  • South Carolina's goal is to recyle this percent of waste.
  • What is 35 percent?
  • Since the passage of the S.C. Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991, the state has made significant progress in its safe and efficient management of solid waste. The recycling goal is set at 35 percent of the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. The disposal goal is 3.5 pounds of MSW per person per day (p/p/d) or less. South Carolina currently has a recycling rate of 31 percent and a disposal rate of 4.4 p/p/d. To learn more about the recycling goal visit: www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/pubs/section2.pdf

Power Down 400

  • Replacing traditional light bulbs with these saves electricity.
  • What are compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs)?
  • Compact fluorescent light bulbs ( CFLs) are an energy efficient and cost effective lighting alternative to regular incandescent light bulbs.  They use 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.  CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury.  No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use; exposure is possible only when a bulb breaks.  To be safe, recycle all CFLs when they are ready to be discarded.  Household hazardous waste collections usually accept these light bulbs.  For proper cleanup of a mercury spill, go to www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm Another type of energy-saving bulb is light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are currently used in some traffic signal lights, decorative light strings, desk lamps and other lighting fixtures. For more information on CFLs and LEDs, visit:

Power Down 800

Power Down 1200

  • Turning these out when you leave the room is energy well spent.
  • What are the lights?
  • Energy efficiency helps to reduce energy use, save money, and protect the environment. About thirty-six percent (36%) of the average home’s energy spending goes to lighting and appliances. For more information on energy-saving tips, visit:

Power Down 1600

Power Down 2000

  • Switching to appliances with this symbol can save money and power.
  • What is Energy Star?
  • ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that helps us save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.  Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills. For more information on Energy Star, visit: www.energystar.gov/

The Three Rs 400

  • This symbol of three chasing arrows.
  • What is the universal symbol for recycling?
  • The original recycling symbol was designed in 1970 by Gary Anderson, a senior at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles, as part of a nationwide contest for high school and college students as a response to the first Earth Day. The recycling symbol represents a Mobius loop consisting of three-chasing-arrows in the shape of a triangle, which symbolizes a three-step process. The first step is collection – that’s when you put your recyclables into the bin or take them to a drop-off center. The second step is manufacturing – when the recyclables are processed into raw materials that are then manufactured into new products. The third step is buying recycled. You are not really recycling unless you are buying recycled-content products. To learn more about recycling, visit:

The Three Rs 800

The Three Rs 1200

  • Three products made from recycled plastic bottles and jugs.
  • What are carpet, clothing and plastic lumber?
  • Plastic recycling is the process of taking plastic and reprocessing the material into other useful material, sometimes completely different from their original state. For instance, soft drink bottles could be recycled into model army figures and ammunition. Soda bottles made from PET or number one plastic are used as a raw material for making packaging materials such as bottles and containers for packaging a wide range of food products and other consumer goods – even T-shirts and fleece jackets. Milk jugs which are HDPE or number 2 plastic, are made into plastic lumber, tables, roadside curbs, benches, truck cargo liners, trash receptacles and other durable plastic products. To learn more about recycling, visit:

The Three Rs 1600

  • Three things to compost in your backyard.
  • What are leaves, branches and fruits/vegetable scraps?
  • Composting is the controlled natural decomposition of organic material (from plants and animals) such as leaves, yard trimmings, grass clippings and manure as well as fruit and vegetable scraps. Microorganisms break down this material into compost, a crumbly, dark-colored, earthy-smelling, soil-like material. That material is a nutrient-rich product that can be used in your garden, flowerbeds and lawn. To learn more about composting, visit:

The Three Rs 2000

  • This fast growing waste category includes TVs, computers, and cell phones.
  •  What is e-waste?
  • Electronic waste (E-waste) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the nation. Each year hundreds of thousands of computers, monitors, televisions, printers, copiers, fax machines, cell phones and other electronics become obsolete to consumers. Rapid advances in technology, a demand for new features and planned obsolescence accelerate the generation of old, unwanted electronics. E-waste, however, provides a more complex challenge beyond the numbers. E-waste contains metals and other materials that can be hazardous to the environment and human health if not properly managed. To learn more about E-waste, visit:

Re-Defined 400

Re-Defined 800

  • A term for purchasing products made of recycled materials.
  • What is buying recycled?
  • What is buying recycled? Buying recycled is buying products made from recycled materials. Products made from recycled materials are called recycled-content products. Recycling is a three-step process. That’s why the recycling symbol has three arrows that complete a loop. The first step is collection – that’s when you put your recyclables such as aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and newspapers into your curbside recycling bin or into the containers at the drop-off center. The second step is manufacturing – that’s when the recyclables are processed into raw materials to make new products. The third step is buying recycled – that’s when you complete the recycling loop. You are not really recycling unless you are buying recycled-content products. To learn more about buying recycled, visit:

Re-Defined 1200

Re-defined 1600

  • This type of garden reduces runoff and lets rainwater soak naturally into the soil.
  • What is a rain garden?
  • In cities and towns a lot of the ground is covered with pavement or buildings. Rain that falls on these surfaces doesn’t’ soak in, but runs off. Rain gardens are made to keep some of that runoff close to where it falls and let the water soak in naturally to recharge local ground water supplies. Rain gardens also help filter the pollutants that can be found in runoff. To learn more about rain gardens, visit:
  • Re-defined 2000
  • This type of fence reduces erosion and runoff at construction sites. 
  • What is a silt fence?
  • Soil washing off the land can add a lot of dirt to water-bodies, filling them up and making it difficult for plant and animal life to survive in muddy waters. Silt fences are one of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) used at construction sites to protect surface water. There are many BMPs that can be used when landscaping around your homes too.

Go With the Flow 800

  • When lawn chemicals contaminate surface water after a rainstorm, it’s called Nonpoint source pollution or this.
  • What is runoff pollution?
  • Runoff pollution occurs when water “runs off” of yards, streets, parking lots and roofs. This water carries pollutants, such as oil, pet waste and fertilizers into storm drains and streams. To learn more about runoff pollution, visit:

Go With the Flow 1200

Go With the Flow 2000 DAILY DOUBLE

  • These lands filter water, control flooding and give animals and plants a home.
  • What are wetlands?
  • Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas. To learn more about wetlands, visit:

Final Jeopardy

  • We are the spokes-bottles and cans for an award-winning environmental campaign. We have our own song.
  • Who are the recycle guys?
  • The Recycle Guys public awareness campaign spreads the word on recycling. The Guys appear on television public service announcements, in activity and coloring books, on historic and modern posters and in public as life-sized mascots. While they were born in South Carolina, many states, counties and cities across the nation, as well as U.S. EPA, have adopted The Guys. To learn more about The Recycle Guys visit: