Mr. Kipper
World Geography (3)
8 September, 1999

On this Wednesday in Geography class, we had the pleasure of watching two videos all about the environment. Because I was so deeply impacted by the content of these films, and because this is a graded assignment, I am here today tell you about all the things I learned from those two magnificent video recordings.

For instance, I never knew I could save 20,000 gallons of water (enough to fill a swimming pool) simply by not letting the water run while I perform such tasks as brushing my teeth; additionally, if I don’t use a hose to wash the car but rather a self-serve station or bucket with soap, I save up to 150,000 gallons of precious H20.  We were informed that we can save even more water by installing inexpensive, low-flow faucet aerators on our sinks for as little as $4.00. In the same sublimely enjoyable film, I learned that there are 20 million acres of lawn in the U.S., most of those 20 million acres require only one inch of water per year, and the proper length of grass on that 20 million acres of lawn is 2-3 inches.

In the latter film, one centering around wildlife (and, in particular, the Rogue River Valley wildlife rehabilitation facilities), we learned the shocking fact that 59 American species of animals are extinct! Woe to us! The founder of the Rogue River Valley refuge, Dave Sitton, says that “without wildlife, human life is one-dimensional.” He also says that wild babies belong in the wild with their real mothers, and, although the volunteers at the center do the best they can and will give the injured or stole animals a good chance of survival, they are no substitute for the baby’s real mother.

You know, I could just go on and on about how mind-blowingly enlightening these two tapes were, but I don’t want to. Thank you and good night.