Psh, hey smarty -pants, listen up and see if you can guess what I'm doing.
Ready? If you said that I'm walking my dog near the ocean, you're right!
Yep, Luna and I love walking on the beach. We love the ocean breeze, the sound of the waves, and the feeling of the sand between in our toes and paws.
Ouch, I just stepped on something.
What is this, a plastic milk container?
Where did this come from?
I don't want any fish who drink milk, except maybe a cat fish.
No, no, catfish do not drink milk.
And random milk containers do not belong on the beach. I'll just pick this up and throw it out in the trash can there up ahead.
Hey smarty pants, what do you do when you see bottles or soda cans lying on the ground where they shouldn't be.
Do you pick them up?
If you said yes, then believe it or not, you're actually saving the environment from something called pollution.
I'm sure you've heard the word pollution before, but do you know exactly what it means?
Pollution is something that's added to the environment that is harmful or poisonous to living things.
That's right, pollution is bad for you too Luna.
Pollution could be trash, debris, or even poisonous chemicals.
But what exactly causes pollution?
How does pollution affect the environment?
And what can YOU do to reduce pollution?
Oh good job Luna, you found another milk carton!
It's time for another whiff of science on Who's Smarted?
Who's Smarted? Who's Smart?
Is it you? Is it me?
Is it science? Or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting. Lots of fun.
On Who's Smart At. Wow, there sure is a lot of trash on this beach. Since the theme song, I collected six soda cans, two soda bottles, a bunch of food wrappers, and cigarette butts, yuck.
Worst of all, the trash can is right there.
Why couldn't people just throw this out?
Come on Luna, let's run over and...
Excuse me, you mind watching where you're stepping?
Oh, sorry didn't see you down there.
Whoa, is that a test tube you're holding?
Well, it's not a small glass sandwich. Right, so might I ask why you have a test tube at the beach?
I'm an environmental scientist and I'm testing the beach sand for microplastics.
Smarty Pants, do you know what microplastics are?
Did you just call me Smarty Pants?
Oh, no, no, sorry. I was talking to the smarty pants, listening.
I'm the trusty narrator of the Who Smarted?
podcast. Oh, my nieces love who smarted.
Was it you? Was it me?
Was it science or history?
Nice to meet you. I'm Susan.
Hi, Susan. While I have you, do you think you could explain what exactly an environmental scientist does?
Sure. Or the smarty pants could guess.
Maybe a little A, B, or C quiz.
Um, this might be a little much for that, but we'll have one of those soon, for sure.
Sorry, I'm just excited.
Anyway, environmental scientists study the effects of human activities on the environment.
Which is why I'm testing the sand to find out if the beach is polluted with microplastics.
Ah, but what are microplastics, smarty -pants?
Are they, A, parts of a microscope?
B, plastics made by Microsoft?
Or C, tiny plastic particles that come from larger plastics.
Ooh! Can I get the answer, Trusty Narrator?
Absolutely! Go for it, Susan!
If you said C, you're right, smarty -pants!
Microplastics result from the breakdown of larger plastics, like bottles or straws.
And unfortunately, they're one of the biggest pollutants threatening the environment today.
Speaking of pollutants, what causes pollution?
Great question. You see there are three main types of pollution.
Smartypants, can you guess what they are?
Wow! You really know the show!
Oh, I'm a Smarty fan!
Here! Let me give the Smarty Pants a hint.
The three main types of pollution occur in something you breathe, something you walk on, and something you swim in.
Got it now? If you said air pollution, land pollution, and water pollution, you're right.
Nice job if you got that, smarty pants.
Air pollution occurs when harmful gases, smoke, or fumes are released into the atmosphere.
Ugh While there are natural causes of air pollution such as from volcanic eruptions, or smoke from forest fires, Air pollution is mostly man made, meaning humans are responsible.
Smarty Pants, can you name some man -made causes of air pollution?
Go ahead and shout out your answers.
I heard some of you say cars and factories.
Wow, you can even hear the Smarty Pants now?
Yep, and guess what?
Both those answers are correct.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA for short, the largest source of man -made air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels, like gasoline, for electricity, heat and transportation.
Unfortunately, when people drive gas -powered cars or heat their homes, they're also releasing harmful gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Coal power plants alone produce one -fifth of all harmful gases.
more than any other source.
And sadly, this is just for air pollution alone.
What about land and water?
Both land and water pollution are closely related.
Soil that's contaminated with toxic substances like trash, debris, or poisonous chemicals like pesticides often seeps into the groundwater beneath the soil, which can make its way to rivers.
and then out to the ocean, which is dangerous for marine life.
All right. That's it.
I've heard enough. Wait.
Who are you? Better yet, what are you?
You look like a dirty ghost covered in...
litter. Litter is for kittens, lady.
I prefer trash. The name's Paul.
Paul -ution. Paul -lution?
Oh, I get it. Paul -lution.
Pollution. That's pretty on the nose pal.
Alright, first I ain't your pal.
And second, not gonna stand by while you besmirch my good name.
I'm confused. Pollution is a bad thing right?
How can you have a good name?
I'm just saying, what's the big deal?
A little smog never hurt nobody.
Excuse me. Oh boy. Smarty Pants, do you know what smog is?
Is it A, a piece of clothing?
B, a fog formed by a mixture of pollutants in the atmosphere?
Or C, a Pokémon? The answer is B, a fog formed by a mixture of pollutants in the atmosphere.
Hey, I wanted to say it.
Actually, that's really my job.
But Susan, you're the expert.
Care to elaborate? Smog is formed when heat and sunlight interact with the smoke and gasses produced by power plants, factories, and cars.
This creates a thick layer of dark yellowish fog.
And despite what you may think, Paul, smog is unhealthy to humans.
It can irritate your eyes nose and throat and increase your risk of serious heart and lung diseases.
It's also harmful to animals and can even kill plants.
Ah, that's just the big cities.
If you don't like it, move to the suburbs!
Sorry, Paul, but recent studies show that the suburbs actually emit more carbon dioxide than cities.
This is due, in part, to suburban houses being bigger and requiring more energy to heat than most city housing.
Alright, alright. We get it.
Here, have some water.
Thanks. I'm parched.
I wouldn't drink that if I were you.
Water pollution poses serious health risks to humans.
Improper sewage disposal and chemical spills that end up in water supply carry deadly bacteria and viruses like cholera, giardia, and typhoid.
Yuck! I gotta say, Paul, your pollution argument isn't looking so hot.
I beg to differ. This summer, it got up to 90 degrees in Alaska.
That place is usually an icebox.
Uh, you're welcome.
What Paul's talking about is something called global warming.
Global warming refers to the current rise in the average temperature of Earth's air and oceans caused by greenhouse gases.
Ah, smarty pants. You may have heard the term greenhouse gasses before.
But what exactly are greenhouse gasses?
Is it A, gases that come from a greenhouse, B, green colored gases, or C, gases that trap heat.
Wow. You just went right for the quiz.
Nice job though. Thanks.
And the answer is C, gases that trap heat.
Just like a greenhouse creates a warm, moist atmosphere for plants, greenhouse gases trap heat from escaping the planet.
Great! All the cold places are warming up thanks to me.
Pretty soon the arctic is going to be a hot new beach resort.
Right? Yeah, new. Greenhouse gases and global warming are a bad thing.
What? How? For starters, warmer air temperatures means warmer water temperatures which can cause harmful algal blooms, coral bleaching, and mass die -offs of fish, seabirds, and other marine life.
And melting glaciers are releasing fresh water into the ocean, causing global sea levels to rise.
Ah, more ocean to swim in.
What's so bad about that?
A lot. Over time, rising sea levels will lead to massive coastal flooding.
At their current rate, Climate researchers estimate the city of Miami, Florida could be underwater by the year 2100.
And while the coasts are seeing more water, other areas are seeing less.
In 2015, California experienced the worst drought in 1200 years due to the low rainfall.
In other parts of the U .S. and around the world, rising temperatures are the cause of more intense thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes.
I got to say, Susan, this is all sounding pretty scary.
I wish there was something we could do.
What do you think, Smarty Pants?
Is there anything you can do to reduce pollution and slow down the effects of global warming?
There is, right after this break.
Hey. Now back to Who Smarted.
OK, Smarty Pants, what can you do to reduce pollution?
Oh, you want to reduce me, huh?
Not cool. Thankfully, there's lots the smarty -pants can do to reduce pollution.
For starters, picking up litter and encouraging others to throw out their trash is one of the quickest, easiest ways to cut back on pollution.
Like this soda can just sitting here.
Hey, that was mine.
Actually, trusty narrator, let's look for a recycling bin.
Yes, even better. Recycling used materials like cans, bottles, and paper goods, and turning them into new products is a great way to cut down on pollution.
You guys, I'm not feeling so well.
Wow, Paul has shrunk to half his size.
Susan, quick, what are some more ways to reduce pollution?
Simple. Turn off lights and unplug electronic devices when you're not using them.
Leaving lights on burns more fuel and releases more greenhouse gases into the environment.
Hey, cut it out! I'm losing my head over here.
Literally. You can also plant more trees or bushes.
Ah! Stop! On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen and consumes 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year!
They're experts at fighting global warming.
I can't. Take. It. Anymore.
Smarty -pants, say goodbye to Paul.
I'd say he'll be missed, but we're better off without him.
We sure are. Well I'd say this walk on the beach with my dog sure turned into a good day for the environment.
And I got to smarten up the smarty -pants on my favorite podcast. I will say all this smarting has made me hungry.
Ooh, I know a great lunch spot nearby.
Do they use organic foods?
Yeah, I think so. Come on, I'll drive.
Uh -uh -uh. Or better yet, let's walk.
Perfect. Ruff, ruff.
A super shout out to a Super Smarty fan, Demke in Maryland.
Thanks for letting us know that you love Who Smarted, because it's funny.
We're very grateful and happy to have you as part of our Smarty family.
This episode, Pollution, was written by Brad DePrima and voiced by Charlotte Cone, Adam Tex Davis, and Jerry Kohlberg.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colmer.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
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