News
• http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2009/11/24/obama_to
_offer_target_for_cutting_greenhouse_gas_emissions/
• http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091119/ap_on_sc/us_sci_odd_crocs
• http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-climatecartagena22-2009nov22,0,7731005.story
• http://www.thebostonchannel.com/investigative/21676663/detail.htm
l
• http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2009/11/23/study_find
s_thousands_of_deep_sea_species/
• http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2009/11/24/big_bang_
atom_smasher_starts_speeding_proton_beams/
• http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/11/19/us_liable_in
_katrina_flood_judge_says/
•
Solid Waste
Image courtesy of Marc Morell
Fig. 22-2, p. 520
Image courtesy of georgehotelling, flickr.com
Fig. 22-4, p. 522
Household Waste
• Systems
• Conservation of Mass
• Inputs vs. Outputs
Systems
•
•
•
•
•
Boston Harbor
BioSphere 2
Eco-Sphere
Globe
Your house
Image courtesy of Cindy Funk, flickr.com
Solids Budget
• Inputs
• Outputs
Budget
• Groceries (food)
– Packaging
– Beverages
• Books, newspapers,
magazines
• Clothing
• Furniture
• Yardwaste
• Water
• Fuel
• Garbage disposal,
sewage, compost, trash,
recycle
• Recycle, trash
•
•
•
•
•
Reuse, trash
Reuse, trash
Compost, degrade, dump
Sewage
Carbon dioxide
Figure by UMB OpenCourseWare
Figure by UMB OpenCourseWare
Where does it go?
Where does it go?
• A national recycling rate of 30%, up from 28% in 1999,
• 57% of yard trimmings were recovered for composting in 2000,
nearly a fourfold increase since 1990.
• 45% of paper and paperboard were recovered for recycling in 2000.
• Americans generated nearly 232 million tons of MSW, a slight .3%
increase from a 1999.
• 14.5 % of MSW was combusted
•
55.3% of MSW was land filled, down somewhat from 57.2% in
1999.
Where does it go?
Image courtesy of EPA
US Disposal
Figure by UMB OpenCourseWare
Cost of trash
• New York (2002)--$132 per ton processed,
$239/ton recycled
• Costs range from $45 to $71 per ton to
dispose
• $70 per ton in Massachusetts (2001) for
incinerator, landfill or processing facility
Landfills
• 16 total in Massachusetts
• Nantucket, Westborough, Bourne,
Chicopee, Dartmouth, Fall River, Hadley,
Hull, Northampton, Sturbridge,
Southbridge, Taunton, Warren, Wayland,
Westminster
Image courtesy of Marc Morell
Topsoil
Sand
Clay
Garbage
Probes to
detect
methane
leaks
When landfill is full,
layers of soil and clay
seal in trash
Electricity
Methane storage
and compressor
building
Methane gas
recovery well
generator
building
Leachate
treatment system
Pipes collect explosive
methane as used as fuel
to generate electricity
Leachate
storage
tank
Compacted
solid waste
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Garbage
Sand
Synthetic
liner
Sand
Clay
Subsoil
Leachate
pipes
Leachate pumped
up to storage tank
for safe disposal
Clay and plastic lining
to prevent leaks; pipes
collect leachate from
bottom of landfill
Groundwater
Groundwater
monitoring
well
Leachate
monitoring
well
Fig. 22-12, p. 532
Incinerators
•
•
•
•
•
Agawam
Haverhill
Millbury
North Andover
Rochester
Image courtesy of USEPA
Electricity
Steam
Smokestack
Turbine
Generator
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Conventional
landfill
Waste
treatment
Hazardous
waste landfill
Fig. 22-10, p. 530
Conservation
• Reduce
– Fewer inputs
• Reuse
– Fewer inputs, fewer outputs
• Recycle
– Have others use
– Reduce production wastes
Recycling Rates
Figure by UMB OpenCourseWare
Compost
• Backyard Compost Bin
Image courtesy of mjmonty
Waste Generated from Products
you Purchase
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Hazardous Waste
•
•
•
•
•
Batteries
Paint
Cleaners
Pharmaceuticals
Pesticides
• Americans generate 1.6 million tons of HHW per year.
• The average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds
of HHW in the basement and garage and in storage closets.
• During the 1980s, many communities started special
collection days or permanent collection sites for handling
HHW. In 1997, there were more than 3,000 HHW
permanent programs and collection events throughout the
United States.
Bulk Gas Topsoil
waste vent
Earth
Plastic cover
Sand
Impervious
clay
Impervious Clay
clay cap
cap
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Water
table
Earth
Groundwater
Leak
detection
system
Double leachate Plastic Reactive
collection system double wastes
liner
in drums
Groundwater
monitoring
well
Fig. 22-22, p. 540
Problems and Solutions
• Conservation of Mass
– There is no “away”
– Not in my backyard
• Pollution
– Water pollution (leaching landfills)
– Air pollution (incinerators)
– Hazardous wastes
• Costs
– Full cost accounting
• Reduce, reuse, recycle
Hazardous Toxic Household Materials
Cleaning Products
•
•
•
•
•
Disinfectants, bleach and ammonia
Drain, toilet and window cleaners
Oven cleaners
Cleaning solvents and spot remover
Septic tank cleaners
Paint and Building Products
•
•
•
•
•
Latex and oil-based paints
Paint thinner, solvents, and strippers
Stains, varnishes, and lacquers
Wood preservatives
Acids for etching and rust removal
Automotive Products
• Gasoline and used motor oils
• Antifreeze; solvents; battery acid
• Brake and transmission fluid; rust inhibitors
Gardening and Pest Control Products
• Pesticide sprays and dusts; flea killers
• Weed killers
• Ant and rodent killers
General Products
• Dry-cell batteries (mercury and cadmium)
• Artist’s paints and inks; glues and cements
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.