Unit 10 Our Future Planet
10A – Climate Change Chp. 16
10B – Sustainable Cities Chp. 10.3
10C – Waste Management Chp. 19
Unit 10 Vocabulary Terms to Define (27)
Carbon footprint
Global warming
Municipal solid waste
Carbon offset
Green building
Radioactive waste
Carbon tax
Greenway
Recycle
City planning
Hazardous waste
Sanitary landfill
Climate model
Incineration
Smart growth
E-waste
Industrial waste
Superfund
Ecological restoration
Kyoto protocol
Urban growth boundaries
GIS
Leachate
Waste
Global climate change
Mass transit
Zoning
10A - Goals
☺Students will understand that our choices today will define
the future sustainability of our planet.
☺Identify the evidence of global climate change.
☺Understand the increase of greenhouse gases is believed to
be the cause of global warming.
☺Predict the effects of climate change on ecosystems and
communities.
☺List 3 ways to reduce the production of greenhouse gases.
Chp. 16 Central Case: Rising Seas May
Flood the Maldive Islands
☺Read the Case Study on page 483, or the copy provided to
you.
☺Analyze the case study with the Decision Making Model
☺What is the problem? What is your proposed solution?
☺3 Pros, 3 Cons, 3 Short-term consequences, 3 Long-term
consequences.
☺Now, summarize your decision regarding your proposed
solution, explaining why.
16.1 Our Dynamic Climate: A Review
☺Of all the environmental issues, global climate change
may be the one that will have the greatest impact on
your future
☺Weather refers to the daily changes in temperature,
precipitation, air pressure, etc.
☺Climate is an area’s average weather conditions over a
long period
☺Three factors that influence climate:
☺The sun
☺Global wind patterns
☺The oceans
Energy from the Sun
☺Heating of Earth’s atmosphere by the sun is
influenced by the greenhouse effect latitude, &
sunspot cycles.
☺The greenhouse effect is a natural process in which
certain gases keep heat near Earth & prevent it from
radiating back into space.
☺Greenhouse gases – trap/absorb heat and release it
slowly; water vapor, CO2, tropospheric ozone (O3),
nitrous oxide, methane (CH4); sunlight/solar energy
reaches Earth and is converted into heat energy,
which is radiated back into space, most of which is
absorbed by these gases; help keep Earth’s surface
the temperature it has been (not too cold).
The Effect of Latitude
☺Latitude – measurement of a place’s distance from
the equator (0º latitude).
☺In general, the rather a place is from the equator,
the cooler its climate. Areas close to the equator are
generally warm.
☺The sun’s radiation strikes regions of Earth at
different angles, causing unequal heating (tropical,
temperate, polar)
☺Tropical areas receive direct, concentrated rays
while the Poles receive indirect/spread out rays.
☺The seasons change because of the tilt of the Earth,
with each hemisphere either tilted towards or away
from the sun.
Sunspot Cycles
☺The sun varies slightly in the amount of radiation
it emits, over both short & long periods.
☺There is a relationship between sunspots (dark
spots on the surface of the sun) and radiation
emitted.
☺The more sunspots present on the surface of the
sun, the more energy the sun gives off. The # of
sunspots rises and falls in cycles that last about
11 years. Although sunspot cycles have some
effect on global climate, scientists believe it is
not a major, long-term effect.
Wind Patterns in the Atmosphere
☺Winds distribute heat & moisture globally.
☺Rising warm air & sinking cool air form convection
currents, producing air currents/winds.
☺Warm air rises from the equator, and cold air moves
downward from the Poles. This creates global wind
patterns called prevailing winds, which move huge air
masses around the surface of the Earth (warm air
away from the equator & cold air moves opposite).
☺Warm air carries more water vapor, which cools as
it rises and then water vapor condenses to form
clouds.
☺Winds move moisture from one location to another.
The Oceans & Climate
☺Oceans affect climate by transporting heat & absorbing
carbon dioxide
☺Ocean water exchanges huge amounts of heat with the
atmosphere, and currents move heat energy long
distances.
☺Worldwide system of ocean currents is caused by
unequal heating of water & unequal salinity.
☺The densest water is the coldest, saltiest water.
☺Warmer, less salty water moves along the surface.
☺Thermohaline circulation – cooler, saltier water at the
poles sinks, and warmer, less salty water from the
equator moves to take its place.
☺Oceans hold 50 times more CO2 than the atmosphere.
Other Factors that affect Climate
☺Topography – surface characteristics of the area which
includes its elevation & features; the greater the
altitude or elevation, the cooler the air temperature will
be; rising, cooling air passing over mountains cause
precipitation and resulting “rain shadow” side of the mtn.
☺Volcanoes – when erupting, expel huge amounts of gases
& particles, which block some sunlight & temporarily cool
the atmosphere.
☺Regional vegetation – abundant vegetation can promote
cloud formation & rainfall, as well as absorbing large
amounts of CO2. Conversely, deforestation can increase
the temperature of the atmosphere.
☺Changes in Earth’s orbit – minor changes in Earth’s orbit
& in the tilt of Earth’s axis occur in regular cycles,
affecting the distribution of solar radiation over Earth’s
surface and can affect climate.
16.1 Section Review
1. Why does a region’s latitude affect its climate? Include
equator, the poles, & the regions in between the equator &
the poles in your answer.
2. How is the behavior of warm air different from that of
cold air? Relate this difference to global wind patterns.
3. What happens during El Niño?
4. What is the relationship between altitude & climate? How
does this account for the differences in ecosystems at the
base of a mountain and at its peak?
☺Also, complete the 16.1 section review packet.
16.2 Climate Change
Evidence of a Warming Earth
☺Global Climate change – temperature, rainfall, wind patterns,
storm frequency & other climate characteristics
☺Global warming – increase in Earth’s average surface
temperature.
1. Rising temperatures – IPCC notes average atmospheric
temperatures have increased by 0.74ºC (1.33ºF), most in
the last few decades, with 2005 the warmest ever recorded
2. Changes in precipitation – vary around the world, but heavy
rainstorms have increased overall with severe flooding
3. Melting ice – throughout the world, most glaciers are
shrinking or even disappearing; ice shelves are melting
4. Rising sea levels – when seawater warms, its volume
increases, making sea levels rise
Studying Climate Change
1. Direct Measurement of Present Conditions – over time,
records of data such as air temperature & ocean
temperature show that modern climate is changing.
2. Proxy Indicators: clues about past climate – types of
indirect evidence that serve as proxies/substitutes for
direct measurement
3. Clues in Ice – as glacier/ice sheets form, air bubbles are
trapped inside; scientists remove long cores of ice and
measure the gases trapped in the bubbles, as well as
particles
4. Clues in Sediments – ancient sediments under bodies of
water show pollen grains & other clues to what plants
grew
5. Clues in Tree Rings – light/dark rings indicate 1 year of
growth, width of ring reveals how much growth occurred;
clues about droughts, fires, hurricane activity
Models: Predicting the Future
☺By understanding how climate functions,
scientists try to predict future climate change
using computer models.
☺Climate models – computer programs that use
what is known about the atmosphere & oceans to
simulate/imitate climate processes
☺Testing models’ accuracy – researchers use past
climate data to test climate models, comparing the
results of the climate model with what actually
happened in the past; if a model accurately
represents past climate, then it may accurately
predict future climate; global climate models can
usually produce reliable predictions
Finding the Cause of Climate Change
☺Global warming has been caused largely by the increase in
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
☺In 1958 Charles Keeling started to measure CO2 in the
atmosphere every hour at the Mauna Loa Observatory; 315
ppm in 1958 v.s. 387 ppm in 2009
☺Increase in most greenhouse gases – CO2 is so abundant,
scientists feel it is the most responsible; comes from
human activities such as use of motor vehicles
☺Burning Fossil Fuels – carbon-containing fuels release CO2
when burned; industrial revolution started the shift from
farming to industry
☺Changes in Use of Land – deforestation increases
greenhouse gases
16.2 Section Review
1. What is the main cause of the rise in sea level? How is
this similar to the behavior of the liquid in a
thermometer?
2. What are climate models? What information do they
use to predict what might happen to climate in the
future?
3. How has deforestation contributed to climate change?
4. Industrialization is the process in which a society
develops industry & uses machinery on a large scale.
Why has industrialization been a cause of global climate
change?
• Also, do all of the 16.2 Section Review packet provided.
16.3 Effects of Climate Change
Effects on Ecosystems & Organisms
☺Shifting Habitats – locations of some organisms are
changing, often shifting to places where the climate is
cooler (higher latitude or altitude)
☺Changing Migration Times – some birds are starting spring
migrations earlier, but sometimes there are problems
when they arrive like snow covering their food source still
☺Problems Obtaining Food – greatest changes in the Arctic
where sea ice is melting earlier, making it more difficult
for polar bears to hunt seals
☺Effects of a Changing Ocean – oceans are becoming
warmer & their chemistry is changing; coral reefs are
dying worldwide, affecting biodiversity; coral bleaching
from algae dying; more CO2 being absorbed forms carbonic
acid to form, increasing the oceans’ pH.
Impact on People Right Now
☺Agriculture and Forestry – some crops do well in
heat while others are more suitable to cooler
conditions; droughts have reduced crop yields;
forestry industry damaged by extensive forest
fires from longer, warmer, drier fire seasons;
insect and disease outbreaks
☺Economic Effects – people working in agriculture
& forestry lose jobs; huge storms cause enormous
damage and economic loss; rising insurance
payments may indirectly indicate that storms are
increasing in severity
☺Health effects – severe heat waves can cause
heat exhaustion & heat stroke
Future Impact on People
☺Computer models predict that global climate change
will continue to affect people
☺Diseases – ranges of animals that transmit diseases
may expand as parts of the world become warmer;
Lyme disease from tick bites is spreading northward
☺Sea Level – coastal areas worldwide are concerned;
53% of the U.S. population live in coastal areas
☺Water Supply – rising sea levels increase the
possibility that salt water will intrude into freshwater
aquifers; glaciers melt slowly, supplying many people
with water; dams generating electricity may be
impacted with the amount of water in rivers and
reservoirs decrease significantly
16.3 Section Review
1. Explain 2 ways in which global climate change is threatening
corals.
2. What are two ways in which climate change is affecting the
way in which people earn their living?
3. What might happen to coastal tourist industries if sea levels
continue to rise?
4. Every year, melting water from glaciers helps fill some
reservoirs that people use for water. If melting water is the
source of the reservoirs’ water, why is the glacial melting
caused by climate change a threat to water supplies?
☺Also, complete the 16.3 Section Review Packet provided.
16.4 Responding to Climate Change
Use & Production of Electricity
☺We can respond to climate change by adapting or mitigation
☺Adaptation protects people from the effects of global
warming
☺Mitigation involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
lessening the severity of future climate change
☺Includes strategies like improving energy efficiency, preventing
deforestation
☺Carbon footprint – amount of carbon dioxide emissions for which
an individual or group is responsible; each of us should be trying to
reduce our carbon footprint
☺Electricity generation is the largest source of US greenhouse
gases; fossil fuel combustion generates about 70% of the
electricity in the US; energy efficiency, conservation, renewable
Efficiency and Conservation
☺Efficiency – accomplishing a job with as little energy as
possible
☺New technologies such as high-efficiency light bulbs, appliances
☺EPA offers technological solutions through Energy Star program
☺Energy Guide labels give consumers information about the energy
efficiency of these appliances
☺Conservation – reducing energy use
☺Individuals make lifestyle choices that reduce electrical use
☺Turn off lights, computers, tvs when not in use
☺Wash only full loads in dishwashers and clothes washers
☺Unplug appliances you seldom use
☺Unplug cell phone chargers once the phone is charged
☺Use microwave oven instead of conventional oven to heat food
Alternate Sources of Electricity
☺Energy sources that produce electricity without
using fossil fuels are another way to reduce
greenhouse gases
☺Nuclear power uses reactions taking place in
atoms
☺Solar power uses energy from the sun
☺Wind power depends on wind to make electricity
☺Hydroelectric power uses the movement of
water
☺Geothermal power makes use of heat trapped
underground
☺All of the above energy sources do not give off
greenhouse gases, are clean, and renewable
Transportation
☺By choosing more efficient cars, driving less, and using
public transportation, people can reduce greenhouse gas
emissions
☺After electricity, transportation is the next largest source
of US greenhouse gas emissions
☺More than 85% of the fuel does something other than
move the car down the road….not very efficient
☺Technology exists to make cars/trucks more fuel-efficient,
but may take gov’t regulation & consumer demand
☺Hybrids combine electric motors & gas-powered engines
☺Alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas & H2
☺Drive less, use public transportation to save energy and
reduce pollution
Other Approaches to Reducing
Greenhouse Gases
☺Agriculture & Forestry – soils & forests absorb CO2;
preventing erosion, plant new trees, rice cultivation,
livestock & manure are all potential ways to reduce
greenhouse gases
☺Cap-and-Trade – gov’t puts a limit (cap) on the amount of
greenhouse gases that can be released by industries &
power plants; those that release less can sell their
leftover allowances to industries that are less efficient
☺Carbon tax – fee that a gov’t charges polluters for each
unit of greenhouse gases they emit; gives polluters a
financial incentive to reduce their emissions; several
European nations have established carbon taxes
Other Approaches, continued
☺Carbon Offsets – voluntary payment made
when one industry or person pays another
group or person to reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions instead of reducing its own;
airplane passenger pays carbon offset to plant
trees; difficult to establish effective systems
of exchange
☺Carbon Sequestration – consists of ways of
storing captured carbon emissions from power
plants; ex. Carbon might be stored
underground, but no guarantee it will not leak
out
Cooperation Among Nations
☺Kyoto Protocol – 2005 international agreement that
seeks to limit greenhouse gas emissions; unlike previous
voluntary agreements, Kyoto Protocol is binding; nations
that signed the treaty committed to reducing emissions
to levels below those of 1990
☺US did NOT sign as some US leaders called the treaty
unfair because it required developed nations to reduce
emissions but not the same of developing nations such as
China & India; supporters said developed nations created
the greenhouse gas problem & US should take the lead
☺In 2009 delegates from 192 nations met in Copenhagen
to try to develop an international agreement to address
climate change, Copenhagen Accord let developed nations
help fund mitigation & adaptation strategies & developing
nations agreed to set specific targets for emission
reduction by 2020.
16.4 Section Review
1. Which is more important in addressing global climate change:
conserving electricity or finding new ways of producing it?
Explain your answer.
2. What factors are likely to make consumers in the US prefer
small, fuel-efficient cars to larger vehicles?
3. Describe an example of how you or your family might sue a
carbon offset.
4. What is a major limitation of the Kyoto Protocol?
☺Also, complete the 16.4 Section Review packet provided.
Unit 10B – Sustainable Cities Chp. 10.3
☺Unit 10B Goals:
1. Identify the characteristics of a sustainable city.
2. Describe the tools used by city planners to make cities
more livable.
3. Understand the principles of smart growth and the new
urbanism
4. Identify the key components of a green building design
City Planning
☺The attempt to design cities so as to maximize their
functionality and beauty; goal is to plan & manage
urbanization so that the cities that develop are
sustainable
☺City planners advise city policymakers on development
options, transportation needs, public parks, etc. and use
zoning, urban growth boundaries, ideals of smart growth,
and the concepts of new urbanism.
☺Geographic information system (GIS) is a computerized
system for storing, manipulating, and viewing geographic
data used by city planners.
☺Data includes location of roads, parks, bodies of water, sewer
lines, etc. and the GIS can then layer multiple maps so planners
can see conflicts, etc.
4 Components of City Planning
1. Zoning – the practice of classifying areas for
different types of development & land use;
controls what can be built where, can restrict
areas to single use; involves gov’t restriction on
the use of private land & limits personal
property rights
2. Urban Growth Boundaries – a line drawn on a
map to separate urban areas from rural areas;
it limits sprawl by containing future growth;
goals: concentrate development, prevent
sprawl, and preserve orchards, ranches,
forests, & working farms; building up, not out
4 Components, continued
3. Smart Growth – philosophy of urban growth that
focuses on economic &environmental approaches that
lead to sustainable growth & the avoidance of sprawl;
combines land use policies with urban growth
boundaries; aims to maintain open spaces by developing
existing urban areas, waterfronts, & former industrial
sites (redevelopment); requires building up not out.
4. “New Urbanism” – a movement that seeks to design
neighborhoods with homes, businesses, & school close
together so that most of one’s needs can be met
without driving; typically zoning rules limit the density
of development & may exclude businesses in residential
areas; ex’s: Celebration in Orlando, Seaside, FL
Transportation Options
☺Public transportation is a key factor in the quality of
urban life
☺Establishing Mass Transit – difficult once roads, homes &
businesses are built; people resist change; mass transit is
usually cheaper, more energy-efficient, & cleaner than
roadways filled with cars
☺To encourage mass transit & discourage urban car use,
gov’ts can raise fuel taxes, tax fuel-inefficient modes of
transportation, reward carpoolers with carpool lanes, ban
on-street parking or remove parking places, & encourage
bicycle use & bus riding
☺Many successes, including New York, Washington D.C.,
Boston, San Francisco, Portland, etc.
Open Space
☺Parks & open space are key elements of livable cities,
providing greenery, scenic beauty, freedom of
movement, & places for recreation as well as regulating
climate, producing oxygen, filtering air & water
pollutants, and providing habitat for wildlife.
☺Urban Parks & Forests – established beginning in the
late 1800’s to help make crowded & dirty cities more
livable; ecological restoration is the practice of
restoring native communities
☺Other Public Spaces
☺Playgrounds provided places for children to be active outdoors
☺Community gardens give people places to grow their own
vegetables & flowers in an urban area
☺Greenways are strips of vegetated open space that connect
parks or neighborhoods & often help protect water quality,
include rail-trails, bike paths, habitat corridors
Green Building Design
☺Goal is to save energy and other
resources without sacrificing people’s
comfort
☺Sustainable architecture that has been
successful in residences, commercial &
industrial buildings
☺Energy-saving features may include:
motion- & light-sensitive lighting &
heating, rooftop solar panels to generate
electricity, sophisticated climate-control
system, recycling of excess hot air from
rooms into a heating system, using
natural light to reduce electric lights
Urban Sustainability Successes
☺Many cities have managed to improve both their
environmental sustainability and the standard of living of
their residents
☺Curitiba, Brazil – highly efficient & well-used bus transit
network, city provided recycling, environmental
education, job training for the poor, free health care;
resulting in citizens who are unusually happy & better off
economically than people living in other Brazilian cities
☺New York City – PlaNYC aims to reduce energy use &
greenhouse gas emissions, improve mass transit, plant
trees, clean up polluted land & rivers, and improve access
to parks & greenways; significant progress in encouraging
alternatives to car transportation and in planting trees
10.3 Section Review
1. Briefly describe how city planners use zoning, UGBs,
smart growth, and new urbanism.
2. How is a successful mass transit system important to
improving the quality of life in a city?
3. Give 2 reasons why open space is important to people
who live in cities.
4. What are 4 possible features of a green building?
5. Give 2 reasons why the progress toward sustainability in
New York City and Curitiba is important to the rest of
the world.
• Also, complete the 10.3 section review packet provided.
Unit 10C – Waste Management Chp. 19
☺Goals:
1. Identify the 3 main categories of waste & the principle
ways in which they are disposed of
2. Realize that the most efficient way to manage solid waste
is to reduce the amount we generate
3. Explain how recycling works to minimize waste
4. Define hazardous waste, list 3 examples and their sources
5. Identify hazardous waste disposal methods & explain why
it is esp. important to dispose of this waste properly.
6. Explain how gov’t regulations, prevention and/or treatment
programs decrease the effects of pollution in the
environment
19.1 Municipal & Industrial Waste
☺Waste – any unwanted material or substance that
results from a human activity or process
☺3 main categories of waste:
1. Municipal solid waste – nonliquid waste that comes
from homes, institutions, and small businesses
2. Industrial waste – waste that comes from the
production of consumer goods, mining,
agriculture, and petroleum extraction and
refining
3. Hazardous waste – solid or liquid waste that is
toxic, chemically reactive, flammable, or
corrosive
Municipal Solid Waste
☺Waste that is produced by consumers, public
facilities, & small businesses, commonly referred to as
trash, garbage
☺In US, main components are paper, yard debris, food
scraps & plastics
☺A large portion comes from packaging & non-durable
goods (discarded after short period of use)
☺As we acquire more goods, we generate more waste
☺Since 1970, plastics have accounted for a significant
increase in solid waste
☺Industrial waste – waste that is neither hazardous nor
municipal solid waste; factories, farms, mines,
refineries, construction site
Methods of Solid Waste Disposal
☺Open dumping & burning still
occur throughout much of the
world
☺Unregulated dumping & burning
damages people’s health and
degrades the environment
☺Most industrialized nations
now bury waste in landfills or
use incinerators to burn waste
Sanitary Landfills
☺Engineered to prevent waste from contaminating
soil & groundwater and to reduce soil & air
pollution; waste is buried in the ground or piled up
in large, carefully engineered mounds
☺Most municipal landfills in the US are regulated
locally or by the states, but must still meet
national standards set by the EPA
☺Waste is partially decomposed by bacteria and
compressed under its own weight; layered along
with soil to speed up decomposition, reduce odor
and infestation by pests
☺Landfills must be located away from wetlands &
earthquake-prone faults & at least 20 ft. above a
water table
Layers of a Landfill – top to bottom
☺Grass and soil
☺Solid waste in layers
☺Granular drainage layer
☺Gravel with leachate collection pipes
☺Plastic liner – lines sides and bottom
☺Compacted impermeable clay 2-4 ft.
☺Soil
☺Also systems of pipes, collection
ponds & treatment facilities to
collect & treat leachate (liquid that
results when substances from trash
dissolve in water as rainwater
percolates downward)
Closing Landfills
☺After it is closed, a landfill is capped with an
engineered cover that must be maintained
☺The cover is a barrier of plastic that prevents
water from seeping down & gas from seeping up; a
gravel layer above the barrier drains water off; a
soil barrier of at least 24” and a topsoil layer of at
least 6” to encourage plant growth & stop erosion
☺Landfill managers must maintain leachate collection
systems for 30 years after closing as well as
monitor groundwater regularly for contamination
☺Many landfills have been converted to recreational
areas.
Drawbacks of Landfills
☺Leachate may escape from even
well-lined landfills
☺Liners can be punctured and
leachate collection systems
eventually cease to be maintained
☺Dry landfills decompose slowly
☺Finding suitable areas to locate
landfills is becoming a problem due
to NIMBY (not in my backyard)
Capturing Energy from Landfills
☺Deep inside landfills, bacteria decompose
waste in an anaerobic environment
☺Anaerobic decomposition produces
landfill gas, which is about 50% methane
☺Methane gas is then collected,
processed, and used the same way we use
natural gas
☺At FreshKills, NY landfill, collection wells
pull landfill gas upward by vacuum
pressure and the tapped gas provides
enough energy for 25,000 homes.
Incineration
☺Controlled process in specially constructed
facilities in which mixed garbage is burned at very
high temperatures; pollution control technology
removes most of the pollutants from the emissions
☺Waste is sorted and metals removed, then the
waste is chopped into small pieces so it burns more
easily; weight is reduced up to 75%, volume up to
90%
☺Particulate matter removed by huge filters called
a baghouse
☺Scrubbers chemically treat the gases produced in
combustion to remove hazardous components and
neutralize acidic gases, turning them into water &
salt
Drawbacks & Energy from Incineration
☺Simply reducing volume & weight does not get rid
of toxins, therefore the ash must be disposed of
in hazardous waste landfills.
☺Hazardous chemicals can be created & released
into the atmosphere (sulfur dioxides, heavy
metals, PCBs)
☺Most N. American incinerators today are wasteto-energy (WTE) facilities. They use the heat
from burning waste to make electricity. Revenues
are usually not enough of offset financial cost of
building & running incinerators, so often
municipalities must guarantee a minimum amount
of garbage
Luscious Layered Landfill
Materials: (students sign up for):
• Oreo cookies (whole) – Base
• Graham crackers – 2’ of clay
• Fruit Roll-Ups – 16 mil. liner
• Peanuts – Layer of pebbles
• Twizzlers – Leachate pipes
• Crushed vanilla wafers – 2’ of sand
• Choc. pudding w/M&Ms – Class I Waste
• Grape Nuts cereal – Coarse fill
• “Recees” cereal – 18” of fill dirt
• Crushed Oreos – 6” of top soil
• Green whipped topping – Vegetative cover
19.1 Section Review
1. Define waste. What are the 3 main categories of
waste?
2. When it comes to solid waste disposal, how does
incineration affect landfills?
3. Do the costs of incineration outweigh the benefits?
• Also, complete the 19.1 section review packet
provided.
19.2 Minimizing Solid Waste
☺One of the best ways to manage solid waste is to
reduce the amount we generate! This potentially saves
industries, municipalities, & consumers $ & resources.
☺We must rely on reduction, reuse, recycling, &
composting to deal with our waste
☺Source reduction – preventing waste generation by
reducing the amount of waste results in lowering the
cost of disposal & recycling while conserving resources
& producing less pollution. Achieved through less
consumption, less packaging, banning certain plastics &
designing goods that last longer.
☺Habits as simple as bringing your own coffee cup or
sturdy reusable cloth bags to the grocery store can
have a substantial effect, as well as buying used items.
Reduce Packaging & Use of Plastics
☺Packaging can serve worthwhile purposes but too
much is extraneous.
☺Consumers can help reduce packaging waste by
choosing goods with minimal packaging, buy in bulk, &
buy unwrapped fruits & vegetables. Manufacturers
can help by using packaging that is more recyclable.
☺Each year Americans discard 100 billion plastic
grocery bags which are not biodegradable and are a
major source of waste & litter.
☺Most plastic material can last for centuries in the
environment, and can choke & entangle wildlife.
☺Several nations tax or ban the use of plastic bags, &
San Francisco is the 1st city to ban nonbiodegradable
plastic bags.
Design Goods to Last & Financial Incentives
☺Increasing the lifetime & durability of good helps
reduce waste.
☺Planned obsolescence creates new goods to replace
those that wear out or become outdated
☺Some states/municipalities use economic incentives
to reduce waste, including “pay as you throw”
approach to garbage collection
☺“Bottle bills” in 11 states allow consumers to return
empty bottles/cans to stores or collection facilities
and receive a refund (usu. 5 cents/bottle or can).
The first bottle bills were passed in the 1970s to
reduce litter, but they have served to decrease
waste; great success in Michigan especially.
Waste Recovery
☺When we recover waste, we take material out of the waste
stream so it doesn’t end up in a landfill/incinerator.
☺In 2007, we recovered almost 1/3 of our municipal solid
waste by recycling or composting it, saving energy equal to
more than 10 billion gallons of gas.
☺Composting is the conversion of organic waste into mulch
or humus through natural biological processes of
decomposition, which can then be used to enrich soil.
Nearly ½ of US states now ban yard waste from municipal
trash collection.
☺Recycling is the collection of materials that can be broken
down & reprocessed to make new items, reducing the
amount of waste going to landfills/incinerators. 3 steps:
collection & processing, manufacturing, and purchasing
recycled products.
Recycling
1. Collection of recyclable items is the 1st step to a
successful program; drop off locations or curbside
pickup
2. Material recovery facilities (MRFs) are places where
collected recyclables are sorted & prepared for
reprocessing; magnetic pulleys, optical sensors,
waters currents & air classifiers separate items
3. Purchasing recycled products completes the loop; post
consumer paper, benches, glassphalt, clothing, etc.
☺Limits of recycling: growth propelled by economic
forces, desire to reduce waste, & satisfaction. Many
popular municipal recycling programs run at an economic
loss. We need to develop new uses of recycled
materials in new ways, and consumers need to continue
to purchase these products!
19.2 section review
1. Why is it important to reduce the amount of our waste?
2. How does recycling save energy and money?
3. Suppose you are the director of a company that makes
boxes that hold soups & juices. These containers are not
easy to recycle because they are made up of layers of
paper, plastic, and aluminum foil. These are hard to
separate in recycling efforts. How can you improve the
company’s environmental practices while not cutting into
profits?
• Also, complete the 19.2 section review packet provided.
19.3 Hazardous Waste
☺Ignitable, corrosive, chemically reactive, or toxic waste
that can be liquid, solid, sludge or gas.
☺Ignitable – can easily catch on fire; natural gas, gasoline,
waste oils, oil-based paints, solvents, alcohol
☺Corrosive – can eat through or dissolve metal storage
tanks & equipment; strong acids such as sulfuric acid &
hydrochloric acid and bases such as potassium hydroxide
& sodium hydroxide
☺Reactive – chemically unstable & can easily react with
other compounds, exploding or producing toxic fumes; old
ammunition, fireworks, lithium sulfur batteries, bleach,
ammonia
☺Toxic – harmful or fatal when inhaled, ingested or
absorbed through the skin, and can contaminate
groundwater
Sources of Hazardous Wastes
☺Industry, mining, households, small businesses, agriculture,
utilities, and building demolition
☺Most nations regulate industrial waste generation &
disposal, resulting in households being the largest source of
unregulated hazardous waste.
☺Include paints, batteries, oils, solvents, cleaning agents,
lubricants, & pesticides, with the average household
containing 100 lbs. of it in sheds, basements, closets &
garages.
☺Synthetic organic compounds resist decay but make them
persistent pollutants (pesticides, solvents, plastic
containers, rubber tires, wood preservatives).
☺Heavy metals are widely used for wiring, electronics, metal
plating, metal fabrication, pigments & dyes; paints,
electronic devices, batteries, fishing weights, hunters’ lead
shot, lead pipes
E-Waste
☺Electronic waste which has increased rapidly
because people quickly judge these devices
obsolete and most are discarded after a couple
of years; computers, printers, VCRs, fax
machines, cell phones, MP3 players, etc.
☺Most is disposed of in landfills as solid waste,
however most electronic products contain heavy
metals and toxic flame-retardants
☺Research says e-waste should be handled as
hazardous waste, and the EPA is moving to keep
e-waste out of conventional sanitary landfills
☺Most municipalities are now collecting used
electronics for reuse or recycling.
Disposal of Hazardous Wastes
1. Landfills – specifically designed for hazardous wastes,
stricter standards than sanitary landfills & include solid
& watertight liners and leachate removal systems
2. Surface impoundment – shallow pits lined with plastic &
an impermeable material such as clay; water is mixed
with the hazardous waste, forming a residue as it
evaporates; eventually the residue is removed &
transported elsewhere for permanent disposal; rainfall
can cause overflow, underlying layer can crack
3. Deep-well injection – intended for long-term disposal; a
well is drilled deep beneath the water table into porous
rock, then waste is injected into it; wells can corrode &
leak wastes into the soil
Radioactive Waste
☺Waste that gives off radiation and is harmful to
humans & the environment
☺High level wastes emit large amounts of radiation,
and include wastes from nuclear power plants; very
dangerous to handle and dispose of.
☺Low level wastes are not as radioactive; produced
by hospitals, laboratories, uranium mines; pose less
danger but are more common
☺Difficult to dispose of because of their long halflife makes them persistent in the environment, so
they must be sealed in containers that will not
corrode for thousands of years and stored deep
under ground.
Hazardous Waste Regulation
☺Hazardous waste is regulated & monitored, but illegal
dumping is a problem (contaminates groundwater/soil)
☺Current US law makes disposing of hazardous waste
quite costly, so many companies illegally dump waste
☺Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) – 1976,
EPA sets standards by which states are to mange
hazardous waste, requires industries that generate
large amounts to obtain permits & track wastes “from
cradle to grave.”
☺Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation &
Liability Act (CERCLA) – 1980, established a federal
program to clean up US sites polluted with hazardous
waste from past activities; Superfund identifies sites
polluted with hazardous chemicals; objective is to
charge the polluting parties for cleanup of their sites
19.3 Section Review
1. What is hazardous waste?
2. What is the largest source of unregulated hazardous
waste in the US?
3. Of the 3 methods of hazardous waste disposal, which one
do you believe is the safest? Explain.
4. Why is radioactive waste so dangerous?
5. Who should be responsible for cleaning up brownfields?
Explain.
• Also, complete the 19.3 section review packet provided.