Environmental Issues

Waste Management and Principles of

Energy Consumption

Goals

• Establish a logical context from which to discuss current environmental concerns.

• View issues of environmental consumption and international equity.

• Kick-start conversations about local environmental topics relevant to our bike unit.

• To discuss relevant topics regarding energy consumption in the U.S.

• View realistic personal approaches to environmental improvement (i.e. What can I do?)

• Connect personal actions to global impacts.

Love Canal1953-1980

Cuyahoga River1969

North Pacific Gyre Garbage PatchPresent

WASTING RESOURCES

• Solid waste: any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or gas.– Municipal solid waste (MSW): produce directly

from homes.– Industrial solid waste: produced indirectly by

industries that supply people with goods and services.

• Hazardous (toxic) waste: threatens human health or the environment because it is toxic, chemically active, corrosive or flammable.

WASTING RESOURCES

• The United States produces about a third of the world’s solid waste and buries more than half of it in landfills.– About 98.5% is industrial solid waste.– The remaining 1.5% is MSW.• About 55% of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills, 30% is

recycled or composted, and 15% is burned in incinerators.

Electronic Waste: A Growing Problem

• E-waste consists of toxic and hazardous waste such as PVC, lead, mercury, and cadmium.

• The U.S. produces almost half of the world's e-waste but only recycles about 10% of it.

How People Reuse Materials

Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United States

• Two major federal laws regulate the management and disposal of hazardous waste in the U.S.:– Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)• Cradle-to-the-grave system to keep track waste.

– Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)• Commonly known as Superfund program.

Minnesota Superfund Sites

Relevant Laws

• Clean Air Act (1970)• Clean Water Act (1972)• Safe Drinking Water Act (1974)• Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund- 1980)

• Ocean Dumping Ban Act (1988)

Renewable vs. Non Renewable

• Renewable Energy: Energy sources that can be replenished in a relatively short time.– Ex. Biomass, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, Wind

Renewable vs. Non Renewable

• Nonrenewable Energy: Energy sources that are limited or finite based on current rates of consumption.– Ex. Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Propane, Uranium

• Despite comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. consumes 25% of the world’s petroleum.

Car Emission and Carbon Offset

Energy Conversion

• Medium’s kinetic energy is converted to mechanical energy using a turbine generator.

USING RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY TO PROVIDE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY

• A variety of renewable-energy resources are available but their use has been hindered by a lack of government support compared to nonrenewable fossil fuels and nuclear power.– Direct solar – Moving water – Wind – Geothermal

USING RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY TO PROVIDE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY• The European Union aims to get 22% of its

electricity from renewable energy by 2010.• Costa Rica gets 92% of its energy from renewable

resources.• China aims to get 10% of its total energy from

renewable resources by 2020.• In 2004, California got about 12% of its electricity

from wind and plans to increase this to 50% by 2030.

USING RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY TO PROVIDE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY• Denmark now gets 20% of its electricity from

wind and plans to increase this to 50% by 2030.• Brazil gets 20% of its gasoline from sugarcane

residue.• In 2004, the world’s renewable-energy industries

provided 1.7 million jobs.

Heating Buildings and Water with Solar Energy

• We can heat buildings by orienting them toward the sun or by pumping a liquid such as water through rooftop collectors.

Figure 17-12

Passive Solar Heating

• Passive solar heating system absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly within a structure without the need for pumps to distribute the heat.

Figure 17-13

Fig. 17-13, p. 396

Direct Gain

Summer sunHot air

Warm air

Super-insulated windows

Winter sun

Cool air

Earth tubes

Ceiling and north wall heavily insulated

Producing Electricity with Solar Cells

• Photovoltaic (PV) cells can provide electricity for a house of building using solar-cell roof shingles.

Figure 17-17

Fig. 17-35, p. 414

Small solar-cell power plantsBioenergy power

plantsWind farm

Rooftop solar cell arrays

Fuel cells

Solar-cell rooftop systems

Transmission and distribution system

Commercial

Small wind

turbineResidential

Industrial Microturbines

Fig. 17-36, p. 415

More Renewable Energy

Increase renewable energy to 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050

Provide large subsidies and tax credits for renewable energy

Use full-cost accounting and life-cycle cost for comparing all energy alternatives

Encourage government purchase of renewable energy devices

Greatly increase renewable energy R&D

Reduce Pollution and Health Risk

Cut coal use 50% by 2020

Phase out coal subsidies

Levy taxes on coal and oil use

Phase out nuclear power or put it on hold until 2020

Phase out nuclear power subsidies

Improve Energy Efficiency

Increase fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, buildings, and appliances

Mandate govern-ment purchases of efficient vehicles and other devices

Provide large tax credits for buying efficient cars, houses, and appliances

Offer large tax credits for invest-ments in energy efficiency

Reward utilities for reducing demand for electricity Encourage indepen-dent power producers Greatly increase energyefficiency research and development