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| The Big Environmental Debate about Garbage |
| POLLUTION and WASTE - POLLUTION | |||||||||||||||||
| Written by Lucy Brake | |||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 31 October 2010 00:00 | |||||||||||||||||
The Big Environmental Debate about Garbage
About Waste America has a major problem with garbage. “U.S. production of hazardous and toxic waste rose from 9 million tons in 1970 to 238 million tons in 1990.”(Source: United Nations Earthwatch) About Waste and PollutionPollution & Global Warming PSA
Land-based waste disposal leads to pollution of watersheds, nasty air emissions, visual pollution, health issues, and wasting of precious resources. Dumping at sea is also popular, but has resulted in serious concerns about toxins entering the food chain. Now we must deal with the waste problems from past generations, as well as manage our own garbage.
Today, recycling is the preferred choice for disposing of waste. Not only does it help the environment, it can also save lots of money. However, recycling alone is not necessarily the answer. For example, sterilizing glass bottles for reuse can use more energy than when the bottle was originally manufactured. However, reusing glass in different consumer goods is a great solution.
“such instruments provide incentives and disincentives for polluters to reduce emissions and recycle wastes beyond regulatory requirements.”
Great Pacific Garbage Patch - much of the earth's garbage ends up in the sea
Large Solar Farm
There are other possible solutions. “There are opportunities for cities to motivate environmental improvements in waste management through economic instruments,” says the World Bank, “such instruments provide incentives and disincentives for polluters to reduce emissions and recycle wastes beyond regulatory requirements.” Earthwatch explains that any form of waste disposal requires consideration of many complex trade-offs. Financial costs, transportation, consumption of energy, pollution, production of greenhouse gases, and harmful by-products must all be factored in to any decision about the environmental benefits.
You can play your part in America’s big waste debate in a number of ways:
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Global Warming Facts
National Geographic-- Catastrophic Climate Change Together -- National Geographic, the IPCC, the UN and the UN Foundation -- have produced a new short film outlining the facts, showing the impacts and providing a way forward in combating catastrophic climate change. Watch this call to action for world leadership on climate change. It's a moving tribute to the UN scientific reports that erased any doubt over global warming's existence, and helped shove climate change to the top of the international agenda.
Agricultural Pollution
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For starters, think about what you threw out today; then multiply that by 310 million. According to the United Nations Earthwatch program, “U.S. production of hazardous and toxic waste rose from 9 million tons in 1970 to 238 million tons in 1990.” Our waste is creating huge environmental problems.
Learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle at home. Check out the advice from SeaGreenNews.com or contact your local authority for places to get some tips.
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Wastes:
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Earthwatch Waste Disposal:
http://earthwatch.unep.ch/emergingissues/solidwaste/wastedisposal.php |
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World Bank :
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| Labeled photographs courtesy of photographer Sharon H. |
| PhotoBucket.com |
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