Chapter 23 Guided Reading
1: What are the reasons why e-waste is not recycled more? Not recycling them is more effective monetarily for companies.
Define the following:
Renewable Resources- A resource that is naturally recycled by artificial processes
Non-Renewable Resources- Resources that are not replenished in time
1: What differentiates renewable and non-renewable resources?
They are differentiated mainly by their availability in human time frame work.
2: How many tons of non-fuel minerals does the typical American use per year?
10 tons of non-fuel minerals
1: Define Materials Management Environmental goal of sustainability obtaining and using renewable and nonrenewable resources
.2: What are 5 ways that this can be pursued?Eliminate subsidies for extracting virgin materials establish "Green-building" incentives Assess financial penalties for production that uses poor materials management Provide incentives for industrial practices that benefit environment
3: How does the idea of materials management and recycling changing where paper mills are located?They now change the location they were in making it near cities that have large supplies of recycled paper.
1: When metals are concentrated in such high amounts by geologic processes, ore deposits are formed.
2: In the Earth’s crust, which element makes up the most % by composition? What is 2nd?
Oxygen is makes up most of the Earth's crust. 2nd is silicon
3: How are sedimentary processes and weathering involved in mineral deposits?
Sedimentary processes transport sediment by wind, water and glaciers and often concentrate materials in amounts sufficient for extraction. Weathering concentrates minerals in soil like gold and oxides of aluminum and iron.
1: What is the difference between a mineral resource and a mineral reserve?
Mineral resource are defined as known concentrations of elements, minerals or rocks. Mineral reserves are concentrations that at the time of evaluation can be legally extracted as a commodity that can be sold as a profit.
2: Earth’s mineral resources can be divided into which broad categories?
Elements for metal production and technology and building materials for agriculture
3: When the availability of a particular mineral becomes limited, there are four possible solutions:
1: Find more sources
2: Recycle and reuse what has already been obtained
3: Reduce consumption
4:Find a substitute
1: What are some of the environmental impacts of surface mining (open-pit mines)?
Environmental degradation, changing topography, release of harmful trace elements.
2: What are some of the social impacts of large scale mining operations?
Stress on local services, like water supplies, sewage, and solid-waste disposal systems, reduced water quality and increased runoff.
3: What can be done to minimize the environmental effects of mining?
Environmental regulations at the federal, state and local levels. Reclaiming areas disturbed by mining, stabilizing soils, controlling air emissions, treating waste on and offsite.
4: What are the 3 R’s of waste management?
Reduce, reuse, recycle
1: Compare “dilute and disperse” to the contemporary method of “concentrate and contain”.
Dilute and disperse is a way to of easy disposal of waste into the river, it was sufficient to remove the waste from the immediate environment. Concentrate and contain means to hold chemicals in drums or tanks that may leak.2: In the next few years, how many U.S. cities will run out of landfill space?Half of the cities
3: What is “NIMBY”?
'Not in my back yard'
4: Describe the concept of “industrial ecology” and how it will be essential in the
future.The study of relationships among industrial systems and their links to natural systems. It helps prevent waste by recycling it.
5: What is your opinion of “pay as you throw”? Defend your opinion
"Pay as you throw is an effective idea because people will be
conscious of their mistake when they know they’ll have to pay for it.
1: Define Integrated Waste Management (IWM): A set of management alternatives that includes reuse, source reduction, recycling, composting, landfill and incineration.
2: What is waste stream?The waste produced is waste stream
3: What is single-stream recycling?Paper, glass, plastic and metals are no separated before collection to make it more convenient for homeowners
4: What are some creative ways that industry are encouraging recycling?Restaurants are using less packaging and providing onsite bins for recycling paper and plastic. Motor vehicles design cars that have parts that are easily disassembled.
5: How can human waste (night soil) be re-used and recycled? What are some drawbacks?It can be used to spread in agricultural fields. Drawbacks are that it can cause disease from contaminated food.
1: Which product comprises the largest percentage of waste dumped in the United States? Is this surprising?Paper is the largest; it isn't surprising because paper is used for almost everything in everyday life.
2: Define Composting: (What are the pros and cons?)
A biochemical process in which organic materials, decompose to a rich, soil-like material.
Pros: you can compost in your backyard or also in large scale.Cons: you need to separate organic material from waste.
3: What are the pros and cons of incineration?
Pros: may reduce volume of waste by 75 to 95 percent Cons: May produce air pollution and toxic ash during the process.
4: What is a sanitary landfill and how is it accomplished? How is a sanitary landfill selected? What things need to be considered?Sanitary landfill is designed to concentrate and contain refuse without creating a nuisance or hazard to public health and safety. Some of the things that needs to be considered are the type of toxic material, the size of the place, and the monitoring in the landfills.
5: What is environmental justice?Study of social issues in siting waste facilities, chemical plants and other such facilities
.6: What is leachate? Noxious, mineralized, liquid capable of transporting bacterial pollutants
7: How can pollutants enter the environment from sanitary landfills?From compounds in the waste and soil, from the ground s system, from heavy metals and other toxic materials which are after passed up food chain as people and animals eat the plants.
8: What are the federal mandates for sanitary landfills?RCRA is a federal mandate for sanitary landfills. It is intended to strengthen and standardize the design, operation and monitoring of sanitary landfills.
9: What are some actions you can take to reduce the waste you generate?Reuse products, recycle
1: Where is most of the hazardous waste generated in the U.S.? What are the sources of hazardous waste in the United States?The most hazardous waste generated in the U.S is east of Mississippi River.Sources are chemical products, electronics, and petroleum and coal products industries
2: Summarize (in 3-4 sentences) the story of Love Canal A plan created to connect the two levels of Niagara river which is separated by Niagara falls to provide hydroelectric water. But hooker chemical used the site to bury 21,000 tons of toxic. When the chemicals started evaporating into the environment it caused terrible diseases for the people living in new York, near the canal.
1: Summarize the problem with e-waste in the United States.In the United States rather than saying e-
waste is recycled it’s more like
transferring our waste to other countries like some parts of Africa and Asia. Then people in those places recycle what they can and just leave the rest which makesthem the victims of our waste. And till the waste isn’t affecting us things are the
same.
1: What is the purpose of RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)?Act as an identification of hazardous wastes and their life cycles. To issue guidelines and assign responsibilities to those who manufacture, transport anddispose hazardous waste.
2: What is the purpose of CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation and Liability Act)?Policies and procedures for release of hazardous substances into the environment.It mandated development of list of sites where hazardous substances were likely to produce or already had produced the most serious environmental problems.
1: Look at the chart on pg. 541- List the PROS/CONS of each of the Hazard Reduction Technologies
Landfill Pro- low to moderate cost
Landfill con- no resource recovery, highly toxic and persistent chemicals
Injection pro- low cost
Injection con- reactive, corrosive, highly toxic, no resource recovery
Incineration pro- recovery or energy and acids
Incineration con- high cost, high toxic organics and heavy-metal concentration
High temp Decomp pro- Energy recovery, metal recovery
High temp decomp con- high cost and in organics
1: What are some of the ways that ocean pollution has affected ocean life?
caused death, retarded growth, reproductivity of marine organisms.
2: Why are the marine waters of Europe in trouble?
Urban and agriculture pollutants have raised concentrations of nutrients in seawater. Blooms of toxic algae are becoming more common.
3: Why is the microlayer of the ocean considered to be so important?
The microlayer has 10 to 10,000 times higher heavy metal concentrations than the deep oceans.
1: What are the steps of ocean pollution prevention?
Purchasing proper amount of raw materials, exercising better control of materials, improving engineering and design of manufacturing processes are steps to prevent ocean pollution prevention.
1: What is the R to C Ratio- What does it tell us?
The ratio of reserves to the rate of consumption. It tells us how much time we have for finding solutions to the depletion of nonrenewable reserves.
1: What can be done about the global problem of e-waste? Could more be recycled safely?To reduce the problem of e-waste the companies who make it should take responsibility and the waste in one country shouldn't be transferred to another one and make a mess where it shouldn't be. Yes it can be recycled safely even though it’s expensive.
2: What can be done to assist recycling industries to become more cost-effective?Consumers should buy more of their stuff from them than from the people who produce a new one.
3: What are some of the indirect benefits to society and the environment from recycling?Healthy living environment, low chance of certain diseases, clean and fresh air.
4: Define or criticize the contention that if we really want to do something to improve the environment through reduction of waste, we have to move beyond evaluating benefits of recycling based simply on the fact that it may cost more than dumping waste in a landfill.If we really want to do something criticizing others work isn't enough, even though the fact that recycling costs more it also has the most benefit in the long run.
5: What are the recycling efforts in your community and university, and how could improvements be made?
Recycling the usual things like water bottles, cans, paper and glass. Improvements could be made by having more people do this.
Starts with recycling soda cans, water bottles paper and more. It can be made if everyone in the community can do small things than one person doing the whole thing.Summary: Suppose you found that the home you had been living in for 15 years was located over a buried waste disposal site. What would you do? What kinds of studies could be done to evaluate the potential problems?I would probably live somewhere else. And studies that can be done are studying the amount of toxic in the atmosphere at that area, if it has any particular effect,what gases are released from the waste.
1: What are the reasons why e-waste is not recycled more? Not recycling them is more effective monetarily for companies.
Define the following:
Renewable Resources- A resource that is naturally recycled by artificial processes
Non-Renewable Resources- Resources that are not replenished in time
1: What differentiates renewable and non-renewable resources?
They are differentiated mainly by their availability in human time frame work.
2: How many tons of non-fuel minerals does the typical American use per year?
10 tons of non-fuel minerals
1: Define Materials Management Environmental goal of sustainability obtaining and using renewable and nonrenewable resources
.2: What are 5 ways that this can be pursued?Eliminate subsidies for extracting virgin materials establish "Green-building" incentives Assess financial penalties for production that uses poor materials management Provide incentives for industrial practices that benefit environment
3: How does the idea of materials management and recycling changing where paper mills are located?They now change the location they were in making it near cities that have large supplies of recycled paper.
1: When metals are concentrated in such high amounts by geologic processes, ore deposits are formed.
2: In the Earth’s crust, which element makes up the most % by composition? What is 2nd?
Oxygen is makes up most of the Earth's crust. 2nd is silicon
3: How are sedimentary processes and weathering involved in mineral deposits?
Sedimentary processes transport sediment by wind, water and glaciers and often concentrate materials in amounts sufficient for extraction. Weathering concentrates minerals in soil like gold and oxides of aluminum and iron.
1: What is the difference between a mineral resource and a mineral reserve?
Mineral resource are defined as known concentrations of elements, minerals or rocks. Mineral reserves are concentrations that at the time of evaluation can be legally extracted as a commodity that can be sold as a profit.
2: Earth’s mineral resources can be divided into which broad categories?
Elements for metal production and technology and building materials for agriculture
3: When the availability of a particular mineral becomes limited, there are four possible solutions:
1: Find more sources
2: Recycle and reuse what has already been obtained
3: Reduce consumption
4:Find a substitute
1: What are some of the environmental impacts of surface mining (open-pit mines)?
Environmental degradation, changing topography, release of harmful trace elements.
2: What are some of the social impacts of large scale mining operations?
Stress on local services, like water supplies, sewage, and solid-waste disposal systems, reduced water quality and increased runoff.
3: What can be done to minimize the environmental effects of mining?
Environmental regulations at the federal, state and local levels. Reclaiming areas disturbed by mining, stabilizing soils, controlling air emissions, treating waste on and offsite.
4: What are the 3 R’s of waste management?
Reduce, reuse, recycle
1: Compare “dilute and disperse” to the contemporary method of “concentrate and contain”.
Dilute and disperse is a way to of easy disposal of waste into the river, it was sufficient to remove the waste from the immediate environment. Concentrate and contain means to hold chemicals in drums or tanks that may leak.2: In the next few years, how many U.S. cities will run out of landfill space?Half of the cities
3: What is “NIMBY”?
'Not in my back yard'
4: Describe the concept of “industrial ecology” and how it will be essential in the
future.The study of relationships among industrial systems and their links to natural systems. It helps prevent waste by recycling it.
5: What is your opinion of “pay as you throw”? Defend your opinion
"Pay as you throw is an effective idea because people will be
conscious of their mistake when they know they’ll have to pay for it.
1: Define Integrated Waste Management (IWM): A set of management alternatives that includes reuse, source reduction, recycling, composting, landfill and incineration.
2: What is waste stream?The waste produced is waste stream
3: What is single-stream recycling?Paper, glass, plastic and metals are no separated before collection to make it more convenient for homeowners
4: What are some creative ways that industry are encouraging recycling?Restaurants are using less packaging and providing onsite bins for recycling paper and plastic. Motor vehicles design cars that have parts that are easily disassembled.
5: How can human waste (night soil) be re-used and recycled? What are some drawbacks?It can be used to spread in agricultural fields. Drawbacks are that it can cause disease from contaminated food.
1: Which product comprises the largest percentage of waste dumped in the United States? Is this surprising?Paper is the largest; it isn't surprising because paper is used for almost everything in everyday life.
2: Define Composting: (What are the pros and cons?)
A biochemical process in which organic materials, decompose to a rich, soil-like material.
Pros: you can compost in your backyard or also in large scale.Cons: you need to separate organic material from waste.
3: What are the pros and cons of incineration?
Pros: may reduce volume of waste by 75 to 95 percent Cons: May produce air pollution and toxic ash during the process.
4: What is a sanitary landfill and how is it accomplished? How is a sanitary landfill selected? What things need to be considered?Sanitary landfill is designed to concentrate and contain refuse without creating a nuisance or hazard to public health and safety. Some of the things that needs to be considered are the type of toxic material, the size of the place, and the monitoring in the landfills.
5: What is environmental justice?Study of social issues in siting waste facilities, chemical plants and other such facilities
.6: What is leachate? Noxious, mineralized, liquid capable of transporting bacterial pollutants
7: How can pollutants enter the environment from sanitary landfills?From compounds in the waste and soil, from the ground s system, from heavy metals and other toxic materials which are after passed up food chain as people and animals eat the plants.
8: What are the federal mandates for sanitary landfills?RCRA is a federal mandate for sanitary landfills. It is intended to strengthen and standardize the design, operation and monitoring of sanitary landfills.
9: What are some actions you can take to reduce the waste you generate?Reuse products, recycle
1: Where is most of the hazardous waste generated in the U.S.? What are the sources of hazardous waste in the United States?The most hazardous waste generated in the U.S is east of Mississippi River.Sources are chemical products, electronics, and petroleum and coal products industries
2: Summarize (in 3-4 sentences) the story of Love Canal A plan created to connect the two levels of Niagara river which is separated by Niagara falls to provide hydroelectric water. But hooker chemical used the site to bury 21,000 tons of toxic. When the chemicals started evaporating into the environment it caused terrible diseases for the people living in new York, near the canal.
1: Summarize the problem with e-waste in the United States.In the United States rather than saying e-
waste is recycled it’s more like
transferring our waste to other countries like some parts of Africa and Asia. Then people in those places recycle what they can and just leave the rest which makesthem the victims of our waste. And till the waste isn’t affecting us things are the
same.
1: What is the purpose of RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)?Act as an identification of hazardous wastes and their life cycles. To issue guidelines and assign responsibilities to those who manufacture, transport anddispose hazardous waste.
2: What is the purpose of CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation and Liability Act)?Policies and procedures for release of hazardous substances into the environment.It mandated development of list of sites where hazardous substances were likely to produce or already had produced the most serious environmental problems.
1: Look at the chart on pg. 541- List the PROS/CONS of each of the Hazard Reduction Technologies
Landfill Pro- low to moderate cost
Landfill con- no resource recovery, highly toxic and persistent chemicals
Injection pro- low cost
Injection con- reactive, corrosive, highly toxic, no resource recovery
Incineration pro- recovery or energy and acids
Incineration con- high cost, high toxic organics and heavy-metal concentration
High temp Decomp pro- Energy recovery, metal recovery
High temp decomp con- high cost and in organics
1: What are some of the ways that ocean pollution has affected ocean life?
caused death, retarded growth, reproductivity of marine organisms.
2: Why are the marine waters of Europe in trouble?
Urban and agriculture pollutants have raised concentrations of nutrients in seawater. Blooms of toxic algae are becoming more common.
3: Why is the microlayer of the ocean considered to be so important?
The microlayer has 10 to 10,000 times higher heavy metal concentrations than the deep oceans.
1: What are the steps of ocean pollution prevention?
Purchasing proper amount of raw materials, exercising better control of materials, improving engineering and design of manufacturing processes are steps to prevent ocean pollution prevention.
1: What is the R to C Ratio- What does it tell us?
The ratio of reserves to the rate of consumption. It tells us how much time we have for finding solutions to the depletion of nonrenewable reserves.
1: What can be done about the global problem of e-waste? Could more be recycled safely?To reduce the problem of e-waste the companies who make it should take responsibility and the waste in one country shouldn't be transferred to another one and make a mess where it shouldn't be. Yes it can be recycled safely even though it’s expensive.
2: What can be done to assist recycling industries to become more cost-effective?Consumers should buy more of their stuff from them than from the people who produce a new one.
3: What are some of the indirect benefits to society and the environment from recycling?Healthy living environment, low chance of certain diseases, clean and fresh air.
4: Define or criticize the contention that if we really want to do something to improve the environment through reduction of waste, we have to move beyond evaluating benefits of recycling based simply on the fact that it may cost more than dumping waste in a landfill.If we really want to do something criticizing others work isn't enough, even though the fact that recycling costs more it also has the most benefit in the long run.
5: What are the recycling efforts in your community and university, and how could improvements be made?
Recycling the usual things like water bottles, cans, paper and glass. Improvements could be made by having more people do this.
Starts with recycling soda cans, water bottles paper and more. It can be made if everyone in the community can do small things than one person doing the whole thing.Summary: Suppose you found that the home you had been living in for 15 years was located over a buried waste disposal site. What would you do? What kinds of studies could be done to evaluate the potential problems?I would probably live somewhere else. And studies that can be done are studying the amount of toxic in the atmosphere at that area, if it has any particular effect,what gases are released from the waste.