Cities and Waste Flashcards
What were cities created for?
Protection, resources, division of labor, and division of classes.
What percentage of the world lives within 100km of a coast?
50%
What is the name of the major highway system in the states? How long is it?
Interstate Highway System- 77 017km long
True or False: At the end of the Victorian Era there were 20 cities (1900).
False: There were 16 cities, not 20.
How many cities do we have today?
Over 4000.
What is the definition of a megacity? Give an example.
A city with a population of over 10 million. Example: Mumbai India, Tokyo Japan, Lagos Nigeria
What is world city? Give an example.
A city with great influence on things like economics. Example: New York, London
True or False: 1 billion people live in slums.
True
What are two areas of an inner city?
Business area and residential area.
What occurs in a business area?
Administration, politics, tourism.
What process do residential areas go through to meet middle class standards?
Gentrification
What is urban sprawl? What does it promote?
The spread of cities out into rural areas. It promotes inner city decline.
True of False: By the start of the 21st century, more people in North America lived and worked in city centers rather than subarbs.
False: More people in North America lived and worked in suburbs rather than city centers.
What are the problems associated with urban sprawl?
Loss of biodiversity Increase distance to work/services Cost of road maintenance Cost of new amenities Unused amenities in city centers Reliance on oil
What are the problems associated with suburbs?
Single use
Low density
Driver-centered
Few Services
What is the term used to describe a city that is compact, well designed, and has sustainable communitites?
Sustainable City
What are the 9 major characteristics of a sustainable city?
Enhances local identity Provides diverse housing Increase land use efficiency Increase local employment Support to alternative modes of travel Short walking distance to amenities High connectivity Paths for walking and cycling Neighborhoods clustered around a town center
What is urban density?
The increase of a population in a neighborhood, which leads to an increase in its capacity to serve more people with less resources.
What is a biophilic city?
A city that contains abundant nature, and seeks to protect, restore and grow the nature to strive for a deeper connection with the natural world.
What is biomimicry architecture?
The design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes, with a no loss system.
What does LEED stand for?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
What are the characteristics of a LEED builidng?
A building that is resource efficient, use less water and energy and therefore reduce GHG.
What is an example of a LEED building in Winnipeg?
MB Hydro Building
In a lifetime how many times their weight will a North American throw away in garbage?
600
What percentage of Canadian municipal and industrial solid waste is disposed through a landfill?
80%
True or False: Landfills account for 38% of Canada’s total methane emissions.
True
What is food waste?
Edible portions of our food that are thrown away or allowed to spoil.
How many tons of food are wasted each year?
1.3 billion
How many tons of CO2 are produced from food waste?
3.3 billion
What is a dump?
An open hole in the ground where trash is burried.
What is a landfill? How is it isolated?
A carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which trash is isolated form the surrounding environment. Isolated using a bottom liner and daily covering of soil.
What is a sanitary landfill?
A landfill which uses a clay liner instead of soil.
What is municipal solid waste (MSW)?
Landfill which uses a synthetic (plastic) liner to isolate trash.
True or false: Landfills are designed to break down trash.
False: Landfills are designed to bury trash.
What are the two major environmental problems with landfills?
Air pollution and ground water pollution.
How much of our food do Canadians waste a year?
40%
How much e-waste is produced globally each year?
50 million tonnes
How much e-waste does Canada produce each year?
140 000 tonnes
What are the 5 major contributors to e-waste?
Lead Cadmium Mercury Plastics Brominated Flame Retardants (PBDEs)
Why is e-waste so harmful?
When e-waste is warmed up, toxic chemicals are released into the air damaging the atmosphere. When electronic waste is thrown away in landfills their toxic materials seep into groundwater.
What is shipbreaking?
Contaminated ships being broken up into scrap metal.
What does Canada rank in recycling world wide?
A “D” rank in last place
In 2007 how much municipal waste did Canada produce?
894 kg
