Waste And Global Warming

Question 1

difference between municipal solid waste and industrial waste

Answer 1

MSW is all the material in a region people don’t want
~broken, spoiled, or have no further use

Industrial= anything from a factory, hazardous, scraps, sludge, ash

Question 2

positive of landfills

Answer 2

cheap and easy

collected methane used for heat or electricity

Question 3

negative of landfills

Answer 3

Leakages
NIMBY (not in my back yard)
becoming more expensive
uses lots of space and land

Question 4

positive of incinerators

Answer 4

reduces MSW by 90% (volume) and 76% (weight)
heat can be used as an energy source
can be run with refuse derived fuel

Question 5

negative of incinerators

Answer 5

air quality
~pollution can escape, release gases into the air
ash
~designated as hazardous waste, sometimes put in landfills
cost
~$45-350 million, more expensive than landfills

Question 6

why are landfills used more than incinerators

Answer 6

cheaper

incinerators release too many toxins into the air

Question 7

why is it wrong to say the greenhouse effect needs to be completely eliminated?

Answer 7

we need it to help keep the earth warm

Question 8

what are some greenhouse gases and which are the most influential?

Answer 8

*CO2
*water vapor
*methane
H2O
nitrous oxide

Question 9

why is it called the greenhouse effect?

Answer 9

it is the trapping of the sun’s warmth in a plant’s lower atmosphere

Question 10

how do scientists think we throw the greenhouse effect out of balance

Answer 10

we add more CO2 into the atmosphere

Question 11

different types of air pollution… 3, origin, harmful effects

Answer 11

sulfur dioxide (SO2): come from power plants and volcanoes; cause respiratory issues and asthma

nitrogen dioxide (NO2): produced by cars; produces smog

lead (Pb): can be found in gas, paint, battery factories; lead to mental retardation and kidney failure

Question 12

global warming theory??

Answer 12

~earth naturally warms and cools over time
~since the industrial revolution, atmospheric CO2 began to increase
~for every doubling CO2 in temp., the earth temp. increases by 1-1.2 degrees C
~as the earth warms, more water is evaporated and more ice melts
~water vapor increases by 2-4 degrees C
~PFL leads to the over heating and destruction of the plant
(go to #3 and repeat)

Question 13

undebatables of GWT

Answer 13

~greenhouse gas theory (easily testable and effects everything)
~there have been distinct periods of global warming
~some global warming is due to human CO2 emissions (impossible to prove how much)

Question 14

debatables of GWT

Answer 14

~amount of positive feedback (could lead to heat increase)
~severe weather trends (remaining constant or getting worse)
~which measurements do we use? who gets to decide what data… they can all favor one side
~* how much do humans contribute to this problem

Question 15

“solving” global warming really means?

Answer 15

reducing
~human sources of greenhouse gases
~environmentally-damaging activities
~effects of global warming problems

Question 16

solving transportation emissions?

Answer 16

fuel efficient vehicles
carpool
bike/walk/run
efficient trips
public transportation

Question 17

energy source problem

Answer 17

developing clean energy reduces our reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuels

making fuel cheap allows for a more competitive fuel market

Question 18

energy type problem

Answer 18

making our current systems and fuels cleaner helps US

Question 19

how to “solve” global warming

Answer 19

~power homes efficiently and effectively
~support local businesses and eat less meat
~vote for people who support clean, green business, buy recycled products, support PACs
~advocate

Question 20

how does the GHE work?

Answer 20

~sun gives off radiation
~reflected by the atmosphere
~radiation travels through and the earth absorbs the heat
~some is reflected back into space
~greenhouse gases allow light to pass through heat

Question 21

effects humans have on the GHE

Answer 21

average temp. increases from .5-1 degrees F
relationship between concentration of greenhouse gases and temp
human activity increases greenhouse gases

Question 22

primary air pollutants

Answer 22

we release them into the atmosphere

Question 23

secondary air pollutants

Answer 23

reaction in the atmosphere which causes them to transform

Question 24

air pollutant (CO)

Answer 24

produces from burning organics
automobiles, cigs
binds to hemoglobin in blood
highly regulated in the US

Question 25

ozone

Answer 25

O3
leads to smog
ground-level ozone

Question 26

landfill contructions

Answer 26

built on a layer of clay
lined with impermeable membrane
each day a layer of soil is put on top

Question 27

what is waste

Answer 27

anything toxic to the body over a long period of time

Question 28

4 types of solid waste (list largest produce to smallest)

Answer 28

mining
agricultural
industrial solid
municipal