Waste And Global Warming Flashcards
difference between municipal solid waste and industrial waste
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
positive of landfills
cheap and easy
collected methane used for heat or electricity
negative of landfills
Leakages
NIMBY (not in my back yard)
becoming more expensive
uses lots of space and land
positive of incinerators
reduces MSW by 90% (volume) and 76% (weight)
heat can be used as an energy source
can be run with refuse derived fuel
negative of incinerators
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
why are landfills used more than incinerators
cheaper
incinerators release too many toxins into the air
why is it wrong to say the greenhouse effect needs to be completely eliminated?
we need it to help keep the earth warm
what are some greenhouse gases and which are the most influential?
*CO2
*water vapor
*methane
H2O
nitrous oxide
why is it called the greenhouse effect?
it is the trapping of the sun’s warmth in a plant’s lower atmosphere
how do scientists think we throw the greenhouse effect out of balance
we add more CO2 into the atmosphere
different types of air pollution… 3, origin, harmful effects
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
global warming theory??
~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)
undebatables of GWT
~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)
debatables of GWT
~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
“solving” global warming really means?
reducing
~human sources of greenhouse gases
~environmentally-damaging activities
~effects of global warming problems
solving transportation emissions?
fuel efficient vehicles carpool bike/walk/run efficient trips public transportation
energy source problem
developing clean energy reduces our reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuels
making fuel cheap allows for a more competitive fuel market
energy type problem
making our current systems and fuels cleaner helps US
how to “solve” global warming
~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
how does the GHE work?
~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
effects humans have on the GHE
average temp. increases from .5-1 degrees F
relationship between concentration of greenhouse gases and temp
human activity increases greenhouse gases
primary air pollutants
we release them into the atmosphere
secondary air pollutants
reaction in the atmosphere which causes them to transform
air pollutant (CO)
produces from burning organics
automobiles, cigs
binds to hemoglobin in blood
highly regulated in the US
ozone
O3
leads to smog
ground-level ozone
landfill contructions
built on a layer of clay
lined with impermeable membrane
each day a layer of soil is put on top
what is waste
anything toxic to the body over a long period of time
4 types of solid waste (list largest produce to smallest)
mining
agricultural
industrial solid
municipal
