1. Environmental Issues Waste Management and Principles of Energy Consumption

2. Goals Establish a logical context from which to discuss current environmental concerns. View issues of environmental consumption and international equity. Kick-start conversations about local environmental topics relevant to our bike unit. To discuss relevant topics regarding energy consumption in the U.S. View realistic personal approaches to environmental improvement (i.e. What can I do?) Connect personal actions to global impacts.

3. Love Canal 1953-1980

4. Cuyahoga River 1969

5. North Pacific Gyre Garbage Patch Present

7. WASTING RESOURCES Solid waste: any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or gas. – Municipal solid waste (MSW): produce directly from homes. – Industrial solid waste: produced indirectly by industries that supply people with goods and services. Hazardous (toxic) waste: threatens human health or the environment because it is toxic, chemically active, corrosive or flammable.

8. WASTING RESOURCES The United States produces about a third of the world’s solid waste and buries more than half of it in landfills. – About 98.5% is industrial solid waste. – The remaining 1.5% is MSW. About 55% of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills, 30% is recycled or composted, and 15% is burned in incinerators.

9. Electronic Waste: A Growing Problem E-waste consists of toxic and hazardous waste such as PVC, lead, mercury, and cadmium. The U.S. produces almost half of the world's e-waste but only recycles about 10% of it.

10. How People Reuse Materials

11. Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United States Two major federal laws regulate the management and disposal of hazardous waste in the U.S.: – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Cradle-to-the-grave system to keep track waste. – Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Commonly known as Superfund program.

12. Minnesota Superfund Sites

13. Relevant Laws Clean Air Act (1970) Clean Water Act (1972) Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund- 1980) Ocean Dumping Ban Act (1988)

14. Renewable vs. Non Renewable Renewable Energy: Energy sources that can be replenished in a relatively short time. – Ex. Biomass, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, Wind

15. Renewable vs. Non Renewable Nonrenewable Energy: Energy sources that are limited or finite based on current rates of consumption. – Ex. Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Propane, Uranium

18. Despite comprising less than 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. consumes 25% of the world’s petroleum.

20. Car Emission and Carbon Offset

21. Energy Conversion Medium’s kinetic energy is converted to mechanical energy using a turbine generator.

26. USING RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY TO PROVIDE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY A variety of renewable-energy resources are available but their use has been hindered by a lack of government support compared to nonrenewable fossil fuels and nuclear power. – Direct solar – Moving water – Wind – Geothermal

27. USING RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY TO PROVIDE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY The European Union aims to get 22% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2010. Costa Rica gets 92% of its energy from renewable resources. China aims to get 10% of its total energy from renewable resources by 2020. In 2004, California got about 12% of its electricity from wind and plans to increase this to 50% by 2030.

28. USING RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY TO PROVIDE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY Denmark now gets 20% of its electricity from wind and plans to increase this to 50% by 2030. Brazil gets 20% of its gasoline from sugarcane residue. In 2004, the world’s renewable-energy industries provided 1.7 million jobs.

29. Heating Buildings and Water with Solar Energy We can heat buildings by orienting them toward the sun or by pumping a liquid such as water through rooftop collectors. Figure 17-12

30. Passive Solar Heating Passive solar heating system absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly within a structure without the need for pumps to distribute the heat. Figure 17-13

31. Fig. 17-13, p. 396 Direct Gain Summer sun Hot air Warm air Super- insulated windows Winter sun Cool air Earth tubes Ceiling and north wall heavily insulated

32. Producing Electricity with Solar Cells Photovoltaic (PV) cells can provide electricity for a house of building using solar-cell roof shingles. Figure 17-17

34. Fig. 17-35, p. 414 Small solar-cell power plants Bioenergy power plants Wind farm Rooftop solar cell arrays Fuel cells Solar-cell rooftop systems Transmission and distribution system Commercial Small wind turbine Residential Industrial Microturbines

35. Fig. 17-36, p. 415 More Renewable Energy Increase renewable energy to 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050 Provide large subsidies and tax credits for renewable energy Use full-cost accounting and life-cycle cost for comparing all energy alternatives Encourage government purchase of renewable energy devices Greatly increase renewable energy R&D Reduce Pollution and Health Risk Cut coal use 50% by 2020 Phase out coal subsidies Levy taxes on coal and oil use Phase out nuclear power or put it on hold until 2020 Phase out nuclear power subsidies Improve Energy Efficiency Increase fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, buildings, and appliances Mandate govern- ment purchases of efficient vehicles and other devices Provide large tax credits for buying efficient cars, houses, and appliances Offer large tax credits for invest- ments in energy efficiency Reward utilities for reducing demand for electricity Encourage indepen- dent power producers Greatly increase energy efficiency research and development