Environmental Sustainability-background information- What's going on?
Over Consumption
Waste
Plastic waste
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The need for a global plastics treaty
Coke knew their plastic would trash the planet
- they said it's Really good for your Body and mind
- Coke killed the reusable bottle
- nok of wine and coke leff
- Coke in the bottle in
- At first the coke bottles were raternable
- 2c deposit of a 5c drink
- 1950 It spread around america
- they stopped getting the bottles 1950-60s
- Keep america beautiful
- In the study "take it back" was better for the internment.
- "Through it out" was better for Coke
- They lied about the study
- There was going to be a bill for single use bottles but that was bad for coke
- Coke made sure that that didn't happen
- They told everyone that picking up litter was better and would fix it
- Put the cost on the public
- Coke won the battle
E Waste
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E Waste problems
It's about how e waste is bad for the environment
It's called Buy it, Use it, Break it, Junk it, Its Toxic
Average lifespans:
Game console= 5 Years
Mobile phones= 2 Years
E waste Amount per year 20 - 50 million tonnes
e-waste percentage unaccounted for US85%, EU75%, INDIA99%
Casing BFRs- Accumulate in the environment and the body. Interfere with brain development and hormonal systems.
Lead- Damages the nervous system Leads to intellectual impairment in children
Mercury- Damages the brain and nervous system.
PVC- Major source of pollution and chemical Hazard. PVC additives are highly toxic.
Beryllium- Carcinogenic. Can cause lung disease.
Cadmium- Accumulates in body. Affects kidney and bones. Carcinogenic.
What do they want?
ICT industry to design green products that are: Free from hazardous chemicals, Recyclable and durable, And to take global responsibility for them
Landfill
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Incinerator Ottawa
our landfill in ottawa
For years, city staff have warned the Trall Road landfill is running out of space. If nothing's done, the city has just eight years, so staff have created plans to provide what they call " more runway."
This is an urgent problem
Leachate
Water Waste
- we waste 42% through the ceiling, 24% through the walls, 12% through windows, 12% through
Electricity Waste
- About 65% of energy in power plants were lost in 2013. That is 22 quadrillion btus
- When energy is burned to release heat, this boils water into steam. The steam is sent through turbines and this creates electrical energy. Although only two thirds of this energy actually makes it onto the grid to create electricity, due to the way the electricity is produced. This means that quite a bit of electricity is wasted.
- Electricity waste statistics: Americans spend $130 billion a year on wasted energy
- The amount of energy wasted by 75,000 average American homes in a single year is equal to the waste that occurred in the 2010 BP Oil Spil the energy wasted by the US could power the UK for 7 years.
- phantom power is the energy that's wasted around your home when devices are plugged in and using power, but you're not actively using them
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Food waste
- In Canada, $31 billion worth of food ends up in landfills or composters each year, according to a 2014 report.
- 40% of food in canada doesn't get eaten and gets thrown away
- 30% of Vegetables get rejected at supermarkets by consumers because they aren’t “Attractive enough”.
- Around 47% of food wasted in Canada occurs at home. The other 53% of wasted food is generated.
- Household in Canada on average wastes $28 worth of food each week.
- As of 2020 China and India produce more household food waste than any other country worldwide at an estimated 92 million and 69 million metric tons every year, respectively
- 44% of food waste is from residential homes and or communities
Biodiversity
4 components of habitat
Why is biodiversity important?
Biodiversity is crucial for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans.
ecosystem biodiversity
genetic biodiversity
- Genetic diversity is crucial for species' adaptation to environmental changes and the resilience and function of ecosystems.
- Loss of genetic diversity can lead to a decrease in adaptive capacity, resilience, and long-term survival of species.
- To counteract the loss of genetic diversity, it is important to maintain large and connected populations.
Genetic diversity in species and its role in adaptation to environmental changes and the functioning of ecosystems, with a focus on the Baltic Sea. The article emphasizes that genetic diversity allows species to adapt to changing conditions and that a large gene pool positively affects the resilience and function of ecosystems. Conversely, the depletion of genetic diversity can jeopardize the long-term survival of species. The page also highlights the significance of maintaining large and connected populations to counteract the loss of genetic diversity. The article concludes by mentioning the need for data collection to assess genetic biodiversity and facilitate conservation management efforts.
species biodiversity
- Biodiversity refers to the heterogeneity present in the world or a habitat, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecological diversity.
- Species diversity is determined by the number of different species and the relative abundance of each species in an ecosystem.
- Maintaining high species diversity is important for a healthy and sustainable ecosystem.
THREE TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
THREE TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
1. Species Biodiversity is having many different types of species
2.Genetic Diversity is having Genetic Variation within a species
- These varieties will be adapted to slightly different environmental conditions
- Ex. If it is a very dry year one variety will be adapted to dry conditions and chance of at least something surviving is good.
3.Ecosystem Diversity is having a variety of healthy,intact ecosystems on the planet. Ex: Ocean Ecosystem, Grassland Ecosystem, Polar Ecosystem
Living Planet Report
https://livingplanet.panda.org
Sustainability- definitions and terminology
monoculture
Monoculture is the cultivation or growth of a single crop or organism especially on agricultural or forest land.
It's better to have a more diverse variety of crops so that if there is some reason that one of the things die like disease, you won't be stuck with nothing.
renewable and non-renewable
Energy sources are of two general types: nonrenewable and renewable. Energy sources are considered nonrenewable if they can't be made again in a short period of time. On the other hand, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are replenished naturally.
Ex of renewable:
- Solar energy from the sun.
- Geothermal energy from heat inside the earth.
- Wind energy.
- Biomass from plants.
- Hydropower from flowing water.
Ex of Non-renewable:
- oil
- natural gas
- coal
- nuclear energy
leachate
Leachate is any liquid and suspended materials which it contains, which has percolated through or drained from a munici.
Sustainability Definition
Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet's natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations.
Climate Change
Effects of Climate Change
- Hotter temperatures. As greenhouse gas concentrations rise, so does the global surface temperature.
- More severe storms.
- Increased drought.
- A warming, rising ocean.
- Loss of species.
- Not enough food
- More health risks.
- Poverty and displacement.
Sources of GHGs
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Overview.
- Electricity.
- Transportation.
- Industry.
- Commercial/ Residential.
- Agriculture.
- Land Use/ Forestry.
Greenhouse Gases-GHGs
GHG emissions are often measured in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. To convert emissions of a gas into CO2 equivalent, its emissions are multiplied by the gas's Global Warming Potential (GWP).
The GHG inventory covers the seven direct greenhouse gases are:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Methane (CH4)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
- Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
- Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
Greenhouse Effects
The greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by substances.
Energy & Electricity
Clean Air Alliance
Non-renewable
Gas fire Generation
- Burns fossil fuels to make steam which turns turbine to generate electricity
- make greenhouse gases that creates climate change
Renewable Sources
Tidal energy
- A turbine that is placed on shore through which tides move in and out.
- Expensive to set up
- You have to be near a shore
- Might need frequent replacement due to rusting
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Hydro Electricity
Dis:
- Building dams can disrupt the flow of water which has a lot of side effects. Ex: SAlomons can't go back up a river, the habitat around the dam can be destroyed
- The reservoir behind the dam can drown animals and their habitats, also human made cites and towns.
- Uses concrete
Biomass
- Produces greenhouse gases
- IF its wood that your burning it can lead to deforestation.
windmills
- There isn't always wind
- Birds and bats can run into them causing them to die
- The noise can disrupt birds and other kinds of animals
- Expensive to install and create
- The equipment is very delegate making it even more expensive
Solar
Environmental Impacts:
- Hard to dispose of the old panels
- The Lithium batteries need Lithium which is hard to mine ( Can be recyclable if there is a good system for the process of recycling)
- The solar cells in the panels die out after a while and need to be replaced but cant be replaced
- The solar cells panels don't capture all of the sunlight and produce a lot of heat
The Environmental Impacts of Lithium and Cobalt Mining
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Hydrogen fusion
Fusing hydrogen and oxygen together releases electrical energy
Dams
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