Unit 6 - Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Future Ch. 16-19

8/6/2019 Unit 6 - Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Future Ch. 16-19

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Dvisha Patel Unit 6: Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the FutureChapter 16: Waste Management

1. Compare early concepts of waste disposal with modern trend of zero waste.a. Early Concepts:

i. Dilution and dispersion: let the rivers take care of the wasteii. Concentration and containment: but containers often failiii. Problem of limited space for landfills and their high costiv. NIMBY (not in my back yard)

b. Zero Waste concept of eliminated waste by not generating it or turning it intoresources

2. What is e-waste and why is it hazardous?a. E-waste: waste generated from computers, TVs, cell phones, other electronic

devices used by peopleb. Toxic from inadequate or unsafe disposal of electronic devices (60 Minutes video)

3. Discuss the following waste management strategies:a. On-site: disposal at home

i. Ex: Kitchen garbage disposal units, composting of kitchen and gardenwaste, incineration

b. Composting: biochemical process in which organic materials are decomposed toa rich, soil-like material (composting of kitchen and garden waste)

c. Incineration: combustions of waste leaving only ash and noncombustible todispose of in a landfill

i. Reduces volume of waste and may generate electrical powerii. May cause air pollution and generate toxic ash

d. Open Dumps: open, have no coveri. Generate a nuisance: pests, health hazard, air and water pollution

ii. (It rains garbage washed away (no cover))e. MSW landfills: (Municipal Solid Waste) site to dispose of municipal solid waste,

also called a sanitary landfilli. Concentrates and contains refuse/layers of compacted soil contain waste

ii. Isolates waste from pests and surface wateriii. Principal hazards leachate

4. Briefly describe the four major types of land disposal of hazardous waste.a. Land Disposal

i. Secure landfills are designed to confine waste and leachateb. Microbial Breakdown

i. Applying waste materials to near-surface soilii. When biodegradable waste is added to the soil its attacked by microflora

c. Surface Impoundmenti. Pit in the ground to hold hazardous liquidsii. Prone to seepage into soil, or evaporation of toxic gases

d. Deep-Well Disposali. Injecting waste into deep wells below all freshwater aquiferse. Alternatives

i. Combination of reduction, recycling, resource recovery, treatment, andincineration

o Reclaim/reuse useful chemicals

o Treatment to reduce toxicity

o Reduce the volume of waste items

5. What are some strategies for preventing the generation of waste?

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Dvisha Patel Unit 6: Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Futurea. Hazardous Waste Legislationb. Integrated Waste Management

6. Key Termsa. Integrated Waste Management (IWM): Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (and composting,

landfill, and incineration)b. Leachate: concentrated form of toxins b/c only diluted by rain or water in

trash/garbage fill; in MSW, open dump, all waste sites

Chapter 17: Natural Hazards1. Differentiate between

a. Natural Hazard: natural process thats a potential threat to human life andproperty

b. Disaster: an event that occurs over a limited time in a limited geography areaand causes significant losses of life and property

c. Catastrophe: a massive disaster requiring very significant expenditures of moneyand time

Natural Hazard: NaturalDisaster: Significant Damage

Catastrophe: Massive

2. What does it mean to take a historical point of view about disasters? Discuss the LaConchita landslide as an example

a. We must learn from past experiences, or well suffer the same consequencesrepeatedly

b. La Conchitai. Was built on top of old landslidesii. Was in the direct path for more landslides (easily seen and predictable)iii. (Picture with dirt covering the city)

3. What are the natural service functions of periodic disturbances such as earthquakes?a. Plate tectonics causes earthquakes builds mountains

b. Volcanic Eruptions catastrophic island building and soil fertilityc. Floods, landslides, dust storms hazardous enrich soild. Moving continental plates: force groundwater to surface

4. Explain why human population growth is a key factor in the increase in catastrophes.a. (graph, in notes, based on loss of property damage, loss of life)b. Population is getting bigger and biggerc. Increased size of citiesd. Increased population density makes hazards more dangerouse. Warning signs unheeded

5. Give examples of linkages between hazards and the environment.

a. Volcanic eruptions often cause landslidesb. Mount St. Helens altered landscape and ecosystemsc. Hazards may have a significant effect on the biological environment such as

disruption of ecosystems and fragmentation of habitat

6. Define the following natural hazards:a. Earthquakeb. Volcanic eruptionc. Landslided. Hurricanee. Heat wave

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Dvisha Patel Unit 6: Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Futuref. Tsunamig. Wildfireh. Tornadoi. Flood

j. Drought

7. How can we minimize the adverse effects of natural hazards?a. Land-use planning to avoid hazardsb. Implementing evacuation planc. Minimizing effects with preparation (e.g.: protecting hillside communities in the

foothills from mudslides after Station Fire)d. Control through engineeringe. By not believing that bad stuff will happen to only other people, and not to youf. Laws protecting people who disregard hazardsg. Obtaining insurance program

Chapter 18: Environmental Economics1. Discuss the tragedy of the commons. Give examples of todays commons.

a. Commons: land that belongs to the public, not to individualsb. Historically: in Old English and New England towns where all the farmers could

graze their cattle; each farmer tries to maximize personal gain adding one morecow: benefit to farmer of selling a cow is greater than his share of the negativecost of overgrazing

i. Complete freedom in a commons inevitably ruins the commonsc. Todays commons: forests, fisheries, and the atmosphere

i. Problems: recreation; payoff for individual for being selfish

2. Discuss the difficulty of balancing resource sustainability against maximum profit, usingthe whaling industry as an example.

a. Adopting resource sustainability means low yield and high costs lower profitsb. Adopting maximum profit means converting the entire resource into investments

with no costs- higher profitsc. Whales are not a highly profitable long term investment (whalers didnt try to

conserve whales)d. The relative scarcity of a necessary resource affects its valuee. Thinking beyond immediate economic advantages policies that seem ethically

good may not be the most profitable for an individual3. Define externality

a. Externality: a factor with side effects and consequences that dont reflect onmarket prices

b. Ex: air and water pollution4. Describe the public-service functions of nature and other environmental intangibles.

a. Natures public service functions are hard to measure in dollars

b. Valuing the beauty of nature - Landscape aestheticsi. Problem: personal preference beauty is in the eye of the beholderc. (Can have beauty pricey homes with views but pay for them with fire damage,

earthquakes5. Discuss risk-benefit analysis as it relates to environmental science.

a. The riskiness of the future that influences the value we place on things in thepresent

b. What is the value of human life?c. Factors: number of people affectedd. Novel Risks seem more dangerous or less acceptable than something long-

established because its an unknown

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Dvisha Patel Unit 6: Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Futurei. France spent $ on jet/plane safety rather than on highway fixes even

though more people travel on their roadse. Envi:

i. What are we willing to pay to reduce risk?ii. What is the value of human life?iii. The average cost of pollution control per family in the U.S. is lowiv. Compare the costs of pollution control to the costs of pollution

6. Who should bear the costs of tackling global environmental problems?a. Developing countries as much as industrialized countries? (Kyoto Protocol)

Chapter 19: Planning for a Sustainable Future1. Discuss the issues of the environmental planning: who how, what?

a. Planning that emphasizes the environment including impact and land useb. Who

i. All societies try to plan their use of land and resourcesii. Competing Interests: Business/Profit people vs. Naturalists/Preserve

c. Envi planning and review are closely related to how land is used

2. Explain the controversy over the Wildlands Project.

3. What are the advantages of promoting nature in urban areas?a. Recent studies verify our need for nature in citiesb. Trees help to protect us from air pollution and heatc. City Parks Central Park (NY)

i. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead his parks were naturalisticd. Garden Cities system of countryside and urban landscapes with cities

surrounded by greenbelts

4. How did Curitiba, Brazil become a model for urban planning and sustainability?a. Public transportation system: more than 1.3M people ride busses each dayb. Recycling solved garbage problemc. City planned affordable housing and attractive parks

5. Discuss the competing interests of individual rights versus the public trust, especially asthey relate to the environment

6. Describe the three stages in the history of federal legislation pertaining to land andnatural resources.

1st Stage: Goal was to convert public lands to private uses2nd Stage: the Beginning of protection for public lands3rd Stage: Congress enacted laws about the environment

7. What are some of the challenges for students of the environment?a. Continue to work toward environmental and social justice for all the people in theworld

b. Enhance the development of sustainability, to minimize local, regional, and globalenvironmental degradation

c. Develop and support international agreements to control global warming andpollutants

8. Key termsa. Ecotage: sabotage

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Dvisha Patel Unit 6: Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Futureb. Mediation: negotiation process between adversaries, guided by a neutral

facilitatorc. International Environmental Law: body of laws consisting of treaties that address

environmental problems and solutions

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Unit 6 - Waste Management, Hazards, Economics and the Future Ch. 16-19