Wasteful WorldWasteful World

Types of WasteTypes of Waste• Biodegradable - will rot away like a banana skin• Non-biodegradable - sits in the ground for years

without breaking down, like plastic• Domestic – waste produced in peoples houses• Industrial – waste produced by factories• Hazardous and non-hazardous • Toxic – poisonous to humans and the environment• Recyclable and non-recyclable• Electrical or e-waste

Difference in Waste Production Difference in Waste Production between LICs and HICsbetween LICs and HICs

HICs produce more waste because:• We are a consumer society – more money to spend on

things so more things to throw away.• We are a throw away society – we don’t reuse or repair

we just buy something new.

LICs produce less waste because:They do not have the money to buy as many thingsLess packaging is usedA lower literacy rate means that they do not use as much

paper because people cant read.

Types of Domestic WasteTypes of Domestic Waste• E Waste – that’s mobile phones, computers and other

electronic equipment

• White goods – fridges, freezers and cookers

• Packaging – primary, secondary, transit packaging.

Packaging• Paper and cardboard – used widely but

not as much as plastic because it is heavier. Can be recycled.

• Plastic packaging – used more than paper because is lighter, stronger and lasts better. Very difficult to dispose of.

Local Recycling in SomersetLocal Recycling in Somerset• Somerset Waste Partnership• Weekly food and recycling collection• Fortnightly refuse and garden waste collection.• Amount of waste going into landfill now less than 40%• 27% of all recycling now food waste• Waste then goes to Viridors in Castle Cary

– Refuse goes into landfill– Recycling is separated into different categories and remade into

new products– Food and garden waste mixed 50/50 and composed for 6-10

weeks– Compost then sold back to local farmers.

Example of Waste Disposal in an Example of Waste Disposal in an HIC - GermanyHIC - Germany

• Landfill – has 160 landfill sites, waste is processed before landfill to reduce its impact.

• Incineration – has 68 incinerators, plans to build more, some are mini power plants producing electricity.

• Recycling – strict laws on recycling, companies can display the Green Dot emblem to show the packaging is recyclable, exports waste be recycled, recycles 60% of its waste.

• Nuclear waste – Germany does not have a deep mine or reprocessing plant, has to sent waste to UK or France for reprocessing – expensive, sends waste to Siberia to be buried in deep mines, they are planning to build a reprocessing plant and convert a deep mine in the future.

• Toxic waste – they export much of this as it is expensive to deal with in Germany, 6000 litres of toxic waste was sent to Albania disguised as humanitarian aid where it leaked into a lake killing all aquatic life.

Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of waste disposal

  Advantages Disadvantages

LandfillCheap and easy

Old mines and quarries can be filled

Suitable sites are running outMethane is released

Groundwater is contaminatedGovernment apply tax on landfill

Recycling

Environmentally friendlyResources can be reused

Increases public awareness of environmental issues

Not all waste is suitable for recycling

ExpensiveRecycling uses energy

IncinerationEnergy is generated which can

be used to power homesDoesn’t require much space

Air pollution from the gases it releases

Resources that could be recycled are wasted

ExportingProducing country does not have

to deal with its own wasteNo risk to the local environment

Very expensiveCarbon footprint is increased by transporting the waste over long

distancesCauses environmental damage to

the country it ends up in.

Non-Renewable EnergyNon-Renewable EnergyCoal, Oil, Natural Gas, Nuclear

Advantages:• Much cheaper way of producing electricity• Coal is easy to transport and there is still lots left

Disadvantages:• Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide and

contributes to global warming• Non-renewable fuels will eventually run out

Renewable EnergyRenewable EnergyBiofuels e.g. wood and straw, biogas (methane) from

manure, bioethanol (from processing plants ad waste vegetable oil.

Advantages:• Biofuels reduce the amount of greenhouse gases• Biofuels will never run out

Disadvantages:• Farming and processing the crops uses energy so the

benefits are cancelled out• Asian countries may replace rainforest with biofuel

plantations in an attempt to make money

Renewable - Solar EnergyRenewable - Solar EnergyAdvantages•There is an unlimited supply of energy•Once solar panels have been constructed there are no carbon emissions so it is environmentally friendly•New technologies are meaning that solar panels are extremely efficient even when the sun isn’t shining•Solar panels produce no noise pollution•Any extra energy they make can be added to the national grid to power people’s homes.

Disadvantages•Buying and fitting the solar panels is expensive•You cannot store the energy•It needs large areas such as rooves or fields to produce useful amounts of energy•They do not work at night•They cannot replace oil as a source of energy for transport.

Non-Renewable - Oil• Advantages• The technology to extract oil already exists so you don’t have

to invent anything new• It is thought that oil still exists in places such as under

Antarctica• Oil is very versatile – lots of produces can be produced from it

such as petrol and plastic• As a liquid it is easily transported through pipelines• It can be stored until it is needed

• Disadvantages• Burning oil releases carbon dioxide which contributes to

climate change• It takes a very long time to form so will eventually run out• Oil extraction causes water pollution

Energy Surplus and DeficitEnergy Surplus and Deficit• Energy surplus – when a country creates

more energy than it needs

• Energy deficit – when a country uses more energy than it creates

• HICs generally have an energy deficit• LICs generally have an energy surplus

Case Study of Non-Renewable Energy Source – Alberta, Canada

• Has an oil resource in the form of tar sands. • An estimated 180 billion barrels • Can be refined into petrol. • The rising cost of oil and the development of new technologies

mean it’s now worth exploitingLocal Effects• Extraction is carried out by surface mining so vegetation has to

be cleared meaning a loss of local habitats.• The energy required to separate the oil from the sand is

provided by natural gas – enough to heat 3 million Canadian homes!

• Large volumes of water are needed to extract the oil from the sands - 6 barrels of water for every barrel of oil.

• The water can become contaminated with arsenic so causes deformity in fish.

Globally• Refining the tar sands oil releases 5-15% more carbon dioxide

than the refining of crude oil from under the sea, increasing the amount of greenhouse gases being produced.

• The increased removal of surface vegetation, mostly evergreen forest will affect the amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Case Study of Renewable Energy – The UK

• So far Britain has made slow progress towards the goal set by the European Union of generating 15% of our energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, and towards the target set by the Climate Change Act of 2008 of cutting carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. However, the government believes that our reserves of wind, wave and tidal power will enable us to meet the targets. It estimates that offshore wind alone could meet Britain’s current demand for electricity ten times over and environmental campaigners are using the government to make the most of this potential.

• The London Array, off the coast of Ramsgate in Kent is planned to be ‘the world’s largest offshore wind farm’. When the first phase in complete (by the end of 2012) 175 wind turbines will generate 630 megawatts of electricity – enough power for more than 470,000 homes, or two thirds of the homes in Kent.

• Although renewable energy sources are generally regarded as being very environmentally friendly they also have some negative impacts.

Locally• Turbine blades cause an average of four bird deaths per turbine per year. However, this is far

fewer than the number killed by other energy sources.• The turbulence created by turbines can lead to temperature changes in the air around them –

warmer at night and cooling during the day.• Turbines produce noise; older designs typically produce 40-50 decibels. However, the modern

designs produce less than this, about the same as a 15km/hour wind.Globally• Although the electricity generated by wind turbines does not produce any carbon dioxide, the

construction of the blades and pillars does.• In January 2009, a government study of coastal waters in the UK concluded that there is scope

for between 5,000 and 7,000 offshore wind turbines to be installed without a huge impact on the marine environment.

How energy is wasted• Leaving lights on when they are not

needed• Leaving phone chargers plugged in• Leaving TV or Xbox on standby• Not having double glazing• Not having loft or cavity wall insulation

Carbon footprintsCarbon footprints

• Carbon footprint is a measure of all the greenhouse gases we are individually responsible for producing.

• LICs tend to have smaller carbon footprints than HICs.

Management of energy waste on a Management of energy waste on a domestic scale (in the home)domestic scale (in the home)

• Turning lights off when not in use.• Unplug chargers after use.• Turn the heating down in summer.• Keep doors and windows closed.• Replace inefficient electrical products.• Loft insulation• Cavity wall insulation• Double or triple glazing.• Solar panels/solar water heating panels.• Wind turbines• Recycling bins

Management of energy waste on a Management of energy waste on a local scale (in your area)local scale (in your area)

• British Gas is working with local councils to improve efficiency. If houses implement changes to save energy they get money off their council tax bill.

• Aberdeen Council have installed a communal boiler in a block of flats. This is much more efficient.

• Wind turbines can be built at schools and businesses to power them. Any excess energy can be sold to the National Grid.

Management of energy waste on a Management of energy waste on a national scale (in your country)national scale (in your country)

• A grant of £2500 per household is available to install things like wind turbines and solar panels.

• No planning permission is needed for solar panels and wind turbines.

• Up to £1 million available for public buildings to install green technologies.

• UK e-day – when people are asked to think about their energy usage and to turn things off.