Chapter #23 Guided Reading
Pg. 520: Treasures of the Cell Phone
1: What are the reasons why e-waste is not recycled more?
It is too expensive and there is no cheaper way to recycle it.
23.The Importance of Resources to Society
1: Define the following:
* Renewable Resources: Resources able to be recycled articially
* Non-Renewable Resources: Resources that are not able to be recycled in the time that people can use it.
What differentiates renewable and non-renewable resources?
Renewable resources can be reused or recycled fast enough to be useful to humans. It can also be done
artificially while non renewable cannot. It can't also be recycled through the process of nature fast enough.
2: How many tons of non-fuel minerals does the typical American use per year?
10 tons.
23.2: Materials Management: What is it?
1: Define Materials Management: A goal in which we try to sustain our renewable and non renewable resources
2: What are 5 ways that this can be pursued?
- Use Green-buildings
- Destroy subsidies
- Give ideas to industries that can help the environment
- Tax products
are located? 23.3: Mineral Resources
It moved the paper mills closer to cities that can recycle a huge amount of paper.
1: When metals are concentrated in such high amounts by geologic processes,
Ore Deposits are formed.
2: In the Earth’s crust, which element makes up the most % by composition? What is
2nd?
1st is oxygen with silicon as 2nd.
3: How are sedimentary processes and weathering involved in mineral deposits?
The processes can move the sediment through things like water and wind. It also concentrates the sediments.
Weathering just concentrates the minerals.
23.4: Figuring Out How Much is Left
1: What is the difference between a mineral resource and a mineral reserve?
Mineral resource is the concentration of the minerals while mineral reserve is the mineral which can we sold and used.
2: Earth’s mineral resources can be divided into which broad categories?
- Metal production Elements
- Tech
- Agriculture Building Materials
3: When the availability of a particular mineral becomes limited, there are four possible
solutions:
1: Search for more reliable sources
2: Find other things that can replace it
3: Recycle the old resources
4:Stop or reduce the use of the resource.
23.5: Impact of Mineral Development
1: What are some of the environmental impacts of surface mining (open-pit mines)?
Some environmental impacts are the degradation of the environment and the release of toxic chemicals into the environment.
2: What are some of the social impacts of large scale mining operations?
Some social impacts are sewage, reduced water quality, and solid waste disposal systems.
3: What can be done to minimize the environmental effects of mining?
Regulate the levels of mining and clean the old mining areas.
4: What are the 3 R’s of waste management?
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
23.6: Materials Management and Our Waste
1: Compare “dilute and disperse” to the contemporary method of “concentrate and
contain”.
Unlike concentrate and contain, dilute and disperse can take care of waste easily.
2: In the next few years, how many U.S. cities will run out of landfill space?
1/2 of the cities
3: What is “NIMBY”?
- (N)ot
- (I)n
- (M)y
- (B)ack
- (Y)ard
4: Describe the concept of “industrial ecology” and how it will be essential in the future.
Industrial ecology is a study relating industrial to natural systems. This is essential
as it stops more waste as it provides waste in one place for another.
5: What is your opinion of “pay as you throw”? Defend your opinion
I personally think it is a good idea as it makes people rethink about what they throw away. It forces them to also think
what is good and bad for the environment as it makes you pay if you throw it away.
23.7: Integrated Waste Management
1: Define Integrated Waste Management (IWM):
It is different options to manage waste.
2: What is waste stream?
The amount of waste produced
3: What is single-stream recycling?
When everything is recycled in one making it easier for people as they don't have to think where to recycle what.
4: What are some creative ways that industry are encouraging recycling?
One ways is how the car companies are making it much easier to take parts from the cars to be able to reuse them.
Another ways is how some places are using less packaging for their items.
5: How can human waste (night soil) be re-used and recycled? What are some
drawbacks?
Human waste can be used as fertilizer in the agriculture but it can also make people sick from the food made from using the fertilizer.
23.8: Municipal Solid-Waste Management
1: Which product comprises the largest percentage of waste dumped in the United States?
Is this surprising?
Paper is the largest but it isn't surprising knowing that it is used in everyday life from printerpaper to notebooks.
2: Define Composting: (What are the pros and cons?)
Process of making organics more rich of nutrients for soil.
Pro: It is convenient ( can be done in the back yard.
Con: Needed to be collected from other waste
3: What are the pros and cons of incineration?
Pros:Reduces waste by 75% -95 through burning it and can be used as a fuel
Cons: Produces smog.
4: What is a sanitary landfill and how is it accomplished? How is a sanitary landfill
selected? What things need to be considered?
- A sanitary landfill is like an ordinary landfill but considers the health of the environment and the public keeping it cleaner than most.
- It is selected by the surroundings and environment
5: What is environmental justice?
It is issues with the society about polluting facilities.
6: What is leachate?
water percoladted through a solid leached from constituents
7: How can pollutants enter the environment from sanitary landfills?
- Gases such as methane is released
- Wind moves the debris and toxics
- Metals move into the soil
8: What are the federal mandates for sanitary landfills?
RCRA regulates and makes sanitary landfill stronger through the operation, monitoring, and design.
9: What are some actions you can take to reduce the waste you generate?
Reuse all the things that are not broken or used yet. Recycle the things that are used and are not usable anymore.
23.9: Hazardous Waste
1: Where is most of the hazardous waste generated in the U.S.? What are the sources of
hazardous waste in the United States?
The most hazardous waste is the East of the Mississippi river.
Sources: Coal products, electronics, chemical products, petroleum.
2: Summarize (in 3-4 sentences) the story of Love Canal.
The Love canal was a body of water in New York. It was a source to pour all types of waste into it polluting the area
and making the environment around it deadly. People around the area started seeing effects and symptoms of the
waste such as abnormalities in children and high rates of miscarriages.
23.2: A Closer Look: “e-waste: A Growing Environmental Problem”
1: Summarize the problem with e-waste in the United States.
The problem with e-waste in the United States is that we don't take care of it ourselves.
Most of our e-waste is transported into other countries. This makes us responsible for
polluting them with the toxic chemicals that come from the waste.
23.10: Hazardous-Waste Legislation
1: What is the purpose of RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)?
It regulates hazardous waste and gives responsibility to the source.
2: What is the purpose of CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act)?
It mandates the hazardous sites that are likely to produce and cause the most
serious environment issues.
23.11: Hazardous-Waste Management: Land Disposal
1: Look at the chart on pg. 541- List the PROS/CONS of each of the Hazard Reduction
Technologies
Landfills
Pro: Non expensive Con: Toxic to the environment |
Injection
Pro: Non expensive Con: No recovery in the resource |
Incineration
Pro: Recovers old resources Con: expensive |
High temp decomp:
Pro: Recovery of resources Con: expensive |
23.13: Ocean Dumping
1: What are some of the ways that ocean pollution has affected ocean life?
Death of the life and reproductive problems.
2: Why are the marine waters of Europe in trouble?
Pollutants from agriculture have risen the nutrient concentration in the water causing an algal bloom.
3: Why is the microlayer of the ocean considered to be so important?
The micro layer contains high concentration of the deep oceans.
23.14: Pollution Prevention
1: What are the steps of ocean pollution prevention?
23.15: Sustainable Resource Management
1: What is the R to C Ratio- What does it tell us?
It is the ration of reserves to the rate of consumption. It shows how long we have to finding solutions
on our loss of non renewable resources.
Read: Can We Make Recycling a Financially Viable Industry?
Answer the following:
1: What can be done about the global problem of e-waste? Could more be recycled
safely?
We could stop the movement of our e-waste ti the other countries. Even though it is costly, I think that
we should recycle instead of polluting the other countries.
2: What can be done to assist recycling industries to become more cost-effective?
Incentives can help making it more effective in cost.
3: What are some of the indirect benefits to society and the environment from recycling?
It provides a cleaner environment with cleaner water and air making the society feel better about the environment
as it also looks cleaner.
4: Define or criticize the contention that if we really want to do something to improve the
environment through reduction of waste, we have to move beyond evaluating benefits of
recycling based simply on the fact that it may cost more than dumping waste in a landfill.
I think that we should do whatever is right no matter what the cost is. If we want to better our environment
for the future, we go to the thing that effects it directly and effectively to ensure it.
5: What are the recycling efforts in your community and university, and how could
improvements be made?
Some recycling efforts in the community is the effort of recycling plastic bottles and cans.
I can help improve by participating in the recycling by sorting my types of plastics and cans.
Summary: Suppose you found that the home you had been living in for 15 years was
located over a buried waste disposal site. What would you do? What kinds of studies
could be done to evaluate the potential problems?
First, I would do research on toxicology. I would research the transportation of the toxics and wastes into
my home. When I get enough information, I would make an effort to protest against the company. This would
create public tension on the area leading to awareness of the company. I would try to do this quick however,
as I would most likely want to leave if I start seeing symptoms of the toxins.
1: What are some of the ways that ocean pollution has affected ocean life?
Death of the life and reproductive problems.
2: Why are the marine waters of Europe in trouble?
Pollutants from agriculture have risen the nutrient concentration in the water causing an algal bloom.
3: Why is the microlayer of the ocean considered to be so important?
The micro layer contains high concentration of the deep oceans.
23.14: Pollution Prevention
1: What are the steps of ocean pollution prevention?
- Purchase only the right amount of materials
- Make better use of the materials
- Better engineering to prevent ocean pollution.
23.15: Sustainable Resource Management
1: What is the R to C Ratio- What does it tell us?
It is the ration of reserves to the rate of consumption. It shows how long we have to finding solutions
on our loss of non renewable resources.
Read: Can We Make Recycling a Financially Viable Industry?
Answer the following:
1: What can be done about the global problem of e-waste? Could more be recycled
safely?
We could stop the movement of our e-waste ti the other countries. Even though it is costly, I think that
we should recycle instead of polluting the other countries.
2: What can be done to assist recycling industries to become more cost-effective?
Incentives can help making it more effective in cost.
3: What are some of the indirect benefits to society and the environment from recycling?
It provides a cleaner environment with cleaner water and air making the society feel better about the environment
as it also looks cleaner.
4: Define or criticize the contention that if we really want to do something to improve the
environment through reduction of waste, we have to move beyond evaluating benefits of
recycling based simply on the fact that it may cost more than dumping waste in a landfill.
I think that we should do whatever is right no matter what the cost is. If we want to better our environment
for the future, we go to the thing that effects it directly and effectively to ensure it.
5: What are the recycling efforts in your community and university, and how could
improvements be made?
Some recycling efforts in the community is the effort of recycling plastic bottles and cans.
I can help improve by participating in the recycling by sorting my types of plastics and cans.
Summary: Suppose you found that the home you had been living in for 15 years was
located over a buried waste disposal site. What would you do? What kinds of studies
could be done to evaluate the potential problems?
First, I would do research on toxicology. I would research the transportation of the toxics and wastes into
my home. When I get enough information, I would make an effort to protest against the company. This would
create public tension on the area leading to awareness of the company. I would try to do this quick however,
as I would most likely want to leave if I start seeing symptoms of the toxins.