Generally people do not think about how much they waste as a human. As they go through their daily routine, they rarely stop to think about the things that they waste on a daily. Recently, the amount of waste humans create on a daily basis has been unbearably overwhelming. The United states is running out of ways to dispose of all the waste humans create. Waste is an issue that causes many problematic issues in the world, that has longing effects. Many individuals must realize that waste is a huge issue and one must be conservative to manage waste.
Waste has been a problem in America since the 20th century. It is a proven fact that some cultures before us were very wasteful. Various Mayan sites show a strong demonstration of this statement.
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People are even letting it build up on things that we should have more respect for like our memorials, and mountains. For example, Mount Everest is one of the most famous memorials and mountains American citizens climb. Recently, the mountain has started to become unsafe. “Human waste left by climbers has caused pollution and threatened to spread disease on the world’s highest peak” (“Nepal”). This is a problem that has been building up over various years. Seeing that there is not always an available restroom for climbers to use, they have to urinate and poop wherever they can. Some of the climbers try different methods, such as building holes to use the bathroom in, but this does not help. Another example of abusing the environment, would be trying to use Yucca Mountain in Nevada as a decomposer for our nuclear waste. There was fifteen billion dollars invested into making this mountain a storage for our nuclear waste, but various residents of Nevada opposed to this decision. They felt that this method was unsafe for everyone, regardless of how many miles away from the city the mountain was. This project was put to a halt, when Obama became president. He pulled all the funding for the project because he felt that the citizens of Nevada should continue to feel safe in their own home towns. Although this was Obama’s approach, President Trump is currently trying to regain funding for the project. Representatives from …show more content…
E- waste, an electronic waste, is polluting local ecosystems and is leaving lots of toxic waste for residents to clean up. This may not seem like a danger, but this exposes them to a cocktail of cancer-inducing and hormone- disrupting chemicals. This environmental problem started off being a major problem in Europe and U.K. “Dannoritzer unveils the alarming statistic that 67% of European e-waste never makes it to a recycling plant, and uncovering a disturbing shadow economy that sees 50% of UK e-waste being sold on the black market”(Doherty). This type of toxic waste is slowly starting to evolve and shape American ecosystem in a negative way. Lai Yun, a Greenpeace China activist, started investigations the route of e-waste containers that make their way to mainland China. There he discovered that, “Illicit microchips,intended to be sold on the black market, at acquired through “burn-and-sniff” sorting and acid bath separation techniques.” (Doherty). Another example would be solid waste. Solid waste would be classified as all the food and luxury items that humans try to dispose of. As a country, we take advantage of our resources and abuse our luxuries. Traditional waste disposal is no longer effective. Solid waste causes a lot of sewage waste. That is the root of the problem for a variety of the farm waste. Consumers all over America state that they are were unaware to everything that is going on. They
In the United States, we often times take many things for granted. One out of many the examples are our resources. We have so many things available to us that we occasionally do not even think about how, or where we got them. Like food, The United States has some of the richest soil in the world, so as a result, we are able to grow a lot of our food. Right along with water, we have fairly easy accesses to water, which allows us to grow high yield crops. We have all types of clothing available to us; whereas many other countries may not have any way to even get clothing. Take gas, for example, it is such a valuable thing we have as a society, but do we ever think about where that gas came from and how it got there? Most people do not. Nevertheless, there are places in this world that people may not even have cars available, yet alone gas. If one were to ask someone who lives in the United States if we are a nation of excess, they would most likely say yes. In present society, especially here in the United States, we waste a lot of things that many people in the United States, and in other parts of the world would die for. Food, water, clothes, gas, the list goes on and on with things that we waste in the U.S., but why is it that Americans waste so much? Americans waste large amounts of food, clothing, money, and numerous other items, simply because we are a wasteful society.
Even though electronic waste contributes one percent of waste as discussed earlier, it poses a significant threat to the environment. “RCRA does not, however, cover electronic waste except CRTs, nor does it regulate electronic devices donated for educational or charitable reuse.” The RCRA should implement rules to govern e-waste because e-waste not only affects lives in the United States, It affects everyone globally. E-waste typically finds its ways out of the United States and ends up in developing countries like
Electronic waste, or any waste for that matter is an inevitable part of an economic system where the destruction of an ecosystem is the primarily source of resources that are used to create the product. The waste that occurs from this process has to be disposed of in some way and more often than not, it is disposed of carelessly with out consideration to the affect it would have on the environment or the very people that create and let capitalism live on, “The political economy approach also defers progress on environmental issues to a pint after economic ones are solved” (Robbins et al. 2010, 114). And if this continues there may be no place left for the excess waste created by capitalism.
Waste Not, Want Not: if you use a resource carefully and without extravagance, you will never be in need. In a 2009 essay, “Waste Not, Want Not”, writer Bill McKibben argues on the excess of unnecessary waste. To halt climate change, he proposes to convince the reader to shift priorities in waste management and go back to the frugality of simpler times. Bill approaches his argument with a vast amount of informative charged words to convince the reader into taking his side of the argument. The writer’s intended purpose in writing this piece is to make a statement and develop his argument against the unnecessary waste. To make this argument effective, the writer utilizes logic to persuade the audience with overwhelming data and reason. His primary instrument of choice in this essay is using logically charged words followed by factual evidence to back up his claims. Although his use of emotion and pathos are less obvious, but where used, is effective.
In today’s world, “the U.S. manages to produce a quarter of the world’s waste despite the fact that its population of 300 million is less than 5% of the world’s population, according to 2005 estimates (Malone).” In other words, countries like China and India, which represent 37 percent of the world’s population combined, produce less waste than the United States alone. Many people believe that just by throwing away trash in each correct bin will help the recycling process. Almost every city in Los Angeles County has a different trash bin for different usage i.e. greenery, plastic, and cardboard. These trash bins are extremely effective when it comes to recycling plastic, however what happens after the bin has been collected is more important.
Plastic pollution negatively affects America’s future. The origin of this environmental pollution is caused by the excessive lack of ethics that human beings have. Many times, people throw garbage on the streets, seas, etc. Not knowing that this will be severely altered the environment, and planet earth conditions. Environmental pollution is found in many places such as plastic products, cleaning products, food, animals, personal care products, and the most dangerous in the environment where the oxygen we breathe and share with other living beings (Eriksen 2013).
...n. Many American shares a common image of not living in a finite world and are used to exponential growth in almost all aspects of that a developed country would attempt to obtain positively. Though when comparing the United States to other countries around the world with the amount of garbage produced annually, we top the scales around two hundred and thirty-six million tons. Even japan, ranked third and half the size of America, has less then fifty-five million tons of garbage annually. (Forbes) As we continue to diminish our sources at alarming rate, people often forget the treatment and infrastructure required to manage all our garbage. The sad but inevitable process of wiping out forests and preserved land for more space for urban living hugely hurts not only American population but foreign companies who wish to do future international business in our country.
You know when you’re walking down the street, drinking your bottled soft drink or water; as you go to throw the bottle away in the trash, have you notice how many of the items in the trash are recyclable. Current reports show that about 80% of the trash that is thrown away is recyclable. Recycling is the third “R” of the three “R’s”: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycling is defined as taking a product or material at the end of its useful life, and turning it into a usable raw material to create another product. According to Ivanhoe Broadcast News, each year the average American family throws out 2,460 pounds of paper, 540 pounds of metals, 480 pounds of glass and 480 pounds of food scraps. In conclusion the average American throws away more than 1,200 pounds of trash per year, far more than people in most other countries. I personally think that it is ridiculous how unaware and careless people are that they can’t throw an item into a different container, so it can be recycled. To a certain extent it is not just the publics’ fault; I personally believe that the government should set up and take control of the situation. Instead of sitting around as the world becomes more polluted. I believe there are many ways that we can improve this system.
In old batteries, there is a toxic lead that is causing health problems for the Taiwan people who are disposing these batteries (Gay, 12). Space is becoming a landfill from the excess of space flights and the radioactive supplies from nuclear reactors, which could come to our atmosphere and explode (Gay, 13). When businesses run out of space to dump their toxic trash they go to poor nations because they do not have strict safety regulations (Gay, 31). The landfills on Earth are not the only place trash is getting put. The ocean is being trashed with plastic bags, soda can holders, and large fishnets, which are harming dolphins, turtles, sea lions, and others (Gay, 69). Military bases in the U.S have more hazardous waste and are responsible for contamination in soil and waters (Gay, 83). There are other hazards happening because we are throwing away so much stuff that companies have to remake all of those products. Incinerators are places where waste is burned to ashes and if we recycle these can go away. Incinerators cause sulfur dioxide, carbon m...
We have an effect on everything in our environment including the air, water, land, plants, and animals and of course, ourselves. We need a healthy environment for our own health and happiness so you can see why waste management is so important. We must carefully control the waste we create to make sure it does not harm our environment and our health. You can contribute in many ways. The most important things that you can be aware of and participate in are to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - The Three R’s. To reduce is to lessen. To reuse is to use again. To recycle is to recover raw materials and reuse them to create new products.
America and Europe are at the top of the list for most waste generated according to Waste (4). This is very visible because there’s litter on every street in the towns and cities, as well in lakes, beaches, and rivers. The book Waste by Rob Bowden states that the amount of waste produced is increasing at a rate faster than population growth. About 1.5 million computers, in the U.K, are thrown away each year and most end up in landfills. There are 3 types of waste which are Municipal Solid Waste, Industrial Waste, and Hazardous waste. MSW includes waste from public garbage cans and local dumpsters. Industrial Waste includes massive amounts of waste water that is contaminated with chemicals. Hazardous waste is the most dangerous as it presents a danger to human health and the environment. Solutions for waste disposal take time because people need to consider their lifestyle and limit the amount of waste they generate. A good start is to recycle items such as paper, cans, plastic, and clothes. This way they don’t end up in landfills, beaches, or streets. Another solution is to join organizations that go around places to recycle, or organizations that demand the reduction in the amount of products that are being
The United States produces “about 8.25 billion tons of solid wastes each year” (Russell 1). People do not realize the impact they have on our planet and environment. When people throw anything in the trashcan, they are contributing to the destruction of our planet. The number landfills in the United States are decreasing, but the amount and volume of waste being thrown into the new landfills is increasing (Russell 4). Because of this escalating amount of garbage, Methane which contributes to global warming is an outcome of these landfills (Russell 7). As a result, our planet is suffering because of this epidemic. The garbage being put in the landfills could be recycled, but not enough businesses, ...
The attitude of people towards waste has changed a lot through time, not just regarding generation of ...
The solid wastes are produce not only by households; it’s contributed by hospitals and corporations. Hospitals throw away bandages, use needles and latex gloves, these items hospitals throw away daily all the time because they can’t be reuse for the safety of its patients. Corporations throw away a lot of waste as well such as papers that they use whether in writing or in projects. All of these leftovers after consumptions are waste that is produced by our daily actions.
Thus, the litter is only beneficial to us in a moment but the consequences are incalculable. Furthermore, humans should plant, grow and keep trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, prevent soil erosion and provide habitat for all living organisms. Planting more trees to enjoy the fresh air created by plants and contribute to saving the earth. In addition, everyone ought to minimize the use of plastic bags which is very difficult to recycle and can survive in hundreds years. If a lot of used plastic bags are not handled property, they will cause tremendous consequences later. To reduce them, people should refuse to use plastic bags offered by supermarkets, instead, use long-lasting shopping bags and use paper bags or biodegradable bags. People also should use natural materials. Plant protection drugs and hazardous chemicals used in hygiene everyday are one of the causes of diseases such as Parkinson, cancer and diseases related to the brain. So why not use materials derived from natural and efficient utilization of the relationship between the struggle for survival in the wild species to control the pest. Besides, all persons should begin to utilize solar energy for use. Solar energy is clean, natural and unbridled source of energy for