Thursday, April 19, 2012

Issue 1: Harmful Waste

Harmful Waste

Waste is a byproduct of chemical, industrial, and mechanical processes at places such as factories, power plants, and restaurants. There is both hazardous waste, and non-hazardous waste, but both are a problem to the marine ecosystem.

  • - Consumer consumption has gone up more and more each year.
  • - More products = more waste; it’s an increasing problem
  • - Attracts insects, rodents, scavengers, sickness, etc.
  • - Damages ecosystems/food chains/etc
  • - A lot of waste is dumped into the ocean and is very hurtful to the species and flora that live there.
  • - Waste does not “go away”; Some products can take years to dissolve

- Hazardous waste: waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment

  • - Hazardous waste also includes chemicals, nuclear waste, and other potentially life-threatening pollutants.

- Non-Hazardous waste: solid waste (garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility, and discarded material)

  • - Lots of plans to ‘minimize’ dumping, but no definite plan.

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