P3POLLUTION PREVENTION POST VOLUmE 1 - ISSUE 1 · P3 POLLUTION PREVENTION POST VOLUmE 1 - ISSUE 1...
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POLLUTION PREVENTION POST YOUR NEWS & INFORMATION SOURCE ABOUT : RECYCLING, POLLUTION PREVENTION, LESS TOXIC PRODUCTS P 3 VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 1 FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD. ZERO WASTE - YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN! Have you ever heard the statement, “We are running out of oil?” In the past few years the question of whether the “Peak Oil” phenomenon is real, and the timing of its occurrence, has been well debated in many articles, magazines, and Internet sites. What is peak oil? Peak oil has been defined as the date when the peak of the world’s petroleum (crude oil) production rate is reached. Peak Oil is not the same as running out of oil. It means the end of cheap, plentiful oil. When the easy to reach oil is gone, oil exploration will continue - but it will be much more expensive, difficult, and likely to harm environ- mentally sensitive areas. How will peak oil affect everyday life? Any process, activity, or product that requires petroleum will become increasingly more expensive the more we move beyond peak oil production. Right now, we feel the beginnings of this trend at the gas pump. However, much more than our personal commute is affected by oil supply and demand. Modern societies and the global economy are based on cheap oil. This is particularly true in the United States. The US, once the world’s largest exporter of the black oozy goo, now only controls 2% of the world’s reserve - and it uses 25% of today’s worldwide production. 1 More than 80% of all oil extracted from the earth goes into fuel for our cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships. It also plays a key role in a broad scope of products and services we use every day: plastic containers and moldings of almost every type imaginable, nylon and synthetic fab- rics in your clothing, computer and other electronic components, tires, brushes, makeup, pens, candles, and more. We even use petroleum by-products in the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow our food crops. Our demand for these Peak Oil CONTENTS 23rd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day 2 10 Things You Can Do to Stop Marine Debris 2 Coastal Cleanup Day in San Mateo County 3 Re-Charge It! 4 continued on page 4 Can Motor Oil Be Recycled? YES! Used Oil is very recyclable. Oil doesn’t wear out; it just gets dirty from heavy metals, dust, and grime from your engine. Used motor oil can be re-refined or processed into fuel oil. Re-refining used oil takes 50 to 80 percent less energy than refining crude oil. There are over 65 collection centers throughout San Mateo County that take used motor oil, for free. To find a collection center near you: Look for the Used Oil Collection Center Sign at local service shops and auto parts stores Log on to www.1800cleanup.org or call 1-800-CLEANUP • • • • • 1 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/a_crude_awakeni.php
Transcript of P3POLLUTION PREVENTION POST VOLUmE 1 - ISSUE 1 · P3 POLLUTION PREVENTION POST VOLUmE 1 - ISSUE 1...
POLLUTION PREVENTION POSTYOUR NEWS & INFORMATION SOURCE ABOUT : RECYCLING, POLLUTION PREVENTION, LESS TOXIC PRODUCTS P3 VOLUmE 1 - ISSUE 1
FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD. zERO WASTE - YOU MAkE IT HAppEN!
Have you ever heard the statement, “We are running out of oil?”
In the past few years the question of whether the “peak Oil” phenomenon is real, and the timing of its occurrence, has been well debated in many articles, magazines, and Internet sites.
What is peak oil? peak oil has been defined as the date when the peak of the world’s petroleum
(crude oil) production rate is reached. peak Oil is not the same as running out of oil. It means the end of cheap, plentiful oil. When the easy to reach oil is gone, oil exploration will continue - but it will be much more expensive, difficult, and likely to harm environ-mentally sensitive areas.
How will peak oil affect everyday life?Any process, activity, or product that requires petroleum will become increasingly
more expensive the more we move beyond peak oil production. Right now, we feel the beginnings of this trend at the gas pump.
However, much more than our personal commute is affected by oil supply and demand. Modern societies and the global economy are based on cheap oil. This is particularly true in the United States. The US, once the world’s largest exporter of the black oozy goo, now only controls 2% of the world’s reserve - and it uses 25% of today’s worldwide production.1
More than 80% of all oil extracted from the earth goes into fuel for our cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships. It also plays a key role in a broad scope of products and services we use every day: plastic containers and moldings of almost every type imaginable, nylon and synthetic fab-rics in your clothing, computer and other electronic components, tires, brushes, makeup, pens, candles, and more. We even use petroleum by-products in the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow our food crops. Our demand for these
Peak Oil
CONTENTS 23rd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day 2
10 Things You Can Do to Stop marine Debris 2
Coastal Cleanup Day in San mateo County 3
Re-Charge It! 4continued on page 4
Can motor Oil Be Recycled?
YES! Used Oil is very recyclable. Oil doesn’t wear out; it just gets dirty from heavy metals, dust, and grime from your engine.
Used motor oil can be re-refined or processed into fuel oil. Re-refining used oil takes 50 to 80 percent less energy than refining crude oil. There are over 65 collection centers throughout San Mateo County that take used motor oil, for free.
To find a collection center near you:
Look for the Used Oil Collection Center Sign at local service shops and auto parts stores Log on to www.1800cleanup.org or call 1-800-CLEANUp
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2006 COASTAL CLEANUP DAY AT THORNTON BEACH IN DALY CITY
POLLUTION PREVENTION POST V O L U m E 1 - I SS U E 1 PA GE 2P3
23rd Annual California Coastal Cleanup DaySaturday, September 15, 2007 9am to noon
Coastal Cleanup Day is a volunteer event focused on cleaning up the marine environment. As the single largest one-day cleanup event in the world, Inter-national Coastal Cleanup Day has seen some impressive results in terms of the number of volunteers and the amount of debris cleaned up.
Last year alone, San Mateo County picked up over 20,000 pounds of trash off of local beaches, creeks and the Bay with 60% more volunteers from the year before. Funded by the California Coastal Commission and big sponsors like Whole Foods, we hope to pick up even more de-bris items with more volunteers in 2007!
By picking up cigarette butts, plastic bags, tires, bottles, and other miscel-laneous items, we prevent the litter from making its way to the ocean via storm drains and watersheds where it endan-gers marine animals and the environ-ment.
You can participate in a cleanup!
On Saturday, September 15, 2007, join your friends, family, students, service groups, and neighbors to take care of your own environment, show community support, learn about the impacts of litter, and have fun!
The San Mateo Countywide Water pol-lution prevention program is helping to coordinate the California Coastal Cleanup in San Mateo County. All you have to do is pick a local cleanup location from the list on page 3, show up, and cleanup! All ma-terials will be handed out when you arrive at 9 a.m. and the cleanup goes until noon. For directions to locations and more information go to www.flowstobay.org or contact the local site captain (page 3).
10 Things You Can Do to Stop marine Debris
1. JOIN the California Coastal Cleanup, visit www.flowstobay.org for site loca-tions in San Mateo County.
2. CLEAN UP YOUR TRASh, even when not near the water. It’s amazing that a vast majority of trash in our waterways comes from land based activities. Even
trash discarded miles inland can make it to the ocean, washed there by the rain and the winds.
3. DON’T LEAVE FIShING LINE in the water and remove others’ when you find it...being careful not to tug on snagged lines that could be caught on important things below the surface.
4. Contain and properly CLEAN SPILLS WhEN BOATING. Use oil-absorbent rags or even diapers to clean spills. The Boating Clean & Green Campaign www.coastal.ca.gov/ccbn/ccbndx.html can provide you with plenty of tips for reduc-ing your impact when on the water.
5. RECYCLE used motor oil and oil filters. San Mateo County has 65 free drop-off sites at local auto parts, gas stations, and oil changing stations. Call 650-363-4305, or visit www.smhealth.org/hhw for a list of locations. Never pour
continued on page3
2006 Clean-up Day Totals
358,617Number of volunteers worldwide that participated in International Coastal
Cleanup Day
1/3Fraction of total United States
volunteers who are Californians.
25percent of total debris items picked
up that were cigarette butts
989,646Total pounds of trash picked up in
2006 in California alone.
38percent of all animals found
entangled during 2006 Coastal Cleanup that were birds
1,644Number of volunteers who
participated in San Mateo County
POLLUTION PREVENTION POST V O L U m E 1 - I SS U E 1 PA GE 3P3
oil, paint, antifreeze, or other household chemical into an open sewer.
6. FIND ALTERNATIVES to household chemicals. Don’t use fertilizers, pesti-cides, and herbicides that can wash into open waters. For less toxic alternatives for pest and gardening problems, visit www.ourwaterourworld.org.
7. BECOME A STORM DRAIN SENTRY. Stencil your local drains to remind people where the things that end up in storm drains go...and of the potential consequences.
8. USE REUSABLE BAGS FOR GROCERIES. Take them with you when you shop to reduce the number of plastic bags you use. In addition to being ugly, plastic bags can choke marine wildlife when mistaken for food. Don’t have one? To get a FREE reusable fold-up bag, email [email protected] or call 650-599-1634, to get one while supplies last.
9. PROPERLY DISPOSE of used batteries and electronics. Find a local recycling center at www.recycleworks.org. Electronics leach harmful chemicals into the environment. Once there, these toxic pollutants can take a long time to go away.
10. CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REP-RESENTATIVES. Let them know you care about marine debris and that you are watching what they do to stop it. Then, vote for candidates who support marine debris prevention.
10 Things You Can Do continued from page 2
City Location Contact
Belmont Belmont Creek Jozi plut (650) 595-7425 [email protected]
Brisbane Brisbane Lagoon Russ Carmick (415) 508-2143 [email protected]
Burlingame Burlingame Bayfront Muriel Carrieri (650) 342-3727 [email protected]
Daly City Thornton State Beach David & Shelly Sondergeld (650) 756-4530 [email protected]
East palo Alto San Francisquito Creek Ryan Navratil (650) 961-1035 x310 [email protected] http://www.SanFrancisquito.org
Half Moon Bay pillar point Harbor Aaron Tinker (650) 364-2760, x16 [email protected]
Half Moon Bay San Gregorio State Beach Niel panton (650) 726-2499 [email protected]
Half Moon Bay Roosevelt / Dunes State Beach Jennifer Bueno (650) 404-3301 [email protected]
Half Moon Bay Francis State Beach Jenine Beecher (650) 508-2330 [email protected]
Half Moon Bay Tunitas Creek Surfrider Foundation www.surfridersmc.org
Miramar Mirada Surf Stephen kraemer (650) 879-0238 [email protected]
Montara Montara Beach kevin & Wendy Stokes [email protected]
pacifica Esplanade Beach Lynn Adams (650) 355-1668 [email protected]
pacifica pacifica State Beach/ Linda Mar Lynn Adams (650) 355-1668 [email protected]
pacifica South Esplanade Beach Lynn Adams (650) 355-1668 [email protected]
pacifica Sharp park Beach Lynn Adams (650) 355-1668 [email protected]
pacifica Rockaway Beach Lynn Adams (650) 355-1668 [email protected]
pacifica San pedro Creek Watershed Lynn Adams (650) 355-1668 [email protected]
pescadero pescadero State Beach Gregory Bahr (650) 879-0299 [email protected]
Redwood City Bair Island Jocelyn Gretz (510) 452-9261 [email protected] http://www.saveSFbay.org
Redwood City Cordilleras Creek Barbara patterson (650) 701-0630 [email protected] http://www.CordilerasCreek.og
San Carlos pulgas Creek and Brittain Creek Barbara patterson (650) 701-0630 [email protected] http://www.CordilerasCreek.og
San Mateo San Mateo Bayfront and San Mateo Creek
Roxanne Murray (650) 522-7346 [email protected]
Coastal Cleanup Day in San mateo County
Peak Oil continued from page 1
POLLUTION PREVENTION POST V O L U m E 1 - I SS U E 1 PA GE 4P3
pUBLISHED BY SAN MATEO COUNTY ENvIRONMENTAL HEALTH (650) 363-4305 WWW.SMHEALTH.ORG/HHW
products continues to increase. And the world’s most populous nations, India and China, have only just begun to increase their demand for crude oil.
What Can We Do Today?At the highest levels of government
and businesses, some changes are be-ing made to support alternatives to our current dependence on petroleum. For instance, the federal Energy Bill contains incentives for renewable energy technol-ogy development - helping to make solar, wind, and biofuels (such as ethanol and biodiesel) available to the average citi-zen. Similarly, the Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) contains funding to promote walkable communities and improve pub-lic transportation. And at the state level, California is leading the way in energy conservation, cleaner transportation, and other environmental programs.
On a personal level, you can start making a difference now by conserving oil. There are many small changes you can make:
At home —
Replace high-wattage light bulbs with energy efficient onesUse the sun to supply you with hot water, warm air, or electricityReduce your heating and cooling needs by insulating visit pG&E at www.pge.com for more ideas and rebate information
At the store —
Shop locally, for locally made food, clothing, and household itemsBuy organic food and recycled-con-tent productspick products that don’t come with lots of plastic packaging
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We all use batteries at home and work - lots of them. In California, we buy over 500 million household batteries (anything smaller than a car battery). They power our cell phones, lap tops, ipods, hand tools, toys, and more. And that’s a problem, since household batteries contain heavy metals and cannot be sent to the landfill.
If we can’t throw them out, how can we handle this big problem that comes in a tiny toxic package? Your local garbage company and County hazard-ous waste program work together to collect and recycle these batteries. But even with curbside collection and other conveniences, less than 1% get recycled now. So clearly we need to increase awareness, to recycle more, and especially to find ways to use fewer batteries to meet our growing needs for portable power.
Re-Charge It!
When you need plastics, look for items made from corn-based plasticBring a reusable bag to carry your purchases home
On the road —
Live closer to where you work, shop and playDrive the most fuel-efficient car you canCarpool whenever possibleRide your bicycleTake the bus, BART, or CaltrainRecycle your car’s used motor oil
Although these actions may seem small to you, they add up quickly when we all do what we can. And they create support for better laws, better products, and more livable communities we can enjoy today and provide to our children tomorrow.
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While using devices that don’t require batteries (like a wind-up watch) is a great solution, they can be difficult to find these days. Chances are that you are using a different solution — without even thinking about it. Every time you plug in your cell phone, laptop, or cordless power tools, you are recharging the battery. Some can be recharged up to a thousand
times; and most last two to five years. If you had to replace that battery each time, you would use up hundreds of them — what an expensive waste!
But what about those items you buy that don’t come with batteries included? Every time you buy a bat-tery for one, you have a decision to make: single-use battery, or recharge-able. Many stores that sell household batteries now carry the rechargeable types, and the charging stations, too. And when the rechargeable battery eventually wears out, you can take it back to any store that sells them, for free and safe recycling. (It’s the law, in California.)
By spending a little more for your home rechargeable battery set-up today, in the long run you will save time, money, and make your local community a safer, healthier place to live. That’s an investment you can get charged up about!
