Playing with Fire?
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Playing with Fire? Ben West The Wilderness Committee
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Playing with Fire?. Ben West The Wilderness Committee. When Considering Waste Management Options. What Must be on the Table?. Two Things You Need to Know about. Nanoparticles Biogenic Carbon . There are toxins in Garbage - Where does it go when incinerated?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Playing with Fire?
Playing with Fire?
Ben WestThe Wilderness Committee
When Considering Waste Management Options
What Must be on the Table?
Two Things You Need to Know about
•Nanoparticles •Biogenic Carbon
There are toxins in Garbage - Where does it go when incinerated?
Scrubbers are used to reduce air pollution
But they still create a “Landfill in the Sky”
New Concern of Nanoparticles
Particles the size of a virus
Climate Change
International Day for Climate Action 2009 – Vancouver
Context: “carbon free” by 2050The UN IPCC says we must cut CO2 emissions almost entirely by 2050 in Canada
Metro Vancouver has already committed to do this
We have a responsibility to lead
Not just about Polar Bears
Impact already being felt
Disproportionate Impacts
Where are the CO2 emissions in our garbage coming from?
Lets talk about “Biogenic” CO2
If You Don’t Count Biogenic Carbon WTE looks like the best option
Should we count Biogenic CO2?
Increasing Calls for Awareness
Isn’t it Carbon Neutral?
1 Hectare of Rainforest a Second
At least 90 years to absorb CO2
What does the IPCC Say About Biogenic CO2 from Incineration?
So instead of Magical disappearing CO2
We should agree that this is the fair way to represent CO2 from WTE
Over all waste incineration is worse for the climate than a coal fired power plant
2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) Report
Would you build a coal fired power plant in your city?
More CO2 than Natural Gas even without counting biogenic CO2
Therefore this isn’t a reduction in emissions for district heating
even if you don’t count the biogenic CO2
Its not actually a choice. Even if you stop using the landfill tomorrow landfill CO2 dissipation takes 20 - 25 years
If we put all the organics back in the soil then the WTE emissions look like this no
matter how you count it
Isn’t this better?
Composting is the answer
If Nova Scotia can ban organics from landfill so can we…
Plastics – not an energy solution a design problem
The World Changes Fast! We should focus on design for re-use
and recycling
“Feeding the Beast”
“Act to outlaw the international
export of British Columbia’s
garbage and landfill waste.”
BC Throne Speech 2010
Why Are we even talking about this?
Isn’t pollution and CO2 another form of exporting our waste?
Give the The Next Generation a Chance to Lead the Way
Start with this…
and this…
Green Jobs = A Better World for Everyone
Ben WestHealthy Communities Campaigner
Thank You
