test March MMar28:INTRODUCTION **Stuff Whathappenedtothestuffthatwehave(etc.)? Lifecycleanalysis Translationsofsomethingtonatureandsomethingback **BotanyofDesire Chapter1 Chapter3 Chapter4 monocultureagriculturalinteraction.notjustthat,butalsowaystoexpress culture. natureandculturearelensesforeachother. example:fireand(plantsvs.

baby) WMar30:Whatdowemakeofnature? 1.WhatisNature? nonlivingforces(gravity,heat) wearerelatedtoeverythingfromdiatomicup. itisdifficultforustorelatewithplants. 2.WhatisStuff? Distribution AnnieLeonard:5stages>Linearorcyclical? "Externalized"costswearenotpayingforwhatisbeingmade. 99%ofstuffconsumedandtrashed. Plannedobsolescence"Designeddump" Perceivedobsolescence Wehavemorestuff,butlesstime;wewatchTVandgoinacycle thegovernmentsucksupcompanies wearerunningoutofresources READING:Ryan&Durning,Stuff,pp.142 Prologue120Pounds Idontusuallythinkofmyselfasaconsumer. Istartedwonderingwherethethingsinmylifecamefrom. Coffee Coffeeistheworldssecondlargestlegalexportcommodity(afteroil)andis thesecond largestsourceofforeignexchangefordevelopingcountries. TheItemstoconsider Bagburnedgallonofgas Grinderpoweredbyelectricity Waterusedinexcess SugarPopulationshavefallenasaresult CreamLifedifficultforSalmon WastesPassedintothesewersystemandouttotheocean Newspaper TwothirdsofAmericanadultsreadanewspaperonanaverageweekday; threefourths doonaSunday. Page1

test TheItemstoconsider TreesLoggersandtheirmachinesremovedeverytreefor100acres. LoggingRoadsbutlogging,roadbuilding,andotherdisturbanceofthe watershedhavecontributedtoan80percentdeclineinsalmonoverthepast century. PulpThemillconvertedabout50percentoftheincomingwoodtopulp;therest itburnedforenergy. BleachingCausedtheproductionofcancercreatingchemicals Recyclingbladeschurnedoldpapers...15percentofitbecamsesludge,which truckershauledtoalandfill. Printingmypaperwouldeitherbecomenewspringagain,gointocardboard,or beexportedtoAsia. Tshirt TheItemstoconsider PolyesterThepolyesterinmyshirtstartedasafewtablespoonsofpetroleum. Oilrefiningpumpstonsofpollutionintotheair. Cottoncropduster;cottonstripper;cottongin DyesdyesareconsideredbytheEPAashazardous Laundrywashinganddryingwilldwarftheenergythatwentintomakingthe shirt.Launderingwillalsogeneratethevastmajorityofsolidwasteinthe shirts lifecycle,intheformofsewagesludgeanddetergentpackaging. Shoes EightypercentofathleticshoesintheU.S.arenotusedfortheirdesigned purpose. TheItemstoconsider LeatherTanningentailsa20stepprocess;vegetabletanningcantakeweeks; notfitforhumanconsumption Syntheticsmadefrompetroleumbasedchemicals. Rubberexcesssolidwaste Assemblymadeofthirdworldcheaplabor;solventfumescausedhealth problemsforsomeworkers;factorygeneratedlittlepollution. Shoeboxused10percentlesspumpthansolidcardboard. Bike(andCar) TheItemstoConsider Energy210calories(bike)vs.600(walk)vs.8000(car) Pollutionnone(bike)vs.5lb.CO2andhydrocarbonsandnitrogenoxides. Pavement12inchthickasphalt.Somebadcarsindirectlyspillovertostreams Steelbikemadeinajunkyard;removingwastegeneratedsludge IronOrecarbeganasscrap;generated8poundsoftoxicdust.Othersfar dirtier. Paintemitalmostnoairpolutionvolatileorganiccompounds;formsmog;some solventsdamagethekidneysandcentralnervoussystemandcauseasthma, confusion,andfatigue. Assemblygiant April MApr4:Nature=Stuff? READING:Ryan&Durning,Stuff,pp.4386 Page2

test Computer Itemstoconsider Electricity Chips Chippackages Circuitboards Monitor Hamburger Itemstoconsider Beef Grain Wastes Condiments Bun Packaging FrenchFries Itemstoconsider Potato Processing Freezing Cola CornSyrup Bauxite Smelting Electricity Can Conclusion ConfrontingresourceconsumptionisNorthAmericansprincipalenvironmental challenge,althoughfewrealizethisfactbecausetheimpactsofconsumptionare mostly invisibletotheconsumer. YetconsumptionontheNorthAmericanscale...cannotlast,andexpandingittoall the worldspeopleisonlyafantasy.Untilthereisashifttowardlowerresource consumption andhigherqualityoflifehere,thereislittleprospectofarrestingecological decline worldwide. Broadlyspeaking,threefactorsdeterminehowmuchasocietyconsumes:population, percapitalconsumption,andthearrayoftechnologiesituses. ANorthAmericathatprosperswithoutoverusingtheEarthasustainableNorth America isentirelypossible.Allthepiecesofthepuzzlefrombikeandtransitfriendly citiesto sustainablefarmstolowimpactlifestylesexist,scatteredalloverthecontinent. Allthat remainsisforustodotheworkofputtingthepiecestogether. WApr6:Stuff=Garbage? Page3

test Consumption 1.Population:HowMANYofus? 2.Wealth:HowmuchCANweconsume? 3.Awareness:HOWdoweconsume? Lifecycle Extraction Production Distribution Consumption Disposal externalizedcosts 20%76.6% 60%21.9% 20%1.5% AmphibiousAssault FreshKill Externalizedcosts page43:"TheEPArequireslandfillownerstomonitortheirsites..." Wetlandsareafilteraswell(hownaturecleans) However,itonlycoversasmallpartoftheproblem Aldersonwasaproblemforpeoplethough Satan'sResin Beveragecompanies Theyweretryingtopackagethings blamingconsumersfortheproblem dealingwithproblemsthatcomebesidesadvertisement 1thru7 littletriangledeceptive;littlerecycledatall plasticversatileinourcycle;also,itisimpossibletogetridof endsupinorganismsasnurdles Externalizedcosts(becauseitisdesignedtoproducenewratherthanproduceold) havetocreateanewinfrastructuretobuiltupnewstuff AnnieLeonardSatan'sResinsaysthatplasticharmspeople READING(fromElizabethRoyte,GarbageLand): Chap.2(AmphibiousAssault) Tokeepdownvermin,birds,andodors,heburieditwithsoilthathe'ddugoutto make roomforhaulslandfill. Ablanketofdirtdidn'tprotectgroundwaterfromcontaminatedmoisture,called leachate, seepingthroughthegarbage,anditdidn'tcontrolofcaptureleakinglandfill gases,which aretoxic. Asillegaldumps,fewerbutlargeregionallandfillswereinaugurated. FreshKillshadbeenthelargestcitylandfillinthecountry. Theresidentnaturalist,CarlAlderson,knewalotaboutthegrass. 1929,theCrystalWaterCompanybeganbottlingandsellingspringwatersthat meandereddowntowardthesea. Page4

test WhentheEPAbeganexamininglandfillimpactsinthe1980s,it"drytomb" philosophyof landfillconstruction,whichfocusedonisolatinggarbagefromitsimmediate surroundings. There'soneproblemwithdrytomblandfills:plasticcoversandlinersbreak. Thesocalledbioreactormethodisjusttheoppositeofthedrytomb,callingfor leachatetobecollectedandthenrepeatedlyinjectedbackintothegarbage. Leakdetectionlinersdoexist,buttheyareveryexpensiveand,saidLee, "Nooneusesthem." mosthouseholdgarbageissealedinsideplasticbags,whichgetcompressedbybig machinesbutnotalwaysrippedopen. Despiteengineeringefforts,ancientstreamsandchannelsstillrunthroughthe former claypitsandtwiceadaytidesstillflushescapingleachateintoNewYorkHarbor. Aldersonwassanguineaboutallthis.Hejudgedthemarsh'shealthbyits productivity, whichhemeasuredbycolonizationofbenthicinvertebrates,likeribbedmussels,by colonialwaddingbirds,andbyfish. InAlderson'sperfectworld,allthewaterwaysaroundthelandfill,where ecologically appropriate,wouldbeplantedwithsaltmarshvegetation. AsanitationsedanwasparkedonthelowestcontourofSection3/4. Test

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