Let's Talk Trash!

* Fresno Country recycling directory
<http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/4510/4360/misc/2007FresnoCountyRecyclingDirectory.pdf>



*Public Education
Teachers in public and private schools throughout Fresno County can request solid waste educational assistance with classroom presentations, tours of the American Avenue Landfill, teachers workshops, and other resources, free of charge. Literature addressing a variety of ways to manage solid waste is available to the public upon request. Speakers are also available to address civic and community groups regarding solid waste issues.For additional information, contact the Resources Division at 262-4259.




*AMERICAN AVENUE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL, Fresno County
Located approximately five miles southwest of the City of Kerman and is 440 acres. It is estimated that the landfill will be able to continue operation until 2031 when it will be full and will have to be closed.

<http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb5/tentative/0504/AmercianAvenue/amer-buff.pdf>

<http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/PublicUtilities/SolidWaste/Additional+Services/Landfill.htm>



*Local Enforcement Agency
The purpose of the Fresno County Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) is to protect the health, safety and well-being of the public and to preserve and improve the quality of the environment by assuring proper storage and disposal of solid waste; to minimize the presence of vectors related to solid waste handling and disposal methods; and to respond to public complaints relating to the accumulation, storage, collection, processing and disposal of solid waste in Fresno County.

<http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/CommunityHealth/EnvironmentalHealth/SolidWaste/#P29_3703>






Videos

E-Waste in India - Short documentary
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5944615355863607664




UC Davis NewsWatch: Landfill Gas I
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3092869608850641627

Kyoto Protocol Summary

The Kyoto Protocol was established in 1997. This was different from any other environmental contract because it not only promoted the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but it demanded action. Any country that adopted this agreement was then committed to the cause and most countries did, with the exception of the United States and Australia.
The Protocol gives developed countries five years to reduce their GHG to a specified amount and it is enforced by the United Nations. There is added pressure for developed countries because they caused more of the problem and they have more money to help rectify the situation. The program does have some flexibility to help countries reach their goal and three of examples include Emissions Trading, Joint Implementation and a Clean Development Mechanism. These aids allow countries to trade credits according to programs that they design to help lower emissions. Both developing and developed countries can benefit from this process.
According to a recent study, there is a direct correlation between human influences and the way our climate has changed. The Kyoto Protocol is a great step forward in reducing emissions. Many countries have worked hard achieve their goal. This first agreement expires in 2012 and a new plan needs to be worked out by then. This will help keep the world’s awareness of environmental issues up and GHG emissions down.

SF oil Spill

On November 8th, a heavy duty fuel bunker spilled oil into the bay leaving the coast and sand in disastrous conditions. Among the victims where many of the local birds, leaving many of them dead along the coastline. About 58,000 gallons were spilled into the bay when a container ship called the "Cosco Busan" rammed the bay bridge at about 8:30 AM. The coast guard initially thought that only about 150 gallons had been spilled into the bay but by night fall they realized it was more like 58,000. The coast guard is being questioned about the response time and the first estimate about the spillage. Beaches like Baker Beach, Point Isabel and Fort point have been closed due to contamination. A pungent oil smell can be smelled on the beach.

How to Teach Evolution

The national battle over how to teach evolution. In Dover, Pennsylvania, where the school board had voted to teach both evolution and competing theories, eight of the nine board members were up for reelection, and all eight were defeated. Meanwhile, in federal court the trial over the issue ended, with a decision expected by early January. In Kansas, a different course. The conservative majority on the state board of education opened the way for teaching intelligent design along with evolution. Evolution, the theory that all organisms descended from a common ancestor, is widely accepted as a cornerstone of biology. Kansas will now also permit other ideas, including intelligent design. It holds that some biology is so complex that it could only be the result of design. No designer is mentioned, but critics say intelligent design is disguised creationism, a religious view.

THE ROAD TO KYOTO

I wish the pages were in order, because I had to go over and read it twice before class. The USA, Australia, Monaco, and Liechtenstein was not in the Kyoto Protocol. As of December 11, 1997, the Kyoto Protocol had two important things: one was the greenhouse emission that targets the developed countires. The second thing was to trade value in money of $10 billion and the trading of the six most important greenhouse gases. 2008-2012 is the first target of treaty, which the carbon budget of 8 percent less in 1990 in the European Union. Which the United States is one of the 7% less. Australia, has a 8% greater budget. Ninety percent of Australia's electricity is genarated by burning coal. Here are some of the so-called developing nations; Korea, China, India, and Brazil. the developing nations were not bound by it, yet it proved to be an outstanding accomplishment in tackling the danger presented by the ozone hole.

Summary: Kyoto Protocol

On December 11, 1997 a conference was held in the City of Kyoto to discuss the ways to reduce the emmissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate changes in the world. Those countries that have agreed to participate in the effort to reduce gases have rules and regulations on the emmssions one country could emit, some countries more than others. SOme countries earn "carbon dollars" and could share with another country in return for something valuable. In my opinion, the Kyoto protocol is a step in the right direction to help clean up our air and stop global warming. Even the U.S haas not become part of the protocol, we are the primary consumers consuming 25% of the world's natural resources but only having 5% of the world's population. We as inhabitants must make a sacrifcice in order to achieve a desired outcome.

San Francisco Oil Spill

ASSOCIATED PRESS
10:23 a.m. November 19, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO – Ten members of Congress including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are in San Francisco seeking answers on the recent oil spill.
The chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation tells The Associated Press his number one goal is to figure out how the spill happened November 7th, and the Coast Guard's performance.
Cummings says the Coast Guard took on more national-security duties such as protecting ports after September 11th. He tells A-P he wants to determine whether the Coast Guard is now stretched too thin to respond to disasters such as the spill.
Cummings also wants to study the possibility of requiring double hulls on the fuel tanks of cargo ships, and the possibililty of requiring the Coast Guard to more actively manage vessel traffic in waterways.

Global warming and the kyoto protocol

Harold Sun


A UN climate conference has agreed on a blueprint for fighting global warming and warned governments have only a few years to avert some of the worst effects.
Delegates at the 130-nation talks stood and applauded at the end of the meeting in Valencia, Spain, yesterday.
Delegates agreed on a 20-page summary on Friday about the mounting risk of climate change.
"This is the strongest report yet by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), but says that there is still time to act," said Australian climate scientist Bill Hare.
The document will put pressure on environment ministers, who meet next month in Bali, to agree a two-year plan on how to negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the main UN plan for fighting warming until 2012.
"The report sends a very strong signal to Bali," said Hans Verolme, director of the World Wildlife Fund conservation group's climate change program. "Now it's up to the politicians."
Kyoto sets binding goals only for cutting greenhouse gases in 36 nations. Australia, the US and developing nations led by China have not agreed to Kyoto.
The IPCC report says human activity is "very likely" to cause rising temperatures, and that deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to avert more heatwaves, melting glaciers, extinctions and rising sea levels.
Climate change, population growth and biofuel demand mean food prices will keep rising, making the world's poorest even more vulnerable, warns UN World Food Program boss Josette Sheeran.
"Many people are simply being priced out of the food market," Ms Sheeran said.

Russian Oil Spill

Residue from a large oil spill in the Black Sea region will take more than a month and a half to completely clear, Russian officials said Thursday.
The Ministry for Emergency Situations. ministry said improved weather was helping the effort to clear the spill, which environmentalists fear could damage the area for years.
About 2,000 workers are being called on to clean up the oil which has washed up over the past few days
Watch this video on cnn.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/15/russia.spill/index.html?section=cnn_latest