The four things you will learn today

1
The four things you will learn today

• The world population is growing
• We need to use less materials and energy
• Recycling can help with (2)
• The State of Utah has incentives to promote
  recycling
• Elisabeth Cohen, Governors Energy Advisors
  Office

2
Yesterday (January 23, 2009) 943 PM
6,755,848,475 people live on Earth!
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The world population is increasing rapidly.
4
The U.S. is consuming more than necessary.
5
Our goal is to cut consumption!
6
Modern, industrial economies use 100,000-187,000
pounds of natural resources per person per year

• How many grocery bags per week of stuff do you
  think you consume?
• The weekly per capita (person) equivalent of 300
  grocery bags filled with materials.

This conclusion was reached in a comprehensive
resource flow study of Germany, Japan, the
Netherlands, and the United States titled
Resource Flows The Material Basis of Industrial
Economies
7
Creating products takes Energy!

• We do not have much energy to spare
• Currently, as the population grows, demand for
  goods and energy grows
• Most of Utahs energy does not come from
  renewable resources.
• Utahs renewable resources industry is growing
  (wind, solar, geothermal, hydro power)

8
Can recycling help the planet?

• Instead of creating new products from scratch,
  recycling can help reduce energy consumption
• Recycling paper reduces the need to cut down
  trees to make paper products
• The growth of forests helps to reduce greenhouse
  gases in the atmosphere

9
Recycling aluminum cuts energy use by 96 versus
using virgin ore.
http//www.devon.gov.uk/recycle-metalani.gif
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• Recycling can help reduce the amount of energy we
  use!
• 120 million tons of materials are recycled in the
  United States every year
• city or town programs
• auto recycling
• construction
• demolition recycling
• The amount of energy saved by recycling is equal
  to the total electricity demand of the United
  States for almost 4 months.

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How can we make recycling even better for the
planet?
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What Utah is doing to improve recycling in our
state?

• Utah state income tax credit is given to those
  who purchase equipment that is part of the
  recycling process
• An example in Utah
• Steel production (Brigham City, UT)
• We attract waste steel

13
Instead of crushing cars, it is more efficient to
use the steel (74) and cost effective to recycle
the metal.
Image http//www.worldsteel.org/gallery/albums/13
/f0205e10eae0cc2ac7e0ae12d5eb7551.jpg

• Image www.greentechnolog.com/recycle/

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Incentives vs. mandates
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Final thoughts

• If everyone else on Earth consumed as much as we
  do in America, the Earth would not be able to
  sustain us.
• Recycling helps reduce waste, but it can be
  improved.
• The State of Utah has incentives for recycling.