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TOMORROW’S
ENVIRONMENT:
ARE YOU IN OR
OUT?
Laurie Batchelder Adams
October 2, 2008
2008 Annual Conference
Colorado Rocky Mountain
SWANA Chapter
The Work Environment –
Work Force Diversity
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Greater that 25% will be Hispanic & Asian
Increased training
 Staff – hands-on & specialized, ESL
 Supervisors – cultural awareness,
languages
Improved communication skills & media
needed (digital, on-line forums, blogging, linkins)
Retention needs will increase
 Tuition reimbursement
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Comprehensive health benefits
Absenteeism & safety incentives
The Waste Environment –
New Materials in Waste Stream
Materials from displaced
products
 Materials from new technology
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Nanotechnology
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Health issues?
Equipment & ops issues?
Fullerene = simplest
carbon structure
The Regulatory Environment –
LFGTE & WTE
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LFG classified as renewable energy eligible for production tax credit
WTE defined as renewable in 15 states
Reduces methane & provides
alternative to fossil fuels
Approx 500 LFGTE projects
90 WTE projects
Both expected to increase
The Environment Environment
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Global water shortage – over I billion people
lack access to potable water
Air quality – 130M in the U.S. live with
“unhealthy” air
Global warming – climate change,
compromised ecosystems, health affects
But really – what’s the big deal??
Just the Facts, Ma’am
20th Century
Warming
Trend
Sea
Levels
CO2
Levels
21st Century
Notes
2-12 degrees F
11 of last 12 years =
warmest in modern history
4-8 inches
19-37 inches
23 feet if entire Greenland
ice sheet melts
< 1% last
10,000 yrs
33% since
Industrial
Revolution
650,000 yrs ago - last time
atmospheric CO2 at today's
levels
1.44 degrees F
American West has warmed 70% more than planet
as a whole (Colorado River Basin 2X global
average)
Global Warming Basics
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Greenhouse gases – carbon
dioxide, methane, ozone,
nitrous oxide & CFCs
Biogenic & anthropogenic
sources
CO2 has “global warming
potential” of 1 (baseline)
Measured as metric tons of
CO2 equivalent (MTCE)
What’s the Relevance?
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MTCE = a balloon filled to a 30-ft diameter
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Annual US per capita generation = 20 to 25 MTCE
US Climate Change Movement
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24 states require electric utilities to use renewables
11 states to reduce GHGs by 80% from 1990 levels
> 600 mayors signed climate protection agreement
> 1000 companies participate in GHG reduction &
renewable power procurement programs
EPA programs - Climate Leaders Program, Green
Power Partnership, Energy Star, Methane to
Markets, etc.
Will Congress Ever Catch Up?
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America’s Climate Security Act of 2007 (S. 2191)
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Requires caps for manufacturing, transportation & electric
Offset trading from agricultural, forest & other land-use
Efforts to Modify S. 2191 by coalition including SWANA to
recognize recycling as GHG stabilizer
House Climate Change Bill (in progress) – SWANA coalition
wants to study direct $$ to recycling
Many new renewable energy bills
www.markstivers.com/cartoons/main%202002.html
Role of Solid Waste Industry
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< 5% of total US GHGs from solid waste
Collection = largest emission process
Landfill disposal = largest methane generator
Recycling reduces resource consumption of
virgin materials
Recycling & composting improve carbon
sequestration & reduce disposal, avoid
landfilling
LFG & WTE create energy that replaces fossil
fuels
SWANA’s Role
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Recently Added Services & Programs
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Joined Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)
Offset footprints for SWANA events beginning 2007
Monthly E-sessions on solid waste + climate change
Partnered with Clinton Climate Initiative
New “ning” site social network at iamswana.ning.com
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WASTECON 2008
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Carbon Calculator included in WASTECON 2008
Registration
SWANA, con’t
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Increased role for Technical Divisions
Training – new updates for Transfer Stations,
C&D and Recycling
Continued advocacy
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Part of Renewable Energy Business Alliance
Action Alerts on SWANA home page
America’s Climate Security Act of 2007
2009
Interstate Waste – Rail-Based Solid Waste
Facilities – Flow Control
You & SWANA?
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Join a Technical Division
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Become a training instructor
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Join SWANA’s Applied Research Foundation
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Take the SWANA Climate Change Challenge
today
Expect
2. Question
Participate in Change
1.
3.
Laurie Batchelder Adams
LBA Associates & SWANA
[email protected]