Our propensity to create so much waste has necessitated compactors at landfills that make it all as small as possible before we throw dirt over it all and hope to forget it exists. But, it remains. Landfills encourage the anaerobic decomposition of waste over whatever timeline the waste can be expected to decompose , which releases a greater amount of the much more harmful greenhouse gas, methane, into the atmosphere.
CO2 is also released in this process. These greenhouse gas emissions contribute to the dangerous warming of our atmosphere. Beyond the off-gassing of methane, landfills can also contaminate groundwater via the resulting terrible liquid called leachate from the rainwater trickling through garbage.
Liners are required to ensure contamination does not occur. Modern landfills also known as sanitary landfills attempt to stem the negative effects of traditional waste disposal. Improvements include: locations that will have the least environmental impact, improved control of leachate leakage, installation of gas collection and destruction systems, and the ability to reuse the land once finished.
Methane has a remarkable capacity for absorbing heat, which makes it much more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. Following its release into the atmosphere, it can stick around for a couple of decades before transforming into CO2 , during which time it is 86 times more potent than CO2. Methane comes from a variety of sources , most notably from livestock and the production of fossil fuels. Smaller pieces of the methane emissions pie include decomposition in landfills and the burning of biomass.
While the idea of no longer contributing to landfills is noble, it is also not entirely feasible. At least at this time.
The development of compostable materials to replace straight-up garbage is tracing the outlines of a more sustainable future. Composting is a local solution that maximizes both waste diversion and environmental benefits. Want to learn to compost? Eartha Steward is written by Carly Wier, Jennifer Santry, and Heather Dodd Christie at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit c 3 organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation in our mountain community.
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They also tend to have zero supporting evidence. As you see in this article, the answer was just a reiteration of what they have already claimed without any empirical evidence. Instead of trying to change peoples minds through fear, which is what this is along with other environmental campaigns that lead to idiotic ideas like trying to tax cyclists.
You know, things you can actually prove? Oliver Wingenter. However, less carbon-dioxide is produced in a landfill. Are you implicitly suggesting that the greater amount of methane that is produced in a landfill more than offsets the benefit from the smaller amount of carbon-dioxide that is produced in a landfill? The overall volume of production might be reduced for both gases, even though the percentages are less desirable. Every single scientific paper states that methane is produced under aerobic conditions in home composting.
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