(RHIE) Wasting Resources Lesson

Wasting Resources

There is a proverb used in the United States that says "Waste Not, Want Not".

Take a moment and think about the meaning of this proverb.

Origin of proverb

It means that using one's resources wisely will keep one from not having enough of that resource. This proverbial saying was first recorded in 1772 but had an earlier, even more alliterative version, willful waste makes woeful want (1576).

Did you know in the U.S. it takes 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget to get food from the farm to a fork. Fifty percent of U.S. land is used for farming and a big eighty percent of freshwater is used through the process of growing, harvesting, processing, shipping, stocking, selling and transporting food. However, forty percent of that food goes uneaten. Not only is this a waste in dollars and resources but that uneaten food gets thrown out and ends up in the landfills.

Thinking about how our resources are wasted is a complex issue that reaches far beyond what we can immediately see.

Resource Recovery

One way to cut down on wasteful use of natural resources is to recover the resources that have already been processed and repurpose those materials. For example, oil can be used to create plastics and in recovery processes plastics can be used to make new plastics and used again.

Reuse

One key consideration is to think about ways to reuse materials you already have. For example, instead of purchasing a new bottle of water why not use a bottle that can be refilled. Some new water bottles will even help to keep the water cold and a couple of products have filtering devices built right into the bottle. Try to find plastic products that are free of BPA - Bisphenol A - a carbon-based synthetic compound found in some plastics.

Be Aware

Garbage Conscious

North America only has eight percent of the world's population, but consumes one third of the world's resources and produces on half of the world's garbage.

Think about it.

What happens to the trash when it leaves the place you live?

Some of that trash gets recycled or recovered and some is burned, but the majority is buried in landfills.

Composting

Some food trash can be composted.

Compost

is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or months. Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture. Worms and fungi further break up the material. Aerobic bacteria and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium. The ammonium is the form of nitrogen (NH4)used by plants. When available ammonium is not used by plants it is further converted by bacteria into nitrates (NO3) through the process of nitrification.

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