NSF Young Scholars July 2, 1997

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NSF Young ScholarsJuly 2, 1997
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Environmental Truths and Environmental Myths

• Stephen B. Lovejoy
• Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Policy
• Assoc. Director, Natural Resources and
  Environmental Science
• Purdue University

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ENVIRONMENTALISM

• Over 85 of Americans consider themselves to be
  environmentalists
• Legislative Bodies respond to desires
• Eco-Politics Important

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ENVIRONMENTALISM

• More rules and regulations
• More money
• Less economic activity
• Desire for cleaner Environment

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Environmentalism in the 1990s

• Have Environmental Rules and Regulations Gone Too
  Far or Not Far Enough ????????????????????????????
  ??

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Environmentalism in the 1990s

• Are Americans Spending Too Much or Not Enough on
  Protecting the Environment ??????????????????????
  ????????

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Environmentalism in the 1990s

• If we have to make a choice , should we
  sacrifice economic growth or environmental
  quality ?

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ENVIRONMENTALISM

• More rules and regulations
• More money
• Less economic activity
• Desire for cleaner Environment

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ENVIRONMENTAL TRUTH100,000,000,000/yr
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Environmental Myths

• Desire for Environmental Quality
• Misinformation
• Environmental Myths

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ENVIRONMENTAL TRUTH

• Greater Environmental Quality !!!
• Maximize Env. Quality for every
• Measure of efficiency
• could the buy more Env. Quality??

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Most Groundwater is Polluted

• EPA says over 50 of US wells contain nitrate
  (WSJ, 1990)
• EPA study of several thousand wells
• detected nitrates
• 10 of wells had detections of pesticides

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GROUNDWATERsafe or polluted?

• Nitrates
• background levels 1-3 PPM
• in community wells, only 1 above MCL
• Pesticides
• no wells above MCL/HAL
• Detection Levels
• 1 PPB 1PPT 1 part per quintillion

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1 part per quintillion

1/10 teaspoon in
Lake Erie
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Acid rain is destroying our environment

• Damages to Northeastern forests
• Acidification of lakes
• sulfer and nitrogen oxides from power plants and
  autos
• CAA of 1990
• 40 reduction of SOX and NOX

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SOX NOX Reduction

• 20-50 billion annually
• 100-400 more for new car
• 0.1-0.2 per gallon of gas
• 16-30 more for electricity

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NAS Study of Acid Rain

• no evidence of damage to forests in NE
• Vast majority of low Ph lakes due to natural
  causes
• 3 lakes were found that may have been affected by
  acid rain

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Costs of Alternative Actions

• Clean Air Act
• 20 - 50 billion

• Academy of Sciences
• 150,000 for limestone blocks to raise Ph

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WETLAND LOSSES

• Half of all wetlands converted
• lose 300,000 acres per year
• loss of habitat, flood control, WQ

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WETLAND LOSSES
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WETLAND RESTORATION

• at least 172,000 acres of wetlands restored in
  1994
• Indiana - over 300 wetland restorations in past
  decade
• private landowners creating wetlands for habitat
  value on their own

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WETLANDS GROWING
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Organic foods are safer
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Organic foods are safer

• 80 of Americans would prefer organic
• No pesticide residue on organic foods
• Environmentally friendly

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Pesticide Residues

• Food and Drug Administration studies
• intake less than 1 of acceptable daily intake
• Market basket study - 18,000 food samples
• over 60 no pesticide residues
• less than 1 had residues exceeding tolerance
• Processing foods would eliminate most residue

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CarcinogensNatural vs Artificial

• American consumes 45 micrograms of potentially
  carcinogenic pesticide residues per day
• Natural pesticides can be quite toxic
• aflatoxin or 18 other classes of mycotoxins

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CarcinogensNatural vs Artificial

• slice of bread - 185 micrograms
• cup of coffee - 500 micrograms
• single basil leaf - 760 micrograms

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MYCOTOXINS

• Organic vs Conventional Production of Apple Juice

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Patulin in apple juice

• Conventional
• 244 to 3993 mcg/liter

• Organic
• up to 45,000 mcg/liter

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REDUCE, REUSE,RECYCLE
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WHY RECYCLE??????

• Its the Law
• Stewardship - Its the Right Thing
• Save Trees
• Save Nonrenewable Resources
• Save Landfill Space
• Save Money

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RECYCLING LAWS

• Federal - 25 reduction in MSW
• States - 30 to 70 reductions
• Cities - mandatory programs

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STEWARDSHIP RECYCLING IS ALWAYS GOOD

• Recycling is good behavior
• Recycling is promoted in schools
• More recycling better environment

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Recycling newsprint saves trees

• Recycling 1 ton of newsprint saves 17 trees
• helps reduce soil erosion
• protects water quality
• carbon sink
• aesthetics

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RECYCLING fewer trees and more pollution

• Pulp trees are grown on plantations
• less demand means fewer trees
• Fewer growing trees - less carbon sink
• Recycling newsprint uses more water
• Deinking can lead to WQ problems

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NON-RECYCLABLE PRODUCTS WASTE RESOURCES

• Reusable Implies Greater Efficiency
• Disposable products - ultimate wastefullness
• Reuse and Recycling the Keys to EQ

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Disposables Can Save Environment

• Aseptic Juice Boxes
• less energy for production and transportation
• no refrigeration means no CFCs
• Disposable Diapers
• use 1/6 the water
• generates 1/10 the air water pollution
• uses 1/3 the energy

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REUSABLE PRODUCTSPlastics are bad

• Nonrecyclable and nonbiodegradable
• Large portion of waste problem

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The Truth About Plastics

• Nothing degrades in Landfill
• less energy to produce
• less weight lowers impact on landfills
• Only 8 of municipal solid waste stream

• Polystyrene vs paper
• energy
• biodegradation
• waste water
• wood oil input
• cost

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We are running out of landfill space

• average American discards, yearly
• 13,000 paper items
• 500 aluminum cans
• 500 glass bottles
• 1200 pounds of trash

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Annual US solid waste would fill a convoy of
garbage trucks
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Convoy of Trucks 140,000 miles long
Five times around the equator
Half the distance to the moon
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Exploding the Landfill Myth

• trash in US for next 1000 years would fill an
  area 44 miles on each side and about 120 feet deep

1/10 of 1
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RECYCLING SAVES MONEY

• Do not have to pay tip fees to landfill
• Sell aluminum, glass, newsprint, plastic, mixed
  paper, etc.
• Refund , reduce taxes or pay for other
  environmental goods

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Recycling is costly

• Curbside programs can cost up to 900 per ton,
  typical costs are 100-200/ton
• Fees for Landfill are in the 20-50/ton
• In NY, collection costs 200/ton more than
  tossing in landfill
• Sales - low and it may cost to dispose of
  recycled material

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Recycling in West Lafayette

• 1993 - 758 tons of material recycled
• sold for 30, 205
• avoided tip fees of 22,475
• direct cost to collect 123,264
• Net cost 70,000
• State of Indiana 20,000,000

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WHY RECYCLE ?????

• Greater Environmental Quality !!!
• Maximize Env. Quality for every dollar we spend -
  biggest bang for the buck
• Measure of efficiency
• could the buy more Env. Quality used in another
  way ?

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Recycling How could they be used

• Water Quality - riparian buffers
• Air Quality- polluting autos
• Land Protection- buy development rights
• Greenbelts- parks, trails, etc.

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What are we buying with our recycling
expenditures???
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RECYCLING FEELS GOODDRIVING A GREEN ROLLS ROYCE
how much is it worth to feel better ???
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Caring about the Environment Means More than Just
Feeling Good
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LESSONS LEARNED

• Natural ecosystems are not benign
• Perceptions can be wrong
• Trade-offs are everywhere
• Good Policy Depends Upon Good Science
• Good Science Depends Upon Students Committed to
  the Act of Discovery
• Good Students should
• Be Skeptical
• Question Everything
• Seek the Answers

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Environmental Truths and Environmental Myths

• Stephen B. Lovejoy
• Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Policy
• Assoc. Director, Natural Resources and
  Environmental Science
• Purdue University

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NSF Young ScholarsJuly 2, 1997
THANK YOU