Resource management
Jun. 13th, 2002 03:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
purpletigronI have spent much of the past two days reading some detailed research and briefing papers on the subject of `resource management' on a global scale - meaning, in this case, sustainable extraction of non-renewable raw materials, harvesting of renewables, and the subsequent management of resources in the production, supply and consumer chain, including recycling.
For non-hazardous materials, the latest research in the UK, Europe and the USA suggests that, overall, recycling is at worst economically neutral. For post-consumer municipal waste - i.e. what you and I throw out - recycling starts to become profitable when there is above ~15% participation in terms of households. Moreover, there are significant other (non-financial) benefits in comparison with landfill and incineration.
However, in the final analysis, it appears that recycling is `basic good practise' - something that any well-ordered civil society should be doing as a matter of course, with net over financial, social and environmental benefits - but not environmentally crucial. The two major activities which individuals engage in on a daily basis which have the largest negative impacts on the environment appear to be: owning and driving private motor vehicles, and eating animal products, particularly beef. I base these last conclusions upon published scientific analysis and opinion as presented in "The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices" by Brower and Leon.
For non-hazardous materials, the latest research in the UK, Europe and the USA suggests that, overall, recycling is at worst economically neutral. For post-consumer municipal waste - i.e. what you and I throw out - recycling starts to become profitable when there is above ~15% participation in terms of households. Moreover, there are significant other (non-financial) benefits in comparison with landfill and incineration.
However, in the final analysis, it appears that recycling is `basic good practise' - something that any well-ordered civil society should be doing as a matter of course, with net over financial, social and environmental benefits - but not environmentally crucial. The two major activities which individuals engage in on a daily basis which have the largest negative impacts on the environment appear to be: owning and driving private motor vehicles, and eating animal products, particularly beef. I base these last conclusions upon published scientific analysis and opinion as presented in "The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices" by Brower and Leon.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2002-06-13 09:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-06-13 11:07 am (UTC)Sheep, goats and pigs are significantly more efficient, apparently. I need to dig up the data again to quote anything more specific: this was presented at the CAT (http://www.cat.org.uk) conference on food which I attended in early September last year ... and I didn't do the followup at the time that I had intended... :-(