By AP Environmental Science and Sustainability

ø “Sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” (United Nations 1987 Brundtland Report)

 REDUCE consumption  REUSE to keep materials out of the waste stream  RECYCLE so that new materials don’t have to be produced

ø It ensures the availability of resources for future generations ø It’s important to know what YOU can do to help keep humans and our planet alive

ø The amount of resources you consume and the resources needed to clean up your waste materials

 If every country used the same amount of resources as the average American, we would need five more Earths to survive

ø China - 6,538, ø U.S.A. - 5,838, ø India - 1,612, ø Japan - 1,254, ø Earth - 29,321, ø The U.S. has 5% of the population and is responsible for 30% of the world’s waste

ø Only 1% of Earth’s water is useful to humans ø It IS a renewable resource but we are using it up faster than it is being replenished

Growing cotton uses 22.5% of all the insecticides used globally. Growing enough cotton for one t-shirt requires 257 gallons of water

The average U.S. citizen uses more than twice the daily world average

Agriculture: 69% Industry: 23% Domestic use (household): 8%

ø Humans affect the water supply by: Wasting water/depleting water supply Constructing reservoirs and dams Draining wetlands Dumping waste and polluting ø Available fresh water amount may be affected by climate change

ø The discharge of raw sewage into natural waters, mainly in underdeveloped countries ø Sewage, sludge, garbage, and even toxic pollutants are all dumped into the waterways ø Agricultural runoff ø Urban storm water runoff ø Chemical waste

According to the UN, resource wars are considered the epicenter of most third world conflicts

 Don’t pre-rinse dishes and do fill the dishwasher to save as much water as the average person drinks in a lifetime  Mining for an average gold band uses 30 thousand gallons of water – buy used jewelry  If everyone in the U.S. turned off the tap when brushing their teeth, the daily savings could be up to 1.5 billion gallons

 Coffee uses 1/3 of all water consumed in North America and Europe; if people cut back one cup of coffee each day we’d collectively save 10 million gallons of water a day  If every American who washes their car at home chose to go to a car wash just once it could save up to 8.7 billion gallons of water per year

Use of fossil fuels is not sustainable and not renewable Almost 50% of home energy use goes completely to waste The U.S. uses $1 million worth of energy every minute

 At our present rate of consumption fossil fuels will be depleted by 2050 for oil and 2075 for natural gas Fossil fuels add to our carbon footprint

Hydroelectric Solar Energy Wind Power Geothermal Biomass

Laptops save up to 50% more energy than desktops; if everyone in the U.S. switched to laptops we’d save up to $2.5 billion in energy costs Set warm wash and cold rinse cycles to save up to 90% of the energy Driving a hybrid car instead of gasoline engine uses half the amount of gasoline

Buy locally grown food because the average food item on the dinner table travels 1,500 miles to get there If everyone in the U.S. unplugged their chargers when not in use we’d collectively save $100 million in electricity

 Overuse of fertilizers and pesticides  Monocultures produce one crop over contributing to loss of biodiversity  Depletes soil  Adds pollutants to water supply

ø Organic agriculture is the process of producing food naturally ø Reduces the risk of humans consuming pesticides ø Reduces pollution, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions ø Organic foods are only more expensive because there isn't a huge demand for it by consumers yet; for it to be cheaper, more people need to buy it

ø Decrease of soil quality over time due to over agriculture ø Occurs when nutrients are removed and not replaced

ø Excess nutrients can run off into water supply ø Over 98% of pesticides reach more then their target species, and get into air, water and soil ø Reduce biodiversity

ø Much of our clothing comes from plants such as cotton ø Even some synthetic fibers (such as rayon) are produced from plants ø Most clothing dyes are also derived from plants ø Unsustainable farming practices can have widespread effects on the environment

HEMP WOOL ORGANIC COTTON SOY SILK INGEO™ CORN FIBER BAMBOO FORTREL EcoSpun™

Grow as much of your own food as possible or buy locally Compost and recycle Don’t cut down healthy trees Buy organic

ø Most plastic bags are made from a type of plastic called polyethylene 80% of which is produced from natural gas – an abundant, yet non-renewable resource ø Pulp and paper mills are among the worst polluters to air, water and land of any industry in the country ø Using reusable bags can significantly reduce the amount of paper and plastic in the waste stream

ø Electronic waste (e-waste) now makes up 5% of all municipal solid waste worldwide ø Heavy metals in e-waste: lead, zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium

It takes an area the size of Pennsylvania to dump all of our waste each year Consumers will throw out about 400 million electronics this year E-waste is the fastest growing segment of municipal waste

Ways to reduce waste stream: Reducing Waste Production Reusing Waste Material Recycling Pollution Prevention is better, easier and cheaper than clean-up

If everyone simply separated paper, plastic, glass and cans from the trash we’d decrease the waste by 75% If we raised the cost of un-separated waste disposal from our homes, more people would recycle 10% of everything you buy at the supermarket pays for the packaging

Marli Milano, Cat Ludwiczak, Alec LaLone, Kim Snyder, Chris Brophy, Courtney Rivera, Sam West