Sustainability facts

The ASL restroom has been enhanced with short facts on sustainability topics. Facts are selected and posted by graduate assistant Arul Tippabattuni. These facts will be replaced each week through the semester. If you have facts you'd like to include comment here or send to jeanne.brown@unlv.edu.

Please indicate the source of the fact!

Facts up week of April 27, 2009:

Americans are producing more and more waste with each passing year. In 1960, the average American threw away 2.7 pounds of trash a day. Today, the average American throws away 4.5 pounds of trash every day! What are we going to do with all that trash?
http://recycleraccoon.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/landfill.jpg

Solution for all the trash we produce is to burn it. It takes one ton (2,000 pounds) of garbage to equal the heat energy in 500 pounds of coal. Today, there are 90 waste-to-energy plants in the United States. Plus, there are another old-style solid waste incinerators that simply burn trash to get rid of it. They do not use the heat energy to make steam or electricity. Today, the U.S. burns only 14 percent of its solid waste.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/wastetoenergy.html

The major advantage of burning waste is that it reduces the amount of garbage we bury in  landfills.
 http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/wastetoenergy.html

Facts up the week of April 20, 2009:

How many light bulbs does it take to save $10 billion?
a. one
b. one in each home
c. 25 million
d. 10 billion

The answer is b.
Nearly 20 percent of our home's electricity use goes to lighting. Choosing energy-efficient lighting is an easy way to start using energy wisely. Switch out a single light bulb or fixture in your home to a light that's earned the government's ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency. Most electricity in the United States is generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal or oil, which release greenhouse gases into our air. So, when you use less energy, you help prevent global climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/enviroq/index.htm

ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

Source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

Facts up the week of April 13, 2009:
 
1. The term "heat island" describes built up areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas. The annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8-5.4°F (1-3°C) warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F (12°C). Heat islands can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/index.htm

2. Picking the right trees and putting them in the right location will maximize their ability to shade buildings and block winds throughout the year.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/TreesandVegCompendium.pdf

3. Trees and vegetation help cool urban climates through shading and evapotranspiration.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/TreesandVegCompendium.pdf