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Integrated waste management as a climate change stabilization wedge.
Waste Manag Res. 2009 Nov; 27(9):839-49.WM

Abstract

Anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions are known to contribute to global increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and are widely believed to contribute to climate change. A reference carbon dioxide concentration of 383 ppm for 2007 is projected to increase to a nominal 500 ppm in less than 50 years according to business as usual models. This concentration change is equivalent to an increase of 7 billion tonnes of carbon per year (7 Gt C year(-1)). The concept of a stabilization wedge was introduced by Pacala and Socolow (Science, 305, 968-972, 2004) to break the 7 Gt C year(- 1) into more manageable 1 Gt C year(- 1) reductions that would be achievable with current technology. A total of fifteen possible 'wedges' were identified; however, an integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management system based on the European Union's waste management hierarchy was not evaluated as a wedge. This analysis demonstrates that if the tonnage of MSW is allocated to recycling, waste to energy and landfilling in descending order in lieu of existing 'business-as-usual' practices with each option using modern technology and best practices, the system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 Gt C year(-1). This integrated waste management system reduces CO(2) by displacing fossil electrical generation and avoiding manufacturing energy consumption and methane emissions from landfills.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Bahor B
Covanta Energy Corporation, Fairfield, New Jersey 07869, USA. bbahor@covantaenergy.com
Van Brunt M
No affiliation info available
Stovall J
No affiliation info available
Blue K
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Air PollutionCarbon DioxideClimate ChangeConservation of Natural ResourcesWaste ManagementWaste Products

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

19808733

Citation

Bahor, Brian, et al. "Integrated Waste Management as a Climate Change Stabilization Wedge." Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, vol. 27, no. 9, 2009, pp. 839-49.
Bahor B, Van Brunt M, Stovall J, et al. Integrated waste management as a climate change stabilization wedge. Waste Manag Res. 2009;27(9):839-49.
Bahor, B., Van Brunt, M., Stovall, J., & Blue, K. (2009). Integrated waste management as a climate change stabilization wedge. Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, 27(9), 839-49. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X09350485
Bahor B, et al. Integrated Waste Management as a Climate Change Stabilization Wedge. Waste Manag Res. 2009;27(9):839-49. PubMed PMID: 19808733.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Integrated waste management as a climate change stabilization wedge. AU - Bahor,Brian, AU - Van Brunt,Michael, AU - Stovall,Jeff, AU - Blue,Katherine, Y1 - 2009/10/06/ PY - 2009/10/8/entrez PY - 2009/10/8/pubmed PY - 2010/2/18/medline SP - 839 EP - 49 JF - Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA JO - Waste Manag Res VL - 27 IS - 9 N2 - Anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions are known to contribute to global increases in greenhouse gas concentrations and are widely believed to contribute to climate change. A reference carbon dioxide concentration of 383 ppm for 2007 is projected to increase to a nominal 500 ppm in less than 50 years according to business as usual models. This concentration change is equivalent to an increase of 7 billion tonnes of carbon per year (7 Gt C year(-1)). The concept of a stabilization wedge was introduced by Pacala and Socolow (Science, 305, 968-972, 2004) to break the 7 Gt C year(- 1) into more manageable 1 Gt C year(- 1) reductions that would be achievable with current technology. A total of fifteen possible 'wedges' were identified; however, an integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management system based on the European Union's waste management hierarchy was not evaluated as a wedge. This analysis demonstrates that if the tonnage of MSW is allocated to recycling, waste to energy and landfilling in descending order in lieu of existing 'business-as-usual' practices with each option using modern technology and best practices, the system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1 Gt C year(-1). This integrated waste management system reduces CO(2) by displacing fossil electrical generation and avoiding manufacturing energy consumption and methane emissions from landfills. SN - 1096-3669 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19808733/Integrated_waste_management_as_a_climate_change_stabilization_wedge_ L2 - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0734242X09350485?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub=pubmed DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -