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The Global Problem of Plastic Waste â and How to Reduce It
Plastic production and consumption is a global problem. From 1950 to 2015, the world produced 8.3 billion tons of plastic. In 2015 alone, the production of plastic was 380 million metric tons. Of all this plastic, over half was designed to be used only once then discarded. Most of this plastic does not get recycled. The rate of plastic recycling from 1950 to 2015 was only 6%, and despite significant gains, the recycling rate in 2015 was only 20%. Further, much of the recycling of plastic waste from the U.S. is diverted to other countries, many of which are unable to manage their own waste or do not want it.…
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Official Statement by Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change
October 19, 2018 The recently released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the deleterious effects of global climate change. The consequences of maintaining the status quo of carbon emissions and the resulting rate of global temperature change are dire and include major shifts in patterns of weather, fire, and hydrology; large-scale impacts on biodiversity; and disruption to human systems, including agriculture and food supplies, migration, national security, and economies. According to the IPCC, âthere is no documented historical precedentâ for the worldwide changes required to avoid these dramatic consequences. Two days after this report was released, Elder Steven E. Snow, historian and recorder for The Church…
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Aging Water Infrastructure and Impacts to Vulnerable Communities
Infrastructure has been in the news a lot over the last couple of years, and not for positive reasons. Across the U.S., roads, bridges, pipelines, and other public infrastructure are in need of replacement and repair. Water infrastructure â our pipes, mains, valves, pumps, treatment facilities, and reservoirs â is also aging. Many of our water systems were built in the 1900s (or earlier!) and are reaching the end of their designed life. Part of the problem is that the initial cost for a lot of water infrastructure was paid for in large part by the federal government in the form of direct investment, low-interest loans, or grants. Today, those…
