Recycling California Water

“Silicon Valley’s Largest City Is Sounding the Alarm about a Drinking Water Crisis That No One Knows How to Fix.” Google, Google,

 

his article is highlighting the issues in the Silicon Valley in regards to water. The past few years the Silicon Valley has been hit with extreme droughts then major floods which has led to excess water. This combination is very dangerous because the excess water can contaminate our drinking water. The community has not come up with a sure solution but they will start pumping fresh water into the local aquifer which is how the recycled water is predominantly used.

This article is a great example of how far recycling water has come. It is now used regularly and being used to find solutions when communities are in crisis and is very common now. The Silicon Valley is a great place to use recycled water due to its bipolar rain patterns in the recent years. Recycled water is now bettering communities state of water.

 

Bourke, Michael F., et al. “California’s First Swimming Lake Using Recycled Water.” American Water Works Association, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 3 Sept. 2019, awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/awwa.1361.

 

Lake Mission Viejo has been refilled with recycled water. After 2016 the lake was filled and it has been receiving positive feedback by the community. It is the first recycled lake in California. Will this be the first of many to come?

 

Recycled water is starting to become used for more things than just drinking water and is becoming extremely innovative. The possibilities we have using recycled water are endless and it is only a matter of time to see what comes next as we use recycled water. The world is changing as we know it and recycled water is apart of it with California being the forefront of it.

 

Modesto is using recycled water to help with farming. 15 million gallons of water will be sent through a canal to agricultural customers. This will be done on a monthly basis to preserve water which took 17 months to build. The building of this canal did not disrupt any farmers or any of their crops as well. The government did their best to work around all of their property and it ended successfully.

California is being extremely creative in how they use recycled water. Ever since the major droughts that hit California does not want to repeat that again. Providing water to farmers on a monthly basis is extremely efficient and should be implemented all over the world so farmers won’t use water they don’t need and be more conservative with what they already have. This could seriously change the amount of water we save in California.

 

“Wastewater Project Could Create Drought-Proof Drinking Water for 500,000 Southern California Homes.” Google, Google,

 

In Southern California, $17 million dollars have been granted in attempts to convert waste water into safe healthy drinking water. Southern California is attempting this to reduce their dependence on imported water. 150 million gallons will be purified, half a million homes will be reached, $3.4 billion will be invested, and the project is expected to be completed by 2027.

 

2027 seems far away but it really isn’t. The future is recycling water and Southern California is doing what they can so that they can be apart of it. Their mayor says that Mother Nature does not make water it is recycled. This is true and the success of this operation can be huge for the future of California and reducing the worries of another drought. Not only another drought but just not wasting water.

 

StackPath, www.waterworld.com/wastewater/reuse-recycling/article/14038839/reclamation-awards-1698m-to-five-water-recycling-and-reuse-projects-in-california-hawaii-and-texas.

 

$17 million has been provided to California for recycling water. California is being awarded in regards to their efforts to preserve water and saving communities. The money being awarded is going to be used to further improve their efforts in recycling water.

 

Saving water pays. The government is granting states money to those who save water which could become a major incentive to other states so that they could begin to save water as well. Recycling water not only has a positive environmental effect but also has a lot of money in it as well. Will other follow in California’s footsteps?

 

Tenaska secures financing for 250-MW Nobles 2 wind farm in Minnesota.

Staff, W. P. E. D. (2019, November 6). Tenaska secures financing for 250-MW Nobles 2 wind farm in Minnesota. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.windpowerengineering.com/tenaska-secures-financing-for-250-mw-nobles-2-wind-farm-in-minnesota/.

 

Independent energy company, “Tenaska” just recently closed $158 million financing for Nobles 2 wind project in Minnesota. The project has raised $17.2 Billion dollars worth of capital. The project will eventually boost the economy in southwest Minnesota, hoping to hire over 200 workers to supply the farm, and provide opportunities for local businesses to promote the project. In addition, the project will increase local governmental tax revenue, beginning this past August. Tenaska plans on making more wind farms in Missouri and Minnesota in the future. 

 

I was very surprised, and stunned by how much capital was raised for this project. I had not previously realized how expensive a wind farm can be, but after judging the benefits of the project, I have learned that the costs do in fact hold eventual benefits for the economy of rural towns in the United States, such as Nobles Minnesota. To conclude, I am pleased with Tenaska’s plans because their power can aid in powering thousands of households in the United States, and also large companies that need the power. 

Could Beer Brewed With Wind Power Help Save the Planet?

Reed, S. (2019, May 12). Could Beer Brewed With Wind Power Help Save the Planet? Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/climate/renewable-wind-solar-energy.html.

 

Anheuser Busch has recently decided to implement electric power in their beer production centers. In essence, Budweisier beer is produced from power sourced by wind. The beer powerhouse hired “Enel Green Power” to contract the wind farm. By storing lots of energy, the company is able to combat increasing energy prices with multiple wind turbines.

 

Wind energy is useful because it supplies energy 24/7. Even when the Budweiser factories close, the wind turbines are always running, and storing excess energy for the future. I like how Busch has started this new form of energy production, because it has various benefits for the environment (renewable), and attracts more workers and investors. I am overall pleased with their wind farms, because they replace using fuels that can emit too much Carbon into the atmosphere. 

The Steel Mill That Helped Build the American West Goes Green.

Gillis, J. (2019, October 16). The Steel Mill That Helped Build the American West Goes Green. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/opinion/solar-colorado-steel-mill.html.

 

This article focuses on how steel mills that recycle and melt old steel are becoming nearly 95% reliant on renewable energy. The article then goes on to focus on what makes up that 95%, concluding that a collection of solar panels, wind turbines, and removal of relying on gasoline has contributed to near 100% renewability. In addition, the author mentions how this is just a small component of a large movement of reliance on renewable energy, that gasoline and oil are slowly being phased out in the United States to reduce Carbon emissions. 

 

Electricity produced by burning fossil fuels contributes to the ever growing Carbon emissions found in the atmosphere. I agree with the author of this article that in using wind or solar energy to supply heavy machinery in Colorado is a good addition because it helps to reduce the factor of using electricity with Carbon emissions. Ultimately, I am very pleased with this project because it is very environmentally conscious and forward thinking.

The Hamptons Love Green Energy. But That Wind Farm?

West, D. (2019, September 14). The Hamptons Love Green Energy. But That Wind Farm? Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/nyregion/hamptons-wind-farm.html.

 

This article talks about how counties in East New York that house billionaires’ vacation homes hope for 100% renewable energy, but are not willing to give up some space to plant a cable beneath the ground. Long term residents agree that taking the small amount of time to plant the cable beneath the ground is not too much of a problem, because the power it supplies can be used for hundreds of households. Short term residents don’t want their weekend beaches torn up for a few days to ensure renewable energy, arguing that cheaper counties should uptake the cable for an offshore wind farm. Danish and Connecticut based companies have begun this project, but due to frequent debates of where the cable should be placed- in affluent Wainscott Hampton counties or cheaper (still expensive) Montauk counties, the offshore wind farm may never seek fruition. 

Renewable energy is becoming more and more frequent, with increasing debates surrounding the issues of climate change and how to resolve it. One quote from the article really struck me, “That’s always the irony in these things: ‘It’s a great idea and we want it, but don’t do it here,’’’ said Paul Monte, the president of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce.” I found this quote very interesting because it points out the hypocrisy in the article. That while the rich want to help resolve climate change, they are unwilling to have their pristine beaches temporarily dug up to benefit the Hamptons on the whole. I strongly disagree with their reasoning because it is a small and yet temporary issue that can really make a large positive impact on the environment. 

Oil Companies Ponder Climate Change, but Profits Still Rule.

Reed, S. (2019, October 7). Oil Companies Ponder Climate Change, but Profits Still Rule. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/business/energy-environment/oil-companies-climate-change-profits.html.

 

The article talks about how Carbon emissions have been linked to climate change, and how oil companies need to seek new alternatives to producing energy cleanly, so that their business doesn’t become slandered. For example, the article mentions Dutch oil-giant “Royal Dutch Shell” and others are investing in clean energy resources, such as wind. Several of these European companies have formed the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative to invest in low carbon resources. These companies have begun to realize how climate change can forsake oil production, and seek means to produce energy more cleanly. As aforementioned, Royal Dutch Shell has begun investing in wind farms in the United States, to help resolve climate change issues. Moreover, Chevron Corporation has also begun making gas and oil production more efficient and with fewer Carbon emissions. 

 

It is common knowledge that the oil industry isn’t necessarily environmentally friendly. However, carbon emissions can be lowered by producing energy by means of wind, solar, or even hydrogen. I agree with the oil companies that change in the industry is necessary, because climate change is a severe problem that can dwindle the future of oil’s success. Although clean energy isn’t as profitable, and more expensive to produce, it is necessary to ensure the harmful effects of climate change don’t continue. I like how these oil companies are making wind farms to try and combat these issues, despite their expenses because of the severity of climate change.

Britschgi. (2019, April 11). California Plastic Bag Bans Spur 120 Percent Increase in Sales of Thicker Plastic Garbage Bags. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://reason.com/2019/04/11/california-plastic-bag-bans-spur-120-per/.

The following article describes new research that took place after the California plastic bag ban which found that consumers are buying more plastic bags now than before and with a higher percentage of plastic. Researchers found that sales of small garbage bags increased by 120 percent, medium garbage bags by 64 percent, and tall bags by 6 percent. In total, there was a 40 million pound drop in the consumption of cheap plastic bags that stores used to hand out to customers (the target of the plastic bag ban) and a 12 million pound increase in the consumption of garbage bags. The theory behind all of this is that consumers used to use the free plastic bags given out by stores as trash bags and now with them eliminated, consumers have to buy garbage bags which contain higher amounts of plastic. 

 

This article is a great example of an unintended consequence from trying to do something right. It was disconcerting to know that there was such a large increase in the sales of thicker plastic bags after the plastic bag ban was passed. These findings should spark research into alternatives to plastic garbage bags and innovating technology to make these items more ecologically friendly. Another interesting part of the article noted that Starbucks’ shift to strawless lids has resulted in the company using more plastic because of its higher weight. It is interesting to find out about all these unintended consequences and it will be interesting to see what companies and the government do to address these issues.

Toloken, S. (2019, November 15). Plastics industry unveils $500 million federal recycling legislation. Retrieved November 17, 2019, from https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/plastics-industry-unveils-500-million-federal-recycling-legislation.

The article discusses how a California congressional representative is trying to push for a $500 million program to improve waste management and recycling programs. He is suggesting that California implements a 1-cent fee on plastic packaging to fund waste and recycling programs. This is in the midst of a recycling crisis where China has decided to stop accepting most U.S. waste. Our state doesn’t have good enough recycling facilities to efficiently and effectively recycle plastics and this bill would resolve that issue. This would also mitigate the issue of recycling costing double or triple the cost of traditional waste landfilling. 

 

This article brought up some really important topics most of which are occurring here in California. It was surprising to find out that recycling costs 2 to 3 times as much as traditional landfilling and it makes sense now why companies don’t want to recycle. This bill would significantly improve recycling programs and would be very beneficial for our environment. It was also interesting to find out that we ship so much plastic to China for them to deal with rather than ourselves. This is a serious issue and I am glad that someone in congress is stepping up to try to do something.

The biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters? Our car tires. (2019, October 2). Retrieved November 17, 2019, from https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-10-02/california-microplastics-ocean-study.

New research indicates that car tires are the largest contributor of microplastics in California coastal waters. Rainfall washes over 7 trillion pieces of microplastics into the San Francisco Bay each year. Researchers analyzed hundreds of samples from fish and were surprised at the amount of microplastics coming from tires. A UC Davis study sampled seafood sold in Half Moon Bay and found a quarter of the fish contained plastic. Eight wastewater treatment centers in the bay were also examined and they found that over 90 million microparticles are being released into the ocean every day. 

 

This article really surprised my as it discussed new research that puts car tires as the number one contributor of microplastics in our bay. It also made clear how difficult it would be to eliminate or reduce these microplastics as cars aren’t leaving anytime soon. This new research indicates that there should be more research on methods to reduce the contamination of ocean water by microplastics through storm drains and waste treatment facilities. It was also interesting to see that somewhere as close as Half Moon Bay has fish contaminated with plastic. It will be interesting to see what if anything comes out of this research.

It’s crunch time for California’s plan to phase out single-use plastics by 2030. (2019, September 5). Retrieved November 17, 2019, from https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-09-04/plastics-single-use-containers-california-recycling-crisis.

There are three bills that are close to being ready for Gavin Newsom to look at. These bills look to phase out single-use packaging for more environmentally friendly alternatives by 2030. Recycling no longer works as well because of China’s decision to not accept certain containers that consumers recycle which has lead to recycling centers to get rid of recyclables by dumping them in landfills. There has been strong opposition by companies that use plastic for their containers as it would be an increased cost to them. Part of their negotiations lead to a target number of 100% recyclable plastic to only 75%.

 

This article discussed the politics behind the movement to ban single-use plastic. I think it is great that there is an effort being made to make our state less be a disposable society but one that recycles. It is disheartening to know that there are a large number of lobbyists that are pushing for more relaxed regulations on the plastic bans. I also think that the government should address the lack of recycling infrastructure in the state and how inefficient the process currently is.