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Materials and Resources
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1.a. Use of energy from non-renewable sources
Use of non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuel, nuclear) both
depletes natural stocks of the fuels and creates environmental
impacts to air, water and land when extracted, refined or processed,
and when used.
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1.b. Use of energy from renewable sources
Use of renewable energy sources (hydro, wind, solar, biomass) creates
environmental impacts to land, air and water. However, impacts of renewable
energy sources to air and water are generally lower than impacts
from non-renewable sources. With the exception of hydropower, and
in some cases wind energy, energy from renewable sources has been
more expensive to produce than power from non-renewable sources.
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1.c. Use of fresh water
Supplies of fresh water are local or regional, and finite. They can be
contaminated by surface or groundwater sources or
over-taxed by expanded residential, commercial and
agricultural use. Over-use of fresh water resources reduces water
flows, which can impact aquatic ecosystems and lead to saltwater intrusion
in surface or groundwater. A mature collection treatment and
distribution infrastructure is in place.
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1.d. Use of recycled water
Recycled water can replace fresh water in some commercial, agricultural
and residential uses if the treated water is of sufficient quality
to address concerns about health and safety. To use this resource,
a collection, treatment and delivery infrastructure must be put in
place.
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1.e. Use of non-renewable raw materials
Use of non-renewable raw materials depletes natural stocks.
Reducing the use of non-renewable materials
will extend the lifespan of the resource and reduce impacts
from extraction, transportation, processing, use and
disposal.
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1.f. Use of renewable/sustainably harvested raw
materials
Use of renewable/sustainably harvested raw materials slows the
depletion of non-renewable materials. Use creates environmental
impacts from extraction, processing transportation and disposal.
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Materials Management
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2.a. Material waste - business
Discarded materials create environmental impacts to air, water,
land and ecosystems because they require a collection and disposal
infrastructure. Material reuse and recycling, either by the
originating business or use as feedstock to a second business,
slows the depletion of raw materials and reduces the environmental
impact of their extraction and processing. Collection and processing
of recycled materials adds its own environmental impact and added
costs.
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2.b. Material waste - consumer
Discarded materials create environmental impacts to air, water,
land and ecosystems because they require a collection and disposal
infrastructure. Product and packaging reuse and recycling slows
the depletion of raw materials and reduces the environmental impact
of their extraction and processing. Collection and processing of
recycled materials adds its own environmental impact and added
costs. Also, few markets are available, resulting
in limited types of materials collected in curbside recycling
programs, and some products and packaging materials are
costly to collect and separate.
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2.c. Construction material waste
Materials generated by demolition and construction of buildings
and infrastructure constitute a significant portion of the waste
stream and hence add to collection and disposal impacts. Both
activities present opportunities for resource conservation, for
reducing the environmental impact of disposal, and for cost savings
through reuse and recycling.
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2.d. Organic material waste
Organic materials such as vegetation, food wastes, paper etc.
constitute a significant portion of the waste stream and hence add
to collection and disposal impacts. Composting these materials
presents opportunities to both reduce disposal and create useful
products, including compost and mulch, that can improve agricultural
soils, reduce use of pesticides, control weed growth and reduce
water use.
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Releases to Air
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3.a. Ozone generating releases (ground level)
Chemicals emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, some industries
and solvent-containing products create ozone through chemical
interactions stimulated by sunlight. Even in small quantities this
gas can be a major irritant and a health and environmental hazard.
Improved control technology on industrial and vehicle emissions
has reduced ozone levels, but increases in vehicles and miles
traveled, traffic congestion and lower auto mileage offset this
trend.
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3.b. Ozone depleting releases (upper atmosphere)
A number of halogen-containing (fluorine, chlorine or bromine)
compounds used as refrigerants and cleaning solvents migrate to
the upper atmosphere and react with ozone molecules that make up
the protective ozone layer. These compounds have been controlled
by international treaty and the U.S. Government for several
years.
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3.c. Particulate emissions
Particulates - solid or liquid particles in the air - can
affect human respiratory systems. They can also contribute to the
spread of contaminants such as heavy metals through atmospheric
deposition, and are a significant factor in global warming. They
originate from a variety of mobile sources (e.g. diesel powered
vehicles), stationary sources (e.g. oil-fired power plants, industrial
boilers, incinerators and woodstoves) and natural sources (e.g.
wind erosion and wildfires).
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3.d. Acid rain generating releases
Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from combustion combine with
water vapor in the atmosphere, forming nitric and sulfuric acid,
the principal constituents of acidic deposition. Acidic deposition,
or "acid rain," negatively affects forest and aquatic systems and
damages marble and concrete structures.
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3.e. Discharges of toxic chemicals to the air
Some toxic chemicals may be legally discharged to the atmosphere.
Localized concentrations of these chemicals from permitted and
unpermitted sources, and from illegal or accidental releases, have
the potential to cause human or environmental harm.
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3.f. Greenhouse gas emissions
Climate change is primarily due to human sources of carbon dioxide
emissions from combustion of fossil fuels. Other heat trapping
gases, such as methane, CFCs and halons, come from a variety of
human and natural sources.
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3.g. Indoor air pollution
Air pollution programs emphasize outdoor air quality. However,
Californians spend only 6% of their time outdoors. Homes, offices
and workplaces may contain a wide variety of airborne contaminants
such as molds, spores, dusts, bacteria and toxic chemicals.
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Releases to Water
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4.a. Discharges of toxic chemicals to surface and
groundwater
Some toxic chemicals may be legally discharged to ground or surface
waters. Localized concentrations of these chemicals from permitted
and unpermitted sources, and from illegal or accidental releases
have the potential to cause human or environmental harm.
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4.b. Run-off to surface waters
Run-off of chemicals, pesticides, biological contaminants and
sediment from shopping malls, buildings, farms, yards and roads
contributes significant pollution loads to surface waters.
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4.c. Non-permitted discharges of toxic chemicals to sewage
systems
Disposal of hazardous materials to a sewage system, whether from
regulated facilities in excess of permitted amounts, from unregulated
facilities, or by members of the public, can cause wastewater
treatment plants to exceed discharge limits.
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Hazardous Materials
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5.a. Production, use, storage and transportation
Each step in the hazardous materials management process creates
its own risk to human and environmental health. These activities
are regulated; their impacts will depend upon company compliance
with regulations, design of adequate procedures and use of best
management practices.
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5.b. Disposal
Land disposal and incineration of hazardous wastes are regulated
and monitored. Impacts will depend upon company compliance with
regulations, design of adequate procedures and use of best management
practices. Some hazardous wastes that are currently treated and
disposed of can be recycled, thus reducing the potential for negative
environmental impact of disposal.
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5.c. Accidental releases
Spills and accidental releases of hazardous materials can impact
those who live and work in the vicinity, both in the short and long
term.
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The Built Environment
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6.a. Urban sprawl
Population density and location affect the efficient use of land
and material resources and may reduce the delivery efficiency of
municipal infrastructures, transportation and other services, thus
increasing their environmental impacts.
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6.b. Availability and cost of housing close to work
Lack of locally affordable housing increases commute time, vehicle
miles traveled, and the environmental impacts to land, water and
air associated with the automobile.
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6.c. Transit system availability
Integrated, convenient and frequent regional-scale public transportation
between home, business and shops can reduce transportation related
environmental impacts.
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6.d. Use of urban brownfields for redevelopment
Targeted cleanup of contaminated sites in urban areas and redevelopment
for residential or industrial use can help minimize sprawl.
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6.e. Urban development of flood plains
Development along creek channels and in flood plains puts urban
areas at increased risk of downstream flooding by increasing the
volume of storm water runoff.
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Species and Habitat
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7.a. Habitat development or fragmentation
Development of agricultural lands, wetlands, riparian lands, and open space
at the urban periphery, and stream channelization projects reduce habitat
availability and may result in the loss of indigenous species.
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7.b. Introduction of non-native species
Non-native species may compete with and displace native species. This
can have unintended environmental or natural resource consequences.
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Governance
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8.a. Regulations
Outdated or conflicting environmental and natural resource regulations
can hinder improvement and conservation programs.
Systems to identify such problems
are not present or not well understood by either
regulators or the regulated community.
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8.b. Coordination of improvement efforts
Failure to align and integrate the environmental improvement and
resource conservation efforts of government, private and non-government
organizations on a local and regional basis can dilute or derail
improvement efforts.
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8.c. Public education
A lack of environmental and resource conservation awareness by the public,
government and businesses can lead to behaviors that have significant negative
environmental and resource impact.
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8.d. Land use decisions
Local concentration of land uses with toxic emissions may create
low property values; adjacent communities, often low-income and
minority neighborhoods, can be subject to disproportionate
environmental risk.
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8.e. Regional planning
When regional habitat conservation, land use and transportation
plans are absent or insufficiently integrated with assessments of
their environmental impact, there will be no consideration
of the cumulative impacts of future growth or changes in land use
patterns.
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