Questions tagged [environmental-impact]
describes all effects (positive or negative) of the production, consumption and/or disposal of a product, service, policy, or project on the environment.
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How do buildings with eco-electricity know their electricity is eco?
Walking around the city centre of Warsaw I saw a poster placed by a construction zone of a new skyscraper. The poster said something along the lines "our building will use electricity from ...
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Because dirty dishes stink, I have to run a half empty dishwasher. How environmentally harmful is that with modern appliances?
My dishwasher is modern, bought 1 year ago.
Because dirty dishes stink, I have to run a half empty dishwasher. Unfortunately I have no other choice, even fungus develops when the dirty dishes are too ...
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Does banning plastic bags really help protect the environment? I always re-use them as rubbish bags anyway
According to Wikipedia, there has been a global trend of banning plastic bags. But does it really help protect the environment?
In the past, I always re-used plastic bags as rubbish bags so I seldom ...
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Is "anti-climb paint" polluting?
Is anti-climb paint polluting?
From what I've been able to find it's:
non-toxic
not for underwater use as it's bad for aquatic life
long lasting
In detail:
It's "non-toxic", such ...
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Should I donate old electronics or drop them off at e-waste recycling centers?
Lately I have been needing to get rid of some old (and/or broken) electronics and have been struggling with the question of whether I should try to donate the electronics to someone or just drop them ...
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How does the S&P 500 ESG Index actually rank companies?
I hadn't known about the S&P 500 ESG Index until today's news that Tesla was delisted from it. Can someone help me understand how S&P actually ranks companies for the Index? Is it objective? ...
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Wind farms using advanced technology (radar, AI, tracking) to shut down wind farm turbines when risks are highest for migratory and endangered birds?
In the recent NPR Fresh Air podcast The Extraordinary Lives Of Migratory Birds
Author Scott Weidensaul talks about the millions of birds flying unseen over our heads in the night sky, how the bar-...
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When did plastics become regarded as bad for the environment?
When did plastics become regarded as bad for the environment? I would like to have some valid references.
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Motor oil and environment
I often read, that leaking motor oil is a major risk for the environment. It is also often said, that motor oil leakages can endanger the drinking water supply for communities. So what exactly are the ...
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What is the impact of ongoing research of turning plastic into proteins?
I found this story regarding ongoing research of using bacteria to turn plastic into protein:
The team demonstrated that once the plastic is broken down by heat and a reactor, it can be fed to the ...
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Environmental impact of vegan food packaging
I'm a vegan, and a lot of times vegan frozen food (and maybe other food) packaging can be this thick plasticy non-recycable material.
Some example brand food images are the following:
Morning star ...
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Shower gel: creating more plasting packaging vs. polluting the drain with perfumes?
Say I need to stock up on some shower gel. What would be a lesser evil pick?
1 huge 5L bottle of liquid soap that uses cheap crappy pseudo-apple-and-jasmin perfume that will pollute the drain water, ...
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CO2 emissions from outdoor fire pit
I have an outdoor fire pit in my backyard. The fire pit is about 3 feet in diameter and is similar to ones you might find at a camp site. My family and I enjoy using it purely for recreation. I’ve ...
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Art VS Nature (What is the impact)
I live near a nature reserve, it is a combination of moors, fields and forests. (containing animals like deer, snakes, frogs, foxes, sheep, goats, cows and a large variety of bugs)
But since last ...
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Is shower water a healthy source of graywater to flush toilets with?
I've been trying to think of creative ways to save on water usage, and one way I thought of was to collect graywater from showers or washing dishes to use for flushing the toilet to reduce # of ...
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Is UHT better for the environment even if the Tetra Paks aren't recycled
UHT is well known to be better for the environment, see e.g. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27898-so-many-milks-but-do-their-health-claims-really-stack-up/
However, our local council does not ...
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Why not outlaw low density plastics that cause ocean pollution?
I know it costs. But we got rid of chlorofluorocarbons and are preparing to eliminate stuff like coal! This in between.
Proposal: By international agreement get rid of floatable PE, HDPE and PP and ...
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Should we use paper, plastic, or reusable bags. If reusable, which kind?
I found this site looking for one specifically geared to picking products based on sustainability. I'm not sure if such a specifically-focused site would actually be more effective than this one.
The ...
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Do SSDs have a lower environmental impact compared to HDDs?
In this question on Super User they say that Solid-State Drives (SSDs) use much less power than traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). I read some internet posts and research articles that backup this ...
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Is thermal heating of soil contaminated by coal gasification plant safe in a built-up zone?
Where I stay, theres a site (see intro here) nearby that used to be a coal gasification plant (produces coal gas for lightning etc.). The plant contaminated the soil with PAHs and heavy metals with ...
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How to ensure you are using efficient chargers for cell phones, laptop computers, and other electronic devices?
I recently asked a question regarding a sustainable way to generate white noise. I received a wonderfully helpful comment from Móż (thank you!) in which Móż recommended ensuring that the power source ...
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How to create a sustainable white noise generation box?
I would like to create a white noise generation box. I want it to be as sustainable as possible (within reason), as it will likely be used 24/7.
My thinking so far is to use an old, unused smartphone,...
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Efficiency of delivery services vs individuals travelling to purchase items?
Is it more efficient for a supermarket to send a van round to deliver stuff (eg a weekly/monthly shop for groceries) to multiple addresses, or for those people to drive (locally) to go and get it?
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What is the relative carbon footprint of getting ones media from Netfix or bittorrent
It has been in the news recently that the carbon footprint of Netflix and other streaming services is significant.1.6 Kg of carbon dioxide per ½ hour viewing is on the high side of the estimates, 451,...
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Life cycle inventory data or information concerning Ferrocyanide production
I am working in the modelling and environmental evaluation of redox flow batteries based on Anthraquinone and Ferrocyanide. Currently I am having difficulties in finding information on how ...
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How much of glacier ice in the Alps already melted?
Various news media articles claim that
Two-thirds of glacier ice in the Alps 'will melt by 2100'
https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/09/two-thirds-glaciers-alps-alpine-doomed-climate-...
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Is there a single-use product that is more sustainable that its multi-use counterpart?
This may be more of an academic question and less of practical relevance but I hope to have some input from this site nevertheless.
In my opinion, multi-use products are always more sustainable than ...
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After how many litres does Soda Stream get more sustainable than bottled sparkling water
Soda Stream is advertised as a more sustainable alternative to buying sparkling water in bottles. The main selling points are that no water filled bottles need to be manufactured, transported and ...
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How to correctly get rid of human poop?
I want to live alone in a floor above where I'm currently living cause I don't stand my family, only inconvenience, there is nothing not even tiles, I don't mind the discomfort but, how can I get rid ...
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How to reduce the environmental impact of drinks containers
I would like to help the owners of a pub (based in Milan, Italy) to decrease the environmental impact of the waste they produce.
My intent is to make them buy the same food content (especially drinks)...
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Are there any studies comparing the ecological footprint of an e-ink tablet with traditional pen and paper?
I am a graduate student in physics and I was considering getting a paper tablet like the reMarkable or the Sony DPT to replace the notebooks where I do calculations and take notes. But I was wondering ...
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Are there environmental benefits to a water softener?
The municipal water where I live is considered very hard, measuring about 325 parts per million dissolved mineral content. I currently have a water softener in my home, but it has been giving me some ...
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What is the environmental impact of detergent pods?
Laundry detergent pods became popular around 2012. Rather than measuring out detergent, you throw a pod in your washer and it does the rest. The "capsule" is made from a type of plastic that is water ...
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How do I choose the most sustainable chocolate?
I've heard that the production and import of chocolate has some consequences including deforestation, excessive use of pesticides and CO2 emissions. There are also concerns about exploitation of ...
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Why does the cost of planting trees vary so much across different websites?
I am actively looking to donate to organisations that plant trees and, as far as I know, there are several websites that allow you to do that. Some offer the possibility to follow the tree's life ...
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My residential colony burns dry grass every year; how can I stop them?
Every year during June-October, it rains and a few months later after the rainy season there is a lot of grass growing in the empty sites in my residential colony. So all the grass is cut, piled up ...
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Are trains more sustainable than electric buses?
I assume the energy for electric buses and trains comes from the same sources. But a train doesn't need to carry it's power supply along, contrary to a bus. However, there is more infrastructure that ...
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Is global population growth ignored in sustainable energy discussions because it makes any effort seem futile?
We (I'm in EU, Netherlands) are trying to reduce CO2 emissions, and many other regulations (nitrogen, pfas) have been devised to make sure we don't make our planet uninhabitable for humans.
But I don'...
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Single-use wooden vs plastic cutlery
I just joined a waste minimization board in my office and one of the area we discussed was the use of plastic cutlery in our canteen. While the best option in my opinion would be to remove all single ...
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What are the benefits or shortcomings of a moss wall?
I'm considering to put up a small moss wall in my workplace. What benefits or shortcomings should be considered regarding inhabitants' health and environment impact of a moss wall?
Update: It's an ...
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Is there any case where plant farming is more eco friendly than raising livestock?
I am looking for an example or a case with arguments that would justify converting cattle ranches into plant farms (e.g., wheat, apple, or anything non-meat). The advantages should be in a more ...
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Which of disposal or production of leather has a greater environmental impact?
Several times I've heard of people supporting leather against non-animal alternatives, saying that since animals are killed for meat we have a lot of skin to use and that it would be bad not to use it....
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Sustainably waterproofing a rain jacket
My raincoat was fully waterproof when bought some 8 years ago. Now it's like a cotton blouse in that it soaks up water immediately.
I have washed it with technical wash and sprayed it with ...
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Paper packaging once a day or plastic every second day?
I buy a lot of cottage cheese. There are two kinds of packagings available:
paper wrappings, which I buy one piece a day
plastic bag, of which one pack is enough for two days
Assuming that I can't ...
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Are there any adverse impacts if I keep WiFi router on all time?
I searched Google only to come up with various results with different views. Is there any official or reliable source that states the impacts of keeping the WiFi router on regarding environmental ...
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How does the climate impact of an LNG-powered cruise ship compare to flying?
Taking the Iona as an example, it is claimed that
"The cruise ship will have a reduced carbon footprint with zero sulphur and nitrogen emissions."
Sulphur and nitrogen, while pollutants, are not ...
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Is boxed wine more ecofriendly than bottled wine?
In a few weeks I'll be hosting an event and will need to purchase wine for about 30 or 40 people. For myself and my partner, I typically purchase boxed wine as it stays fresh longer (assuming the wine ...
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Is cheese as bad as beef for the environment?
Among foods, beef is frequently noted as one of the biggest causes of global warming, particularly because cattle produce methane as part of their digestion. Cheese is less frequently discussed in ...
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How can I support the recycling, but not the new production of aluminum?
While the initial production of aluminum is a waste-intensive, energy-intensive process that has negative environmental and social impact through deforestation and contamination of waterways, aluminum ...
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CO2 track of staying in huts which are supplied by helicopter
How much CO2 do we produce by sleeping on average in a hut (including breakfast and dinner)in high-altitude > 3000 m)? Let's assume that the hut offers 50 beds and that a helicopter has to supply the ...
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