About the Book
An authoritative review of issues in waste management both in the United States and globally that measures the scope of the problem and examines the latest scientific and policy initiatives for addressing it.
This urgent volume provides an up-to-date overview of waste management, outlining ways that individuals, groups, and governments can reduce waste through integrated strategies.
From household trash to radioactive material, Waste Management covers the many types of waste humans produce, then looks at the latest scientific breakthroughs and policy initiatives focusing on the waste management problem. It provides a historical context for understanding the current garbage crisis and examines a number of important events and current issues, including the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, managing the debris from Hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Center site, shipbreaking and human rights violations in Asia, the freecycling movement, and San Francisco's ban on plastic grocery bags. The book also looks at the problem globally, from the most developed countries to peoples that rely on trash picking and scavenging to survive.
Table of Contents:
ContentsContentsContentsPreface,
1 Background and History,
Definitions,
Waste Disposal and Management in History,
Early Civilizations,
Ancient Greece and Rome,
The Middle Ages,
The Age of Sanitation,
Waste Management Legislation,
Current Status of Solid Wastes in the United States,
Integrated Solid Waste Management,
An Overview,
The Details,
Generation,
Recycling and Composting,
Incineration,
Landfills,
Special Problems,
References,
2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions,
Running Out of Room,
Exportation of Hazardous Wastes,
Exportation of Plastic Wastes,
Plastic Wastes,
Nuclear Wastes,
Electronic Wastes,
Industrial Wastes,
Agricultural Wastes,
Agricultural Wastes as Biofuels,
Agricultural Hazardous Wastes,
Agricultural Waste and Climate Change,
Mining Wastes,
Environmental Justice,
References,
3 Perspectives,
Introduction,
Computational Approaches to Precise Toxicology Research
Hussain Ather,
The Recycling Puzzle
Sandy Becker,
The Search for Safe and Effective Wastewater Management Solutions
Adrienne Fung,
Ecological Feces and Urine Alchemy in Shogun Japan
Joel Grossman,
Colonel Waring's Epoch Cure
Jim Nordlinger,
Composting Helps Keep the Soil Beneath Our Feet Healthy and Vibrantly Alive!
Lisa Perschke,
The Flow of Waste: Earth Day to the Tesla Gigafactory
Nidia K. Trejo,
Waste Management and Tribes
Lynn Zender,
Sludge: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Geena Zick,
4 Profiles,
Air & Waste Management Association,
Robert Bullard (1946–),
Dollie Burwell (1948–),
Edwin Chadwick (1800–1890),
Environmental Protection Agency,
Alfred Fryer (1830/31–1892),
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives,
Hazel Johnson (1935–2011),
Keep America Beautiful,
Charles J. Moore (dates unavailable),
National Recycling Coalition,
National Waste & Recycling Association,
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Boyan Slat (1994–),
Solid Waste Association of North America,
Beverly Wright (1947–),
5 Data and Documents,
Introduction,
Data,
Table 5.1. Materials Generated in the Municipal Waste Stream, 1960–2015 (thousands of tons),
Table 5.2. Materials Generated in the Municipal Waste Stream, 1960–2015,
Table 5.3. Municipal Solid Wastes Recycled and Composted, 1960–2015,
Table 5.4. Materials Combusted with Energy Recovery, 1970–2015,
Table 5.5. Materials Landfilled in the Municipal Waste Stream, 1960–2015,
Table 5.6. List of Superfund National Priority List Sites, 1983–2019,
Table 5.7. Trend Analysis for Hazardous Waste Generation, 2001–2017, National and by Selected States,
Documents,
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976),
Margaret Bean et al. v. Southwestern Waste Management Corp. (1979),
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980),
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989),
Principles of Environmental Justice (1991),
Chemical Waste Management, Inc. v. Templet (1991),
Environmental Equity: Reducing Risks for All Communities (1992),
United States of America v. Asarco Incorporated (Consent Decree) (1998),
Not in My Backyard: Executive Order 12898 and Title VI as Tools for Achieving Environmental Justice (2003),
Electronic Waste Recycling Act (2003),
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (2018),
Negotiating Superfund Settlements (2019),
6 Resources,
Books,
Articles,
Reports,
Internet,
7 Chronology,
Glossary,
Index,
About the Author :
Jacqueline Vaughn, Ph.D., is professor of political science at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. Her published works include ABC-CLIO's Conflicts over Natural Resources: A Reference Handbook.
Review :
Drawing from history, political science, environmental science, engineering, sociology, and public health literature, Vaughn (political science, Northern Arizona U.) presents an introductory overview of waste and waste management, suitable for high school and college students, scholars, and general readers, as well as legislators, businesspeople, and activists.
… a complete and comprehensive introduction to contemporary waste management issues and features a chronology of thematically relevant events, legislation, and movements;… An ideal textbook for Environmental Studies curriculums, Waste Management is also very highly recommended reading for environmental activists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in waste management issues.
The book in its present form is appropriate only for general readers and those just developing an interest in and knowledge of waste management. It may not provide necessary technical information for professional practitioners and advanced students.
The environmental movement and concern over hazardous waste and overfilled landfills make this a useful introductory reference. The section on background issues is insightful and the pages devoted to the broader concept of waste management establish perspective for the rest of the book. The section on controversies and solutions is useful, addressing such issues as 'Paper or Plastic?' and 'Technological Advances.' Although not a glamorous topic, this title is timely and will be of importance for those researching environmental issues and how best to deal with them. It should find a home in any school or public library.
