In the Province of BC our elected officials are considering building new waste incineration facilities as part of a waste managment strategy. Some supporters of waste incineration have said this is a way to produce so called "clean energy". These projects are sometimes called “waste to energy” facilities. Whatevery you call it ultimately this is really just about burning garbage and that is a really bad idea.
For the full story about waste incineration, toxins and climate change click this link to download "Playing With Fire" a power point presentation prepared by our Healthy Communities Campaigner with full notes including links to source material.
Currently Metro Vancouver is considering a plan to build a mass burn incineration facility that would burn at least 500,000 tonnes of garbage every year. If built this would make burning garbage one of the top three sources of the carbon emissions in the lower mainland and in the top ten in the province.
Building new waste incinerators would be a big step in the wrong direction. Click on this link for an opportunity to take action.
New waste incinerators should not be approved for the following reasons:
Incinerators do not make waste disappear. For every five truckloads of waste burned, four truckloads are pumped into the atmosphere and one remains as toxic ash, which still must be carefully stored or landfilled.
Incinerators are a toxic technology. Even the most technologically advanced waste incinerators produce hundreds of distinct hazardous byproducts including dioxins, heavy metals, halogenated organic compounds and the newly discovered threat, nanoparticles.These occur both in toxic air emissions and in ash residuals.
Incinerators contribute to global warming. Incinerators produce more global warming pollution (mainly carbon dioxide) per unit electricity generated than most other kinds of power including coal, gas and hydroelectric.
Incinerators waste energy and natural resources. Incineration irreversibly destroys valuable materials and necessitates the extraction, refinement and assembly of more raw natural resources to produce new products. Alternatives such as recycling, reuse and repair and composting conserve energy by efficiently using materials. This significantly reduces global warming pollution, toxic waste and ecological degradation.
Incinerators trap communities in a cycle of debt. They also displace more affordable and economically productive waste and energy solutions. Alternatives to incineration such as recycling, repair, reuse and composting create ten times more jobs (green jobs) and small business opportunities that benefit local communities.
Disadvantaged communities are disproportionately burdened. These communities are more vulnerable to being targeted as sites for new incinerators.
The Wilderness Committe is urging provincial, regional and municipal officials to reject incineration as a waste management practice and we are instead encouraging waste reduction and resource conservation.
Take Action Now!
Use our letter writting tool to send an email to Metro Vancouver members and the BC Minister of the Environment. Click this Link.
If you would like to stay informed about the campaign to stop waste incineration join the Zero Waste BC action alert email list by filling out this webform.
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| playing with fire north van + notes.ppt | 7.73 MB |
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