What is a Consumption Footprint? February 1, 2024 Similar to that of an Ecological Footprint, a Consumption Footprint is a life-cycle assessment (LCA) set of indicators to determine the environmental impact of production and consumption, this being in the European Union (EU).  The consumption footprint follows five indicators in regards to area of consumption, these include food, mobility, housing, household goods, and appliances.  The environmental impact of these indicators are combined and multiplied by their intensity to find the consumption footprint. Assessing a consumption footprint…

What is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)? July 25, 2016 Compressed Natural Gas is a gasoline alternative for motor vehicles that is considered more environmentally viable as it produces low hydrocarbon emissions and vapours that are not ozone producing. It consists mainly of methane and is produced in conjunction with crude oil. This form of natural gas has become popular in the United States with more than twelve million vehicles running on natural gas. Natural gas has proven to be a useful energy source since the…

What are Composting Facilities? July 25, 2016 Composting Facilities are locations where organic municipal solid waste is collected and stored in a controlled setting. The stored materials can be used as compost fertilizer for plants. These will often be a centralized location within municipal programs and include the collection of leaf and yard waste. At the same time, Composting Facilities include aerobic processing, where the collected material is broken down to and then decompose in windrow piles or in digesters. These mounds decompose the organics…

What is Closed-Loop Recycling? July 25, 2016 Closed-Loop recycling is a recycling process where a recyclable item that has reached its end life is recycled into new product. This is commonly used by manufacturers of recyclable products and can be as simple as aluminum cans being recycled into new cans or plastic being reused for polyester material. A Closed-Loop program is based on three principles: collection, manufacturing and purchasing. Collection is diverting and gathering materials that are recyclable so that they may be processed. In…

What is Clearcutting? July 25, 2016 Clearcutting is a method of tree removal where all trees in an area (approximately 20 acres or more) are removed. It’s the most common form of tree removal due to it being the easiest and most efficient way to handle lumber. In the Canadian province of Ontario, clear-cuts can remove trees from areas as large as 10,000 hectares. Clearcutting has been a controversial subject because of its environmental impact. While those who favour this method argue that it allows…