. 24/7 Space News .
TECH SPACE
'Throwaway economy' thwarting climate goals: report
By Kelly MACNAMARA
Paris (AFP) Jan 19, 2022

Countries are neglecting the massive impact of the "throwaway" economy on planet-warming emissions, according to research published Wednesday that calculated more than half a trillion tonnes of virgin materials have been consumed since the 2015 Paris climate deal.

From clothing to food, planes to buildings, research by the organisation Circle Economy estimates that 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are linked to the manufacturing and use of products.

But in its annual report on the state of the world's use of materials, researchers said national climate pledges to reduce emissions focus narrowly on fossil fuel use and ignore the mounting global appetite for stuff.

Matthew Fraser, head of research at Circle Economy, said the report aimed to look beyond just fossil fuel use and the transition to green energy and ask about the emissions implications of using fewer resources.

"What if we reimagine our relationship with stuff, what would that bring us? Actually, it is quite significant," he told AFP.

The report estimates that if the economy were more circular, reducing resource extraction and consumption by 28 percent, then the world could meet the Paris warming target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

But only a third of nations' climate pledges mention the circular economy as part of their emissions goals, the report said.

It warns that humanity is consuming 70 percent more virgin materials than the world can safely replenish.

- Economic 'metabolism' -

The analysis looks at global material flows based on national import and export figures and translates them into estimates of materials used -- and reused.

It calculates annual resource use has grown from 89.8 billion tonnes in 2016 to more than 100 billion tonnes in 2019 and estimated it at 101.4 billion last year.

Circle Economy found that almost all of the materials extracted go to waste, with just 8.6 percent of materials recycled in 2020, what they call the circularity gap.

That is an even lower proportion than in 2018, when reused materials were 9.1 percent of the total, as the global demand for more things surges.

"Even though we are getting more efficient with how we use materials -- computers are getting smaller, cars are becoming lighter, recycling is getting better -- these micro gains in efficiency just aren't stacking up relative to the total increasing demand," said Fraser.

The report identified a number of practices across sectors from food production to transportation that it said could help rein in the ever-expanding use of virgin materials.

Fraser said the model that enables people in richer countries to buy products from all over the world to be delivered within hours and days "will inevitably have to change".

The report also weighed strategies like enabling electrical goods -- which contain critical raw materials including gold, silver and cobalt -- to be repaired, redesigning items to be easier to recycle, restricting single-use plastics and renting items like cars rather than buying them.

One sector it identified as having a significant opportunity to reduce its materials footprint was buildings and construction, where Fraser said current practices were far from sustainable.

He said government policy would be needed occasionally to reconfigure the economic incentives that make reusing resources more expensive than using new ones -- stressing that this should be seen as an integral part of efforts to curb global warming.

But Fraser said for now the issue remains a significant blind spot for governments, which he said do not pull together data of their countries' materials footprint.

He added that people in the future may ask tougher questions about whether materials can be recycled before they are even used.

"Could we become more strict about the metabolism of our economy? Just like you wouldn't eat junk food all the time," he said.

"I think in the future that could become more and more prominent."


Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


TECH SPACE
Using High Temperature Composites For Sustainable Space Travel
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 14, 2022
On the ground, sound waves travel at around 340 metres per second. An aircraft is Supersonic when it exceeds the speed of sound. Hypersonic speed is more than five times the speed of sound - or 'Mach 5' - which is just over 6,000 kilometres per hour. At Mach 5 and above, friction caused by molecules flowing over the hypersonic aircraft can generate temperatures in excess of 2000 Celsius. Suffice to say that Brisbane-based aerospace engineering start-up, Hypersonix Launch Systems, is choosing its m ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

TECH SPACE
NASA's newest astronaut class begins training in Houston

Japan space tourist eyes Mariana Trench trip after ISS

CES show highlights: Robo-dogs, self-sailing boat, brain tech

CES tech fair opens under pandemic shadow

TECH SPACE
Gilmour Space fires up for 2022 with Australia's largest rocket engine test

Iran tests solid-fuel satellite carrier rocket

Virgin Orbit air drops rocket carrying 7 satellites

Indian Space Agency tests cryogenic engine for its first-ever manned mission

TECH SPACE
Grounded: First Flight Delay Due to Inclement Weather on Another World

Sols 3357-3360: Edging Closer and Closer to Panari

Steady driving towards ExoMars launch

Rolling stones on Mars

TECH SPACE
Shouzhou XIII crew finishes cargo spacecraft, space station docking test

China to complete building of space station in 2022

CASC plans more than 40 space launches for China in 2022

China's astronauts mark New Year with livestream from space

TECH SPACE
Kleos' Patrol Mission satellites to launch in April

Planet to launch 44 SuperDove satellites on SpaceX's Falcon 9

Advertising plays key role in satellite TV success, study shows

Euroconsult predicts highest government space budgets in decades despite Covid

TECH SPACE
Rusting iron can be its own worst enemy

Using ice to boil water

A method to create upward water fountain in 'deep water'

Controlling how "odd couple" surfaces and liquids interact

TECH SPACE
Ironing out the interiors of exoplanets

Evidence for a second supermoon beyond our solar system

Unusual team finds gigantic planet hidden in plain sight

Pandora mission to study stars and exoplanets continues toward flight

TECH SPACE
Oxygen ions in Jupiter's innermost radiation belts

Ocean Physics Explain Cyclones on Jupiter

Looking Back, Looking Forward To New Horizons

Testing radar to peer into Jupiter's moons









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.