Research Log #1 - Solutionary Project 2022

Date: Feb. 6, 2023

Name: Koelenamati (Koe) Kapua
Essential Question: How is waste pollution being addressed on Oahu and what more can be done?

Three Points to Prove:

#1: Waste pollution creates negative consequences/what are these consequences?
#2: Waste pollution affects every part of life/who or what is being affected by waste pollution?
#3: Waste pollution isn’t talked about enough in society/how can it be addressed more?

Point that this Source Proves: #1: Waste pollution creates negative consequences/what are these
consequences?

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove)

According to the article, “Virtually every resident, organization, and human activity in the U.S. generates
some type of waste.” (US EPA).

Stated by the US EPA, “Waste generation, in most cases, represents inefficient use of materials.” More can
be done to reduce waste build-up efficiently and understand the ecological and human effect waste
production and pollution creates.

According to the article, “The effects associated with waste vary widely and are influenced by the substances
or chemicals found in waste and how they are managed.” (US EPA).

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

This article provides adequate information as to what negative consequences waste production and
pollution created. Hazardous waste can affect human health and ecosystems negatively, giving a reason why
it’s thoroughly regulated. Hazardous waste can be categorized as reactivity, toxicity, corrosivity, or
ignitability, by states or the EPA. Waste production and pollution can create land, air, and water
contamination, negatively affecting the environment and animals. Contamination within our ecosystems can
affect many factors of life, including food. With land, air, and water being tainted due to waste, the
consumption of plants and animals that are affected by this would affect the animal life cycle, eventually
including us humans.
Another type of waste, chemical waste, can create catastrophic problems as they are toxic chemicals.
Although the number of toxic chemicals released into the air, water, or land does not directly correlate with
the health risks they pose, this data can be used as a starting point to assess the likelihood that humans will
be exposed to toxic chemicals and whether their releases could be hazardous to both human health and the
environment. Despite the negative effects of these chemicals, it will allow us to gain details on whether these
harmful substances will create dangerous risks to both animals and the environment.
The third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S., contributing to 16% of these
emissions in 2016, is municipal waste landfills. One of several non-CO2 gases that contribute to climate
change is methane. Waste decomposition is what creates methane while emissions are the final product of
these wastes thanks to waste management, design, and applications. The US EPA is particularly interested
because gas emissions can be reduced through recycling and changing the production process. For instance,
recycling aluminum or paper can reduce negative environmental effects (ex. Reducing the harvest of trees or
producing aluminum) while also creating positive environmental effects (ex. Energy consumption reduction
and greenhouse gases).
Work Cited (correct MLA format):
US EPA. “What Are the Trends in Wastes and Their Effects on Human Health and the Environment?”

United States Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Mar. 2022, www.epa.gov/report-

environment/wastes.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was published by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency, an independent executive agency of the United States federal government aiming to deal with problems
related to the environment.