http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/ghg
Climate Change and Recycling
Greenhouse Gas: Meaningful Emission Reduction through Waste Prevention and Recycling

To help prevent the public health and environmental threats posed by Global Warming, California has committed to an aggressive series of green house gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. Every sector of the state will be called upon to reduce their GHG emissions, including the waste management sector.

Track what the waste sector is working on to reduce GHG emissions in our Climate Change Blog.

Garbage is a major contributor to Global Warming. Solid waste landfills are the single largest man-made source of methane gas in the United States. Methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas that is 23 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than the most prevalent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2). Every time you "throw away," you are contributing to global warming.

Ton for ton, recycling reduces more pollution, saves more energy and reduces GHG emissions more than any other activity besides source reduction. Californians currently throw away millions of tons of recyclable materials every year. According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, over 60 percent of the "garbage" in California landfills can be composted or recycled. Increasing recycling should be California's priority strategy for reducing global warming effects associated with solid waste management.

CAW Advocacy on Climate Change Policy:

    * Climate Change Blog (What We Have Been Working On)
    * Letters We Have Written
    * Staff Contacts and Committee Information
    * Important GHG Documents

Waste and Greenhouse Gas:

    * Composting: A Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Measure
    * Why Recycling?
    * A Plan for California

Global Warming and You:

    * Learn about the impact of global climate change on the website of the Global Warming Action Coalition, a group that CAW is a part of.
    * Watch a short 2-minute video that lays out some of the shocking statistics about climate change.
    * Rent An Inconvenient Truth to learn more about the effects of global warming and learn how you can take action.
    * Concerned about your greenhouse gas output? Measure your carbon footprint.
    * Support CAW's advocacy on climate change issues.

    * GHG Staff Contact Info and Resources
    * Important Documents
    * Composting: A Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Measure
    * CAW Letters on Greenhouse Gas Issues and Statewide Climate Change Policy
    * Why Recycling?
    * A Plan for California