Circular Economy
What is the main goal of the circular economy
To keep materials in use for as long as possible and to minimize waste.
What is the bio economy based on?
It is based on renewable biological resources.
What does cleantech aim to reduce?
It aims to reduce pollution, waste, energy and raw material use.
What does the ecological footprint measure?
The land/water area needed to support consumption and absorb waste
Why is global metal demand increasing?
Population growth and rising living standards
What does re-use mean?
Name two industries that are part of the bio economy.
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, food industry, and nature tourism.
Give one example of a cleantech service
Rise sharing (Uber, Karwa), recycling centers, digital sharing apps.
Which countries have the largest ecological footprints
Industrialized/high income countries
Why will metals not run out soon
New deposits are found and low grade ores are now able to be mined
What is remanufacturing?
What is the first generation biofuel?
Fuel made from crops like palm oil or sugarcane.
What is resource efficiency?
Using fewer materials/energy while maintaining economic benefits.
Give one way to lower your ecological footprint
Using renewables, reducing waste, eating local food, using public transport
What is a major environmental problem with mining low grade ore
It creates more waste and uses more energy
Why is recycling aluminum important?
It uses 20x less energy than producing aluminum from ore.
Why are second generation biofuels more sustainable.
They use waste materials instead of food crops
Why is cleantech growing worldwide?
Because consumers want sustainable solutions and low emissions
Why does imported food increase ecological footprint
It requires transport, fuel and more emissions
Why are metals like lithium and indium at risk of shortages
They are hard to recycle and mostly produced in a few countries, mainly being China
Why is burning waste NOT a part of the circular economy?
Because it destroys materials instead of keeping them in circulation.
Why are algae and microbes important for future biofuels
They are able to produce (hydrogen, methane, ethanol) with low land use.
How does cleantech help reduce fossil fuel dependence.
By improving efficiency and by using renewable materials and energy
What does it mean if Earth Overshoot Day happens earlier each year?
Humanity is using resources faster than the Earth can renew them.
What plant based material would be able to replace metals in the future?
Nanofibres from plants (they are extremely light, and strong)