ENVIRO DEBATE TOURNEY: Recycling helps the enviroment!

As per the rules I will wait to rebut Con’s arguments. It is a myth that recycling saves the environment. Recycling is a manufacturing process, and the benefits of recycling are based on myths. Landfill Space In the 1980’s the EPA launched propaganda to create the myth that we are running out of place to put our trash; they pointed to a study which said the number of landfills in the US were falling. In actuality the capacity of landfills were growing, despite there being less landfill sites. If we stopped increasing the capacity of our landfills, the current capacity would last another 2 decades. As we become more technologically advanced, landfills not only become safer, but they can store more trash. (1) Raw Materials One reason many people recycle, is to save our planet’s raw materials; such as trees. The reason price of raw materials are dropping is because the supply of raw materials are increasing. Each year the US gains 7 million acres of new forest, on average. Recycling paper does not save the forests, because 87% of our paper comes from paper farms, where trees are grown specifically for paper production. As the demand for wood and paper increases, more trees are grown; this is because trees are a renewable resource. By reducing the demand for new trees, you prevent the growth and/or regrowth of new forests. http://www.youtube.com... Non-renewable resources are more available than they were in the past, because we have become more efficient in our use of these resources. We now require less steel to build bridges and skyscrapers, and we have started shifting towards renewable alternatives in our other uses. One example of such alternatives would be the use of optical fibers, created from sand, which are more technologically efficient than the old copper wires. (1) The Recycling Process The recycling process is a manufacturing process. After transporting, shorting, cleaning, remanufacturing the recyclable material; the process of recycling is often more harmful than the original production process. A study by the EPA has found that recycling paper produces more toxic material than its original production. (1) Due to the complex chemistry of plastic, it is also more harmful to recycle plastic than to produce new plastic material. The recycling of electronics and nonrenewable resources has been shown to cause environmental hazards, and poses a danger to human health. The recycling of these products can create elevated levels of lead, zinc, and other nonrenewable materials; this poses a threat to human life, as well as the environment. (2) Producing new products is actually more environmentally friendly than recycling old products. (1) http://www.youtube.com... Recap Recycling is a manufacturing process, which causes more harm to the environment, than to produce new products. The recycling of nonrenewable resources poses health risks, and creates environmental hazards. Recycling does not preserve natural resources; recycling reduces the supply of natural resources. We are not running out of landfill space, but rather we are increasing the safety and efficiency of landfills and their capacity to store trash. http://news.heartland.org... http://www.nytimes.com...