Archive for January, 2010

Leadville, Colorado is one of the jewels of American city-building. If Denver is the mile-high city, Leadville is the Two-Mile High City, rising 10,152 feet above sea level–the highest city elevation in the United States. A product of the gold and silver rushes of the late nineteenth century, Leadville was famous for its quick mineral strikes and for some of its well-known residents and visitors, among them OK Corral gunfighter Doc Holliday and playwright and self-proclaimed genius Oscar Wilde. Wilde made Leadville infamous with his comments about “the only rational method of art criticism” he’d ever seen, posted above a piano in a Leadville saloon: “Please don’t shoot the piano player; he is doing his best.” Even after the end of the Leadville silver boom in 1893, Leadville remained a popular leave destination for soldiers stationed nearby, as well as a well-populated suburb for former mining families and a tourist destination for anyone interested in one of the most colorful chapters of America’s past.

Now all of that is threatened by industrial pollution and environmental degradation. The miners of Leadville dug deeply into the earth and brought out its mineral riches. In the process, they had to drain off water poisoned by mining equipment and toxic minerals loosed from the earth. The government built a drainage pipe in the 1940s to leach this water into the Arkansas River, where it would be carried to the sea. Classic example of industrial pollution and environmental degradation, and one for which the town of Leadville may have paid–with its life.

The drainage tunnel, long unmaintained with the late-1980s closure of the Leadville mines, collapsed at some point in the early 1990s. The toxic water, instead of draining off “safely” into the ocean, has instead been backing up in the ruined drainage tunnel ever since.

As of 2008, the tunnel is filled with one billion gallons of poisonous water. At any moment, heavy snows, shifts in the earth, or literally any number of disturbances could cause the tunnel to crack. When that happens–not if, but when that happens–Leadville and its 2,000+ residents will be directly in the path of the toxic flow, the tragic inheritors of industrial pollution and environmental degradation.

In February of 2008, the town authorities declared a state of emergency. Children are made to practice evacuation drills. The federal government can do nothing. It’s reminiscent of the “duck and cover” atomic-bomb culture of the 1950s. Only in this case, there is no enemy army aiming missiles at us. There’s no easily-blamed villain–beyond industrial pollution and environmental degradation, that same industrial pollution and environmental degradation than in a sick twist of fate made Leadville famous to begin with. In the words of Pogo Possum: the town of Leadville has met the enemy, and he is us.

Leadville, Colorado is one of the jewels of American city-building. If Denver is the mile-high city, Leadville is the Two-Mile High City, rising 10,152 feet above sea level–the highest city elevation in the United States. A product of the gold and silver rushes of the late nineteenth century, Leadville was famous for its quick mineral strikes and for some of its well-known residents and visitors, among them OK Corral gunfighter Doc Holliday and playwright and self-proclaimed genius Oscar Wilde. Wilde made Leadville infamous with his comments about “the only rational method of art criticism” he’d ever seen, posted above a piano in a Leadville saloon: “Please don’t shoot the piano player; he is doing his best.” Even after the end of the Leadville silver boom in 1893, Leadville remained a popular leave destination for soldiers stationed nearby, as well as a well-populated suburb for former mining families and a tourist destination for anyone interested in one of the most colorful chapters of America’s past.

Now all of that is threatened by industrial pollution and environmental degradation. The miners of Leadville dug deeply into the earth and brought out its mineral riches. In the process, they had to drain off water poisoned by mining equipment and toxic minerals loosed from the earth. The government built a drainage pipe in the 1940s to leach this water into the Arkansas River, where it would be carried to the sea. Classic example of industrial pollution and environmental degradation, and one for which the town of Leadville may have paid–with its life.

The drainage tunnel, long unmaintained with the late-1980s closure of the Leadville mines, collapsed at some point in the early 1990s. The toxic water, instead of draining off “safely” into the ocean, has instead been backing up in the ruined drainage tunnel ever since.

As of 2008, the tunnel is filled with one billion gallons of poisonous water. At any moment, heavy snows, shifts in the earth, or literally any number of disturbances could cause the tunnel to crack. When that happens–not if, but when that happens–Leadville and its 2,000+ residents will be directly in the path of the toxic flow, the tragic inheritors of industrial pollution and environmental degradation.

In February of 2008, the town authorities declared a state of emergency. Children are made to practice evacuation drills. The federal government can do nothing. It’s reminiscent of the “duck and cover” atomic-bomb culture of the 1950s. Only in this case, there is no enemy army aiming missiles at us. There’s no easily-blamed villain–beyond industrial pollution and environmental degradation, that same industrial pollution and environmental degradation than in a sick twist of fate made Leadville famous to begin with. In the words of Pogo Possum: the town of Leadville has met the enemy, and he is us.

Introduction

Waste management has come to stay as one of the most controversial, well researched and analyzed subject of the modern industrial world. With production and commercial activity on an incessant rise, it is a natural fallout for the quantity and the nature of waste products to change dramatically, raising a global concern.

Study of waste management has always occupied a major attention owing to the importance it holds in the contemporary world. From conferences and summits to volumes of study and reference material being prepared on the matter, the issue surely holds center-stage as far as public and administrative attention is concerned.

Key Dimensions

In the study of the waste management concept, it is very important to pay careful attention to various individual aspects of the process, which also give a reflection on the entire gamut of causes, solutions and remedies of the problem.

To begin with, waste management is essentially defined as the collection, transport, processing, recycling and disposal of waste materials or products. Such waste materials can be broadly defined into various categories such as household waste, hazardous waste, toxic waste, hospital waste many more. There are a number of waste management methods that are generally followed in accordance with the nature and quantity of waste materials and the processing required in relevance of the same.

The first category of processes relevant to the waste management concept is the series of disposal methods that might be followed. The first and most common disposal method followed is the concept of landfills, which basically involves burying of the waste of the purpose of disposal. In the last few years, this method of waste disposal has often met with a lot of criticism especially for solid waste in view of the environment hazards.

Incineration is another common method of waste disposal, involving combustion of waste material, conversion of waste products into heat, gas, steam and ash. This method of waste disposal is used to dispose of various categories of waste including, solid, liquid as well as gaseous.

Moving on, the next crucial process as a part of the waste management concept is the step of recycling, which is basically the process of processing waste products to recycle, reuse or recover material of productive value. Some of the most effective and popular methods of recycling include physical reprocessing, biological reprocessing and energy recovery.
The series of avoidance and reduction methods followed by the industry today are another important aspect of the waste management concept. Such methods of avoidance include the reuse of second-hand products, repairing broken items as against buying new ones, designing products to be reusable, encourage less use of disposable products and many more.

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The Pollution Control Department (PCD) is a division of the National Environment Agency (NEA), providing necessary requirements for control of pollution by assessing and considering the impact of all environmental developments on a new industry before it is allowed to go any further in its development. Any planning and development requires the associated authorities to consult with this organization first, with the PCD researching the proposals while ensuring that the industrial or residential development is accurately and properly sited, compatible with its appropriate land use.

If the development involves a new industry, the PCD will process its building plans against its environmental impact in order to prevent any unmanageable safety hazards or health risks—a major concern for the requirements for control of pollution. It will only pass if its pollutant emissions comply with standard codes, the company can provide and guarantee a safe management and disposal of wastes, and if the site is a suitable one.

Additional safety requirements for control of pollution involve other areas, such as legislation, water pollution control, air pollution control, and hazardous substances control—with each one having their own set of requirements to maintain pollution control:

• LEGISLATION requirements for control of pollution
o Environment Pollution Control Act (EPCA) came into operation on April 1, 1999.
• Consolidates previous separate laws on (1) air, (2) water, (3) noise pollution, and (4) hazardous substances control
• Provides a comprehensive framework of legislative control of environmental pollution
o Title amended on January 1, 2008 to the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA)
• Provided for protection and management of environment and resource conservation
• WATER POLLUTION CONTROL requirements for control of pollution
o Serves all industrial estates and all residential premises
o All wastewater is required to go into the public sewer system operated by a Public Utilities Board
o Industrial wastewater is required to be treated by specific standards before entering any sewer or water course
o Industries containing large amounts of acidic effluent require the installment of pH monitoring and shut-off control system to prevent its entrance into public sewer
• AIR POLLUTION CONTROL requirements for control of pollution
o Industrial and power generation plants are equipped with pollution control equipment
• Required to comply with air emission standards
• Specified in the Environmental Protection and Management (Air Impurities) Regulations
• Revised standards developed on January 1, 2001
• Replaced the Clean Act (Standards) Regulations of 1978
• HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES CONTROL requirements for control of pollution
o Governed by the EPMA, the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations, and the Environmental Protection and Management (Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations)
o License is required for any person who imports, sells, exports, purchases, stores, and or uses any hazardous substance under the Act.
o Permit is required for anyone who purchases, stores or/and uses any hazardous substance under the control of the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations
o Transport approval is required for anyone who wishes to transport hazardous substances in quantities exceeding those specified in the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations
• TOXIC INDUSTRIAL WASTE CONTROL requirements for control of pollution
o Refers to oil, waste acids, spent solvents, waste sludge, spent etchants, and waste alkalis,
• Solvents, waste oil, and spent etchants are recycled
• Landfills are required for waste sludge

A terrestrial ecosystem relates to the specific environment that contains a specific diversity of plant and animal life. The terrestrial ecosystem includes the living and non living influences, from flora, fauna and fungi to the influences of their surroundings. Without being immersed in water, the terrestrial ecosystem is concerned with the way in which species of plants and animals and insects survive away from the water. Things such as humidity, elevation, salinity, and drainage will impact on the conditions of the living organisms right down to bacteria.

The terrestrial ecosystem will involve the interaction between all the species that inhabit the area, even if they only move through the area on a seasonal basis. The physiognomic-ecological classification system has been implemented to identify ecosystems in order to help protect them. The classification system takes into account all the living organisms and how they interact with the non living organisms and the overall environmental conditions the ecosystem exists within and whether it is an aquatic ecosystem or a terrestrial ecosystem.

The living organisms in any terrestrial ecosystem will include the larger animals, mammals, insects, plants, and fungi right through to the smallest bacteria and moulds. The environment and non living aspect of the terrestrial ecosystem include the landscape, from the formation and types of rocks, soils, underlying water table, climate, elevation, exposure and location.

In the study of a terrestrial ecosystem the number and condition of the living organisms will help in forming a classification for the type of ecosystem. The location of the landscape will also effect the terrestrial ecosystems classification. There are many types of terrestrial ecosystem. A desert landscape with its flora and fauna, the grassland and the mountain landscape all are individual terrestrial ecosystems. Human interaction affects many terrestrial ecosystems and must be taken into account in the protection of the environment.

As with any environmental factors effecting life on earth, studies of any given terrestrial ecosystem will include the life cycle of the trees, grasses, fungi and moulds. Each living species within the terrestrial ecosystem must be taken into account. To study a terrestrial ecosystem the interaction between species and their environment and the unique conditions must be explored. Every terrestrial ecosystem has a climate, culture, environmental impact and symbiotic relationship between living and non living organisms. It is this relationship and the number and diversity of the life forms involved that give an ecosystem its unique value in our world.

A terrestrial ecosystem exists within its own parameters but outside influence can impact upon the species and landforms involved. A terrestrial ecosystem may vary from one side of a mountain to the other, from one part of a stream to another. Any change in soil type, drainage, salinity or even human encroachment can change the whole ecosystem. They are delicate and balanced in nature, and many will not stand the impact of change.

As if the increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were not enough to worry anyone silly, climate models predict that even if another drop of fossil fuels were never burned again, things would continue getting worse for quite awhile before they got better.

This is due to the feedback effect that has already been observed in several places in the world. One prime example are the “drunken forests” of Siberia. Though the permafrost that these spruce trees grow upon is always in a state of flux, the rate of melting has increased dramatically in recent years, causing a great deal of damage in areas where people have built upon the permafrost.

More importantly, there’s a great deal of methane trapped in that permafrost, as it melts, this gas that’s known to be 45 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is released into the atmosphere, making it melt even faster.
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By keeping your air conditioning filter clean you allow the unit to properly move the air from the room, through the evaporator and out the vent, making the room cool and comfortable. A clogged or blocked air conditioning filter prevents the intake of air and will make your air conditioner work harder, leading to higher electric bills and poor performance by the unit.

The air conditioning filter is important in preventing build up of dust, grease and other small particles within the air conditioning unit itself. Without the filter all the dust and debris that are trapped by the filter would be deposited directly on the fins, resulting in that space becoming clogged and blocked. Once the air flow is restricted around the cooling area, the system is just not able to produce cold air. In addition without the air conditioning filter the debris and dust would stick to the fins as they are moist due to the moisture produced in the cooling process, especially in humid climates. This can and will lead to bacteria growth in the system that in turn blows this bacteria back into the air that you are breathing in.

Cleaning the window air conditioning filter on a regular basis not only helps with cooling but also with the efficiency of the system. A good idea is to clean the filter once before turning on the air conditioner in the spring and then again every three to four weeks while the system is being used. If you live in an area where there is lots of fine dust, smokers in the house or pets you may find that cleaning the air conditioning filter every two weeks is more beneficial.

Window air conditioning filters are the easiest to clean and are typically made of either a sturdy foam type material or a fine mesh. The most common and recommended type of filter is made of polypropylene, which is actually electrostatic and will trap small particles. To clean these types of mesh screens simply wash in warm soapy water and rinse well. Always allow the filter to completely dry before putting it back in the unit. Foam filters should be replaced with a new filter that can be made at home from foam sheets purchased at a home supply store.

A large outdoor conventional air conditioning filter can be cleaned with commercial solutions, however they often are not as effective after they have been cleaned. A better option is to simply remove and replace the large filters every two months of use. Brush the fins of the outside unit that are located behind the filters and remove all debris and dust either by blowing with compressed air or using a shop vacuum. Always keep the area around the outside unit free from long grass, bushes or vines that may obstruct air flow or add debris into the unit or filter.

The emissions control systems of your car include but are not limited to the following systems and system parts: The evaporative control system, which includes the PCV valve, the vacuum reservoir, the vacuum lines, the intake system, the vapor canister, the vapor restrictor, the purge control valve and the pressure/vacuum relief filler cap. The exhaust system includes the EGR valve, oxygen sensors, the air injection system, the catalytic converter, the muffler and tailpipe. Monitoring, adjusting and controlling all of these systems and system parts is the ECM (Electronic Control Module).
In most states if one of your emissions control systems malfunctions you will not be in accordance with the emissions control laws. If any of your emissions control systems do malfunction, you must schedule an appointment as soon as possible to have your emissions control systems diagnosed for problems. After a license repair professional at a licensed repair facility has diagnosed the reason for any malfunctions, you must then schedule an appointment for the repair of your emissions control systems.
Why would you not want your emissions control systems all working properly? If your emissions control systems are not operating within manufacturer recommended specifications you will be polluting the atmosphere you live, work and play in, adding to pollution and global warming and contributing to the destruction of the Earth. You also will not be in accordance to local, state and federal laws and regulations governing emissions control systems on business personal and commercial automobiles in the United States of America.
If your emissions control systems are all functioning properly you will be in accordance with local, state and federal laws and regulations, you will not be a contributor to pollution and global warming and you will know that you are doing everything you can to assist in stopping the destruction of the Earth.
As you can see, it is crucial to maintain your car’s emissions control systems at all times and keep them in operational condition within the manufacturer’s recommended specifications.
In summary you now have a brief description of what emissions control systems are on your car, why they are on your car and the importance of maintaining the emissions control systems on your. When you do not maintain these systems on your car, you are contributing to pollution and global warming along with breaking many local, state and federal laws and regulations. When you break these laws and regulations governing emissions control you are positioning yourself for possible local, state and federal penalties and fines.

Most of us do it everyday. We get into our automobiles, start it up, and drive away to our daily destination. We may not give it a second thought and if it enters our realm of thinking then we are quick to rationalize the importance of using our cars. The thought of car pollution is one that everyone is aware of but many are not willing to do what it may take to reduce if not deplete it.

Car Pollution - It’s In The Air

Many cars and other forms of transportation require the use of fossil fuels. When burned, these fossil fuels release emissions into the air that are filled with carbon dioxide and other possible toxic particles. An excess of these gases has been recognized as a major contributor to air pollution. Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particles, or biological materials into the atmosphere causing harm to humans and other living organisms or damages the environment. Cities are filled with fossil fuel burning transportation and the effects are damaging those who are driving and those who are simply passing by.

Emissions Effects

It is true that emissions are a cause of ozone depletion and global warming. These have ramifications that are endless; from changing weather patterns, melting ice caps, to air quality. But what does all this mean? How does driving a car affect our everyday living? What are the effects of car pollution? Here is a sampling of the ways:

• Health – Gases like carbon monoxide, lead, benzene, formaldehyde, and others are entered into the body through the blood stream. These cause heart disease, breathing disorders, possible cancers, and contribute to general illness and allergies. Since the amount of cars on the road is rising it is safe to say the amount of traffic has too, this brings more accidents and many of them fatal.
• Economy – Some may argue that cars help the economy through production of jobs and fuel refineries, however with that comes more cars on the road and more emissions into the air from car pollution. The demand for fossil fuels has been on the rise and keeps going up and production can hardly keep up. Since demand has not kept up with the supply then the cost of fuel goes up which is never a good thing for the common man, only for the oil moguls.
• Pollution – Air pollution is only one form that is fueled by cars. There has been an increase of noise pollution due to the amount of cars on the road. Noise pollution causes hearing loss and a vast amount of stress disorders. Sight pollution is not a word someone made up but a reality and cars are a leading factor. Due to the amount of car demands and traveling done by our busy world, bigger roads were needed to support the traffic. Precious land was used to create these asphalt monsters that transport automobiles faster and supposedly more efficiently.

Creative Car Pollution Solutions

There are many things that we all can do to help reduce the amount of pollution our cars are making. Some may include simple changes in the way we live while a few others may include governmental action. A few examples are:

• Psychology – The thought process of why we should drive a car needs to change. Driving a car should be a privilege not a right.
• Reduce – The amount of vehicles on the road needs to be reduced and the amount we drive them should too. Perhaps tax credits for lower mileage…
• Production – Car manufacturers have gotten better at creating more efficient technology, but there is still work to be done. Making the newer technology readily available and more cost efficient would help in this matter.

There are a lot of ideas that could be put into place to help with car pollution. We are all responsible for the world we live in. If every one of us reduced the amount we used our own vehicles then we have made a good start. It is time we got creative and took this matter into our own hands and demanded that the government gets serious too.

The control of air pollution lies within the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division (APPCD) of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory. Involving research and development of air pollution prevention, while it also controls advanced technologies for electric power plants, sources for greenhouse gases, key industries, and incinerators. The APPCD is in the International clean technology developmental project division which is a major aspect for the control of air pollution, while maintaining a close relationship with industry, academia, trade, and professional organizations. A large area, it offers a very large umbrella over the average home in the United States, which produces more than 12 tons of CO2 a year with electricity, water, and heating alone. With over 103 million homes in our country, that brings up 1,236,000,000 tons for the United States amount of CO2 annually.

The control of air pollution is concentrated in the APPCD within these main areas—air topics, ozone, global climate change, fine particles, indoor Aair quality–with engineers, administrative professionals and scientists doing the researching and management. There are also six branches within the APPCD for the control of air pollution:

• Administrative Operations Staff
• Air Pollution Technology Branch
• Atmospheric Protection Branch
• Emissions Characterization and Prevention Branch
• Indoor Environment Management Branch
• Technical Services Branch

Research plays a big picture within the APPCD, a major characterization of air pollution sources in addition to the verification of innovative technology performances. The working processes involve a variety of ways to achieve the control of air pollution—research that is in house, interagency agreements with many other federal governmental entities, cooperative agreements with non-profit organizations and academia groups, along with contracts with for-profit companies and environmental consultants.

Key facts for the control of air pollution through the World Health Organization:
• Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health and is estimated to cause approximately 2 million premature deaths worldwide per year.
• Exposure to air pollutants is largely beyond the control of individuals and requires action by public authorities at the national, regional and even international levels.
• The WHO Air quality guidelines represent the most widely agreed and up-to-date assessment of health effects of air pollution, recommending targets for air quality at which the health risks are significantly reduced.
• By reducing particulate matter (PM10) pollution from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic metre, we can cut air quality related deaths by around 15%.
• By reducing air pollution levels, we can help countries reduce the global burden of disease from respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer.
• The WHO guidelines provide interim targets for countries that still have very high levels of air pollution to encourage the gradual cutting down of emissions. These interim targets are: a maximum of three days a year with up to 150 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre (for short term peaks of air pollution), and 70 micrograms per cubic metre for long term exposures to PM10.
• More than half of the burden from air pollution on human health is borne by people in developing countries. In many cities, the average annual levels of PM10(the main source of which is the burning of fossil fuels) exceed 70 micrograms per cubic metre. The guidelines say that, to prevent ill health, those levels should be lower than 20 micrograms per cubic metre.