Abstract This paper discusses the hazardous effects of inadequate methods of solid wastedisposal on the environment. The paper emphasizes the urgency of the need to deal with this issue, and describes fecal contamination as the major culprit. The writer illustrates how the lack of modern sanitation facilities and adequate health care in certain areas, are the main cause of fecal contamination.
From the Paper "Fecal waste may contain an undetermined number of bacteria, viruses, and parasites capable of causing disease in humans and animals. Studies have focused on numbers of indicator bacteria (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci) or enteroviruses in feces and leachates, but have not estimated the total pathogen load or identified the major sources of these pathogens. This may be due to lack of detection methods for many of the pathogens in solid waste or leachate as well as potentially low numbers of viable but non-culturable organisms. Fecal waste is a breeding ground for diseases and even the smallest of contaminations can cause a great deal of problems."
Tags: bacteria, virus, parasites, garbage, recycling, health, hazard, water
Abstract The paper explores the severity of the waste management problem in Ontario, specifically in Toronto. The paper examines what diseases and/or viruses are now emerging as a result of their waste management policies and explores the wastedisposal alternatives available as the issue of waste management becomes more pressing with the passage of time. The paper is of the opinion that the province of Ontario must begin to pressure citizens and private businesses to focus on diversionary plans for waste and they must start providing citizens and businesses with the resources they need to make these diversionary alternatives a success.
From the Paper "The relevance of this topic to our own course work can scarcely be exaggerated. For one thing, our focus on the environment has brought home the reality that we must find an adequate way of disposing of our waste or we as Ontarians will be confronted with the degradation of the ecosystem upon which we depend for food and nourishment. More than that, if human beings in the GTA and elsewhere in Canada's most populous province do not find a means of improving their approach to waste disposal, then the health risks to ordinary citizens - not all of whom are polluters or particularly slothful - will grow ever worse. Not least of all, our fragile groundwater reservoirs (a vital component of the hydrological cycle as our October 2 notes clearly reveal) will continue to face contamination - and the sufferings of this generation because of such a development will be met and exceeded by the sufferings of future generations who will be confronted with the grim specter of contaminated water, as well."
Abstract This paper describes the daily operation process of the Miami facility of Cliff Berry Inc., hazardous wastedisposal firm. The paper describes the facility, its wastedisposal processes and also explains the firm's specialization in oil waste treatment and disposal. The paper also describes Cliff Berry's waste water management system and relates the challenges that they face, such as is the development of new technologies, the criticism of the hazardous wastedisposal industry, the threat of new competition and regulatory issues on federal, state and county levels.
Outline:
Introduction
The Facility and Its Operations
Customers
Challenges
Major Regulatory Issues
Plans for the Future
References
From the Paper "The primary sources of waste at the Miami plant of Cliff Berry are the ships that ply the waters around South Florida. The area is home to two major cruise ship hubs at Miami and Fort Lauderdale, as well as two major container ports, the Port of Miami and Port Everglades. Oily bilge water from these ships is processed through this plant. They also service other major area hubs such as Tampa and Cape Canaveral. They work with all the major cruise lines that operate in South Florida."
Abstract This paper examines the problem of nuclear wastes and how it presents a particular dilemma on various fronts including health and security issues. Nuclear energy and technology has become an endemic part of modern society. The paper points out that concomitant with the significant advances in the production of nuclear energy as well as its application to the areas of medicine and defense has been the escalation of the problems of nuclear wastedisposal.
Includes several graphs and tables and diagrams.
1. Introduction
2. Classification of Types of Nuclear Waste 3. Sources of Nuclear Waste 3.2. Storage of Low Level Waste 3.3 Long-Term Storage of High Level Waste 3.4. The Storage of Plutonium
3.5. Transmutation
4. Conclusion
From the Paper "This debate emphasizes the dilemma and the importance of finding a permanent and less environmentally hazardous solution to the problems of nuclear waster. All of the methods discussed above provide some solutions to the problems - but they do not as yet present a permanent and fully acceptable means of waste disposal and many of the methods have significant drawbacks and are often manpower intensive and open to the vicissitudes of human error. The answer to what to do with nuclear waste has not yet been adequately answered."
Abstract The paper looks at how the not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) syndrome affects how sites for wastedisposal facilities are located. The paper then examines particular problems facing landfills and incinerators. The paper shows how current wastedisposal strategies in Canada are ineffective due to undesirable by-products and strong resistance to these facilities. The paper concludes that the most obvious solution to these problems would appear to be to adopt waste diversion programs like the ones being developed in Toronto.
From the Paper "To begin this discussion it is necessary to look at the social phenomena known as NIMBY syndrome. NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard(Meredith 480). When discussing NIMBY syndrome in "Assessing Environmental Impacts in Canada" Thomas Meredith states,
"...A society collectively accepts the need for a project, say a landfill site, an airport, or a nuclear power plant, but no one wants it near them" (Meredith 480)."
"In this sense NIMBY syndrome can be seen as a way in which land can be made socially unavailable for facilities like incinerators or landfills. This can be seen as a major contradiction because two totally different social and environmental factors are being expressed at the same time. Everyone knows that these facilities are necessary for society to function and are largely unwilling to live without them. However, they are also unwilling to live near the facilities that they desire. Since these two desires can't both be fulfilled it is necessary to look for other options."
Abstract This paperfocuses on the Greater Toronto Area's curren, and historic reliance on land filling. It identifies the problems with landfilling and other aspects of the GTA's wastedisposal plans and proposes alternatives.
Abstract In this essay the writer discusses that waste and its disposal are acute problems throughout the world. The writer notes that the disposal of waste provides a great environmental problem around the world. The writer looks at the use of recycling as a possible solution to the problem.
From the Paper "Waste disposal presents a big environmental problem that is universal to all nations of the world. Canada is no exception. Ontario for example has to export its waste across the border. There is no single solution to the problem and it is unlikely that our modern, industrialized society will in any near future become waste-free, as waste is an unavoidable consequence of our consumer oriented, highly industrialized society. In 2000, Canadians generated 1021 kg of non-hazardous waste per capita."
Abstract This paper discusses how the accumulation of waste is an inevitable problem of highly industrialized, consumerist and rich nations, whose economies thrive on producing and creating demand for more products. The paper discusses three methods that are used to deal with waste: landfill, incineration and the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. The paper explains how all three methods are associated with various environmental and economic costs. The paper points out, however, that the 3Rs method of waste management has the greatest potential for growth and improvement.
From the Paper "Waste is a non-avoidable result of high-technology industrialized economies. We live in a consumerist society that encourages us to shop and acquire more things. Hence more things are produced and more waste is generated. In 2000, Canadians generated 1021 kg of non-hazardous waste per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002). 747kg of this waste were disposed of per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002), while the rest was recycled. "Current waste management practices in Canada emphasize techniques and approaches that avoid or minimize the need for waste disposal" (MacLaren, 371). There are three methods used to deal with waste: landfill, incineration and the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle."
Abstract The paper explains that the technology boom produces vast amounts of waste, especially when manufacturers purposefully incorporate obsolescence into their products. The paper relates that wealthy nations are able to pay to ship their toxic waste to poorer nations, causing them to choose between poverty and poison. The paper contends that to deal with this issue, the developed world needs to provide more technical assistance to developing communities that are processing e-waste in order to make the recycling and disposal process less dangerous for workers and for the environment.
Outline:
Introduction: What Is E-Waste?
Toxic Electronics and Their Environmental Impact
Making a Living from Toxic Waste in the Third World
Conclusion: The Terrible Choice between Poverty and Poison
From the Paper "Unfortunately, we rarely think that there is any association between toxic waste contamination and poverty. There is, however, a direct correlation between the level of affluence of a nation and its willingness to accept toxic waste from other nations. In some respects, wealthy nations are simply able to pay to ship their problems to other, poorer nations. Those poorer nations have less economic recourse to deal with the toxic waste with the end result being the pollution of the health of the environment and the people with toxic waste. In many parts of the Third World, such as nations in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, communities have been forced to choose "between poverty or poison" (Great e-waste, 2002). This is a choice that highlights the relationship between poverty and toxic waste."
Abstract This paper uses the second law of thermodynamics to explain why a properly designed source-separation recycling program takes less energy and produces less pollution than a centralized program that collects mixed waste over a large area and hauls it to a centralized facility where workers or machinery separates the waste for recycling.
From the Paper "Waste is an unavoidable consequence of our consumer oriented, highly industrialized society. In 2000, Canadians generated 1021 kg of non-hazardous waste per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002). 747kg of this waste were disposed of per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002), while the rest was recycled. Torontonians for example recycled 699 tonnes of household waste in 2001 (Ministry of Environment, 2004). Household waste generation was 353kg per capita in 2000 (Statistics Canada, 2002). The situation is similar in most developing countries although the levels of recycling vary. Growing concern for the environment, constant increase in the amounts of waste produced, economic, land and social costs involved in developing new landfill sites and public opinion have brought about the need to approach waste management in a broader context. "
Abstract An argumentative paper, exploring the chemical make up of uranium, showing that it is extremely difficult to dispose of this material in a complete way. It looks at current disposal practices in the world and analyzes their pros and cons.
From the Paper "Radioactive material is defined as having atoms with extremely excited outer electron shells. This makes them unstable, excitable and an efficient means of providing energy to a population that can afford a nuclear power plant. The main source of this energy is Uranium. This is a naturally occurring element found in rocks and seawater. It is the most heavy element in the periodic table, having 146 neutrons and 92 protons in its stable form. The instable form has 143 neutrons and this is the kind that is used in cores to create energy (UIC website)."
Tags:disposal, nuclear, radioactive, sun, waste, water
Abstract The paper looks at Toronto's current wastedisposal problems - with special attention being paid to the city's heavy reliance on landfills. The paper then looks at the challenges and possibilities presented by recycling and how some new technological innovations (chiefly incineration) might be the most useful change. Also the paper looks at the potentialities of waste diversion techniques, examine the allure of bio wasterecycling and the hope offered by the elimination of plastic wrapping. Finally, the paper delves into the issue of technologically-advanced incinerators and how they might help resolve Toronto's garbage problem.
From the Paper "All in all, in light of the problems facing Toronto, more recycling/waste disposal techniques should be considered - and high-technology incineration is right at the top of the list. Also near the top of the list is an "old" approach to waste management that, really, has not gained the widespread traction it deserves: old-fashioned recycling. Maureen Carter-Whitney writes that recycling, as compared to waste disposal, reduces energy consumption, relieves strain on the environment, diminishes the risk of dangerously high levels of eutrophification and acidification, cuts down air pollutants, and makes ecological toxicity less prevalent than it would be otherwise."
Abstract This paper discusses some of the problems and solutions to Canada's garbage and full landfill issues. It looks at the 3 R's of necessary alternatives - reduction of waste at its source, re-usability and recycling. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this method of garbage disposal and makes recommendations for integrated waste management in Canada.
From the Paper "3 R's of necessary alternatives are meant "to divert as much waste as possible from disposal" (Mitchell 377) to reduction of waste at its source, reusability, and recycling. Source reduction refers to eliminating as much waste material as possible at its origin to halt "the flow of garbage into the landfill" (The 4 R's). For the consumer it means "reducing the amount of toxicity" (Mitchell 378) in products brought home (water based instead of oil based paints), and the durability of products that will not need to be thrown out despite their inconvenience (cloth instead of disposable diapers). In industry this could include "more efficient manufacturing techniques that produce less scrap or generate fewer toxic wastes per unit of output" (Mitchell 378). In both areas, especially retail, "packaging makes up about half our garbage by volume, one-third by weight" (The 4 R's). Reusability is simply living the way our great-grandparents did down on the farm: repair, don't replace the chair, the new-fangled radio, wash out jars to store things, and if you have to buy, purchase that which lasts. Quality pays for itself. Recycling is the final option, and ideally the least desirable because it means the first two have not achieved their objectives; however, modern life being what it is, what cannot be reused should be broken down by cardboard, paper, bottles, etc. at home. In industry recycling and reusability are often reversed in their order of precedence as they are in some telephone companies who melt down quantities of scrapped copper filaments and remold them into copper wire. This might be an example of the fourth R, recovering (potential) energy from waste, a practice which was employed during wartime especially in England where railings, gates, every scrap of metal was taken by the War Office and melted down for armaments.
Abstract Waste management and the landfill industry in general have emerged in the past few decades as an area of concern for citizens, government officials and policy makers alike. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was designed to govern the handling and disposal of "hazardous wastes" at sites that were then currently active. The RCRA affects sites where such wastes were treated, stored or disposed of since November 19, 1980. Thus, any person that generates "hazardous waste" is governed, as are persons that treat, store or dispose of hazardous wastes. This paper discusses the changes in the waste management and landfill industry as a result of the RCRA, the reconfiguration of the solid waste industry after the EPA banned local small dumps, and includes policy analysis and recommendations for the future in this area.
From the Paper "The RCRA requires landfill owners to prove that they can afford to maintain their landfills after closure and to correct environmental problems the landfills cause. Trust funds are the most promising of the mechanisms owners may use to provide financial assurance (Lee, at 35-39). After the EPA banned small dumps, a large landfill industry arose, causing a reconfiguration of the solid waste industry. Public and private landfill owners face additional compliance deadlines under the municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill regulations issued by the EPA."
Abstract In this article the writer notes that the Power Company uses a growing amount of bottled water each year. The writer maintains that in an effort to reduce landfill expenses and environmental waste, recycling of plastic water bottles is an activity that the Power Company should encourage and promote. The writer then explains that Vikoz Enterprises is a business that offers a corporate solution for the plastic waste burdens that are facing the Power Company and describes the solution Vikoz offers. The writer concludes that using Vikoz Enterprises to dispose of the plastic waste created at the Power Company will benefit the Power Company and the environment.
Outline:
Abstract
List of Illustrations
Executive Summary
Figure 1
Figure 2
From the Paper "The Power Company is committed to excellence in every aspect of its operations and core values. From generating and supplying electricity for 2.25 million customers to educating children on electrical safety, the Power Company strives to surpass all expectations from its employees, the communities served, and the various governing bodies of authority. One of the main focal points of the Power Company is its commitment to safety for the employees. With the presence of extreme working conditions, hazards, and remote locations, the Power Company supplies its employees with bottled drinking water. The bottled water is not required by any governing agency, but it is an expense that the Power company deems necessary for the safety and good health of its work force. As each bottle of water is consumed, hidden expenses are created for the company. The concealed expenses that are incurred with each emptied water bottle are in waste disposal and the long-term effects on the environment. Recycling plastic water bottles is a program that the Power Company needs for both economical and environmental solutions."
