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Posts Tagged ‘conservation’

Nuclear energy promises to be the most viable source of energy in view of the depleting natural resources. However the consequences of generating nuclear energy are far reaching and grave. With the ever increasing need for technology, domestic and industrial power supply, defence requirements and scientific research demands, the lure of nuclear energy bypasses the outcry of the environment and planet.

Transboundary dumping of hazardous waste refers to the export of such waste to the third world countries, especially Sub-Saharan nations by the first world mainly U.S. and Europe. Besides dumping into the sea is a common way of disposal of nuclear waste. For years the coast of Farallon Islands near the Californian Coast remained the biggest dumping site in America, containing 47,500 barrels of low level radioactive waste disposed from the various US nuclear reactors and US Navy and University of California’s nuclear laboratories. Ships containing hazardous waste barrels released them into the sea and the barrels that did not sink were holed for immediate sinking, leading to nuclear pollution. The marine life was and continues to be put to danger when such waste enters the marine food chain and ultimately the human chain.

The Sub- Saharan countries like Guinea Bissau which is among the 20 most poor countries of the world, agree to the import of hazardous waste from the first world nations due to financial requirements. At one point Guinea Bissau was offered 600 billion dollars for acting as the dumping ground. The sum was twice its foreign debt and four times it’s GNP at the time. Such financial lures are the main reason for transboundary dumping. Also the lack of technological know-how in such countries make them easy targets for nuclear waste trading in the name of fertilizers, road building material and re-cycleable chemicals. The lack of stringent regulations regarding proper disposal and environmental issues in these countries attract first world countries where laws are more rigidly binding. Also the prevalence of deep-rooted corruption exacerbates the problem. ‘Under the table’ deals with government officials of these countries make them soft targets for waste disposal.

The lack of economic, social and infrastructural development in the third world countries forces them to convert their own land into ‘cradle of death’. The lack of technological knowledge leads to improper disposal of deathly waste in grossly insufficient incinerators which in some cases are almost absent. In Nigeria for example empty containers of nuclear waste are used for storing water for domestic purposes. Is this not worse than murder, condemning your ignorant fellow nationalities to decades of darkness? Is it not inhuman to knowingly put the innocent future generation to a lifelong sentence of poor health and handicap? Is this not the most excruciating pain being inflicted on Mother Nature? And yet money rules!

Russia is planning to make itself the world’s biggest nuclear dumping ground with the promise of extracting nuclear material from the waste and reselling it. Has it forgotten the Chernobyle disaster, has it forgotten its incapability in handling nuclear hazards? We talk of the Brundland report, we discuss sustainable development in every UN meeting. But then I guess all the propaganda is to give us the false hope that ‘everything’s OKAY’. Well it’s high time we realized that things are beyond okay and its time we put our foot down.

Conservation is the only option. The need for nuclear energy cannot be denied, but we need technological advancements in nuclear waste disposal techniques. We belong to nature and the nature belongs to us. Realisation of sustainable development is the only way out for harmonious co-existence, or shall we say existence because without a healthy environment the question of our survival is redundant.

Global warming is mainly caused by green house gases especially carbon oxide. Carbon capture is necessary to reduce this global warming among other efforts. Many 3g technologies are being put forward to tackle the rising carbon dioxide. Some have not helped in sustainable development while others are not just feasible. There hasn’t been an outright discovery to capture carbon till now.  However, we need to sail through the possibility of finding one otherwise our only way forward is south.

Any suggested methods of carbon capture should be ecologically safe. It should be economical and sustainable, which means the captured carbon has to stay that way for a number of years.

Naturally, plants capture carbon. However, once they die they release the carbon back into the atmosphere. Also with the accelerated emission of carbon doubled with cropping problems and deforestation, the remaining plants aren’t able to take in more carbon. They have become saturated. A team of American scientists seem to have found a way though for capturing carbon through plants. If crop residues are buried in the bottoms of the deep oceans it will make sure the carbon remain captured. This is similar to putting back the carbon as sediments in deep water which enabled the formation of fossil fuels millions of years ago. It is estimated this process can mitigate 15 percent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The team suggested that these crop residues could be baled and carried to ocean sites and then stabilize it with stones and sunk. They say this technology is feasible because of the oxygen deficient deep ocean waters ensuring the residues do not degrade.

We have heard of soil sequestration many times in recent past. This method ensures soils store up to 2 petagram (Pg) of carbon every year. (1 Pg=1 trillion kilogram) What it does is once crops are harvested the residues are ploughed back into the soil. It enables the carbon to stay underground that way for a few years.  In about 20 years almost more than 90 percent are lost in the soil due to decay and degradation.

There are other methods also for capturing carbon. However, they are not as efficient as the ones I have mentioned above. For instance, Forest capture is another form of capturing carbon. It captures 0.1-3 Pg of carbon annually. But with time the ability to capture reduces drastically. Forest fires and deforestation doesn’t help either releasing much of the captured carbon into the atmosphere.

Another method which hasn’t fully grown is ocean fertilization. Here iron dust is sprayed across the ocean to create an algal boom. 1-2 Pg of carbon can be removed annually with this. However the problem is algal die after a point of time and 60-80% of the captured carbon is emitted back after their deaths.

With the lack of efficiency in capturing carbon with some of the methods, the sinking crop residual method, the first one we discussed, sounds like the most effective one among all existing technologies. It is cheap as the residual comes naturally in the process of crop cultivation. The scientist group, however, warn against complete removal of crop residue as this will negatively affect the carbon flow in the soil. Also there could be unwanted changes underneath the ocean floor.

To conclude, scientists have been trying hard for ways to counter the dangerous carbon level in the atmosphere. They’ve been able to come up with few interesting ideas but all of them are running short in some way or the other. There needs to be an absolute sharing of knowledge and technology among scientists of the developed nations. The sooner, the lesser the destruction will be for us.

Usually the time we get as leisure is spent on recreation. It has an important function in our lives. Amidst the stress and strain of modern life, recouping and energizing the body and mind is vital. There are many ways that this can be done. Some of them are bungee jumping, skiing, hang gliding, snowboarding, rock climbing, sky diving, backpacking, canyoning, motor sport, adventure tourism and ecotourism. Ecotourism is where one visits the natural habitats to enjoy nature. However, there are two kinds of ecotourism in vogue. The first is what has come to be called responsible ecotourism. This is when the visitor is sensitive and respectful to nature and feels socially responsible to protect it. The focus here is on learning from nature and reflecting on the adverse human impact on nature. Central to it is the profound appreciation of nature. The second category is where nature becomes incidental to profits. Primarily a commercial enterprise, nature becomes a commodity for business. Tragic enough, this type of ecotourism continues to dominate.

Ecotourism is promoted indiscriminately without concern either to ecology or local culture. Ecotourism is made a mere marketing tool. Resorts, lodges and luxury hotels are located in rich natural locations and often in ecologically sensitive areas. These facilities offer modern luxury with all the wasteful lifestyle. Ecology becomes a commodity to be exploited rather than respected and conserved. Building tourism infrastructure in the name of promoting ecotourism leads to deterioration of the habitat and deforestation. The more the facilities the more are the waste generated. A large number of visitors also mean more garbage and pollution. Many of these ecotourists have no understanding of the ecological consequences of their visits and how their lifestyles in these tourist facilities impact on nature.

Responsible ecotourism on the other hand is in stark contrast to this destructive ecotourism. Typically the visitors come unobtrusively in small groups. They invariably carry their survival needs in their backpacks. These include flashlight, first aid kit, personal care products, utensils and map amongst others. Sleeping bag and the camping tent are the most important for their minimal comforts. There are many camping tent manufacturers such as Black Diamond, Sierra, Kelty, Eureka and MSR who manufacture tents. Camping tents are designed for different seasons and capacity. The features that come along with it can be previewed from each of the reviews of these tents for instance searching the Internet for MSR Hubba Hubba reviews.

Camping is usually associated with responsible tourism because the negative aspects of tourism are minimal. There is much attention given to energy efficiency, recycling, water conservation and economic benefits to local communities.

Visitors of the beautiful Atlantic City casinos have noticed a few changes in the making. The Green Initiative has taken off in the right direction by improving the eco-friendliness of this high traffic area. Some of the current projects include the Solar Project, Energy Conservation, ways of tracking wind power, and Operations Green Products. Each initiative plays a significant role in reducing the dependency on goods which cause pollution.

The Atlantic City Conservation Center is one of the main points aside from the Atlantic City casino hotels and resorts throughout the region. ‘Going Green’ has reached a high point by a few impressive factors including the elimination of paper cups used in offices, recycling goods such as paper and ink cartridges, introducing hand vacuums, foam soap, and more. The energy conservation project is meant to encourage Atlantic City casino resorts to implement some changes in their building structures to help the environment.

Eco-conscious consumers can accelerate the process of these Green Initiatives by advising their favorite Atlantic City hotel and casino to practice the eco-friendly ideas as well. As you know, the gaming industry is close to hitting a $10 billion mark for 2009. What could be done if they reinvested these profits into improving their casinos to save the environment? More casinos are taking these motives into account because 1) it saves money and protects the environment, 2) currently a tax deduction for eco-friendly buildings, and 3) it gives back the community.

The consequences of such improvements are offering a better outlook for Atlantic City resorts casinos because of the principals. Newer improvements including the Solar Project which was awarded to Pepco Energy Services to build and maintain the largest single rooftop composed of solar rooftop of the Conservation Center. It’s a 20-year contract and everyone is dying to see what happens from these improvements. The vision of a healthier planet is only years away. More Atlantic City casino hotels are investing stock into these proceedings while making small improvements themselves.

Although the construction of the Conservation Center can raise eyebrows for investors, Atlantic City casino resorts are recycling goods. Paper goods are only one big contribution to the recycling efforts of Atlantic City leaders – the new ideas are to recycle carpet, office equipment, computers, and more. Pounds of recyclable materials are finding their way into the homes of others and away from the landfills. Some look at Atlantic City as a place of fun and carelessness, but these new eco-friendly initiatives are making a statement to the world – these professionals care about the outcome of their actions.