Tag: Environment

The Trash Train – Tracking Pollution To The Dump

As you go on about your day to day activities and see your garbage collector cart your trash away, you may have briefly wondered what happens to the trash they have picked up. You might question whether some of it will be recycled or if it’s just going to end up in a landfill, or worse: in the ocean.

If you want to know what happens, here are some common scenarios as to where your garbage goes after it leaves your house:

It goes to dumps or landfill sites to be buried

Unless you have chosen to live a life with zero-waste, you contribute to the growing problem of overfilled trash dumps and landfills. Dumps are open holes in the ground where your trash is buried and where pests such as rats and mice swarm around. On the other hand, landfills are structures designed to be built into or on top of the ground. Trash should be isolated from the surrounding environment, according to How Stuff Works. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Our trash continues to pile up in growing mountains of trash that has not been separated. It starts to mold and fill the air with a stench you can smell miles away. If a landfill is successfully managed, there is a good chance that soil can be added to it, and that it can become a hill or mountain with grass, bushes or trees on top. This is done to allow the trash to decompose faster, and to block the negative factors of an open trash dump. The issue is that in many countries the trash keeps piling up and there will never be enough space to leave the last trash dump behind and move on to the next one.

It gets burnt or incinerated

There are some places where waste is sent to be incinerated for waste-to-energy plants while some localities without the luxury burn it in piles. In fact, Christine Wiedinmyer, an atmospheric scientist, found that at least 1.1 billion tons of waste, which is more than 40% of the world’s garbage, is burned in open piles. Trash burning actually produces a lot of carbon dioxide emissions.

The newer facilities do have the ability to incinerate trash at extremely high temperatures, while removing the majority of the pollutants before the exhaust fumes are released into the air. The problem however are that these cost hundreds of millions of dollars to set up. Currently at least 50% of waste is made up of carbon by mass. For these reasons, it can also be stated that it contributes to air pollution in many countries today.

It gets recycled

A lot of places have waste transfer stations where they accept and sort trash out. Recyclables and other materials go to recycling centers.

Moreover, nowadays, people are encouraged to recycle and reuse materials such as plastics to help with the environment. Much of our waste is caused by these materials that do not decompose easily. Because of them, landfills and trash dumps are overflowing, and even the sea is full of waste and endangering marine life. Thus, it is always better to know these tips on how to have effective recycling habits.

Following some of the beneficial actions you can take to reduce your trash output, there are different ways in which most people dispose of their garbage. Of course, there are also some people who do not follow the rules their cities set out for them and they dump it in places they shouldn’t. Some localities are exporting trash, but it is very difficult to deal with such large amounts of such a disgusting formation. There are many expensive ways to deal with our trash output so that certain plastics and other volatile compounds are not mixed with organic matter and left.

Millions of kilos of trash do not get disposed of properly and will remain on our earth for a long period of time. This has caused an alarming reminder to all of us that we should be responsible for our trash. So, remember the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

Where Your Disposable Pollution Mask Ends Up

Because of the pandemic, there has been an excessive increase in demand for disposable masks. Many countries have needed them to help lessen the risk of exposure to the virus. Although they have been a requirement for some, disposable masks for that matter are not the best solution for many people. The increased plastic waste that they entail have not been good for the environment.

Doctors and other healthcare professionals are actually the ones that should use disposable masks. They are often exposed to germs, bacteria, and other viruses because of the nature of their jobs. What other people should use are reusable masks.

The Negative Effects on the Environment

Disposable masks like surgical masks are often made mostly of polypropylene. They can either be 20 or 25 grams per square meter in density per mask.

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer usually used in a wide variety of products. This composition of disposable masks makes it a plastic waste that it is hard to dispose of. Not only will they overflow in trash dumps, but some people are not properly disposing of them in the right place. In a recent survey conducted by Environmental group OceansAsia, they have found masses of surgical masks washing up on the shoreline of the Soko Islands in Hong Kong.

According to Teale Phelps Bondaroff, Director of Research at OceansAsia, “Most of these masks contain or are made of polypropylene, which does not break down quickly.

Marine plastic pollution is a serious problem. It is estimated that every year, over eight million tons of plastic enters our oceans. This plastic does not disappear but rather slowly breaks down into micro-plastic, which enters food chains, with a devastating effect.”

This just shows how much of an impact disposable masks are to

the environment. The better solution that most people should turn to is reusable masks.

3 Reasons to Use Reusable Masks

 

  • They last longer than disposable masks. With reusable masks, you can use them for as long as they las, but you must also be vigilant when it comes to cleaning and maintaining them. Reusable masks do have plastic valves, but those plastic valves can be used for eternity. If the silicone stopper in the valves doesn’t work anymore, it can be replaced.
  • They can help you save money. You won’t have to buy a lot of masks. You can just have one or two reusable masks, and purchase the replaceable filters which do have to be discarded but do not have any plastic in them. They are better for your wallet and for comfortability.
  • They can save the environment. This might be the most important reason. We want to do our best to save Mother Nature. We can do things like recycling or utilizing reusable masks and other reusable objects. We need to stop producing so much plastic waste because the earth and the environment are suffering now more than ever.

Resources:

1

2

3

Which Countries Are FREE From Air Pollution?

Most people don’t take the consequences of pollution seriously. They don’t understand that not only does it cause harm to the environment, but also to us humans as well. Air pollution, for that matter, causes 4.2 million deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization. This is because almost 91% of the world’s population lives in countries where air quality exceeds the guideline limits set by WHO.

How is air pollution measured by country?

There are several ways, but the key indicator is called “PM 2.5”. The “PM” stands for particulate matter while the” 2.5″ is the 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller. This is one of the most harmful classes of airborne pollutants. According to Lydia Ramsey of Business Insider, PM 2.5 “is especially dangerous because it can get lodged in the lungs and cause long-term health problems like asthma and chronic lung disease.”

WHO recommends that a country should keep its PM 2.5 levels below 10 micrograms per cubic meter. If the levels go above 35 micrograms per cubic meter, this is considered a potential major health problem.

Thus, many countries and cities are looking for green alternatives to prevent further harm to the environment. They are doing their best to have lesser industrial coal production and more solar and wind energy. However, some cities are still reaping the profits from burning coal in factories and to produce energy.

Pollution Index

Here is a list of some of the countries with the least air pollution based on their rankings in 2020 on the Pollution Index:

Finland

This country has consistently been one of the countries with the least air pollution. This is because of the environmental protections that it has taken. Finnish authorities have had a strict policy on providing the best public transport. They have invested in their green initiatives, and the positive effects of this decision has led to many citizens having less need to get their own vehicles. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, brand new coal fired power plants are opening up.Image may contain: outdoor and text

https://www.facebook.com/gretathunbergsweden/photos/a.733630957004727/1139626929738459/?type=3&theater

Iceland

Iceland also ranks in the top five countries for having the least PM 2.5 levels. This is because they have wisely been using eco-friendly geothermal energy. This has been powering the country’s heating and electricity.

Sweden

The capital of Sweden, which is Stockholm, is considered the cleanest capital in the world and was named the first European Green Capital in 2010. It has curbed CO2 emissions by a quarter since the 1990s, which means that it is surely deserving of its title. The Swedish authorities also hope to make the country fossil-fuel free by 2040.

Norway

Oslo, the capital of Norway, is the more recent capital that has been crowned the European Green Capital in 2019. It is known as a world leader when it comes to its sustainable public transport system. This is because it runs completely on renewable energy.

Most countries should learn from these places because if we leave things as they are today, more and more people will suffer from air pollution, not to mention that it is taking a substantial toll on the environment.

The Evolution of Pollution

Most industrious processes used to generate tons of pollution. The countries that claim to have a majority of green power consumption used to be large contributors to global pollution. As we design better technology like wind, solar and water energy, we must consider that countries that are now entering their industrious years will continue to generate lots of pollution. It takes a lot of money and a lot of time to understand the negative effects pollution has.

Countries that are now emitting less pollution should not blame those countries that are growing and producing rapidly for the pollution they emit. Instead we should globally share the green technology that might be expensive, but can replace the processes that produce so much pollution. While it is costly, it is the only way that our ozone layer will be repaired, and the only way for us to minimize global warming.

In the end our demand is what creates a polluted world. We earn more money, and we spend it on air travel, large vehicles, plastic, and whatever else we want. It can be very difficult not to keep that Air Conditioner on because it probably won’t affect us in this life time. Our children’s children are the victims of our crimes on the environment.

Sources

1

2

3

How To Take Care Of The Environment

Hands carrying soil with plant

Will you take the responsibility to care for the environment?

All too often, giving care to the environment is an idea that we often neglect and take for granted. Many of us neglect most of our duties as chosen stewards for the better welfare of our planet. Environmentally-concerned people all around the world are fighting to raise awareness. We must also do our part and encourage people to start caring for their environment as early as now. You might really care about separating your trash, minimizing your emissions and reducing single use plastics, but your neighbor might not care at all. Is it best to confront them on their mistakes or suggest reasonable actions to take through explanation?

If we try to look at it on a bigger scale, the 2014 Greendex Sustainable Consumption Ranking Index has gathered 18 countries and ranked them according to their sustainable behavior. The order follows from most to least sustainable country. The research found that American consumers were listed and ranked as the lowest country to provide correct sustainable strategy. It was found that they were the least to likely take action and care for the environment.

How do we educate people to care about the environment to make it more sustainable and freer from toxins? Here are some examples of what we can do to show and influence others to take similar action.

Understand that other people might not have the same education as you

It is difficult to believe that your next-door neighbor doesn’t care about the environment, or that they haven’t received the education you see as so fundamental. This is where the problem lies. The lack of knowledge on the subject, be it from where they grew up, the finances of their family, their schooling, or even their friend’s behavior are all factors that cause them to act in certain ways. Understanding that everyone around you may not have been lucky enough to receive a good education, will allow us to reset, be kind, and simply explain the benefits of taking care of our environment.

Make statements that are personal to the audience

Car exhaust smoke
Car exhaust fumes are very bad for our environment. They make it difficult to breathe.

Not everyone takes topics about climate change as serious as activists who genuinely care for the environment. Most people think that the changes they experience in the environment today are things they should not care about. They often believe that they should not waste time picking up plastic bottles and putting them where they belong. It is too easy for people to watch others around them dispose of their trash on the ground, which in turn influences others’ actions negatively. Will you admit that you threw that plastic wrapper thinking someone else would pick it up or that it’s not going to hurt you? Well you’re not alone. The majority of people have left their trash in the wrong place.

Instead of blaming people for not taking enough or no action, make statements that are personal to them. Use local stories as an example so your audience can relate to your statement. Some of them might have experienced some of the worst tragic calamities firsthand. You can also make use of current health effect statements like how we have polluted the air. You can then explain that this is due to the increasing number of private vehicles and the burning of plastic that can cause asthma and other respiratory problems. In essence, the blocked drainage due to littering and not disposing of plastic garbage can cause clogging and even floods.

Encourage people to show care the positive way

Hands carrying soil with plant

Talk about solutions and strategies on how to contribute more to have a better environment instead of telling your audience that it’s their fault and that humanity is doomed. Avoid talking about disasters and making it look like there is nothing else that they could do to lessen the effect on our environment. Focus on giving your audience the brighter side of the story and educate them on how to start caring in as compelling ways as properly possible. When carrying out messages that are intended for your readers, make it more personal and give them immediate opportunities so that they too can take the lead and make changes happen.

Use the influence of Social Media

Activists and people who would want to make a change and save the environment should shift their focus to informing the public about the number of people who are saving water and riding bikes instead of their vehicles that can cause air pollution. We should raise awareness to those who are making a significant change and doing the right thing.

Use the influence of social media to raise awareness so that we can create strong social support for those who take action to move forward and make a better climate-friendly environment.

Join your city’s local cleanup group

Sri Lanka Cleanup on #WorldCleanupDay

We don’t often think about how differently we could affect our environment from the comfort of our couch. We’re often not interested enough in the improvement of our surroundings. On World Cleanup Day, supposedly around 5% of our Earth’s population went out and helped clean up. Green Peace and other large organizations consistently do successful cleanups around the world. A quick Google search will tell you if there is a non-profit organization near you that’s working to clean up your area. You can also search Facebook for hashtags like #cleanup to find out If you can physically help in your area on their next clean up day.

Conclusion

We’ve only detailed some of the things we can do to help care for our environment. The challenge is now up to you to take action and help save what is left on mother earth. Take the lead and be the first to take responsibility because every action you take to achieve a better future for Earth in your hands. We all want a beautiful, clean, and pollution free life, so lets join our hands and work together to educate those without knowledge, become positive influencers, and spend our free time thinking and working towards a clean future.

How Hanoi’s Streets Became Unhealthy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People are flocking to city centers all over the world, in search of better jobs in urban environments. For the people who design the roads and buildings in cities this requires significant planning. Without planning for the future, expensive mistakes can deter growth and have negative impact on housing, sanitation, education, and employment. Hanoi’s narrow streets and high tax on cars has led to an increased number of motorbike owners. This has recently led to pollution becoming dangerous to people’s health.

Emissions of all types are found in Hanoi’s air, including fine particles which lead to a large number of deaths per year. Particles (PM) as small as 2.5 micrometers lodge deep in our lungs, clogging arteries, making it harder to breathe. This irreversible effect is the reason scientists have been studying how safe it is to live in such an environment. PM10 particles are larger, and are usually in the form of dust. Blocking PM10 particles is easier than PM2.5 particles, and can be done with a simple cloth mask. Those masks however don’t block all the other particles or gasses.

There are more and more reasons coming to light that show how a city can become unhealthy.
• More people = more traffic.
• More electricity demand = more electricity production (usually without regulation, in the form of power plants).
• Smoking and cooking indoors = highly concentrated PM2.5 particles in indoor environments.
• Burning crops (called stubble burning) to make way for a new planting season = CO2 filled environment.
• Factory emissions and runoff = polluted water bodies and trash dumps.
• Dusty roads = increased dust in the air.
• Unregulated vehicles = filthy exhaust fumes in the air.

Looking at the history of the countries that now claim to have high air quality, we can see that developed countries like the U.S. went through similar pollution effects and had to fix them by developing specific regulations.

Here are some ways that we hope will slowly reduce the reasons a city is overly polluted.
• Efficient public transport solutions and use of bicycles and electric vehicles.
• Reaping the power from the sun, wind, and water.
• Regulations put in place to stop smoking indoors, and zero emission cooking stoves. Less use of Coal!
• Regulations against burning crops or stubble. As well as education of composting old crops.
• Removing factories using methods that pollute, and instead investing in factories that are able to use technology to eradicate emissions (like in the EU).
• Investment in road infrastructure and proper sidewalks, with runoff systems and sewers to deal with dust.
• Regulate vehicles to meet higher standards, and reduce poor fuel quality.

Although none of these suggestions can come into effect immediately, doing so would decrease emissions in the future. The majority of us care about our earth’s environment, but many who are not educated enough act like they don’t care. It occurs far too often that people copy those around them, following like a herd of sheep. “If they throw their trash on the ground, why shouldn’t I?”

We’re looking forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions on some of these issues.
What can each of us do to reduce the negative effects of pollution?

How to Stop Everything from Getting Dusty

The answer is simple: buy and use electrostatic (microfiber) cloth!

There are many reasons why dust collects on our things. First of all, most people own more things than they actually use daily. That’s because we have invested our time or money into material things, which then seem to lose their use, or are sometimes replaced. We then convince ourselves that we will later find time to sell, get rid of, or make use of it… which rarely is more important than things you’ve purchased more recently. This, can be seen as hoarding.

Dust is more rampant in dusty areas. Therefore, if you often keep windows or doors open, and you live in a dusty area, the invisible dust particles will creep into your home and lodge themselves on your belongings. To stop this from happening, limit the amount of time you leave your windows and doors open, and perhaps use the fan on your air conditioner or another ventilation system to keep circulating air indoors.

If you use your A/C a lot, and have not had it maintained in a long time, you should call a repairman to take a look at the filter and perhaps change it. If you have no pets or allergies, you should change your A/C filter every 6-12 months. If you have a pet or allergies, you should change/clean your A/C filter every 20-60 days.

When sweeping, keep the broom at a 45-degree angle from the floor. Don’t sweep everything swiftly, letting the broom stay perpendicular or upright. Doing this will cause all the dust to go into the air and spread. It will also only come down out of the air slowly and spread onto other material belongings.

Here are 6 tips to living in a dust free environment.

1. Sell your material things, or simply own less.
2. Keep windows and doors closed, but don’t forget to circulate the air in your living space.
3. Keep dusty things (shoes, bikes, furry jackets, or old fabric) out of your living space. To clean, use electrostatic cloth that attract dust particles.
4. Use electrostatic cloth instead of a duster! They collect the dust instead of spread it.
5. When sweeping, don’t rush!
6. Get a high quality HEPA air purifier that removes the dust from the air you live in. We would suggest the Xiaomi 2S for around $130.