IzanJay's Environmental Articles/News Collection

Malaysia sudah gubal Rang Undang-Undang Senjata Kimia: PM

2011-07-19T20:59:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/MalaysiasudahgubalRangUndang-UndangSenjataKimia_PM/Article

Malaysia sudah gubal Rang Undang-Undang Senjata Kimia: PM

2011/07/19

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia sudah menggubal rang undang-undang senjata kimia yang akan menjadi sebahagian daripada rangka kerja perundangan negara untuk menentukan Konvensyen Senjata Kimia (BWC) dilaksanakan dengan berkesan, kata Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Perdana Menteri berkata, kerajaan yakin rangka kerja perundangan yang diwujudkan itu akan membantu dalam usaha menjamin satu kaedah yang selamat dalam mengendalikan bahan kimia berbahaya dan pada masa sama, menentukan keperluannya tidak menjejaskan penyelidikan sains kehidupan dan entiti perniagaan di negara ini.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapannya pada perasmian Kongres Antarabangsa Mengenai Biokeselamatan, Biojaminan dan Biopertahanan di sini hari ini.

Ucapan beliau dibacakan Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Najib berkata, kerajaan sedang mendapatkan maklumat balas mengenai cara untuk mempercepatkan pembangunan bioteknologi di negara ini dan pada masa yang sama, menentukan bahawa sebarang kebimbangan mengenai biokeselamatan dan biojaminan, ditangani dan diambil kira.

Ahmad Zahid memberitahu pemberita bahawa Kementerian Pertahanan akan menerajui penggubalan rang undang-undang itu dengan Institut Penyelidikan Sains Dan Teknologi Pertahanan (STRIDE).

"STRIDE akan mengumpul maklumat daripada beberapa agensi termasuk Kementerian Kesihatan mengenai rang undang-undang itu dan akan mendapatkan bantuan Jabatan Peguam Negara," katanya.
Ahmad Zahid berkata, rang undang-undang itu adalah untuk digunapakai di negara ini bagi mengekang penyalahgunaan senjata kimia oleh mana-mana pihak.

Beliau berkata, rang undang-undang itu diharap dapat dibentangkan pada persidangan Dewan Rakyat pertengahan tahun depan. - BERNAMA

Penyelidikan sisa pepejal di UKM

2011-03-24T23:10:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0324&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_09.htm

Oleh ZULKIFLI MANZOR
zulkifli.manzor@kosmo.com.my

MOHD. ZAIN (dua dari kanan) memotong riben sambil diperhatikan Hassan (kanan) semasa merasmikan pusat kitar semula UKM di Bangi semalam.

BANGI – Sebuah pusat penyelidikan sisa pepejal bersepadu Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)-Alam Flora yang bernilai kira-kira RM500,000 akan dibangunkan di kampus universiti itu.

Pembinaannya bakal menjadikan UKM sebagai perintis dalam meneroka penyelidikan pengurusan sisa pepejal di kalangan institusi pengajian tinggi di negara ini.

Timbalan Naib Canselor Hal Ehwal Akademik dan Antarabangsa UKM, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Hassan Basri berkata, pusat itu akan dibina di atas kawasan seluas 0.34 hektar dan dijangka siap penghujung tahun ini.

“Ia akan mempunyai ruang untuk fasiliti perolehan semula bahan sisa pepejal sekali gus menjadikan UKM sebagai kampus mesra alam pertama di Malaysia,” katanya pada sidang akhbar Pelancaran Pusat Kitar Semula dan Meraikan Ulang Tahun Pertama Kampus Sisa Sifar UKM-Alam Flora di sini semalam.

Turut hadir Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Alam Flora, Mohd. Zain Hassan.

Air di Tokyo tidak selamat untuk bayi

2011-03-24T22:29:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0324&pub=Kosmo&sec=Dunia&pg=du_01.htm

SEORANG lelaki memperoleh air dari sebuah lori tangki di wilayah Chiba, dekat Tokyo semalam.

TOKYO – Pihak berkuasa Jepun menasihati agar bayi tidak diberi minum air paip di bandar raya ini ekoran ia mengandungi tahap radiasi yang tinggi.

Menurut pihak berkuasa, air di loji pemprosesan air bersih untuk kegunaan 13 juta penduduk di sini mengandungi bacaan tahap radioaktif berjumlah 210 becquerel iaitu dua kali ganda melebihi tahap selamat untuk bayi.

Pencemaran itu berpunca daripada kebocoran partikel radioaktif dari beberapa reaktor nuklear loji Fukushima Daiichi yang meletup selepas gempa bumi kuat berukuran 9 pada skala Richter dan tsunami yang melanda timur laut Jepun pada 11 Mac lalu.

“Pencemaran ini adalah kesan langsung dari loji nuklear Fukushima Daiichi,” kata seorang pegawai kerajaan di sini.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, penduduk Tokyo termasuk rakyat asing yang bekerja di Jepun berpusu-pusu meninggalkan bandar raya ini sejak hujung minggu lalu ekoran pencemaran radioaktif dalam sumber makanan dan air.

Mereka menaiki kenderaan darat seperti kereta api dan penerbangan menuju ke bandar-bandar di barat Jepun.

Sementara itu angka rasmi mangsa yang maut dalam tragedi tersebut itu setakat ini meningkat kepada 9,199 orang dengan 13,786 lagi masih hilang manakala anggaran kerugian pula mencecah AS$300 bilion (RM907.6 bilion).

Sementara itu, Pentadbiran Dadah dan Makanan Amerika Syarikat (AS) menyatakan ia menghentikan import susu, sayur dan buah-buahan dari empat wilayah di timur laut Jepun yang berada dekat dengan loji nuklear tersebut.

Hong Kong turut mengikut jejak sama dengan mengharamkam import barang tenusu, buah-buahan, sayur-sayuran dan daging dari lima wilayah dekat loji nuklear tersebut.

Para pekerja di loji nuklear yang membekalkan tenaga elektrik itu bertungkus-lumus untuk membaiki sistem penyejukan yang terletak 250 kilometer dari Tokyo. – Agensi

Have a little thought for Mother Nature

2011-03-15T23:17:00.003+08:00

Source : http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8kitar/Article/

by Ahmad Fairuz Othman

An environmentalist shows Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas (left) how compost is made at the launch of a Rakan Alam Sekitar programme at SK Taman Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang.

Rakan Alam Sekitar volunteers planting mangrove saplings.

A SIMPLE act of separating plastic waste from paper may save space at a landfill.

Even collecting aluminium cans and bringing them to a recycling centre in exchange for cash is not only profitable, but helps care for the environment.

Then there are the stacks of newspapers one collects and later sells to the suratkhabar lama (old newspaper) man who comes by the house or office in a truck.

Such simple deeds take up little of our time. So it is bewildering when some people turn a blind eye towards recycling.

It is the easiest way to care for Mother Nature, and ensure our world is kept liveable for years to come.

There have been numerous campaigns for recycling and environmental awareness through the years. Some more successful than others.

However, the essence of such campaigns remain the same -- to encourage people to recycle, reduce carbon emissions or carbon footprint, and to have more green lungs by planting more trees.

Of course, these examples are but a fraction of what environmental awareness is all about.

Many governments prefer to focus on practical ways of caring for the environment.

An example is the Rakan Alam Sekitar (Friends of the Environment) programme, which is under the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. It was officially launched on June 4, 2009.

Its main activities are tree-planting, beach clean-ups, collecting and recycling old electrical and electronic appliances (e-sisa), its sustainable school programme, talks, exhibitions, and briefings on environmental issues.

To ensure its programme reaches out to the grassroots, the ministry set up committees for environmental matters at each of the 222 Parliamentary constituencies in the country.

Each member of Parliament (MP) is the chairman of the Rakan Alam Sekitar committee at his or her constituency.

Each committee receives about RM30,000 a year to conduct environmental programmes.

It makes it easier for members to hold programmes on environmental awareness. However, do such programmes change mindsets?

Some neighbourhoods in Johor have recycling centres, and many traders who purchase old newspapers and mattresses often go around the housing estates.

But the effectiveness of such efforts from these campaigns on the public still remains to be seen.

To make a better impact, the ministry is expanding Rakan Alam Sekitar to schools nationwide.

Recently, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Unggah Embas said the ministry aims to set up Rakan Alam Sekitar programmes in 1,000 schools, beginning this year.

He said so far, 80 schools nationwide have taken part in the programme and more schools need to be involved to spread the word on environmental matters.

The Rakan Alam Sekitar in Johor has been particularly encouraging as its participants have gathered and recycled 14,911kg of rubbish and planted 5,860 trees so far.

"I am happy to say that 36,455 people in the state have been involved in the programme, with 4,409 members registered so far," said Douglas Unggah after launching the programme at SK Taman Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang.

Tebrau MP Teng Boon Soon, who is the constituency's Rakan Alam Sekitar committee chairman, said the programme will greatly benefit everyone.

Teng urged the people to become the eyes and ears of the authorities and look out for evidence of pollution in their area.

Such a call is part of the Rakan Alam Sekitar objective for encouraging vigilantism in environmental matters and proactive measures to preserve the environment.

Now, it is up to us to care for Mother Earth.

Environmental report on Pagoh landfill ready

2011-02-27T23:13:00.001+08:00

Source : http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2tyo/Article/

THE one-year Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on a 61-ha wasteland as a new sanitary landfill in Jalan Sengkang, Pagoh, in Muar, is ready.

The Department of Environment (DOE) concluded that the site is suitable as a landfill.

Muar municipal councillor Goh Kim Huat said the department conducted the study last year as the current Bakri landfill site in Muar had reached its capacity.

He said the department has produced a 37-page report based on the EIA study on the Pagoh site.

Goh said the council would invite the DOE officers to brief Pagoh residents at the Pagoh market on March 12 to enable them to understand the project and air their views.

"We will accept their views and forward them to the DOE for consideration," he said when met at the municipal council recently.

Goh said the book would be on display at the Jorak Penghulu Complex, Mukim Jorak Library, Mukim Pagoh Library and the Muar Municipal Council from March 9.

However, the council has applied for a two-week period to display the EIA.

He said Muar MCA Councillors' Community Service Centre at Jalan Bakri was prepared to provide interpreters to residents who do not know Malay, adding that it would also accept their views.

Goh said the new site, covering 60,958ha of wasteland including three lakes, could accept waste up to 400 tonnes a day compared to the current Bakri site which can only take 250 tonnes. -- By Chong Chee Seong

2010-07-21T19:00:00.000+08:00

Sources : http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialcartoon/article/836967--waste-diversion-makes-for-a-greener-cleaner-ontario

Waste diversion makes for a greener, cleaner Ontario

‘Eco fees’ are a small price to pay for a less toxic environment

Green incentives help to deter the practice of putting out hazardous materials with our trash.

Jim Rankin/Toronto Star

Peter Hume President, Association of Municipalities of Ontario

Whetheryou buy detergent, fertilize your lawn, or just open the newspaperthese days, so-alled “eco fees” are likely to get your attention.Lookingbeyond the consumer angst, the very real question of how to safely andaffordably manage hazardous materials found in a myriad of householdchemicals, cleaners, corrosives and batteries that we use every day.Atbest, these materials generate high waste management costs that areburied in our property tax bills. At worst, they creep into our water,air and soil; or even into our bodies.In 2007 anenvironmental group tested the blood of four federal politicians — thenenvironment minister Rona Ambrose, NDP Leader Jack Layton, healthminister Tony Clement and Liberal environment critic John Godfrey. Onaverage, each had 53 toxins in their blood, including 54 carcinogens,37 hormone disrupters, 16 respiratory toxins, 54 reproductive ordevelopmental toxins and 33 neurotoxins.So if you arewondering why we need to dispose of your flashlight carefully, there isa good chance the answer is already in your blood.It makesperfect sense to divert as much hazardous waste from landfills as wecan. Everything from prescription medications to corrosive chemicalshas the potential to cause significant harm to human and environmentalhealth.But if that isn’t an incentive for you, we can always fall back on the astronomical savings.Thanksto a massive oil spill, residents in the Gulf of Mexico are waking upto realities that Ontario municipalities have known for years.First, it costs far less to prevent pollution than it does to clean it up (if you even can).Second, governments are usually left holding the bill.And third, cleanup costs are usually measured in millions of tax dollars.That’s why municipalities are such huge fans of waste diversion and the safe disposal of hazardous materials.It’s not cheap, but it’s much, much cheaper (and healthier) for taxpayers if we prevent pollution in the first place.That’swhy municipalities have quietly and conveniently handled thesematerials behind the scenes for years and added the cost to yourproperty tax bill.People rarely see that cost, of course.Out of sight is out of mind in a waste management regime that prefersthe convenience of putting hazardous waste in garbage bags and sendingthem off to a landfill.The system isn’t innovative or inexpensive, but it’s ours.Not too surprisingly, other jurisdictions do much better, particularly in Europe.Theywisely lifted the responsibility and cost of waste management from theshoulders of property taxpayers and shifted it over to the industriesthat make hazardous wastes in the first place.Under thissystem, industry is accountable for the things they produce and theyhave clear incentives to innovate, create less toxic products and usebetter packaging.Consumers are better informed and betterable to make decisions about what they want to bring into their homesand send to their local landfill. Those who want to save a few cents byavoiding products with disposal fees do just that.As a result, smarter, greener products become more competitive products.To their credit, Ontario businesses, manufacturers and retailers have begun to take on more responsibility for their products.Through Stewardship Ontario,
a non-profit, industry-funded body, producers of hazardous household
materials have been using disposal fees to fund waste-diversion
programs.
The move actually began two years ago with nine
categories of materials that included items such as solvents and paint.
It is worth noting that this first phase was introduced without a hitch.
Confusion
began on July 1, when 13 new material categories were targeted for
waste diversion. The new list includes many more products that people
use every day — from pharmaceuticals to aerosols. This fact, combined
with the misleading use of terms such as “eco tax” and “eco fee” by
some retailers, resulted in public confusion and an outcry from critics.
Not
1 cent of these disposal fees goes to government coffers. It is the
retailer or producer who decides whether to pass on these costs to
consumers as a separate fee. Some do. Some don’t. Consumers can respond
accordingly, if they wish, provided that retail pricing is as
transparent as it should be.
Stewardship Ontario’s program
is currently diverting more than 20,000 tonnes of hazardous waste
annually from Ontario landfills, according to the Ministry of the
Environment. That is expected to increase to over 54,000 tonnes with
the new product categories that came into effect on July 1.
For
its part, Stewardship Ontario only charges producers what it costs to
recover, recycle or safely dispose of these hazardous products. They
collect fees from manufacturers based on the amount of product they
manufacture and sell in a year. For example, they collect 12 cents for
every 1,000 prescription pills manufactured and 23 cents per litre of
insect repellent.
In the face of these facts, cost concerns
are literally penny-wise and pound-foolish. It makes more sense to
manage these costs openly where they start than it does to bury them in
property taxes. And it makes more sense to create green incentives than
it does to bury hazardous materials in our trash for now, and deal with
more costly consequences later.
Shining a bright light on disposal costs and shifting them away from property taxpayers is a practical way to promote greater producer responsibility and greener consumer choices.

Keputusan aktiviti ekonomi ambil kira kesan alam sekitar

2010-05-18T21:10:00.002+08:00

Source : Berita Harian Online 18/05/10

PERDANA Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, berkata setiap keputusan dan aktiviti ekonomi yang akan dibuat pada masa depan harus mengambil kira kesannya ke atas alam sekitar.

Berikutan itu, katanya, Dasar Teknologi Hijau Malaysia telah dibentuk dengan matlamat menggunakan teknologi secara lebih baik dan cekap, bagi menyokong pemeliharaan alam sekitar.

“Kita menyedari keperluan di samping memacu pertumbuhan ekonomi, kita juga perlu ‘menghijaukan’ ekonomi,” katanya ketika berucap pada mesyuarat sulung Forum Institusi Kewangan dan Monetari (OMFIF) di Kuala Lumpur, Semalam.

Perdana Menteri menambah, kerajaan melihat teknologi hijau memiliki kesan berkembar dalam memacu pertumbuhan ekonomi, selain menangani isu alam sekitar.
Katanya, teknologi hijau boleh dilaksanakan secara menyeluruh di segenap sektor.

“Model Baru Ekonomi (MBE) mengenal pasti pemeliharaan sumber asli sebagai prinsip penting, selain pembiayaan bagi ‘pelaburan hijau’ dapat diperoleh,” katanya.

Teknologi hijau juga, kata Najib, selain mampu merangsang ekonomi, ia juga menawarkan peluang dalam inovasi dan mencipta kemewahan.
Sementara itu, pada peringkat Asean, Perdana Menteri berkata, usaha sedang dilaksanakan untuk mengurangkan perbezaan dalam mencapai matlamat kemajuan dan pembangunan bersama.

“Sepuluh negara anggota Asean mencari jalan untuk membentuk Komuniti Ekonomi Asean iaitu bagi rantau ini sebagai rantau ekonomi yang berdaya saing, stabil dan makmur.

“Dalam usaha mewujudkan ekonomi yang lebih terangkum, kita menjangka pelaksanaan sepenuhnya Kawasan Perdagangan Bebas Asean (Afta) pada tahun ini akan meningkatkan kelebihan daya saing Asean sebagai rantau pengeluaran tunggal,” katanya.

Use of recycled water

2010-02-25T23:11:00.000+08:00

ACCORDING to experts, crisis of drinking water can be mitigated through recycling of water. Alongside this, proper treatment of domestic and industrial waste water should be ensured before discharging the same into water bodies to keep surface water clean. They have suggested that the authorities concerned should take immediate measures to stop misuse of water and protect natural resources for sustainable supply. On an average, 160 litres of water is used by each person a day. At least 2,000 litres of water is required to produce each kilogram of rice while plants absorb millions of litres of water every day. People are paying a very small fraction of the cost of water as actual cost of treatment and supply is much higher.

Source : http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/02/24/news0597.htm

So, water should be carefully used as without this natural resource existence of life is impossible. Though total resources of water of the Earth are inexhaustible, scarcity of fresh water exists in many parts of the world including Bangladesh. Dhaka city with roughly over 12 million population needs at least 200 crore litres of fresh water per day. Moreover, a huge quantity of water is used in industries, mills, factories. Shortage of water in different areas is becoming a serious problem though Bangladesh is termed as rich in fresh water resources.

The shortage is not for growing demand of water for irrigation as well as domestic or industrial uses, but for pollution and fall of ground water tables, destruction of fresh water reservoirs and withdrawal of water from upstream of the country's river system. Due to disturbance of natural flows, most of the rivers are drying up during the lean season and salinity is increasing at downstream. In view of the overall situation, experts have come up with the suggestion of recycling of water to minimise the crisis.

Effective e-waste management needed

2010-02-23T23:51:00.001+08:00

Rocketing sales of cell phones, gadgets, appliances forecast in China, India, elsewhere

Sales of electronic products in countries like China and India and across continents such as Africa and Latin America are set to rise sharply in the next 10 years.

And, unless action is stepped up to properly collect and recycle materials, many developing countries face the spectre of hazardous e-waste mountains with serious consequences for the environment and public health, according to UN experts in a landmark report released today by UNEP.

Issued at a meeting of Basel Convention and other world chemical authorities prior to UNEP's Governing Council meeting in Bali, Indonesia, the report, "Recycling - from E-Waste to Resources," used data from 11 representative developing countries to estimate current and future e-waste generation - which includes old and dilapidated desk and laptop computers, printers, mobile phones, pagers, digital photo and music devices, refrigerators, toys and televisions.

In South Africa and China for example, the report predicts that by 2020 e-waste from old computers will have jumped by 200 to 400 percent from 2007 levels, and by 500% in India

By that same year in China, e-waste from discarded mobile phones will be about 7 times higher than 2007 levels and, in India, 18 times higher.

By 2020, e-waste from televisions will be 1.5 to 2 times higher in China and India while in India e-waste from discarded refrigerators will double or triple.

China already produces about 2.3 million tonnes (2010 estimate) domestically, second only to the United States with about 3 million tonnes. And, despite having banned e-waste imports, China remains a major e-waste dumping ground for developed countries.

Moreover, most e-waste in China is improperly handled, much of it incinerated by backyard recyclers to recover valuable metals like gold -- practices that release steady plumes of far-reaching toxic pollution and yield very low metal recovery rates compared to state-of-the-art industrial facilities.

"This report gives new urgency to establishing ambitious, formal and regulated processes for collecting and managing e-waste via the setting up of large, efficient facilities in China," says UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP. "China is not alone in facing a serious challenge. India, Brazil, Mexico and others may also face rising environmental damage and health problems if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector.

"In addition to curbing health problems, boosting developing country e-waste recycling rates can have the potential to generate decent employment, cut greenhouse gas emissions and recover a wide range of valuable metals including silver, gold, palladium, copper and indium -- by acting now and planning forward many countries can turn an e-challenge into an e-opportunity," he added.

The report was issued at the Simultaneous Extraordinary Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions on enhancing their cooperation and coordination (ExCOP).

It was co-authored by the Swiss EMPA, Umicore and United Nations University (UNU), part of the global think tank StEP (Solving the E-waste Problem), which includes UNEP and Basel Convention Secretariat among its 50+ members. Hosted by UNU in Bonn, Germany, the think tank convenes experts from industry, government, international organizations, NGOs and science. A grant from the European Commission, Directorate-General for the Environment, funded the report's preparation.

The report cites a variety of sources to illustrate growth of the e-waste problem:

Global e-waste generation is growing by about 40 million tons a year
Manufacturing mobile phones and personal computers consumes 3 per cent of the gold and silver mined worldwide each year; 13 per cent of the palladium and 15 per cent of cobalt
Modern electronics contain up to 60 different elements -- many valuable, some hazardous, and some both
Carbon dioxide emissions from the mining and production of copper and precious and rare metals used in electrical and electronic equipment are estimated at over 23 million tonnes - 0.1 percent of global emissions (not including emissions linked to steel, nickel or aluminum, nor those linked to manufacturing the devices)
In the US, more than 150 million mobiles and pagers were sold in 2008, up from 90 million five years before
Globally, more than 1 billion mobile phones were sold in 2007, up from 896 million in 2006
Countries like Senegal and Uganda can expect e-waste flows from PCs alone to increase 4 to 8-fold by 2020.
Given the infrastructure expense and technology skills required to create proper facilities for efficient and environmentally sound metal recovery, the report suggests facilitating exports of critical e-scrap fractions like circuit boards or btteries from smaller countries to OECD-level, certified end-processors.

Says Konrad Osterwalder, UN Under-Secretary General and Rector of UNU: "One person's waste can be another's raw material. The challenge of dealing with e-waste represents an important step in the transition to a green economy. This report outlines smart new technologies and mechanisms which, combined with national and international policies, can transform waste into assets, creating new businesses with decent green jobs. In the process, countries can help cut pollution linked with mining and manufacturing, and with the disposal of old devices."

Country Situations

The report assesses current policies, skills, waste collection networks and informal recycling in 11 representative developing economies in Asia, Africa and the Americas:

China, India
South Africa, Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, Morocco
Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Peru

It also outlines options for sustainable e-waste management in those countries.

The data includes equipment generated nationally but does not include waste imports, both legal and illegal, which are substantial in India, China and other emerging economies.

Broken down by type, the report estimates e-waste generation today as follows:

China: 500,000 tonnes from refrigerators, 1.3 million tonnes from TVs, 300,000 tonnes from personal computers
India: over 100,000 tonnes from refrigerators, 275,000 tonnes from TVs, 56,300 tonnes from personal computers, 4,700 tonnes from printers and 1,700 tonnes from mobile phones
Colombia: about 9,000 tonnes from refrigerators, over 18,000 tonnes from TVs, 6,500 tonnes from personal computers, 1,300 tonnes from printers, 1,200 tonnes from mobile phones
Kenya: 11,400 tonnes from refrigerators, 2,800 tonnes from TVs, 2,500 tonnes from personal computers, 500 tonnes from printers, 150 tonnes from mobile phones The report also includes data on per capita sales of electrical and electronic goods. For example South Africa and Mexico lead in personal computer sales with the equivalent of 24 sold per 1,000 people. Brazil, Mexico and Senegal generate more e-waste per capita from personal computers than the other countries surveyed.

Way Forward

Developing vibrant national recycling schemes is complex and simply financing and transferring high tech equipment from developed countries is unlikely to work, according to the report.

It says China's lack of a comprehensive e-waste collection network, combined with competition from the lower-cost informal sector, has held back state-of-the art e-waste recycling plants.

It also notes a successful pilot in Bangalore, India, to transform the operations of informal e-waste collection and management.

Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco and South Africa are cited as places with great potential to introduce state of the art e-waste recycling technologies because the informal e-waste sector is relatively small.

Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Uganda have relatively low e-waste volumes today but likely to grow. All four would benefit from capacity building in so-called pre-processing technologies such as manual dismantling of e-waste.

The report recommends countries establish e-waste management centers of excellence, building on existing organizations working in the area of recycling and waste management.

Existing bodies include those supported by the United Nations including the more than 40 National Cleaner Production Centers established by the UN Industrial and Development Organization and the regional centers established under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

Source: United Nations University

Cleanup resumes at illicit toxic dump in Sweden

2010-02-23T23:46:00.001+08:00

Source : http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100222/ROCEARTH04/302220009

More than a decade after a prolonged and costly cleanup at the biggest illicit toxic dump site ever found in the Rochester region, workers have returned to the site in the town of Sweden this month to do still more work.

Now a grass-covered field about three miles south of Brockport, the site was an unauthorized burial ground from which more than 2,500 drums and bottles of industrial waste were removed in the 1990s. More than 2,000 tons of contaminated soil was treated on-site to remove toxic chemical residue.

Cleanup of the site, known as Sweden 3-Chapman, cost at least $8.5 million — all of it coming from state coffers. Though dozens of companies were believed to have furnished the wastes that were buried on the property by a former owner, the owner denied any knowledge of the mess and none of the companies accepted responsibility. State officials decided a decade ago they were unlikely to prevail in court.

A Department of Environmental Conservation lawyer told the Democrat and Chronicle several years ago that he could not remember a toxic dump site in this part of New York where the state had spent so much money and recovered nothing from potentially responsible parties.

The DEC now will spend an additional $700,000 in taxpayer money to remove 1,200 cubic yards of soil that remains contaminated with volatile organic chemicals such as tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethene.

The burial site was so large, officials said, that their sampling at the time couldn't find everything.

"The contamination being removed now is located in a small concentrated area of the site that was not detected in the original sampling," said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren. Cleanup was needed because on-going monitoring showed groundwater still contains unacceptable levels of those chemicals. To address that, the DEC will inject the groundwater with a relatively harmless chemical compound, potassium permanganate, which will promote degradation of the organic industrial chemicals.

The agency also will install two more monitoring wells to track the contaminated plume of groundwater.

Underground water flows northeastward from the original dump site, located north of Beadle Road and east of Redman Road. Wren noted there are no drinking-water wells in that direction.

"DEC conducts periodic testing of well water from the residents outside the plume area and has not detected any chemicals in the water samples above state standards," she said.

The cleanup plan is a scaled back version of one that was put forth four years ago; after more exploration at the site, DEC officials now believe the scope of the problem is smaller.

Site preparation is already under way at the location, with cleanup work to be done by late spring. Groundwater monitoring will continue and should show whether this second cleanup was adequate.

"If additional work is needed to address the contamination, DEC is committed to performing it," Wren said.

SORR@DemocratandChronicle.com

French Broad gets healthier, but much work remains

2010-02-23T23:40:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100222/OPINION01/302220004/1006

The French Broad River is one of the earth’s oldest, flowing before our mountains were even born millions of years ago. But for generations, we’ve not always treated those waters well. Wilma Dykeman, the pioneering writer who first championed the French Broad, wrote in 1955 of a muddy polluted waterway that was “too thick to drink and too thin to plow.”

More than a half century later, stepped-up enforcement has stopped the straight-piping of industrial waste into the waters. Countless volunteers have helped pick up litter and debris, making the French Broad River a destination for paddlers, fishermen or the folks who enjoy a stroll among the many green spaces and parks that have sprung up along its banks.

So there’s good news and bad in the North Carolina Division of Water Quality’s draft report last week that shows 224.5 miles of impaired streams in the French Broad River basin. That’s 69 fewer miles from the year before, showing a promising trend of improvements.

Most of those streams won reprieve from the impaired list submitted regularly to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because their waters were clearer, says Hartwell Carson, a water quality specialist with the Western North Carolina Alliance.

Just as it took years of pollution to turn the once-pristine French Broad into a sewer, cleaner waters don’t happen overnight or by accident. It has taken hard work by many.

For all you Asheville residents, if you paid your annual storm water bill earlier this month, you did your share to improve the river. That $28 per single family residence, on top of the monthly water and sewer bills, comes out of already pinched pocketbooks for most residents, but the funds help the city of Asheville hire erosion inspectors and take other measures to keep sediment from fouling the French Broad.

Others contribute their time to guard the river. In his previous job as the French Broad Riverkeeper, Carson trained 100 citizens to monitor construction sites for problems with runoff. Riverlink, the nonprofit group, brings in volunteers regularly to pick up trash along the stream banks and champions green spaces along the flood plain.

There may even be good news for the river in the Great Recession that brought most development to a screeching halt last year. Carson says that slowdown may have meant less erosion and sediment across the French Broad River basin.

Everyone hopes for recovery and new growth with homes and new businesses, but the economic downturn offers some breathing room for the river and for our landscape.

But what about the bad news?

Those miles of streams that were dropped from the impaired list could be quickly added again if development takes off again at the same pace without any erosion oversight, Carson warned. Before we see developments taking shape on fragile mountain slopes, where heavy rains can send sediment straight into the river, we may want to ask what kind of growth do we need, and how do we protect our river and natural resources.

Understand that a clean river isn’t just a tourist attraction, a feel-good luxury. It’s the lifeblood of our communities.

The city’s water treatment plant is situated at the confluence of the Mills River and French Broad, with intake pipes into both currents. At times of low flow, that plant is pulling water from the French Broad.

What was unthinkable in Dykeman’s day, when people blanched at the thought, is an unspoken fact today. Many residents in southern Buncombe and Henderson counties are getting their drinking water from the French Broad.

And far downstream, our neighbors in Knoxville, Tenn., rely on drinking water drawn from the Tennessee River, just below the confluence of the French Broad, which winds over the mountain to join the Holstein River.

Asheville has been here on the banks on the French Broad for only a blink of time, but poor stewardship nearly killed the river once in our own lifetime. We’ll have to work at it if we want those living waters to roll on for generations to come.

WHY IS NUCLEAR WASTE STORED ON NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS?

2010-02-23T23:36:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/news/nuclearwastes_nativeamericans_stored469.html

LOS ANGELES, 22 FEBRUARY 2010
Dear EarthTalk: Some time ago there were issues with Native American tribes storing nuclear waste on their land, something that was both unhealthy to the communities and caused considerable controversy among tribal leaders. Where is this issue today?

M. Spenser, via e-mail

Native tribes across the American West have been and continue to be subjected to significant amounts of radioactive and otherwise hazardous waste as a result of living near nuclear test sites, uranium mines, power plants and toxic waste dumps.
And in some cases tribes are actually hosting hazardous waste on their sovereign reservations — which are not subject to the same environmental and health standards as U.S. land — in order to generate revenues. Native American advocates argue that siting such waste on or near reservations is an "environmental justice" problem, given that twice as many Native families live below the poverty line than other sectors of U.S. society and often have few if any options for generating income.
"In the quest to dispose of nuclear waste, the government and private companies have disregarded and broken treaties, blurred the definition of Native American sovereignty, and directly engaged in a form of economic racism akin to bribery," says Bayley Lopez of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. He cites example after example of the government and private companies taking advantage of the "overwhelming poverty on native reservations by offering them millions of dollars to host nuclear waste storage sites."

Photo: U.S. Department of Energy

The issue came to a head — and Native advocates hope a turning point — in 2007 when public pressure forced the Skull Valley band of Utah’s Goshute tribe to forego plans to offer their land, which is already tucked between a military test site, a chemical weapons depot and a toxic magnesium production facility, for storing spent nuclear fuel above ground. The facility would have been a key link in the chain of getting nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, the U.S. government’s proposed permanent storage facility.
In February 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced intentions to scale back efforts to make Yucca Mountain the nation’s sole repository of radioactive nuclear waste and to look into alternative long-term strategies for dealing with its spent nuclear fuel. The National Congress of American Indians, in representing the various tribes around the region, no doubt breathed a sigh of relief.
The issue essentially goes much deeper: As long as we continue to make use of nuclear energy — and many in Congress are looking to expand its role to get away from fossil fuels—the waste and spent nuclear fuel will keep coming and need to be stored somewhere. Groups like Honor the Earth, founded by author and activist Winona LaDuke to promote cooperation between Native Americans and environmentalists, are trying to persuade tribes that availing their land to nuclear power and other toxic industries isn’t worth the potential long-term damage to the health of their citizens. Honor the Earth helped convince the Goshutes to turn down a lucrative deal to store waste on their land, and is working with dozens of other tribes to try to do the same.

E-waste flooding developing countries, UNEP warns

2010-02-23T23:35:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/22/ewaste-flooding-developing-countries-unep-warns.html

Desy Nurhayati , The Jakarta Post , Nusa Dua, Bali | Mon, 02/22/2010 9:00 PM | World

Developing countries face serious environmental and health problems from the alarming increase in hazardous waste from electronic devices, a report launched Monday by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) warned.

The report, “Recycling — From E-waste to Resources”, listed old and dilapidated desktop and laptop computers, printers, mobile phones, pagers, digital photo and music devices, refrigerators, toys and televisions as main sources of waste.

It used data from 11 representative developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to estimate current and future e-waste generation.

“Developing countries will face rising environmental damage and health problems if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector, unless action is stepped up to properly collect and recycle materials,” said UNEP executive director Achim Steiner.

“It is urgent to establish an ambitious, formal and regulated process for collecting and managing e-waste by setting up large and efficient facilities.

“By acting now and planning forward, many countries can turn an e-challenge into an e-opportunity.”
The report was revealed at the newly opened three-day meeting of the Basel Convention and other world chemical authorities prior to the UNEP Governing Council meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, later this week.

World ministers to ‘sync’ on waste

2010-02-23T23:34:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/22/world-ministers-%E2%80%98sync%E2%80%99-waste.html

Officials from three international treaties on hazardous chemicals will meet in simultaneous conferences on Monday in Bali to seek joint action addressing chemical and waste management issues.

The three-day conference of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are to be attended by officials from 140 countries.

As of Sunday, about 90 environment ministers had confirmed their attendance for Tuesday.

“Nations should build better synergy and act more coherently to ensure effective and successful measures on the ground, since hazardous chemical substances and waste are real threats to health,” UNEP executive director Achim Steiner told reporters on Sunday.

The Bali meeting will focus on six issues, including joint action, joint managerial functions, joint services, synchronization of budget cycles and a joint audit account.

Executive secretary of the Basel Convention, Katharina Kummer Peiry, said that working groups from the three conventions would discuss different issues in chemical and waste management before presenting their recommendations.

“This meeting will give everyone a chance to step back and look at how we can deliver on the promise of the conventions more effectively by working ‘in-sync’ for a coherent and comprehensive life cycle approach to chemicals and waste,” Peiry said.

Peter Kenmore, co-executive secretary of the Rotterdam Convention for FAO, called on the conventions to reach out to the public affected by the impact of chemicals on health and the environment and deliver to local, national and regional actors to make a difference on the ground.

“More effective management is needed to protect farmers, workers and citizens on the ground [from hazardous substances],” Peter said.

The Basel Convention on the control of trans-boundary movements of hazardous waste and its disposal has been ratified by 172 countries.

The Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) promotes the open exchange of information on the trade of certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides.

The Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) obliges each party to take measures to curb the release of pollutants into the environment.

Indonesia is party to the Basel and Stockholm.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was slated to close the meeting on Wednesday and at the same time open a two-day ministerial forum that would discuss ocean, biodiversity and green economy issues.

Landfills falling out of favour with BMA

2010-02-23T23:13:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/33190/landfills-falling-out-of-favour-with-bma

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration expects to move from burying its garbage in landfills to burning it in incinerators in the next 10 years.

CITY GARBAGE Bangkok accounts for 24% of the total rubbish produced in Thailand. The amount of garbage in the capital is expected to increase by 80% over the next decade to more than 15,000 tonnes per day. Facts about Bangkok's garbage:

Under the leadership of MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, it is gearing up for what could be an expensive, but environmentally friendly change.

The project is costly but necessary because local people oppose conventional landfills.

Bangkok metropolis is the country's biggest source of garbage. Last year, it generated as much as 8,700 tonnes of garbage a day, which accounts for 24% of the total amount of garbage generated by the country.

Although the amount of garbage in Bangkok fell by 1.52% annually between 2003 and 2007, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation predicts that Bangkok will be producing as much as 13,835 tonnes of garbage a day by 2015, and 15,607 tonnes a day by 2019.

Iravat Patamasucon, the director of the BMA's environment department, says most of the 8,700 tonnes of garbage produced daily in Bangkok (or 0.9 kilogramme of garbage per person per day) is so-called "community garbage", drawn from sources like houses, markets, companies and government offices.

Community garbage is transported to three BMA garbage transit yards, in Nong Khaem (which handles 3,500 tonnes a day), Onnuj (2,200 tonnes a day) and Sai Mai (2,000 tonnes a day). The three yards receive 88% of all the garbage of Bangkok.

Garbage is sorted and transported to Kamphaeng Saen district of Nakhon Pathom and Phanom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao where it is buried in a landfill. The rest is turned into compost. Bangkok also produces about 20 tonnes of potentially infectious garbage a day.

This garbage comes from hospitals and clinics and includes used cotton, syringes and bandages.
It is incinerated at the Onnuj yard which is operated by Krungthep Thanakom Co, an enterprise of the BMA.

Another category is hazardous garbage from houses. It includes used batteries, light bulbs, and pesticide bottles and amounts to about five tonnes a day. A private company is hired to neutralise this kind of garbage before burying it in Sa Kaeo.

The fourth category of Bangkok's garbage is industrial waste, the disposal of which is the responsibility of factory owners under the Industrial Factory Act of 1992.

The other category of garbage in the capital comprises waste from construction such as concrete bars and poles, steel rods, bricks, gravel and sand.

Mr Iravat said that the BMA disposes of almost 100% of its garbage every day. A small amount is left over because residents forget to leave garbage in front of their homes in time for city workers to collect it.

Replacing landfills with incinerators is not a new idea.

In Thailand, Phuket and Samui islands have depended on incineration for years. BMA officials are studying an incineration project, too, in line with the garbage disposal policy of its governor, who favours incineration.

"We may try with an incinerator that can handle only 300-500 tonnes of garbage a day. Incineration will cost about 4 million baht per tonne.

"It is up to management. Landfilling will become a problem in the future as land in Bangkok is expensive.
"People in the provinces do not want landfills in their areas. We are likely to have our own incinerator in the next 10 years," said the director of the BMA's environment department.

Body to save (river) Ravi from pollution

2010-02-23T23:09:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=225135

Saturday, February 20, 2010
By Ali Raza

LAHORE

The Punjab government has constituted a committee for an action plan for saving aquatic life in the River Ravi, which is facing serious threats due to decreased oxygen levels and turned into an open drain.

The Lahore division commissioner heads the committee which comprises provincial secretaries of Environment, Housing, Irrigation and Industries departments, the Wasa managing director, Professor Wazir Ali of UET and Hammad Naqi of WWF-Pakistan.

The committee was formed on the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, officials said, adding that the main task given to the committee was to analyse all technical and environmental studies on the Ravi. Officials said the committee was directed to finalise its recommendations in six weeks. Sources said the first meeting of the committee was held on Thursday in which the Environment Secretary gave a detailed briefing on the deteriorating Ravi. He said oxygen level required for aquatic life had alarmingly reduced in the river endangering native fish species besides posing a grave threat to underground water.

The briefing revealed that about 10 drains and pumping stations and five industrial wastewater drains were throwing over 2,000 cusec municipal sewage and toxic industrial effluents into the river.

It revealed that according to international standards, the level of biological official demand (BOD) in the river water should be 80 mg/l whereas the level of BOD in the water of 10 drains and pumping stations ranged between 129 mg/l and 430 mg/l. Likewise, BOD in the water of five drains throwing toxic industrial waste into the river ranged between 24 mg/l and 360 mg/l.

The Ravi enters Pakistan at Kot Nainan and joins the Chenab at Sardarpur, Khanewal, which is some 422 miles. In winter, average water discharge of the river is around 0.54 maf and in summer it is around 0.94 maf. During last years, it has been turned into a dumping ground for municipal as well as industrial sewage, resulting in an end to several native fish species besides posing a serious threat to the remaining aquatic life and underground water level.

The drains throwing municipal waste are Mehmood Booti drain (1 cusecs in which BOD level is 250 mg/l), Sukh Naher (80 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Shadbagh drain (200 cusecs in which BOD level is 192 mg/l), Shahdara Town pumping station (35 cusecs in which BOD level is 140 mg/l), Forest Colony pumping station (25 cusecs in which BOD level is 200 mg/l), Furakhabad drain (40 cusecs in which BOD level is 382 mg/l), Budha Ravi (56 cusecs in which BOD level is 430 mg/l), Main Outfall drain (102 cusecs in which BOD level is 412 mg/l), Gulshan-e-Ravi drain (89 cusecs in which BOD level is 395 mg/l) and Babu Sabu drain (72 cusecs in which BOD level is 312 mg/l).

The drains releasing toxic waste water in the Ravi are Hudiyara drain (512 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Deg Nullah, Faisalabad (100 cusecs in which BOD level is 360 mg/l), Samundry drain, Faisalabad (400 cusecs in which BOD level is 66 mg/l), Sukhrawa drain, Sahiwal (53 cusecs in which BOD level is 36 mg/l) and Gojra drain, TT Singh (45 cusecs in which BOD level is 24 mg/l).

Besides the drains, five irrigation canals also release water into the Ravi. The canals are Marala Ravi Link Canal (BOD level is 3.6mg/l), Upper Chenab Canal (5,570 cusecs in which BOD level is 168 mg/l), QB Link Canal (14,500 cusecs in which BOD level is 2.4 mg/l), Trimu Sidhnai Link Canal (2,000 cusecs in which BOD level is 6.8 mg/l) and Haveli Main Line Canal (3,600 cusecs in which BOD level is 3.4 mg/l). It was pointed out in the meeting that in Lahore, Main Outfall and Shadbagh drains are the most polluted and throwing municipal waste into the river while Hudiyara drain is diposing industrial waste.

EPD sources said near the new bridge in Lahore, oxygen level in the river is too low to support aquatic life and in Sharakpur and More Khunda, dissolved oxygen level depleted significantly rendering it unfit for aquatic life. They said the department had already filed a complaint in the Environmental Protection Tribunal (EPT), Lahore, against Wasa for discharging untreated sewage into the river, causing water pollution. The Wasa had submitted an undertaking in the court to set up wastewater/sewage treatment plants for which they have acquired land and PC-1 has been forwarded to the P&D Department for approval.

A senior official of LDA said the authority had also proposed six sewage treatment plants in the Lahore Master Plan for which funding is being awaited. The treatment plants included Mian Mir drain (Rs 4,116 million), Hadiyara drain (Rs 2,058 million), Shadbagh drain (Rs 2,744 million), Suckh Nahar (Rs 2,766 million), Sattokatla drain (Rs 1,070 million) and Farukhabad drain, Shahdara (Rs 1,194 million).

An EPD spokesman said the committee had started its work and under the directions of the Lahore commissioner, SWM staff removed all solid waste from the unofficial landfill site at the Sagian bridge. ìThe Industries Secretary has said the department will be installing two combined waste water treatment plants at the Sundar Industrial Estate and Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate in weeks,î he added.

On the other hand, environmentalists expressed concern over diposal of sewage into the river. They said the committee made by the government should also identify industrial units which were the biggest polluters of the river. They said a regular qualitative and quantitative monitoring of fresh water resources should be planned besides construction of scientific landfill sites.

Top 5 Environmental Issues in Australia

2010-02-18T01:17:00.001+08:00

Source : http://www.life-in-antarctica.info/?p=33

Deforestation

Of all of the environmental issues facing Australia, the loss of our nation’s old growth forests are by far the most troubling. At the same time, the issue of unchecked deforestation is probably the one issue that we as Australian citizens can most easily impact by pressuring our government to take the necessary steps to stop the destruction of our nation’s natural resources in its tracks. The Rainforest Alliance intends to stand firmly in defiance to the continued depletion of Australia’s old growth forests. In keeping with this aim, Lipton has taken considerable steps toward bringing the tea industry into the 21st century’s environmental standards through the Rainforest Alliance.

Coal Energy

In Australia, coal mining continues to be one of the most controversial environmental issues in our country. While many environmentalists point out the contributions that coal burning make to global warming, it is difficult to ignore the fact that coal based energy is currently a major part of Australia’s energy infrastructure. However, allies of the Rainforest Alliance are quick to point out that modern energy technology has reached the point that the nation can now begin making the switch from coal energy to a more environmentally responsible energy infrastructure.

Air Quality

Like most of the modern world, our nation’s cities have developed some serious air quality issues. Air quality in urban areas is affected by a variety of influences to include automobile exhaust, industrial waste and byproducts of the production of herbicides and pesticides.

Climate Change

Recent studies have shown that our planet’s environment is warming at a much more alarming rate than scientists had initially predicted, and the dangers that rising sea levels pose to the Australian coast could prove to be devastating if current global warming trends continue.

Water Security

The continent of Australia is second only to Antartica in terms of scarcity of water, and irrigation and other water conservation issues have plagued our nation since it was founded. Politicians, environmentalists and farmers have been hashing out water security issues for decades, but increased pressures on our water supply by population growth and potential climate change have tipped the scales to critical mass. It is time for the nation to recognise the drastic effects that the diversion of natural water flows have wreaked on our nations environment and to recognise that unchecked irrigation expansion simply is not a viable option for an environmentally stable Australia. Thankfully, corporations such as Unileverâ€™s Lipton and fast food joint McDonalds, have waken up to the necessity of finding lasting solutions to Australia’s water security concerns.

Water treatment by-products linked with cancer

2010-02-17T23:30:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.eht-forum.org/news.html?fileId=news100210074010&from=home&id=0

Increased risk of colon cancer possible for people drinking chlorine-treated water, suggests meta-analysis

Source: SXC/fragallo

Disinfecting drinking water keeps people safe from pathogens but evidence suggests that exposure to the by-products of chemicals used to treat water could increase the risk of colon and rectal cancer, according to public health researchers writing this month online in the International Journal of Epidemiology. But they caution the findings are based on “limited evidence”.

“This meta-analysis points to an association between exposure to disinfection by-products and an increase in the risk of colorectal cancer,” write Bayzidur Rahman, from The University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues.

Water is usually treated with chlorine, a cheap and easy-to-use disinfectant, to remove pathogens before it becomes suitable for drinking. During the process several by-products are produced as the chlorine breaks down and reacts with organic matter in the water. These chemicals, the most common of which is trihalomethane, have been shown to cause liver, kidney and intestinal tumours in mice.

Several studies have also looked at the risk of cancer in humans exposed to chlorinated water. A previous meta-analysis, which considered the evidence published up to 1992, suggested the risk of developing bladder, colon or rectal cancer was 10–40% higher for people exposed to disinfection by-products in their drinking water compared with those that were not. More research has been published since then, but with inconsistent findings.

To get a clearer picture of any risk of colorectal cancer, Rahman and colleagues analysed the results of 13 studies published up to 2009, including some of the research included in the previous analysis. They looked for research that gave an indication of quantified cancer risks associated with treated water, and ones that gave specific details of the exposure levels that people experienced. Pulling together all the data from these pieces of research, and taking into consideration the quality of each study, they used statistical tests to analyse the findings.

They found that the odds of getting colon cancer were slightly but significantly higher for people exposed to chlorination by-products in their water than those who were not. The same was true for rectal cancer, but this result was less reliable and may have been swayed by poor-quality research, according to the authors.

They explain that although the possible increased risk of colon cancer is small, it could lead to huge numbers of cancer cases because a large number of people drink water containing disinfection by-products. “Therefore, the association requires further investigation.”

The evidence used to come to this conclusion is “limited”, as the researchers followed strict criteria when selecting the research included in the analysis. By doing this they hoped to weed out poor-quality studies, making their results more precise.

Reference and link

1.	Rahman M B, Driscoll T, Cowie C, Armstrong BK. Disinfection by-products in drinking water and colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol 2010. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyp371
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information about disinfection by-products

Mycelium Mushrooms Provide Detoxification for the Earth

2010-02-17T23:25:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.naturalnews.com/028132_detoxification_mycelium.html

(NaturalNews) Much of the land, air and water around the world have been contaminated by industrial waste and pollution. Many people are affected by the filth as it`s unfortunate but true that what`s in the air and water around our homes regularly ends up inside of our bodies. The problems are serious, but fortunately, nature has provided us with an environmental solution in an unlikely package: mushrooms. Mycelium from mushrooms has the unique ability to breakdown and detoxify a great deal of toxic industrial waste and pollution.

Mycelium is actually the fruit of a mushroom. In forests, the mycelia breakdown and recycle nitrogen, carbon and plant and animal debris; they turn the forests` waste products into rich soil.

However, Paul Stemets, a longtime mushroom researcher, discovered that mushroom mycelium also has the unique ability to break down hydrocarbons - and hydrocarbons are at the base of many industrial pollutants. Everything from pesticides to dioxins have a hydrocarbon base.

According to Stemets, mycelium can break down and detoxify biological warfare agents and heavy metals, including lead and mercury. In addition, he`s found that mycelium can remove industrial toxins from the soil, including pesticides, chlorine, dioxin, and PCBs. Since many of these poisons are showing up in the umbilical cord blood of infants, it`s about time we got serious about getting them out of the environment. Using mushroom mycelium is an environmentally friendly way to do it, and it`s far less expensive than conventional methods of environmental cleanup.

Conventional methods of removing industrial contamination include treating the waste with chemicals or capturing the waste and burning it. Of course, the burning of industrial waste just releases those chemicals right back into the air we all breathe. And this time, it contains new and unknown chemical combinations - ones that might be more dangerous than the original ones.

To cleanse the soil of contaminants, mycelium absorbs the compounds of the soil and water around it. It acts as a filter to remove any usable materials, and then it releases enzymes to break down any remaining contaminants. As an example of its effectiveness: when soil contaminated with diesel fuel is inoculated with mycelia from oyster mushrooms, it was found to lose its toxicity in just 8 weeks.

Many plants benefit from a relationship with mycelium, and mycelium makes up about 10 percent of many healthy soils. Trees often become more drought and disease resistant with mycelium. Mycelium can also kill many agricultural pests; it even kills problems including Staphylococcus sp. and E. coli.

Stemets tells us that mycelium can also be used to cleanse groundwater of contaminants and pollutants. Yet, as with many natural healing techniques, what we really need are more people using them.

Study on industrial waste management

2010-02-17T23:23:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Business_News&subsection=Local+Business&month=February2010&file=Business_News2010021084535.xml

DOHA: The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has signed an agreement with a Malaysian Company to conduct a study on the management of industrial waste in the Industrial area.

Nasser Ali Al Mowlawi, General Manager, Ashghal signed he agreement with the Malaysian company Quality’s Director Asman Adin Haq Ahmed on Monday.

The study, which is expected to be completed within eight months, includes field survey and creating data base regarding the types of wastes being dumped in the area. The study would also suggest the cutting-edge technology that could be used for managing the industrial waste in eco-friendly way.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment has announced its decision to set up a national working group to implement the national plans for natural waste management in the oil and gas industries.

The panel includes all concerned government agencies and companies, including the representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Steel Company, Occidental Petroleum of Qatar, Qatar Shell Company, Maersk Oil Qatar, Baker Hughes and Schlumberger Companies.

The national plan aims at counting all the companies that generate radioactive materials and considering the alternatives for disposing of waste in the future as well as adopting an implementation regulation of the national radioactive waste from law No.31 of 2002 on the prevention of radiation.

The natural radioactive waste is a throw away resulting from the process of extracting and refining oil and gas and some industries of the radioactive materials from underground, which may endanger the human beings and the environment to radiation of low activity in most cases.

Our beloved rivers of waste

2010-02-17T00:45:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/09/our-beloved-rivers-waste.html

Home by the river: Residents perform various house chores in their homes located along the Ciliwung River in Jakarta. Millions of people rely on the river for their daily water needs. JP/Ricky Yudhistira

Standing on the bank on one of Jakarta’s many rivers, the experience is much the same across the board. Nothing you would hope for in a river is present in the city’s 13 main canals.

Clear water, the peaceful babble, trees and native flora lining the bed, native wildlife in and around the water and children paddling amongst the leaves have all been replaced by rubbish, disease-causing bacteria and pollution.

Standing on the edge of any of Jakarta’s canals is saddening; what once would have been a beautiful and serene place, is now a bed of pollution and the cause of illnesses such as typhoid, dysentery, cholera, E.coli-poisoning and amoebiasis.

So what has caused the rivers to become so polluted, and the water so unusable?

We have.

Many factors lead to water pollution of this extent, one of the main ones being sewage.

The water canals in Jakarta are largely used to flush human sewage, increasing the level of E.coli in the water, thus making it unfit for human consumption.

The nitrates and phosphates found in sewage, and in fertilizers, also lead to an over-stimulation in the growth of aquatic plants such as algae. An excess of algae clogs up the waterways, uses up dissolved oxygen as it decomposes, and blocks light to deeper waters. This in turn is very harmful to aquatic organisms such as fish, as it inhibits their respiratory ability.

Another factor contributing to water pollution is the large amount of rubbish and waste deposited into the river by inhabitants of the riverside.

All of the above are known as municipal pollution, pollution caused by homes and commercial establishments.

Add to those factors industrial pollution. Large amounts of industrial waste are deposited into the river system every day, allowing hazardous substances to flow freely in our precious water.

Garbage river: Two workers comb through garbage in the Ciliwung River. The piles of garbage found in the river contribute to the city’s annual flood problem. JP/P.J. Leo

Last, but not least, agriculture plays a significant role in polluting rivers. The erosion caused by crops devastates the river systems, and is the leading cause of water pollution in countries such as the US.

Chandra Samekto, a project officer for the Citarum River, says the problems are widespread and caused by many different factors.

“For the Citarum River especially, the problem is quite serious. This river is integral to Jakarta’s water supply and is a very strategic source to all of West Java.”

One of the main tasks of the Citarum project is to identify why the condition of the river is degrading, and what can be done to improve the situation.

“We have spent a lot of time researching and identifying the problems in the Citarum River, and have discovered that each segment has a different problem. For example, upstream, the problems are caused by industry. Adjacent to the river is a coal treatment plant, and the waste from materials used to treat the coal is dumped into the river. In the middle section of the river however, the main problem has to do with people’s sanitation habits. They dump waste and garbage, which is detrimental to the water quality.”

When asked whether the situation has improved recently, Samekto says the results are not promising.

“We definitely think the situation is getting worse.”

He adds it is very important we address the problem, and put more effort into improving the quality of the rivers, and in turn, the water quality in Indonesia, as the quality of the water could be a limiting factor to Indonesia’s economic development.

Double work: A woman washes clothes while taking care of her child on a wooden pontoon along the Ciliwung River. JP/P.J. Leo

“It is important that we as a society recognize the problem, and realize it is worsening, as perhaps this way people will make an effort to improve it.”

The Citarum River project has up to 80 plans in motion to improve the river, with an estimated cost of Rp 45 trillion (US$4.8 billion).

Plans include new water treatment facilities, water site management strategies, upstream conditioning and septic tanks.

Also included in their plans is System Rice Intensification (SRI), a program aimed at using less water when cultivating rice crops, for the same or better yield of crop.

In conjunction with these plans, it is important people do their bit in caring for their rivers and water canals.

“People do care,” says Samekto.

“But they need to collaborate with us, and replicate our actions. We hope to get support from everyone, and become a movement of sorts. If everyone knows the issues involved, if people realize the problem, we can help them change their behavior, and change [the behavior of] companies.

“The only way to do this is by creating awareness, by educating people. For example, a simple step to take is to stop littering in the rivers, dispose of your rubbish carefully,” he says.

The message is simple, and is known the world over, yet it seems somehow more difficult in practice.

“Yes, it is easy to see, but it will take more time to change people’s behavior.”

Disposal sites for industrial waste

2010-02-17T00:42:00.003+08:00

Source : http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14683

Disposal sites for industrial waste

And not a moment too soon for the environment’s sake

Buried Under Waste Besides the obvious air pollution, the water and land around have also been adversely affected

9 February, 2010 - The department of trade and industry has identified two disposal sites for hazardous and non-hazardous waste in Pasakha, Phuentsholing, which could come to the rescue of the mounting industrial waste produced by factories in Pasakha.

“The geo-feasibility of the sites were carried out and now we’re moving on to the environmental impact assessment (EIA). after which designs and drawings will be done,” said the senior environment officer of the department of trade and industry, Sangay Dorji.

These formalities will be completed by this June, said environmental officials, after which construction would begin by July. The non-hazardous waste disposal site, a sanitary landfill, will be reclaimed as a recreational area once it’s filled, while the hazardous site is expected to last for about 25 years. “By next year, the waste disposal sites will be ready,” said Sangay Dorji.

Apart from the smoke billowing from roofs of industries, heaps of slags and other waste are stockpiled in and around the industries in Pasakha, owing to a lack of proper waste disposal area. According to environment officials, the biggest polluters, so far, were chemical factories like ferro silicon or carbide, given their sheer size and with waste like micro silica, a pollutant that causes respiratory diseases. Steel industries are second, which, besides generating sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and SPM, also pollute water with slag.

Other major sources of pollution are coal, wood and oil-fired boilers used in food processing, the wood industry and cement plants, especially those which used old technology, like the vertical shaft technology, according to environment officials.

“Environmental norms were flouted, causing air and river pollution, and improper disposal of industrial waste was leading to adverse environmental impacts,” states the environment audit of the industries in Pasakha and Gomtu, carried out by the royal audit authority (RAA) in October last year.

The RAA report also pointed out that quarterly emission reports submitted by industries show that emission standards set by the government are not met by most industries.

Over the years, the lack of disposal sites saw dumping of industrial waste along the roadside and riverbeds, which drew a lot of criticisms of people and objections by NEC, said environmental officials.

According to the NEC director general, Sonam Yanglay, the problem of industrial waste was bound to appear. “It was known to us even before the industries came up,” he said, adding, “We issued clearances only after industrialists submitted a written commitment to handle their own waste.”

The issue today, according to NEC, was that these industrialists had earlier submitted in writing that the waste would be sold to buyers in India, but that didn’t happen.

“Even stockpiling waste within their own premises is hazardous but it’s better than dumping it everywhere,” he said.

Meanwhile, industrialists say that disposal sites for industrial waste have become the need of the hour. “If it’s going to take that long, it’s going to be very difficult, especially for the steel industry, as the stockpiling of slag has occupied space for storing raw material and finished products as well,” said the secretary general of the association of Bhutanese industries, Letho. There are more than 20 industries at the Pasakha industrial estate.

By Kinga Dema

Five children burnt by industrial waste in Mansehra Colony

2010-02-09T01:18:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=223072

By By Shahid Husain
Karachi

As if the tragedy at the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) was not enough where dumping of toxic waste by a factory owner played havoc with the lives of innocent children a few years ago, at least five children have been burnt in Mansehra Colony, F-Area, Landhi where industrial units dump their waste every day without any fear.

Amongst the children who have been burnt severely are: Omer, son of Sabir; Mazhar, son of Ashiq; Abid Ali, son of Khalid; Niaz Mohammad, son of Faqir Mohammad; and Zulfiqar, son of Faiz Mohammad; according to Noor-ur-Rehman, general secretary, Society for Safe and Healthier Environment, a small, grass root non-governmental organisation (NGO) that came into being after local activists of SITE area campaigned against dumping of toxic waste in SITE area.

“These children were burnt on January 18 while playing at the dump,” Mohammad Javed, a resident of Mansehra Colony who works in a denim factory in Landhi told The News.

“The mill area is situated near the dumping site where factories and Landhi Town employees dump their waste,” he said. “We tried to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) in Sharifi Goth police station but the officials refused to register it. We have been witnessing such incidents for the last one and a half year,” Javed said.

Amazingly, factory waste is dumped at the site by vehicles that have no number plates, he said.

A divisional bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Nadeem Azher Siddiqi on July 26, 2006, ordered that industrial waste should not be dumped on plot numbers F-620 and F-621 in SITE — Pakistan’s largest industrial estate.

The dumping of toxic chemical waste on these industrial plots had led to a tragedy of great magnitude in February 2006, when as many as 20 people — mostly children — received burns due to deadly chemicals.

Though industrialists tried to hush the case, inhabitants formed an “action committee” and filed a petition in the Sindh High Court.

Though a child died of severe burns while the other suffered from auto amputation, the struggle of the “action committee” that later transformed into the Society for Safe and Healthier Environment won the case and the unscrupulous factory owner was forced to compensate the victims.

Apparently the court verdict should have stopped dumping of hazardous waste in open plots in residential colonies but the tragedy in Mansehra Colony in Landhi’s F-Area amply demonstrates that the practice continues without any let or hindrance.

Pollution Control in Recycling Industry is most essential

2010-02-08T23:21:00.000+08:00

Source : http://saferenvironment.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/pollution-control-in-recycling-industry-is-most-essential/

Pollution Control in Recycling Industry:

1. Introduction - Recycling industry frequently causes pollution to the environment. It is either the same or more than any other industrial activities. For example, paper recycling causes water pollution, which affect agricultural and fishery production. Refineries of metal scrap industry cause air and water pollution. Lead acid batteries recycling is a typical industry causing environmental pollution in developing countries.

When hazardous heavy metals are discharged to the environment, causes health damages. In fact, many small scale recycling industries without any pollution control mechanism exist in developing countries. Large production capacity recycling plants can afford to invest in pollution control equipment and hire technological experts to control pollution. It is easy for government to enforce pollution control regulation on big companies, which have financial and technological capacity to deal with the problem. It has been observed both in developed and developing countries that if the government strengthens the enforcement in small scale industries, it is possible that small scale industry migrate to remote areas, and carry out same business behind the wall.

It has also been observed that informal recyclers dominate the market of collected recyclable waste, because their cost of recycling is cheaper than that of formal recyclers. The competitiveness of informal recycler comes from non payment of taxes and no investment in pollution control. As a result, formal recycler with pollution control equipment and systems faces lack of recyclable waste, which becomes obstacle for the growth of formal recycler. This situation makes recycling industry as one of the most polluting industries in developing countries.

2. Pollution from Small and Medium Recycling Industries – The scrap recycling industry is growing at an exponential pace, specially in developing countries. The major source of raw material for this industry is recyclable scrap generated from municipal solid waste and domestic industry. The majority of recycling industry operates in medium to small scale unorganized sector without any pollution control. This results in uncontrolled emissions leading to environmental pollution. Therefore, it is pertinent to assess the structure of small to medium scale recycling industry, their recycling technologies used, and their pollution potential. At sector level, the recycling industry is generally, organized into paper, plastic, ferrous and non-ferrous sectors. In the non-ferrous sector, the majority of recycling industry is involved in zinc, copper and lead production. E-waste is a new waste stream, which provides raw material to the ferrous and non-ferrous recycling sector.

3. Processes and Technologies for Recycling and their pollution potential – Processes and technologies used in recycling sector ranges from advanced to very crude in nature.

a. Waste paper pulp is produced from two types of plants. The low quality of paper is produced by mechanically pulping the waste paper without chemical use. This pulp is used to produce brown paper and paper board. The good quality paper is produced by mechanical pulping followed by removal of inks/ pigments and bleaching. Most de- inking is done by ‘washing’ or floatation, or a combination of both the techniques. Washing is used to remove small particles of ink while flotation is used to remove ink particles which are too small to be removed by screens and cleaners but too big to be removed by washing. Both the processes involve the use of chemicals. The washing technique uses chemicals known as wetting agents and surfactants to detach ink particles from wastepaper. The particles are then removed through repeated washing. The floatation process is based on ink agglomeration chemistry. After the ink is detached from the wastepaper, the ink particles are made to stick together by using suitable collectors like fatty acid soap. The resulting slurry is then taken to a flotation cell where lime is added to make them hydrophobic (so that they do not dissolve in water). The ink particles then get attached to air bubbles passed through the slurry and are finally discharged as foam sludge. This process can handle both old newspapers as well as coated paper, which is used to print magazines. Starch and calcium carbonate are added to strengthen the pulp followed by blending with water to achieve proper pulp to water ratio. Alum, rosin, talc and acid are added to condition the paper before it is sent to paper machine, where steam is used for drying.

The major pollutants emitted from waste paper pulping are effluents and solid waste. Effluents are generated during pulping especially during de-inking, blending, conditioning and drying. Processing wastepaper generates sludge. In case the wastepaper is de-inked, the sludge contains heavy metals. Industrialized countries usually incinerate de-inking sludge. But in most of developing countries, most of it is disposed of in landfill or sold out.

b. Both consumer and industrial plastic waste generated is recycled. After sorting and cleaning, the plastic waste is grinded, cleaned and dried. After drying, it is agglomerated and further grinded. After grinding it is granulated and packaged.

Plastic recycling process generates fugitive dust, waste water on account of cleaning and solid waste. Since no chemical process/ burning is involved in plastic grinding and granulation, effluents have high suspended solids.

c. Small scale steel producers mostly use scrap-sponge iron-pig iron combination to produce steel ingots (for long products) using Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) or Induction Arc Furnace (IAF) route.

Though the units in steel sector are in small scale sector but quantity of pollutants generated by them is significant. The number of units in different clusters produces huge quantity of obnoxious fumes and discharge effluents without any pollution control devices, causing severe pollution in surrounding areas.

d. The majority of the secondary zinc units use both mechanical and electrolytic method while some units recover zinc from zinc ash by mechanical methods and sell fines (mainly 50-60percent zinc oxide) to zinc chemical manufacturers. Mostly, the raw material used for secondary zinc production by zinc recyclers is zinc ash/ skimming/ dross and steam blowing, which arises as a waste from domestic and imported galvanizing industry. Two types of dross namely top dross that floats on the top of the bath and the bottom dross that sinks to the bottom of the galvanizing bath based on the specific gravity of the material are obtained as raw material from the galvanizing industry. Zinc content in dross’s lies in the range 90–96%. The technology followed to extract zinc is hydrometallurgical based involving leaching, metal purification, separation, precipitation and electrolysis. In some of the units, ZnO is manufactured from the secondary zinc following pyro-metallurgical processes, which involves carbon reduction and vaporization of zinc followed by controlled oxidation to produce ZnO. The process of zinc extraction from zinc ash consists of material preparation, leaching, purification, electrolysis/melting and bleeds off. Zinc ash is generally available in the form of lumps and chips. It is therefore, first crushed and then pulverized to separate out metallic zinc from fine ash. On melting and casting, metallic zinc is obtained. Fine ash is subjected to calcinations in oil fired rotary kiln at 9000C. Calcined ash lumps are pulverized again to get particle size of 100 mesh. The calcined fine ash is then treated with sulphuric acid and/or spent electrolyte generated during electrolysis for leaching operation. During this operation, compressed air and pyrolusite (MnO2) are added to oxidize ferrous ions to ferric ions. Leaching of zinc is continued till pH 4.5 to 5 where oxidized impurity of iron is hydrolyzed to ferric hydroxide precipitate. The clear solution of zinc sulphate is then sent for purification. In the first stage, copper is cemented out with addition of zinc dust/powder. The resultant pulp is filtered to remove copper as copper cement and filtrate to taken to second stage purification. In the second stage, solution is treated with Di-methyl Glycol (DMG) to remove impurity of nickel. In the third stage purification, activated charcoal is added to remove organic impurities. The purified solution mixed with spent electrolyte is electrolyzed using lead anodes and aluminum cathodes. Zinc metal deposits on cathode and oxygen is given off at anode and sulphuric acid is regenerated in the process. Deposited zinc is stripped off manually after every 24 hours and is melted in oil fired crucible furnace. Molten zinc metal is cast as zinc ingots. Spent acid is reused in the process. Bleed off, to lower down the impurities in the system some zinc sulphate is bled off time to time. This is used to manufacture zinc sulphate crystals.

Air and water pollution and solid waste management are the major issues in secondary zinc recovery units. Pollutant emissions take place from rotary kiln. Effluent discharge occurs during leaching, electrolysis and bleeds off. Waste is mostly in the form of residues, which are often disposed off in unsystematic landfills, though some industries follow the safe handling and disposal procedure laid down officially by monitoring agencies.

e. Copper recycling sector uses copper based industrial waste suitable for copper recovery through pyro-metallurgical and hydro-metallurgical processes. The choice of the process can be made on the basis of physical form, copper content, chemical nature, chemical composition and possible recovery process. These wastes include converter slag, anode slag, ETP (effluent treatment plants) sludge, anode slime etc. Wastes like dross, reverts etc. are best recycled by pyro-metallurgical process including melting, fire refining and electro-refining. The converter slag is also recycled using smelting furnace and precious metals like Ag and Au are recovered from the anode slime by using electrolysis. Other waste except for high grade mill scale can be recycled by hydrometallurgical processing, e.g., slag is subjected to copper recovery by flotation and the residual slag can be smelted in an electric arc furnace.

Most of the secondary copper units do not follow the proper processing technologies and discharge effluents in the surrounding environment, causing air, water and soil contamination. Pollutant emissions, which take place from the secondary copper recovery processes, are particulate matter, fugitive emissions, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen chloride gas, dioxins and chlorinated furans. Acidic effluents are discharged during electrolysis and bleed off. Solid wastes from secondary copper units in the form of residues, metal oxides, un-burnt insulation, products of incomplete combustion are often disposed off in unsystematic landfills, though some industries follow the safe handling and disposal procedure laid down officially by monitoring agencies.

f. Recycling of Lead Acid Battery is one of the most hazardous jobs. Since it became difficult to process lead in the plant due to public opposition, some informal operators used drums in stead of smelting furnace to heat batteries by propane to melt electrolyte lead to recover lead without any pollution control. They conducted such operations underground, in a most clandestine manner. Secondary lead refining process is a batch process based on traditional pyro- metallurgical methods. Batch refining is carried out in hemispherical vessel usually stirred to mix the reactants. The metal is held molten while reaction products float out and recovered from the surface. These systems typically have no pollution control system. However, lead of purity of 99.99percent is recovered in these units.

Some of the pollution related issues include air and water pollution and solid waste management. During the processing of spent lead-acid battery in backyard units, operations like breaking, crushing, screening, dry mixing etc. generate airborne lead dust which directly or indirectly enter into the human system and the surroundings of the working area. Effluent discharge occurs during battery treatment. Since lead is a very toxic material, disposal of the solid wastes from secondary lead production in the secured landfill is essential and mandatory.

g. Most of the waste/used oil re-refining units in the small scale sector use the acid-clay process. This process has the disadvantage of resulting in the generation of large quantities of hazardous and toxic acid sludge and clay contaminated with oil and heavy metals.

Since the informal waste/ used oil recycling occurs in small scale sector, they are a major source of environmental pollution. A large number of roadside garages drain used oils from automobile engines without any record of the next destination of such oils. Used motor oil is also burned, generally in inadequate equipped installations. Such operations produce large quantities of heavy metal emission particles, toxic gases (SO2, NOx, HCl) and residue products, which are ranked among the most toxic in comparison with other environmental particles.

h. There are more than twenty three processes, which generally are used for E-waste recycling. The outputs from these processes are electronic components, plastics, glass, ferrous and non ferrous metals including precious metals.

The processes used by unorganized sector are manual dismantling, chemical treatment to extract non ferrous and precious metals and open burning. These processes produce air emissions, which may include dioxins due to open burning of plastics, highly acidic liquid effluents containing heavy metals due to chemical treatment to extract non ferrous metals and hazardous solid waste left after burning and chemical treatment of E-waste.

4. Measures to Control Pollution – Experience in developed countries regarding policy measures in controlling pollution from recycling industry showed the importance of enforcement of the regulations. In developing countries recyclers should follow strict regulations including air and water pollution control along with enforcement of the regulation should be strong enough to implement them effectively. In general, adoption of regulations and rigorous enforcement thereof are to be carried out in a manner prompted by individual pollution disputes.

If the intention to comply with the regulation is ensured by enforcement of regulations then the awareness of recyclers, information of pollution control technology including end-of-pipe technology and cleaner production technology should be provided by public authority or experts. Otherwise, they can not choose environmentally sound technology. Since such technology is expensive, recyclers may not afford installing pollution control equipment. If possible, low interest loan should be provided to small scale recyclers through industry associations, which can act as financial intermediary and a vehicle to disseminate information on the risks of pollution, the technologies and the financial options.

5. Conclusion – Recycling is considered to be good for the environment. But some material recycling processes cause environmental pollution, if proper pollution control measures are not applied. Relocation of the factory without any pollution control does not provide solution to the problem. If recycling plant is willing to invest in pollution control, information of pollution control technologies should be provided. If possible, financial support such as low interest loan can promote such investment.

References:

* Agrawal, A.; K.K. Sahu; and B.D. Pandey. 2004. “Solid Waste Management in Non- Ferrous Industries in India.” Resources, Conservation and Recycling 42: 99-120.

* Hishida, Kazuo. 1969. “Namari sai seiren sagyo ni tomonau haien no seijou to taisaku” (in Japanese) [Characteristics and control measures of emission from the process of recycling lead]. Taiki osen kenkyu [Journal of Japan society of Air Pollution] 4, no. 1, p. 81.

* Lal, Banwari, and M.R.V.P. Reddy, eds. 2005. Wealth from Waste. 2nd ed. The Energy Research Institute.

* Matsuda, Shozo; Masamichi Hara; Daihachiro Koyama; Hiroyuki Kitamura; Yoshihiro Nakagawa; Wataaki Takada. 1970. “Namari saisei kojo hansharo no baien chosa” (in Japanese) [Study on soot and dust from reverberatory furnace of lead recycling plant]. Excerpt from Report No. 1 of the Hyogo Prefectural Institute of Environmental Science.

* Milind, Wangikar. 2007. Presentation on “Copper Recycling Program

Waste Not, Want Not

2010-02-06T04:34:00.001+08:00

Source : http://www.verus-co2.com/blog/?p=599

“Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers,” Wordsworth

We know waste does not simply disappear with the garbage truck. We also know that our heavily packaged, waste-laden convenience goods contribute much to the haul-away. Nonetheless, with the constant flow of trucks and all the pretty packaging it is easy to get caught up in the fantasy. For generations, we have wasted because we could. Dazzled by the marvels of the industrial revolution we have dumped poison freely into our water, drawn hazy lines between industrial by-products and food sources, and become hypnotized with “bigger-is-better.”

We have been meeting with organizations that take this waste and turn it into energy. One group spoke to us about taking old floor coverings and sending it to the cement companies who burn it for their processes. We have also been fortunate to come in contact with industrial level composting. Lastly, we have been looking at glass down cycling. However, this is dealing with the end product. We also should create less waste at the start.

If we want to foster a good quality of life and create good health outcomes, we will have to rethink the cycling of our resources. As the industrial revolution turns to the disease of too much industrial waste, we, who for generations have been freely entitled to take global resources without restraint, are having to change our habits in order to get healthy again.

Some of us grew up with an ethic of conservation, in part to save money, but perhaps more-so in consideration of the environment. In times of shortage, we all seek ways to quickly tighten our belts. Many of us experienced this in some form or another over the past year. Combine that with expanded knowledge of Global Warming and, what has long been a sub-culture of conservation, is now at the center of the mainstream.

New knowledge and methods, as well as solid information to make product choices that truly reflect a conservation ethic, are currently emerging. They are emerging quickly, however, as the drive and innovation is no longer coming just from people’s garages, but rather from some of the most powerful players in industry. Due to these changes in the business world, those who seek to be resource-conservative are able to engage in a whole new level of resource economy.

Whether it originates from industry or from consumer demand, markets can re-define clean and re-define convenience as we now look at previously unseen and unaccounted-for costs. With Global Warming upon us, despite the ups & downs of the economy, it should be cool to be frugal.

Basel Action Network — Part of the E-Waste Solution

2010-02-06T04:16:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.blueplanetgreenliving.com/2010/02/04/basel-action-network-%E2%80%94-part-of-the-e-waste-solution/

February 4, 2010 by Caryn Green
Filed under Basel Convention, Blog, Certification, E-Stewards, E-Waste, Front Page, Pollution, Recycling, Slideshow, Toxins, UN

Open burning of plastic encased metal printer and motor parts. Open burning of plastics and other material is common in order to reduce the waste to metals. Guiyu, China. December 2001. ©2006 Basel Action Network (BAN)

Over the past two days, writer Caryn Green has explained what happens to many of the e-wastes people dispose of when we get new electronics, such as computers, flat screen televisions, and cell phones. She’s introduced us to the Basel Convention, which was written to prohibit the dumping of e-waste and other toxics from wealthier countries to poorer ones. Today, she introduces us to the Basel Action Network, an NGO that promotes the goals of the Basel Convention. — Julia Wasson, Publisher

Workers unloading sea-going container full of imported televisions and monitors at Alaba market in Lagos, Nigeria. Many of these that are not working, will be tossed into the dumps outside of the market.©2006 Basel Action Network (BAN)

The Basel Action Network (BAN), is “a global toxic-trade watchdog organization” that works to prevent the dumping of used electronics from wealthy nations to developing nations. With so many companies and charitable organizations offering to collect donations of used computers, flatscreen TVs, and cell phones, consumers are often lulled into the illusion that our used goods will be used for good. Instead, many of them end up dismantled, burned, and dumped in Ghana, China, Nigeria, and other developing nations.

Named for the Basel Convention — the UN-administered agreement that regulates hazardous waste shipment — BAN is the world’s foremost organization focused on confronting the environmental and economic ramifications of toxic trade. Working to prevent disproportionate and unsustainable dumping of the world’s toxic waste and pollution on the poorest nations, BAN actively promotes sustainable and just solutions to the consumption and waste crisis — banning waste trade, while advocating green, toxic-free design of consumer products.

Why is BAN necessary? Here’s what the BAN website has to say:

There is an ugly underbelly of economic globalisation that few wish to talk about. Under the guise of simply utilizing the “competitive advantage” of cheap labour markets in poorer areas of the world, a disproportionate burden of toxic waste, dangerous products and polluting technologies are currently being exported from rich industrialised countries to poorer developing countries. In effect, rather than being helped to leap-frog over dirty development cycles directly toward clean production methods, developing countries are instead being asked to perpetuate some of the world’s most toxic industries and products and are even asked to become the global dumping ground for much of the world’s toxic wastes.

Supporting the Basel Ban

Just some of the many labels found on computers and monitors which indicated to investigators where each load of computers originated. Guiyu, China. December 2001.

Working closely with the United Nations Environment Programme as a leading NGO participant, BAN is dedicated to promoting the Basel Ban Amendment Ratifications. The Basel Ban decision imposed a ban on all forms of hazardous waste exports from the 30 wealthiest, most industrialized countries — the membership of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — to all non-OECD countries, effective January 1, 1998.

Following this decision, opponents of the ban — the United States, Australia, Canada, South Korea, and others — sought to undermine it, arguing that it would not be legally binding unless it became part of the Basel Convention through amendment. Citing restraint of trade concerns, the opposing governments, joined by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the International Chamber of Commerce, have launched a lengthy and convoluted international legal fight apparently aimed at delaying compliance.

To learn more about the Basel Ban and Basel Action Network’s efforts to promote ratification, read “The Basel Ban: Triumph over Business as Usual” by Basel Action Network founder, Jim Puckett.

e-Steward Recyclers

Are old electronics piling up in your house or workplace? Look for an e-Steward recycler before you discard them. Photo: Caryn Green

Perhaps surprisingly, even the “take-back” programs provided by some of the world’s leading electronics manufacturers and retailers can’t be trusted, according to BAN. Taking your used electronics “back where you bought it” doesn’t guarantee that it won’t end up as e-waste that’s shipped offshore for dismantling and burning in a developing nation (or that your data won’t be stolen by a criminal half a world away).

To make sure that your electronic discards do not end up harming the planet and the poor, BAN urges consumers to use only licensed e-Steward™ recyclers. The e-Stewards have been vetted by BAN and have agreed not to export hazardous electronics despite the profits that can be made by avoiding the real costs of proper domestic recycling.

Ban administers a fully-accredited, 3^rd-party-audited certification program to qualify e-Steward Recyclers to meet the world’s most stringent environmental and social justice criteria for the responsible disposal of electronics. These criteria stipulate that no toxic e-waste is dumped in landfills or incinerators, exported to developing countries, or sent to prison labor operations. It also protects against the unauthorized release of data in private computers.

BAN Initiatives

BAN has four major, ongoing initiatives:

Definitive Source of Information on Toxic Trade – BAN provides researchers, journalists, and the public with up-to-date information on the toxic waste trade. It serves as the “toxic trade media centre,” providing source materials and published articles. BAN has released groundbreaking research and conducted investigations in developing countries, documenting toxic trade abuses in photos and on film in conjunction with mass media outlets such as CBS 60 Minutes and PBS Frontline.
International Policy Advocacy – BAN works closely with the United Nations (UN), the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the UNEP Chemicals Program and Governing Council, regularly participating as NGO experts in policy deliberations and other internal meetings. BAN has also produced Model National Legislation on toxic waste trade for developing countries.
Research and Investigations – BAN produces on-the-ground videos and photographs of the toxic waste trade around the world. The organization conducts field investigations and documents their findings. Two documentary films, Exporting Harm and The Digital Dump: Exporting Reuse and Abuse to Africa are available with a donation to BAN.

Campaigns – Through coalitions with other NGOs around the world, BAN engages in effective campaigns to stop the dumping of toxic waste in developing nations.

E-Waste Stewardship Project to stop the importation of e-waste in developing nations and to encourage producer responsibility and green design.

Green Ship-breaking to ensure that all hazardous materials are either processed domestically or removed from all US vessels prior to export and scrapping on foreign shores.

Zero Mercury Campaign to adopt an internationally binding treaty to eliminate mercury pollution — its extraction, use, trade, and recycling — particularly in developing countries.

Basel Ban Ratification – Promoting dual action by the US and other nations to ratify both Ban and the treaty, and to block efforts to undermine the Basel Convention.

For More Information

The Basel Action Network
122 S. Jackson Street, Suite 320
Seattle, WA 98104
206/652-5555
www.ban.org

BAN is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization of the United States, based in Seattle, Washington.

Caryn Green

Contributing Writer

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

India Will Generate 800,000 Ton Of Electronic Waste By 2012

2010-02-06T04:13:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017724083?India%20Will%20Generate%20800,000%20Ton%20Of%20Electronic%20Waste%20By%202012

Nilanjana Bhowmick - AHN India Correspondent

New Delhi, India (AHN) - India will generate 800,000 tons of e-waste, from electronics, by 2012. It generated 146,800 tons of e-waste during 2005.

A survey carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said that the top ten cities that generated e-waste are Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has notified the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2008 for proper management and handling of hazardous wastes that include e-waste.

The rules make it mandatory for all units handling e-waste to register with CPCB.

The hazardous wastes are also required to be sent or sold to a registered or authorized recycler or re-processor or re-user.

The Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of e-waste published by CPCB provide a detailed approach and methodology for environmentally sound management of e-waste.

"The procedures for setting up & management of e-waste facility shall include licenses from all appropriate governing authorities such as environmental clearance, recycler registration from Central Pollution Control Board under HW Rules, obtaining of consents under water act, Air act and authorization from the state pollution control board," the guidelines say.

E-waste is a term that is used to refer to waste generated from used electronic devices and house hold appliances like computers and television sets and so on. It contains over 1000 different substances many of which are toxic and potentially hazardous to the environment and human health if they are not handled in an environmentally sound manner.

Earlier, the ministry said in an official release that there are 36,165 hazardous waste generating industries in the country and they generate 6.2 MT hazardous waste ever year.

WATER POLLUTION

2010-02-06T04:00:00.002+08:00

Source : http://www.houseandpropertyofabruzzo.com/2010/02/water-pollution.html

Life without water is not possible as it is main thing after food. Water is used for drinking and also for all the purposes. Now, the water pollution is one major thing affecting the health and also in cultivation. The industrial water mixed with the ordinary water contaminates the water for drink. Some of the chemical used in the water also health hazards as it should be avoided.
The industrial waste mixed with the water is not useful in cultivating the land as it spoils the nature of the soil. The chemicals in the contaminated water also lead in various diseases to the animals. Also, it should be noted that water is the major thing that has been used for several purposes. Steps must be taken to avoid the water pollution and also the environment.

We need to make more effort

2010-02-06T03:57:00.001+08:00

Source : http://www.lgcplus.com/home/recyclingunited/we-need-to-make-more-effort/5010998.article

4 February 2010 | By Nick Herbert

Becoming more resource-efficient matters to us all. We send more waste to landfill than any other European Union country, dumping nearly 20 million tonnes of municipal rubbish.

Germany landfills less than 500,000 tonnes, an extraordinary difference in scale.

We are increasingly aware of the environmental damage that landfill causes through the production of methane, yet we remain dependent on this form of waste disposal. Why aren’t we performing better?

For too long, landfill was simply the easy and the cheap option, and the government was slow to respond to the challenges of the 1999 Landfill Directive.

Consumers have seen too few benefits from better waste disposal and instead see new facilities as a threat. Penalising households who have already been clobbered with higher council tax bills is bound to fail.

Landfill

The current government still plans to send a quarter of our household waste to landfill in 10 years’ time.

If we want to green our economy and make the most efficient use of our resources, we need to recognise that the present rate of progress is too slow.

I believe that, with the exception of residual inert waste from which materials and energy cannot be recovered, we should eliminate landfill altogether.

This is a challenging goal, but we can meet it with fiscal and other policy instruments. That’s why I’ve already made the commitment that a future Conservative government will put a floor under the 2013 level of landfill tax at £72 per tonne until 2020.

Floor

That is for a floor under the tax, not a ceiling.

To drive up recycling rates we need to think more creatively about how to reward consumers for doing the right thing and enable them to share in the value of the materials and energy that we can unlock from waste.

There is also a need to address commercial and industrial waste, which local authorities do not have to recycle.

Yet a lot of this waste could be recycled or have energy recovered from it, so the challenge is to find new and effective forms of local partnership and facilitate the market in alternative forms of waste disposal.

Nick Herbert, Conservative, shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary.

Drinking Water System – Why You Need to Purify Your Tap Water

2010-02-03T22:52:00.001+08:00

Source : http://howdoigetoffdrugs.com/2010/01/drinking-water-system-why-you-need-to-purify-your-tap-water/

The effectiveness of a home drinking water system can vary as you can see if you compare product performance data sheets. Of course, not all manufacturers make those available. If we know what is in our drinking water, we can find ways to remove or reduce the bad stuff. If we don’t know, we must become informed.

Facilities in the US are required to publish a “consumer confidence report”, but don’t expect it to inspire confidence in you. The problem with the report is that thousands of chemicals are not tested for. But you can learn a little bit about the type of drinking water system that you need if you read it.

Chlorine and trihalomethanes will be in nearly everyone’s tap water, unless you are lucky enough to live in a community that has a deep-water well. Chlorine causes the following health problems.

Digestive disorders

Childhood anemia

Allergic reactions

Asthma complications

Sinus problems

Dry skin and hair

So, we know what is in our drinking water for sure— chlorine. It can easily be removed with a granular activated carbon (GAC), but a carbon block is more effective.

The biggest health threat of trihalomethanes is cancer, but they also cause short-term problems including headache, fatigue and irritability. Most of the popular purifiers on the market contain GAC for chlorine removal, but do not contain the necessary resins to remove trihalomethanes. Check product performance data before you buy a drinking water system to be sure.

After compiling data from around the US, the University of Cincinnati reported that cysts are a problem in many areas. Cysts are pathogens in an early stage of life that are resistant to chlorination, UV disinfection and other purification measures taken at a water treatment facility. They cause illnesses that can be deadly in at-risk individuals; those with poorly functioning or undeveloped immune systems. In other words, children, the elderly, people with AIDS, and people being treated for cancer.

If we know that cysts are what is in our drinking water, we should look for a drinking water system that is certified to filter down to one micron. The best systems include a carbon and multi-resin block with a sub-micron sized channel. This type of system traps cysts and ensures that chemicals are removed to the highest degree possible.

According to news reports about what is in our drinking water, many of us should be concerned about perchlorate and other VOCs, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, pesticides, herbicides and the heavy metal lead. An Ion exchange is necessary to remove lead; the better systems include it without jacking up the price. The other contaminants are chemicals and the carbon block design mentioned above will trap them.

In my home, we don’t worry about what is in our drinking water anymore, because we purchased an effective drinking water system. I believe that’s the right solution for everyone.

Chlorine in Drinking Water Isn’t the Only Contaminant to Worry About

2010-02-03T22:43:00.001+08:00

Source : http://howdoigetoffdrugs.com/2010/01/chlorine-in-drinking-water-isnt-the-only-contaminant-to-worry-about/

As if the chlorine in drinking water wasn’t bad enough, now we’ve learned about drugs found in drinking water too. What else are we going to have to worry about?

The news reports and public health officials assure us that these drug traces are not health hazards. Yes, it is true; you don’t see people dying from those traces, but you also don’t see people dying from chlorine in drinking water. What’s worrying is the long-term effect that these chemicals have on cells in the body.

Natural health advocates have always maintained that chemical pollutants in our environment cause obesity, cancer, and various chronic health problems. Many of these chemicals act like hormones in the body, interfering with natural hormone production and increasing the risk of certain types of cancer.

One of the drugs found in drinking water is estradiol, a form of estrogen. It gets into the water supply through birth control pills. When women take them, some of the hormones are not metabolized by the body and pass through as waste. So, these hormones enter the sewage system and end up in wastewater treatment facilities where no steps are taken to remove it.

Environmentalists have been concerned about estrogen and other contaminants for many years, because of the effect it has on fish and wildlife. They argue that fish mutations in the Chesapeake Bay and the Mississippi River delta are caused by contaminants.

Regular people are often uninformed about today’s environmental issues; newspapers rarely publish environmental stories on the front page. But drugs found in drinking water make headlines all over the country. In one interview, an Italian researcher talked about the combined effect of chlorine in drinking water and drugs found in drinking water. Chemicals like these interact, increasing the toxicity of each. His wife was pregnant at the time of the interview. He said that they had agreed that she should only drink purified water, at least until after the baby was born.

In some of the studies that he had conducted, the combination of prescription medications caused interesting changes in cell cultures. They inhibited the growth of healthy cells and increased the growth of cancer cells.

Because of the chlorine in drinking water, we already have an increased cancer risk. This has been proven in a number of different studies. People that are not exposed to chlorination have a lower incidence of bladder and colorectal cancer. Luckily, we can protect ourselves from these risks. A home purification system is the solution.

Not all systems will remove the drugs found in drinking water. A dual stage system that specializes in chemical reduction is the most effective. Any carbon filter will remove the chlorine in drinking water, but other steps are needed to ensure your safety. Buy a system that thoroughly cleans your tap water. It’s worth it.

Useful Processes Related To The Water Treatment

2010-02-03T22:16:00.001+08:00

Source : http://thearticlehighway.com/2010/01/20/useful-processes-related-to-the-water-treatment/

Water treatment is not an easy task. You will certainly have to look after many processes which will then lead to the purified water. The processes like chlorination as well as the flocculation are very important. Each process has its own importance. You need to know about each of them. In this article I will be talking about some of the water treatment processes and try to explain almost all of them.

Some of the water treatment processes are as follows:

1. pH adjustment

As far as the distilled water is concerned, it has the pH of 7. This means that it is neither alkaline nor acidic. Now suppose the water is acidic. Then it is quite sure that you will have to add the lime, soda ash as well as the sodium hydroxide. This is done to raise the pH. The forced grass degassifiers are also very good supplements. As far as the municipal water is concerned it is being treated with the lime.

2. Flocculation

It is the process which clarifies the water. This process deals with removing the turbidity as well as the color from the water. In this way the water is made to look quite clear. This is done by developing a precipitate inside the water. This process is called the flocculation. Some of the flocculating agents are ferric hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, PolyDADMAC. All of these three agents are used for flocculation and they are quite great as well.

3. Sedimentation

The water existing in the flocculation basin enters the sedimentation basin. The sedimentation is a scientific process. In this method the sludge is formed and this sludge is removed from the water. Do you know that how the sludge is formed. Actually the chemical is mixed in the water. This chemical absorbs the waste material which then settles down the basin. After settling it forms a layer which is called the sludge. This sludge can be easily removed from the water.

4. Filtration

As far as the filtration is concerned you will certainly find out that some very minute waste particles are removed in this process. As far as the minute particles are concerned, you will certainly find out that the filters come of various dimensions. You will have to use the filter of very high quality if you want to get very highly purified water.

So these are some of the processes which are to be carried out to get the purified water through the water treatment plant.

Chlorine, Cancer, and Asthma - Oh My! Why You Might Need a Water

2010-02-03T21:40:00.003+08:00

Source : http://watercooler.org.nz/539562-Chlorine-Cancer-and-Asthma-Oh-My-Why-You-Might-Need-a-Water.html

For approximately 150 years, chlorine has been a vital, yet dangerous, part of our tap water. Water chlorination first began as a way to combat such deadly waterborne diseases as cholera and typhoid. Because of the immense success of this harsh chemical in disinfecting water from harmful viruses and bacteria, Life Magazine recently lauded water chlorination as 'probably the most significant public health advance of the millennium.'

No one can doubt that chlorine is highly effective and efficient at its job. Unfortunately-- for those who take this chemical into their bodies each day--chlorine is a bit too effective at its job. Chlorine is a listed poison and a known killer; just as it kills bacteria and viruses in drinking water, it kills or damages cells within the human body. While some manner of water disinfection is necessary and vital in any public society, chlorination is hardly the safest or even most efficient. The reason chlorine is used with such regularity (despite the growing numbers of chlorine-related diseases) is its relatively low cost as a water treatment method. Unfortunately, the lowest priced item is not always the highest quality item.

While it is unlikely that municipal treatment plants will ever abandon water chlorination entirely, it still lies within the power of a wise water consumer to protect himself against the dangers of chlorine. The simple solution to water chlorination lies in the use of a home water filter. However, before evaluating this solution, let's briefly examine the dangerous health effects of drinking chlorinated water.

Chlorine and Cancer Chlorine and its byproducts are now known causes of three of the most deadly types of cancer: bladder, rectal, and breast cancer. When chlorine is added to water, it interacts with natural organic compounds in the water to form trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs are incredibly carcinogenic. Once ingested in the body, THMs encourage the production of free radicals. These free radicals are a major cause of abnormal/cancerous cell growth. Chlorine byproducts specifically affect the bladder and rectum (due to the amount of ingested water that is sent to these organs). Once cancer has infected these areas, it can quickly spread to more sensitive and/or vital organs. According to current statistics, bladder and rectal cancer account for 30,000 deaths in the United States each year.

In addition to its causal role in bladder and rectal cancer, chlorine is now being connected with cases of breast cancer. Breast cancer currently affects one out of every eight women, and it has become one of the deadliest, most damaging diseases women face. In a new study conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, breast cancer victims were examined in order to discover possible correlations between the different cases. While studying the women, researchers came across a surprising connection between cases. The results of the study indicated that women with breast cancer had between 50% to 60% higher levels of chlorine byproducts in their breast tissue as compared to women without breast cancer. These high levels of chlorine byproducts in breast cancer victims are hardly coincidental. Just as THM-created, free radicals damage and kill healthy cells in the bladder and/or rectum, they also damage and kill healthy cells in the breast tissue.

Chlorine and Respiratory Illness Many recent studies of the damaging effects of chlorine have also indicated the insidious nature of gaseous chlorine. Of course, the fact that chlorine fumes can burn and/or severely damage sensitive lung tissue is hardly new knowledge. Chlorine gas bombs were used with deadly effectiveness as weapons in the First World War for this very reason. Such large doses of chlorine fumes will, as a matter of course, adversely affect the body, but are smaller doses of the same deadly gas any safer? It would certainly seem not, but millions of individuals across the United States are consistently breathing in chlorine fumes, effectively putting their lives and their lungs in jeopardy.

Chlorine fumes corrupt the air quality of a home simply by remaining a part of that home's water. Chlorine escapes into the air each time the dishwasher is used or a toilet is flushed. The shower, also, is one of the biggest culprits in the corruption of air quality. Because chlorine vaporizes at a much lower temperature and faster rate than ordinary water, more than 85% of the chlorine in showering water will translate into chlorine fumes that can be inhaled in the shower stall. Of course, it's highly unlikely that breathing in chlorine fumes in a shower stall or in the home environment will cause instant death or immediate, severe damage to the lungs. However, chlorine fumes can slowly begin to damage the delicate tissue of the lungs, causing or aggravating such diseases as asthma and bronchitis.

The Water Filter Solution As stated above, the solution to the problem of chlorinated water will not likely occur on a municipal scale. The threat of waterborne diseases and other contaminants is simply too high for any responsible public official to abandon drinking water chlorination (at least as long as no other feasible option exists). The solution to this problem lies on an individual-by-individual, home-by-home basis.

The newest and most innovative method of reducing the risk of chlorinated water lies in home water filtration. Chlorine is the most dangerous and insidious contaminant of municipally treated water, and drinking water filters and whole house water filters are two of the only methods of water purification that are capable of removing chlorine.

An individual cannot always rely upon city officials to protect him and his family from all dangers. It is the responsibility of the private citizen to protect himself when he can. Facing the dangers of chlorine, a home water filter is simply the best and most effective means of individual protection and prevention.

To learn more about the incidence and effects of chlorine in drinking water, visit http://www.aquasanastore.com/, an online guide to drinking water and water filtration.

Fighting cholera vital to prevent unnecessary loss of life

2010-02-03T19:43:00.000+08:00

Source : http://www.thisday.co.tz/?l=10566

By ThisDay Reporter

18th January 2010

CHOLERA has been with us since the onset of the rain season but the coming in of El Nino floods is bound to make the situation worse and areas being ravaged by these floods are more prone to the disease.

True to the predictions of the Tanzania Meteorological Agency that the current rains pounding most parts of the country are El Nino rains and that the rains will prolong until March, the country continues to experience heavy rains resulting in floods.

The floods are spreading and besides crippling Kongwa and Kilosa districts in Dodoma and Morogoro respectively, they recently attacked Arusha claiming one life and leaving dozen others homeless.

And, with the TMA having forecast that El Nino conditions will continue until March, then the country should not only prepare to deal with damages to property and loss of life but should also be prepared against outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

According to the Wikipedia website, Cholera is an infectious gastroenteritis caused by enterotoxin-producing strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and transmission to humans occurs through eating food or drinking water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae from other cholera patients.

The major reservoir for cholera was long assumed to be humans themselves, but considerable evidence exists that aquatic environments can serve as reservoirs of the bacteria.

Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative bacterium that produces cholera toxin, an enterotoxin, whose action on the mucosal epithelium lining of the small intestine is responsible for the disease's most salient characteristic, exhaustive diarrhoea.

In its most severe forms, cholera is one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses known, and a healthy person's blood pressure may drop to hypo tensive levels within an hour of the onset of symptoms; infected patients may die within three hours if medical treatment is not provided.

In a common scenario, the disease progresses from the first liquid stool to shock in 4 to 12 hours, with death following in 18 hours to several days, unless oral (or, in more serious cases, intravenous) rehydration therapy is provided.

Cholera Symptoms
Symptoms can occur within 24 to 48 hours of being infected with the cholera-causing bacteria. Cholera symptoms are generally mild; they include diarrhoea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. About one infected person out of 20 has severe signs and symptoms, such as increased heart rate, dehydration, and shock.

When a person becomes infected with the bacteria that cause cholera (Vibrio cholerae), the bacteria begin to multiply within the intestines. After 24 to 48 hours, symptoms of cholera can occur. The period between becoming infected and the start of cholera symptoms is called the cholera incubation period.

An infection with Vibrio cholerae is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes symptoms are severe. Approximately one in 20 infected people has severe cholera symptoms. These people may experience a rapid loss of body fluids, which can lead to dehydration and shock. Without cholera treatment, death can occur within hours.

Transmission

People infected with cholera suffer acute diarrhoea. This highly liquid diarrhoea, colloquially referred to as "rice-water stool," is loaded with bacteria that can infect water used by other people. Cholera is transmitted through ingestion of water contaminated with the cholera bacterium, usually from feces or other effluent.

The source of the contamination is typically other cholera patients when their untreated diarrhoea discharge is allowed to get into waterways or into groundwater or drinking water supplies. Any infected water and any foods washed in the water, as well as shellfish living in the affected waterway, can cause an infection. Cholera is rarely spread directly from person to person.

Treatment
In most cases cholera can be successfully treated with oral rehydration therapy. Prompt replacement of water and electrolytes is the principal treatment for cholera, as dehydration and electrolyte depletion occur rapidly. Oral rehydration therapy or ORT is highly effective, safe, and simple to administer. In situations where commercially produced ORT sachets are too expensive or difficult to obtain, alternative home-made solutions using various formulas of water, sugar, table salt, baking soda, and fruit offer less expensive methods of electrolyte repletion. In severe cholera cases with significant dehydration and the administration of intravenous rehydration solutions may be necessary.

Antibiotics shorten the course of the disease, and reduce the severity of the symptoms. However, oral rehydration therapy remains the principal treatment. Tetracycline is typically used as the primary antibiotic, although some strains of V. cholerae exist that have shown resistance. Other antibiotics that have been proven effective against V. cholerae include cotrimoxazole, erythromycin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, and furazolidone. Fluoroquinolones such as norfloxacin also may be used, but resistance has been reported.

The success of treatment is significantly affected by the speed and method of treatment. If cholera patients are treated quickly and properly, the mortality rate is less than one per cent; however, with untreated cholera the mortality rate rises to 50–60 per cent.

Prevention
Although cholera may be life-threatening, prevention of the disease is normally straightforward if proper sanitation practices are followed. Effective sanitation practices, if instituted and adhered to in time, are usually sufficient to stop an epidemic. There are several points along the cholera transmission path at which its spread may be (and should be) halted:

Sterilization: Proper disposal and treatment of infected fecal waste water produced by cholera victims and all contaminated materials (e.g. clothing, bedding, etc) is essential. All materials that come in contact with cholera patients should be sterilized by washing in hot water using chlorine bleach if possible.

Hands that touch cholera patients or their clothing, bedding and so on should be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized with chlorinated water or other effective anti-microbial agents.

Sewage: Anti-bacterial treatment of general sewage by chlorine, ozone, ultra-violet light or other effective treatment before it enters the waterways or underground water supplies helps prevent undiagnosed patients from inadvertently spreading the disease.

Sources: Warnings about possible cholera contamination should be posted around contaminated water sources with directions on how to decontaminate the water (boiling, chlorination etc.) for possible use.

Water purification: All water used for drinking, washing, or cooking should be sterilized by either boiling, chlorination, ozone water treatment, ultra-violet light sterilization, or anti-microbal filtration in any area where cholera may be present. Chlorination and boiling are often the least expensive and most effective means of halting transmission. Cloth filters, though very basic, have significantly reduced the occurrence of cholera when used in poor villages in Bangladesh that rely on untreated surface water. Better anti-microbial filters like those present in advanced individual water treatment hiking kits are most effective.

Public health education and adherence to appropriate sanitation practices are of primary importance to help prevent and control transmission of cholera and other diseases.

A vaccine for cholera is available in some countries, but prophylactic usage is not currently recommended for routine use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During recent years, substantial progress has been made in developing new oral vaccines against cholera. Two oral cholera vaccines, which have been evaluated with volunteers from industrialized countries and in regions with endemic cholera, are commercially available in several countries.

Sensitive surveillance and prompt reporting allow for containing cholera epidemics rapidly. Cholera exists as a seasonal disease in many endemic countries, occurring annually mostly during rainy seasons. Surveillance systems can provide early alerts to outbreaks, therefore leading to coordinated response and assist in preparation of preparedness plans.

Efficient surveillance systems can also improve the risk assessment for potential cholera outbreaks. Understanding the seasonality and location of outbreaks provide guidance for improving cholera control activities for the most vulnerable. This will also aid in the developing indicators for appropriate use of oral cholera vaccine

It is important to note that serious cholera symptoms and complications can occur rapidly; therefore, if a person is experiencing possible symptoms of cholera, he or she should see a healthcare provider immediately. Cholera treatment will reduce the chance of serious complications.

It is a challenge to all stakeholders to help wananchi in the war against cholera and to prevent it from spreading especially in areas hard hit by El Nino floods.

Water and waste water treatment solutions

2010-02-03T18:51:00.002+08:00

Source : http://boycecarbon.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/water-and-waste-water-treatment-solutions-from-boyce-carbon/

Water is the basic determinant for the existence of life on earth. Water is required in everyday life in the domestic, industrial, commercial and agriculture sectors abundantly. With the increase in population growth, environmental pollution and growth of technology, water gets polluted very easily through the waste materials from these sources and it becomes very imperative to treat water we use. It is equally important to treat the waste water too in order to check pollution of the water bodies and the ground water. The purpose of treating water is to rid of the water contaminants present in the water and make it fit for consumption. The treated waste water is let out in to the environment without causing any negative impact on ecology.

The water and waste water needs treatment for the following reasons:-

Conservation of water sources.
Protection of environment.
Maintain a healthy life for human beings.

In the modern world, providing water treatment solutions has occupied a prime position and has developed as a major industry, extending services in the sectors of domestic, industry, agriculture etc.

The basic product which is used in treating water and waste water is carbon. The activated carbon is a processed carbon that has high level of micro porosity and makes possible the chemical absorption very quickly. The activated carbon finds its use in water purification and waste water treatment, apart from applications in other areas. It is a process by which the contaminants in both the water and waste water are removed.

Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from waste water is another way of purification by which process the nitrogen gas is removed from the waste water and released to air. Disinfecting the contaminated drinking water is mainly done to minimize the level of microorganisms in the treated water. The commonly used methods used for disinfection of water are ozone, chlorine or ultraviolet light.

Chlorination

The most commonly adopted method of treating water and waste water through chlorination which is cost effective. Since the toxicity of residual chlorine will affect aquatic species, it is essential to dechlorinate the treated effluent.

Ultraviolet

In ultraviolet no chemicals are used and the treated water will not affect the consumers of treated water. The radiation of UV damages the bacteria’s genetic pattern and renders them unable to reproduce.

Ozone O3

In this process, the Ozone O3 is produced through combining O2 and a third oxygen atom and destroys many micro organisms. The disadvantage of this process is the high cost of the equipment for generating ozone.

Water treatment solutions depend on the nature of the water bodies and the intensity of contaminants present in water. In addition to the above mentioned general water treatment solutions, there are many companies who have designed their own water treatment solutions by obtaining patent for their technologies.

Clean Swimming Pools-The Next Generation

2010-02-03T18:49:00.001+08:00

Source : http://inground-swimming-pool.net/clean-swimming-pools-the-next-generation-31.htm

Most residential and commercial swimming pools use chlorine for basic water sanitation. Though unchallenged as a pool water sanitizer, any pool owner knows that chlorine and its cousin bromine can be nasty and hard to handle. Hang on bunky, above ground swimming pools, ‘cuz a new combination of pool technologies may have the answer for your pool.

spark (corona discharge) or from a UV bulb. Ozone will also wipe out algae and bacteria. These two forms of ozonators have been sold on spas and hot tubs for over twenty years.

The only drawback is that chlorine alone can cause. The chlorine produced provides the necessary oxidation in a continuous dose for less money! Ozone, a form of oxygen, is also attached inline with the saltwater generator. The most likely part to fail in saltwater chlorine generators is the electrode due to calcium buildup from pool water.

Ozone prevents this build-up and prolongs, above ground pool liners, electrode life. Like any other product this new system is worth a close look.

It works with any kind of above ground or inground pool and with chlorine prices increasing annually this system may be just the thing to enjoy better water, lower costs and less maintenance for your pool. Rob “Dr. Duck” Coxworth Webfoot Leisure.com Rob “Dr. Duck” Coxworth Webfoot Leisure.com Rob “Dr. Duck” Coxworth is the driving force behind Webfoot Leisure.com, an on-line retailer of swimming pools, supplies,equipment and accessories.

Rob has spent many years in the pool water, which more closely matches the natural salinity of the human body.

The, above ground swimming pools, water “feels” softer and silkier without the dryness that chlorine and its cousin bromine can be nasty and hard to handle. Hang on bunky ‘cuz a new combination of pool technologies may have the answer for your pool. Saltwater chlorination is an old and well-understood, above ground swimming pools, technology. Water, with the generator, oxidizes and sanitizes the entire pool every time the pool industry firms over the years.

pump The and water share sanitizer, the any salt, other sodium product chloride, this dissociates system or like from this working new with combination chlorine of alone above can ground cause.

or The from ozonator, pool which sanitizing more system closely is matches relatively the straightforward, above ground swimming pools, pool and with chlorine prices increasing annually this system may be just the thing to enjoy better water, lower costs and less maintenance for your pool. Saltwater chlorination is an old and well-understood technology.

Water, with the saltwater generator. The most likely part to fail in saltwater chlorine generators is the driving force behind Webfoot Leisure.

com, an on-line retailer of swimming pools, supplies,equipment and accessories. Rob has spent many years in the pool. You get the necessary oxidation in a continuous dose for less money! Ozone, a form of oxygen, is also attached inline with the saltwater generator. The most likely part to fail in saltwater chlorine generators is the electrode due to calcium buildup from pool water.

Ozone prevents this, above ground swimming pools, build-up and prolongs electrode life. Like any other product this new system is worth a close look.

It works with any kind of above ground or inground pool and with chlorine prices increasing annually this system may be just the thing to enjoy better water, lower costs and less maintenance for your pool. Saltwater chlorination is an old and well-understood technology, above ground pool liners, . Water, with the generator, oxidizes and sanitizes the entire pool every time the pool water, which more closely matches the natural salinity of the salt, sodium chloride, dissociates or splits into sodium and chlorine.

The Benefit Of Water Treatment

2010-02-03T18:45:00.003+08:00

If you wish to understand concerning water treatment plant, then you have come to the suitable place. This article will tell you all that you want to know. A water treatment plant basically goes through all the processes that produce water be more acceptable for use. Water is required for industrial purposes, drinking, medical purposes, and many others. Hence awater treatment plant filter existing contaminants in the water, or brings about a reduction of the concentration of those contaminants, therefore the water is more appropriate for its end-use. In fact, the water that has earlier been used may be returned back to the actual environment without hampering the environment or the ecological system.

A water treatment uses a variety of processes to purify the water. For instance, for treating it to make it suitable for drinking, the plant would do solids separation with physical methods like settling, filtration, and chemical ways like disinfection and coagulation. The water treatment plant would also treat the wastewater with biological procedures – example slow sand filters, aerated lagoons, plus activated sludge.

Water is normally required for drinking reasons – water that’s being drunk should be pure for human consumption. Hence a water treatment plant should perform efficiently and properly, to get rid of the contaminants from the water properly. The plant would be removing substances from the water like bacteria, minerals (sulphur, iron and manganese), suspended solids, algae, viruses, and fungi. Even chemical pollutants like fertilizers sometimes find their way into water; the plant ought to get rid of these as well.

There are a number of water treatment plants, that function effectively and efficiently to supply clean and harmless water to the public. For example, sometimes they put residual disinfectantsin the water that has been treated; this kills any bacteriological contamination post the water-treatment. The WHO body has set down rule regarding the requirements of excellence drinking water, and these are followed all over the world, particularlyin the water treatment Malaysia plants – that leave no stone unturned to ensure that only the best water is provided to the residents of Malaysia.

In most of the water treatment plants available, 1 or a combination of the subsequent procedures been using to make the water suitable for consumption: coagulation (for flocculation), pre-chlorination (for controlling algae and stopping any biological growth), coagulation aids (that are also called polyelectrolytes – these improve the coagulation and bring about thicker floc formation), aeration (this can be done with pre-chlorination, to get rid of the dissolved manganese and iron), disinfection (to kill the bacteria contained), filtration (to remove the floc that has been brought over), and sedimentation (this is often done to separate the suspended solids).

The thing that you must keep in mind is that when it involves any water treatment plant, there’s no unique solution that’s used. An answer can’t be standardized as such. All kind of water needs to be tested individually, then the appropriate technique of treatment is decided according to the season, this makes the water fit for human consumption.

Pristine Waters Sdn Bhd was operated in year 2000 and its core business is in supplying, designing, installing and commissioning of water and wastewater treatment plants. In the previous years, Pristine Waters Sdn Bhd has undertaken numerous projects and contracts in building and operating Water and Waste Water Treatment plants in Malaysia and abroad.

Article Source: http://www.a.mooladays.com/business/the-benefit-of-water-treatment

Can the economy recover? And, for that matter, should it?

2009-12-31T19:43:00.000+08:00

Can the economy recover?
And, for that matter, should it?

By Roger Baker / The Rag Blog / December 4, 2009

[Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy] was my boss. He knows all about peak oil, but he can't talk about it. If the government announced that peak oil was threatening our economy, Wall Street would crash. He just can't say anything about it." -- David Fridley, scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Can the U.S., or indeed the global economy, ever recover? Concerning this issue, and it is an issue likely to effect most people now living, there is both bad news and good news.

First the bad news. There has been a growing awareness within the scientific community for more than a decade, that if the inherently expansive global capitalist economy as we have known it does recover, it will probably continue to disrupt nature and inflict human misery on a massive global scale.

The global economy has been increasingly bumping into the natural limits of all the human beings the planet can support, assuming they are to live under tolerable civilized conditions. Peak oil, global warming, water shortages, deforestation, polluted oceans, species extinction. You name it, we are now bumping into many kinds of natural limits.

If we do not somehow turn away from exponential growth as usual, and shift toward a more localized, sustainable economy, then wars over limited resources will become increasingly likely. A growing global population can easily overshoot the long term food limits of the environment. Famine has happened locally throughout history, but with a global economy, global hunger becomes possible. When food runs short, tempers flare.

Here's Walter Youngquist from The Oil Drum:

In various contexts throughout this volume [GeoDestinies] it is pointed out that we now live in unique times, unlike any in the past, and unlike what any will be in the future. Yet many people in developed countries do not realize the unique years we have had since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This fact, as a framework to understand the present and what lies ahead cannot be overemphasized.

We have developed technology by which we have exploited the Earth’s resources to a degree never before seen and which, in the case of non-renewable resources – fossil fuels, and metals as well as nonmetals, can never be repeated. We have drawn both from the past, and also mortgaged the next few centuries at least by degrading the vital renewable resources of soil and freshwater, which are not renewable within the span of several lifetimes. This is in contrast to many centuries of history when, lacking technology of today, things changed very slowly...

Top climate scientists like NASA head James Hansen are now pleading with us to tax the carbon we burn, and then to use the tax revenue to help restructure the economy on a wiser, sounder basis.

...Governments must place a uniform rising price on carbon, collected at the fossil fuel source -- the mine or port of entry. The fee should be given to the public in toto, as a uniform dividend, payroll tax deduction or both. Such a tax is progressive -- the dividend exceeds added energy costs for 60% of the public...

So what about the good news? The good news is that neither the U.S. economy, nor the global economy, will recover, because they can't. (Read on to learn why this is good news.) They cannot keep expanding in the profitably rapacious way that until recently was considered quite normal. The immediate problem is that nobody has figured out a way to have the global economy, as presently configured, expand without a corresponding increase in the supply of liquid fuel, and for a long time to come.

All things considered, where does this lead?

It is a major challenge to try to rationally convince most people that their total pile of material goods, and that accessible to their children, will by necessity have to shrink, no matter what. The way humans tend to think, selling bad news through intellectual persuasion is never easy. Not easy as compared to selling optimistic snake oil approaches that promise a relatively painless alternative to facing hard choices.

The USA now has a conspicuously dysfunctional political system. A system which allows the banker class to force the (previously) U.S. working class to assume the economic burden of somehow paying off their global finance gambling debts, including the gloriously reckless sub-prime loans made by the world's giant investment banks up to mid-2007. Think Dubai. (Some of us aware of peak oil have been trying to warn the world for over a decade that global investment trends were unsustainable from an oil perspective alone.)

From current trends, the U.S. public consciousness, in its political and economic perspective, is being forced to shift from the Clinton-Bush-era standard of reasonably assured economic well-being, toward an economic perspective of basic survival. The numbers of those concerned with basic survival, like the jobless and homeless, are already intolerably high by recent U.S. standards. These numbers will probably have to increase further before now-unemployed labor shifts toward local manufacture, agriculture, etc.

In the face of crisis, the public elected Obama to revive a troubled economy. If FDR made the Great Depression go away (with the help of WWII), then the right president acting in the right way should be able to make that happen again, right?

The bottom line is that the current production and the depletion numbers associated with peak oil are, by themselves, enough to indicate that we are headed toward an economic crisis. Getting the global economy back on its old expansionist track is likely to prove impossible, no matter how hard we try. We are now faced with the challenge of restructuring our economy in a way that would normally take decades. Yet we face other additional handicaps. We have an industrially hollowed-out U.S. economy, an aging U.S. population, and a conspicuously dysfunctional political system.

Tom Tomorrow on Peak Oil.
The cheap liquid fuel-based energy needed to transport the goods of global commerce on the previous scale is not there anymore. It is now cheaper to make steel in the USA than to try to ship it here from China. Conventional oil production on land probably peaked in 2005. We are now using expensive conventional oil alternatives like heavy oil, oil sands, and deep-water oil as a cushion to try to buy time before oil production, and thus the global economy, starts shrinking, and fast. The previously silent oil industry itself is now starting to admit as much:

Groups and individuals speaking out about forthcoming world oil supply challenges are frequently stereotyped as a fringe element with little knowledge about the oil industry. But their warnings are increasingly supported by some surprising allies: senior petroleum industry officials, consultants and analysts. Call these serious-minded critics the HarshRealists...

The bad news related to the peak oil situation is especially hard for politicians to publicly acknowledge, but even among such leaders, the word is spreading.

What would it take for average Americans to cut back drastically on their total oil use? I suspect that many readers would be amazed to hear that this has already happened! Without most folks paying too much attention, U.S. oil consumption dropped from about 21.7 million barrels a day in August 2005 to about 18.8 million barrels in recent months. An almost 3 million barrels a day decrease on a base of about 20 million is about a 15% percent decrease over the past four years, with 9% of that being in just the last two years.

These last four years were the years when we made the relatively easy cuts in excess driving, etc., in response to rising oil price and a depressed economy. Now it will get harder, because it looks like we are facing an oil-less recovery.

From Steven R. Kopits:

...Consumption is not much changed since the end of the recession. And before the recession, demand in the United States was falling at around $75/barrel. Therefore, based on the most recent observed period, we would expect US consumption to stagnate around recent prices approaching $80...

Overall, then, U.S. consumption is unlikely to ever recover levels seen in 2007. In the best of cases, consumption could close half the last years’ decline and increase by about 5%, or 1 mbpd. As likely is the possibility that consumption will stagnate at or near current levels, and may be significantly sensitive to prices at or near those seen recently. U.S. consumption is perhaps most likely to increase modestly by perhaps 0.5 mbpd, reaching approximately 19.0-19.5 mbpd.

As the country looks to recovery, policy makers must face the very real possibility that economic growth cannot depend on very much extra oil, and perhaps none at all. It may well prove an oil-less recovery, with all the implications that brings for employment and the economic outlook.

Given the current situation, the world's major economies might encourage easy credit and steer the global economy in such a way that it is successfully stimulated, meaning that aggregate demand for traded goods and commodities revives sooner. But this only means that we in the U.S. will try to bid against China for a global daily supply of oil falling somewhere short of 90 million barrels per day. Aggressive oil bidding is likely to be soon followed by another oil price spike,

Thereafter, we would likely see a return to the sort of stalling-out of the U.S. economy and rapid deflation that we saw after gasoline hit $4 a gallon in mid-2008, when GM went broke, etc. There is probably now less than five million barrels a day of global reserve oil capacity, mostly with OPEC, to cushion the system from another oil price spike, and this cushion is shrinking.

The current global recession combined with stagnant oil production can postpone the return of a tight market for the global oil supply, but not for a lot longer. A smart guess is that by 2012, global oil depletion in excess of five percent a year will cause serious economic problems through falling oil production -- no matter what we do.

Regarding this unhappy situation, here is what a distinguished retired CIA analyst, Tom Whipple, who writes a weekly (and also daily) column on the ASPO-USA website, has to say about the potential for recovery of the global economy. He points out the the numbers indicate that we are now apparently in a sort of economic trap.

...We can't have it both ways. It will either be a really deep global recession and cheap gas or some sort of start at recovery and spiking oil prices. Discussions have already started as to what level of oil prices causes serious damage. In the past an inflation adjusted $80 a barrel was a favored recession inducing number as this was the price that seemed to cause recessions back in the 1970s and 80s when Middle Eastern wars and embargos restricted supplies.

The trouble with $80 oil, of course, is that we are already there and no analyst that draws a paycheck from Wall Street wants to say flat out that another leg of a recessionary downturn is inevitable unless oil prices decline soon. A typical example was a Dow Jones story earlier this week entitled "Oil Price Rise Poses Little Threat, Yet, To Economic Recovery." The article points out that the danger to economic recovery won't start until we get to $90 or $100 a barrel or $3 a gallon gasoline... The current situation is clearly unsustainable. If the dollar continues to sink, oil is going to move so high that all sorts of economic consequences are inevitable. OPEC is already in a dilemma for no matter how much they like the increasing revenues, the smarter governments realize that if prices move much higher, it will trigger off even worse economic times...

At this point, many environmentally conscious readers are quite likely to suggest that alternative energy will come to the rescue, offering a relatively painless landing. But alternative energy probably won't be there in the needed quantity and on time; this outlook echoes the "Hirsch Report." Alternative energy is without question an important step in the right direction, but we need to understand the possible limits.

These limits are related to the time required and the scale of (now treasury deficit) financing needed to make the tons of steel, copper, and aluminum that would be required in another five years. Currently, we can't manage GM very well because we don't know the proper industrial production targets, or even whether it makes any sense to subsidize the building of cars instead of rail. The devil is very much in such details. How fast it is possible to shift the inputs and outputs of an industrial economy to meet new needs are already known to good economists.

An alarming new study jointly released by two prominent California-based environmental/economic think tanks, concludes that unrelenting energy limits, even among alternative energy systems, will make it impossible for the industrial system to continue operating at its present scale, beyond the next few decades. The report finds that the current race by industries and governments to develop new sustainable energy technologies that can replace ecologically harmful and rapidly depleting fossil fuel and nuclear technologies, will not prove sufficient, and that this will require substantial adjustments in many operating assumptions of modern society.

The new study (“Searching for a Miracle: Net Energy Limits and the Fate of Industrial Society”) is the first major analysis to utilize the new research tools of “full life cycle assessment” and “net energy ratios” (Energy Returned on Energy Invested, EROEI), to compare all currently proposed future scenarios for how industrial society can face its long term future..

After oil peaks, which is likely already, per capita metal extraction will also have to shrink soon thereafter.

Per capita food will also have to shrink soon, as the Worldwatch Institute's Lester Brown's latest book documents in detail:

End Game?

Things are not so bad at the moment. At least for the short run, and from appearances, the U.S. economy is restructuring itself in an environmentally healthy direction. Consumer spending on waste is contracting to a new mode based on meeting minimal but essential needs. People faced with foreclosure and high credit card debt have cut back their spending and credit obligations as much as possible. The arrival of hard times means people giving up many kinds of culturally induced needs that Thorton Weblen once classified as conspicuous consumption status symbols; travel to business conventions, vacation homes, big SUVs, the alluring ephemera sold in malls, etc. People are making do and hoping for relief.

A key issue now on the minds of many U.S. citizens is whether the U.S. economy can be put back on track through Obama's use of Keynesian deficit spending to stimulate the economy. In effect a shot of economic speed to get the stalled U.S. economy activated again, after which it is imagined that this stimulus can gradually be withdrawn without the economy relapsing into its previous state of stagnation.

Assuming that the U.S. finance system is required to stay solvent, and that it must be kept from falling victim to a sudden, panicky dollar devaluation, the obvious way the economy can be stimulated at the same time that the hidden mountain of bad debt the banks owe can be paid off is by printing up lots of money. Lacking an adequate supply of willing foreign lenders, this is done through mutual cooperation of the Treasury and the Fed, resulting in bond debt to be paid back later.

The Fed printing lots of money. Drawing from Cervantes.
But trying to revive the economy by means of printing up enough fiat currency to revive spending plus balance the books is akin to running up a big bar tab which eventually must be repaid. Think paper debts paid back with devalued dollars. This risky process is clearly underway, as famous investor Warren Buffett notes, although Buffett does endorse the use of temporary Keynesian economic stimulation to avert an immediate crisis:

...Buffett details his ongoing warning that the "enormous dosages of monetary medicine" being used to rescue the U.S. economy will eventually produce a dangerous "side effect." He worries there won't be enough lenders ready and able to absorb the nation's growing debt relative to its economic output over the years, forcing Washington's "printing presses" to work overtime churning out paper money. All those "greenback emissions" will, he fears, feed potentially "banana-republic" style rates of inflation...

We can see signs of inflation already if we know where to look. Economic demand, reflected in prices, for real commodities like important industrial metals, oil, and food has been steadily rising since early 2009. We can see this bumpy but steady average commodity price inflation by looking at this chart of Bloomberg's commodities indexes. This steady increase can easily encourage other commodity speculation. Consider what the price of gold is doing right now, as a relatively inflation-proof asset that historically preserves wealth well during troubled times.

Currently, among average consumers, we see an interesting economic split. There is a discretionary spending sector in a state of relative deflation and decline as compared to spending on basic needs. Satisfying basic needs takes real stuff like food and energy. In other words, we now have sort of a dual economy in which the unnecessary spending is shrinking. The "real stuff" sector tied to things people really need is seeing price inflation, while the other discretionary spending sector is severely depressed and seeing price deflation.

However, we have a CPI (inflation) index that averages the real basic needs together with the arbitrary and artificial consumerist needs. These two consumer spending categories can sometimes cancel out and appear to indicate zero inflation. Thus we get "apples and oranges" economic nonsense that is blind to the underlying structure and causes of inflation. No inflation index that arbitrarily excludes food and energy, like our CPI does, can be very realistic. (It would be better to have an index based on ONLY these two items, because when the economy is in real trouble, these spending categories will tend to prevail).

Referring back to the troubling choice that Tom Whipple outlined above, the choice between global deflation and a start at recovery with another debilitating oil price spike, the fact is that nobody can accurately predict the economic outcome very well, and this is now leading to an ongoing debate between the deflationists and inflationists. But as we have seen, it is possible to have deflation in one important sector of the economy and simultaneous inflation in another, due to quite different factors.

"Stagflation" was the term they used for this nearly impossible-for-economists-to-remedy situation during the energy crisis of the 1970s. As the price of a limited supply of oil was bid up, it pushed up the price of everything economically tied to oil, meaning nearly all commodities, which is termed cost-push inflation.

It is likely that with the U.S. and other countries trying to restimulate their economies through deficit spending, they will succeed at some point. In a situation where they are trying to use monetary expansion to stimulate otherwise unresponsive economies, there is a real but unpredictable risk of economic disaster through hyperinflation, as Buffet observes.

There is now a lot of fresh new money sitting idle on the sidelines. Banks are managing to appear more sound by borrowing at near zero interest and then using the cash to buy interest-bearing U.S. treasury bonds; what a racket! When there is a lot of idle money around, they start looking for profitable investments. Where there is a lot of money but a deficiency of important commodities that everyone needs or wants, you get self-perpetuating speculative bubbles. Given the apparent tendency of the U.S. political system to take the easy way out, as indicated by the federal government's inability to reinstate basic banking reform, the odds look good that we will see the continuation of inflation in the commodity sector.

When you have rising commodity prices, the markets soon notice. Soon rising prices stimulate the public willingness to buy and invest. This means the "velocity of circulation of money" increases. As soon as the public starts spending more freely, it becomes apparent how easy it is for the creation of printed money to exceed the availability of real goods.

This increased willingness for average consumers to spend in the face of rising prices has a self-perpetuating effect; money chasing goods leads to hyperinflation, finally, in general, ending in a collapse of some sort. Since this is based on something as unpredictable as consumer and investor psychology on a global scale, it is almost impossible to time or predict.

My own forecast is for continuing dollar devaluation, worsening stagflation, and finally an oil price spike that ushers in a permanently downsized economy. I would like to predict better, but the facts are stubborn.

In a sense, these details are academic. The facts by themselves seem to argue that before long we will have to accept a continuing downsizing of our average U.S. lifestyle and economic footprint. The sooner we face these jarring economic transitions, and assuming we remember our sense of humanity, the transition to a sustainable future will be all the easier and more tolerable.

[Roger Baker is a long time transportation-oriented environmental activist, an amateur energy-oriented economist, an amateur scientist and science writer, and a founding member of and an advisor to the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA. He is active in the Green Party and the ACLU, and is a director of the Save Our Springs Association and the Save Barton Creek Association. Mostly he enjoys being an irreverent policy wonk and writing irreverent wonkish articles for The Rag Blog.]

Pelbagai inisiatif kembangkan teknologi hijau

2009-11-26T17:06:00.000+08:00

Date : 26/11/09

Source : Utusan Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 25 Nov. - Kerajaan mengambil pelbagai inisiatif memacu perkembangan teknologi hijau termasuk menubuhkan Majlis Penasihat Teknologi Hijau Kebangsaan yang dipengerusikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata, kerajaan juga akan menumpukan kepada usaha membangkitkan kesedaran peluang perniagaan dalam bidang teknologi itu.

Di samping itu, kata beliau, kerajaan turut menimbangkan pemberian insentif kepada syarikat-syarikat yang menggunakan teknologi hijau.

"Inisiatif permulaan untuk projek teknologi hijau telah diumumkan dalam Bajet 2010 yang dibentangkan baru-baru ini.

"Kerajaan juga akan menubuhkan dana berjumlah RM1.5 bilion untuk menyediakan pinjaman mudah kepada syarikat yang membekal dan memanfaatkan teknologi hijau," katanya.

Beliau berucap pada majlis Anugerah Bunga Raya Perdana Menteri di sini malam ini.

Turut hadir Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar, Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengelola anugerah berkenaan, Datuk Kok Wee Keat.

Anugerah Bunga Raya Perdana Menteri mengiktiraf pencapaian syarikat yang beroperasi di negara ini dalam bidang alam sekitar.

Sementara itu, Muhyiddin menegaskan, kerajaan amat komited untuk mengurangkan dan mengimbangi pelepasan karbon untuk bagi menangani pemanasan global.

Malah, katanya, Malaysia diiktiraf sebagai negara paling aktif di Asia Tenggara dalam usaha mengurangkan pelepasan gas rumah hijau melalui keanggotaannya dalam Mekanisme Pembangunan Bersih (CDM).

"Kerajaan telah mewujudkan Jawatankuasa Kabinet Mengenai Perubahan Iklim dipengerusikan sendiri Perdana Menteri dan polisi mengenai perubahan cuaca juga telah dirumus.

"Selaku negara yang menandatangani Protokol Kyoto, kita harap sidang kemuncak di Copenhagen, Denmark pada Disember ini mampu menggambarkan komitmen global menyelesaikan masalah perubahan iklim," katanya.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Muhyiddin berkata, kerajaan menyasarkan 25 peratus kadar kitar semula barang buangan pada 2010.

Katanya, pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) berperanan penting memastikan persekitaran bersih dan mesra alam bagi membolehkan rakyat bekerja dan menjalani kehidupan dalam suasana yang kondusif.

Melt-away plastics

2009-07-03T22:20:00.003+08:00

Date : June 2 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Melt-away plastics

By WONG LI ZA

Here’s something to look forward to – plastic bags that dissolve in water. IF YOU have been feeling guilty using all those plastic bags for your groceries, a green solution is at hand. A team of seven researchers from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) has invented an award-winning material called Greenphylic Water-Soluble Degradable Plastic, a polymer similar to plastic that dilutes in water.

Led by electrical and electronic engineering lecturer Prof Dr Ramiah Jegatheesan, the team comprised Hossam Mahmoud Gamal Eldin, Mohammad Faizal Che Daud, Nor Hidayah Usop, Noordiana Khalil, Mohd Anuar Sulaiman and Ahmad Ridhwan Hassan.

The project was awarded the Gold Medal at the 19th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition last May. It also received three special awards – Best Invention for Universities/Research Institutes, World Intellectual Property Organisation Best Invention Award and KASS International (a Malaysian intellectual property firm) Best Invention Award.
In November, the project garnered international glory by winning the Gold Medal at the Belgian and International Trade Fair for Technological Innovation in Brussels.

The project was exhibited under the name Eco Plast, short for “eco-friendly plastic-like material”. Winning the latest award has heightened the material’s potential for commercialisation, according to Ramiah, 68.

Plastic bags are harmful as they take a long time to degrade. And once broken into molecular materials, they can contaminate the soil and water tables. Ramiah said when burnt, plastics produce hazardous gases which can cause serious health problems. In addition, discarded plastics can clog water and sewerage pipes.

“Bearing these in mind, usage of plastic bags is banned in several countries,” he said. Eco Plast consists of a synthetic polymer material made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, polyvinyl alcohol is a colourless, water-soluble, flammable resin belonging to the family of organic polymers. It is derived from a vinyl polymer.

The resin is used in sizing agents that confer resistance to oils and greases upon paper and textiles, to make films resistant to attack by solvents or oxygen, as a component of adhesives and emulsifiers, and as a starting material for the preparation of other resins.

“Polyvinyl alcohol is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which has excellent film forming, emulsifying and adhesive properties. It is odourless and non-toxic, has high tensile strength and flexibility as well as high oxygen and aroma barrier. However, these properties are dependent on humidity. With higher humidity, more water is absorbed. The water, which acts as a plasticiser, will then reduce its tensile strength, but increase its elongation and tear strength,” explained Ramiah.

Eco Plast can dissolve in water at normal room temperatures of between 25°C and 35°C. If the water is heated, the dissolving time reduces considerably.

In normal thickness, Eco Plast dissolves in water in 60 minutes when the water temperature is around 25°C. It will dissolve in 15 minutes if the water temperature is 40°C. If the water temperature is increased to 50°C, the dissolving time will be around five minutes.

According to Ramiah, water that is used to dissolve Eco Plast will not contain any toxic eleme

nts and thus no harmful effect to living beings or the environment will occur. This water can be disposed of via the kitchen sink as normal waste water.

He added that Eco Plast can be used to manufacture carrier bags that are useful for grocery items, to pack medical pills, produce gloves and for packaging of other substances.

At present, Eco Plast is two to three times costlier to produce compared to plastic.

“Once it is commercialised and manufactured on a large scale, the cost will reduce substantially. Furthermore, (it must be highlighted that) no cost is involved in disposing of this material. We have filed for patent and are currently in the process of commercialising the product,” he said.

Loss of world's seagrass beds accelerating - study

2009-07-03T21:12:00.001+08:00

By : Jim Loney

MIAMI (Reuters) - The world's seagrass meadows, a critical habitat for marine life and profit-maker for the fishing industry, are in decline due to coastal development and the losses are accelerating, according to a new study.Billed as the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass losses, the study found 58 percent of seagrass meadows are declining and the rate of annual loss has accelerated from about 1 percent per year before 1940 to 7 percent per year since 1990.

Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study, based on more than 200 surveys and 1,800 observations dating back to 1879, found that seagrasses are disappearing at rates similar to coral reefs and tropical rainforests. "Seagrasses are disappearing because they live in the same kind of environments that attract people," James Fourqurean, a professor at Florida International University and a co-author of the study, said in an e-mailed response to questions.

"They live in shallow areas protected from large storm waves, and they are especially prevalent in bays and around river mouths."Scientists say seagrass processes waste dumped into the sea, helps stabilize ocean-bottom sediments in coastal areas to reduce erosion, provide nurseries for fish and shellfish and feeding grounds for larger marine creatures, including those that live in coral reefs.

But the grasses can be damaged by polluted water from coastal development, decreasing water clarity, and by dredging and filling of meadows. The scientists also said global climate change "is predicted to have deleterious effects on seagrasses." Many scientists believe greenhouse gases are causing the world to warm, leading to a host of environmental effects including warming and rising oceans.

'ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT'

Seagrass meadows are important food fisheries and host gamefish like tarpon, permit and bonefish. A recent study estimated the annual economic value of seagrass at $3,500 per hectare (2.5 acres), Fourqurean said. "Seagrass beds are at least as economically and ecologically important as tropical forests or coral reefs," he said.

The study, by a team of scientists from the United States, Australia and Spain, found that 29 percent of known seagrass meadows have disappeared since 1879. Over the entire 130-year period, seagrass was lost at a rate of 1.5 percent per year. An estimated 19,690 square miles (51,000 square km) of seagrass has been lost since 1879 of a total estimated area of 68,350 square miles (177,000 square km), the researchers said.

"Globally, we lose a seagrass meadow the size of a soccer field every thirty minutes," said co-author William Dennison of the University of Maryland. The scientists said 45 percent of the world's population lives on 5 percent of its land adjacent to the coast.

In the early 20th century, heavy seagrass losses were noted in North America and Europe, where the industrial revolution led to rapid coastal development. Today, population growth in the regions bordering the Pacific and Indian Oceans are likely leading to the heaviest losses of seagrass, but those regions lack the scientific infrastructure to assess the loss, Fourqurean said.

He said mitigation efforts have had some success in saving and restoring seagrass. For example, in Florida, where treated sewage water is often dumped in the ocean, water managers in Tampa changed their method of treating wastewater and failing seagrasses rebounded.

Jorak sanitary landfill will be environs-friendly

2009-07-03T21:10:00.001+08:00

JOHOR BARU: The proposed sanitary landfill in Jorak, Muar, will be equipped with environment-friendly modern technology, said Local Government, Housing, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil. It would utilise the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) technology which segregates the solid waste into three major components, namely items which can be recycled, organic matter and waste, he told the State Assembly.
He said 8% of the rubbish collected would be recyclable waste including plastic, paper and glass while 64% would be organic waste which could be used as fertiliser.

Ahmad Zahri said the remaining 28% would be rejected materials to be deposited in the landfill.
The lifespan of the landfill could be prolonged with the use of the MRF technology which could also reduce leachate and prevent the production of methane gas. He was responding to a question by Dr Shahruddin Salleh (BN – Jorak) who was concerned about the environmental issues.

Kaitan sampah dengan cara hidup

2009-07-03T20:43:00.000+08:00

HIDUP dikelilingi oleh sampah memang tidak menyenangkan. Tetapi hakikatnya, hidup kita sering 'diwarnai' oleh beraneka jenis sampah-sarap. Manusia membuang sampah tidak kira tempat. Natijahnya, sampah ada di mana-mana. Ia disebabkan oleh sikap sesetengah daripada kita yang gemar membuang sampah di merata-rata tempat. Munculnya sampah dalam kehidupan disebabkan adanya aktiviti atau tindakan manusia itu sendiri.

Penulis ingin mendefinisikan sampah sebagai simbol masyarakat. Sebagai simbol, ia memiliki nilai makna yang luas, baik daripada segi kebendaan mahupun sosial. n Pertama, sampah sebagai tahap kepenggunaan seseorang. Jumlah sampah boleh dirujuk sebagai petunjuk mengenai banyaknya penggunaan seseorang. Begitu juga dengan jenis sampah. Jenis sampah memberi gambaran mengenai budaya dan pola kitaran hidup seseorang itu.

Jenis sampah di kawasan perumahan pastinya berbeza dengan sampah di kawasan industri. Begitu juga jenis sampah yang dibuang dari rumah bujang, ia berbeza daripada sampah yang dihasilkan dari rumah yang didiami oleh keluarga.dan Kedua, sampah sebagai simbol gaya hidup individu atau masyarakat.

Ini lebih berkaitan dengan kesihatan, iaitu sama ada gaya hidup sihat atau sebaliknya. Rata-rata sampah dikaitkan dengan kekotoran. Sampah itu kotor, sampah boleh mendatangkan penyakit, sampah busuk, sampah menyakitkan mata dan seribu satu macam keburukan sampah.Corak pemikiran itu akan menegaskan bahawa sampah adalah simbol kepada gaya hidup, sama ada boleh digelar seorang pengotor atau pembersih berdasarkan gaya menguruskan sampah di sekitarnya.

Di Malaysia, urusan tadbir sampah masih tidak memuaskan. Ia masih dilihat sebagai tanggungjawab kumpulan tertentu dan bukan tanggungjawab bersama seluruh ahli masyarakat berbanding sikap penduduk di negara maju.Memang benar, ada yang kerjanya mengutip dan membersihkan sampah tetapi mereka tidak bertugas di semua kawasan. Mereka tidak dibayar untuk mengutip sampah sehingga ke dalam rumah atau halaman rumah kita. Urusan selebihnya sebenarnya terletak di bahu kita semua. Sekiranya kesedaran mengenai kebersihan tinggi, maka bersihlah persekitaran kita. Namun tahap kesedaran yang tinggi masih belum wujud dalam gaya hidup masyarakat Malaysia ini. dan Ketiga, keberkesanan menguruskan sampah-sarap.

Di Malaysia, purata setiap penduduk bandar menyumbang sekurang-kurangnya 1.5 kilogram sampah sehari berbanding 0.8 kilogram bagi penduduk luar bandar.
Berdasarkan statistik itu, jumlah sampah di bandar-bandar utama di negara ini ialah sekitar 18,000 tan metrik! Ia terus meningkat saban tahun. Mungkin tidak keterlaluan jika kita mengambil iktibar daripada peristiwa runtuhan sampah di kawasan setinggan Leuwigajah di Bandung, Indonesia pada 21 Februari 2005.

Runtuhan sampah dari tempat pembuangan sampah di kawasan itu yang menimbus kawasan setinggan tersebut telah mengorbankan lebih 100 nyawa. Ia merupakan satu tragedi. Mungkin kejadian itu boleh memberi pengajaran kepada kita bahawa pengurusan sampah bukanlah satu perkara yang boleh dipandang dengan sebelah mata. Tanpa pengurusan yang baik dan tersusun maka nyawa menjadi taruhannya.

Sementara itu, lihat sahaja kepada masalah denggi di negara ini. Sampah merupakan penyebab utama pembiakan nyamuk aedes, punca demam denggi tersebut. Aedes membiak di dalam air bertakung dan biasanya di kawasan yang banyak sampah-sarap.dan Keempat, sampah sebagai cabaran keilmuan dan peluang kewangan kepada golongan yang kreatif.

Sejak kebelakangan ini, sampah telah bertukar sebagai sumber rezeki kepada golongan yang tahu memanfaatkannya. Teknologi terkini mampu menukar sampah dan najis kepada baja untuk pertanian dan penghasilan gas untuk penjanaan kuasa. Dengan kata lain, sedikit daya pemikiran kreatif yang dibantu oleh teknologi telah memindahkan status sampah kepada bahan berfaedah untuk manusia.

Kini sudah ada pula teknologi untuk mengitar semula sampah untuk dijadikan pelbagai bahan bermutu yang dapat diguna semula. Perkembangan sebegini memperlihatkan kepada kita bahawa masyarakat yang berilmu dan produktif akan menganggap sampah sebagai satu cabaran dan peluang. Bahkan kepada yang kreatif berupaya pula menjadikan sampah itu sebagai sumber ekonomi. Ini bermakna apabila sampah ditakrifkan sebagai takdir terakhir untuk satu perjalanan penggunaan kebendaan, maka perkembangan intelektual keilmuan kita akan menjadi beku dan jumud.

n Kelima, bagaimana untuk "mengupayakan" sampah menjadi sesuatu yang positif dan bukannya satu konflik. Kita tidak mahu sebagai satu simbol masyarakat, sampah dilihat sebagai penunjuk gaya kepenggunaan yang keterlaluan selain memaparkan imej pengotor ahli masyarakat kerana ia adalah sesuatu yang tidak sihat.

Oleh itu, kita perlu berhemah dalam berbelanja dan memastikan tahap kepenggunaan kita tidak keterlaluan. Dalam hal ini, sampah juga perlu diuruskan secara berhemah. Jadikan kebersihan sebagai satu daripada keutamaan hidup kita.

Namun kesimpulan mudah terhadap gaya hidup masyarakat kita ialah kita baru sampai kepada tahap teknologi "buang" dan belum berupaya sepenuhnya untuk sampai ke tahap teknologi "mengupayakan" sampah sebagai bahan kitar semula dan menjadi komoditi. Konflik berpanjangan antara "ya" ataupun "tidak" di kalangan ahli masyarakat terhadap teknologi pelupusan sampah adalah antara beberapa episod yang menggambarkan tahap pencapaian teknologi "buang" yang dimaksudkan. Masyarakat kita belum sampai ke peringkat "urus tadbir" sampah secara sewajarnya.

Namun ia bukan sesuatu yang mustahil kerana jika ada kesedaran, kita semua mampu melakukannya. Kewajarannya terletak kepada kesedaran dan kerjasama menyeluruh daripada semua lapisan masyarakat. Kita boleh menangani masalah sampah ini sekiranya kita mahu. Jangan hanya mengharapkan orang lain, kesedaran dan tindakan perlu bermula daripada kita sendiri. Kita mesti bijak menguruskan sampah.

PENULIS ialah Felo, Pusat Sains dan Teknologi,Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM)

Business and water – should we be concerned?

2009-07-02T21:05:00.001+08:00

By TAY KAY LUAN

MALAYSIANS who take water for granted are reminded once again during this current hot and dry season of the need to conserve and not to take this precious resource for granted. Water as a resource has been one of the main drivers behind the rapid industry development and good standard of living. Water consumption is expected to double every two decades but rising affluence and wealth accumulation mean that people are now using on average six times more water than a century ago.

The most popular approaches to water issues include measures for greater efficiency, recycling and reuse, and employee education. – Reuters

Water sustainability is anything but clear. In a rapidly changing world, there are now challenges of conserving what we have and overcoming the problems of water too contaminated to consume. Although the planet’s surface is covered with water, less than 1.5% is freshwater which is safe for human consumption.

The Stockholm International Water Institute predicted by 2075, the number of people with chronic water shortages is estimated to be between 3 billion and 7 billion. The United Nations sees this as “one of the largest public health issues of our time.”
Business risks

Virtually every industrial activity requires water. The likes of manufacturing, power generation, food processing, agriculture, paper and drinks sectors are particularly water intensive. That’s why water issues are of serious concerns to business. One immediate action is to determine the material water impacts and how they can be better managed. One of the tools, Global Water Tool, released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, is to help companies map out the use the water for their businesses – also to assess risks relative to their supply chains.

A recent ACCA discussion paper on Water: The Next Carbon highlighted that companies, as major users of water, could play a key role in promoting better water management. Several business risks related to water were also highlighted in the paper. First there is the physical risk arising through flooding, pollution, and droughts in regions where business operates. All businesses would be affected by the increased operating costs resulting from diminishing water supplies.

Companies would also see their capital expenditure rise as they are forced to find expensive new ways of treating and extracting water. Such financial risks are not healthy to the competitiveness of the industry. There is also the regulatory risk – where licensing or privatisation of water can possibly affect the quality of water resources, and costs being passed on to consumers.

The probability of reputation damage presents reputation risk for the company. As access to water decreases, people will be looking for “scagegoats” – as evidenced whenever the supply of water resource is temporarily halted. Companies which manage the operations and supply chains of the water resources will put their reputation at risks whenever, frequency of consumer complaints of poor delivery and services increases.

In the food and drink companies for example, wherever there is a limit on water supply, the immediate impact on prices is quite imminent. Business responses Agriculture, drinks and food processing are most vulnerable to water shortages. The threat of water scarcity makes the credit crunch relatively lightweight! Once companies have a hold on their overall water use, the next phase is obviously to reduce it. The most popular approaches include measures for greater efficiency, recycling and reuse, and employee education.

SABMiller, the global brewery company, has identified water as one of its three “opportunities”’ for global leadership. Its “5R” model of water responsibility includes changing attitudes and behaviours towards reducing water consumption across its business operations; reusing waste waters within facilities; recycling using new technologies within the plant; redistributing clean water to the community it operates; and influencing farmers to be more responsible on water use.

Swiss food giant Nestle has a more comprehensive policy towards water consumption. As part of its environment strategy the company is committed to continue reducing the amount of water used per kilogramme of food and drink produced, assuring its activities within its supply chain, respect water resources – both conserving and recycling. Even Intel reclaims more than 3 billion gallons of water a year by collecting and recycling wastewater, solid waste and chemical waste.
Water consumption is high in IT manufacturing plants – clean water is a must for production. Indeed water availability is the lifeblood to business – and therefore critical. Water strategy as part of sustainable solutions is to apply water conservation and demand management measures.
This involves better management of water productivity and quality including working towards a zero effluent discharge.

There is also a need to engage with government and other stakeholders on public policy of water – the extent to how water use should be regulated, monitored and managed. It is important to recognise that water footprint once exceeds its capacity – it would be an almost impossible task to reverse. As big consumers, businesses must share this responsibility more seriously as fundamentally it is a resource we can’t do without.

·The writer is ACCA director, Asean & Australasia. The full report ‘Water, the next carbon?’ is available at: http://www.accaglobal.com/documents/WaterFootprinting.pdf

Problems with waste disposal disposal, sewage treatment

2009-07-01T21:33:00.000+08:00

I REFER to the letter “Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash” (The Star, June 15). For the last few months, Reef Check Malaysia has been working with the resorts and dive operators in the Perhentian islands to find ways to address some of the problems they face, with a view to protecting the local marine environment.

We have held extensive discussions with resorts and dive operators, as well as the local community, and we have identified a number of common concerns among businesses operating on the islands which include:

Waste disposal: The current system is inadequate and it results in a lot of waste ending up in the water. The rafts shown in the photo are most definitely not for tourists.They are the collection stations from which the state-appointed contractor is supposed to collect the waste.
The system is clearly not working as collection is not regular enough and waste builds up, often falling into the sea.

Sewage treatment: Individual operators have their own sewage treatment systems, which are mainly simple systems that might be releasing some pollution into the water. Individual operators do not have the resources to be able to finance their own comprehensive treatment systems. We feel that continuing development of tourism facilities such as jetties are of questionable benefit.

Many operators we have spoken to told us that they had repeatedly tried to raise these issues with the local authorities for a long time. It was not right, therefore, to put the blame squarely on the operators there. Our consultations have shown that the local authorities are partly to be blamed.

One of the steps being taken is to form an association of operators on the Perhentian Islands.
This association, which is being registered with the Registrar of Societies, will represent the business operators on the islands collectively and will address the various problems they are facing.

We would like to invite representatives of the state government to meet representatives of the association to discuss these problems, with a view to finding mutually acceptable solutions.

JULIAN HYDE, General manager, Reef Check Malaysia Bhd.

Target to make hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation

2009-07-01T21:15:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry is considering the possibility of increasing the share of hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation by 2030.

Gas and coal currently collectively account for about 90% of the fuel mix in Peninsular Malaysia for power generation while hydropower contributes 8%. “Steps are being taken to tap the vast hydro potential from Sarawak for export to Peninsular Malaysia, especially for the period after 2015,” said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin said in his keynote address at the launch of the ABB Executive Forum yesterday.

His speech was read by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (energy) Loo Took Gee. Themed Challenges and Opportunities of the New Economic Realities and the Energy Sector, the forum was organised by ABB Malaysia to provide industry professional with a deeper understanding of the changing economic landscape, its impact on the Malaysian economy and opportunities for turning challenges into sustained long-term growth.

Chin said the transfer of electricity from the Bakun hydroelectric project in Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia represented the first major step taken to increase the share of green energy in the fuel mix.

From left: ABB regional manager for South Asia and country manager of ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd Sim Boon Kiat and Energy, Green Technology and Water ministry deputy secretary-general (energy) Loo Took Gee launching the ABB Executive Forum on 'Challenges and Opportunities of the New Economic Realities and the Energy Sector' on Tuesday.

On the Renewable Energy Action Plan, he said the ministry was in the midst of finalising the plan, which would feature the introduction of the feed-in-tariff (FIT) to spur demand for electricity from renewable energy.

Renewable energy includes biomass, biogas, solar, mini-hydro and municipal waste. The plan would spell out the way forward to increase the share of renewable energy in the fuel mix of the country. Loo told a press conference the ministry was currently getting the Cabinet’s clearance on this action plan.

A FIT is a premium rate paid for electricity fed into the national grid from a designated renewable electricity generation source, like a rooftop solar photovoltaic system.

Green way of life up in Genting Resorts

2009-06-30T21:41:00.000+08:00

By LAI PEI YEE

LEADING a green lifestyle is not an alien concept for Genting as it has always been the priority of its founder, the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong. After his demise, his legacy continues to live on as the company begins to heighten its involvement with activities that help preserve the environment.

The heartfelt message was conveyed by Resorts World Bhd executive vice-president, Kevin Sim during the official launch of the Genting Goes Green project and logo recently.

Natural Resources and Environ-ment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas was guest of honour at the event. He was accompanied by the Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibrahim.

In his speech, Embas applauded RWB for its environment-friendly efforts and for obtaining ISO 140001 & OHSAS 18001 certification from SIRIM. The fundamental programmes of the project are based on its Environment, Health and Safety Policy which involves the optimisation of resources, recycling and reduction of waste, besides employing the best ways to lessen risks and ill health, while encouraging human resource development in training.

The resort has carried out a number of projects and programmes that are environmental-friendly, including the proper consumption of water, electricity and disposal of waste.

According to Sim, the resort has so far managed to cut a total of five per cent of its monthly water consumption after setting up a flow restrictor to some of the water supply taps and bidets.
Other steps taken are reducing the volume of water in the cistern tanks and monitoring the condition of pipes.

The resort has also employed schemes that will reduce electricity usage such as revising the use of energy during non-peak periods and by installing variable speed drives to reduce energy consumed by motors.

Young rescuers

2009-06-30T21:35:00.000+08:00

By IAN YEE

Students across the country have been rising up to the challenge of saving the environment, but thanks to help from the corporate sector, some of them will get even more encouragement to keep up their good work.

Last week, two university students were not only rewarded for their outstanding efforts in environmental conservation, but also given the opportunity to further develop their knowledge on how to save the environment.

Felicity Kuek from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Titus Loh from Universiti Malaya, winners of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE), will be sent to Germany for a week-long study tour where they will be exposed to all the environment-saving practices and technologies put in place there.

Young environmentalists Felicity Kuek and Titus Loh

The two were among 10 students, aged between 18 and 24, who were selected by Bayer as ''environmental envoys'' for the promise they showed in their efforts to conserve the environment. After a five-day environmental camp in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, they were each required to present a proposal of a project they were hoping to undertake.

Their projects included efforts involving waste management, protection of seahorses and coastal clean-ups, but Felicity's work and proposal for the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) and Titus' efforts in promoting recycling in his faculty that were deemed the most promising by judges.

''I first took an interest on a project called Terrapin Independence Day. It was at Kuala Terengganu, and they were releasing terrapins that they felt were mature enough to survive on their own. "I saw the children there, and they were so excited and inspired by it. That really encouraged me to come up with my own project," said Felicity, a marine biology student.

Her plan is to add to a regular programme by SEATRU, a five-day educational holiday where tourists get to experience and help out with turtle conservation work, by bringing local schoolchildren along for a day.

"Terengganu has a problem — locals are still buying and consuming turtle eggs. I've found that there's no point in telling the older people to stop. They're already set in their ways. "So the only thing to do is educate the young people. We'll bring schoolchildren from around the area to join the programme for a day so they can see the work people are doing there and interact with the conservationists. That way the next generation will stop the practice, and hopefully even advise their parents against it," she added.

Titus's winning proposal was also something he had already been working on. His simple idea of a "Recyclables Collection Drive", in which students themselves actively set up collection bins at their hostels to make it more convenient for others to get in the habit of recycling, is both effective and highly feasible.

"We want our own students to be running this. Our slogan is 'For the students, by the students'. We've already been running the programme in our faculty for an academic year now, but my proposal was an extension of this. We want to make it a university-wide programme," he explained.

Like many other students out there, Titus admitted that he wasn't initially concerned about the environment and had to be "forced" to participate in the project because of his lecturer. "It was actually part of our school assignment, and the lecturer made it 10% of our final marks, so I was 'forced' to do it.

Felicity hopes to stop the consumption of turtle eggs to protect the endangered species. "We had a tough time doing it at first. We got a lot of rejection, and a lot of students who just couldn't be bothered. But it's working out now," he said.

In a way, Titus is an example to all young people that you don't have to be a passionate environmentalist in order to play a part in saving the planet. What many people don't realise is that some simple lifestyle changes, or even the mere realisation that the environment is in dire need of help, could be enough to make a difference.

"I don't envision myself to be a full-time activist. But environmental issues will now always be close to my heart. Whatever I do in the future, I will definitely contribute whenever I can," he added. Felicity, who hopes to help research and preserve marine mammal species full-time when she completes her studies, believes that this simple change in mindset is what Malaysians need the most if we were to start saving our environment.

When asked what she felt was the main problem with Malaysians when it comes to conservation, she said: ''Malaysians are too tidak apa. For us, ignorance is bliss. Like shark's fin soup — you can't get the older generation to stop having shark's fin soup. It's already part of their culture, it's a status symbol for them. "That's why it all has to start with the children. We have to educate them now, because they will be more willing to change."

Once they get back from Germany, Felicity and Titus will get straight to work on their proposals, having been given a November deadline by BYEE organisers.

"My main goal is to jump-start the programme, so that I can pass it on to my juniors when I leave (the university)," said Titus.

Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

2009-06-24T21:46:00.000+08:00

Date : June 24, 2009
Source : The Star Online
Title : Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

I WRITE in response to the article “Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash” which was published in your newspaper on June 15.

I frequently visit the Perhentian islands and I have spoken to a few people on the island about this issue as it is one of the most unpleasant sights for tourists coming to the islands. Firstly, the floating rafts in the photo are not meant for tourists. They are built for the people of Perhentian to put their trash on before they are collected by the contractor and brought to the mainland.

This has been practised for a number of years now and this issue has been highlighted a few times over the past years as tourism on the islands gains popularity. As an avid diver and someone who loves the natural environment, it is a sore sight when one heads towards the Perhentian islands as one sees these rafts filled with trash along the main channel separating the two islands. Surely, this can’t be good for the tourism industry as it portrays a bad image for the country.

On the ecological side, these plastic bags of trash are often seen floating on the water near the rafts. The trash could be harmful to the marine life, not to mention the plastic bags which are often mistakenly eaten by turtles. The turtles like jellyfish (or other floaty stuff that looks like jellyfish in the water.

I believe both the Government and the operators have to work together to find solutions to this issue. If proper steps are not taken in the near future, the marine ecosystem, which is the only attraction to the tourists coming to these islands will be damaged. And it will hurt the tourism industry, causing significant loss of revenue to both the Government and the operators on the islands.

I believe that in order to reduce the damage, simple steps such as the 3R’s concept of reduce, reuse and recycle can be taken. Reduction in the consumption of plastic bottles, cans and even food waste can reduce significantly the amount of trash produced. Reusing kitchen waste as fertiliser through composting as well as recycling tins and plastic bottles can also help the cause.
I believe it is also the responsibility of tourists who come in to the islands to remember to bring out any trash that they have brought in, bought on or produced on the islands. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to carry four plastic bottles you have used out to Besut and throw them in one of the recycling bins you can find there.

Let us work together to keep the marine resources on the islands for our young generation to experience in the future.

DANLEE,
Subang Jaya.

Folk urged to help preserve rivers

2009-06-22T21:52:00.000+08:00

Date : 22 June 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Folk urged to help preserve rivers

By EDWARD RAJENDRA

WATER Association of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (SWAn) president Tan Sri Rozali Ismail has called for a vigorous campaign for river preservation in the state. Rozali was speaking at the association’s third annual general meeting where he urged Selangorians to come forward and lend a hand in keeping rubbish out of the rivers and prevent water wastage in an initiative to conserve the precious gift of nature.

Calling for the people’s involvement in saving the rivers from pollution, he said the association had made some headway it educating the younger generation through school programmes. “We want to bring the message to the adults through the children. Children can influence their parents and our agenda is to get them to educate their parents,” he said.

Rozali said concerted efforts were needed to be taken by the authorities to make anti-pollution river campaigns effective, adding that people have to play their part in the conservation of the ecosystem in the state. He said there was no point in holding such campaigns unless people come forward and understand the importance of eco-friendly measures.

“We must not kill our rivers through the disposal of non-biodegradable waste products. But all this is possible only if people cooperate,” he said. Meanwhile, Energy, Green Technology and Water deputy secretary-general Datuk Nur Azmal Mohd Nazir, who read out the speech by Minister Noriah Kasnon, said engaging youths was another integral part of the water loop.

“Our youth are naturally passionate about the environment, particularly tertiary students. I am inspired that SWAn will hold activities with varsity students in their outreach programmes to achieve environmental sustainability,” he said.

Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

2009-06-22T21:49:00.000+08:00

Date : 22 June 2009
Source : The Star
Title : Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

INTEL Malaysia celebrated the World Environment Day 2009 by launching its Solid Waste Recycling Campaign 2009. Themed ‘From Land to Ocean: Our Commitment to the Environment’, the annual campaign will see 28 NGOs and participating schools in Penang and Kulim collecting recyclable waste throughout the campaign period which is the whole year.
The proceeds from their efforts will then be donated back to them.
Intel Malaysia managing director Atul Bhargava said the World Environment Day was an important platform for the company to reinforce its commitment towards sustainable environmental initiatives.
“One of the many commitments that we hold on to is to incorporate environmental performance goals throughout our operations.
“In 2008, we became the largest purchaser of green power in the United States according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. It estimated that Intel’s record purchase has the equivalent environmental impact of taking more than 185,000 cars off the road each year,” he said in his speech at the launch of the campaign at its Bayan Lepas plant on Thursday. He said this year marked the seventh consecutive year that the campaign was held.

“We have collected more than 200 tonnes of recyclable waste over the last two years,” he said.
“Apart from that, we have also driven many other unique initiatives to continuously increase the awareness and build a culture of conservation which, I am proud to say, have received strong support from the community. “Through our community-led Intel Mangrove Tree Planting programme, over 400 volunteers from Intel and various sections of the community have helped to plant 4,000 mangrove saplings last year to create a protective buffer zone for coastal areas,” he said.

The company’s other programmes include the Intel Malaysia Marine Conservation Programme where employees are encouraged to get together to save the turtles. During the launch of the campaign, science exhibition booths were put up by schools. Participants of last year’s campaign received RM13,000 and 52 recycled laptops.

Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash

2009-06-15T21:18:00.000+08:00

KUALA TERENGGANU: Pulau Perhentian Besar and Kecil, the havens for marine life, are under threat environmentally due to poorly planned tourism development, ineffective sewage treatment and solid waste disposal.

The state government is worried that this could lead to severe damage to coral reefs found in abundance surrounding both islands. State Commercial, Industry and Environment Committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw said the new chalets have compounded the problem as many of them did not have proper sewage and rubbish disposal systems.

“Some of these operators are taking the easy way out by diverting all types of wastes from their chalets direct into the sea,” he said in an interview yesterday. Toh said during the peak season, mounds of garbage bags could also be seen around the islands, believed to have been left by these operators.

“They are blaming us for not centralising the sewage system and garbage collection without realising that it is too costly for the state government to do that.

Just dumped: A photo showing bags of rubbish dumped onto floating rafts meant for tourists at Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu.

“We have commissioned a contractor to regularly collect the garbage from the islands to be disposed of on the mainland, but many of the operators are refusing to pay the maintenance fees and continued to indiscriminately throw their garbage into the sea,” he added. Toh said the state government would build a sewage treatment plant on the islands if the operators were willing to pay the monthly maintenance fees.

However, he doubted that they would do so as at present, they were also unwilling to share part of their revenues to be utilised for the pollution control efforts as advocated by the state government. “We are intensifying our environmental awareness programme, besides encouraging operators to improve their waste facilities.

“We will also rope in the relevant authorities to educate these operators on the importance of protecting the eco-system at these islands,” he added.

Kiehl’s on board to save environment

2009-06-15T20:55:00.005+08:00

Date : 150609

Source : New Straits Times

Title : Kiehl’s on board to save environment

David de Rothschild will also be testing two new formulations by Kiehl’s during the Plastiki Expedition. AMERICAN skincare brand Kiehl’s continues its commitment to save the environment as it supports “The Plastiki Expedition”, a bold adventure led by environmentalist and founder of Adventure Ecology David de Rothschild.

In a 60ft catamaran constructed of Post-Consumer plastic bottles, srPET (self reinforcing Polyethylene Terephthalate) and recycled waste, de Rothschild and his crew will embark on a three-month voyage in August across the Pacific Ocean, spanning 11,000 nautical miles from San Francisco to Sydney.Their mission? To beat waste, of course. If that’s not enough, the Plastiki crew is also bent on changing mindsets by encouraging the world to re-think waste as a resource.Kiehl’s worldwide general manager Patrick Kullenberg, in a Press statement, said: “We are honoured to support David and his crew on their mission to raise awareness about plastic waste in our oceans.”Sharing the spirit of discovery and adventure with the Plastiki team, Kiehl’s has turned to David and his crew to test two new formulations to ensure their endurance and efficacy in the harshest of weather conditions along the Pacific.“Kiehl’s has found inspiration in adventure, and you see its influence in many of our products like the Ultra Facial Cream, which was tested in a freezing conditions during a 2005 expedition to Greenland. We are eager to see David and his crew arrive safely in Sydney and to learn how the formulas held up in the demanding Pacific Ocean,” said Kullenberg.

Sabah&Sarawak: Henti guna beg plastik pulihara alam sekitar dikaji

2009-06-15T18:07:00.001+08:00

Date : 150609

Source : Berita Harian

Title : Sabah & Sarawak: Henti guna beg plastik pulihara alam sekitar dikaji

KOTA KINABALU: Kerajaan Sabah akan mengkaji implikasi ekonomi sebelum mengambil keputusan menghentikan penggunaan beg plastik bagi memulihara alam sekitar. Menteri Pelancongan, Kebudayaan dan Alam Sekitar negeri, Datuk Masidi Manjun, berkata walaupun penggunaannya tidak baik untuk alam sekitar kerana sukar dilupuskan, usaha menghentikan penggunaannya perlu dilakukan beransur-ansur. "Isu ini sensitif kerana membabitkan industri berjuta ringgit. Untuk menggantikan beg plastik dengan benda lain yang tidak mengancam alam sekitar memerlukan pengusaha industri pembuatan beg plastik menggantikan mesin sedia ada.

Pulau Pinang larang penggunaan pembungkus polisterin

2009-06-15T17:59:00.002+08:00

Date : 150609
Source : Berita Harian Online
Title : Pulau Pinang larang penggunaan pembungkus polisterin

GEORGETOWN: Kerajaan Pulau Pinang hari ini melarang penggunaan pembungkus makanan polisterin pada semua program rasminya bagi mengelakkan kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar dan menjadi tempat pembiakan nyamuk Aedes. Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kesihatan, Kebajikan, Masyarakat Penyayang dan Alam Sekitar Negeri, Phee Boon Poh, berkata penggunaan polisterin itu bukan sahaja memudaratkan kesihatan pengguna dan memberi kesan negatif kepada alam sekitar, malahan ia mudah dibawa angin ke merata tempat dan menjadi bekas yang menakung air hujan. "Demi kepentingan orang ramai, kerajaan negeri membuat keputusan melarang penggunaan polisterin itu dan berharap pertubuhan lain akan memberikan sokongan dan mempraktikkannya," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini, hari ini.

Deaths by Water - and Environmental Degradation

2008-12-06T20:07:00.000+08:00

Date : 281204
Source : Malaysia Today
Title : Deaths by Water - and Environmental Degradation

By J. Sri Raman
t r u t h o u t

Chennai, India - Selvaraj, 38, sturdy and ebony-dark, set out on the catamaran, the ancient Tamil raft of tied logs, a little past six in the morning. He did not return. Some eight hours later, rescuers found his body washed ashore, like the bodies of scores of other fishermen. Kannan, 14, went out a little later that Sunday morning to the Marina Beach, the pride of this South Indian city, its little piece of paradise. He carried his cricket bat, with a sticker of Sachin Tendulkar, the star of the game, on it. He, too, did not return home. His frail, little body was also found hours later on the once inviting sands.

Search was still on, though, for the bodies of the other members of his team and their opponents who were to play a weekend match on a field with a backdrop of waves.Krishnamurthy, 67, had driven there for a brisk morning walk along the long beach line, as had been his wont for a couple of years. They found his car, smashed and upturned.Survivors in the fishermen's hamlets close to the Marina count Selvaraj and others like him lucky indeed. Even the bodies of many, many other fishermen, who had gone into the sea for their morning catch, have not been found.

Officials put the number of missing fishermen at no less than 5,000.The best-known public hospital in this capital of the south Indian State of Tamilnadu, one of the worst-hit areas in the widespread Asian tragedy of December 26, has lined up scores of salt-smeared bodies for possible identification by their bereaved kin. Quite a few are still lying unclaimed - an indication that killer waves may have devoured whole families on the fringe of the city and survival.People, especially the poor, are prepared for the worst - but the worst they can imagine.

Down here, they were not prepared for this particular disaster, wrought by quake-generated waves (tsunamis, their Japanese name a household word here already) rising to a tidal height of 15 to 40 feet before crashing to kill. They were not prepared, and not only because they had fished only in a gentle sea and played or walked only on soft sands.True, the balmy Bay of Bengal had held no terrors for them before. There is a more basic reason, however, why the tremors and the resultant sea turbulence (claiming a toll of over 2,500 human lives) have taken Chennai and Tamilnadu totally unawares. The public here has been kept in the dark about a direct environmental threat that has been growing at a great pace over the past decade or so.What holds good for Tamilnadu does so as well for the rest of coastal India to reel from the impact of the calamity - the States of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal.

In the wake of the tragedy, Tamilnadu is witnessing a series of helicopter surveys of the misery in cities, towns and marooned villages by ministers. The opposition and the ruling party are raking up disaster-related issues to fight over. Funds for relief operations can also become an issue between the State and federal governments in the coming days. Official statements and steps reveal no recognition of the role of environmental degradation in the making of the disaster.

The calamity highlights, more than anything else, the callous neglect of environment protection along the entire coastal belt of India, including Tamilnadu. A handful of environmental activists have been crying themselves hoarse over the issue, but the powers-that-be have preferred to dismiss them as cranks. At the core of the issue lies a corporate-political mesh of corruption that seeks to thrive on human misery and lives.India, by law, has a coastal regulation zone (CRZ), where building activities are supposed to be strictly regulated.

In Tamilnadu and elsewhere, as old lawyers would put it, the rules and regulations have been observed more in breach than in observance. The rapacious rich, callous corporates, and a state flush with the 'free market' spirit have indulged in impermissible real-estate activities in the allegedly protected zone.A concrete chain of residential colonies, star hotels and entertainment spots has robbed the land of all coastal protection from the once friendly sea. It is mainly the poor who have paid - with their lives - for this crime against the coastline.

When the dead have been cremated or buried, it will be time to tell the people that environmentalism is not elitism, as self-serving seekers of political power have taught them. At stake in the protection of India's coastal environment are the lives of not merely Olive Ridly turtles but the millions to whom it is not a money-spinning means.

NASA spacecraft tracks global air pollution

2008-12-06T19:58:00.000+08:00

Date : 161204
Source : sun2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : NASA spacecraft tracks global air pollution

LOS ANGELES: A NASA spacecraft has begun the first-ever daily tracking of how air pollution moves across the globe, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said on Wednesday. The data from the Aura satellite's four instruments will offer scientists their best look yet at the interplay between pockets of pollution and weather patterns, principal scientist Reinhard Beer said.

Beer said there was no political agenda linked to the project, which comes as US President George W. Bush is under international pressure to rejoin efforts laid out in the Kyoto protocol to fight climate change by cutting greenhouse gases. Bush withdrew from the agreement in 2001.
"What people do with the information is not something we can get involved in," Beer said. The data will show how industrial pollutants move through Earth's troposphere, the region that begins at the ground and rises about 17 km.

The US$785 million (RM2.9 billion), five-year mission was expected to help scientists predict where pollution pockets accumulate and how they travel so that "chemical forecasts" can one one day be possible, Beer said. Launched on July 15, the bus-sized spacecraft makes a complete survey of Earth every 16 days, sending back infrared images of concentrations of five of six major pollutants identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

"We are also trying to work backward to pinpoint the source regions," Beer said. "The best we could hope to do is say (a region) is a major source of a certain type of pollution."
Updated: 02:53PM Thu, 16 Dec 2004

Leave the hills unspoilt for our children

2008-12-06T19:51:00.000+08:00

Date : 111204
Source : sun2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Leave the hills unspoilt for our children

IF anyone needs a reminder on the foolishness of disturbing hillslopes, perhaps no lesson is stronger or more bitter than the Highland Towers tragedy of 1993. The words of so many critics of our lax governance -- that lives would be lost before the authorities sit up -- unfortunately proved true when 48 people perished under the rubble of the ill-fated condominium. Although 11 years have passed since that dreadful December day, the horror lives on for the survivors and the nation at large.

To be sure, the law on hillslope development has been tightened soon enough. As if to cleanse the nation's psyche of the emotional scars of that disaster, the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 has been suitably amended to prohibit the cutting of hills that are more than 35¼ in gradient.
And all state legislatures have resolutely agreed to be bound by the new rules of development. But to the public's dismay, that message has not permeated to the authorities that monitor development projects nor to the builders whose optimism about their next profit centre is unshaken by previous disasters, no matter how many of those have occurred.

Consequently, the public has been shocked by further episodes of landslides and building collapses in such places as the Cameron Highlands and Ampang.Conservation-minded groups have kept a wary eye out for signs of excessive eagerness to develop highland areas, as their experience has shown that the mighty lure of the development dollar is far too strong for a majority of policymakers to resist.

Structural plans, forest reserves, catchment areas and development guidelines notwithstanding, many a fragile ecosystem has been sacrificed before to the development imperative.That is unfortunate news for our quality of life. As the effects of environmental degradation accumulate, the impacts are felt downstream in the form of poorer water quality, increased siltation, more frequent flash floods, slope failures, biodiversity loss and worse.

Despite their deep sensitivity to these idioms of sustainable development, however, those at the helm must feel compelled to prioritise whatever generates more trickle-down wealth for the people. Such thinking, however, is deeply flawed. An eco-tourism drive that promises to propel the GNP skywards will bring desolation to the community instead if it destroys the very environment that attracts revenue-generating visitors.

The trail of damage caused by bulldozing such projects through produces much material for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports that planners pore over. Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo, who has stopped some 30 projects that were approved without EIA reports, offers hope of a new-found respect for ecologically-sound development. But for each such restraining check, how many other unsustainable schemes steam ahead is anybody's guess. So new rules alone for the eco-friendly development of hillslopes will not be sufficient to stop the tide of environmental damage that is rolling on.

Policy makers need to embrace a new ethos that changes the value they place on the pristine acres of Nature that lie before their eyes from a revenue to a conservation basis.The control we show today will determine whether future generations will have a refreshing view of the horizon before them.

Penduduk Broga: Terima Kasih Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS)

2008-12-06T19:35:00.000+08:00

Date : 311004
Source : Malaysia Today
Title : Penduduk Broga: Terima Kasih Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS)

PUTRAJAYA: Sekurang-kurang 50 penduduk dari Broga, Semenyih, telah ke jabatan Alam Sekitar semalam untuk mengucapkan terima kasih kepada jabatan tersebut kerana menolak laporan penilaian kesan alam sekitar (EIA) untuk cadangan tapak pembuangan sampah di sana.Pengerusi pro tem untuk Kumpulan Penduduk Broga menentang Projek Incinerator, Zulkefly Mohamad Omar berkata mereka mahu berterima kasih kepada (JAS) atas “dedikasi dan kebolehpercayaan” mereka.

“Diatas dasar yang sama jika JAS menolak laporan EIA untuk tapak pembuangan sampah itu, maka jabatan itu patut juga menilai projek incinerator tersebut.“Ini adalah kerana, kawasan Broga adalah kawasan tadahan air yang sensitif dan sebarang cadangan tempat pembakaran sampah boleh memberi kesan kepada kualiti air untuk 1.5 juta orang di Selangor dan Negeri Sembilan.“Kawasan itu juga berbukit-bukau dan oleh itu, boleh mengakibatkan kesan bahaya seperti tanah runtuh di masa hadapan,” kata beliau, sambil menambah yang penduduk melahirkan rasa berterima kasih mereka kepada Ketua Pengarah JAS Rosnani Ibarahim dalam pertemuan selama dua jam di sini semalam.

Pada April tahun ini, penduduk-penduduk Broga mengemukakan lebih 1,000 tandatangan memprotes cadangan tapak pembuangan sampah, dengan berkata adalah salah untuk menjalankan projek sedemikian di kawasan tadahan air.Zulkefly berkata kumpulan tersebut akan membuat temujanji dengan Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting secepat mungkin unutk menyuarakan protes mereka terhadap projek incinerator di Broga.

Broga incinerator project stays

2008-12-06T19:32:00.000+08:00

Date : 301104
Source : 2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Broga incinerator project stays

KUALA LUMPUR: Offer letters to build a multi-billion ringgit incinerator in Broga, Selangor, which has a capacity to treat 1,500 tonnes of solid waste a day, have been issued to interested parties.

Housing and Local Government Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Lokman Hakim Mohamed Jasan said today the letters were issued on Oct 24 and the the parties have until year-end to decide whether to undertake the project."There are conditions laid down to contractors on whether they agree to implement the project based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and other related conditions," he told reporters.

Lokman said this when asked on the status of the controversial project following media reports that it would be reviewed after considering objections from local residents.
He said the project would be implemented next year if the developers agreed to the terms and conditions before the year-end.

"As of now, I can't say the project has been postponed as I have issued the offer letters, unless the contractors are unable to comply with the stipulated terms and conditions," he said.
However, he declined to name the developers who had been issued the offer letters.
DOE had conditionally approved the Detailed Environment Impact Assessment for the incinerator project on May 31.

It had set strict conditions for the project -- the main condition being a buffer zone of 1,500m radius around the project site, ruling out any buildings in the area.
The others are the plant's minimum chimney height to be set at 150m and the technology to be used should be "gastification (fluidised-bed type)" and "ash-melting" with air pollution control and energy recovery systems in place.

Written approvals from DOE were required before any construction work could begin.
The DOE also required sampling and analysis of gas emissions and particulate matter through the chimney (including for doxin and heavy metals) be done according to the scheduled frequency and adhere to agreed effluent limits. The other conditions imposed were the requirement for sewage, including waste water to be treated according to parameters set by the Environmental Quality Regulations (Waste water and Industrial Effluents) 1979 before it could be released into any land-based water body.

Samy Vellu calls for sustainable measures to protect environment

2008-12-06T19:26:00.000+08:00

Date : 291104
Source : Sun2Surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Samy Vellu calls for sustainable measures to protect environment

KUALA LUMPUR: Sustainable counter measures should be identified to halt the decline in environmental quality, said Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu today.There were many reports that the very nature of the environment was changing over the years and had reached an alarming level with continuous ozone depletion, habitat destruction, land degradation due to poor management and global warming.

Malaysia, like many developing countries, was facing the dilemma of how to balance development and the environment, he said when opening the 2nd Experts Meeting on Infrastructure Development in the Asia Pacific Region,in Langkawi. The text of his speech was released here.

The meeting is a forerunner to the Senior Officials Meeting and Ministers' Forum on Infrastructure Development in the Asia Pacific Region to be held here on Jan 24 and Jan 25 next year respectively. "Construction of infrastructure facilities, especially new roads and highways will directly or indirectly create an environmental impact," said Samy Vellu.
He said Malaysia had always given priority to environmental impact while making infrastructure development.

The Langkawi Declaration provided for government support for activities related to the conservation of virgin forest and protection of natural habitat, he said. Malaysia also had an Environment Quality Act 1974 to regulate environmental impact assessment on specific activities under the Environmental Quality Order 1987, he added. He said Malaysia was moving ahead with the practice of introducing Environmental Auditing under the ISO 14001 certification for organisations.

Give the facts on managing waste

2008-12-06T15:05:00.000+08:00

Date : 271004
Source : Sun2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Give the facts on managing waste

ONE of the main complaints of Malaysians is the lack of cleanliness in the towns and cities. Many attribute this to poor management of solid waste. Government leaders and waste disposal contractors rightly point to the lack of civic consciousness.

However, there are also many who want to play a positive role to make the urban areas cleaner. Many more could be persuaded to be better citizens and help in the proper disposal of waste if they were to be better informed. Unfortunately, the government has largely failed to inform Malaysians about solid waste and its disposal.

Take the proposed solid waste management Act that is to enable the federal government to play a leading role in solid waste management and complete the privatisation process that began in the mid-1990s. Little has been explained to the people.For instance, will the local authorities have a role in solid waste management after the Bill is passed? Who will be responsible for enforcing cleanliness rules and regulations? Indeed, whom should residents call if and when they have complaints: their local authorities or the proposed solid waste department in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government?

Can the local authorities have control over the concessionaires when they do not appoint them? How will the concessionaires be paid? Who will determine the costs? Will there be separate billings for collection and disposal of solid waste? Will the local authorities have problems paying the bills like some did in the past? Will the government continue to bail out the poorer local authorities?

Indeed, many Malaysians who are apathetic about solid waste once their garbage is collected will play a more positive role if they were to be made aware of the costs and the mounting problems of waste disposal, such as leachate pollution, over-used landfills and illegal dumpsites. Malaysians must be told that it costs between RM90 and RM150 per tonne to collect, transport and dispose the waste in landfills. With 17,000 to 18,000 tonnes of waste that Malaysians generate daily, the cost of disposal is enormous.

What has happened to the "strategic" solid waste management plan that Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting promised two years ago when he was officiating a recycling project at Kota Kemuning?

A secret plan is useless unless it is for war against enemies. A secret solid waste management plan only creates more waste. This might explain why Malaysia has achieved only a 3% recycling rate, according to official figures, after spending about RM40 million from 2001-03.

Ong and his senior officers did occasionally provide solid waste related data in press conferences. These are useful, but inadequate. Statistics and information, including nasty truths about solid waste management problems and reports of commissioned studies, should also be posted on the ministry's website to promote informed discussions.

Local researchers who are interested in solid waste management should be able to build on what is already known and not get bogged down collecting data that are already in the files in the ministry. Their time and funds should be spent on collecting new data and formulating innovative ideas.

Furthermore, the ministry has been calling on local authorities to adopt Local Agenda 21, a consultative instrument that is based on the principle that consultation promotes compliance and cooperation for sustainable development.

In solid waste management, compliance with the rules and cooperation by all stakeholders are paramount in ensuring success.Surely the ministry must practise what it preaches. But fruitful consultations are predicated on the availability of data and information. When the government treats solid waste information like national security secrets, the sense of urgency to seek improvement is lost. The reluctance to let the facts out could be nothing more than the lack of transparency in many government departments.

But it could lead to a perception of apathy on the part of the officers entrusted to improve solid waste management. Worse, it could lead to suspicion that the minister or his officials want to hide embarrassing, or even illegal, matters.Unlike nuclear science, ordinary Malaysians, including housewives, can provide good ideas. After all, they generate waste and are familiar with the way it is stored and collected in their neighbourhoods. They also suffer when the management is ineffective or inefficient.Dr Goh Ban Lee can be reached at gohbanlee@yahoo.com.

Johor seeks RM700m for river clean-up

2008-12-06T15:00:00.000+08:00

Date : 290804
Source : Sun2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Johor seeks RM700m for river clean-up

JOHOR BARU: Johor has applied for a RM700 million allocation from the federal government to clean up its three main rivers which are severely polluted.

State Tourism and Environment Committee Chairman Freddie Long Hoo Hin said on Tuesday the state government planned to clean up Sungai Tebrau, Sungai Segget and Sungai Skudai in the Ninth Malaysia Plan from 2006 to 2010. "The rivers are severely polluted due to the dumping of liquid and solid wastes in the last 40 years and they need to be cleaned up for the future," he said after launching a cleanliness campaign for Lido Beach themed "Return 2 De Sea" organised by Hotel M Suites here.

The federal government would be furnished with a detailed report on the pollution, including proposed action plans, prepared by the Danish Cooperation on Environmental Development which studied the rivers with cooperation from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2003. He also said the Johor Baru City Council was spending some RM30 million a year to get rid of 380,000 tonnes of garbage and to beautify the city.

Looking to the sun and biomass

2008-12-06T14:44:00.000+08:00

Date : 070804
Source : Sun2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Looking to the sun and biomass by Sharon Kam

Quantum H2's industrial engineer Chaizul Shamsuddin checks the hydrogen production chamber (HPC) system before starting the car. Though it can only be driven up to 50km per hour and is sometimes jerky, it is only the beggining.

BLESSED WITH generous reserves of oil and gas, Malaysia is painlessly able to meet its current energy needs. These fossil fuels, which are mainly sourced off the coast of Terengganu and Sarawak, provide 80% of the national primary energy supply.
Today, natural gas is the mainstay of our energy regime, fuelling 70% of power plants in the country.

However, electricity suppliers are turning increasingly to imports of coal, a cheap but polluting energy source. This trend will continue as the energy sector moves away from an over-dependence on oil, which provided almost 80% of the power generated at one point.
However, fossil fuels are finite and gradually depleting. Hence, the world is looking at renewable energy (RE) to power the future.

Major power and fuel companies in the world are vigorously looking into alternative sources of energy. Not to be left behind, Petronas, too, has embarked on a RE research programme.
Estimating our oil reserves is a subjective matter, as it can change with the discovery of new fields.
For now, Petronas expects the country's oil reserves to last another 18 years while gas reserves would last another 34 years.

"It is difficult to quantify when our oil and gas resources will be depleted," says Lim Cheong Chuan (pix), principal assistant secretary of the International and Sustainable Energy Division of the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications.

"Natural gas is estimated to last about three to four times longer than oil but we will never know exactly when. Maybe deep down in the ocean somewhere, there may still be large sources of oil which are still undiscovered."

However, one thing is for sure: oil will cost more in future as drilling for the resource gets more expensive, the deeper and more inaccessible the deposit.

According to the 2002 report on the National Energy Balance of Malaysia, oil consumption stood at 21.9 million tonnes and production at 33.6 million tonnes. Energy consumption is currently growing at a rate of 8% annually. Considering the fact that demand is constantly growing against finite conventional energy resources, it would be wise to diversify into renewable forms of energy. Furthermore, not only are fossil fuels finite, emissions from their combustion processes are also major contributors to greenhouse gases, the cause of global warming. Malaysia is a signatory to the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol which commit it to take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Besides being replenishable, another plus for renewable energy is that it is generally cleaner than fossil fuels.

To ensure sustainability of energy resources and to reduce the generation of greenhouse gases, the government in the 8th Malaysia Plan (2001-05), gave RE the status of a fifth fuel after gas, hydro, coal and oil in its energy supply mix. The energy policy emphasises the importance of energy efficiency and RE initiatives. In line with this policy, efforts have been undertaken to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy, including solar, mini-hydro, municipal waste and agricultural biomass.

The present policy is to encourage the private sector to take the lead in RE development and application. Under the Small Renewable Energy Power programme (SREP) launched in May 2001, small power operators that use renewable sources can sell electricity to Tenaga Nasional, each providing up to a maximum of 10MW into the national distribution grid system.
To date, 59 applications have been approved with a capacity of 352MW, says Lim. "The bottom line is to encourage more RE power plants." The government's main focus at present is on biomass and solar (thermal) energy in view of their availability and huge potential. The main biomass resource in the country comes in the form of agriculture wastes, such as oil palm waste and rice husk, and municipal solid waste.

As the largest palm oil producer in the world, the country has more than 300 palm oil mills producing an estimated 19 million tonnes of crop residues per year. Empty fruit bunches, fibre and even palm oil mill effluent or wastewater can be used for the generation of steam and electricity. What is needed is to determine the viability of this resource use on an industrial scale.
The project, called the Biomass-based Power Generation and Cogeneration in Malaysia Palm Oil Industry (Biogen) Project undertaken by Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) with financing from the United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility and the government, kicked off in October 2002. The five-year project aims to be a model plant to demonstrate the viability of palm oil waste as a power generation source.

The programme's developers hope that financial institutions will be convinced about the viability of RE projects as a lack of finances is a major hindrance to their development, says PTM chief executive officer Dr Anuar Abdul Rahman (pix).

More recently, however, other uses for oil palm waste have emerged in the fertiliser and the pulp and paper industries, creating competition for the raw material.
"Oil palm waste is no longer a waste considering its use in other industries. It is no longer as freely or as regularly available as it was before, so there is a problem there," Lim explains.
Solar power is another important option, particularly for rural electrification and water heating.
Solar water heaters are commonly used by the urban population. It is estimated that some 10,000 units of domestic solar water heater systems have been installed nationwide.
However, solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply has been limited to some special applications in remote locations.

Although solar power has tremendous potential, especially for remote areas in Sabah and Sarawak, the cost of PV panels and technology is still too expensive for mass power generation, says Anuar. "Currently, about 400 kilowatts-peak (kwp) of solar power supply is grid connected with 362kwp coming from Technology Park Malaysia," he says. However, this cost equation is set to change.

The Malaysian Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) Project, also undertaken by PTM, aims to reduce the cost of solar PV power supply in the long term by 20%, through its application in building designs. The full project is scheduled to begin early next year. "We aim to achieve a 20% reduction in cost which will make it comparable with the current cost of electricity," says Anuar. PTM is also the coordinator for the National Steering Committee on Solar, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell. The committee is currently drafting a road map for the next 20 years on the development of the new RE resources. It is expected to be completed at the end of the year.
The road map will chart out the problems and direction towards the successful development and application of these three RE resources in the country.

Hydrogen and fuel-cell technology, where energy is converted into electricity and heat without combustion have been identified as potential alternative sources of energy. "Hydrogen is the "in" thing because it is very clean as the only emission you get is water. Unfortunately, it is still very expensive and one would need to build suitable infrastructure for commercial usage," Anuar explains.

Other RE resources include household waste through landfill gasification, and mini-hydro plants.
Academic and research institutions are given opportunities to develop RE technology while RE fiscal incentives were given in the 2003 Budget.

Malaysia is currently working on hands-on applications of RE in a number of projects.
It is estimated that by achieving 5% share of RE in electricity generation, Malaysia can save RM2.8 billion over a 20-year period just by reducing coal imports. It would also result in a reduction of 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2020.

To date, less than 1% of electricity is RE-generated. "We are still at a very preliminary or academic stage. We are heavily dependent on fossil fuels but we have to start somewhere because it may take decades to achieve even 10% of RE-generated power for the country," says Lim. There are several barriers to the development and application of RE in the country, including the lack of awareness on the benefits of RE and the high cost of investments.
"The urgency lies in the fact that we may be a net importer of oil in the years to come," says Lim.

"We cannot afford to keep on pinching the technology from the other more developed countries because we have to pay for it, so we have to try to develop our local expertise," he says.
There is a lot of research on RE going on in the country but full-scale applications are lacking. This is mainly due to the ringgit and sen factor. RE developers who want to sell their power to TNB may find the tariff rates too low while financial institutions are still sceptical about financing RE projects.

Those who think that using RE is expensive probably forget to consider the cost to the environment compared with conventional fuel. As Lim says, "Unlike the haze, we cannot see greenhouse gases, so maybe that is why people do not feel the urgency."Have water will travel
IT WON'T BE too long before we see cars running on the road spewing water vapour instead of deadly exhaust fumes. theSun team had an opportunity to experience that future during a ride in one such vehicle recently. The test car was jerky at times, but overall it was smooth. It could be driven up to 50kmh, not very fast, but this is only the beginning of greater things to come, hopefully.

Chief engineer Chaizul Shamsuddin of Quantum H2 said the fuel cost of the car is 30-40% less than petrol and generates hardly any pollution. The company is not hoping to produce a car that runs on water, but rather the technology which allows not only the car but everything else which needs energy, to run on water. More accurately, the new energy source is hydrogen harvested from water. The car used for the experiment was fixed with the company's prototype HPC or hydrogen production chamber system.

This "breaks" water up to produce hydrogen gas which is regulated to serve as the fuel source for the car engine. The electricity produced from the HPC also powers the company's showroom. Hydrogen is safe, clean and abundant. After all, it is present in the air we breathe. Although hydrogen is known as a very efficient fuel (three times more efficient than petrol), it is not widely used as hydrogen extraction and production methods are very expensive. Thus, its use is limited to experimental needs.

Multi-million dollar research and development is being carried out around the world to find the best way to harness the gas as an alternative fuel. Locally, however, Quantum H2 Sdn Bhd, a small company with only a capital investment of a little over US$1 million (RM3.8 million), has over five years succeeded in inventing a system which can produce on demand hydrogen cheaply.

Company marketing director Yee K.P. (pix) says the HPC system is able to produce an unlimited amount of clean energy using water of almost any kind without external fuel and at a relatively low cost. In a process similar to cold fusion where energy can be produced using low heat, hydrogen gas is produced via a reaction between a specially concocted compound combined with water of any kind.

The hydrogen gas produced can then be used to generate electricity or heat, or as gas.
"You can use normal tap water, sewage water, milk, Coke, any kind of water and it will work just as well," says Yee. On the secret formula of the compound created, Yee would only divulge that it is made up of inexpensive yet abundantly available natural materials."It is something you can get very cheaply anywhere," he said.

Since the HPC produces hydrogen on demand, it also eliminates the conventional way of hydrogen storage in compressed containers making it safer as well. The HPC is also portable as it runs on the energy it produces. All you need is a little water and the special compound.
Samples of the hydrogen gas produced from the HPC were tested at the Environmental and Energy Technology Centre in Sirim and it was found that the hydrogen standard of purity produced was 99.9%.

One litre of water and 26 sen of the formulated material can produce about one kwh of electricity, heat and additional gas to operate a one-burner cooking stove for one to one-and-a-half hours. Yee said the company is working on refining the technology for various applications, including as vehicle fuel. "Imagine, instead of searching for a petrol station all you need is a little bit of water or anything else containing water, to run your car.

"Fishing boats need not store petrol or diesel on board, they just use sea water," he said.
However, it will take some time before the technology reaches that stage. Nevertheless, the company feels the technology is ready to be commercialised, at least to produce the energy needs for industries and office buildings.

"We would be able to sell electricity to the end- user at 40% less than what your regular energy cost. Large commercial buildings which spend hundreds of thousands of ringgit every month on their electricity bill should give this alternative a try," said Yee. He said a few companies have voiced interest in using the HPC-produced electricity supply for their buildings while a foreign government has also proposed a business arrangement with the company.
For information, e-mail quantum_h2@yahoo.com

Benefits of using palm diesel

THE Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), in collaboration with national oil company Petronas, has developed a patented technology to transform crude palm oil into a diesel substitute. Palm diesel has been systematically evaluated as diesel fuel substitute from 1983 to 1994. These included laboratory evaluation, stationary engine testing and field trials on a large number of vehicles including taxis, trucks, cars and buses. Field trials with Mercedes Benz of Germany on buses have been successfully completed with each bus covering 300,000km, the expected life of the engines.

No modification of the engines is required, there is cleaner exhaust emission and fuel consumption is comparable with petroleum diesel. The patented palm diesel technology is now exported to a company in South Korea. A more recent initiative is to use palm olein (or cooking oil) as an alternative fuel. It is used directly in blends with petroleum diesel. Many MPOB vehicles have been using the B2, consisting of 2% of palm olein in petroleum diesel. Hydrogen fuel cell carsFuel cell technology has been available for decades. Every major carmaker has been researching and developing some type of fuel cell vehicle. DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan predict that full commercialisation for the public will begin in a decade.

The toughest challenge is in making them cheap enough for everyone.
In 2002, Honda's FCX was the first fuel-cell car to be certified for use in the US. There are 12 Honda fuel-cell cars on the road in the United States to date. Recently, Associated Press reported DaimlerChrysler loaned five Mercedes-Benz A-class "F-Cell" cars to companies and a government department in Singapore for two years of road testing. Since 1994, Daimler-Chrysler has invested US$1 billion (RM3.8 billion) in the technology, which powers vehicles with compressed hydrogen.

The engines emit no pollutants, as the only waste material is pure water. Prototype hydrogen-fuelled vehicles typically cost US$1 million to US$2 million (RM3.8 million to RM7.6 million) each.

It'll cost Singapore S$50 (RM110) to refuel the car with a tank that can travel 160km. Refueling can be done at a specially equipped gas station in the eastern part of Singapore. The eco-house is developed by the director of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Advanced Engineering Centre Prof Kamaruzzaman Sopian and architect Shah Jaafar. It is the world's first self-sustainable house powered by hydrogen.

The house was constructed to showcase the viability of solar hydrogen technology for residential buildings. Instead of conventional electricity, the eco-house uses hydrogen as fuel to generate electricity to operate household appliances. PV panels are mounted on the rooftop and the solar power is used to convert ionised water into hydrogen through electrolysis, which breaks down compounds using electricity. The hydrogen tank is located some distance from the house and a pipe connects it to the utility gas line in the house. The gas operates a fuel cell to produce electricity.

The design of the house incorporates low energy features such as shades and daylight and natural ventilation to lower temperature. Technology Park Malaysia uses solar energy to power its IT server rooms and network equipment for TPMNet. The solar powered, grid connected system with a UPS battery bank and a generator backup ensures uninterrupted and secure power supply for TPM. This is the largest solar array project in the Asia Pacific. TPM's Solar Research Centre has also embarked on an R&D project which involves the production of silicon cells and solar module manufacturing. Future projects by TPM include harnessing solar energy for its Computer Integrated Farm to ensure continuous power supply for its Biotechnology Division.

Reducing wastage (water) the solution: ERA Consumer

2008-12-06T14:39:00.000+08:00

Date : 200604
Source : Sun2surf (The Sun Online)
Title : Reducing wastage the solution: ERA Consumer

EVEN THOUGH WE may need to pay more for our water, the escalating costs of managing the commodity must be checked. Consumers have a right not to keep paying more for inefficient services.

The mass media have seen a virtual flood of letters from readers who want to see water supply improve before they pay higher tariffs.

As one angry Petaling Jaya resident said, he wants to be able to drink the water straight out of the tap before he pays more.

ERA Consumer and the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations are firmly against any price increase considering the present state of the water supply.

Their main concern is the way water is gradually being transformed from a basic human right to a commodity to profit from, with the poor being hardest hit by the rising cost of access to the resource.

A removal of subsidies will be detrimental to the poor, says ERA Consumer secretary-general Indrani Thuraisingham, so any move to increase tariffs or to privatise water supply must be preceded by having certain safety nets in place.

We also need to change our priorities in the management of water, she adds.

Many state water agencies are encountering problems simply because they rely almost 100% on water supply management. When there is not enough water to meet demand, they build more expensive and larger dams and treatment plants. This is where all our money is going.

“Why don’t we focus on water demand management instead, such as reducing wastage, recycling and tackling pollution in waterways?” asks Indrani.

Money should instead be spent on rehabilitating rivers, protecting catchment areas, public education, and other measures to ensure sustainable water supply.

Indrani believes that using water tariffs as a means to control water usage should not be the preferred way, as the people should be educated and made to understand the need to conserve water and the environment.

She also believes that half the problems would be solved if the problem of non-revenue water (NRW) is tackled.

There has been no improvement in the rate of water loss or non-revenue water (NRW) which averages at 40% nationally. Leaky pipes and water pilferage have continued to be the main source of NRW for years.

It was reported that for 2002, Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor (PUAS) lost RM565 million through non-revenue water.

“What is required urgently is improved efficiency through upgrading and rehabilitation of the existing distribution system,” she adds.
Indrani also called for better partnership between the stakeholders to ensure that money is spent to attain the sustainable use of water.

IzanJay's Environmental Articles/News Collection

Malaysia sudah gubal Rang Undang-Undang Senjata Kimia: PM

Malaysia sudah gubal Rang Undang-Undang Senjata Kimia: PM2011/07/19

Penyelidikan sisa pepejal di UKM

Source : http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0324&pub=Kosmo&sec=Negara&pg=ne_09.htm

Air di Tokyo tidak selamat untuk bayi

Have a little thought for Mother Nature

Source : http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8kitar/Article/

by Ahmad Fairuz Othman

An environmentalist shows Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas (left) how compost is made at the launch of a Rakan Alam Sekitar programme at SK Taman Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang.

Environmental report on Pagoh landfill ready

Sources : http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialcartoon/article/836967--waste-diversion-makes-for-a-greener-cleaner-ontario

Waste diversion makes for a greener, cleaner Ontario

‘Eco fees’ are a small price to pay for a less toxic environment

Keputusan aktiviti ekonomi ambil kira kesan alam sekitar

Source : Berita Harian Online 18/05/10

PERDANA Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, berkata setiap keputusan dan aktiviti ekonomi yang akan dibuat pada masa depan harus mengambil kira kesannya ke atas alam sekitar.

Use of recycled water

Effective e-waste management needed

Cleanup resumes at illicit toxic dump in Sweden

French Broad gets healthier, but much work remains

WHY IS NUCLEAR WASTE STORED ON NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS?

Source : http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/news/nuclearwastes_nativeamericans_stored469.html

E-waste flooding developing countries, UNEP warns

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/22/ewaste-flooding-developing-countries-unep-warns.html

World ministers to ‘sync’ on waste

Landfills falling out of favour with BMA

Body to save (river) Ravi from pollution

Top 5 Environmental Issues in Australia

Water treatment by-products linked with cancer

Mycelium Mushrooms Provide Detoxification for the Earth

Study on industrial waste management

Our beloved rivers of waste

Disposal sites for industrial waste

Five children burnt by industrial waste in Mansehra Colony

Pollution Control in Recycling Industry is most essential

Waste Not, Want Not

Basel Action Network — Part of the E-Waste Solution

Supporting the Basel Ban

e-Steward Recyclers

BAN Initiatives

For More Information

India Will Generate 800,000 Ton Of Electronic Waste By 2012

WATER POLLUTION

We need to make more effort

Source : http://www.lgcplus.com/home/recyclingunited/we-need-to-make-more-effort/5010998.article

Landfill

Floor

Drinking Water System – Why You Need to Purify Your Tap Water

Chlorine in Drinking Water Isn’t the Only Contaminant to Worry About

Useful Processes Related To The Water Treatment

Chlorine, Cancer, and Asthma - Oh My! Why You Might Need a Water

Fighting cholera vital to prevent unnecessary loss of life

Water and waste water treatment solutions

Clean Swimming Pools-The Next Generation

The Benefit Of Water Treatment

Can the economy recover? And, for that matter, should it?

Pelbagai inisiatif kembangkan teknologi hijau

Melt-away plastics

Loss of world's seagrass beds accelerating - study

Jorak sanitary landfill will be environs-friendly

Kaitan sampah dengan cara hidup

Business and water – should we be concerned?

Problems with waste disposal disposal, sewage treatment

Target to make hydropower in the fuel mix to 30% for power generation

Green way of life up in Genting Resorts

Young rescuers

Trash rafts marring image of Pulau Perhentian

Folk urged to help preserve rivers

Intel kickstarts recycling campaign

Marine life at Pulau Perhentian under threat from trash

Kiehl’s on board to save environment

Sabah&Sarawak: Henti guna beg plastik pulihara alam sekitar dikaji

Pulau Pinang larang penggunaan pembungkus polisterin

Deaths by Water - and Environmental Degradation

NASA spacecraft tracks global air pollution

Leave the hills unspoilt for our children

Penduduk Broga: Terima Kasih Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS)

Broga incinerator project stays

Samy Vellu calls for sustainable measures to protect environment

Malaysia sudah gubal Rang Undang-Undang Senjata Kimia: PM

2011/07/19