The following video shows how natural resources are exploited, especially water, and taken for granted.

Water Blog

Water is an essential basic need for human beings and to maintain life. It is important to recycle water because water, potable water, is very limited and the actions taken now can affect the current and future supply of the resource.  Recycling and caring procedures at personal level include timing in shower, installation of low-volume shower heads, efficient water use toilets, timing self taking showers, store rain water, efficient sprinkler system, etc. There are many ways to come safe water; it is just a matter of having the recycle is good for current and future generations.  Because according to Beekman “It is neither sensible nor sustainable to continue increasing the amount of water available to meet projected future demand without doing something to improve existing levels of efficiency in water use” The article Water Conservation, Recycling and Reuse recommends several key points to the conservation of water

Indrustrial Level	One of the primary areas for water savings in the commercial and industrial sectors is cooling water. Of all industrial water use, cooling water needs account for more than half. Replacement of once-through cooling processes with recirculating systems has been shown to provide some of the largest water savings and the most rapid investment payback. Often, cooling water is uncontaminated and can be reused for landscape irrigation, clean-up and other purposes
Agricultural level	In agriculture the wonder machine of the age is a simple length of perforated pipe hooked up to a pump. This is the basic tool of drip irrigation, also called micro-irrigation, an Israeli-devised technique in which small amounts of water are applied directly to plant roots through pipes buried along rows of crops. The method is 95% efficient, meaning that almost all the water is applied to nurturing the plant compared with as little as 20% in traditional irrigation
Local Government  Level	Conservation-oriented rate structures and pricing mechanisms such as conservation pricing-rate structures, rebates, credits, conservation incentive or surcharge fees, cost-sharing and loans have been adopted or are being considered by a growing number of water suppliers and regional authorities. Excess-use surcharges, when properly designed, send loud and clear messages to consumers that high water use can be costly

Beekman, G. B. (1998). Water Conservation, Recycling and Reuse. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 14(3), 353-364. doi:10.1080/07900629849268

Administration & Operations Blog: Using injection moulding simulation to develop environmentally friendly products.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is working in implementing new sustainable techniques using injection moulding simulation. The main goal is to use recycle material and develop sustainable and environmental friendly products. According to the article it will also reduce the material consumption, production scrap, and better quality product. Injection moulding simulation reduced consumption of natural resources and use of processes that are environmentally friendly will, reduce the need for landfills, improve air and water quality, and fight pollution and global warming.” It is important to have this new initiative due to the fact that it “helps to control the increasing issues related to the health of our planet. Our planet deserves a better treatment that is why each human being needs to self care about the way we are treating the earth. It is necessary for the manufacturing fields to incorporate this initiative of moulding.
According to Thomas this are some of the environmental impact:  
·         Recycle ability: this is an important consideration, how a product can be reused needs to be evaluated in the design process, to meet the increasing demands of legislation, and to be an alternative to natural resources
·         Degradability: this is the ability of a product to reduce itself back into natural resources, once outside of the operating conditions for which it has been designed.

The picture above shows how the injection of recycle material is inserted by pressure to the mold. Then shows what quality products can be achieved.

http://hicksplastics.com/Injection_Molding_Hicks_Plastics_MI.html

Thomas, A. R., Speight, R. G., & Annareddy, M. M. (2008). Using injection moulding simulation to develop environmentally friendly products. Plastics, Rubber & Composites, 37(2/3), 184-189. doi:10.1179/174328908x283276

Blog Post Climate & Air Quality: Trash Incineration

The poor disposal of trash and other solid waste is dangerous to humans and the environment. When the trash is burned in barrels, it releases dangerous pollutants, leading to health problems and also causing effects in environment. Many people around the world and especially in rural communities are currently burning trash in the open, barrels. The trash burning causes the emission of dioxin (chemicals that are known to persist and bioaccumulate in the environment, and are believed to present risks to human health and the environment). According to the article Dioxin Emissions from Burning Household Trash May Exceed MWC Emissions “backyard burning of household waste in barrels indicates that this practice could be a significant source of dioxin emissions, resulting in higher emissions than municipal waste combustors (MWCs)” The list below is a possible consequence of excess of emissions of dioxin chemicals: poor gas-phase mixing, low combustion temperatures, oxygen-starved conditions,high particulate matter (PM) loading, PM-bound copper, the presence of hydrochloric acid and chlorine, and significant gas-phase residence time in the 250–700oC temperaturerange. One of the simple ways to prevent this is to always recycle, recycle, and more recycle!

The Dioxin Cycle

Dioxin Emissions From Burning Household Trash May Exceed MWC Emissions. (2000). Air Pollution Consultant, 10(6), 1.3. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Land&Habitad Blog: Texas Coastal Prairie Conservation

The State of Texas is concerned about the massive construction developments led by overpopulation.  Population has created an aggressive cut to coastal prairie’s land. Most of the landowners are private owner that can be reluctant to make changes to their property. The initiative taken by the state is “an effort is underway to provide technical, financial, and regulatory assistance to private landowners interested in conserving, enhancing, or restoring coastal prairie.” By doing this initiative the state will also conserve endangered local animals such as Attwater’s Prairie Chicken and rare grass species. Coastal Prairies are important to protect due to fact that will bring an abundant amount of plants and grass that feeds animals and gives us the oxygen we breathe. Prairies are also a good model to promote sustainability in the Agricultural system. Excellent job Texas for going thru such hard work to put this initiative into place!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Attwater%27s_Prairie_Chicken.jpg

Coastal Prairie Conservation Initiative http://library.fws.gov/Pubs4/prairie_bookmark.pdf

Waste Blog: "Possible Ways To Reduce Waste"

There is lots of waste all over the world it does not matter private or public sector. It all boils down to the production of a given product and as an ending result is waste.  Sustainable alternatives are always available and it just takes an extra step of our part to take those initiatives into effect. Of course one the benefits is less pollution, better air quality, and sustainable environment.
Hospital Waste
7000 tons a day
Type of waste:  “Red Bag” (contaminated with blood, urine, and/or other bodily fluids)
Possible Treatment for waste: "Process and autoclave system for size reducing and disinfecting contaminated hospital refuse" This patent claims to have developed a method and apparatus for comminuting and sterilizing infectious hospital refuse, where a size reduction process takes place within the same container used for sterilization through vacuumization and saturated steam pressurization at atmospheric pressure.

Biosolids Waste

Contain pathogenic microorganisms that cause infection
Type of Waste: land applications that increase the soil quality, but poor handling and management of an application process could harm the environment

Possible Treatment for Waste: "Biosolids flow-through thermophilic treatment process" This invention relates to wastewater treatment, and specifically to a method of treating wastewater sludge using a thermophilic treatment process. The process in this invention consists of two steps: the raw wastewater sludge is pumped continuously into a digester where the treatment process temperature of about 51 °C to 60 °C is maintained. The treated sludge from the first digester is then transferred to another digester where sludge is treated anaerobically, and temperature is not more than 2 °C warmer than the specific temperature in the first digester. The inventors had a total of 18 claims where the first claim describes the process of treatment and all the other claims are referred to the first claim which discusses the period of time for which sludge is exposed to a specified temperature. For a period of time, sludge is kept in first digester.
Industry Waste

Type of Waste: Numerous industries have increased over the years and the production of goods also increased to meet the rising population needs that increased waste emanating from industries.

Possible treatment for Waste:"Method and system for sustainable treatment of municipal and industrial waste water". The inventors claim to have invented a method and system for sustainable treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater. This process has hybrid continuous flow, cyclic operating, substantially constant level, and an activated sludge process with a symmetric functional cycle. There are different phases in the functional cycle which are cyclic, and repeat once the last phase is done.

Construction Waste

"Mobile system for recovering material from construction waste and demolition debris" The system includes a mobile wheeled framework that has at least one station for picking. A hook is mounted on the wheeled framework for selectively picking waste or debris from a construction site. A screen is disposed on the wheeled framework and is configured to receive the waste or debris from the hook. The screen sorts the waste or debris, depending on the size, into fines and oversized material. A conveyor transports the oversized material adjacent at least one picking station to allow removal of selected materials for further processing.

Agriculture Waste

"Method of treating liquid agriculturalwastes" In this process, liquid agricultural wastesuch as liquid manure is purified by a means of algae/bacteria mixture culture and subsequent rotifer culture in a separate stage. The algae/bacteria, which occurs in shallow open air ponds for a period of three to six days at an average temperature of 18 °C, will be used for this process. The algae/bacteria suspension in a rotifer culture mixture is adjusted to a pH of six to eight that can range from two to four days at a temperature of 20 °C. The first claim refers to the process of treating liquid waste, and the other ten claims refer to the conditions and other properties on how the algae/bacteria and rotifers are applied.

References

Kumar, A., Kadiyala, A., & Poosarala, V. V. (2010). A Review of Patents on Treatment Methods for Waste Minimization. Recent Patents on Chemical Engineering, 3(2), 99-107. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Built Environment Blog: High Density Development

The number people living in a designated area determine high-density development has increased. It is mainly generated to provide favorable and attractive activities for tenants. High-density development does not have water quality or habitat conservation, which you know is expected. However high density development can be sustainable, it just will need more capital invested in the design of the building. These developments are important because it is more convenient for human beings, meaning that they will have all they need (job, pharmacy, grocery, park, movies, etc) within walking distance. There will be less pollution because there will not be a high amount traffic.  Some of the benefits mentioned in the article include:

·      Reduced emissions of greenhouse gases
·      Greater health benefits associated with more walking

·      Potentially more resilience to coastal hazards
·      In general more ‘‘livable’’ cities
·      The amenities we associate with urban life – walkability, proximity of shopping and restaurants, transit, etc., are progressively more available at higher densities and virtually unavailable at suburban densities

http://www.dysturb.net/2007/claudia-strahl-at-the-tu-munich/ 

References

Jacob, J. S., & Lopez, R. (2009). Is Denser Greener? An Evaluation of Higher Density Development as an Urban Stormwater-Quality Best Management Practice. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 45(3), 687-701. doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00316.x

Energy Blog: Joby Energy’s New Airborne Wind Turbine

Joby Energy’s New Airborne Wind Turbine

Windmills have different uses; collect water, grind, etc. But they are now very old fashioned to have a windmill. The creation of these windmills led to the wind turbine. The wind turbine is used to collect energy obtained from wind.  But Joby Energy’s wanted to achieve something different; "In order to have truly sustainable energy, we've got to beat coal.” Joby Energy, based in Santa Cruz, California, is taking the windmill turbine to a new level.  The company is working in a new Airborne Wind Turbine that allows them to collect energy more efficiently. With the airborne Turbine, the will achieve higher production of energy.  Joby Energy’s main goal is “developing airborne wind turbines to harness the immense and consistent power in high-altitude wind to provide reliable and low-cost renewable energy.”  With this new invention can lead to a more sustainable community where people do not depend on 3rd party energy company to deliver energy to our homes.

These are some of the features:

30,000feet altitude

20 times more energy

100 pounds weight

References

Vance, E. (2010). INHERIT THE WIND. Discover, 31(10), 52-57. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

http://www.jobyenergy.com/

Transportation Blog: "Hike and Bike System"

City of Arlington Texas New “The Hike & Bike Plan

The city of Arlington currently is developing hike and bike plan. This plan comes in handy alter all difficult issues the country is going thru. “Nationally, such issues as rising gas prices, environmental concerns, and a growing interest in health and wellness are demonstrating the need for hike and bike-friendly cities.” The plan has now passed the adoption process. It will improve health and physical activity among residents. It will also reduce pedestrian and cyclists accidents now that the street will be marked with lanes for pedestrians and cyclist. A big step for the city to take is to educate citizens about the benefits of the program.

The plan has different features that include:

• A thorough analysis of current conditions for hiking and biking in Arlington

• A comprehensive recommended hike and bike network

• Standards and guidelines for the development of a hike and bike system

• Recommendations on how to integrate hike and bike policy into codes and ordinances

• Recommendations for programming, maintenance, and funding

One piece that I will suggest is to implement an employee ride to bike rule where employee gets an incentive.

Great Job City of Arlington Texas!

http://www.arlingtontx.gov/planning/pdf/hike_bike/Plan/Chapter1.pdf

http://www.arlingtontx.gov/planning/HikeandBike.html