Waste Management Strategies in Australia

Table of Contents Situational Analysis Energy Situation Waste Situation Problems of Landfills Waste-to-Energy Technologies Conclusion Reference List Waste Management in Australia is becoming a serious issue. This is because the population of the country is increasing leading to the creation of more waste. In addition, the rate of growth of urban centres is leading to the generation of concentrated pools of waste. Australia uses landfills to dispose waste.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Waste Management Strategies in Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Landfills ensure that waste does not become an eyesore. However, landfills lead to other problems in the environment, and rob the country of waste recycling opportunities. This paper proposes that Australia is better off generating energy from waste, rather than dumping the waste in landfills. Situational Analysis The situation in Australia in regards to energy and waste has several facets. The country has a very large land area, which it can use for waste disposal. However, this strategy is not sustainable given the long-term impact of current waste disposal practices. Energy Situation Australia has vast mineral deposits. The minerals include coal, gas, and oil. However, the quantity of these energy deposits is not sufficient to guarantee energy supplies for the country. The amount of oil produces in Australia peaked in 2000 and has been dropping since (ABS 2010). The country has not developed any new wells in the recent years. This has made Australia a net importer of oil. The country’s reserves are not sufficient to meet its domestic needs. Therefore, the country imports large quantities of oil. In fact, Australia’s trade balance is import-biased. The country imports more goods and services than its exports to other countries. The country’s energy supply is not growing at the same rate with its energy demand . Models indicate that if the country does not make an effort to increase its energy production facilities, it will become necessary to ration power in some states as early as 2014 (ABS 2010). In this regard, Australia needs to think about how to increase energy supply in line with its growing needs. The country has very few renewable energy projects despite vast potential for ethanol production, and energy generation from solar and wind. The country has vast deserts that would be ideal for solar power generation. It can also produce ethanol for blending with imported oil to reduce its overall reliance on imported oil.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the same time, the country has a very long shoreline that can support the production of vast quantities of wind power. This shows that the country has a lot of potential to change its energy mix. Eventually, the country wil l need to address its energy situation because the current mix is unsustainable. Waste Situation Waste management in Australia is becoming a matter of increasing concern. The population centres in the country are increasing in number. This is in turn increasing the amount of waste generated in settlements. The increase in the quantity of waste generated in the country has a direct link to the increase in the per capita income of the country. The country’s income per capita went up in the last ten years. There is a link between increases in income per capita and increases in the quantity of waste (Dhir, Newlands Dyer 2003). Thirdly, the country relies on landfills for the disposal of most of its waste. The volume of waste disposed in landfills went up by 12% between 2001 and 2007 (ABS 2010). The volume of waste disposed in landfills in 2001 was 19 million tonnes (ABS 2010). This volume grew to 21.3 tonnes in 2007 (ABS 2010). This trend shows that the rate of growth in the vol umes of waste disposed in Australia went up significantly. However, the growth in the rate of waste disposed in landfill is still on the rise because is the increase in the total volume of waste produced by landfills. There is increasing interest in diversion of waste from landfills to recycling plants. The amount of water diverted from landfills increased from 36% in 1999 to 52% in 2007 (ABS 2010). This shows that the country’s interest in recycling of waste went up during this period. The degree of usage of landfills is still very high in Australia. Landfills are relatively cheap to use. However, they lead to several environmental concerns. Problems of Landfills Landfill technology arose from the need to find a permanent ways of dealing with waste. Waste disposal in landfills refer to burying of waste. This requires the excavation of large areas for use in dumping waste. It is also possible to use natural depressions for water disposal. Decommissioned mines are also ideal f or use as landfills because they reduce the amount of work needed to create a landfill.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Waste Management Strategies in Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first concern associated with landfills is the emission of greenhouse gases (Khan, Prior Islam 2008). Landfills lead to the generation of greenhouse gases because of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. The gases produced in landfills include methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. Green house gases from landfills contribute towards global warming. The second problem associated with landfills is ground water pollution (Greg, Simonton Beruvides 2003). Landfills contain all types of waste, which include electronic waste. Over time, chemical pollutant in the waste and chemicals resulting from the decomposition of waste leech into ground water. This leads to groundwater contamination. This can affect agriculture and the use of groundwater for domestic or industrial uses. Thirdly, landfills affect land use. Usually, waste disposal companies cover landfills with a thick layer of soil and then compress it. This usually results in a flat surface that can support some uses, such as recreational activities. However, there are significant limits on the economic uses of such land. The volume of waste disposed in Australia shows that the land areas affected by landfills is quite large. Furthermore, this area is increasing. This means that the country is losing viable land to landfills. The fourth problem of landfill use is that they can give rise to spontaneous fires because of the production of methane (Dhir, Newlands Dyer 2003). If a landfill has sufficient organic matter such as food and agricultural waste, their decomposition will produce methane pockets. The methane can ignite spontaneously if there are exothermic reactions inside the landfill. Such fires can cause injuries, and usually lead to f urther air pollution from the landfills. Waste-to-Energy Technologies Australia has several options on how to convert its waste to energy. The conversion of waste to energy will lead to several benefits for the country. First, the country’s reliance in oil will reduce because it will have an alternative source of energy. Secondly, the damage that landfills currently cause to the environment will cease. This in turn will lead to a reduction in the global supply of greenhouse gases. A number of options exist for Australia on how to turn its waste to energy. The first option available to Australia is the conversion of organic waste to biogas. The production of biogas will take advantage of the food waste generated by Australian households, as well as organic waste from farms and factories. Biogas technology is now very advanced. It is possible to bottle it and send it to factories or homes that do not have piped gas. In addition, the country can develop biogas-powered power stat ions to generate electricity. The second option the country can use to convert its waste to energy is by making fuel pellets from organic matter (Greg, Simonton Beruvides 2003). Waste from industrial processing and agricultural processes can be compresses into energy pellets that can fuel pellet generators.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thirdly, the country can develop special incinerators that can burn all types of dry waste for heat recovery applications. Urban waste contains many types of materials. An incinerator can help to burn all this waste without the need of segregating it. This technology requires the use of flue gas cleansers to remove toxic materials from the stack smoke. It also calls for fly ash capture to eliminate air pollutants. The fourth energy recovery option is extracting certain types of waste for recycling. For instance, the country can cut its need for power to smelt aluminium by recycling aluminium cans. Recycling of waste reduces the need for manufacturing some products. Conclusion In conclusion, Australia has several options in regards to waste management. The best approach for handling its waste is by converting its waste to energy. The technologies already exist. The only requirement is investing in these technologies. Failure by the Australian government to invest in waste management technologies may lead to extensive environmental damage. Reference List ABS 2010, Waste: Waste Disposed to Landfills, https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Landfill%20(6.6.4). Dhir, R, Newlands, MD Dyer, TD 2003, Sustainable Waste Management, Thomas Telford, Reston, VA. Greg, H, Simonton, J Beruvides, M 2003, ‘Engineering Economic Analysis of a Cotton By-Product Fuel Pellet Operation’, Journal of Cotton Science, vol 11, no. 3, pp. 205-216. Khan, MM, Prior, D Islam, MR 2008, ‘Zero-Waste Living with Inherently Sustainable Technologies’, in Perspctives on Sustainable Technology, Nova Publishers, New York, NY. This essay on Waste Management Strategies in Australia was written and submitted by user Zion Henderson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Discuss The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Discuss 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern he Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a debut novel that transports readers into a fantastical world in another time. Use these book club discussion questions on The Night Circus to lead your reading group into the intricacies of Morgensterns novel. Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Finish the book before reading on. The Night Circus is not written in a linear timeline. Did you find the structure of the book disorienting? Do you think it was effective in mirroring the nature of the circus or did it just annoy you?Between the chapters that tell the story of The Night Circus are descriptions of the circus itself, written as if you are visiting it right now. What do these chapters add to the story?What was your favorite part of the circus? Which character would you most want to meet? Which tent would you most want to visit? Which food sounded most appealing?Why are Frederick Thiessen and the reverse important to the story? Why do you think some people were so entranced by the circus that they devoted themselves to following it around?Did you feel sorry for those who were being used in the game Isobel, the Burgess sisters, even Celia and Marco? Why do you think some people, like Mr. Barris, dont mind being trapped by the circus while it drives others, like Tara Burgess, mad?Why do you think Bailey was willing to give his life to the circus? Discuss themes of good and evil and free will verses being bound.What did you think of Marco and Celias relationship? Why did they fall in love?Why does the man in the gray suit feel so passionate about stories? What sort of commentary do you think the chapter Stories is the novel? On life?Rate The Night Circus 1 to 5.

Ethical controversial about the abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical controversial about the abortion - Essay Example These people base their argument with Aristotle point of view that abortion is right since it creates a strong path for people to control the size of their family. Supporters of abortion believe that there is no biblical text that specifically prohibits abortion, despite many citing various biblical verses as a framework for forbidding abortion. This essay seeks to underline the ethical controversial about abortion. In the article entitled, Abortion in Australia: a Legal Misconception 2005 Kerry Petersen presented the opinion polls, which showed that most Australians approved women having their rights to carry out abortions. In Australia, there has been little support and emphasize for introducing restrictive laws that ban abortion and most state regards abortion as legal to protect the health of the woman (Kerry 142). The ground on which abortion is allowed differs from state to state. In practice, most states in Australia believe that all women have the right to access medical serv ices for termination of pregnancy especially in cases when the pregnancy may interfere with their health. The major aspect surrounding abortion in modern times is just when the soul enters into the body. Just as in ancient times, Aristotle believed that if performed early, abortion was not killing the human life (Mercer 22). He considered that the embryo gained a human soul after forty days if male and ninety days if female. Before that period, Aristotle believed that the embryo had animal and vegetable soul. In modern times, some people believe that a woman has an ethical obligation to terminate pregnancy if conducted at an early stage. In this regard, most people claim that women may terminate a pregnancy because of many reasons such as in the case of incest or rape, when the mother is not financially prepared, or when the pregnancy interferes with the mother’s health. By virtue, the accumulation of human cells has the right to live if only it has reached a specific stage o f development. With this, it stands out that it is right to terminate the pregnancy provided it is done at an early stage. A study conducted in 2009 by Rita indicates that, a pregnant woman has the moral right to terminate pregnancy if the pregnancy interferes with her personal life. In other words, the woman has the right to take the decision without legal or moral intervention of others. A woman has the right of ownership to her body. With this, she can make the decision to abort the foetus if it is interfering with her life or health. Additionally, it may not be ethically wrong to terminate a pregnancy in cases where the mother has to choose, which of the conjoined twin will die. In such cases, the operation required to separate them may cause one infant to die. The woman may be forced to abandon one of her child to save the other. Nevertheless, opponents of abortion hold that human lives are sacred and one should treat them with respect and reverence (Mercer 30). Most religions stress that, God is the creator and giver of life, and human beings should not destroy what he has created in his image. The Roman Catholic Church maintains that abortion is against God’s word and natural law, and there should be no scenarios that make it better or right. Ethically, religious experts believe that the foetus deserve to live just like a human being does (Haugen, Susan, and