LANDFILLS Essay, Research Paper
Solid waste is the term that civil engineers use to refer to what most of us call garbage. Municipal
solid waste is most familiar to us. It comes from households, institutions, and small businesess. These
solid wastes enter the solid-waste stream, and the flow never ceases. While many normal activities are
suspended during weekends and holidays, the flow of garbage is non-stop. Some holidays, such as
Christmas, create an enormous wave of solid waste.
There are essentially four ways to deal with garbage: 1) recycle it into something that can be used
again, 2) dump it, 3) burn it, or 4) reduce the source of material products (such as packaging) in order to
eliminate future garbage.
Throughout history, dumping has been the preferred means of disposal. Today, landfills are
America?s primary method for the disposal of garbage.
Approximately 40 to 50 percent of everything we throw away is paper. Newspapers account for
as much as 18 percent of the volume in a landfill. Grass clippings and raked-up leaves account for nearly
20 percent of our waste.
Much of the notion that biodegradation takes place within a landfill is a myth. Some food and
yard debris degrade at a very slow rate, but the remainder of the garbage in landfills seems to retain its
original form, weight, and volume. Even after being buried in a landfill for several years, the print on
newspapers remains legible.
Landfills also contain a considerable amount of hazardous waste. Today, pesticides, cleansers,
and motor oil are commonly found in most households. Many of these find their way to the trash.
Therefore, landfills must be designed for the safe disposal of hazardous household waste.
Currently, there is a critical shortage of landfills, expecially in the northeastern United States. It is
estimated that 40 percent of the landfills now in use will close down within five years. The reason the
percentage is so high is that most landfills are designed to be in use for only about ten years.
Many landfills now closing are open dumps. Rain and groundwater trickle through the trash and
dissolve metals and other chemicals. This toxic liquid, called leachate, can ooze into the ground and
contaminate nearby wells and streams.
In sanitary landfills, daily deposits of fresh garbage are covered with a layer of dirt or plastic or
both. However, sanitary landfills can still exude leachate into the water table. In new sanitary landfills, the
basin is often lined with clays and impermeable plastic sheets to keep the leachate in.
While so many of the country?s landfills are closing down in the next several years, solid-waste
engineers face tremendous challenges to properly seal, salvage, and monitor some of the nation?s most
contaminated dumps.
The use of sanitary landfills presents several additional challenges beyond safety and efficiency.
One major problem is cost. It is often necessary to transport garbage several hundred miles to an available
landfill. The cost for transporting garbage to a landfill can be excessive.
An even bigger problem is location. Even if the landfill does not leak pollutants or foul the air, no
one wants a landfill for a neighbor. Consequently, the old landfills are not being replaced.
Due to the critical shortage of landfills and the concerns about their safety, environmental
consciousness has been raised. There is a growing awareness of the need to improve the environment and
become less dependent on landfills. We must finds ways to reduce waste, and we must find ways to
convert waste into something that can be used again.
Source reduction offers a real and lasting contribution toward solving our nation?s solid waste
problem and conserving landfill space. Talk to your legislators, both federal and state, about this genuine
method of reducing the volume of garbage.
Другие работы по теме:
Global Warming Essay Research Paper Introduction Global
Global Warming Essay, Research Paper Introduction: Global warming is a term that describes the “green house” effect-that is rise in temperature of the earth. The earth’s climate is predicted to change because activities are altering the chemical composition of through the building up of green house gases-primarilyCO2, CH3, N2O and chlorofluorocarbon.
Wastewater Treatment Essay Research Paper The world
Wastewater Treatment Essay, Research Paper The world today is faced with a lot of different waste problems. One major problem is how to get rid of the waste safely so that it does not disrupted the environment or hurt people or animals. The major problem for the United States is waste water, the amount, and the cost of treatment and disposal.
Global Warming Essay Research Paper Possible Solutions
Global Warming Essay, Research Paper Possible Solutions To Global Warming Nowadays, the earth is presenting drastic changes. There are different factors that have influenced to provoke these changes. The man is one if not the main responsible. With the modern world and its speed in which life is developed everyday, the man may not sometimes think of a long-term harm that is provoking.
Waste Land And Great Gatsby Essay Research
Paper An examination of the connection between F. Scott Fitzgerald?s novel, The Great Gatsby, and T.S. Eliot?s poem, ?The Waste Land,? reveals that Fitzgerald transposes the meanings and motifs of ?The Waste Land? to The
Illistration Essay Essay Research Paper Wasteful PeopleA
Illistration Essay Essay, Research Paper Wasteful People A major problem in the USA today is the fact that Americans waste a lot. The main focus of this fact is the many different things that we waste, although steps are being made to fix the problem of us wasting so many resources.
Pollution Getting The Best Of Us Essay
, Research Paper Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but damages us also. It has caused many problems ranging from lung cancer to the greenhouse effect. It is all among us and yet we continue to live in our own filth.
Composting Essay Research Paper COMPOSTFor so long
Composting Essay, Research Paper COMPOST For so long, we believed the only way to rid ourselves of the natural waste that our yard produced was through open burning. We accomplish the feat of making more space and not paying for the disposable. Yet, we didn t realize the effects it could have to our environment.
Composting Essay Research Paper Composting is the
Composting Essay, Research Paper Composting is the solution to garbage problems. Composting is a way of recycling wastes and turning them into a soil like material called humus, a soil conditioner. With composting we can recycle our organic wastes and thus reduce the volume of our garbage! According to the Composting Council of Canada, about fifty percent of the total waste generated could be composted (compost/natural.html).
Landfills Infrastructure Essay Research Paper THE LANDFILLS
Landfills Infrastructure Essay, Research Paper THE LANDFILLS INFRASTRUCTURE What is the largest construction you can think of? Does a landfill come to your mind? Probably not. One of the largest buildings on the face of the earth is the Pyramid of the sun, constructed in Mexico and covers approximately thirty million cubic feet of space.
Global Warming Deforestation Nuclear Waste And Pollution
Essay, Research Paper Q. Discuss some issue of personal, local, or international concern and its importance to you. Through out my high school year I have researched on many issues and all of the issues are important to me. All of the issues are important to me because in a way all of the problems are connected to each other and one problem leads to another.
The Waste Land Vs The Great Gatsby
Essay, Research Paper Analysis ~ The Great Gatsby and “The Waste Land” An examination of the connection between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, and T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Waste Land,” reveals that Fitzgerald transposes the meanings and motifs of “The Waste Land” to The Great Gatsby. For instance, the poem begins with:
The Disposal Of Nuclear Waste Essay Research
Paper As we enter the new millenium, the disposal of nuclear waste is a very important factor we must consider for the future generations. Nuclear energy is a very important and dominant as a source of heat energy. It is used to produce steam to drive turbines that generate electricity. Every nuclear plant has its own design, but they each generate heat from nuclear reactors and use this heat to produce steam.
Nuclear Waste Essay Research Paper I believe
Nuclear Waste Essay, Research Paper I believe it s a good thing we are putting our nuclear waste underground for as long as it is needed and until we find a new place to store it without causing any harm to our environment.
The Landfillsdilema Essay Research Paper Waste is
The Landfillsdilema Essay, Research Paper Waste is a problem, a problem that is on the increase. Europe produces one hundred and thirty million tons of household garbage, 324 million tons of solid industrial waste and 30 million tons of hazardous waste every year . Disposing of this waste is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, and many countries are considering burning municipal solid waste to produce energy as an alternative to traditional methods of disposal such as landfill.
Tree Free Paper Essay Research Paper Eventually
Tree Free Paper Essay, Research Paper Eventually, at the current rate of deforestation, there will be no trees. We must look for alternatives to wood fibers. I for one would not like see the day that money hungry business man cut down the last tree for such a now useless object such as paper. Nowadays, with computers, there is no need for paper other than for printing.
Managing Waste Essay Research Paper Managing Waste
Managing Waste Essay, Research Paper Managing Waste, To Save Our World Have you checked your garbage lately? Are you aware that you are throwing away many materials that could be saved? If we did simple things like reusing glass, we could reduce our municipal landfill sites by almost 10%. Waste cannot be simply thrown away anymore, now it must be managed.
Nuclear Waste Essay Research Paper The United
Nuclear Waste Essay, Research Paper The United States alone produces an average volume of commercial low-level radioactive waste of about 500,000 cubic feet each year. That is a lot of waste! This comes from a variety of places. Mainly though, it is produced by nuclear power plants. This waste brings up a problem though.
Ertwr Essay Research Paper Oxygenpoor blood from
Ertwr Essay, Research Paper Oxygen-poor blood from the body flows down through the RIGHT ATRIUM to fill the RIGHT VENTRICLE which pumps the blood out through the PULMONARY ARTERY to the lungs.
Pollution 2 Essay Research Paper PollutionWebster s
Pollution 2 Essay, Research Paper Pollution Webster s Collegiate Dictionary defines pollution as the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment (Merriam-Webster). There are many types of pollution ranging from air to land. It is a major problem in America and as well as the entire world.
Descriptive Essay Essay Research Paper In the
Descriptive Essay Essay, Research Paper In the United Sates, where the population is inflated every year. The amount of space for landfills decreases every day. The need for recycling should not be asked, it should just be done out of habit. Everyone in America needs to recycle, to help the lamdfill problem, help the environment, and help produce new products from recycled goods.
Water Pollution Essay Research Paper Water pollution
Water Pollution Essay, Research Paper Water pollution needs to be stopped. Pollution of lakes rivers, streams, and oceans has been killing land and water animals for years. Polluting water is a horrible act and will be stopped.
Location Of Landfills Essay Research Paper Location
Location Of Landfills Essay, Research Paper Location Of Landfills The Issue Landfill, as defined in the Electronic Encarta World Dictionary 2000, is a method of solid waste disposal in which refuse is buried between layers of dirt so as to fill in or reclaim low-lying ground. There are numerous environmental issues related to landfills.
Recycling Essay Research Paper There are many
Recycling Essay, Research Paper There are many ways we can conserve our resources, but one of the major ways is recycling. In an encycopedia recycling is defined as “the recovery and reprocessing of waste materials for use of new products.” Websters dictonary defines recycling as “a process (as liquid bodywaste, glass or cans) in order to regain material for human use.” There is actually two broad types of recycling, internal and external.
Household Recycling Easier Than You Think Essay
, Research Paper HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING: EASIER THAN YOU THINK! Amy Newman Thesis: After reading this essay, I will fully understand the issue of recycling and the three solutions I have found.
Recycling Essay Research Paper RECYCLING Recycling
Recycling Essay, Research Paper RECYCLING. Recycling is an ancient practice with many modern applications. It refers to the recovery and reuse of materials from spent products. In recent years recycling has become a major part of environmental policy, mainly because of the increased costs of solid- and hazardous-waste disposal, the scarcity of natural resources, and the growing concern over polluted land, water, and air.
Impact Assessment Essay Essay Research Paper Solid
Impact Assessment Essay Essay, Research Paper Solid waste production is something we, as humans, create every day. Most human activity involves the creation of trash, for example eating or even the recycling of the very paper I am writing on. I decided to complete an environmental impact assessment to observe my trash accumulation for a week.
How To Writing A Research Essay Essay
, Research Paper How To Writing A Research Essay The toughest part of the essay, for me, was taking all the information I had gained and reduce it to a mere few pages essay. After all, quality is better
Low Level Waste Essay Research Paper Lowlevel
Low Level Waste Essay, Research Paper Low-level Waste facility Nuclear Fusion, a process in which two light nuclei combine to form a single heavier nucleus. An example of this is the sunrays they are the simplest form of