Category: Land Pollution and Solutions

Greenbelts were designed foremost to limit the perils of suburban sprawl, but in doing so, they have significantly augmented city living by providing accessible green space to city dwellers.

Ethanol is a highly flammable and explosive alcohol that is produced from plant crops. Ethanol is also a highly controversial and explosive topic of conversation these days.

Heat islands, or the heat island effect, are a climactic phenomenon common to urban areas. First observed by meteorologists well over a century ago, the effect is caused when materials characteristic of urban areas absorb and retain heat from the atmosphere, driving up temperatures relative to surrounding rural areas. A factor in every town and… Continue reading What is the Heat Island Effect?

First there was garbage collection, then there was recycling, and now there is compost. A fast and easy way to contribute to sustainable development, composting is the act of accumulating decomposed organic matter separately from the garbage we send to the landfill.

The networks that tie our world together are indeed vast constructions, none more so than the roadways that tie our cities, towns and villages together. Roadways the world over are predominantly made of asphalt, an impervious, petroleum-based substance that includes aggregate such as sand or gravel. This same product is used in the installation of… Continue reading Soil Deterioration in Cities; the Dark Side of Asphalt

When we think about the environment, most of us imagine a verdant landscape of leafy trees, rolling hills and vast lakes, or at least something not far removed from this spectacular image. Humans, in spite of their environmental conceptions, do not so much occupy a natural world, however.

Globalization is a big word that plays a big game. Over time, that game has expanded beyond commodities and into the developing world where comparably affordable food sources are ever abundant. As a result of cheap energy and agricultural subsidies, food companies in the developed world have been forced to come up with new ways… Continue reading What Does Buying Local Food Do for the Environment?

Landfill reclamation is the process of transforming a full landfill from wasteland to woodland by successfully turning garbage into resilient landscapes.

In the 18th century, the famous French scientist Lavoisier stipulates that “rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée, tout se transforme”, which can be translated by “nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything transforms”. The core of the sentence means that no element is created out of nothing and none of it disappears. Natural… Continue reading Garbage, Recycling and Waste Management; Understanding the Lifetime of Material

The famous French scientist Lavoisier stipulates in the 18th century that “Rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée”, which is translated by “nothing is lost, nothing is created”. This means that no organic element is created out of nothing and none of it disappears either; natural things on this planet is recycling itself and… Continue reading The Lifetime of Material; Understanding Garbage and Recycle