Construction sites are a very common view everywhere. There is always a demand for building new or renovating old ones. The waste materials that are created in these processes should always be recycled, yet this is not always done. On every construction site there should be separate collection points at least for wood, metal, plastics, glass, and hazardous waste. Finnish construction sites are required to follow the Finnish legislation on waste management called “jätelaki”, which states that the number one priority is to try to prevent creating waste in the first place. However, this is not always possible. Jätelaki also states that the waste materials should preferably be reused as raw materials and not converted into energy. Converting into energy in this case means burning and thus creating massive carbon emissions in order to get electricity. This legislation is very open to interpretation, and in the absence of clear statements in the law, it is tempting for companies to deal with the construction waste as they desire, which, especially in the case of smaller companies, is often the cheapest way possible. The cheapest way usually not being the most environmentally friendly option. I have worked on several different construction sites and for several different companies in the past. My own experiences of this topic vary a lot between different construction companies. I personally feel that bigger companies are more likely to have their construction waste recycling well planned, while smaller ones either lack resources or interest. Bigger construction companies also have contracts with companies that rent waste collectors. They also have contracts with raw material buyers, which make it profitable for them to recycle their construction waste. The way I see it is that bigger companies are also more vulnerable to possible reputation loss that could be caused by handling their waste inappropriately. In general, construction waste is dealt with better on construction sites that build new than it is in most renovation cases. Also, bigger companies are usually the ones building new, while smaller ones are the ones that have plenty of small renovation sites. The biggest issue that I have faced while working on this field of business was when I worked in a company that used a lot of different dangerous chemicals. Even though the chemical containers were labeled with “dangerous to environment” sign, they were thrown away with the regular waste, meaning that they would end up on landfills causing a serious threat to the environment. All in all, there is a lot of room for improvement in the construction waste recycling business in Finland. The most important thing would be to create laws that would force even the smallest companies to start paying attention to this situation, followed with appropriate monitoring that could be funded by the government. Also, government could lend support money to smaller companies in order to get them started with recycling their construction waste. This loan could then be paid back when the companies start to make profit from selling waste materials to buyers. Oskari Mäkelä Sources: http://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/9590/Tuohiaro.Rami.pdf?sequence=2 Nowadays becoming “green” has gained popularity among designers and builders, since the needs of the housing market are continuously changing. Sustainable design covers a building’s impacts holistically, from the planning process to the deconstruction at the end of the building’s useful life. It is necessary to consider all the impacts a construction may bring, since wrong planning might affect the tenant’s health as well as the surroundings: ecosystems, air quality, animals and plants among others. The aim of a sustainable construction project is to enhance the quality of life for the building occupants. People were not designed to live in an asphalt jungle, surrounded by traffic jams and having to breathe polluted air. It is necessary to implement projects, which allow public encounters with convenient access to public transportation, and natural spaces that promote walking instead of driving. Simply by incorporating natural features such as windows that permits natural light into the building or by adding some plants, the occupants’ experience can be transformed from just living in the building to enjoying their lives. And what else makes this kind of building so attractive? It’s energy use. High-efficiency buildings use natural means for power generation, for instance solar and wind power, and they include as well the use of some principles which tends towards minimum performance standards such as:
However, what is usually thought about green building is that by implementing this kind of practices, the cost of the project will increase and result in more work. This misconception is far from reality. In terms of the construction process, sustainable practices are not very different from traditional procedures, but they result in a different and a more efficient construction. Green projects are demonstrating that many of the fundamental principles of sustainable building can be applied without increasing the project price and they also allow savings in terms of operating costs. One model of a green building project is actually very near Tampere. The Vuores area is a typical ‘greenfield’ development in a woodland area to the south of the city of Tampere, which by 2020 will become an ECOCITY. This project is trying to incorporate all the fundamentals of green building construction with an optimum urban structure that takes into account the conservation of the natural environment, social issues, an efficient public transport system and of course, for the energy supply the use of renewable energies. Paola Israde Burrola References Image: Kubina, J. 2007. Technische Universität Darmstadt - Solar Decathlon 2007. Solar energy, Wikipedia.last modified on 10 november 2014. Accessed 10/11/2014. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Technische_Universit%C3%A4t_Darmstadt_-_Solar_Decathlon_2007.jpg Letcher, T. 2008. Future energy: Improvised, sustainable and clean options for our planet. China: Elsevier. Yudelson, J. 2009. Green building through integrated design. USA: Mc Graw hill. Bose, R. 2009. Energy efficient cities. USA: The World Bank. The European Week for Waste Reduction is approaching! The program aims to raise awareness on waste reduction with the theme of three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. TAMK is participating this year by arranging the annual Stuff Exchange Days on Monday and Tuesday, 24th and 25th of November, and providing info about food waste in the lunch area. We challenge you, fellow student, to take part in minimizing waste by reducing, reusing and recycling! This year we encourage everyone to think especially about the food waste. In developed countries, food waste is a huge problem: it requires lots of energy, land and water to produce the food on your plate, and if it ends up in the bin it has all been for nothing. In Europe we waste food to the extent that by reducing it only by 15 %, we could feed the amount of people in Europe all over again. That’s something to think about! Therefore, please be mindful of your portion sizes and you’ll do the environment a favour! Continuing an item’s life instead of throwing it in the bin is the ultimate eco-deed: compared to new stuff being produced, it takes much less energy to repair what’s broken and continuing to use it for the purpose it was designed for. Also giving your stuff away to have a chance to fill someone else’s needs after you no longer need them is a great chance to reduce waste. Dig through your closets and check if you have unwanted things clogging up your space, and bring it to the Stuff exchange days! The world’s resources are not infinite either, and also for that reason we should always rather recycle the raw material of an item at the end of its life, than throw it in the landfill. Have you for example known, that in addition to recycling the normal paper, cardboard, glass and metal, you can take your worn out clothes that’s not possible to be reused anymore, to the fabric recycling bin at any H&M and they will use it as material for new fabric? (Disclaimer: this is not an H&M ad; I just encourage you to take use of their recycling program! You should still consider whether buying things from them is smart. ☻) In Tampere there’s also a currently ongoing plastic recycling test period where you can drop off your plastic at the recycling bins around the city. Unfortunately there are only eight of those points in the city, the closest one to TAMK being located in Tammelantori. It’s interesting to see how much you can actually reduce your waste by recycling even the plastic! I challenge you to try and guarantee that you no longer need to take the trash out very often! Drop by on Stuff exchange days in Lämpiö near Teiskontie entrance, on Monday and Tuesday 24th to 25th of November, and learn about more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle! You can also find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1512146352367123/?fref=ts Laura Puurunen References: European Week for Waste Reduction. http://www.ewwr.eu/en People all over the world are highly concerned about air quality. Fewer people, though, have ever thought about indoor air. The majority are quite sure that air outside is more polluted than inside their houses. However, it is vice versa. I would like to present the major sources of indoor air pollution and give some tips which can help to improve the situation. Household products First of all, I would like to mention personal care and household cleaning products which we actually use in our everyday life. Our morning starts in the bathroom and we use shampoo, soap, toothpaste and skin scrubs. Then we, mostly girls, use different types of cremes and, finally, we do our make-up and hair, again using plenty of beauty products. During the day, we wash dishes several times using washing detergent. We also do our laundry, which includes use of powder and softener, for example. All these products are made of chemicals and emit a huge amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which can lead to cancer, asthma attacks, skin and eye irritation and so on. So, try to choose personal care and household products with low concentrations of VOCs. Here is the link which I, personally, use to choose all the detergents, cleaners and laundry products. (http://www.ewg.org) VOC'sCarpeting is another issue which is worth discussing. Materials which carpets are made of and the process of producing carpets involve plenty of chemicals which can affect our health as soon as they are released into the air. The component called styrene, which is used in latex for carpet base, is one of the most dangerous VOC sources in carpets. Along with chemicals, bacteria, dust, mold and mildew can be found in carpets. All together, these can cause skin irritation, headaches, fatigue, eye and nose irritation and difficulties in breathing. That is why, when choosing a carpet, I would strongly recommend you to buy Green Label products, which have a low level of VOCs. It is also quite a good idea to let your new carpet air out before laying it indoors, and keep the room with a new carpet well ventilated. You should also look for a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter (high-efficiency particulate air filter) that will help you to keep the carpet clean and thus improve the indoor air quality. Nonstick cookware is also dangerous for our health. It emits a chemical (perfluoro-octanoic acid) into the air which is linked with cancer, thyroid decease, reduced fertility and elevated cholesterol. This issue is now being studied by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the USA, as this chemical has been found in people’s blood samples. RadonAnother danger is radon gas, which comes from the ground and water. It actually comes from a natural decay of uranium, which is found in almost all soil types. Radioactive particles of radon can get inside your lungs and cause lung cancer. In order to protect yourself from radon gas penetration inside your home, you should prevent any cracks or holes in your house’s foundations. Mold Our daily routine includes cooking and washing, which leads to increase of water vapors in the air. A high level of moisture can result in mold growth. So, those who have some kind of allergies can have an asthma attack or start coughing. In view of the fact that everything inside our houses pollutes the air we breathe, it is essential that we take steps to improve air quality. Proper ventilation is the key way to keep your indoor air clean and safe to breathe. Kristina Shunova Resources: Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Fluorinated Telomers. 2014. EPA. Read 10.10.2014. http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/ Radon.Health risks. 2014. EPA. Read 10.10.2014. http://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html Volatile Organic Compounds. 2014. EPA. Read 10.10.2014. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html In the past, every family had a vegetable patch in the back yard. When the shift to an industrial society took place and people moved to the cities, producing one’s own food became unnecessary. Today, however, population growth especially in the cities sets many challenges for us, food security and pollution not being the least of our worries. Even though today more than a half of the world’s population lives in urbanised areas, the United Nations Development Programme estimates that only 15 percent of the world's food is grown in cities. How is it then possible to feed such a huge, constantly growing mass of humanity sustainably? An urban farm in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters. Original photo Urban farming, community gardening, urban agriculture - no matter what you call it, is suggested to be one of the solutions for local food production. The loose terms generally refer to farming in an urban area in a small space, usually on an allotment that you share with a group of other farmers, but can also mean simply growing your lettuce on your windowsill in an urban setting. Rooftops are said to have the most future potential of all sites in the cities because of the huge amount of underutilized space they possess. In the western world today, a few urbanites are farming out of necessity, but an increasing environmental awareness and an interest in back-to-basics lifestyle among city-dwellers has led people to embrace farming in cities as a relaxing pastime and a way of having fresh, local, additive-free produce on the table. As the benefits of putting wasted space to a good use are becoming evident and urban farming is gaining more popularity, local governments are starting to show some interest in allocating public land for city farming. Companies too, are getting involved: green roofs are being established on top of their corporate HQ’s and other buildings, where employees can take care of the communal veggies and forget about work every now and then. As an example, the former Nokia headquarters’ rooftop garden can be viewed here. Even a high-class restaurant, Savoy, in Helsinki, established a rooftop garden a few years ago to grow fresh, local ingredients for their own use. The garden has become an icon; since its opening in 2010 it has been expanded, reviewed in many media and turned into a sight in itself, promoting local, urban food production. An impressive example of how an urban garden can actually become very productive in many ways. The urban farming list of positives is in fact long; not only do urban gardens produce food out of land which would often otherwise be underutilized, but it has a huge impact on people’s well-being and on their perceptions about the urban environment. The carbon footprint of locally grown food is obviously much lower compared to things grown far away and as we all must eat anyway, growing your own veggies is the ultimate green choice! Green areas also help reduce run-offs of rain water and create small scale carbon sinks in the cities, purifying the air and mitigating some of the vast greenhouse gas emissions cities produce. According to a National Geographic article, community gardens even have a positive impact on the property values. With all these benefits for human health, the environment and for the liveability of cities, why is this movement then not embraced everywhere? Unfortunately the land in cities is scarce and thus expensive, and in the end it’s often the euros that count. In Finland we have had quite a bit of land to “spare”, and therefore in the past, city farming might have been considered silly, if not pointless. In some major European and US’ metropolises where the situation is quite different, urban farming as a movement, its benefits and possibilities are much more acknowledged and supported. Around Tampere there have been public community gardens also during the past summer arranged by an urban gardening non-profit organisation Dodo, but a lot more could be done. So how about a proposal to your landlord to launch a gardening project in the possibly unproductive, dull yard? Or then you could just make use of those scarce square meters in your balcony, like here and grow a few lettuce leaves. The internet is full of interesting articles on how to use your space wisely to grow yourself some inexpensive food with very small carbon emissions – just the way we like it. References: http://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/ https://koivu.luomus.fi/kasvitiede/tutkimus/viherkatot/PiironenMinna%20tiivistelm%C3%A42609.pdf “The application of GIS is limited only by the imagination of those who use it”.
Jack Dangermond, Esri Company So, today,my glorious readers, I am going to tell you about GIS applications in hydrology! One of the most common applications is the hydrological application, and the opportunities here are enormous! To proceed, I´ll use the simple logic of narration: first, what things can be displayed, second, how they can be analyzed, and third, what conclusions and decisions can be made. So, first, displaying. As a background for a hydrological map, an elevation model of the Earth’s surface is normally used, withg round water reservoirs displayed in a certain way if needed. Then, since the occurrence of water in nature varies in time, such crucial dynamic parameters as incoming, outgoing and groundwater flows, precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff and other features are displayed. The possibilities for analysis are huge (or maybe I’m getting too enthusiastic), and include predicting flood-vulnerable or water-scarce areas, and finding out the possible impact of global warming on the regional hydrological situation. The conclusions and decisions come directly from the previous. We can decide what hydrological projects to implement to protect water bodies, and which projects should be reconsidered or cancelled. We could think globally but act locally and try to anticipate the effects of global warming already today. With the help of watershed GIS, we can create a risk management system for floods and droughts and develop a restoration plan if the worst has already happened. There is a nice example of how one of the global warming problems was solved. One may safely say that with the fast growth of population in recent years, the need for water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses has increased, while resources are diminishing due to overuse and contamination. Thus, the establishment of good management of water resources has become one of the main challenges.This case comes from Australia 2008, where almost 10 years of drought had emphasized the need for better management of water resources. So, then, the following decision was made: a National Groundwater Data and Information Systems was designed - a special computer system for making a proper analysis of groundwater movement - and a basis for this system was an Arc GIS map. In future, it helped to make an effective water management system. GIS is multifunctional and almighty! In hydrology, GIS applications are especially helpful for watershed-scale analyses, for instance integrated surface and modeling of underground water,also regional underground water modeling, and analyses of water quality. Locally, GIS can be useful for the selection of underground water development sites and places where depleted groundwater resources can be artificially replenished. These analyses must take into consideration a broad range of data, namely: use of land, property ownership, geology, types of soil, and distance from the source. In addition, GIS has the very beneficial possibility to integrate data from various sources, namely: vegetation and land cover, boreholes and wells, satellite imagery and surface geology. And importantly, this information can be utilized immediately to design a clearer understanding of surface water movement and subsurface water movement and their interactions. So,as the saying goes, "the one who controls the GIS, controls the world (in 2D and 3D forms, of course)!" And here is one link, just for fun! Start typing the words and enjoy the magic! Vera Mazaikina Building for Future Generations Humanity is running up against the limits of a finite planet. We are experiencing rapid global climate destabilization and the endangerment of entire ecosystems. A great percentage of the world’s population lives in cities and the amount keeps on growing. The use of cars and natural resources has skyrocketed and we are now at a point of great crisis with the way we live. These major life-threatening global environmental problems demand a reconstruction of our way of life. Seeing as the way we live is linked to the way we build and use resources, instead of trying to improve our outdated infrastructure, it needs to be redesigned to suit the finite capacity of our planet. Arcology is a combination of ecology and architecture. It is an architectural design for densely populated areas and is also known as an eco-city. Arcologies or eco-cities are cities that are ecologically healthy. The aim of the design of these cities is to have the smallest ecological footprint and pollute as little possible. The idea is to meet the needs of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It provides its citizens with food, water and power. Other important concepts to consider are: using land efficiently, composting used materials, recycling waste to produce energy and efficient water use. Ecological cities are achieved through various ways. They use various green technologies to ensure a clean footprint. The energy is acquired by using renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal energy and by using bio-gas created from sewage. The need for energy is reduced, for example, by reducing the need for air-conditioning, which is a massive energy demand. This is achieved by using proper insulation, natural ventilation systems, and green spaces which should cover at least 20% of the city’s surface. Green roofs are green spaces on the roofs of buildings, which create a natural insulation for the building and a habitat for wildlife. Eco-cities have an emphasis on the close proximity of things, thus reducing the need for vehicles. Also, improving public transport is an important issue to consider. The optimal solution would, of course, be car-free zones and zero-emission transport by using electric cars.
Changing already existing strong beliefs of how humanity should live and build is difficult. There is not one solution for all our problems; the solution requires experts from many fields to come together and create a practical vision for a sustainable and restorative human presence on this planet. Katja Räsänen At an ever-increasing rate, we are starting to realize that our rigid and mechanical approaches to everyday issues aren’t sustainable. Fossil fuel reserves are running out, agriculture is depleting the soils and lately we’ve been thinking that incinerating our waste is a good idea instead of reducing our waste output. We’ve become stuck, and the environment suffers from it. People have to see there is a bigger picture and work with it instead of blindly painting over it with fire and bulldozers. I think it is perfectly clear that our current ways of ‘dominating nature’ are what stands between us and a bright future for humanity and the planet. Fortunately, people are becoming more environmentally aware and there are many different fields of study that aim to find sustainable alternatives to our current unsustainable ways. Biomimicry is one of those fields, studying patterns in nature and imitating them in order to design more efficient and sustainable solutions to our problems. The essence of biomimicry is the idea that nature contains everything we need because organisms have, through millions of years of evolution, adapted and optimized themselves to live on this planet. The Romanesco broccoli is a visually striking example that showcases nature’s mathematical brilliance. It’s up to us now to tap into this brilliance and use it in creative ways. So what are some examples of products and technologies that take their inspiration from nature? One product that we undoubtedly all have used at some point in our lives is Velcro. This brilliant material with countless uses, ranging from shoe fasteners to astronaut equipment, was invented by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral. He was walking his dog in the Alps and he kept noticing the burrs of the burdock plant (see image on left) kept sticking to his clothes and dog’s fur. Examining the burrs under the microscope he learned that they have hundreds of small hooks that catch on to any material with some kind of loop structure. Of course, the burdock plant has developed this system because it greatly assists with seed dispersion and therefore reproduction. Sharks have also proven to be a major source of inspiration for technologies. Sharks can alter the texture of their skin to control the amount of friction during swimming, thereby optimizing their hunting prowess. Shark skin also has a specific surface structure (see image below) which makes it almost impossible for bacteria, algae and parasites to settle. Coatings inspired by shark skin have immensely varied applications in for example the naval, automobile and healthcare sectors. The streamlining effect can greatly increase fuel efficiency of crafts, while the antibacterial and organism-repellant property of the surface structure is an answer to the problem of biofouling. This is a phenomenon where bacteria and larger organisms, such as clams and barnacles, attach themselves to a surface and form a film. In the naval sector, biofouling slows moving ships down significantly, causing fuel to be wasted. By utilizing a coating inspired by shark skin, these organisms cannot settle and in turn there is no need to use toxic compounds to remove them from the hull of the ship. This is a great relief for the environment. In the healthcare sector, the coating could assist in the prevention of disease spread. Another positive effect is that this would reduce the need for disinfection methods.
These are just some examples of brilliant solutions that have been inspired by nature. Some further reading will tell you there are many other biomimicked technologies, and fortunately more and more are being developed all the time. New ways of electricity generation, better energy efficiency and materials that can repair or heal themselves are just some of the many developments. I believe there is vast potential in nature that can, and hopefully will play a big role in our journey towards a sustainable future. Is there any pattern or system of nature you can think of that could potentially be of great use for humans? Michael Kloet When you start thinking about car races, the first thing that comes to mind as an environmental engineer is the huge amount of money spent on them, and the serious environmental impacts they have. A large number of cars and personnel are transported from country to country to races, only to damage more of our valuable and precious environment. Not to mention the amount of people who also travel to watch the race… However, could there still be some greater meaning for this? Something that we as regular people could actually learn from Formula 1? My opinion is that there is. Most people do not know what KERS, or ERS, or other abbreviations mean. KERS is short for Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, which was introduced to the sport in 2009. KERS works so that it harnesses the waste energy that is created during the braking. Rather than letting it escape as heat it is transformed into energy. In an F1 engine the energy is stored in a flywheel or in a battery. This provides an additional 60 kilowatts of power up to 6.67 seconds. For readers that do not follow F1, this is a huge amount of power. This innovation could soon be available to ordinary drivers, too. Volvo has tested adding KERS with a flywheel into regular road cars. The results show that in a four cylinder set up with KERS, the fuel consumption can be reduced by 25 percent when compared to a similar car with a six cylinder setup. In addition, the technique gives additional power of 60 kilowatts, which makes the four cylinder setup car accelerate like a six cylinder setup car. In 2014, a new system was taken into use in F1 and it is called ERS, Energy Recovery Systems. ERS consists of two energy recovery systems: Motor Generator Unit- Kinetic (MGU-K) and Motor Generator Unit- Heat (MGU-H). In addition, Energy Store (ES) and control electronics are part of ERS. MGU-K works in similar way to KERS, by transforming kinetic energy into electricity. MGU- H then transforms the heat energy from exhaust gases into electrical energy. This energy can then be used for MGU- K or stored in the energy store. This means an addition of approximately 120 kilowatts for 33 seconds, when compared to 60 kilowatts for 6,67 seconds.
Moreover, the new regulations for 2014 in F1 have a 100 kilogram limit for fuel per race, when before 160 kilograms of fuel could be used. This means that more testing and optimising is needed to get the maximal benefit from the limited amount of fuel. Doesn’t this sound very energy efficient and energy saving? The hybrid techniques of energy saving and energy efficiency of the fuels can also be transferred into our own road cars; or at least the information gotten can be developed for further use. Therefore, making the formula cars faster and more efficient does not always mean waste of money and environmental degradation. For more information, check the references. Sanni Joensuu References: http://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/autot/uusin+hybriditekniikka+valloittaa+formula+1n+ndash++teho+tuplaantuu+vaikutusaika+5kertaistuu/a963128 http://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/innovaatiot/25++saasto+bensankulutuksessa++volvo+testasi+formuloista+tuttua+kersjarjestelmaa+henkiloautoissa/a899268 http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/technical_regulations/ http://www.williamsf1.com/AdvancedEngineering/Media/Videos/Williams-Hybrid-Power-Flywheel---How-it-Works/ The picture is borrowed from here: http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimi_Räikkönen |
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