Week 12: Environmental issues

and new technologies

Dr Ashiqur Rahman
Global and Australian
Environmental Issues
 Global and Australian environmental
issues
• transboundary movement of hazardous waste,
• ozone depletion,
• climate change,
• conservation of biological diversity,
• marine pollution,
• migratory birds,
• wetlands,
• various hazardous chemicals, and
• Whaling
• world heritage protection,
 Transboundary movement of
hazardous waste
• Generally from industrialised countries to industrialising
ones
• In industrialised countries stricter regulations, increased
cost of disposal
• In industrialising ones less stricter regulations, low cost,
more virgin land
• 1987-Preliminary guidelines (the Cairo Guidelines) by UNEP
• 1989-Adoption of Basel Convention
• 1992 – Entry into force of the Basel Convention
• Find out how Australia is affected by Basel convention from
the web
 Objectives of Basel convention
• Reduction of Transboundary movements of
hazardous wastes
• Minimisation of generation – quantity and
degree of hazard
• Promotion of environmentally sound
management of hazardous waste
 Biodiversity in Australia
• Australia’s biodiversity is both rich and unique:
• Between 7 - 10% of all species on Earth occur in Australia.
• Historical management of these riches has not prevented
substantial losses.
• Less than 10% of pre-1750 vegetation remains in the intensive use
zones of southeastern and southwestern Australia.
• Native vegetation loss continues at a rate of nearly 1 million ha
annually in Australia.
• Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems have suffered high rates of
species extinctions and extensive degradation since European
settlement; at least 23 birds, 4 frogs, and 27 mammal species have
become extinct, the last accounting for more than one-third of all
contemporary mammal extinctions worldwide.
Climate change
 Ozone depleting substances
• Ozone depleting substances controlled by
Montreal Protocol include:
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Halon
• Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), Methyl chloroform
(CH3CCl3)
• Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs)
• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
• Methyl bromide (CH3Br)
• Bromochloromethane (CH2BrCl)
 New emerging issues in Australia

• Water scarcity
• Marine fisheries
• Rapid growth in mining
coal seam gas
development
• Climate change and
green house gas
emission policy
 Coal seam gas
• http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/03
/12/factbox-csg-australia
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUD_26X
uOqw
 Acid sulfate soils
• Visit the site and view the video
• http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosit
e.nsf/pages/soil_acid_sulfate_soils
 Increase in salinity
• http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=salinit
y+issues+in+Murray+darling+basin&adlt=strict
&view=detail&mid=2894FDB5A28C1D07EE65
2894FDB5A28C1D07EE65&FORM=VRDGAR
 Peak oil crisis
• Watch the video below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukTKnouW
ER8
 New technologies to support
sustainability
• Water sensitive urban design
• Forward osmosis
• Membrane bioreactor
• Urine recovery and treatment
• Composting
• Reverse osmosis
• Land application of digested sludge
 Water sensitive urban design
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KFqEmc
LXk8
 Urine separation
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGsP9n7
dvy8
 Energy harvesting
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz_L6KuqvFI
• Solar power
• Microbial fuel cells – from wastewater??
• Energy generation from salty water – pressure
retarded osmosis
• Microbial fuel cells
• Wave energy
• Wind energy
 Pressure retarded osmosis – energy
from the salt
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc5bXa5
PcWo
 Microbial fuel cells
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZotwUJA
b8R4
Microbial fuel cells