Residents win tens of millions in compensation after Cranbourne methane gas leak fiasco | Herald Sun. Pipes syphon off gas at the Cranbourne estate in 2009. Source: HWT Image Library THE council forced into paying millions in compensation for a gas fiasco says the deal is a "good outcome". Residents will share $17.25m compo for the Cranbourne gas leak fiasco after compensation lawyers Slater & Gordon took at least $6m in fees. The massive class action over Cranbourne's methane gas fiasco was settled this morning, with 771 residents winning compensation. The Cranbourne Leader reports the settlement is set to be $23.5 million, including $13.5m from Casey Council coffers and $10m to be paid by the EPA. Residents will share $17.25m after a $6m payment for the court costs and fees for law firm Slater and Gordon. The lawyers may earn even more for the case, with their fees only covering their work until the end of February.
The company may earn another $250,000 for further work it does for “exceptional circumstances”. The lowest payout will be just over $7000. with John Masanauskas. 4613.0 - Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends, Jan 2010. This document was added 02/05/2010. CLIMATE CHANGE IN AUSTRALIAWhat is climate change? Australia's greenhouse gas emissionsReducing our greenhouse gas emissionsImpacts and adaptationSummaryEndnotes Climate change is a global problem with global consequences. Warmer-than-average temperatures are being recorded across the world.
Glaciers and polar ice caps are melting and sea levels are rising. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), released its fourth assessment report in 2007. In Australia and internationally, there has been an increasing focus on the issue of climate change and the demand for credible statistics and information has grown accordingly.
What is climate change? Globally, there is evidence of climate change, including increases in air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising sea levels (Endnote 6). The Greenhouse Effect. Methane in Landfills- Jess. Global methane emissions from landfill are estimated to be between 30 and 70 million tonnes each year. Most of this landfill methane currently comes from developed countries, where the levels of waste tend to be highest. Landfills provide ideal conditions for methanogenesis, with lots of organic material and anaerobic conditions prevalent. The huge amounts of waste that are buried in landfill sites can mean that methane is produced for years after the site is closed, due to the waste slowly decaying under the ground. Methane escapes from landfills either directly to the atmosphere or by diffusion through the cover soil.
Highly active communities of methanotrophs can develop in these overlying soils and these can greatly reduce the amounts of methane emitted. Human Impact Our so called 'throw away society' in developed countries has led to a large increase in the amounts of domestic kitchen waste entering landfill sites. Potential for control Landfill Strategies Strategies for Individuals. Beijing Article- Jess. By China correspondent Hui Fern Tay Updated Less than four per cent of Beijing's trash is recycled. It's a small economy that's dominated by workers who come from the surrounding provinces. "Beijingers won't do the sort of work that we do," laughed 28 year old Mr Mei who was having lunch while sitting outside the little shack he shares with his wife and only child in a waste recycling market.
The scrap metal collector who is originally from Hebei province is part of an informal network of garbage collectors who may be displaced as Beijing tidies up the sector and the way the city deals with its trash. Mr Mei and many others like him are benefitting from the throwaway culture that's risen together with the wealth from people who live in the Chinese capital. Garbage problems The tiny size of Beijing's recycling market is one reason why the city has a garbage problem. Every day the city's 20 million residents produce around 18 million tonnes of waste. Burning the best way? Waste and climate change - Madi. Waste and climate change may seem like separate issues, but they are actually very closely linked. Waste is a clear indicator of how much of our natural resources we’re using. The cheaper and more abundant our resources, the more we use them and the more we feel we can afford to waste. Not only is climate change a clear symptom of our over-consumption, it is also a result of our extreme levels of resource use.
The two major greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide and methane - are also a byproduct of the waste we create. Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is the most abundant of these greenhouse gases and is produced when we burn fossil fuels to generate energy. Wasting things means using energy to replace them. Methane Methane, the other major greenhouse gas, is the major concern of the waste industry. Methane from solid waste accounted for 86.5 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector in 2005-07. Can compost kill? - madi. Before we get started, let me get this disclosure out of the way: I love compost. From peeing on my garden mulch to composting the waste from my house move, I've written prolifically about my adventures in rotting biomass.
I never fail to be amazed how nature’s regenerative powers can take dead, rotting waste, and cycle it back into life-enhancing black gold. Is compost the enemy? As an enthusiast, I've always been confused by the idea that anyone could not love compost. Yet these people exist. Some even see it as a threat to our health, well-being and way of life. Take this impassioned, if grammatically challenged, article warning of Danger Mulch & Compost Environmental Danger [sic]: "DANGER: Environmental Organic, Gardening with Mulching Composting Can Kill You!
So what’s the deal? Is my beloved compost pile really just a deadly source of contagion, ready to claim its next victim? Yes ... and no. Aspergillus spores, fungus, mold and meningitis Aspergillus risk overblown Related on MNN: Gardener dies as he breathes in deadly fungus from rotted leaves on compost heap - Madi. By Fiona Macrae for the Daily Mail Updated: 23:21 GMT, 12 June 2008 Gardeners have been warned of a deadly fungus that lurks in compost heaps and piles of rotting leaves (picture posed by model) Gardeners have been put on alert for a deadly fungus that lurks in compost heaps and in piles of rotting leaves.
Doctors issued the warning after a man died from inhaling the Aspergillus fungal spores. The 47-year-old, a welder from Buckinghamshire, became ill less than 24 hours after spreading rotting tree and plant mulch, the Lancet medical journal reports. In an article entitled Gardening Can Seriously Damage Your Health, the man's doctors said that while such an extreme reaction to the fungus was rare, it could be considered an 'occupational hazard' for gardeners. The unnamed man was admitted to Wycombe Hospital, Buckinghamshire, early last year suffering chest pain, shortness of breath, muscle pain and a cough.
But in asthma sufferers it can produce coughing and wheeziness. The problem with landfill. Landfill sites are pretty ugly. And it’s not just the sight of increasing piles of waste that’s the problem. There are many negative issues associated with landfill. The three most important are toxins, leachate and greenhouse gases. Toxins Many materials that end up as waste contain toxic substances. Learn more about why mercury is a growing problemLearn more about electronic waste Leachate Leachate is the liquid formed when waste breaks down in the landfill and water filters through that waste. Greenhouse gas When organic material such as food scraps and green waste is put in landfill, it is generally compacted down and covered. Learn more about organic waste and methane Apart from the financial costs, garbage buried in landfill breaks down at a very slow rate and remains a problem for future generations.
Learn more about recycling and landfills. Concerns over composting as study reveals health risks of recycling organic household waste. DRIVEN by government targets, commercial composting is now turning into big business as a convenient way of dealing with the millions of tonnes of organic waste produced by Scottish households and companies every year. However, there are fears that the bioaerosols produced by such waste could be damaging to health. In Scotland, sites that deal with organic waste have multiplied in recent years with some commercial operators able to cope with up to 40,000 tonnes on sites among the largest in the world. Green waste is shredded down, laid out in open rows and turned regularly, reaching high temperatures. After several weeks, the waste is filtered to remove any rubbish and sold as compost. Food waste is mixed with lime and woodchips and left to rot down in large containers before it too is sold as a soil improver.
Bioaerosols can contain fungal spores and bacteria are harmful to human health, and some people seem to be more susceptible than others. However, potential risks are emerging. Climate Change in Australia - JACINTA. Qmdc.org. Macadamia husk compost improves soil health in sub-tropical horticulture. Macadamia husk compost improves soil health in sub-tropical horticulture Justine Cox1, Lukas Van-Zwieten2, Matthew Ayres2 and Steve Morris2 Abstract The macadamia industry has acknowledged that bare soil under mature trees with mechanical harvesting from the orchard floor has resulted in soil loss from erosion. Macadamia husk and poultry manure were composted to provide a surface cover and the effects of compost on soil health assessed.
A green waste compost was also included for comparison. Both composts and a compost treatment with a fibre mat on top were applied to three tree plots of macadamias, and soil health indicators were measured for 18 months. Key Words Microbial activity, soil health, biological indicator The macadamia industry currently produces 29,000 tonnes of raw nut from more than 1.25 million hectares of orchards in northern NSW and south eastern Qld.
Soil samples were taken at the start then after 3, 6, 9 and 18 months. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group - Recycling organic waste. Recycling organic waste from your home creates a healthier, more sustainable garden and reduces waste to landfill. Using compost and mulch from council kerbside collections, home composting or worm farming improves your soil, makes your plants grow better and benefits the environment. Benefits for your garden include: improved soil from the release of organic nutrientsreduced instances of pests and diseasesstronger and healthier plantsweeds are kept at bayreduces water usage by up to 30%reduces the need for fertilisers Benefits for the environment include: reduced household waste going to landfills (the average Victorian garbage bin contains approx. 50% organic material)reduced methane gas emissions (considered to be 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide)carbon content from organic waste is returned to the soilpreserves soil fertility and makes it resistant to erosion.
Recycled organics from council green waste collections Home composting Worm farming. Ocean Pollution. Stephen Palumbi: Following the mercury trail There's a tight and surprising link between the ocean's health and ours, says marine biologist Stephen Palumbi . He shows how toxins at the bottom of the ocean food chain find their way into our bodies, with a shocking story of toxic contamination from a Japanese fish market. His work points a way forward for saving the oceans' health — and humanity's: The Great Pacific Garbage PatchCapt. First discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — an endless floating waste of plastic trash.
Runoff and Pollution Although the ocean covers two-thirds of the surface of the Earth, it is surprisingly vulnerable to human influences such as overfishing, pollution from run-off, and dumping of waste from human activity. » Environmental chemicals and cancer By Kristan Aronson, PhD for the David Suzuki Foundation » Thousands of gallons of raw sewage spill into San Marcos Creek...
Ocean Dumping Governments world-wide were urged by the 1972 Stockholm Conference. Connections between Compost, Soil Carbon and Climate Change | AGRESOURCE, INC. By Sally Brown, Ph.D. Research Associate Professor University of Washington The images that come to mind when you think about the causes of climate change are big cars and trucks and coal-fired power plants that emit carbon to the atmosphere.
Although the popular press is filled with discussions on the relative merits of different sources of “green energy,” little attention is being paid to how we manage the carbon in our soils. Soil has an important role in the carbon cycle; managing soil organic matter (SOM) can be critical in climate change and can provide a key tool for storing carbon and mitigating the impact of the changes that are likely to occur.
Soil contains carbon as both a component of SOM and as inorganic carbonates, commonly known as limestone. The importance of organic matter in relation to healthy soils and supporting plant growth is well understood and recognized by soil scientists who study soils and by farmers and horticulturalists who grow plants. Composting and Climate Change. Consumption of fossil fuels is far from the only cause of GHG emissions. Carbon released from soil exploitation has been a significant contributor to climate change. Recognizing the connection between soil and climate is key to reestablishing sustainable soil management practices.
Impact of Soil Exploitation More than twice as much carbon is stored in the Earth’s soil as is stored in all living vegetation and the atmosphere combinedOver approximately 20 years, most agricultural soils loose 50% of their organic carbon because of the reliance of industrial agriculture on chemical fertilizers and intensive farming practicesSoil exploitation has been responsible for approximately one-third of the increase in atmospheric CO2 over the last 150 years, mainly through the loss of soil organic carbonMore carbon entered the atmosphere from soils than from fossil fuel consumption from the 1860s until the 1970s Compost and Carbon Sequestration Organics Diversion and Methane Avoidance. The problem with landfill. Landfill sites are pretty ugly. And it’s not just the sight of increasing piles of waste that’s the problem. There are many negative issues associated with landfill.
The three most important are toxins, leachate and greenhouse gases. Toxins Many materials that end up as waste contain toxic substances. Over time, these toxins leach into our soil and groundwater, and become environmental hazards for years. Electronic waste is a good example. Learn more about why mercury is a growing problemLearn more about electronic waste Leachate Leachate is the liquid formed when waste breaks down in the landfill and water filters through that waste. Greenhouse gas When organic material such as food scraps and green waste is put in landfill, it is generally compacted down and covered. Learn more about organic waste and methane Apart from the financial costs, garbage buried in landfill breaks down at a very slow rate and remains a problem for future generations. Learn more about recycling and landfills. Methane and Climate Change: Scientists Struggle to Solve Four Corners Mystery. No Cookies. ABS Statistics- Jess.
Methane Emissions. Who Will Suffer Most From Climate Change. Composting loos should be the answer to the world's toilet crisis | Global Development Professionals Network. AprilBlog. History of Composting - Composting for the Homeowner - JACINTA. Recycling and landfill. Uwp8.pdf. Clean up Australia - JACINTA. Climate change is a lifestyle disease. Resource Conservation - Food Waste | Wastes.