Collect the ocean garbage 

In the previous journals, it had been mentioned about the ocean garbage is harmful for the sea life. Before this method, it is hard for the people to collect the ocean rubbish in a large scale. The main reason is that the large scale collection maybe cost too much and the fish will be also killed during the process.

This new method is called "floating bin".The bins can be left running 24 hours a day and are simple to empty, It will floating on the water and near the sea level. The bin will suck the rubbish nearby and remain in to the bins. It become a filter of the sea to clean the ocean. Not just the solid wastes, but also the oil of the sea surface can be cleaned The other important things is the production cost of this bins is low. It just cost $3,825 (£2,500) each .

The cost always be the main problem for the cleaning the environment. If the cost of this method is not high and less harm to the environment, it should be promote to the public use.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFV2Skl3IlU

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3370235/The-ocean-VACUUM-sucks-rubbish-oil-waterways-2-500-Seabins-trap-floating-debris-coastlines.html

From Landfill to Park

Landfills are one of the major methods to disposing the solid waste, which can store the garbage and let the rubbish decomposed. Every time we think about landfills will be dirty, disgusting and messy. However, the landfills will full and can not store any rubbish again. The landfill still need take time to decompose. The closed landfills can become a recreational facility, garden or some sport facility.

One of the example is the Jordan Valley in Hong Kong, the areas of this landfills is around 11 ha and received around 1,5mt wastes. Since it was closed at 1990, it set up a park on the top and opened to public in August 2010. It includes Bougainvillea Garden, jogging track and Large Radio-Controlled Model Car Racing Circuit, etc. The landfill restore provide a good a for the nearby residential and a good environmental to people spend their time .

 

Overview of Jordan Valley

The lighting system along the access road inside the park were powered by the electricity derived from landfill gas.  The utilization of landfill gas in this case actualizes the principle of Waste-to-Energy and benefits the community. It also can benefit for energy saving.

Reference:

https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/3c0838d4-6018-4535-b7c7-8da94ffdcce9/files/landfill-capacities.pdf

http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/msw_si_lra.html

https://www.archsd.gov.hk/archsd/html/xtef5x5/accessibleversion/OurAchievements/general.html?year=2010

 http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/msw_lgu.html

Recycle Bin

When talking about waste disposal, it is quite different from my home town - Hong Kong and Sydney. In Sydney, we got two box to dispose the waste. One is the red box, which is used for the general waste. The yellow box is for the things that the material that can be recycled. However In Hong Kong, we have general waste Rubin bin and three type of recycle bin - blue bin for paper, yellow bin for plastic, brown for aluminium.

I think if we can classified and dispose the recycle waste in the different bin. That is better for the recycle jobs. It can save many resources to distribute the useful waste and the transport cost. There are also some disadvantage for the mixed all material in one box, that is the material may loss during the collection. 

Although the start up cost of setting he recycle bin maybe high ,we better start from the beginning of the recycle bin.

Reference

http://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/en/household/source_detail.htm

Green Roof 

As the recreational land use is not enough in the inner city, most of the building try to promote the roof top garden to provide more leisure space for the building user. They will try to use the roof top for the gardening use and leisure farming use. It can create one more place for the people to rest and enjoy the green cover.

The other benefit for building the green roof to reduce the sunlight to hits the top of the building. It can reduce the temperature of the building because of the less cement cover area. Therefore, the energy can be saved for the cooling facilities.

Although the green roof have some advantage, there are also some barriers to promote it to public. First is the maintenance cost is high, the second is the loading of the building may not support it.  

Reference:

http://www.npihome.com/2015/1888/whats-a-green-roof/

Underwater Oceanscrapper


The above two photo is the city called“Aequorea” ,which was created by Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut. This is the concept that the city is built under the sea and estimate can stay 20,000 to stay in this under water city. The concept of this city is to support the food and energy itself. This building is include the office, farm land and laboratory etc. The concept of this is to save the energy usage in the earth and  try to lower the carbon footprint.

This concept of this city is wonderful. The city can supply their own needs and the energy. The city can solve the city's lack of land supply problem and over population. Due to the global warming cause the sea level increase,  the percentage of the continental become less. Develop the under water or above the sea development will become the next trend of the property development.


Reference:
http://www.dezeen.com/2015/12/24/aequorea-vincent-callebaut-underwater-oceanscrapers-made-from-3d-printed-rubbish-ocean-plastic/
http://vincent.callebaut.org/page1-img-aequorea.html

Ocean Pollution

The pollution in ocean become the most serious problem nowadays, Many people dump the garbage to the ocean. Those garbage, especially the plastic, give the huge damage to the sea life. For example the sea bird and the sea turtle.

(Dead Sea Birds body fill of Plastic Garbage)

The above photo is shown that the dead sea bird body if full of plastic garbage. The reason is that they can not recognize the small things, After the reflection of the sunlight, the plastic garbage become sensitive for the bird. When these plastic were ate by the bird , it can not be digestion and remain in the birds stomachs till they die.

Another victim is sea turtle. The plastic bag is look like their main food - Jelly fish. It is toxic for the sea turtle and it will remain in their body. Another situation is the plastic will trap them and affect their growth. For portect the sea life , we shouldn't pollute the ocean and don't put the rubbish into the sea. Another way to help to protect our environment is get involve to the  beach cleaning activities. It can raise awareness about protecting the ocean.

Reference:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/08/28/plastic-waste-killing-birds-tens-thousands

E-Waste

The technology have improved very quick in last ten years. Many electric devices, for example mobile phone, computer or the tablet, update every week and every months. However, what can we do for our old electric derive?

First, there are many trade-in scheme in the retail store. The retail store will according to your trade in value to have a discount for purchasing the New phone. The main idea of this scheme is that the store can reuse the useful parts of those deceive. This method is  good because it is "Win-Win" situation. The purchaser can enjoy the discount of the phone and the store can get the useful parts.
 

The above is the trade-in cell phone scheme of T-moblie in US

There are also another ways to recycle the e-waste. In Sydney, the City of Sydney have collected all the e-waste in Villwood. They try to break down the device and get the useful material. They also have a list to tell the the people which items can be recycle.

The above is the items that can be recycled

Reference:
http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-trade-in.html
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/live/waste-and-recycling/e-waste-and-chemicals/e-waste