Social Responsibility Case Study: Patagonia and Esprit
Patagonia and Esprit have been pioneers in a growing category of companies that have successfully integrated social responsibility with profit. Both companies have prospered in the fiercely competitive garment industry, where consumers have become m...
Social Responsibility and Profitability
One reason some organizations are hesitant to adopt social responsibility programs is cost. The argument here is that profit is the cornerstone on which a business is built, and that additional responsibilities only jeopardize the efficiency of prof...
Rise and Fall: Population, Urbanization and the Environment
Much of the change that has occurred in many cities over the past century has come about as a result of the interplay among three factors: population shifts, the environment, and urbanization.
Thermal Treatment Technologies: Thermal Destruction
Since ancient times, the burning of waste has been a common practice. Unfortunately, incineration as generally practiced created serious environmental problems. Today, however, thermal treatment technology has demonstrated its ability to reduce bo...
Chemical Treatment Technologies: Benign by Design, Biomonitoring, and Enforcement
The future of chemical treatment technology is striving to attain the reduction of waste at its source, and seeking to improve the monitoring of that which is discharged.
Physical Treatment Technologies: Electrostatic Precipitation
Particulate matter created as a result of burning coal may be too hot to draw through a baghouse. With an electrostatic precipitator, the hot, dirty stream of exhaust gas passes through a densely spaced series of plates. High voltage electricity c...
Introduction to Waste Stream Management: Block Flow/Mass Balance Analysis
The first step in controlling wastes is understanding where and how they are generated. Engineers and environmental managers use a tool called a block flow diagram to make sense of complex industrial processes. They also use a technique called mas...
Introduction to Waste Stream Management: Treatment Technologies and Pollution Sources
The approved EPA treatment technologies for solid, liquid and gaseous wastestreams can be categorized into four groups: physical, chemical, biological and thermal. Knowing which type of treatment to use and when to use it requires understanding the...
Introduction to Waste Stream Management: Overview and History of Pollution and Environmental Awareness
While pollution has always been part of the industrial process, environmental accountability is relatively new. The founding of the Environmental Protection Agency and the introduction of basic measures to standardize emissions and treatment of liq...
Introduction to Waste Stream Management: Liquid Waste
In the past, some of the major sources of water pollution have been landfills, underground storage tanks, and untreated effluent. Under the Clean Water Act, the EPA sets industry-specific discharge limitations for water pollutants. Treatment metho...