Air Pollution Following World War II
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer talks about the deterioration of air quality in the United States from the 19th century through the post-War years. He focuses on the contribution of the automobile to air pollution following W...
Air Pollution Through the 1960's
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer talks about the increase in air pollution in the United States and elsewhere through the 1960's. He notes that this increase was in large part responsible for legislation aimed at restricting t...
Global Warming: Evidence and Impact
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer discusses the evidence confirming global warming and the expected impact, which he predicts will be enormous.
Biological Treatment Technologies: Microorganisms and Metabolism
From the polar ice caps to the bottom of the sea, microorganisms that provide the backbone of biological treatment are becoming our greatest ally in the quest for a cleaner environment. The microbial kingdom is comprised of organisms ranging from s...
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.
Thermal Treatment Technologies: Wet Air Oxidation
Wet air oxidation is a process in which organic matter in an aqueous solution can be oxidized and release heat, provided that oxygen is present under increasing pressure. With the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, and the requirements that it...
Thermal Treatment Technologies: Risks and Rewards of Thermal Destruction
Thermal destruction of hazardous wastes has much potential, but it has aroused much public concern, as well. Even the best such techniques are only safe and effective when they are controlled and done properly--something that is not always the case.
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...
Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer discusses research into the relationship between climate change and carbon dioxide, beginning with computer models in the late 1950's, through the analysis of ice cores over the subsequent thir...
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...