From nuclear proliferation to climate change, Richard K. Lester taps research talent to map a path toward a sustainable planet. Looking back on nearly a half-century at MIT, Richard K. Lester, associate provost and Japan Steel Industry Professor, sees a “somewhat eccentric professional trajectory.” But while his path has been irregular, there has
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Geoengineering science is advancing, but the question remains – should we use it? The UN climate report released presents a major leap forward in predicting how geoengineering to limit global warming might affect the planet, although scientists said the greatest hurdle remains deciding whether to use the controversial methods. Geoengineering involves large-scale interventions that
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In land development, erosion control is important. Aside from preventing water pollution due to runoff and the potential habitat loss of nearby ecosystems, erosion control also staves off soil loss and consequently, property loss. In urban areas, erosion control techniques are primarily concerned with stromwater runoff management, but soil loss
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Geotextiles are used in civil construction projects for soil fills to improve soil characteristics. Geotextiles make poor soil more manageable, enabling construction in places that would otherwise be unsuitable. Geotextiles are ideal materials for many infrastructure works, such as roads, harbors, landfills, drainage structures, and other civil projects. Geotextile Applications Geotextiles can
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In simple terms, soil reinforcement is a technique used to improve the stiffness and strength of soil using geo-engineering methods. A long time ago, natural fibre was used to reinforce the soil. This old technique did not have a high yield and required a lot of time for the soil
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Solid waste management is a term that is used to refer to the process of collecting and treating solid wastes. It also offers solutions for recycling items that do not belong to garbage or trash. As long as people have been living in settlements and residential areas, garbage or solid waste has been
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Ground Improvement or Ground treatment is defined as “controlled alteration of the state, nature or mass behavior of ground materials to achieve an intended satisfactory response to existing or projected environmental and engineering actions” Ground Improvement by Vibration Vibration can be used to compact soils and fills. Similar to Vibrating rollers used
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Listed below are the important methodologies for assessing the impacts of any developmental activity on the environment: EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) Adhoc method Checklist method Matrix method Network method Overlay method Environmental index using factor analysis Cost/Benefit analysis Predictive or Simulation methods These methods might vary from: Simple to Complex Static piece-meal approach
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In the world of environmental testing, numerous systems can complement traditional due diligence to produce the most accurate data for clients. One method that deserves more attention is Geographic Informational Systems (GIS) technology, which offers a relatively cost-effective way to optimize testing quality control by comparing geospatial analysis to sampling
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Multi-soil-layering (MSL) wastewater treatment systems consist of soil units (soil mixture blocks, SMB) arranged in a brick-like pattern surrounded by permeable layers of zeolite or alternating particles of homogeneous sizes that allow for a high hydraulic loading rate. This study evaluated the performances of MSL systems that have been operating
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