Hi Asbestos Dumping: Is It the New 'Environmental Terrorism?'

Hi Asbestos Dumping: Is It the New 'Environmental Terrorism?'

- "There is an increasing number of asbestos dumping, which is occurring in public places."

About Asbestos:

Asbestos can cause cancer years down the line, without the person ever knowing that it's there and even if they did, there's no current cure that healthcare professionals are able to practice on patients. Mesthelioma is the known type of cancer that is a result of exposure to asbestos. There are further health complications that asbestos can cause to a person's health such as, lung problems and general health problems. Mesthelioma doesn't appear until 30-50 years down the line so although it does cause cancer and death, the only saving grace is that people are not affected straight away.

Recent Asbestos Dumping Case:

There has recently been a case of asbestos dumping in Holland-on-Sea, Ipswich road, Colchester, where a whole heap of asbestos was dumped partly in bags, the other parts scattered near public toilets. This has been rightly dubbed 'Environmental Terrorism' by the local paper; exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, the fact that asbestos has been dumped in a very public place could have made an impact on people's health, but this will be unknown until years down the line when its more than likely too late to prosecute the perpetrators for causing other people to contract cancer. No justice really; if those responsible were caught, there's no real way of prosecuting them for causing people cancer as it's an unknown fact and will remain that way for many years.

Is the person(s) who committed this shocking crime understand the implications of asbestos exposure can do or completely unaware. If unaware, does that indicate a lack of knowledge that people posses when it comes to asbestos and the dangers of being exposed to it? On the other hand, if the person(s) does understand the health risks to humans that asbestos causes, does this mean they are just pure evil; putting a person(s) health at risk to an extent where it's likely to give them cancer and a premature death is absolutely and undeniably shocking and should receive many years behind bars for doing so?

However, until years down the line, this cannot be proved or disproved, making dumping asbestos and being prosecuted for it, a complete grey area in the current justice system and to an extent understandable. People cannot be prosecuted for possibilities that something may happen, it must be factual and something must have occurred.

Asbestos Removal Regulations:

There are rules and regulations that have been put in place in order to help stop asbestos from causing unnecessary and painful deaths. However, these measures will not completely get rid of the asbestos fibres and with people now dumping asbestos where ever they like e.g. in public places, the problem may only get worse. Asbestos itself is not harmful if it isn't disturbed, but if it is accidentally or purposefully disturbed then this is when it becomes deadly and therefore, asbestos must be removed using correct methods, procedures and equipment.

There are strict laws when it comes to asbestos removal and this must be followed to the letter by any person or business whom is involved in the removal of asbestos. These laws were introduced in order to try minimise health risks due to the high proportion of buildings and materials contaminate by asbestos during removal.

How Easy is it to Disturb Asbestos?

Asbestos is extremely easy to disturb; a simple hole drilled into a wall that contains asbestos can be harmful for a person as the particles are tossed into the air and therefore, a chance of being breathed in by people in the vicinity.

Hi Green, - "Green energy plans in Saudi Arabia to result in eco-friendly mosques."

Hi Green, - "Green energy plans in Saudi Arabia to result in eco-friendly mosques."

Green mosques: the future of Saudi Arabia;

As part of a bid to gain green building initiatives national attention, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is planning to make over 90,000 mosques friendlier to the environment through the use of solar power and other green energy sources.

Green building focuses on promoting resource efficiency and pro ecological practices.

Following a joint meeting that took place between Saudi Green Building Forum and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, it was agreed to make mosques more eco-friendly. “This was a strategic decision when compared with other buildings, because mosques are buildings which have the most influence on people’s lives due to the large numbers of worshipers who visit them”, the secretary general of the Saudi Green Building Forum, Faisal Al-Fadl told the Arabic national newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

Green building technologies involve the use of practices that are resource-efficient and are ecologically beneficial and these practices are utilized throughout the entire life cycle a prospective building may have. It begins with the planning, carries through into the construction phase and continues once the building has been built and in how it is used. According to Al-Fadl, “Green building has qualities that are more pertinent to mosques than other forms of construction”.

Green energy may lower electricity consumption in 

mosques by 40%;

In addition to reducing power consumption by an estimated 40%, Faisal Al-Fadl also said that if advanced green technology is utilized in building, it may be able to decrease consumption by as much as 80%. Furthermore, by equipping mosques with water filtration systems, water use may be lowered by anywhere from 30 to 40%. Likewise, air filtration systems could improve the overall health environment of a mosque by decreasing the risk of contamination and transmitted infections.

Al-Fadl has confirmed that an agreement to implement the green building initiative that will convert mosques into green energy buildings exists. This will help make sure current mosques that have been well established for years can become more environmentally friendly. He also presented Sheikh Saleh Al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, with the green building initiative and its goals, for which the minister has expressed his support.

Hi Top Ten predictions for Green Buildings "From Down Under":

Here are my top ten predictions for the built environment in the years to come.

1. The focus on existing buildings will intensify

In the United States, the fastest-growing rating tool in 2011 was the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings program. Closer to home, some policies – such as the Australian Government’s Commercial Building Disclosure scheme – are already encouraging owners to upgrade their existing buildings. To help the industry green its existing stock, the GBCA is developing the Green Star performance rating tool, which will assess the operational performance of existing buildings against the nine current Green Star categories. We expect this tool to revolutionise the industry.

2. Zero net energy designs will gain traction

There will be little room for buildings that aren’t carbon neutral, or energy, ecology and water positive. Many GBCA members are active in this space. The architecture and design firm Woods Bagot, with engineering consultants Buro Happold, have developed an interactive design platform that tracks the energy and carbon footprints of different building designs. It enables designers to experiment with options and start the design process with the question: ‘what can this building do for the environment?’

3. Building products and materials will become greener

The shift to green materials is being driven by life cycle assessments of materials – that is, the impact of a material from the beginning to the end of its life. An emerging trend will be more emphasis on ‘cradle-to-cradle’ thinking, where materials are purchased based on both their first and second lives. Organisations such as InterfaceFLOR, which is recognised as the world’s most sustainable carpet manufacturer, has implemented a take-back and recycling program to ensure its products have a useful ‘second life’.

4. Affordable green will be the norm

Many people associate green with higher costs – but this is changing. New business models, technologies and high-performance materials are bringing green within reach. Mr Rowan Griffin, Head of Sustainability for the property division at Colonial First, comments that there is no longer a premium for green property.

‘We have already gone to the stage where it’s the norm to be green and energy efficient, so people expect that out of premium buildings,’ he says. ‘So, it’s more a discount of those that are not energy efficient and not green.’

5. Energy sources will transform

We live in a country with more sunny days than anywhere else on the planet. Yet, we are lagging behind Asia, Europe and North America in the installation of solar photovoltaic panels. Expect this to change, as we begin to see solar, wind and photovoltaics routinely integrated into buildings and used as a building material, rather than simply being installed on top. And, many of these renewable energy sources won’t be large. Microturbines are already becoming popular in Asia, and we will see more Australian innovation in this area as we recognise the benefits of integrated small systems over one giant, geographically remote power source.

6. Building information modelling will become standard practice

Expect a more sophisticated approach to building monitoring as building information modelling (BIM) systems become more comprehensive. BIM will enable cross-disciplinary teams to share knowledge and track data of complex building projects. The project team on 1 Bligh Street in Sydney, for example, employed 3D-BIM technology during the design and construction phases. The BIM model brought together more than 30 individual discipline models, and all subconsultants were, in part, appointed on the basis of their BIM capability. The team found that 3D-BIM saved costs and construction time, and supported better building performance and control. Furthermore, the DEXUS property group – a partner in the project – believes BIM can generate efficiencies throughout the life of 1 Bligh Street, as all building data is made available to property managers.

7. Government focus on energy efficiency and overall sustainability will improve

Governments are stepping up their mandates for green buildings, for both their own buildings and the private sector. The desire to reduce carbon emissions by going green will lead more government agencies to require green buildings. New schools and hospitals will be built to the highest environmental standards as community demands and government priorities shift towards sustainability. More than 100 education projects are currently registered to achieve Green Star ratings – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

8. Investors will demand greater action on climate change

When the GBCA first published The Dollars and Sense of Green Buildings in 2005, little attention was played to the role of investors. Two years later, our revised version tracked an overwhelming change in attitude. Today, the Investor Group on Climate Change warns that investors are monitoring the approach of companies on climate change and carbon pricing, including what they say in the public realm. In fact, 75 per cent of investment fund managers believe organisations need to integrate climate change issues into business strategies and set policy commitments on climate change, while 57 per cent of super funds believe companies need to improve their reporting and disclosure on climate change risks.

9. Blue is the new green

It’s not all about energy. Building designers and managers are taking steps to reduce water consumption through the use of water-saving fixtures, rainwater recovery systems and innovative water technologies. Lot 12 TradeCoast Central, for instance, gained a Green Star innovation point for its shared, precinct-wide nonpotable water storage and distribution system. The system reduces potable water consumption by 80 per cent – more than 10 000 litres per day – and the only potable water used within the precinct is for kitchens, showers and hand basins.

10. The demand for green communities, cities and infrastructure will grow

Beyond the building envelope, we’re already seeing the conversation shift – we are now looking at how to green our communities and cities. The penny has finally dropped: buildings are part of larger systems. We will no longer view our buildings in isolation, but as interconnected pieces of a larger community. When released mid-year, the Green Star Communities rating tool will be Australia’s first independent, transparent, national scheme able to assess and certify the sustainability of community-level projects. The tool will usher in a new era of sustainable development: one that looks beyond environmental efficiencies in the built environment to how we build liveable, sustainable communities.

Romilly Madew is the Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia.