Water and Waste Management - Case Study Example

The Genesis Project A sustainable society is based on an equitable distribution of what is in limited supply, renewable development and protection of the environment. Harnessing natural resources in a sustainable manner so as to maintain environmental stability is one of the key rules of a sustainable society. The guiding principle is that people must share with each other and be aware of nature’s limitations, taking only so much from nature that can be regenerated. Environmental conservation is important because the ecological processes contribute to making the planet fit for living. These natural systems regulate air and water quality, maintain water availability, recycle essential elements, contribute to soil fertility and enable regeneration of ecosystems. Resources such as soil, vegetation including forests, animals and other organisms, and the marine and freshwater ecosystems including fisheries are all renewable if used in a sustainable manner. My colleagues and I, a hundred scientists who are part of the Genesis project, have crash-landed on this planet 100 light years away from planet Earth, and we and our progeny have to survive on the natural resources available here for the next 100 years. Our project team consists of experts from many disciplines such as ecologists, biologists, agriculturists, engineers and architects and others who can play important roles in the establishment of a sustainable society on this remote planet. Five teams have been formed to study the following aspects of societal living that contribute to a secure and sustainable living for all the people marooned on the island: (1) water and waste management, (2) food, (3) shelter and clothing, (4) medical needs and (5) population control. The teams will report their findings to Captain Thomas, our Mission Commander. Team 1 -- Water and waste management Generally, of the three standard categories of freshwater use viz., agriculture, industry, and domestic, agriculture dominates. On an average, agriculture accounts for about 69% of all annual water usage worldwide (on planet Earth) while about 20 to 40 liters of freshwater per person per day is generally considered to be a necessary minimum for personal use (Hinrichsen et al., 1997). The only fresh water source for us on this island is the small lake situated on top of the mountain at the center of the island. Our top priority, therefore, is to ensure that the lake is protected from contamination and to purify that required for domestic use. The team entrusted with this job found that the lake water was very clear and free of algae but decided that the water should be purified by channeling through a slow sand filter. However, for drinking purposes, the purified water was collected in storage drums recovered from the ship and treated with chlorine (bleaching powder, also from the ship) to make it potable. It was also the suggestion of the team that a solar water still could be built to desalinate the salt water to enhance the available quantum of fresh water besides building an earthen tank at the base of the mountain for rainwater harvesting which would boost fresh water supply. Furthermore, it was suggested that all the waste water generated in domestic use except the grey water should be recycled through separate sand filters and used for cultivating food plants such as the locally available pea and medicinal plants. Potable water being an extremely limited natural resource at present, both the team leader and Captain Thomas are well aware that it could lead to conflicts in the community. Limited natural resources have often led to rebellion and looting in societies. The secondary goal of Team 1 was to come up with a suitable location and method for garbage and sewage disposal to prevent epidemics that can ensue in the absence of a waste management plan. It was advised that all biodegradable garbage should be composted in pits close to the dwellings which were to be constructed on the plains, far from the lake, taking heed of both Dr. Katrinsky’s and Dr. Matron’s objections to Dr. Nicollis’ suggestion that the shelter should be next to the waterbody so that they could have easy access to fresh water. It was also the sincere request of the team that all non-biodegradable material (mostly asbestos and metals. Fortunately, plastic was not yet known when the Mission took off a hundred years ago) recovered from the ship should be recycled and reused so as to achieve almost zero non-biodegradable garbage production on the island. As for the wastewater, it was suggested that the untreated sewage or grey water should be made to flow into an underground septic tank built for every household from stone and mud, where the solids separate from the liquids. Heavier solids, including human waste, settle to the bottom of the tank as sludge and get digested in time by self-sustaining bacteria. The team recommended that septic tanks be pumped out annually and the sludge used as manure for plants. The separated liquids, i.e., partially treated sewage, were to be made to flow out of the tank to a land drainage system which is an underground soil-and-gravel seepage bed. The pathogens, nutrients, and organic material in the sewage get dispersed into the gravel where they are removed or neutralized as the liquid moves through into the soil. The land drains were to be placed close to the ground surface to ensure that they were much above the ground water table, but not so close to the surface that the polluted water may break through it and on to the surface. However, clayey soil would have to be avoided as it is not suitable for land drainage system. It was also recommended the bio-gas produced be harnessed to meet a part of the energy requirements of the community. Team 2: Food This Team’s main goal being providing everyone with enough food that is well-balanced as well as having adequate calories, the team decided to make a quick survey and prepare an inventory of edible plants, giving details of their quality and quantity. Dr. Agricola’s suggestions about cultivation of the island’s pea plant as well as Peep farming for meat were well taken, although the team tended to agree with Dr. Casker’s views against locating the farm near the shoreline. Besides, doubts were also raised as to whether the pea would grow in brackish water. Therefore, it was decided to locate both the Peep farm and pea cultivation farm on the foothills so that the cultivated land could be irrigated with harvested rain water when available and recycled domestic wastewater at other times. Besides, as is true with the waste produced by most herbivores, the Peep dung could also be used as manure together with the composted domestic garbage. The Food Team also decided to use grass reeds and other suitable fibrous plants to fashion baskets that could be used to catch fish -- both fresh water fish in the lake and marine fish from near the coast. Both Dr. Agricola and Dr. Casker seemed to agree on one point which was the necessity to build a few boats for fishing (and, perhaps rowing for relaxation in the lake). This exercise would necessitate cutting down a few trees to build the boats with but this was considered essential. The team also recommended venturing into aquaculture near the shore but only on an experimental scale as they did not have sufficient knowledge yet of the tides and had not studied the carrying capacity of the coastal waters to determine whether the aquaculture wastes (in particular, ammonia) would be adequately assimilated by the waters without causing environmental degradation. In an effort to identify all the edible plants available on the island, the team decided to undertake several field trips led by Dr. Agricola. To help them to avoid plants that could be potentially toxic to eat or touch, they decided to use the criteria enumerated by Discovery Channel as eliminators when choosing plants for the Universal Edibility Test such as: plants having milky or discolored sap; plants with a bitter or soapy taste; those having spines, fine hairs or thorns; those having dill, carrot, parsnip or parsley-like foliage; plants with "almond" scent in woody parts and leaves; and all plants with grain heads with pink, purplish or black spurs (discovery.com). Salt for cooking would be obtained from the desalination solar still. The team decided to look in earnest for plants that could be used as a source of sugar. One of the team members was of the opinion that it might be worthwhile to try growing potatoes, onion and garlic using the bulbs salvaged from the ship’s galley. This suggestion was vehemently opposed by an ecologist who said that we should not try to create another earth on this planet. He said, “It is good we are trying to avoid polluting the environment by recycling at every stage. But we should not introduce alien plants and disturb the ecology of this planet.” This was challenged by someone who asked, “Does it not apply to alien scientists, too? Have we not planted ourselves on this planet?” Suddenly, two groups of people formed, arguing noisily until Dr. Agricola declared that all the potatoes and other tubers would be consumed and not used for cultivation. Team 3: Shelter and Clothing Team 3 had to scout for the best location for setting up dwellings for a hundred people and decide on the building material, technique etc that would help keep the shelters warm during winter. Locations close to the shore were ruled out as there was evidence of damage from storm and flooding near the coastline. The architects in the team suggested adopting Native American architecture that essentially uses raw materials such as wood, bark, grass, reeds and mud for building. The thick adobe (a mix of mud and straw) walls together with earthen or wooden floors, would serve as excellent thermal mass, collecting the winter sun’s heat during the day and releasing it to the house at night. In addition, a hearth placed in the center of the dwelling could be used to produce heat by burning wood or even Peep dung cakes and keep the winter’s cold at bay. Weaving is an art that has been practiced since pre-historic times. So Team 3 decided to look for flax and other similar material on the island to make fabrics with. For warmth, the wool of Peep would be used. Since it would take some time for people on the Genesis Mission to get used to weaving and producing fabric suitable for clothing, it was suggested that the clothing already available with the mission members should be taken good care of and made to last as long as possible. Team 4: Medical needs Plant-derived natural products have long been used for therapeutic purposes by different ethnic groups around the world. The information on the sources and uses of medicinal plants in traditional medicine has usually been passed down orally through folklore from one generation to the next. However, in the absence of any intelligent life on the island, we, the members of the Genesis Mission have to identify and learn about potential medicinal plants on the island ourselves. Team 4 appointed to look after the medicinal needs of the community of scientists has already found more than 200 species of plants that may have some medical uses. As we have landed on the island without any medical equipment or supplies, we have to depend on plants and other natural remedies for survival. Dr. Herbaceous has a fairly good knowledge of medicinal plants and guides the team in identifying potentially useful medicinal plants. The medicinal properties in plants are essentially due to the presence of secondary products. The secondary metabolites are generally produced for defense against predators, pathogens or competitors or for protection/adaptation to environmental stress related to changes in soil conditions, temperature, water status, light levels and so forth in their natural habitats (Briskin, 2000). Different combinations of the secondary metabolites confer different plants with unique medicinal properties. All plants selected for collection were to be properly identified and documented. Also, information regarding topography, geology, soil, abundance of the selected plant and other vegetation at the collection site, needed to be recorded. Furthermore, herbarium sheets of all the potential plants were also required to be prepared for future reference. An ecological approach was recommended to be used while selecting medicinal plants for collection. For example, the absence of predation in areas having large populations of herbivores (in this case, Peeps) can indicate the presence of toxic compounds in the plant. Plants were to be collected for treatment of common diseases such as diarrhea, bronchitis, arthritis, wound infections, pain etc. Seasonal variations can affect the chemical composition of the plants and thereby its biological activity. Therefore, the medicinal plant materials should be collected in the proper season (WHO Report, 2003). The collection practices employed should be nondestructive so as to ensure conservation of the plants. Team 4 also decided to protect the biodiversity in medicinal plants on the island through cultivation of the medicinal plants and by adopting controlled non-destructive harvesting. The efficacy of the plant extracts has to be tested in different forms of preparation including infusions, decoctions, tinctures, macerations, gargle, fresh juices, etc. The plant material is to be stored in dried form since preparations like decoctions/infusions can only be stored for a few days. The experts felt that Dr. Krovik’s suggestion to test the preparations on the Peeps was not feasible since some of the most common side effects such as nausea, heartburn, headache, depression, stiffness, etc. are difficult to recognize in animal models. Team 5: Reproduction/Population In any sustainable society population cannot grow indefinitely. The ecological footprint of a specified human population on the Earth (or on any planet) can be defined as the area of land and waterbodies required to continuously produce the resources that the population consumes, and to assimilate the wastes that the population produces. The carrying capacity which is the maximum population of a given species that can occupy a particular habitat without impairing its long-term productivity has been evaluated for the island as 150 persons. Therefore, the population must be controlled, but how? The average age of the 100 inhabitants is only 24 years; hence, Dr. Vergo’s suggestion that “that only a few of us should be allowed to reproduce” is preposterous. It could even lead to a civil war! But it might still be possible to convince those who have deficiencies, e.g., of sight or hearing or such to agree to Dr. Vergo’s suggestion by offering them certain incentives. What, if they have more brains? There might even be some who are silently carrying some genetic defects. There is no way the defect can be identified. If the average life expectancy is considered as 65 years, the community of scientists is far too below that age for death to stabilize the population. So it is only through motivation that reproduction can be controlled. Of course, abstinence is not the only form of birth control available. In fact, Natural Family Planning is one of the most widely used methods of fertility regulation, especially by groups bound by religious or cultural considerations against artificial methods of birth control. The method can prove effective for well-motivated and diligent couples (Mayoclinic.com, 2008). After reviewing the detailed reports prepared by the five teams, Captain Thomas decided to form another team consisting of engineers and physicists to look into the aspect of energy generation. They were asked to come up with short- and long-range plans for producing hydroelectric power and tidal energy. They were also asked to immediately start working on a project to harness wind energy, which was aplenty on the mountain, for use in small-scale industry, including grinding/powdering the island peas, dried plant matter for medicinal purposes etc. The community seemed well set to establish a sustainable society that would persist and thrive on this planet, a hundred light years away from the Earth, for the next hundred years until the arrival of the next rescue ship. But would they want to come back to the planet Earth to be consumed by global warming, green house gases, rising sea levels, floods, and food and water shortage? The Earth where in just a few generations, almost all the reserves of natural resources will be exhausted? References Briskin, D.P. (2000) Medicinal plants and phytomedicines. Linking plant biochemistry and physiology to human health. Plant Physiology, 54, 507-514. Accessed 3 May 2009 http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/124/2/507.pdf Chen, S. (2007). What is a sustainable society? Accessed 2 May 2009 http://www.sustainablesocietyusa.com/html/SustainableSociety/20070913/24.html Hinrichsen, D., Robey, B., and Upadhyay, U.D. Solutions for a Water-Short World. Chapter 2 : Water Availability and Use Population Reports, Series M, No. 14. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Population Information Program, December 1997. Accessed 2 May 2009 http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/m14/m14chap2_2.shtml MayoClinic.com. Natural family planning Jan. 25, 2008. Accessed 4 May 2009 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/BI99999/PAGE=BI00026 World Health Organization (2003) Guidelines for collection of plants, WHO Report, Geneva Read More