Wednesday, July 18, 2007

A common myth about recycling: not everything can be recycled.

A common myth about recycling: not everything can be recycled.

It is true that we cannot recycle organic waste to make anything useful, but nature uses organic waste in order to keep the ecosystem going. Such a system has kept this planet alive for many millions of years. They say coal and oil are not recyclable. Certainly this may be true in our lifetimes, but if coal and oil takes many millions of years to form, then certainly coal and oil are recyclable and replenishable, but it will take many millions of years to do so.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

the nuclear debate - Nuclear waste can be made 'safe'

Nuclear waste can be made safe

You can make it ‘safer’ by enclosing it in a lead container, then burying it, but you cannot make it safe. Such a technique only removes radiation from alpha and beta particles which cannot go very far, but some gamma radiation particles, which can pass through almost everything, will escape. This is fine, as there is background radiation regardless, but if the box corrodes away, then we start having problems.

Also, radiation is affecting fish in rivers and streams where such boxes are already buried, which make them unsuitable for human consumption.