Final Project – Recommendation Report

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP OUTLINE 1

Environmental Cleanup: Outline and Annotated Bibliography

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Date

Environmental Cleanup Outline

Introduction

Problem
1. It has been suggested through scientific research that certain human activities have increased earthquake incidences
2. The process of fracking and in particular the aspect of pumping brine down the pipes is a form of environmental pollution
Solution
1. Assessing the impact of various types of mining on the environment
2. Ensuring there is effective environmental cleanup
Background
1. Earthquakes for a very long time have been considered to be as a result of nature. It has been suggested through scientific research that certain human activities have increased earthquake incidences. For example, in Texas, in particular, Fort Worth and Dallas, there have been increased earthquake occurrences. This has been argued to be as a result of the mining of oil and gas in these areas.
2. Mining is done using the fracking process where after the oil and gas have been separated from the salty water, the brine is pumped down in a set of deep wells. This pumping down of the brine results into increase pressure in the ground resulting in earthquake incidences. This means that the process of fracking and in particular the aspect of pumping brine down the pipes is a form of environmental pollution.
Data Sources
1. Published research studies on environmental issues from sources such as ECOBOST Databases
2. Environmental reports from government agencies and other environmental organizations
Scope and Limitations
1. The study will focus on environmental issues that relate to environmental cleanup
2. It will not conduct experiments to demonstrate the impact of various activities on the environment, but rather rely on existing studies to verify claims of environmental impacts.
Thesis statement = Environmental cleanup is fundamental to keeping environmental pollution at bay

Research Methods

The study will rely on qualitative research approach.

Task 1

Identifying the appropriate resources to complete the study

Task 2

Reviewing literature on environmental cleanup

Results

Documenting the results based on the findings from the literature
Analyzing the findings

Conclusion

Making a conclusion based on the results of the project. The conclusion will capture the key components of the project.

Recommendations

Presenting recommendations on what measures can be taken based on the project outcome

Environmental Cleanup: Annotated Bibliography

George, B. The environmental miner cleans up. Equities Magazine, 44(3).

The article focuses on the role of individuals and business organizations, particularly miners in ensuring a sustainable environment. It provides compelling information on an individual, Amyn S. Dahya, who dedicated his work to organizations that work towards a clean environment. The article proposes that to acquire attractive properties in the developing countries, there is the need to gain the personal trust of the political and business leaders. It is important to meet them to talk with them and listen to their needs and provide solutions to some of the economic problems. Some of the needs include basic needs such as clean water. This is a form of corporate social responsibility that is part of ensuring a sustainable environment. The article will be valuable to the study by offering some how mining firms can ensure a clean and sustainable environment.

Lahann, J. (2008). Environmental nanotechnology: Nanomaterials clean up. Nature Nanotechnology, 3(6), 320-321.

The article proposes that membranes made of manganese oxide nanowires can be used to selectively absorb oil from water through a combination of superhydrophobicity and capillary action. This is one of the scientific ways of approaching environmental cleanup. The Exxon Valdez incident on 24 March 1989 emphasized the need for materials that can effectively separate oil and water and be used in cleaning up oil spills. The claims are based on valid scientific reports that make the work reliable for a study on environmental cleanup. Besides, the author is a specialist associated with a reputable university, The University of Michigan. The article will be valuable for this study.

Mayer, H. J., & Greenberg, M. R. (2005). Using Integrated Geospatial Mapping and Conceptual Site Models to Guide Risk‐Based Environmental Clean‐Up Decisions. Risk Analysis, 25(2), 429-446.

Environmental cleanup requires an adequate understanding of the environmental hazards and the potential risks that human ecosystems are exposed to as a result of the dangers. The article proposes that the integrated geospatial mapping and conceptual site models are effective in identifying the hazards and evaluating the alternative long-term environmental cleanup strategies in various locations across the United States. They are more appropriate for different situations compared to the graphic presentations that are designed to address a particular contaminant, the location, and its potential receptors. The article is fundamental in the study of environmental cleanup due to the groundbreaking information on the appropriate methods to use in identifying the hazards and exposures for the purpose of determining the most effective cleanup strategies. The scholars used published data from reliable sources to improve the validity of their study.

Moilanen, S. (2014). Drill, Maybe, Drill: Using a Bilateral Environmental Agreement to Clean

Up the Tar Sands. Journal of Public & International Affairs, (1), 88-103.

The scholar proposes the use of policy to reduce the environmental impact of the tar sands rather than prohibiting exploitation of natural resources. By focusing on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the article acknowledges that the issue has become a major point of debate in the United States about energy policy. The environmental community has objected to the pipeline on the basis that it will enhance climate change, destroy pristine lands, and contaminate water supplies. However, the study questions the approach and proposes that a more effective policy would be establishing an international agreement where the United States approves the project on the condition that the Canadian government will commit to reducing the environmental impact of the tar sands. The article is appropriate for the study as it addresses the issues of how the environment can be protected from potential harm by mining and movement of minerals. It is written by an established scholar in the field of energy that improves the credibility of the information presented.

Panock, B. I. (1994). Planning for costs associated with environmental cleanup. The CPA

Journal, 64(1), 71.

The knowledge about the adverse impacts of careless waste disposal to the environment has led to the establishment of laws that dictate waste disposal methods at the local, state, and federal levels. The party responsible for waste disposal should be identified and take the duty of cleaning up the improperly disposed waste product. Environmental issues that require cleanup of the environment extends beyond the mining or drilling operations to other business operations and individual activities. For instance, there are hazards involved in the removal of asbestos and cleanup of spills that result from the activities around vacation or personal residence. The article offers important information about environmental cleanup and the risks associated with the process. This makes it relevant for the study. Also, it is published in a reputable journal that focuses on the planning and costs of environmental cleanup.

Portney, K. E., & Berry, J. M. (2016). The impact of local environmental advocacy groups on city sustainability policies and programs. Policy Studies Journal, 44(2), 196-214.

Environmental advocacy groups are fundamental for ensuring a clean environment. The article identifies that the American cities vary significantly in the level to which they seek sustainability. According to the authors, the variation is because sustainability can be more appealing to the high-income cities more than the economically strained cities. The scholars propose that the relationship between commitment to sustainability and income is conditioned by the level of environmental advocacy in the city. The study uses reliable data and surveys to support the claims made. Also, the article has effectively used the city of Seattle to illustrate the linkages that underlie the statistical analysis. The article presents valuable information that can inform the ideas on cleaning up cities especially by appreciating the work of advocacy groups.

Schroth, S. T., & Helfer, J. A. (2017). Gifted & Green: Sustainability/Environmental Science Investigations That Promote Gifted Children’s Learning. Gifted Child Today, 40(1), 14-28.

One of the ways of ensuring a clean environment is by teaching young people to make the environment clean. The article points out that Environmental Studies gives an ideal opportunity to the gifted children to establish critical and creative thinking skills as they also build skills in technology, engineering, science, and mathematics areas. Examining issues related to sustainability and environmental concerns allow the learners to identify problems and develop research questions, collect and analyze data, determine possible solutions, and share the information with others. Also, they can ensure a clean environment by exploring green issues because the gifted learners are always sensitive to the world around them and would often want to take part in activities that touch on issues facing their communities. The article is suitable for the study because of its proposal on offering environmental studies to the gifted learners with a focus on ensuring a clean environment.

Shahiduzzaman, M. D., & Alam, K. (2014). Interfuel substitution in Australia: a way forward to achieve environmental sustainability. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 58(1), 22-42.

The article provides valuable information on environmental cleanliness with regards to energy consumption and CO2 gas emissions. It explores the possibilities for interfuel substitution in Australia in light of the need to move towards cleaner combinations of fuels and technologies that would help in meeting future energy demands and addressing environmental concerns. The authors have estimated the cost function for the manufacturing sector and the subsectors, the aggregate economy, and the electricity generation subsector. They found that the relative prices of different forms of energies and technology can influence the market for low-emission technologies. This is a key factor that can be considered in environmental cleanup because it highlights the idea of sustainability of energy sources and the impact on the environment. The work is supported by a variety of academic resources that makes it more valid for further studies on the topic of environmental cleanup.

Suresh, B., & Ravishankar, G. A. (2004). Phytoremediation — a novel and promising approach

for environmental clean-up. Critical reviews in biotechnology, 24(2-3), 97-124.

The article proposes an innovative approach to environmental cleanup. It considers phytoremediation as an eco-friendly way to remediating contaminated water and soil using plants. The process has two components; the plant roots colonize the microbes and the plants degrading the toxic compounds to further non-toxic metabolites. Plants can effectively remediate various compounds such as xenobiotics, heavy metals, organic compounds, and pesticides. The article is valuable in the study of environmental cleanup due to the innovative approach it proposes for the cleanup. Studies have shown that the hairy roots, plant cell cultures, and algae have the ability to degrade a variety of contaminants. The article is authoritative because the scholars used reliable sources to back their claims and findings.

Tilleman, S. (2012). Is employee organizational commitment related to firm environmental

sustainability? Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 25(4), 417-431.

Environmental cleanliness is a duty of individuals, as well as organizations. Admittedly, an organization’s level of sustainability efforts can determine the organizational commitment of employees towards the firm. The article identifies that higher employee affective organizational commitment is positively associated with employee perceptions of environmental management practices. Therefore, it is important for organizations to promote employee commitment. This can help in attracting employees’ interest in the organization’s environmental cleanup activities. The article is suitable for this study because it highlights how organizations can engage their employees in environmental related activities that ensuring that the employees are committed to the organizations.

References

George, B. The environmental miner cleans up. Equities Magazine, 44(3).

Lahann, J. (2008). Environmental nanotechnology: Nanomaterials clean up. Nature Nanotechnology, 3(6), 320-321.

Mayer, H. J., & Greenberg, M. R. (2005). Using Integrated Geospatial Mapping and Conceptual Site Models to Guide Risk‐Based Environmental Clean‐Up Decisions. Risk analysis, 25(2), 429-446.

Moilanen, S. (2014). Drill, Maybe, Drill: Using a Bilateral Environmental Agreement to Clean Up the Tar Sands. Journal of Public & International Affairs, (1), 88-103.

Panock, B. I. (1994). Planning for costs associated with environmental cleanup. The CPA Journal, 64(1), 71.

Portney, K. E., & Berry, J. M. (2016). The impact of local environmental advocacy groups on city sustainability policies and programs. Policy Studies Journal, 44(2), 196-214.

Schroth, S. T., & Helfer, J. A. (2017). Gifted & Green: Sustainability/Environmental Science Investigations That Promote Gifted Children’s Learning. Gifted Child Today, 40(1), 14-28.

Suresh, B., & Ravishankar, G. A. (2004). Phytoremediation — a novel and promising approach for environmental clean-up. Critical reviews in biotechnology, 24(2-3), 97-124.

Tilleman, S. (2012). Is employee organizational commitment related to firm environmental sustainability? Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 25(4), 417-431.