Disadvantage of building an energy producing waste burning disposal Essay

Disadvantage of building an energy producing waste burning disposal plant in washington DC - Essay Example However, according to Curlee et al. (1994), WTE facilities have encountered questions about reliability and safety. These contradicting arguments are the main theme of this essay. This will examine the disadvantages of waste-to-energy facilities and if it is suitable to use in Washington D.C. The trouble is environmental degradation. It is said that the emissions from waste to energy plants can potentially expound the problem on air pollution. Furans, dioxins and other carcinogenic compounds are the main waste products of this type of process (Curlee et al., 1994). Gas emissions and metal particles which blend to the environment would lead to environmental imbalance. Furthermore, WTE plants use water for â€Å"boilers and in cooling.† The water, if discharged, can also harm aquatic life and makes its way to the food chain. This is alarming since both health and environment would be at risk. Cost-efficiency is also a problem wherein the maximized utilization of this process is only for steam and electricity and would be less operational for other needs (Recovered Energy, n.d.). It does not also make use of all types of wastes; thus sorting out would be a hassle. Another thing is the cost of the facilities. It has been reported that â€Å"60 megawatts of electricit y from about 2,250 tons of trash daily would cost about $350 million† (Combs, n.d.); too expensive for waste management process. A study by Lux Research Inc. (n.d.) stated the major challenges of the technology would include lack of versatility and waste-gas clean up. Many WTE technologies were â€Å"designed to handle one or few types of wastes.† Such technology needs exact sorting of all waste materials which is a hard thing to do, since determining the components of waste materials would require time and effort. Washington D.C. is a highly progressive district. The place has a lot of business establishments and consequently has a growing number of populations. Having WTE facilities

Current Events in Public Health Leadership and the Fiedler Contingency Assignment - 1

Current Events in Public Health Leadership and the Fiedler Contingency Theory - Assignment Example In adults, pertussis is starting as a cough but is ending up as a persistent cough (CDPH, 2014). The response of the department exemplifies the tenets of Fielder’s contingency theory. The director of the California Department of Public Health (CPDH) has acted by mobilizing his subordinates to launch a statewide campaign against the epidemic. The harmony with which the response has taken off demonstrates the good relationship that exists between the leader and his juniors. For example, some juniors have gone to local health departments and they are coordinating vaccination activities with physicians. They are providing a link between the physician in the grassroots with CDPH so that to ensure that there are enough supplies of the vaccines. Just as in Fielder’s theory, Dr Ron Chapman, the director of CDPH, comes across as a leader who can exercise control. He has been quoted assertively clarifying the rumours that the epidemic has killed people already (Kapur & Smith, 2011). An important observation that is in line with Fielder’s contingency theory is that Dr Chapman is using a task-motivated interaction with his subordinates. This is seen in the way the director has emphasized the nature of the epidemic and how fast it is spreading rather than his relationship with his subordinates. Based on his perception of the high volatility of the epidemic, Dr Chapman has taken a multisectoral approach to curbing the effects of the disease. Schools are one of the sectors that he has deployed some subordinates to sensitize teachers and students about pertussis and the available resources such as vaccine stations. He has directed others to work with media outlets in order to disseminate accurate information about the progress of the epidemic and about the actions that are being taken to curb its spread (Clements, 2009). The emphasis that Dr Chapman has demonstrated on the task of curbing pertussis shows that he has a low score on the least preferred co-worker.