Post 6: Trash!
We started today a bit earlier with a Sustainable Energy lecture at 9am. Professor Pfluger went over an introduction to thermodynamics. We first discussed the three laws of thermodynamics, then thermodynamic processes, the ideal gas law, efficiency, and work. We learned about how an internal combustion engine works, as well as gas turbines (which we would get to see in action later on in the day).
After class, Jason, Justin and I spent some much needed down time in hostel Conforto Mada. After about an hour of relaxation, we grabbed some quick food at the bookstore cafe down the street, and then headed back to Campus Casa to meet up with the rest of our group.
The most interesting part of today was our trip to a landfill north of the city. We took a bus about a 40 minute drive away and arrived at the headquarters for a company called "Loga," which is one of 4 major waste collection companies in Sao Paulo.
First, we were given a presentation about the process involved with trash collection and compaction. We saw where the trash arrives by truck, and watched as employees used huge claw machines to pick up and move the trash onto conveyor belts. The trash is then moved into a second room where it is heated to very high levels and compacted. They also explained how the company has done a lot of good for the city of Sao Paulo. Before companies like Loga were around, there were many smaller companies collecting waste throughout the city. It was very disorganized and ended up leaving the city more chaotic than clean. Loga is larger, more organized, and has more modern technology.
One of the coolest things about this company is that they do a lot of work in poorer communities of Sao Paulo. We drove by a few of these communities on our way to the landfill, and it was truly an eye-opening experience. "Favelas" or poor communities in Sao Paulo are highly populated areas that often lack basic sanitation and safety standards. Weak structured homes are stacked on top of one another, and closely packed on the mountainside. These areas of the city are often closed off from the rest of the community, and often literally, using a wall. They can be very dangerous because of violence, but also just because of sanitation issues.
People residing in these poor communities sometimes do not have any access to waste cleanup, mainly because the streets are so narrow and steep for trash trucks to travel down. Loga has changed this over the past few years. They send workers to these communities with bins and walk the trash out of the communities by foot. This has cleaned up many areas in the northern communities of Sao Paulo, improving heath and the overall of the streets. It was interesting learning how just a bit of waste collection can help the community so much.
From the waste collection facility, we drove about 5 minutes to another location on the landfill where the bio-gas facility is. Unfortunately, the facilities operators were not there to explain what was happening, but Professor Pfluger knew enough about the process that we could understand what was going on.
When waste is buried underground, methane gas is released. Pipes travel from deep underground up to the surface where it is collected in pipes that run to the collection facility. Here, the methane runs into large containers called condensers, which condense the gas to make it easier to use. Eventually, this gas can be burned and used for electricity.
This whole process is incredibly interesting because it is so resourceful. Methane is by far the worse greenhouse gas for the environment, and it is released everyday from agriculture and waste products. Why not use this methane to power our societies? If we are going to have methane in our atmosphere, it would be better to put it to use.
I think the most surprising thing we noticed, though, was how beautiful the view was. It seems strange to call a landfill beautiful, but it really was pretty.
After class, Jason, Justin and I spent some much needed down time in hostel Conforto Mada. After about an hour of relaxation, we grabbed some quick food at the bookstore cafe down the street, and then headed back to Campus Casa to meet up with the rest of our group.
The most interesting part of today was our trip to a landfill north of the city. We took a bus about a 40 minute drive away and arrived at the headquarters for a company called "Loga," which is one of 4 major waste collection companies in Sao Paulo.
First, we were given a presentation about the process involved with trash collection and compaction. We saw where the trash arrives by truck, and watched as employees used huge claw machines to pick up and move the trash onto conveyor belts. The trash is then moved into a second room where it is heated to very high levels and compacted. They also explained how the company has done a lot of good for the city of Sao Paulo. Before companies like Loga were around, there were many smaller companies collecting waste throughout the city. It was very disorganized and ended up leaving the city more chaotic than clean. Loga is larger, more organized, and has more modern technology.
One of the coolest things about this company is that they do a lot of work in poorer communities of Sao Paulo. We drove by a few of these communities on our way to the landfill, and it was truly an eye-opening experience. "Favelas" or poor communities in Sao Paulo are highly populated areas that often lack basic sanitation and safety standards. Weak structured homes are stacked on top of one another, and closely packed on the mountainside. These areas of the city are often closed off from the rest of the community, and often literally, using a wall. They can be very dangerous because of violence, but also just because of sanitation issues.
People residing in these poor communities sometimes do not have any access to waste cleanup, mainly because the streets are so narrow and steep for trash trucks to travel down. Loga has changed this over the past few years. They send workers to these communities with bins and walk the trash out of the communities by foot. This has cleaned up many areas in the northern communities of Sao Paulo, improving heath and the overall of the streets. It was interesting learning how just a bit of waste collection can help the community so much.
From the waste collection facility, we drove about 5 minutes to another location on the landfill where the bio-gas facility is. Unfortunately, the facilities operators were not there to explain what was happening, but Professor Pfluger knew enough about the process that we could understand what was going on.
When waste is buried underground, methane gas is released. Pipes travel from deep underground up to the surface where it is collected in pipes that run to the collection facility. Here, the methane runs into large containers called condensers, which condense the gas to make it easier to use. Eventually, this gas can be burned and used for electricity.
This whole process is incredibly interesting because it is so resourceful. Methane is by far the worse greenhouse gas for the environment, and it is released everyday from agriculture and waste products. Why not use this methane to power our societies? If we are going to have methane in our atmosphere, it would be better to put it to use.
I think the most surprising thing we noticed, though, was how beautiful the view was. It seems strange to call a landfill beautiful, but it really was pretty.
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