:: a non-Earth week ::

This article is an environmental piece a.k.a. my personal take/rant on the state of the world (my world) due to a build-up for a race which will be conducted by many V8 cars driving around a track for a total distance of 500km (nearby the Norwood-portion of the city). And by the way, should I was asked to write this for CHEM ENG 4024: Environmental Engineering in Adelaide University, I think, I deserve some points or extra marks.

And nope, this wasn't a waste of time. I was making the best of my time stuck in the bus (about 55minutes, compared to the usual 10minutes) due to the clogged up road, which by the way, had made me to come in late.


Why is it (the race and the build-up to it) should be considered non-Earthly?

1. I'm pretty sure that the very act of V8 cars (although using unleaded fuel) racing around a track for 78 laps (totalling 500km) WOULD definitely increase the sudden amount of pollutant gases to the environment. And I haven't even talked anything about the noise pollution, thermal pollution, smell of rubber tires burnt etc etc.

2. These cars surely consumed a lot of fuel. (No arguement to that. If you disagree, think about hybrid cars. Maybe that will drive the point home).

3. During that event, which might make about 291,400 attendees happy, I'm pretty sure that litres and litres of beer would be consumed. This might pose a threat of extra amount of rubbish / strain on recycling system. And bear in mind, for every 250mL of beer produced/consumed, LifeCycle Assessment says that the Virtual Water Content (the cradle-to-grave amount of water used to produce it) is 75L! There is going to be a lot of water to be used for producing beers for one event. And should hamburgers/similar foods be consumed, a 150g hamburger's Virtual Water Content is 2400L. (Reference: Dr. David Lewis).

4. Due to the clogging of the road (detours + extra time spent), most road users will have to spend at least an extra 30 minutes of the road stuck. Are the engines switched off? Nope. So, as each of the vehicle inch their way to the city (for about 7 days of the roads being clogged), more and more of fuel are burnt and more pollutant gases are released (compared to other usual week).

5. Due to the roads being clogged, to avoid being late for work/school/anything, most residents in the nearby area had to wake up at least 30minutes early (or prepare to be late). Bearing in mind that the sun rises up around 7am (which is around the time usually people would wake up), now, people have to wake up earlier (ie. before sunrise). And it's cold nowadays. So, the would be an increase amount of time for the lights and heaters being turned on (for every house), compared to the amount of time these equipments would be switched on, if residents could wake up at usual time. Hence, more fossil fuel will be burned.

6. Also, due to the roads being clogged up, some residents who would usually take the public transport might opt to drive their own vehicles. (Personal vehicles can use any other routes, which although might not be the shortest routes, would still let them get to their destination quicker. Public transport will always have to follow the destined route, which might be clogged). Ergo, more personal vehicles on the road, more pollutant gases, and more fossil fuel burnt, compared to if these people using the public transport as usual.


So, how to mitigate / reduce-or-cancel the effects?
1. Cancel the race, or..
2. Longer Earth Hours is needed. (Maybe, instead of 1 hour, it'll be 7 x 0.5 hour more, ie. 5hours. Yeay, let's just stay in the dark for one whole night!)
3. Further studies by experts are needed. (I like this sentence, makes me feel safe.. haha)