Environmental Engineering graduate degree essay
Dear All, kindly help be review this essay before I submit it for Chinese Government Scholarship
My choice of graduate degree in Environmental Engineering is to develop capacity to progress my career in solid waste management. During my study, I want to strengthen my foundational knowledge in materials engineering, project design, research and product development to prepare myself for the process of becoming a consultant for organizations in environmental value chains. I foresee myself capable of moving my local community to zero waste level and opening up of economic opportunities from the value chains in waste management to create accelerated channels towards the actualization of Sustainable Development Goals 1,9, 12 and 13 which are: no poverty, decent work and economic growth, responsible production and consumption and climate action respectively in my community.
Solid waste processing will be the subject of my research with specific objective of converting solid wastes to marketable products to reduce valuable land dedicated for waste dumping and emissions emanating from open incineration. My childhood experience on environmental disasters caused by solid waste mishandling in my local community was a factor that strongly aligns my interest in solid waste management. Disposal of solid waste is a big problem and therefore poses environmental threat for communities because many of the wastes are non-biodegradable. Even the ones that are biodegradable do so with disgusting smell resulting in pollution of fresh air for the communities nearby. As I advanced in age and gained exposure to other regions in Nigeria, I discovered that my community is one out of the numerous communities in the country suffering from this environmental malady though in different degrees. In my last semester in the university, I did an elective module on Environmental Engineering which made me to carried out a field exercise on solid waste handling in Akure municipality. It is from this assessment I discovered that the standard waste treatment in that locality is burning of solid wastes in open landfill which is dangerous to humanity especially now that the global community are salvaging the deadly effects of global warming. Statistically, Nigeria generates over 30 million tons of solid waste annually with little fraction of it undergoing proper handling cum processing. Some are burnt in open field while bulk of it litters the streets and swept by erosion into drainages and rivers thereby causing flooding and water pollution.
Sadly however, humanity will keep generating wastes till the end of time. And in addition, natural materials are gradually getting exhausted as a result of the continuous pressure exerted by human. There is therefore need to look for alternative materials to ease the pressure on the natural reserve. Hence, development of sustainable solid waste processing system capable of converting wastes especially non-biodegradable solid wastes into marketable products that can find usage in construction and energy to lessen the pressure on natural resources.
According to the hierarchy of waste management, there are different approaches at ensuring reduction in volume of wastes in landfills; finding extended products usage (source reduction and reuse) and converting the eventual waste to new products (recycling and resource recovery). This second approach however, interests me because of its sustainability, potential for economic opportunities and job creation. To therefore achieve my long-term goal of becoming a professional consultant in this subject I will maximize every opportunity to learn starting from my day one in China till my final thesis research work and submission.
