Today we had our first technical visit of the dialogue.  For me, it was super interesting because I was able to see first hand everything that I have learned in class the past semester and on this dialogue.  It was also extremely cool to see how various waste streams are treated and all of the processes and machinery behind them as compared to the simplified examples that we see in class.  On top of that, the volume of waste that we saw today really puts into perspective the importance of proper waste management and why we as environmental engineers are needed.  The first stop on our trip was to a private paper recycling facility.  The facility accepts all types of paper products but I found it interesting that the highest price of paper that they obtain is cardboard.  The facility from my perspective was rather condense and small but apparently it processes roughly half of the total paper from Sardinia.  I also found it interesting that the facility not only processes and bales the paper, but makes new paper products on site.  To make the new paper, the mixed paper is added to water and turned to a pulp where it is filtered through a sieve.  The pulp mixture is then sent through a cyclone where heavy particles are settled out to make the mixture more pure.  The pulp then goes to a gravity separator followed by an even smaller screen and then sent to the press.  At this stage, the mixture is roughly 99 percent water and 1 percent paper.  The mixture goes through the press and the water is steamed off and the final product is the paper we know and love (Kinda).  The whole process only has a five percent loss of the original amount of paper.  Below is a picture of one of the unloading sites.

The next part of our tour was to the composting facility.  This facility handles the organic portion of the waste stream.  Initially, organics from food waste and yard waste are sent to a cell where they sit for 30 days as air is forced through the pile.  After the 30 days, the pile is sent outside to sit for 60 days where it is turned over to finish the process of composting.  One interesting thing to note is that at one point they have to heat the pile to 55  degrees Celsius and let that sit at that temperature for 3 days.  The facility also has a bio-filter of wood-chips to help null the odor of the compost.  One last interesting thing to note is that the facility only sells the compost for 2 Euros per ton due to the fact that it is a public facility.  Below is a picture of the compost piles undergoing the 60 day waiting period.  

Oh...and we met a cool friend along the way!

Our final stop along the trip was to the waste to energy facility.  The two cool things that stuck out to me was the shear amount of waste processed (450 tonne/day) as well as the air pollution control measures post combustion due to my air pollution class that I took this past spring.  The facility has two main combustion chambers, one to treat municipal solid waste, and the other to treat hazardous waste.  The MSW incinerator operated at 900 degrees Celsius and used a moving grate to transport the material whereas the hazardous waste incinerator operated at 1300 degrees Celsius and used a rotating kiln for more thermal contact.  As compared to the MSW incinerator that has only 2 air pollution control measures (Baghouse and Wet Scrubber), the hazardous waste incinerator air was treated by four control measures (ESP, Baghouse, Dry Scrubber, and more).  Below is a picture of the ESP (Off to the bottom left corner) as well as the hazardous waste exhaust stack (65 meters tall).

Overall, today was pretty darn neat.  

The first week

It has been three full days since the group and I have landed here on the beautiful island of Sardinia and begun our time here in Cagliari.  So far things are amazing and I think everyone is settling in very well.  From the first moment that we saw the guest accommodations that the university provided to us, I think everyone had a strong sense of being welcomed.  This feeling continued throughout the first day as we met students from the University of Cagliari as well as the University of Padova.  Everyone made various introductions about their respective schools and activities and each of the head professors gave a brief lecture on a topic.  All of the students then got a chance to work together to form arguments and have a mock debate.  The day ended with all of us from Northeastern going out to eat in the town square.  As one would expect, we got pizza and wine.

On the start of the second day, we were fortunate enough to have some free time off in the morning to explore the city on our own.  A small group and myself walked around and saw some local attractions and found some of the necessities like groceries and pharmacy goods.  One of the owners of the pharmacy was nice enough to give Ted and myself some free shampoo too.  Maybe she felt bad for us or thought our hair was grimy.  The day concluded by going to the head professor of Padova's house.  Amazingly, he lived perched up on the beach and all of us got to go swimming in the Mediterranean.  It was funny because all of the local Italian students thought the water was freezing but we all ran straight in and stayed in.  The water was amazing and it was truly an experience.  After we dried off we were greeted with delicious home cooked food and throughout the night we ate, drank, and enjoyed the company of the fellow Italian students.

Today, the third full day, we were able to go see different Nuragi ruins, including Barumini, the largest of the ruins left on the island.  Its astounding to see the condition they are in considering they were originally built before the time of Christ.  From the ruins, we had another delicious meal and then were fortunate enough to go on a hike on top of the mountain.  We saw the infamous miniature horses and some oxen as well as the old huts that the shepherds used to live in.  Today was an exhausting day from all of the walking and sight-seeing but it was totally worth it and it was another solid day in the books on this trip.  I can't say I'm too happy about starting class tomorrow but I know it will be interesting and we will still have plenty of opportunities to travel and explore more of this crazy place.

The view from the professor's house:

The ruins:

Pre-Departure Initial Expectations

With one day left before my fellow classmates and I leave for Italy, I am feeling extremely excited but also slightly anxious.  I know once we land in Cagliari and get settled into the guest house, the anxiety will subside and I'll be excited to start exploring and learning.  I'm also thankful that I get to travel with friends.

My initial expectations of Italian culture is that it is very family oriented.  This expectation, if true, will be comforting when traveling, especially in a small group of 19.  I also suspect that Italian culture is deeply rooted in its love of food...which is great because I too, love food.  My expectation of Sardinia however, is slightly different that what my outlook of Italy is as a whole.  I feel as though the people will be friendlier and more inviting to travelers, especially if they know we are aspiring environmental engineers.  In general, I have a preconceived notion that Italians are very loud, but for some reason I believe that the island life mellows people out and I can't see people from Sardinia acting in the same manner that I would expect another Italian.  After reading the fifth article for assignment 1 as well, it makes me believe that Sardinians are welcoming people.  Overall, I feel as though the Italian culture that we will be submersed in will be warm and inviting and not all too different than what we may be used to here in the United States.

The major concern that I do have is the language and custom barrier.  I understand Spanish fairly well and I have been attempting to learn basic Italian since the semester ended, so I hope that with that understanding I can at least get off to a good start.  I hope over the course of the month while we are there I can develop my language ability to communicate more effectively.  I am also happy and comforted by the fact that we are traveling with a native of Cagliari who can help us when we need it.  In terms of the culture, I feel that as long as you make an effort to be polite, no one can ever get that offended at you.  Rule 1, eat the food offered to you, smile, eat it all, and say thank you.  I feel that beyond that, customs will be fairly easy to pick up on.

As far as being immersed in another culture, I am extremely excited about that.  I have never had an opportunity like this before so I am excited to see what the activities, daily life, food, cloths, and relationships are like.  I hope that wherever we go or whatever we are doing, I can appreciate the culture and truly immerse myself in it.  Actually traveling with friends, I feel, will make it easier to go out of my own comfort zone when the time arrives.  To learn about the culture, I will always do my best to be outgoing on all of the excursions, and beyond classwork, travel the city and see what there is to experience.  I will make sure to eat the local food and experience the local activities to make myself more involved.

With all of my preconceived notions, and my fears and excitements about the language, customs, and culture, I am ready to say goodbye to the US for a month and see where my new travels take me!

Ciao Cagliari!