Storm Water Management Essay Example Essay Example

Storm Water Management Essay Example Paper Storm Water Management Essay Introduction Storm Water Management Storm Water Management Essay Body Paragraphs Outline 1. Introduction 1.1. What is Storm Management? 1.2. How does it occur? 1.3 Why it is important to the environment?2. Body Measures that are used in Storm Water Management 2.1. Low Impact Development 2.2. Green Infrastructure 2.3 Sustainable Site Design 2.4 Environmental Site Design 2.5 Minimization of Pollutants in the Runoff 2.6 The Use of Structural Soils and Trees 3. Conclusion 4. References Introduction Storm Water Management Storm water is formed when rainwater and snowmelts, but the water is not absorbed into the soil but remains in the atmosphere. This is because of roads, rooftops, driveways and several other surfaces prevent the water from being absorbed or reaching the ground. As a result, the volume and speed of the runoff water increases the water found on earth’s surface. This occurrence happens every time it rains and increases if it is left unchecked. The flow of this water causes flooding, soil erosion and destruction of creatures’ habitats in th e rivers and streams. How big the additional drainage region is, how the area of land inclines, the types of soils, and vegetation on a piece of land all affect how water drains. The Environment Protection Agency clearly states that municipalities that are affected by storm water get permits for the discharges that are got from it. This is in order to decrease the effects of runoffs on the urban surfaces and so that people can do their best to preserve the environment. This and other approaches have been adopted so that the environment can be conserved. Other measures are discussed in this paper (United States 1993). Low Impact Development This is an approach for managing the storm water, by using decentralized and distributed micro-scale controls. The goal of this approach is to maintain the runoff around its source. The land surrounding the affected area is developed or redeveloped. It achieves this by using techniques such as evaporation, storage and filtration preserving and rec reating natural landscape features, infiltration, minimizing effectual invulnerability to make useful and appealing site drainage with the intention of treating storm water as a reserve instead of a desecrate product. This is to say that the approach deals with the water in small scales, instead of waiting until it accumulates then treating it where it drains. The practices used ensure that the natural features of the drainage systems are maintained. When used well, it can restore a watershed’s hydrological role. It is highly encouraged as it can be applied in many developed areas, redeveloping areas and as a booster to other methods (Urbonas, Stahre, P., Stahre, 1993). Green Infrastructure This concept originated from the United States other countries have since adopted it because of its success rate. The method emphasizes on how important it is to think about the natural environment when making decisions about land use. It incorporates the use of green infrastructures in t he natural systems that capture the storm water, cleanse and reduce it with microbes, plants and soils. Green infrastructure is made of networks of open and natural areas, which improve the quality of water, while at the same time provides island benefits, air quality, opportunities of recreation, wildlife habitat and other benefits of the community. The green infrastructure is made up of management practices for the site that sustain hydrologic functions that are natural, through the absorption and infiltration of precipitation at the areas where it settles. The concept can be expanded to multifunction green infrastructure where more activities can be incorporated on the same piece of land as long as it helps lower the effects of storm water. An example is of the Chicago urban forest where the city of Chicago is benefiting from the trees through heat wave reduction and purified air. Sustainable site Design This method is used together with low impact development. Landscape architec ts and site designers can incorporate the use of better methods of conserving the environment when coming up with new building designs. Campaigning for a regenerative plan when building landscapes, maintains and restore important ecological functions. Doing this will make the design process for new and redeveloped sites that not only minimizes damage to the environment but also actively helps to repair it. Therefore, building structures that take into consideration the environmental conservation is a growing trend as more governments are encouraging this. The concept of going green when embraced by construction companies makes both the company and the environment benefactors (Venhaus 2012). Environmental Site Design (ESD) This is whereby measures are employed on small-scale they include; storm water management are observed, better site planning and nonstructural techniques to imitate normal hydrologic runoff features and reduce the effects of land development on water resources. Thi s approach can also be said to seek to emulate natural systems follow the flow path of the storm water, by applying design principles in the site of the development. Its goal is to form a system that copies water quality and natural hydrology. The Environment Site Design practices are applied in the construction process and kept for the future as a natural system that would need low maintenance. Each practice decreases the amount of storm water, as it goes to the stream, therefore maintaining a low requirement of infrastructure needed to control the storm water. The ESD practices consist of natural areas preservation, minimizing the disturbance of land, treating storm water by using areas that are vegetated, providing lower ratios of parking and the use of conservation design. This method incorporates other methods such as low impact development, better site design, green infrastructure and sustainable site design (Zevenbergen, 2011). Minimization of Pollutants in the Runoff Polluti on of the environment also plays a major role in how water is drained. This is because they act as a hindrance. The effects of storm water can be reduced by keeping materials and chemicals that would be harmful to the water from the runoff. The runoff should be kept free of any pollutants such as oil stains and several other automotive fluids, which can be carried away easily by rainwater. Store chemicals in waterproof containers and keep them away from runoff areas. Chemicals should be mixed in contained areas where spillages onto the runoffs would be avoided. When applying chemicals such as fertilizers, apply just what will be enough, in order to avoid excess chemicals from being washed away by the storm water. The chemicals should also be applied when there are no signs of coming rain in order to avoid waste, as they can be easily washed away. Road salts and de-icing products should be used in little amounts, since high concentrations of these chemicals can be harmful plants and animals. The salts are washed off the roads and pavements by storm water and carried into the natural systems. If used in great quantities, the excess should be cleaned up. Other alternatives such as kitty litter should also be considered, as they are less toxic. Animal droppings or manure should be kept from the runoff. They should be flushed in the toilet if they are not mixed with other materials or wrapped and disposed in the garbage. The Use of Structural Soils and Trees Due to increased urbanization, deforestation has taken place at alarming rates to cater for the urban centers. It is because of this that soil structures and vegetative cover can no longer decrease storm water runoff. This is a drawback, as groundwater becomes less affecting water quality and damaging aquatic habitats. Thus, another method for storm water management is to employ the use of structural soils and trees. This top vegetation is used to guide the rainwater to water catchments areas. Trees are grown i n strategic places so that the water is absorbed into the ground. Structural soils can also be used in areas where vegetation does not grow easily. These are soils that are beneath runoff areas cannot support the life of living organisms such as plants. This is because roots cannot pass through such soils since they are too strong. These soils in the runoffs are used for supporting the weight from the vehicles and meet other engineering needs. This method has been adopted in many areas especially when one also wants to conserve soil nutrients (Parzwash, 2011). Conclusion It is because of employing storm management techniques; the environment is able to be benefit from these methods. More countries have adopted the concept of going green and offer incentives to companies and firms that adopt this initiative. Storm water management is thus important as it helps human beings avoid natural calamities such as floods and landslides. At the end of the day, the people who benefit when the e nvironment is safeguarded are the living things. Since human beings are at the top of the totem pole, it is their responsibility to ensure that the environment is not degraded. They should always seek to find more ways to manage storm water. Reference: Venhaus, H. (2012). Designing the sustainable site: Integrated design strategies for small-scale sites and residential landscapes. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley Sons United States. (1993). Storm water management and technology. Park Ridge, N.J., U.S.A: Noyes Data Corp. Pazwash, H. (2011). Urban storm water management. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Zevenbergen, C. (2011). Urban flood management. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Urbonas, B., Stahre, P., Stahre, P. (1993). Storm water: Best management practices and detention for water quality, drainage, and CSO management. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: PTR Prentice Hall. 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40 Million Years of Dog Evolution

40 Million Years of Dog Evolution In many ways, the story of dog evolution follows the same plot line as the evolution of horses and elephants: a small, inoffensive, ancestral species gives rise, over the course of tens of millions of years, to the respectably sized descendants we know and love today. But there are two big differences in this case: first, dogs are carnivores, and the evolution of carnivores is a twisty, serpentine affair involving not only dogs, but prehistoric hyenas, bears, cats, and now-extinct mammals like creodonts and mesonychids. And second, of course, dog evolution took a sharp right turn about 15,000 years ago, when the first wolves were domesticated by early humans (see a gallery of prehistoric dog pictures). As far as paleontologists can tell, the very first carnivorous mammals evolved during the late Cretaceous period, about 75 million years ago (the half-pound Cimolestes, which lived high up in trees, being the most likely candidate). However, its more likely that every carnivorous animal alive today can trace its ancestry back to Miacis, a slightly bigger, weasel-like creature that lived about 55 million years ago, or 10 million years after the dinosaurs went extinct. Miacis was far from a fearsome killer, though: this tiny furball was also arboreal and feasted on insects and eggs as well as small animals. Before the Canids: Creodonts, Mesonychids, and Friends Modern dogs evolved from a line of carnivorous mammals called canids, after the characteristic shape of their teeth. Before (and alongside) the canids, though, there were such diverse families of predators as amphicyonids (the bear dogs, typified by Amphicyon, which seem to have been more closely related to bears than dogs), prehistoric hyenas (Ictitherium was the first of this group to live on the ground rather than in trees), and the marsupial dogs of South America and Australia. Although vaguely dog-like in appearance and behavior, these predators werent directly ancestral to modern canines. Even more fearsome than bear dogs and marsupial dogs were mesonychids and creodonts. The most famous mesonychids were the one-ton Andrewsarchus, the largest ground-dwelling carnivorous mammal that ever lived, and the smaller and more wolflike Mesonyx. Oddly enough, mesonychids were ancestral not to modern dogs or cats, but to prehistoric whales. The creodonts, on the other hand, left no living descendants; the most noteworthy members of this breed were Hyaenodon and the strikingly named Sarkastodon, the former of which looked (and behaved) like a wolf and the latter of which looked (and behaved) like a grizzly bear. The First Canids: Hesperocyon and the "Bone-Crushing Dogs" Paleontologists agree that the late Eocene (about 40 to 35 million years ago) Hesperocyon was directly ancestral to all later canids- and thus to the genus Canis, which branched off from a subfamily of canids about six million years ago. This western dog was only about the size of a small fox, but its inner-ear structure was characteristic of later dogs, and theres some evidence that it may have lived in communities, either high up in trees or in underground burrows. Hesperocyon is very well-represented in the fossil record; in fact, this was one of the most common mammals of prehistoric North America. Another group of early canids was the borophagines, or bone-crushing dogs, equipped with powerful jaws and teeth suitable for scavenging the carcasses of mammalian megafauna. The largest, most dangerous borophagines were the 100-pound Borophagus and the even bigger Epicyon; other genera included the earlier Tomarctus and Aelurodon, which were more reasonably sized. We cant say for sure, but theres some evidence that these bone-crushing dogs (which were also restricted to North America) hunted or scavenged in packs, like modern hyenas. The First True Dogs: Leptocyon, Eucyon, and the Dire Wolf Heres where things get a bit confusing. Shortly after the appearance of Hesperocyon 40 million years ago, Leptocyon arrived on the scene- not a brother, but more like a second cousin once removed. Leptocyon was the first true canine (that is, it belonged to the caninae subfamily of the canidae family), but a small and unobtrusive one, not much bigger than Hesperocyon itself. The immediate descendant of Leptocyon, Eucyon, had the good fortune to live at a time when both Eurasia and South America were accessible from North America- the first via the Bering land bridge, and the second thanks to the uncovering of central America. In North America, about six million years ago, populations of Eucyon evolved into the first members of the modern dog genus Canis, which spread to these other continents. But the tale doesnt end there. Although canines (including the first coyotes) continued to live in North America during the Pliocene epoch, the first plus-sized wolves evolved elsewhere, and re-invaded North America shortly before the ensuing Pleistocene (via that same Bering land bridge). The most famous of these canines was the Dire Wolf, Canis diris, which evolved from an old world wolf that colonized both North and South America (by the way, the Dire Wolf competed directly for prey with Smilodon, the saber-toothed tiger.) The end of the Pleistocene epoch witnessed the rise of human civilization around the world. As far as we can tell, the first domestication of the Gray Wolf occurred somewhere in Europe or Asia anywhere from 30,000 to 15,000 years ago. After 40 million years of evolution, the modern dog had finally made its debut!

Learn How to Conjugate Gagner (to Win) in French

Learn How to Conjugate Gagner (to Win) in French French verbs tend to be a challenge for students. While the conjugations of  gagner  are rather common, remembering that it means to win or to earn is a bit more difficult. Yet, by the time youre done learning how to conjugate  gagner  to mean won or will earn, it will be implanted in your memory. Conjugating the French Verb  Gagner Gagner  is a  regular -ER verb  and it follows a very common verb conjugation pattern. In fact, the majority of French verbs use the same endings youll learn here and that makes each new one just a little easier to remember. Whenever we begin a conjugation, its important to recognize the verb stem. In this case, its  gagn-. With that bit of knowledge, we can add a variety of endings that match both the subject pronoun and the tense of the sentence. For instance, I am winning is je gagne and we will win is nous gagnerons. Subject Present Future Imperfect je gagne gagnerai gagnais tu gagnes gagneras gagnais il gagne gagnera gagnait nous gagnons gagnerons gagnions vous gagnez gagnerez gagniez ils gagnent gagneront gagnaient The Present Participle of  Gagner The  present participle  of  gagner  is formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem, giving us  gagnant. Its a very useful word that stretches beyond the verb usage. You may also find it helpful as an adjective, gerund, or noun. The Past Participle and Passà © Composà © The  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is a common past tense form used in French. To construct it, begin by conjugating the  auxiliary verb  avoir  to match the subject pronoun, then attach the  past participle  gagnà ©. For example, I won is jai gagnà © and we earned is nous avons gagnà ©. More Simple  Gagner  Conjugations to Learn While those forms of  gagner  are most important, there are a few more conjugations you should consider learning. In conversation, for instance, you can imply a degree of uncertainty or dependency by using either the subjunctive verb mood or the conditional. If you read a lot of French, you will encounter the passà © simple. Likewise, the imperfect  subjunctive is a literary tense and its a good idea to be able to recognize these. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je gagne gagnerais gagnai gagnasse tu gagnes gagnerais gagnas gagnasses il gagne gagnerait gagna gagnt nous gagnions gagnerions gagnmes gagnassions vous gagniez gagneriez gagntes gagnassiez ils gagnent gagneraient gagnrent gagnassent To use  gagner  in short statements, use the imperative form and skip the subject pronoun. Instead of tu gagne, use gagne alone. Imperative (tu) gagne (nous) gagnons (vous) gagnez

Assessment in science(Schools in England) Essay

Assessment in science(Schools in England) - Essay Example For one, NC has increased the number of students learning science. A key intention of the NC was to have students aged 5-16 learning science in primary and secondary education, as outlined in the Science 5-16 DES policy statement which was outlined in March 1985. Secondly, the NC has inculcated more effectiveness in teaching and learning of sciences. This is because the DES policy statement emphasised that teaching science was to include both the acquisition of knowledge and comprehension of facts and principles of science (which was to be done in a broad and balanced manner) and the methods of science. In this respect, science became a core subject alongside mathematics and English (Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, Children, Schools and Families Committee, 2009, 17 and the Great Britain Dept. for Education and Employment, 1999, 34). The NC also lifted up performance in science subjects. This follows the outlining of the form that the policy would take, by the Education Re form Act 1988. ... Studying the science and arts subjects alike, under the programme is to culminate into sitting for the GCSE, when one finishes the Key Stage 4. This ensures that those who proceed to a higher level of learning are fully equipped, cognitively and academically. Thus, students are able to perform academically in higher levels of learning. Again, the same students’ ability to perform and comprehend concepts in higher standards of learning inculcates confidence and a positive attitude among them and extirpates chances for dropouts (Pollard and Bourne, 1994, 22). The teaching of biology, chemistry and physics has also become more standardised, following the changes that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for 2006 amendments made. This measure was to help ensure that those issuing guidance and information top science learners in years 9-11 of their studies have a single document that contains accurate and updated information on the opportunities, support and qualifications t hat are available. It is by this virtue that many students have gained increased awareness on sciences and the opportunities that accost studying science (Daugherty, 1995, 17 and Kelly, 1990, 14). According to Watts (1991, 12), the NC also helped further synchronise scientific disciplines and learning of sciences at the national level. This happened especially as changes were made in the 2006 national curriculum. The main changes included information regarding planning timetables, deciding between specifications and understanding the implications for teaching sciences and knowing where to obtain necessary resources from (Daugherty, Phillips and Rees, 2000, 17). The content of the science subjects being taught has also expanded, following the introduction of key stages. Particularly, one of

Political Economy Lectures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Economy Lectures - Essay Example The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is an organization whose main aim is to advocate for the rights of Muslims in North America. It can be said that it represents all Muslim who live in North America. Its headquarters are situated in Washington D.C, and it has offices in at least twenty states and in Canada, and advocating for mutual understanding and justice is its vision. Its mission is to empower all American Muslims,, protect their rights, encourage dialogue and promoting understanding and justice through building coalitions. The talk informed us of what the Council on American-Islam Relations (CAIR) does in its day to day operations. They include, protecting the rights of American Muslims during questioning by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies, fighting for the rights of Muslims who have been subjected to employment discrimination and even those who have been terminated wrongfully. It also stopped unlawful seizers of prope rty by law enforcement and also advocates for equal student rights in schools and other learning institutions. The talks also sort to educate us on how people stereotype Muslims in America. ... Most people picked the first two photographs because the people in the photographs had dressed in a manner suggesting they were Muslims. The speaker showed how people were wrong by telling them that even the blond lady in one of the photographs was indeed a Muslim. The talk also informed us on the demography associated with Muslims in America. The speaker pointed out that Democrat accepted Muslim Americans more than Republicans. For instance the speaker pointed out that in the 2008 presidential elections seventy nine percent of Muslims living in America voted for the candidate from the Democratic Party. It was also pointed out that the Republican Party should advocate for the rights of American Muslim since they hold a significant percentage of the national vote. The theme of the talk was generally tolerance towards Muslims in America. The speaker aimed at showing how and why Muslims living in America are subjected to a lot of torment due to the issue of terrorism. He showed this by identifying the rise of Anti-Islam movements and Islam phobia in the United States of America. Islamophobia is an extreme fear of and hatred of Muslims. After the terrorist attack on the twin towers in September 11th 2001, hatred and fear of Muslim in America rose. Since then, Muslims in America have been put to discrimination and violence. ` After the talk, it was clear how Muslims in America have been oppressed. The talk made me realize that the opinion I had about Muslims in general was just a stereotype and that it was wrong. I came to understand what Muslims go through and how their rights are violated. I would encourage the Council on American-Islam Relation (CAIR) to continue with their good work in lobbying for the rights of

Pictograph Essay :: essays research papers

In the ancient times (4000-30B.C.) the Egyptian Pharaohs were the most powerful people on the planet. They had sophisticated methods for building and irrigation. In one area that they lagged in sophistication was the basic form they used for writing their language. The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics that was often expressed through pictographs that are stylized pictures used to express words and subjects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The use of pictographs was a very primitive form of communication that took lots of time and energy to inscribe. They did not describe the subject in great detail whereas in the English language you can describe the subject in great detail with little or no effort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When using pictographs the Egyptians didn't use connectives, adjectives, verbs, or nouns. They would simply sketch a series of pictures in reference to the subject that they were addressing. Also when using pictographs it leaves most of the interpretation of the writings up to the reader's imagination, therefore often not accurately describing and communicating the findings or ideas to the author. This was also very obvious when we made posters in class trying to describe our favorite stories because they were very rough sketches (pictographs) of the story and the posters left much up to the reader's personal interpretation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Using the writing system in the English language a person is able to tell the reader exactly what you're writing about and do so in great detail. In our current system of writing we use a series of twenty-six letters; six of the letters are vowels and the rest are consonants. We arrange these letters in different sequences to create many different expressive words such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. There are over fifty thousand words in the English language and by skillfully using them we can accurately communicate to others by the use of writing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, we have come a long way in developing our writing system.

Controversies as a Result of the Alien and Sedition Acts Essay

In the late 1700s and into the early 1800s, large controversies over the Alien and the Sedition Acts, containing four bills, took place. Some of the controversies included immigration, slander and libel of the government, and states’ rights. While the controversy set the stage for Jefferson’s election, it also left some in tense and unsettled states. The Alien and Sedition Acts brought many disagreements upon the states. The Acts had two bills that seemed to stand out most among the government. The second bill of the Alien and Sedition Acts gave the President power to deport â€Å"all such aliens as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United Stats. † Just before the Acts were created, President George Washington wrote to the Vice-President John Adams in 1794 of his believe that immigrants brought with them not only their language, but their habits and formal morals too. Later, he goes on to say, that this is not particularly a bad thing because as time goes on, as generations grow, all people will become one. Just before that though, in 1785, Thomas Jefferson had made close to the same note, but a bit different. He believed it would be a miracle for the morals and beliefs of the immigrants to halt in changing at the exact point of liberty. He believed that infusing the aliens into our United States would create a â€Å"heterogeneous, incoherent, distracted mass. † Altogether, immigration was an extremely controversial topic. Each person had their own opinion, especially the rising parties who seemed to almost separate the nation more. While the Acts had allowed the President this power, it also prohibited the slander of libel of the President or any other part of the government. It seems to almost be a coincidence. After this was passed, Federalist prosecutors arrested more than twenty Republican newspaper editors and politicians. The Federalists had accused them of sedition, and convicted and jailed a number of them. Many believed that this part of the Sedition Act was against the First Amendment that forbade the †abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. † As a matter of fact, the Republicans actually tried to charge the Sedition Act as a violation of the First Amendment, although it did not appeal to the Supreme Court. This was because the Court was not sure how to review the case considering the board was made up of mostly Federalists. Jefferson sent a letter to Francis Hopkinson of Pennsylvania clearing up a rumor that he was a Federalist. He states that he â€Å"never submitted the whole system of (his) opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. † Last, but definitely not least, was the issue of whether or not the states had a right to judge the Constitution. After the Republicans tried to charge the Sedition Acts as a violation against the Constitution, Madison and Jefferson looked to the state legislature which led to their declaring the Alien and Sedition Acts to be â€Å"unauthoritative, void, and of no force. This resolution set forth a states’ rights interpretation of the Constitution, asserting that the states had a â€Å"right to judge† the legitimacy of national laws. Albert Gallatin, a Democratic-Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, made a speech in the House of Representatives on the proposed Sedition Act wherein he stated, â€Å"The only evidences brought by the supporters of this bill consist of writings expressing an opinion that certain measures of government have been dictated by an unwise policy, or by improper motives, and that some of them are unconstitutional. The Alien and Sedition Acts caused many controversies. The controversies led to many letters and arguments with the government. With this being said, the major problems seem to have been the topics of immigration, slander and libel of the government, and states’ rights. Although, after these controversies developed over the Acts, the Acts were then rethought. It is often wondered, even now, why the Alien and Sedition Acts were ever passed in the first place.