Soil and Water Protection Essay Example for Free

Soil and Water Protection Essay Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste. The most common chemicals involved are petroleum hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (such as naphthalene and benzo (a) pyrene), solvents, pesticides, lead, and other heavy metals. Contamination is correlated with the degree of industrialization and intensity of chemical usage. The concern over soil contamination stems primarily from health risks, from direct contact with the contaminated soil, vapors from the contaminants, and from secondary contamination of water supplies within and underlying the soil. The main threats to soils are: extension of urbanization, acidification, accumulation of pollutants, nitrate in groundwater, loss of organic matter and deteriorating soil structure, soil compaction, and erosion. The latter is especially important in southern EC countries. Differences in the approaches adopted by different countries reflect differences in the nature and perceived seriousness of soil problems and the nature of the legislatory system. In particular, differences in the approaches of the Netherlands and the UK are discussed. The concept of ‘soil quality’ is discussed in relation to these two approaches. Suggestions are given for an ecologically based soil protection policy. This paper discusses current soil protection policies and their development in the EC, and the evolution of the associated concept of ‘soil quality’. It does not deal in any detail with the restoration of soils which have been degraded by the inadequacy of past policies or their implementation. Emphasis is given to northern EC countries because they have been especially active in the development of policies which protect land and soils. Some soil degradation processes are natural phenomena but they are exacerbated by all kinds of unsustainable human uses. Let us consider the main soil degradation processes in the European Union. Erosion: Water erosion affects 115 million hectares (ha) of soil, and wind erosion 42 million ha. The Mediterranean region is the most affected, but there is clear evidence that other parts of the 25 Member States (EU-25) also suffer significantly from this phenomenon. It is made worse by inappropriate farming techniques. Organic matter decline: Some 45% of soils in Europe have low or very low organic matter content. This is the case in particular in the South of Europe, but also in parts of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden. Organic matter is both an important soil constituent and the main source of food and energy for soil organisms. It is therefore of the basis for soil fertility. It also plays a crucial role in the structure of soil. Soil organisms feed on organic matter. Organic matter decline therefore leads to loss of soil biodiversity. Again, inappropriate agricultural practices accelerate this decline. Compaction: This is deterioration of the soil structure by mechanical pressure. It is made worse by excessive stocking rates (the density of animals grazing in a given surface) and the inappropriate use of heavy machinery. Salinisation: There is build-up of salt in some 3. 8 million ha of Europe’s soils. The regions most affected are Campania in Italy, the Ebro Valley in Spain, and the Great Alfold in Hungary. Stalinization is made worse by inappropriate irrigation and changes in vegetation. Landslides: Landslides occur most frequently in areas with highly erodible soils, clayey sub-soil, steep slopes, intense and abundant precipitation and land abandonment, such as in the Alpine and Mediterranean regions. To date, there is no data on the total area affected in the EU. Although they are natural phenomena, they are made worse by certain human activities. Landslides represent an increasing threat due to population growth, summer and winter tourism, and intensive land use. Contamination: Earlier industrialization and poor management practices have left a legacy of thousands of contaminated sites in Europe. There are an estimated 3. 5 million potentially contaminated sites in the whole of the Union, of which about 0. 5 million are expected to be actually contaminated and in need of remediation. Contaminants may accumulate to such an extent that they hamper soil functions. They may pollute groundwater and surface water and thus threaten drinking water supplies and aquatic ecosystems. Sealing: The permanent covering of soil (e. g. with roads or concrete) is the only intentional threat to soil. It affects 9% of the area of the EU and is made worse by urban and industrial sprawl and transport networks. It disrupts gas, water and energy flows and leads to irreversible loss of fertile soil. Several of these threats are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which causes increases in temperature and extreme weather events. If some of these threats are combined, they may ultimately lead to desertification, which is mainly the result of different soil degradation processes partially associated with arid or sub-arid climatic conditions. The costs of soil degradation in the European Union are estimated at some â‚ ¬38 billion each year.

Genetic Transformation in E Coli

Genetic Transformation in E Coli Genetic Transformation is the act of changing of DNA in an organism by adding new genes, which may be done in multiple ways. The addition of new genes to DNA could have an almost infinite amount of advantages, ranging from studying the cultures of bacteria that become immune to modern medicine, to making artificial animal proteins. In a CNN article written by Matt Ford, scientists are using genetic transformation to do research on the use of growing animal proteins that the scientists claim will be healthier for the plant and mean less animal cruelty. However, the idea of artificially grow animal protein is still very controversial.ÂÂ   In the experiment performed by our lab, we used the idea of heat shock to genetically transform E coli. Heat shock is the process of exposing the cells to a temporary yet extreme increase in temperature, which temporarily opens the membranes of the cells. The purpose of opening these membranes is that the genes that are placed in the surrounding area will slip into the cell and become part of the DNA of that cell. In this experiment, we were testing whether or not the heat therapy opened the membranes of the cells, and therefore attempting to complete genetic transformation.ÂÂ   In the paper Nonchromosomal Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria: Genetic Transformation of Escherichia coli by R-Factor DNA by Stanley N. Cohen, Annie C.Y. Chang, and Leslie Hsu is also an example of this kind of genetic transformation on E Coli. After the E. Coli was exposed to CaCl2, the E coli did not fully become resistant to antibiotics. The reason was that the E coli also needed the right temperature and conditions for the genes to fully become effective in the E coli. After the E coli was introduced to a heated environment for a short time, and then allowed to change and grow in an incubated environment, the resistance for the antibiotics increased in the E coli. While there have been cases where it was found that heat shock therapy was no t necessary to engage the genetic transformation cycle, as shown in the article One-step preparation of competent Escherichia coli: transformation and storage of bacterial cells in the same solution, we still used the idea of heat shock therapy for our experiment. To begin the experiment, we took two microcentrifuge tubes and labeled them +pGLO and -pGLO. Next, taking a micropipette with a clean tip we put 250 microliters of transformation solution into each of our microcentrifuge tubes. We then put ice into a beaker large enough for ice and our two tubes, and put these materials into the beaker. After, a sterile loop was used to take a single colony of bacteria into each of our tubes, using separate loops to keep them sterile and avoid contamination. After obtaining another new sterile loop, we put the loop into a tube marked pGLO plasmid DNA. This loop was then put into the tube labeled +pGLO and mixed. After this, we left both tubes in the ice beaker for at least ten minutes to get them and their contents to a lower temperature. While these are on ice, we obtained 4 Luria Broth (LB) nutrient agar plates from our lab provider; one LB plate, two LB/ampicillin plates, and one LB/ampicillin /arabinose plates were given to us. After the ten minu tes were over, both tubes were place in water that was 42 degrees Celsius for 50 seconds. After this warm water treatment, we immediately place the tubes back into the ice beaker. After two minutes in the ice beaker, we removed the tubes from the ice beaker. Using a clean tip for each tube on the micropipette, we added 250 microliters of LB nutrient broth to the +pGLO tube and the -pGLO tube and let mixtures sit for ten minutes. After the ten minutes, we gently flicked the tubes to mix the contents of the tubes. Then, we added 100 microliters of +pGLO to the LB/amp nutrient agar plate, 100 microliters of +pGLO to the LB/amp/are plate, 100 microliters of -pGLO to the LB/amp plate, and 100 microliters of -pGLO to the LB plate. Using a new clean and sterile loop for each plate, spread the mixtures of each plate so that they are mixed up well, while being sure not to press hard into the plate. We then closed the plates with their lids and stacked them on top of each other, putting tape around them to keep them in order. We then placed the plates into an incubator for one week. In this experiment, we introduced the pGLO plasmid to E. coli bacteria so that the cells were genetically transform a resistance to ampicilin as well as the ability to produce the protein that causes a glow. We used heat shock therapy in order to introduce the pGLO plasmid stored in an incubation unit the bacteria in agar plate containing ampicilin, arabinose and nutrient broth. As a result, the agar plate containing nutrient broth with the bacteria that had not been given the pGLO plasmid had bacteria grow in the plate. The plate containing nutrient broth and ampicilin with the bacteria, which was not given any pGLO, did not have any bacterial growth in the plate. The plate with nutrient broth and ampicilin that had the bacteria that had been given pGLO did grow new bacteria, but it did not glow. The final plate containing nutrient broth, ampicilin and arabinose and the bacteria that had been given pGLO both grew new bacteria and also glowed under the light. I stated that I believed that the E. coli bacteria that had been given pGLO would not only grow in the presence of ampicilin, but would also glow in the light when there was also arabinose. The results of the experiment did not disprove my hypothesis since the bacteria that had been given pGLO grew in both of the plates with ampicilin present, and glowed in the plate with arabinose present as well. The results of this experiment were consistent with other similar experiments with the same use of heat therapy on genetic transformation. A prime example is the experiment conducted by Cohen, Chang and Hsu in which the method of heat shock was used to introduce antibiotic resistance to E. coli bacteria (Cohen, Chang, Hsu, 1972). The results of the experiment showed that the introduction of R-factor DNA could genetically transform E. coli bacteria to have certain resistances. This experiment helps support our findings since their procedure and outcomes were very similar to our experiment. A few possible errors that occurred in our experiment could include the fact that the bacteria sat for a week after the first part of the experiment instead of being examined after 24 hours, which may have altered the amount of bacteria that was cultured. Also, it was almost impossible to get two halves of the same colony so it is possible that the two samples of E. coli were not genetically identical. However, we do not believe that our experiment had been sufficiently flawed to cause significant error Citations: 1. Meat is murder? Well, perhaps not for much longer. By Matt Ford. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/08/07/eco.invitro.meat/index.html Accessed 11-11-2009 2. Nonchromosomal Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria: Genetic Transformation of Escherichia coli by R-Factor DNA by Stanley N. Cohen, Annie C.Y. Chang, and Leslie Hsu. http://www.pnas.org/content/69/8/2110.abstract.ÂÂ   Accessed 11-10-2009 3. One-step preparation of competent Escherichia coli: transformation and storage of bacterial cells in the same solution by C T Chung, S L Niemela,, and R H Miller. http://www.pnas.org/content/86/7/2172.abstract accessed 11-10-2009 Donna Weedman, 2009 Life 102 Attributes of Living Systems, Cache House Inc. Eden Prairie, MN

Dont Worry You Can Be Happy, by John B. Thomas :: Happiness Essays

What's it going to take? David Myers says in the article 'Don't Worry You Can Be Happy'; by John B. Thomas. 'Happiness relies largely on things unrelated to money, such as meaningful activities and enriching relationships.'; With that the article states that with the following ten steps you can improve your happiness. One: learn to like your self. Two: take control of your destiny. Three: practice expecting the best. Four: become more extroverted. Five: try acting happy. Six: consider new work. Seven: Sleep, sleep, sleep. Eight: Foster close relationships. Nine: Tie the knot. Ten: have faith. So with all of the ten steps you can see that with a little faith and following these steps you could 'Be Happy';. Throughout the article Thomas makes very valuable points, two that I have to agree with 100%. The first point that I agree with is having faith. Having faith in a religious way or just in life in general. Both types of faith will bring you an inner happiness. You look at those people who are sick or very ill. The one who has faith seems to make a stronger and quicker recovery. You'll also notice that from these people that they are very at peace and bring happiness to those around them. The second point that he makes that I agree with is sleep, sleep, sleep. I've notice that in life you need to sleep. People who have trouble sleeping become very irritable and unhappy. You'll also notice that those people whom do sleep they tend to be more patient, alert and more extroverted. These people to me, which are getting enough sleep are happy with that point in their life and can pass their happiness to others. You'll also notice that people seem to make more mistakes and have trouble being happy when they unable to sleep. So when looking at happiness and sleep you'll notice that you have to get enough sleep to be happy in life. When looking at the list you have to wonder what do I do to make myself happy? For me I surround myself with my friends who are happy. Knowing that their happiness would rub off on me. I also find myself trying to make others happy by helping them, when they are down in their time of need. Being there for others can be very self-gratifying and boost happiness for both you and the person whom you are helping.

The Kingdom of Thailand Essays -- Bangkok, South East Asia

History Assignment The Kingdom of Thailand formerly known as Siam, is found in South East Asia. This country is renowned for having the most recorded reigns in the world. (1) About 64 million people live in Thailand and its largest city is Bangkok which is also its capital city. Thailand experienced rapid economic growth between 1985 and 1995, (2) and today, it is a newly industrialised country well renowned with tourists. Architecture in Thailand is a vital part of the community as it represents both the struggle of living there because of severe weather and also the cultural significance of Thailand and their religious beliefs. Due to the heat from the afternoon sun in Thailand, the bottom part of the house is cooler. The houses reflect the climate and tackle better the attacks from nature. (3) Thailand managed to develop appropriate regional variations in its religious and vernacular buildings. Today, in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, one finds a great deal of contemporary architecture, as well as a contemporary twist on the more traditional Thai architecture, such as the stilt houses. (4, 5) This outlines in brief the contrasting difference between my two Thai architects named Duangrit Bunnag and Dr. Pinyo Suwankiri. Dr. Pinyo Suwankiri was born in Songkla in 1937 while Duangrit Bunnag was born in 1966 in Bangkok. Though there is a huge age gap between these two architects, both of them flourished in the last three decades with their recognised projects in Thailand. Pinyo Suwankiri has dedicated a lot of time and put in tremendous work in order to preserve the dignity and style of Thai architecture. The traditional form of Thai architecture is close to his heart and Dr. Suwankiri treasures it deeply which is ... ... his work while Dr.Suwankiri strived to preserve the dignity of the conventional Thai stilt structure. The projects of Pinyo are smaller in comparison to those of Duangrit. Here is a table from some information I gathered which states and compares the achievements they have received: Quoting China Williams (2009) from the book Thailand, Dr. Suwankiri is a traditional building specialist whose work is ubiquitous and the blueprint for an institutional aesthetic of traditional architecture. Following this, she explains that Duangrit Bunnag has excited the design world with his nearly undressed glass boxes offering a contemporary twist on mid-century modernism. The contrasting difference between these two architects cannot be highlighted better. They both offer a lot with regards to Thai architecture and both deliver a bold statement with their unique works.

Conglomerate Essay

Materials manager at Captiva Conglomerate, A1 Carpenter, is holding a meeting with his Inventory and Spares manager, Sam, his Supply manager, Aaron, vice president of Operations, Jason, vice president of Finance, Monica, and director of Information Technology, Jana, to discuss the contract with SOS for an inventory management and spare parts management system. – Sam, from Inventory and Spares, believes the spare parts system is not useable for him and his personnel, plus the delivery of the system is four months behind schedule. The information technology department believes the system works great from the perspective of Jim. – The inventory management system is 10 months behind schedule and repercussions towards the supplier are minimal due to a lenient and poorly written contract, which stated verbiage such as â€Å"best efforts† and â€Å"whenever possible. † – The contract with SOS has used the entirety of the $1 M allotted, even though the supplier has accepted 17 unpriced change orders. Jason, from Operations, specifies that the new system ould provide him better support, uptime, and cut inventory while providing improved support. – The question about who wrote the specification for the contracts is brought up and it is pointed out by Aaron, from Supply, that they were drafted by the supplier and initialed by Jana, from Information Technology Can Captiva Conglomerate produce better written and produced specifications, solving the problem of poorly written contracts, by implementing cross functional teams integrated by the pertinent members of all areas of the organization involved in the respective procurement? Best Solution: Establish a multi-functional team to include the purchasing manager, finance, a legal representative, IT, operations, and inventory & spares to come up with a plan and strategy to definitize and clear up the SOS contract requirements. After this is ccomplished, re-engage with SOS to establish the new clear path for moving forward through a new agreement in order to achieve the deliverables needed by Captiva. Immediately following, a standard operating procedure would be created to establish guidance on putting together multifunctional teams for any major acquisition. Advantages: Clearing up the requirement documents will help Captive achieve the desired results it was looking for through the contract with SOS. – This approach will also help establish a firm and final price for the deliverables needed. Involving all epartments in the acquisition process aids in establishing realistic lead times, improved specification writing, and proper financial planning. – Creating a standard operating procedure will avoid the mistakes of the SOS contract in the future. – Multifunctional teams create an environment of efficiency and effectiveness for solving large problems or tackling complex large requireme nts. Disadvantages: Additional time, resources, and cost will be incurred to clear the mess Captiva currently has. – The contract with SOS will require additional funding in order to eceive the final deliverables. Additional coordination with other departments will require additional effort. – There is always risk in trying to enter a new agreement with SOS and resistance could be encountered without a guaranteed result. Alternate Solution: Establish a new training on the approach towards new acquisitions and who should be involved in the process. Centralize the procurement process in Captiva, as it seems that the acquisition of the system through SOS was done solely by the Information Technology department and the president. Provide additional funding to the SOS contract in an attempt to finalize it. Advantages: New conditions will improve the writing of specifications and statements of work. – The centralization of purchasing will produce specialization and better accountability of procurements. – The current goal is still to receive both deliverables from SOS, while maintaining a good working relationship. Disadvantages: Cost of completing the contract will continue to increase as no set path to fixing it has been established. – Time and cost of establishing a new training program

Beowulf and Hercules

Beowulf and Hercules Beowulf and Hercules are both extremely heroic characters with tons of characteristics that make them that seem that way. Both Hercules and Beowulf are very well known heroes that have had stories told about them for hundreds and hundreds of years. They both have similarities and differences but the similarities definitely outweigh the differences.Beowulf and Hercules similarities are so much alike they are pretty much the same character in different stories. Both Beowulf and Hercules are great warriors that wanted nothing more than to help and protect the people they knew, one example that shows this is how Beowulf was called â€Å"the mighty protector of men† (Part one, section two). They both killed the same type of mythical creatures in their stories. â€Å"I give thanks that I behold all of this treasure in front of me. (Part two, section nine)- This shows how generous of a person the character is and Hercules is just the same. â€Å"A word so massi ve no ordinary man could lift, he drew it from its scabbard† (Part one, section two) shows the similarities between both Hercules and Beowulf in that they used the same basic weapon and not anything fancy, just their hands and sword. There are very few differences between these characters. One is that Hercules is known as a God and Beowulf is only just a king.Another difference between the two is that Beowulf is a mortal that can possibly die in battle and Hercules is an immortal that is pretty much impossible to kill. As you can see both Hercules and Beowulf are two great heroes that are very protective over the people. They are so powerful they can kill magnificent creatures with just their bare hand or a sword. To are both two of the greatest heroes known to literature today.

How do men treat women in Porphyria’s lover

Also the poem shows how men are the leaders, because in the poem for them to meet up she was the one who had to travel o him in the freezing cold and pouring rain. As well as that it is as though he is embarrassed by her because he is meeting her in a deserted place. The theme of power over women is also explored in Porphyry's Lover by Robert Browning, where the poet makes the narrator of the poem(Porphyry's Lover) repeat the word â€Å"mine† to highlight his possession of her. In addition to this, it is the woman's physical body which is arranged, in such a powerless position which in a weird way represents the power which men hold over women.There is also objectification to women â€Å"And give herself to me reeve†, as though she were an object that cannot object doesn't have any emotions and admire him. Then Porphyry's Lover kills her, think because he wanted that to be the last moment with her as he felt true happiness, â€Å"made my heart swell, and still it grewà ¢â‚¬  think that he thought that she was so happy and content that she wouldn't mind dying there and then. â€Å"l am quite sure she felt no pain†, but she was human and did feel the pain but he didn't see her like that. â€Å"And yet God has not said a word! Because he feels he hasn't been punished by God yet, he feels as though killing her was the right thing to o. My Last Duchess is a poem that has many important themes, one of these themes being objectification to women. The women in this poem known as the last duchess was dismissed as though she were an uncared for object with no feelings. She wasn't allowed to have a life outside of her husband and this was very common in the Victorian era. However this poems showed how if women didn't follow their husbands rules they would be killed, so men may have cared about their wives but they cared more about how they were seen by society.Just because the last duchess blushed near a man and her hand as showing her husband assum ed she was flirting and thought it was necessary to murder her as he thought that because of her he was looking bad to society. â€Å"l gave commands† the speaker said, this phase suggesting how men dominate women. He also says â€Å"Who'd stoop to blame† the word ‘stoop' meaning go down, and society in the Victorian era did not support men to be dominated by women. Having by Carol Ann Duffy is a poem that shows how the loss of a man during the Victorian era could cause major heartache and eternal misery.In the first line she calls him a â€Å"sweetheart bastard† the ‘sweetheart' shows that he is still in love with him but at the same time she hates him we know this from the word ‘bastard'. This is an oxymoron used to emphasis her aggression. The phrase â€Å"wished him dead† shows her desperation and how with each day her anger grows. â€Å"ropes on the back of my hands† is a metaphor which could be representing her veins due to stress and anger or the clenching and unclench of her fist showing that she is still tied to him. â€Å"Spinster. † Is a one-word sentence meaning that she is strung up and outdated.