Two Examples of Environmental Impact Assessments Essay Example for Free

Two Examples of Environmental Impact Assessments Essay The cities of Baku, Azerbaijan and Kingston, Ontario Canada are worlds apart, both geographically and culturally. They share at least one characteristic: the need for water. Like every other city on earth, they have built systems to accommodate their needs for water, electricity, and all the other necessities of modern life. Each city also has environmental problems that go hand in hand with urban habitation. The two Environmental Impact Assessments are examples of the challenges engineers and city planners face everyday to minimize the adverse effects on the ecosystem. Both cities, like all modern cities, are locked in a perpetual struggle to find a balance between the needs of the environment and the needs of the city. Wastewater Treatment In Baku, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is a small country in central Asia on the Caspian Sea. Russia lies to the north. Georgia is to the northwest, Armenia is to the west, and Iran is on its southern border. The capitol of Azerbaijan is Baku and is also its largest city. Located on the Absheron peninsula, it is home to nearly 2 million people. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the planet and Baku is its largest port . Azerbaijan is rich in petroleum products and oil drilling has polluted Baku and the Caspian Sea. The Hovsan Wastewater Treatment Plant is another source of pollution to Baku and the Caspian Sea. The treatment plant handles almost half of the capitols wastewater. The wastewater is only partially treated and then dumped into the Caspian Sea via pipeline. The result has made most of the beaches around Baku unusable. The area surrounding the treatment plant inland is also unpleasant because of the odor. In the past, recreation along the sea shore was the most popular recreation for the public and tourists. Today, many are surprised to hear this fact because the bay is so polluted from sewage(Gischler, 2000, p. 41). There is a project proposed to alleviate the shoreline pollution. The plan is to extend the length of the pipeline farther out into the Caspian so the currents will disperse and diffuse the effluent material into the sea and away from the beaches. The current system is so inadequate because of years of neglect that it can only hope to just catch up to its current needs in a few years time. The construction of the longer pipeline will cause some negative effects, but they pale in comparison to the present state of the littoral around Baku. Table 1 outlines the environmental impact projected from the construction of the pipeline. The construction of the outfall is still in the planning stages, but it is expected to start in 2011. Water Treatment In Kingston, Ontario The expansion of the Point Pleasant Treatment Plant in Kingston, Ontario is the focus of this half of the paper. Kingston shares with Baku the distinction of being on the shore of one of the largest inland bodies of water, Lake Ontario. Kingston is located in the province of Ontario in Eastern Canada. To the west is Manitoba, east is Quebec, north is Hudson Bay, and Lake Ontario is to the south.. The Point Pleasant Treatment Plant is a direct filtration facility that supplies the 118,000 people of Kingston with drinking water. The water is drawn from Lake Ontario and goes through a series of filters and chemical treatments before being piped into the main water supply. The Point Pleasant project proposes to double the water pumped in and treated from 40 MLD (mega litres per day) to 80 MLD. The increase is needed for the projected increase in population and expected changes in regulatory standards for drinking water purity. The EIA for the plants upgrade identifies the surrounding vegetation and trees as being vulnerable to harm from construction activities during the plants renovation. The Butternut tree is specified in the report as a major concern because it is already an endangered species. Other issues are the pollution of the ground water and soil erosion. Table 2 outlines the environmental impact from the upgrade of the facility. Kingstons treatment plants upgrade is one that shows the existing system is sound because it is for projected future use and not just getting the current system up to par. The many years of investments and planning regarding the water infrastructure have paid off so they do not have to â€Å"catch up† just to make the system function nominally. A strong infrastructure can mean less damage to the environment. Conclusion Environmental impact from city living is inevitable, but it can be minimized. It requires a firm commitment to good planning and major investments in clean technologies. Comparing the upgrade of the water treatment plant in Kingston and the plant in Baku illustrate the differences in the conditions of each citys water systems. Laws protecting the environment vary from country to country and it is evident that Azerbaijan had few such laws. Canada has much more stringent environmental protection laws than Azerbaijan. Although Kingston has a much smaller population, the larger cities of Canada have done fairly well protecting the environment. Unfortunately, a countrys wealth dictates the priority that can be given to environmental protection. Lower standards for the construction and maintainence of urban infrastructure increases the chances of environmental degradation. References Azerbaijan. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://www. library. eb. com/eb/article-44298 Baku. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://www. library. eb. com/eb/article-9011883 Gischler, Maarten A (2000, summer) â€Å"Beautifying the Bay† Azerbaijan International, 8(2), 40-42 Kingston. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://www. library. eb. com/eb/article-9045553 Townsend, Mike. (2002, July). BETWEEN TWO SEAS: Progress on the BTC Pipeline Project. Azerbaijan International, 10(3), 90. http://ezproxy. spl. org:2048/loginurl=http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb

Comparing Nature in Wordsworth’s Ruined Cottage, and Coleridge’s Rime o

Comparing the Representation of Nature in Wordsworth’s Ruined Cottage, and Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner For most poets of the Romantic Age, nature played an invaluable role in their works. Man’s existence could be affected and explained by the presence and portrayal of the external nature surrounding it. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are no different from the other Romantic poets, and their works abound with references to nature and its correlation to humanity. Specifically, Wordsworth’s â€Å"The Ruined Cottage† and Coleridge’s â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† share the theme of nature affecting man, although essential differences exist in their ideas regarding how it affects man. These two works are also similar in that they use a storyteller frame to both deliver and reinforce these ideas. In order for the reader to fully appreciate the representation of nature in these two particular poems, it is necessary to supply a little background on each poet. Wordsworth reigns supreme in the nature tradition. His poetry makes tribute to nature in conjunction with examining the human state, while maintaining that the relationship between the two is unbreakable. In his book English Poetry of the Romantic Period, critic J.R. Watson claims â€Å"the finest of Wordsworth’s nature poetry explores the relationship between [man and the world seen in the spirit of love], in the attempt to demonstrate the power of nature in the rescuing of the individual mind from degradation, materialism, selfishness, and despair† (114). Crediting nature with the answer to life, Wordsworth’s philosophy reveals that there can be no greater truth than that found in the simplicity of nature. He pulls from ... ...ompany, Inc., 2000. 422-38. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. â€Å"Biographia Literaria.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. 7th ed. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. 468-486. Harding, D. W. â€Å"The Theme of ‘The Ancient Mariner.’† Coleridge: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Kathleen Coburn. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1967. 51-64. Watson, J.R. English Poetry of the Romantic Period. New York: Longman, Inc. 1985. Wordsworth, William. â€Å"The Ruined Cottage.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. 7th ed. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. 259-70. Wordsworth, William. â€Å"Preface to Lyrical Ballads.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. 7th ed. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. 238-251.

The Moontrap by Don Berry

It was on the 23rd day of January in the year 1932 at Rosewood Falls, MN when an award – winning author was born.   Don Berry (1932 – 2001), the author of the novel entitled Moontrap has been the recipient of the Spur Award, Western Writers of America, 1963 for best historical novel (University of Oregon Libraries, 2008).   Berry can be best remembered for the lasting influence as well as the universality of the themes of the stories he wrote.   Just before the final days of his life, Berry continued to be a success as an author.   This statement holds true as Berry concluded his â€Å"spore, Berryworks,† – that which was considered to be his masterpiece (Don Berry, 2000).   Berry’s Moontrap is a novel about a man caught between his lucid past and his vague future.   The Oregon territory serves as the setting of his trilogy following the Trask (Oregon State University Press, 2004).   His works, which include novels and science fiction short stories, lean towards the western genre.   It was the publication of his three novels which has secured him a reputation for having a tight grasp of the American Pacific Northwest history.The adventure stories he wrote shed light on the damaging effects of impinging white population on the Native American population.   Berry’s first ever novel, the Trask has been a stunning success of mature writing in the year 1960.   Following the Trask was Moontrap, his second novel.   Though it has not been equally commended as its predecessor, Moontrap is considered to be exceptional than the Trask (University of Oregon Libraries, 2008).If there was a population to be considered as the one most devoted reading group it would be none other than the people of the Pacific Northwest.   Reasons to support this claim is one too many.   For one, there is the long gray winter in the western part of the Cascades.   This weather encourages warm and dry indoor activities.   If there is the long gray winter of the west, there’s the seclusion of the ranching region at the mountain’s east.   If these would still not suffice, there is the lavishness and variety of the crops produced by the riches of the regional publishers (Garmen, 2008).It is our improved connection with these communities essential to our future which causes us a relief in our sense of selfishness and seclusion.   Many other unique publishers find an opulent and generous home at the Pacific Northwest.   This can be attributed to the region’s open spaces of mind and geography (Garmen, 2008).Oregon owes its publicity to the missionaries and fur traders.   They are the ones who made Oregon familiar to the American population.   The year was 1840 when a great deal of people broke new ground as they begun to come by the Oregon Trail to the Willamette Valley.   Most of the pioneers trace their origins from the Middle West farms.   Their exodus has been brought b y the ruthless weather condition and recurring sickness, national depression which began in the year 1837.   There where some who only sought for adventure, though.   For the majority, however, it was the search for a better material life than what they have which has driven them out of their homeland to the Willamette Valley.Young businessmen from the Northeastern cities wanted to engage in the mercantile business as a form of livelihood in the urban areas of Oregon.   These people consists the minority of Oregon emigrants during the pre – Civil War period.   It was during the 1850s when Chinese immigrants came to the gold fields at the south of Oregon.   Even before the Civil War, African Americans can already be found at Oregon (Garmen, 2008).The pre – Civil War Oregon’s political life was for the most part, was based upon local issues.   The majority party consisted of the Democrats.   The Republicans as well as the Whigs do have their respecti ve followers.   The most important national concern during that time was whether slavery should be extended to the federal territories.   Oregonians of the pioneer era busy themselves in farming.   It was also during this time when Portland, the major city started to emerge.   Other towns sprang up, thereafter.Oregonians traded lumber, wheat and cattle to California in exchange for gold.   With respect to the Oregonian’s cultural life, schools, colleges and churches were set out.   It was during the 1850s when Indian wars were ignited.   This was brought about by the gold miners who broke out the Rogue River War (1855 – 1856) as they find their way to south Oregon.   White farmers invaded the Indian lands at other parts of Oregon.   This event brought the Indians on reservation.   It was at the central Oregon during 1855 when the Warn Spring Reservation was founded for the Wasco, Walla Walla and the Paiutes (Garmen, 2008).A transitional period in th e New Oregon Territory happened during the 1850s.   It was during this time when the settlers and lawmakers were working to control the uncivilized region.   A white man who goes by the name Johnson â€Å"Jaybird† Monday has been living on a bend of the Willamette River near Oregon City.   Monday was a former mountain man.   He lives with his wife, Mary Deer Walking, who is about to give birth to their first child.   Walking, a common – law, Shoshone Indian has been married to Monday for seven years.The couple wrestles to find their place in the settled society.   Webster â€Å"Webb† T. Webster, Monday’s old friend, paid a sudden visit one summer morning.   Webster is a strident and unremorseful trapper.   He has a crude humor and a stubborn obedience to the simple life (Oregon State University Press, 2004).   He has no other frills of civilization (Tillabooks, 2006).   It was him who led Monday through adventures which leaned dangerou sly close to lawlessness.   It was through their misadventures which led Monday towards a rediscovery of his moral core.   Monday’s life takes us on a journey through rebelliousness, feat and misfortune (Oregon State University Press, 2004).Moontrap gives an account of the conflict one man confronts in maintaining his old habits or fashioning a new life.   It is a splendidly humorous comic and deeply moving rendition of the life in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon State University Press, 2004).   It was a mixture of tough play, wit, lyric romance and the cruel realities of life (cited in Oregon State University Press, 2004).   It follows Monday on his quest towards the realization that renouncing the austere honesty of mountain life for the bargain of civilization is a high a price to pay, indeed (Oregon State University Press, 2004).The idea that a Shoshone Indian who is married to a white man and is about to give birth to their first born does not rest well with the authority that be, the powers of civilization who seemingly have the power over the fate of the region.   This stark reality confronted Monday face to face as the judge refuse to record the name of Monday’s son otherwise.   â€Å"The judge insists on writing out the birth certificate as: Father: Johnson Monday, White.   Mother: Mary Deer Walking, Shoshone Indian.   Child: Webster, son of Mary Deer Walking, Shoshone Indian, Bastard.†Ã‚   This reminded Monday that as he was once a mountain man, he will remain a mountain man (Tillabooks, 2006).Moontrap leaves its readers the haunting questions like: What transpires of the mountain man when he arrives at the final verge?   When the time comes that the Oregon territory has been established and America meets the Pacific, what remains to be the vestiges of old?     Ã‚  (Tillabooks, 2006).The powerful forces of civilization are left to squeeze out what if left of that freedom.   As the account of the conclusion of an epoch, the last of the moral fiber of the mountain man, as civilization sweeps on the Oregon territory.   â€Å"Just as you can’t trap the reflection of the moon in a moving pool of water, so you can’t preserve the freedom of the old ways of life† (Tillabooks, 2006).ReferencesDon Berry. 2000. Berryworks. Retrieved February 1, 2008 from http://www.donberry.com/.Open Space Publications, Inc. 2008. Publishing in the Northwest. Retrieved February 2, 2008from http://www.open-spaces.com/article-v2n3-publishing.phpOregon State University Press. 2004. Moontrap by Don Berry. Retrieved January 31, 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from oregonstate.edu/dept/press/images/fall04cat.pdf.Tillabooks. 2006. Moontrap by Don Berry. Retrieved February 2, 2008 fromhttp://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2006/07/moontrap-by-don-berry.htmlUniversity of Oregon Libraries. 2008. Subject guide to papers of major literary figures in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manuscript collectio ns. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   https://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/guides/lit.html?tab=3.

Stone Age Economics - 3773 Words

â€Å"If economics is the dismal science, the study of hunting and gathering economies must be its most advanced branch† (Sahlins 1972: 1). Stone Age Economics is one of the well-known books in the subfield of economic anthropology provided by an American cultural anthropologist, Marshall Sahlins. This book is a slight representation in the literature dealing with ‘primitive’ or ‘tribal’ economic life. This book consists of a series of chapters that lacks a proper conclusion of Sahlins discoveries. In context it is comprehensive and adherent, manifesting as it does ethnography, social theories, Marxian, Neoclassical and ‘Substantivist’ economics, interpretations, and incisive logic sometimes applied in support of debatable notions. It is a†¦show more content†¦For example, hunter-gatherer societies may seem poor because the people have few possessions, but in fact these societies enjoy a kind of material plenty just by attributes of being unlimited by things that interfere with their mobility. Traditionally, people who subsisted from their land can easily pack up and move to a richer area when needed. Many hunter-gatherer societies also used the technique of slash-and-burn to create fields for agriculture. Certainly, to the extent that poverty is a social status and a matter of wanting more than one has, hunter-gatherers have far less poverty than do the unequaled societies of advanced modern civilization. Their culture leads them to share scarce resources rather than possessing of consuming them individually like a hunter-gatherer society does. These hunter-gatherer societies are what Sahlins refers to as the original affluent societies. Sahlins challenged the popular view of hunter-gatherer societies. Original Affluent Society The original affluent society is a theory that hunter-gatherers were the original affluent society. This theory was introduced by Sahlins and was argued that hunter-gatherer societies are able to achieve affluence by desiring little and meeting their needs with what is available to them. Sahlins referenced this to the â€Å"Zen road to affluence, which states that human material wants are finite and few, and technical means unchanging but on the wholeShow MoreRelatedChanges from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Age Essay608 Words   |  3 Pageschanges that occurred from the Paleolithic Period to the Neolithic. Small changes were made in this time, from the culture, to bigger changes like economics, and agriculture. How did man deal with these changes and what kind of impact did it have on society? The Paleolithic Period is the earliest time period man has been alive, and the longest of the Stone Ages. 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