Impacts of the California Drought

Impacts of the California Drought In 2015, California was once more taking stock of its water supply, coming out of the winter season in its fourth year of drought. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, the proportion of the state’s area in severe drought had not significantly changed since a year before, at 98%. However, the proportion classified as under exceptional drought conditions leaped from 22% to 40%. Much of the worst hit area is in the Central Valley, where the dominant land use is irrigation-dependent agriculture. Also included in the exceptional drought category are the Sierra Nevada Mountains and a large swath of the central and southern coasts. There was much hope that the winter 2014-2015 would bring El Nià ±o conditions, resulting in above normal rainfall across the state, and deep snow at high elevations. The encouraging predictions from earlier in the year did not materialize. In fact, in late March 2015, the southern and central Sierra Nevada snowpack was only at 10% of its long-term average water content and only at 7% in the northern Sierra Nevada. To top it off, spring temperatures were quite above average, with record high temperatures observed all over the West. So yes, California is really in a drought. How Is the Drought Affecting the Environment? Energy: About 15 percent of California’s electricity is provided by hydroelectric turbines operating on large water reservoirs. Those reservoirs are abnormally low, reducing hydropower’s contribution to the state’s energy portfolio. To compensate, the state needs to rely more on non-renewable sources like natural gas. Fortunately, in 2015 utility-scale solar power reached new heights, now at 5% of California’s energy portfolio.Wildfires: California’s grasslands, chaparral, and savannas are fire-adapted ecosystems, but this prolonged drought is keeping the vegetation tinder dry and vulnerable to intense wildfires. These wildfires create air pollution, displace and kill wildlife, and damage property.Wildlife: While much of the wildlife in California can weather temporary dry conditions, a prolonged drought can lead to increased mortality and reduced reproduction. Drought is an additional stressor affecting endangered species already burdened by habita t loss, invasive species, and other conservation problems. Many species of migratory fish are endangered in California, notably salmon. Low river flows due to the drought reduce access to spawning grounds. People will also feel the effects of the drought. Farmers in California are heavily dependent on irrigation to grow crops like alfalfa, rice, cotton, and many fruits and vegetables. California’s multi-billion dollar almond and walnut industry is particularly water intensive, with estimates that it takes 1 gallon of water to grow a single almond, over 4 gallons for a single walnut. Beef cattle and dairy cows are raised on forage crops like hay, alfalfa, and grains, and on vast pastures that require rainfall to be productive. Competition for water needed for agriculture, domestic use, and aquatic ecosystems, are leading to conflicts over water use. Compromises need to be made, and again this year large swaths of farmland will remain fallow, and the fields that are farmed will be producing less. This will lead to price increases for a wide variety of foods. Is There Some Relief in Sight? On March 5, 2015, meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finally announced the return of El Nià ±o conditions. This large scale climate phenomenon usually is associated with wetter conditions for the western U.S., but due to its late spring timing, it did not provide enough moisture to relieve California from drought conditions. Global climate change throws a good measure of uncertainty in forecasts based on historical observations, but perhaps some comfort can be taken by looking at historical climate data: multi-year droughts have happened in the past, and all have eventually subsided. El Nià ±o conditions have subsided  during the 2016-17 winter, but a number of powerful storms are bringing a copious amount of moisture in the form of rain and snow. It wont be until later that we will really know if its enough to bring the state out of the drought. Sources: California Department of Water Resources. Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content. NIDIS. US Drought Portal.

How to Improve Ones Study Skills

How to Improve Ones Study Skills When it comes to excelling at the college/university level, students must focus on developing their study skills. It’s often called the â€Å"great equalizer† – because it guarantees good grades, regardless of one’s intelligence, aptitude or any other skills students have developed in their academic career. But too many students are not taught how to study effectively. For example, students are told note-taking helps them prepare for a test, though few are taught exactly how to do so. It comes down to them learning what works best for them over time. Here are 8  proven study tips to help students prepare for tests:   Study for no longer than an hour at a time without taking a break. Not only does this make better use of one’s time while studying, psychologists have learned that people learn best in short takes. Also, even when someone is not studying, their mind subconsciously works to absorb what they have previously studied, learned or been exposed to.   Separate the study of subjects that are similar in nature. The student can avoid interference and confusion if they, for example, were to study Spanish or history after studying math – and not Chemistry, with includes mathematics.   Avoid studying when tired. This has proven to be counter-productive; the student doesn’t accomplish anything when their brain is not fresh. In this case, when they are tired, physical activity and taking part in recreation is advised.   Memorize actively, not passively. The worst way to memorize is simply reading something over and over again. Instead, the student should use their senses. They can try to visualize the material they’re learning in concrete terms; they can say certain words aloud, listening as they are saying them. They can also use association – or relating the fact to be learned to something personally significant, or find a logical tie-in. Also, use mnemonic devices: ROYGBIV, for the colors of the rainbow.   Study while reading. Follow the OK4R method devised by Dr. Walter Pauk: O = Overview. Read a book or passage’s title, intro and summarizing paragraphs and headings to get a general idea of what’s being discussed; K = Key Ideas. Skim the text for key ideas, usually found in the first sentences of each paragraph; read italics and bold type, bulleted sections, itemizations, pictures, tables; R1 = Read assignments from beginning to end; R2 = Recall. Put aside the text and recall, whether mentally, verbally or in writing, the major points put forth in the text; R3 = Reflect. This helps fix the material in the student’s mind, to cement it there for long-term use, through finding relationships and significance; R4 = Review, but not right away. This comes with studying, either for a short quiz, a test, or exam at a later date.   Decide what to study and for how long. Studying the wrong thing for any period of time is, well, a waste of time.   Do difficult tasks first. To avoid procrastinating on studying for the hardest subjects, it helps to end a study session by focusing on the simpler and more interesting ones.   Use longer time/study periods for organizing relationships and concepts, as well as for outlining and writing papers, if necessary. Use shorter study periods for â€Å"rote† memorization (mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned), to review content, and for self-testing one’s knowledge on a given subject. Following these simple steps will ensure a significant boost in your academic performance. Dont try to follow each of them at once, its best to take one step at a time. Pick one technique and work with it until you understand if it works for you and how effective it is. Eventually you will learn to combine these steps and acquiring new information will become a piece of cake for you. Good luck with your studies, and remember should you need any academic assistance, is always happy to help!

Civil Engineering Management Portfolio Assignment

Civil Engineering Management Portfolio - Assignment Example Construction has a long history, almost parallel to the development of civilization. Across the globe, construction is the biggest industry which is churning billions of dollars every year and providing employment to a large workforce - skilled as well as unskilled. As far as the UK is concerned, its output is worth over 100bn a year. It accounts for 8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides employment for around 3 million workers (Vadera, Shriti and Woolas, Phil et al. 2008). Civil Engineering and the associated sub-disciplines are changing rapidly as a result of technology enhancements, growing concerns on local & global environment problems & commitment required to the ecosystem and the overall management system & quality control procedures that collectively comprise of the management portfolio of the profession. The job of a Civil Engineering Project Manager is no longer planning & execution of construction projects but is also linked with commitment to local & global envir onment, the local ecosystem, the society and the overall safety of the infrastructure from the perspective of the workers and the end users. The Management Portfolio thus needs to include all these responsibilities and organized to form an organization structure that can effectively deliver as per all such requirements. The local special interest groups and the legal & statutory system of the nation carry lot of influence on the projects and hence they need to be satisfied effectively by sending to them regular updates & reports and allowing them to audit the proceedings as and when demanded. Hence, every project is expected to comprise of the following management challenges: (a) Health & Safety

Literature Review and Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Literature Review and Proposal - Essay Example However, things did not turned out as expected and it was found that other nations were actually overtaking the national sports of England with relative ease and it was more evident in the last 40 years. According to the fundamental hypothesis it can be stated that foreign influences has much to do with it. This is where the question becomes extremely important. Football is not only the national sports of England it is also an immensely popular sports in the country. It is fundamentally a heritage of England and the current degradation of this sport is a crisis of the national level and it is important to understand the reason behind this. A Qualitative method of study differs from the usual quantitative methods (used in the study of pure sciences) in the sense that it tends to be far more subjective. This is in sharp contrast to the methods used in pure sciences which are exclusively objective. The research methods for marketing are a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Being open to qualitative methods of study also allows social scientists to incorporate non-quantitative data (i.e. non-numerical data, such as words, images, gestures, impressions etc.) in their study. Since human beings tend to operate in terms of such data and not in terms of the terminology used in ordinary sciences this broader outlook is far more applicable in the study of social sciences. In keeping with the methodology employed in marketing researches the theories too are formulated and used keeping in mind that they aren't necessarily applicable to all conditions. Be it psychology, history, political science or economics human events are most likely to influence the rules which define the basic theories of a marketing subject. Success in the field of marketing researches can therefore be achieved if and only if it is understood that the subject has no space or opportunity for water-tight methodologies or theories. (Berkowitz, 2004) It can always be stated that Qualitative research is a process that includes interpretative paradigm under the measures of theoretical assumptions and the entire approach is based on sustainability that is depended on people's experience in terms of communication. It can also be mentioned that the total approach is based on the fact that reality is created on the social formulations. It can also be mentioned that the basic target of qualitative research is instrumented towards social context under normal circumstances where it would be possible to interpret, decode and describe the significances of a phenomenon. The entire process is operational under the parameter of interpretative paradigm that can minimize illusion and share subjectivity under contextualization, authenticity and complexity of the investigation. The basic advantages of qualitative measures are multi fold. Firstly, it presents a completely realistic approach that the statistical analysis and numerical data used in research based on quantitative research cannot provide. Another advantage of qualitative measures is that it is more flexible in nature in terms of collected information interpretation, subsequent analysis and data collection. It also presents a holistic point of view of the investigat

Sons and Lovers Essay Example for Free

Sons and Lovers Essay The first part of the novel focuses on Mrs. Morel and her unhappy marriage to a drinking miner. She has many arguments with her husband, some of which have painful results: on separate occasions, she is locked out of the house and hit in the head with a drawer. Estranged from her husband, Mrs. Morel takes comfort in her four children, especially her sons. Her oldest son, William, is her favorite, and she is very upset when he takes a job in London and moves away from the family. When William sickens and dies a few years later, she is crushed, not even noticing the rest of her children until she almost loses Paul, her second son, as well. From that point on, Paul becomes the focus of her life, and the two seem to live for each other. Paul falls in love with Miriam Leivers, who lives on a farm not too far from the Morel family. They carry on a very intimate, but purely platonic, relationship for many years. Mrs. Morel does not approve of Miriam, and this may be the main reason that Paul does not marry her. He constantly wavers in his feelings toward her. Paul meets Clara Dawes, a suffragette who is separated from her husband, through Miriam. As he becomes closer with Clara and they begin to discuss his relationship with Miriam, she tells him that he should consider consummating their love and he returns to Miriam to see how she feels. Paul and Miriam sleep together and are briefly happy, but shortly afterward Paul decides that he does not want to marry Miriam, and so he breaks off with her. She still feels that his soul belongs to her, and, in part agrees reluctantly. He realizes that he loves his mother most, however. After breaking off his relationship with Miriam, Paul begins to spend more time with Clara and they begin an extremely passionate affair. However, she does not want to divorce her husband Baxter, and so they can never be married. Paul’s mother falls ill and he devotes much of his time to caring for her. When she finally dies, he is broken-hearted and, after a final plea from Miriam, goes off alone at the end of the novel.

The Detrimental Effects of Global Warming Essay examples -- Expository

The Detrimental Effects of Global Warming The morning sun begins to shed its light on the city below. Turning off the alarm, James removes his Dexcron SleepInhaler 4000 to breathe in what little oxygen he can. Feeling light-headed, he quickly dresses into the day’s apparel consisting of a climate controlled, blue bio-suit and an oxygen tank. Today marks the first day of the month so he turns his calendar as he walks towards the door. He closes the door wondering what caused the world to be this way. All he can remember is that the temperature has been rising since he was born and the hottest day on record, 122 degrees in Cleveland, was recorded last week. Exposing himself to the outdoor elements, he waits for the public shuttle in the sweltering early morning heat of September 1, 2036. The issue of global warming is a very complex one. While it revolves around pollution and other factors, the basic principle stems from the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural process resulting from various atmospheric components like water vapor and carbon dioxide trapping the Sun’s energy in the lower atmosphere (Gille). This trapped energy causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. Without this process, the global temperature would be a frigid 10 degrees below zero (Salmon). Some scientists believe that human industrialization is increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing the global temperature to rise. The resulting theory is global warming. Yes, the possible results of global warming should be a concern of the global community and burning fossil fuels cannot be beneficial, but nature is to blame, not human negligence. People who believe in the theory of global warming have justi... ...ohn C. â€Å"Greenhouse Effect.† World Book. 1994. â€Å"Global Warming ‘Consensus’ Claim Doesn’t Hold Water.† National Center for Public Policy Research. 8 Feb. 1998. 4 Dec. 2002 . Gore, Al. â€Å"Immediate Measures Should Be Taken to Combat Global Warming.† Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997. Jastrow, Robert. â€Å"The Magnitude of Global Warming Will Not Be Extreme.† Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997. â€Å"New Science on Global Warming.† Natural Resources Defense Council. 27 Sep. 2002. 5 Dec. 2002 . Salmon, Jeffrey. â€Å"Global Warming Does Not Pose A Serious Threat.† Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997.

Describe the “Sharp Differences” Dividing the Leadership of the Revolutionary Generation. Essay

In January of 1790, Hamilton submitted a financial plan to Congress in order to help the country with its debt. James Madison, leader of the southern congressmen did not like Madison’s ideas and he blocked approval of the plan. Hamilton sought help Jefferson to help him with his problem. Jefferson arranged dinner with Hamilton, Madison and himself to discuss the issue. However the three men disagreed upon many things. They had different ideas and methods on how to fix the economy, how many people should have economic power, and contributions to society. Read Also:Â  Descriptive Narrative Essay Topics Hamilton believed that for the economy to grow, economic development had to be created and managed. He wanted to collect resources located all around North America and sell them to make a profit. Moving all these resources around would require management at a national level. Both Madison and Jefferson disagreed with Hamilton’s idea. Doing this would cost money and the country would be losing money instead of making a profit. They believed that the economy should recover and grow on its own. Hamilton thought putting economic power in fewer hands was necessary for the economy to grow. Madison believed the power should be dispersed and then checked by different interest groups. Hamilton was convinced that if the power was spread out, money would just be money. If it were concentrated on a only a few people, the money would be worth more. Hamilton had more of an economic way of thinking. Madison, however, saw things in a more political way. Hamilton saw certain people to be contri butors to America. These people were those who handled money such as merchants and bankers. Hamilton would use their skill to serve the public interest. Both Madison and Jefferson disagreed with him. These people make no real contribution to American society. They considered land to be a main contributor to capital. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison all wanted to help their country. They were faced with a massive amount of debt and it was their main priority to fix their economy. While their goal was the same, the way they tried to approached was different. Their methods of fixing the economy was completely opposite of each other. Hamilton’s economic mind set and Madison’s and Jefferson’s political way of thinking contradicted each other. This made it difficult for them to see eye to eye in order to rectify the national debt the country faced.

Rise and Rise of Indian Fashion Retail Industry

RISE AND RISE OF INDIAN FASHION RETAIL INDUSTRY The Indian Fashion retail industry has come a long way since its onset in the country. It is steadily taking the shape of economy booster and has grown many folds in last decade. There are a number of domestic brands like Numero Uno, Satya Paul, Pantaloons, and Provogue who have seen tremendous growth since the time they arrived in the market. The vast opportunity has also lured international players like Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Zara, WalMart to move into the Indian Fashion Retail Industry.The potential in the sector is immense and it is just a matter of time before the Indian Fashion Retail Industry becomes internationally renowned. According to one estimate, more than 50% of the retail space in India used by Fashion industry. Apparel and textiles together is largest among the retail sectors. Combining other fashion segments like jewellery, cosmetics, accessories, watches and beauty product means that fashion makes up for more than 60 % of retail sector.In department stores, fashion products account for around 95% of the total sales. The share is 70% in the Hypermarkets. In the year 2009, the value of apparel industry in India was INR 32,70,000 million. It is estimated to grow at around 11 percent and should reach INR 1,03,20,000 million by 2020. The most important factor for this steep growth and popularity of Fashion products is the huge population of our country.Also, with the rise of more and more industries there is a marked increase in the income level of people resulting in more spending power as well. People are buying fashion products more than ever before. Once the basic needs of food and shelter are met the focus shifts on trying to look and feel better. There is a noticeable growth in the number of fashion retail outlets. The Indian Fashion Retail sector consists of department stores, huge shopping malls, hypermarkets, etc.In monetary terms, the industry has fashion brands which offers affordable fash ion clothing and is within the purchasing power of a common man. It also has brands offering premium fashion products which are really expensive. Introduction of online retailing has added a new dimension to the fashion retail segment and will surely help to boost the sales further. The Indian Fashion has a great future ahead and is sure to become one the biggest Industry in the country in terms of monetary power involved. Watch out for the boom.

Nanotechnology essays

Nanotechnology essays Summary-Nanotechnology May Aid Environment Nanotechnology is considered a clean technology, also a key to solving some current environmental problems. The field of nanotechnology is rapidly growing. The time has been cut from five to ten years down to two or three years, according to Mihail Roco, National Science Foundations senior adviser. Nanotechnology will have such a strong impact on the way science deals with medicine, food, electronics and the environment, that within a decade, it is seen to have a $1 trillion yearly market in the products that carry nano-components. With the worlds population expected to reach more than 11 billion by the year 2050, nanotechnology is believed to be able to allow governments and industry to keep the planet livable, by cutting down on waste and helping to provide sustainable food, water and energy. The NSF has been studying nanotechnologys potential environmental benefits. For example, filter systems for drinking or wastewater, natural gas pipelines and smokestacks to remove even the smallest impurities. For water, it means much cleaner drinking, for gas, it means finer filtration for cleaner burning, with less smog. Industrial plants may also me able to use more sensitive emission scrubbers that serve as protection against even nano-sized pieces of soot from waste gases. Nanoparticles are also being researched for use as sensors to monitor air or drinking water for the presence of toxins. Further more these sensors can be networked to give a full description of the environment and any encroaching pollutants, even chemical or biological weapons. Along with this study pollution-absorbing nanoparticles can be used to clean up tainted water or soil. Reflection-Nanotechnology May Aid Environment I liked the article very much. I believe that this is a very important subject. With the population vastly growing it is necessary ...

Instructions on How to Make a Gentle Soap

Instructions on How to Make a Gentle Soap These are the instructions for making your own gentle hand or face soap. Its work, but worth the effort! This takes about 1 day to complete. Materials 4 kg (9 lb) suet (tallow)350 g (12 oz) lye750 ml (3 C) water500 ml (2 C) lemon juice7.5 ml (.25 oz) fragranceGlovesWooden spoonVentilated work areaMolds/glass baking dishes Instructions on How to Make Soap If you are using a pure fat, such as coconut oil or olive oil, you can skip stepping 5. Coconut oil yields a soft, quick-lathering soap. Olive oil and other vegetable cooking oils yield a soft soap that never completely hardens.Render the tallow by cutting it into chunks, placing it into the large pot, covering it, and heating on medium heat until it is melted. Stir occasionally.Cool the fat to below the boiling point of water. Add a volume of water equal to that of the fat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit overnight.Remove the fat from the pot. Discard non-fat gunk (scrape it off of the bottom of the fat) and any liquid.Measure 2.75 kg rendered fat. Cut the fat into tennis-ball size chunks and place the pieces into a large bowl.Set up all of your materials. Ventilate the area (or work outside), put on safety gear, and open all containers.Make soap :-) Pour the water into a large glass or ceramic bowl (not metal). Carefully pour the lye into the bowl a nd mix the water and lye with the wooden spoon. The reaction between water and lye gives off heat (is exothermic) and vapors that you should avoid breathing. The spoon will be somewhat degraded by the lye.Once the lye is dissolved by the water, start adding the chunks of fat, a bit at a time. Keep stirring until the fat is melted. If necessary, add heat (put on a low burner with ventilation).Stir in the lemon juice and fragrance oil (optional). Once the soap is well mixed, pour it into molds. If you use glass baking dishes for molds, you can cut the soap into bars after it has become firmer (not hard).The soap will harden in approximately an hour.You may wrap the finished soap in clean cotton rags. It can be stored for 3-6 months in a cool, well-ventilated location.Wear gloves when washing your equipment, as there may be some unreacted lye remaining. Wash in very hot water to help melt away the residue. Useful Tips Adult supervision required! Wear gloves and protective eyewear and cover exposed skin to avoid accidental exposure to the lye. Keep out of reach of children!If you get lye on your skin, immediately wash it with lots of cold water. Read the cautions on the container before opening the lye.Dont measure the lye. Instead, adjust the soap recipe to accomodate the container size of the lye.Cooking oils are sensitive to air and light, and soap made from cooking oils will spoil in a few weeks unless it is refrigerated.Volatile fragrance oils or even dried herbs or spices may be added to the soap to scent it. The fragrance is optional.

Humanitarian intervention and International law Essay

Humanitarian intervention and International law - Essay Example humanitarian intervention because while forming the international law, it could not foresee every situation and intervention on humanitarian grounds has become imperative owing to evil regimes and dictatorships around the world, especially in African countries. If accepted, another haunting question arises: is it possible for the institution of humanitarian intervention to justify unauthorised actions? Should powerful States take it upon themselves and judge the situation and take individualistic actions against the erring state? Where will be the end to it? This is a highly intriguing and frustrating situation, especially when genocide is going on, like that of Rwanda’s. But it is difficult to justify the war over Iraq, even though United Kingdom and United States tried hard to wrap it up in various colour package, saying that it was imperative because of human rights violation, dictatorship, establishing democracy, better the lives of Iraqis etc. and this theory has found no takers. The genocide that happened in Rwanda will go down in history as one of the worst of its kind and the question still remains as to how the international community can stop this horrendous killing from continuing further or happening somewhere else. The United Nations and its Security Council has a ‘responsibility to protect’ the innocent people all around the world, irrespective of their nationality, race and creed. Some international law makers argue that Security Council should be given more power to intervene; but if given, could that power be mismanaged and misused by the powerful few? These questions had been haunting the world leaders for a long time now. How to empower a humanitarian intervention under impossibly difficult situations? Is it possible for the world body to handle such a situation, without getting influenced by super powers? Sovereignty of the country should not be violated by another country, even though it has violated human rights, according to rights