The Chesapeake Bay, forexample, has been polluted with the nutrients nitrogen andphosphorus and with excess sediment caused, in part, by urbanrunoff. The excess nutrients cause algae blooms that blocksunlight from reaching bay grasses-which are a source of food,shelter, and nursery grounds for many aquatic species.
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Document Page: BETTER DATA AND EVALUATION OF URBAN RUNOFF PROGRAMS NEEDED TO ASSEDD EFF... - 0 views
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In aneffort to control nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, theExecutive Council of the Chesapeake Bay Program" established agoal to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus entering theChesapeake Bay by 40 percent, including through control of runofffrom urban areas.
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The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project conducted a study to identify adverse health effects of untreated urban runoff by surveying over 13,000 swimmers at three bay beaches. The study established a positive association between an increased risk of explains health outcome measures at various distances from storm drains. For example, the study found a 1-in-14 chance of fever for swimmers in front of the drain versus a 1-in-22 chance at 400 or more yards away.
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Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, which are often presentin urban runoff, can pose public health problems.
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Drains Versus 400 or More Yards Away Found On Hard Copy-Storm Drain Runoff," Epidemiology, July 1999, Vol. 10, No. 4.Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in urban runoffcan present a threat to aquatic life.
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proved to betoxic to sea urchin fertilization in the Santa Monica Bay, anddissolved zinc and copper were determined to be contributors tothis toxicity. -Brown bullheads (a bottom-dwelling catfish) inthe Anacostia River developed tumors that were believed to becaused by PAHs associated in part with urban runoff. High PAHand heavy metal concentrations were found in crayfish tissuesamples from several urban streams in Milwaukee. The studyassociated these contaminants with storm water runoff.
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The three primaryactivities used in these programs include efforts to characterizestorm water runoff; BMPs aimed at reducing pollutants in stormwater runoff to the maximum extent practicable; and reportingprogram activities, monitoring results, and costs of implementingthe program. Some BMPs are structural-meaning that they aredesigned to trap and detain runoff until constituents settle orare filtered out.
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-good housekeeping" practices by the local government, such asoil collection and recycling, spill response, household andhazardous waste collection, pesticide controls, flood controlmanagement, and street sweeping; -public education programs, suchas storm-drain stenciling, to remind the public that trash, motoroil, and other pollutants thrown into storm drains end up innearby receiving waters;' -new ordinances to control pollutionsources, such as prohibiting the disposal of lawn clippings instorm drains and requiring pet owners to clean up after theirpets;" requirements that developers comply with storm waterregulations and incorporate erosion and sediment controls at allnew development sites; -requirements that runoff from propertiesowned or activities sponsored by the municipality be properlycontrolled; and -efforts to identify and eliminate illicitconnections and illegal discharges to the storm sewer systems,such as those from pipes carrying sewage.
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Several officials in the cities we visited said that their annualcosts are likely to increase. A number of factors could affectthe costs. For example, a Baltimore City official explained thatthe anticipated, future program costs depend on several factors,including (1) requirements in watershed- management planscurrently being developed, (2) pollution-reduction goals the citywill be required to achieve, (3) requirements of the stateregulatory agency in future permits, and (4) requirements thecity may have to meet if TMDLs or numeric effluent limits areincorporated into NPDES storm water permits. Other city officialsalso expressed concern about the extent to which TMDLs couldaffect their future costs. These city officials are concernedthat when and if TMDLs are established, their future storm waterpermits may require that storm water runoff meet specific waterquality standards. For example, Los Angeles County's trash TMDLcould potentially drive the county's storm water management costsupward, and the county expects additional TMDLs to be imposed. Onthe other hand, Worcester officials estimated that their futurestorm water costs would be about the same as they were at thetime of our review-about $4.5 million per year.
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Japan -- Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition - 0 views
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Japan is a country marked by contrast between old and new. The country values its complex and ancient cultural tradition.
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The islands of Japan form an arc that stretches about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from northeast to southwest.
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Much of Japan's original vegetation has been replaced by farming or by plant species brought in from other countries.
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The burakumin (people of the village) are ethnically the same as the majority of Japanese. However, their ancestors were members of the former outcast class. The burakumin are often treated unfairly.
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Japan has a rich and complex culture. Native Japanese traditions have been mixed with cultural styles adapted from China and, later, from the West. Japanese culture and art emphasize understated simplicity, elegance, and grace. For example, the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, flower arranging, and garden design are highly stylized and refined. On the other hand, contemporary Japanese society fully embraces Western-style popular culture—influenced by television, motion pictures, and advertising.
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modern Japanese writers include Soseki Natsume, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Osamu Dazai, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, and Yukio Mishima.
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Today the martial arts are more important as competitive sports and as aids to physical and mental fitness.
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Historical records, however, show that Japan was not united as one state until the late 4th or early 5th century AD. It was ruled by the Yamato dynasty.
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By the mid-19th century the Tokugawa shogunate was unable to keep European and United States traders away.
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A new government was established under the young emperor Mutsuhito, who took the name of Meiji, meaning “enlightened government.”
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Japan soon sought to build an empire. It successfully fought a war with China (1894–95) and with Russia (1904–05).
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Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia - 0 views
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basic laws of physics dictate that energy is conserved and can only be changed from one form to another or into matter.
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If the supply of fuel is finite, not only will there be no energy supply when the fuel is exhausted
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coal, oil (petroleum), natural gas, uranium, and fuel wood—is limited and insufficient to sustain rapid rates of development.
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debate about the exact length of time available before the effects of a worldwide shortage become apparent
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geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, peat, ocean thermal energy, solar energy, tidal energy, wind power, and fuel wood.
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ocean currents and winds are results of the uneven distribution of solar radiation over the Earth's surface
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ocean thermal energy, solar heating of the upper layers of the ocean produces temperature gradients that can be harnessed to generate electricity
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Sun also powers the hydrologic cycle, in which ocean water is evaporated, transported over the continents, and precipitated as rain or snow to form rivers
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energy locked in such renewable fuel sources as wood and peat is derived from the Sun by the process of photosynthesis.
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over the entire surface of the Earth at a very low average rate, leakage is much higher in certain locations.
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Nonrenewable resources originate from two processes: (1) photosynthesis, which occurred many millions of years ago, followed by the fossilization of the plant and animal life that resulted, and (2) the formation of the Earth itself.
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A cleaner-burning fuel than oil, natural gas seemed to be in abundant supply at the turn of the 21st century and, with the greatly enlarged network of gas pipelines, was rapidly growing in use.
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nearly total dependence on fossil fuels and hydroelectricity ensures that efforts to solve energy problems by switching to alternative sources will have to overcome a great deal of inertia, both economic and psychological.
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sources as solar power, wind power, and synthetic fuels suffer from the serious drawback that few major installations now exist.
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solar energy reaches the top of the atmosphere in amounts 10,000 times greater than all human production of energy, it reaches the Earth's surface at rates of only about 80 to 250 W/m2, and considerably less on cloudy days.
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arge-scale system based on solar-collector panels will be physically huge, causing problems of maintenance and land use
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