Groundwater

The recent protests in North Dakota has turned the world’s attention to the Standing Rock Sioux Nation reserve, where a section of the Dakota Access Pipeline will be built if approved. Native Americans argue that the proposed pipeline will damage their vital water sources and affect the whole reserve, making their water undrinkable and harming their health. Crude oil pipelines, usually buried underground, can easily contaminate water (“How Can You Identify Pipeline.”), which in turn toxifies the…

5.2 Background DECC (2015) delineates hydraulic fracking as an unconventional method of extracting natural gas reserves situated in shale rock. Fracking for shale gas occurs in fractured rock sediments when pressurized liquid (water and additives) and sand are ingested at high pressure through wells to crack shale rocks sediments (Evensen, Jacquet, Clarke & Stedman, 2014). The most commonly extracted shale gas is methane gas even though other secondary gases may also be present (American…

When one thinks of the word “desert”, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a sand landscape with saguaros and snakes. This image is very different to the reality of Tucson. One of the most notable things about Tucson is how it has lived under four different governments. Originally, it served under the Spanish government, but it became a part of Mexico, when Mexico declared its independence from Spain. Then during the Gadsden purchase, it was sold to the United States but was considered…

Do you believe super markets should be required to enforce a 25 cent per plastic bag fee? Which will save our environment, and keep plastic out of our oceans, landfills and storm drains. Or do you believe this fee is unnecessary, and it penalizes people who do not have an adequate amount of money to buy reusable bags? For the poor do not need another fee, and workers don't need the extra work. However, isn't it depressing to see how much plastic has accumulated over the years on our planet. The…

with the construction of the pipeline. The environmental issue listed included “Climate change, including lifecycle GHG emissions associated with oil sands, potential for releases or spills of oil, wetlands, water resources, including effects on groundwater aquifers” to name a…

The extent of Africa’s water crisis is severe. 358 million people do not have access to water in Africa. Actions are taking place to prevent any larger problems with Africa’s lack of water and hopefully to end the drinking of unsanitized and contaminated water. One solution is desalination, which is the removal of salts/minerals from the ocean water to create purified and drinkable water. The first criteria of this solution is that the existence of the water crisis would no longer be present.…

Community Gardens A community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people. Have you ever wondered where our food comes from? When your eating vegetables, that's where it's coming from. If we had a community garden, we could save money. First, community gardens helps you communicate with other people. They increase a sense of community ownership and stewardship. Community gardens offer a focal point for community organizing, and can lead to community-based…

Transportation and Change: The impact from the artificial landscapes of waterway transportation system on the hydrology and economy of the surrounding region. I. Introduction A. To estimate if it is worth changing the landscape to enhance the transportation system, it is critical to give comprehensive evaluations to current cases. B. Dr. McQueary (2006) states in the article “Landscape ecology in transportation planning” that while development of transportation systems benefits humans…

environment. This is easy to see when Mike Kilen announces, “One statistic widely disseminated through national media and online sources last year indicated that 40 to 60 percent of nitrogen applied to lawns through fertilizer winds up in surface and groundwater, a percentage attributed to the Environmental Protection Agency.” This quote says that we are doing just as much harm with city fertilizers as farming fertilizers. People who live in the city are even more to blame than farmers. This is…

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION Geothermal energy is the utilization of heat present in the deep earth for the purpose of power generation or other direct use application. In general terms, geothermal energy consists of the thermal energy present in the Earth’s crust. Thermal energy in the earth is distributed between the constituent host rock and the natural fluid that is contained in its fractures and pores at temperatures above ambient levels. Globally, the most commonly…