Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Conventional and Water Sensitive Urban Development

Conventional and Water Sensitive Urban Development Literature Review The Difference between Conventional Urban Development (CUD) and Water Sensitive Urban Development (WSUD) Introduction Urban development in cities around the world has come under constraining pressure due to population growth which leads to urban sprawl and the effects of anthropogenically induced climate change impacts on environmental ecosystems. The increase in the development of infrastructure such as impervious surfaces on roads, walkways, and public parks triggers increased flooding due to surface runoff and changes of landscapes, which adversely impact environmental ecosystems (Zhang et al., 2017). Other urban development dilemmas, as pointed out by Ercan et al., (2017), were increases in greenhouse gases (GHG) and conventional air pollution due to an increase in transportation industries. A Conventional Urban Development (CUD) approach as a solution to such glitches was introduced to control storm water and flooding, but ignored further contemplation on the carrying and receiving environment, in this case, the streams, lakes and ocean ecosystems. A sustainable pathway to urban development required a more holistic approach that was pertinent in capturing roles of nature in urban or city developments. According to Bell, (2015), Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) might be a solution as it exemplifies a sustainable approach to urban nature and provides a useful foundation for moving beyond drainage and into the water supply and waste water technology and discourse. This article will identify the differences between Conventional Urban Development and Water Sensitive Urban Development. Furthermore, it will elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches and predict an overview on the future of the integration in relation to the sustainable cities metaphor. Comparison of Conventional Urban Development and Water Sensitive Urban Development Conventional urban development was introduced as an engineered structure in addressing storm water management and reducing flooding in cities in most parts of the world. The approach was largely focused on flood mitigation and health protection (Fletcher et al., 2015). Roefs et al., (2017) identified three types of conventional urban development based on sanitation systems; namely, centralized, conventionally activated sludge treatment; on-site sources for separation of grey water and black water treatment; and a hybrid of both systems. Urban stormwater runoff has become a challenge for urban planners and communities at large due to the source of degradation to stream ecosystems, as it only emphasised urban stormwater runoff originating from every roof, road and car park of a city. Therefore, another approach, which is more or less an integration of the conventional urban development, was introduced as a Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD). Water sensitive urban design is an integrated water management of water supply, wastewater and stormwater aimed at achieving multiple objectives beyond conventional or normal design and attentive on social amenities, protection of receiving waters, reduced consumption of external waters and other resources, and an improved microclimate within an urban natural environment (Walsh et al., 2016 Sharma et al., 2016). The water sensitive urban design is widely supported by many city planners and engineers as one of the novel technologies for sustainable cities (Bell, 2015 Sharma et al., 2016). Pros and Cons of Water Sensitive Urban Design Although there was an imbalance pointing more to the increased social understanding of water sensitive urban design and its benefits, there were also some contradictions in implementing the systems in many cities around the world. According to Sharma et al., (2016) Niemczynowicz, (1999), this new principle of integrated water management required close communication by water engineers, ecologists, and municipal planners to actively participate in the planning process. Also, it was identified by the authors that there were gaps in knowledge on the technical, economic, and social and institutional aspects of the Water Sensitive Urban Design implementation. In contrast, Water Sensitive Urban Development integrates all elements of the water cycle and their interconnections to achieve results that allow a healthy environment that meets the need of human consumption, waste water and pollution, precipitation and runoff, watercourses and water resources, and floods (Ulian et al., 2017). The concept of a Water Sensitive City is picked by many cities around the world as the option for resilience toward population growth and climate change impacts. For instance, according to Wong and Brown, (2008), the concept of a Water Sensitive City is a state goal of Australia to make every city water sensitive. Conclusion Populations will continue to grow and natural environments will continue to be affected as a result of anthropogenically induced climate change, which will lead to challenges of urban water management in urban centres around the world. Conventional Urban Development has been underpinned by the new water sensitive urban design to another level of water management in cities. The difference separating the two methods of engineering is that for Conventional Urban Development more consideration is put forward for removal of stormwater from urban areas so as to avoid flooding and to improve sanitation, while the Water Sensitive Urban Development considered removal of wastewater and was making sure that the water was controlled or cared for without adversely affecting the ecosystems. In simple terms, the Water Sensitive Urban Development (WSUD) is how urban stormwater is protected, reused, and recycled, so that the health of the ecosystems may be sustained and the goals of sustainable citie s could be achieved. References Bell, S. (2015). Renegotiating urban water. Progress in planning, 96, 1-28. Ercan, T., Onat, N. C., Tatari, O., Mathias, J. D. (2017). Public transportation adoption requires paradigm shif[B1]t in urban development structure. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 1789-1799. Fletcher, T. D., Shuster, W., Hunt, W. F., Ashley, R., Butler, D., Arthur, S., Mikkelsen, P. S. (2015). SUDS, LID, BMPs, WSUD and more-The evolution and application of terminology surrounding urban drainage. Urban Water Journal, 12(7), 525-542. Niemczynowicz, J. (1999). Urban hydrology and water management-present and future challenges. Urban water, 1(1), 1-14. Roefs, I., Meulman, B., Vreeburg, J. H., Spiller, M. (2017). Centralised, decentralised or hybrid sanitation systems? Economic evaluation under urban development uncertainty and phased expansion. Water Research, 109, 274-286. Sharma, A. K., Pezzaniti, D., Myers, B., Cook, S., Tjandraatmadja, G., Chacko, P. Walton, A. (2016). Water Sensitive Urban Design: An Investigation of Current Systems, Implementation Drivers, Community Perceptions and Potential to Supplement Urban Water Services. Water, 8(7), 272. Ulian, G., Cartes, I., Lima, M. M. C. L. (2017). Water management assessment methodology for urban planning. Revista Ambiente and à gua, 12(1), 33-46. Walsh, C. J., Booth, D. B., Burns, M. J., Fletcher, T. D., Hale, R. L., Hoang, L. N. Wallace, A. (2016). Principles for urban storm water management to protect stream ecosystems. Freshwater Science, 35(1), 398-411. Wong, T., Brown, R. (2008, August). Transitioning to water sensitive cities: ensuring resilience through a new hydro-social contract. In 11th International Conference on Urban Drainage. September. Edinburgh. 10p. Zhang, D., Gersberg, R. M., Ng, W. J., Tan, S. K. (2017). Conventional and decentralized urban storm water management: A comparison through case studies of Singapore and Berlin, Germany. Urban Water Journal, 14(2), 113-124. [B1]Your second and third lines should be indented for your references.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Power of Free Will in Milton?s Paradise Lost Essay -- Milton Parad

The Power of Free Will in Milton's Paradise Lost Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Remember always that you not only have to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." To be an individual means to act by choice and make decisions with free will enhanced by the power of knowledge. Only then are people true to themselves and to others. In Paradise Lost, Milton clearly conveys this concept of acting freely under God. He shows the reader that only with the freedom to choose do a person's actions become meaningful and sincere. This idea also helps Milton to explain the importance of "the fall" and God's ultimate plan. Throughout the book, free will is demonstrated not only by Adam and Eve, but also Satan and the other fallen angels, as well as God's Son. Each character's fate further explains why freedom is so important in expressing true feelings. In Paradise Lost, Milton portrays his belief that God's real desire is power. To achieve this power, God has given to man the freedom to choose. By giving mankind, more specifically Adam and Eve, this freedom, God will have undefeatable power because those following him will be true. As Eve later states, For we to him all praises owe, And daily thanks, I chiefly who enjoy So far the happier lot, enjoying thee Pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou Like consort to thyself canst nowhere find (Milton, 4.444-48) By following God of their own will, the praise Adam and Eve give to God is real. It is not a dreaded act done out of fear. To take away the freedom Adam and Eve are given would be taking away God's power. This helps to convey the understanding among mankind that part of God's ultimate plan of holding power is to allow people to act on their own free will. .. ...e, the decision to do so is much more meaningful. Thus, God has an even greater following, which again, fits into his ultimate plan. Without the freedom of choice, a person's actions are not sincere or meaningful. As a part of God's ultimate plan, he gives the angels in Heaven and Adam and Eve free will in their actions. By doing so, God heightens his own power because his following is strong and faithful. Satan's character, on the other hand, gains followers out of fear. As a result, he does not attain the same power that God does, which helps to support the thesis that true power can only be gained with free will. Milton also adds depth to this concept by connecting the power of knowledge to free will. Works Cited Empson, William. Milton's God. London: Chatto and Windus, 1961. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Roy Flannagan. New York: Macmillan, 1993.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Life and Work of Miss Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in August 31, 1870. She was the first woman in Italy to receive a medical degree. She worked in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology& education. She believed that each child is born with a unique potential to be revealed, rather than as a â€Å"blank slate† waiting to be written upon. Her main contributions to the work of those of us raising and educating children are; †¢Preparing the most natural and life supporting environment for the child †¢Observing the child living freely in this environment Continually adapting the environment in order that the child may fulfill his greatest potential — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually The Early Years Maria Montessori was always a little ahead of her time. At age thirteen, against the wishes of her father but with the support of her mother, she began to attend a boys' technical school. After seven years of engineering she began premed and, in 1896 became a physician. In her work at the University of Rome psychiatric clinic Montessori developed an interest in the treatment of special needs children and, for several years, she worked, wrote, and spoke on their behalf. Miss Maria as an Educationalist Maria lectures on the importance of educating disabled children at a national medical congress and at a national teacher’s congress in Turin, Italy. She travelled to London and Paris to study the work of earlier pioneers in this field, Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin. In 1898 Maria becomes a member of the National League for the Education of Retarded Children. Maria is appointed co-director with Dr. Giuseppe Montesano of the State Orthophrenic School (for mentally retarded children) in Rome. In 1898 Maria becomes a member of the National League for the Education of Retarded Children. Maria is appointed co-director with Dr. Giuseppe Montesano of the State Orthophrenic School (for mentally retarded children) in Rome . She leaves the Orthophrenic School in 1901 and returns to the University to study psychology and philosophy. The University of Rome appoints Maria as a lecturer in science and medicine, and she chairs the Department of Anthropology House of Children She was given the opportunity to study â€Å"normal† children, taking charge of fifty poor children of the dirty, desolate streets of the San Lorenzo slum on the outskirts of Rome in 1907. The news of the unprecedented success of her work in this Casa dei Bambini â€Å"House of Children† soon spread around the world, people coming from far and wide to see the children for themselves. Dr. Montessori was as astonished as anyone at the realized potential of these children: The Montessori Method Maria’s book, The Montessori Method, is published in Italian Anne George, an American, and goes to Rome to take Maria’s training course. The first American Montessori School opens in Tarrytown, New York; this is the result of great interest in a long article about Montessori that was published in the American magazine, McClure. Maria’s book The Montessori Method is translated into English. in1912. Maria visits the U. S. for the first time due to Sam McClure’s persuasion; there are already over one hundred Montessori schools in operation. Maria gives a lecture at New York’s Carnegie Hall on Dec. . The Montessori American Committee becomes the Montessori Educational Association under the direction of Mabel Bell (Alexander Graham Bell’s wife) as president. Spain’s first Montessori school opens. Success of Montessori’s Method Since her death an interest in Dr. Montessori's methods have continued to spread throughout the world. Her message to those who emulated her was always to turn one's attention to the child, to â€Å"follow the child†. It is because of this basic tenet, and the observation guidelines left by her, that Dr. Montessori's ideas will never become obsolete. The potential of the child is not just mental, but is revealed only when the complete â€Å"Montessori method† is understood and followed. The child's choice, practical work, care of others and the environment, and above all the high levels of concentration is reached when work is respected and not interrupted, reveal a human being that is superior not only academically, but emotionally and spiritually, a child who cares deeply about other people and the world, and who works to discover a unique and individual way to contribute. This is the essence of real â€Å"Montessori† work today.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Problem Of Rising Student Loan Debt - 1495 Words

As a mother of four, a large number of the social problems described in the text can and does directly relate to myself, as well as, my family especially regarding the matter of education. However, the problem directly affecting my family and I is the emerging social problem of rising student loan debt. Student loan debt is a problem that has begun to seep into the very mainstream of society as more and more individuals attend college, especially those with great financial needs. Personally, I am lucky to say that I do not need to borrow money to attend IRSC which has been a major blessing that has allowed me to better my education. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about my husband, who graduated from Florida State University with student loan debts around $30,000 dollars. $30,000 dollars is a relatively average amount, according the Institute for College Access and Success(TICAS) 70% of college students graduate with student loan debt, with an average of $28,950. While this am ount is overall average in our society, combined with the costs of raising four children, as well as, having only one working family member who makes a relatively low salary as a school teacher, it puts significant financial strain on my family. Rising student loan debt just doesn’t affect my family and I, it affects millions of Americans, especially those who are poor and cannot afford college. Rising student loan debt is a societal problem that is hampering millions of young AmericansShow MoreRelatedCauses Of Student Debt902 Words   |  4 PagesThe term student debt has become a bit controversial in todays world; it strikes fear into the hearts of students and parents alike. This is because student debt is increasing at an incredible rate and everyone agrees that it is a major problem. Many solutions have been proposed to fix this problem, yet nothing has been done. This problem is projected to worsen in the near future. 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