Water Is A Limited Resource Environmental Sciences Essay

Water Is A Limited Resource Environmental Sciences Essay Water is a limited resource whose quantities and quality are declining for an ever increasing world population. In the future this scarce resource needs to be managed better and efficiently. Water is the main theme of my research because it is undoubtedly the most critical and vulnerable resource to humans and entire ecosystems. In order to understand the physical and biogeochemical processes that affect this resource, I have focused current research in water, agriculture and forest resources. The primary focus of my research is to improve our understanding of the hydrologic and terrestrial processes regulating the quality and quantity of water in watersheds, so better environmental policy and management strategies that protect water, soil and other natural resources can be developed. My research addresses both managed and natural systems, considers processes at small to large river watershed scale, and uses combined effort of field monitoring, modeling and application of results to real world problems. It is my view that only by integrating across scale and between disciplines we will ever be able to understand these interactions and their potential implications at different scales. Building on my expertise, past and current research experiences, I have three broad and somewhat overlapping research themes. They are: 1. Land use change and management impacts on water quality and quantity, 2. Impact of climate on hydrologic and terrestrial processes, and 3. Bridging basic research and modeling efforts for effective management and policy decisions. Impact of land use on water quality: Many of my research projects have characterized the relationships between land use management, patterns, and sources of runoff, sediment, and nutrients in the landscape and used this information to predict stream water quality/quantity. For example, in my doctoral dissertation research I assessed the impact of land use and management practices on water quality/quantity for a drinking water supplying watershed and lake. To do this I combined stream monitoring, and distributed watershed modeling. My study site included both agricultural areas that have best management practices already implemented and forested areas with minimal human impacts. Assessment of the impacts of BMPs on water quality is challenging because implementation of whole-farm management programs has been on-going in the watershed; farms where BMPs had not been implemented were not available for monitoring in the current study. Consequently, the classic paired watershed approach in volving comparison of treated vs. control subwatersheds was not possible. Minimal divergence of water quality between watersheds dominated by forest land use and those dominated by agricultural land use provided indirect evidence of agricultural BMP effectiveness. Individual cell contributions to total yields of water, sediment and nutrients at the outlet were calculated, facilitating identification of specific cells contributing disproportionately to non-point source pollutant inputs. Effectively, those are the areas where management intervention may provide the greatest impacts on maintenance and improvement of water quality. This type of comprehensive watershed scale research not only allows us to quantify the effects of management practices on surface water quality, which are to be significant, but gives us clearer insight into controlling processes and their distribution in a watershed. I recently used a similar modeling study approach to quantify snowpack distribution in New York City (NYC) water supply watershed, as snow is an important component of the water resources of New York State and the watersheds and reservoirs of NYC water supply (Pradhanang et al, 2011, Hydrological Processes). I will continue to expand this type of research to larger systems by incorporating geospatial information and remote sensing into both the field and modeling components of my research. My research results have shown that when studying at the large scale response, it is important to consider small areas of a landscape or spatially distinct zones. One challenge that will be critical in future work will be determining how to effectively monitor and model small scale processes, particularly with respect to biogeochemical processes, while also applying small scale processes to larger systems. Impact of climate on hydrologic and terrestrial processes: My ongoing research in this area focuses largely on determining relationships among biogeochemical processes, hydrology, and the influence of climate in both the US and Nepal. Since 2009 I have been involved with researchers from New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection tasked with assessing effectiveness of land and watershed management practices to ensure abundant, clean water in the New York City Watersheds. In addition to land use impacts on water quality and quantity, another major concern in the watershed is the influence of climate change on terrestrial biogeochemistry, water quality, and water quantity. One of my roles has been to develop and test basin scale hydrologic models designed to capture the variable source area (VSA) hydrology that dominates the region, and that will provide accurate estimates of both water quality and quantity. As part of this effort I have updated, modified, and applied model that i s currently being used, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) which were not originally designed to capture the complexity inherent in saturation excess runoff process. I used streamflow predictions from SWAT-WB (modified version) to assess effects of climate change and potential changes in hydrologic indicators (Pradhanang et al., JAWRA in revision). Currently, I am working towards simulating nutrients in agriculture dominated watershed. Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, higher temperatures, changes in precipitation pattern, duration and frequency will have significant effects on vegetation and crop growth affecting food security. I have applied watershed and ecosystem model in order to effectively understand potential effects. I have recently worked with a graduate student at City College of New York to couple watershed models distributed snow model and also with radar and other remote-sensing techniques. My future research in this area will build and expand on identifying and quantifying hydrologic processes controlling biogeochemical fluxes in the landscape, especially those most relevant to anticipated environmental changes associated with climate change. I also plan on expanding my work in places like Nepal where the potential impact of global climate change on soil and water resources could be devastating and where resources for solving the resulting problems are least available. Of particular concern is resultant impact on agricultural productivity due to changes in hydrology, either climate driven or as a result of manipulations to hydrology (e.g., irrigation), or soil quality. Thus, a better understanding of the hydrological and biogeochemical systems in these areas and their linkages to climate are critical to improving the quality of life around the globe. 3. Bridging basic research and modeling to management and policy: Work that interfaces directly with planners, managers, land owners, and policy makers is some of the most rewarding of my (short) career. For instance, results from Ph.D. research are currently being considered in New York to identify source areas and effectively apply management plans in identified sources. My on-going research in New York is a good example in which I have worked directly with New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection scientists and managers to develop and assess water quality protection strategies for the New York City water supply. I am also involved with USAID as well as federal, regional, and local community leaders in a project entitled à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“adaptation of livestock smallholders to climate change in Nepalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , a project assessing the historic, current, and future of livestock resources in the Gandaki River Basin (GRB), Nepal. This project is truly interdisciplinary, bri dging the fields of hydrology, engineering, agronomy, soils, economics, social science, and climatology as well as watershed stakeholders and government officials in a dynamic and rapidly changing region of the world. Nepal holds vast potential (both beneficial and dire) to influence global issues such as human induced climate change, economics, and population pressure. I find it exciting to work on a project with potential global impact. My role involves developing models of hydrology and crop growth to determine potential effect of climate change on streamflow and crop yield in GRB that can have direct impact on livestock water management and feed and fodder availability. The model integrates our current knowledge of spatial and biogeochemical processes and a large amount of remotely sensed information (TRMM derived rainfall, ensemble forecasts, Landsat imagery, etc). In fact, remote sensing platforms are essential for large scale modeling and analysis of climate and terrestrial s ystems, especially for parts of the world with little reliable ground monitoring. The implications of this project are far reaching and will inform governments and watershed stakeholders on the consequence of factors both within and beyond their control. Moving forward, I would like to keep these types of linkages between my research and environmental managers.

Intellectual Auto Biography Essay

Unlike many of my colleagues or others who have majored in history before, my intellectual background has been influenced by two major cultures in the world. As a twenty three years old student living in America but originally from Japan, the foundation of my intellectual being was shaped by the Japanese culture and education since the first 18 years of my life and schooling took place in Tokyo Japan. Later I moved to America, California where I have been under taking my degree course, majoring in History. This does not mean that my intellectual story is different or unique but I have to admit that, it is somehow interesting since many people and many things have played a part in it. From the time I started schooling, I have always had an interest in history. Just like America, Japan is really rich in history which is somehow different from the American one. The curiosity and the thirst to know more about my native country and the world at large formed the basis of my interest in history. In other words, I know why I am pursing history and sometimes I think taking this course of study was inevitable since it has really shaped my life. It is a well known fact that Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world especially in Japan and from a historical point of view; the religion has come to be identified with the country. It has shaped its culture, economy and political aspects. I am a self confessed Buddhist brought up by Buddhist parents and the whole of my life has been characterized by Buddhist doctrines. My beliefs and how I view life can only be attributed to the religion. As a history major, I believe one of the most interesting topics in history is religion and how it shapes people’s lives. I have always taken myself as an example, trying to analyze how it has really affected my life and my views about everything. I tend to agree that Buddhism is a philosophy more than religion because it defines lives of those who believe in it. Philosophers have defined the word philosophy as ‘the love of wisdom and Buddhism propagates that. I myself love wisdom and that is why I chose to do history in the first place; just to know almost everything that has shaped this world from the time it came into existence. Another thing I believe in is honesty. For me it is a very important virtue and has a major role to play in this world in regards to morality. Honesty, according to my understanding and beliefs can only be achieved the moment one is true to himself and to God/gods, depending on whom one worships or believes in. Being true to oneself forms the basis of honesty which will be followed by other forms of honesty for example, being honest to others and to God/gods. Those who are familiar with Buddhism religion will agree that, this view has somehow been influenced by the religion and that is why I began by saying that Buddhism is part of my life. As a Buddhist, I am supposed to be aware of my thoughts before I do anything. This also applies to actions. Before undertaking any action, one is supposed to be aware of it and to have wisdom and understanding on how to go about it . When all these are combined, they all add up to being true to oneself and that is what I call honesty in other words. This belief has really shaped my life especially in regards to my relationships with others. The moment one adopts this view of honesty, it is very difficult to fall out with anyone since one will always be open-minded. Being true to oneself will only mean that, you will do what you believe is true and it will be very difficult to be pressurized maybe by the peers into doing something against your will. When it comes to handling others, it will be very easy. For example, if one sees a friend doing something one is not comfortable with and maybe that friend wants you to join him/her, since you are true to yourself, you will be able to express your concerns and at the end of the day, that friend will see that your concern is actually genuine since it is coming from deep within you. It is not forced, not a pretence or expression of fear but your true self expressed in words. This will actually be felt by another person and it will eventually influence his thinking. I remember mentioning earlier that I am Buddhist and some may question whether I believe in one God or gods. I know in the modern days there are those Buddhists who believe in one God and there are others who do not for they believe in many gods. The question always poses some problems to me especially when it comes to explaining to others, especially my friends. They have always known the religion that I profess and what it says about the issue of God and gods but they are never sure about my stand. First I have to clarify something, Buddhism is a way of life and that is what makes it different from other religions. It emphasizes so much on how people are supposed to live and as a Buddhist; there is that kind of life that I am supposed to live. There is no mention in my religion that Buddha worshipped or believed in any one God. That does not mean we are atheists in fact there are so many Buddhists who believe in that one God of the Jews, we call Him, ‘the God of the desert. ’ Personally, I don’t have problems with those Buddhist who profess a kind of God in their lives even though it is not in Buddhism doctrines. Sometimes I tend to think that I will head there someday. Right now, from what I have read and seen, I tend to think that, there is a supernatural power that is in control of the world. I have been skeptical about the issue for a very long time and sometimes I do not want to talk about it. I have read so much regarding the matter, I have been exposed to so many religions and I have even been following what is happening in this world and to some extent, I think there could be actually a supernatural hand behind it all. Can I be regarded as an atheist then? I leave that judgment to ones discretion but as I said earlier, I am true to myself and what I believe in, but maybe one day I may change my mind; no one knows. I believe that Buddhism is a well organized religion. In fact, it has never been heard before that Buddhists have fought with any religion over religious matters and that is what I love most about the religion. Foundation is the most interesting part of the religion as far as I am concerned. Buddha was born in an affluent family but he decided to leave all that to suffer. He manly focused on suffering. The religion is not about God but suffering as a way of life and that God has no solution to suffering. The only thing can bring sufferings to an end is the teachings of Buddha whereby only wisdom and compassion can end one’s problems. I really believe in these concepts which continue to shape my life. Wisdom has always been a driving force behind everything that I do. The course that I am pursuing is my way of becoming wise especially of the things of his world coupled with other ways for example meditation which is a requirement of my religion. One has to accept everything that comes in the way. That is how I mainly live my life and this has really helped me to come to terms with my problems. The pains that we go through as human beings can only be solved the moment we accept them. Some people have always misunderstood Buddhism as a religion, some of them claiming that we worship a human being. I don’t blame them because they are acting out of ignorance. Even though we really hold Buddha with high esteem that does not mean that we worship him. In fact I have so much respect for him and this should not be misquoted that I worship him. I have always tried to apply his principles in my life and so far I do not have any complaints. Another thing that interests me about Buddha’s teachings is that, he says that moral and ethical uprightness will end suffering forever. Many will definitely differ on the definition of the phrase ‘morally uprightness’ because the word ‘morally’ is relative depending on one’s culture and background. However, according to me, being true to oneself constitutes moral uprightness. Sometimes it is argued that ones life is predestined and I find myself asking, since human life is characterized by so much suffering, were we predestined to suffer? If that is so, why then do we have to struggle to improve life? Is there anything like free will? In the course of my study, I have come across so many stories and events that have characterized human beings from the time they came into existence and one thing we can agree on is that life has not been smooth sailing for human beings. It has always been about diseases, wars and rumors of wars, poverty among others. Sometimes I ask myself, if we use the concept of predestination to explain this, does that mean that we were predestined to go through all these? If we agree on this, then that means we have no control whatsoever and the actions that we carry out are also predestined. Then why does human being try to look for solutions to solve these problems or prevent them from repeating themselves in the future? If we believe that everything is predestined, then nothing matters because it means we are not in control of anything. I have read about almost all the wars that have characterized the world right from world wars and major civil wars and some countries have justified some of these wars, giving so many reasons. Let’s consider two wars; World War II and the Vietnam War. These two wars have been surrounded by controversies right from the start, and some have argued that, they were not to happen in the first place. The US has been regretting of its decision of going to war with Vietnam for so many years and if we adopt the concept of predestination, it will only mean that, they do not have a reason to regret because everything was predestined. The war had to happen and they had no control over it. Why then should they blame themselves? Even though the world has been trying to prevent another World War, then its efforts are meaningless because if it is predestined to happen, then no one can prevent it. The concept of predestination will only mean that, we are not answerable for the mistakes that we do and we owe no one an apology. If we believe that everything in the world is pre-designed, then, that means we are just existing to fulfill our purposes in life and not living our lives the way we would want. So does that mean that free will is at work and not predestination? The more I tend to think about these two concepts, the more I get confused. If we say that free will is at work, then as human beings we are to blame for everything that we go through because the power of making free choices is in our hands. Every thought that we harbor in our heads and every action that we undertake, will be determined by us. Should we blame ourselves for all those wars that took place? Sometimes I tend to think that free will and predestination are both at work. There are some areas of our lives which have been predestined for example death and birth of children. No one wants to die any day but at one point we will all have to die. When I was young, still in primary school, I wondered what brought about twins. After learning some biology I understood but I used to ask myself why I was not born with a twin sister or brother and the only answer I could think of is predestination. I was destined to be born alone. Where does free will come in then? I believe that human beings can choose to live their lives the way they want to live, for example, one can choose to be successful or to be a failure, one can choose to pass exams or not, marry or not to marry, have children or not among others. Even though I believe this to some extent, I think that free will and predestination are both at work. I am always left with so many questions regarding the two concepts and thus I agree with those who propose that, free will and predestination are two concepts that can never be understood and are not conclusive enough. I am well aware of the concept of predestination according to Buddhism religion; that every human being’s destiny is determined by ones personal actions. This means that, one’s thoughts and words will determine what he will become in the future. I do not dispute that; in fact, it forms the foundation of my faith. However, I also believe that human beings have a choice to make when it comes to the actions they decide to carry out. In other words, if one chooses to do wrong actions, that will determine his or her destiny, and that is why I believe that free will and predestination work together.

At Any One Moment

â€Å"At any one moment† uses context to give meaning to the story and and allow the reader to have a clear image of the events in their mind. The story was written in 2005 so the context it was written in was after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004. Through the readers understanding and experience of this event the author is able to build images in the reader’s mind and allow them to fully understand the gravity of the situation occurring. Had the story been written in a time where a Tsunami had not occurred for many years it would be a lot harder to imagine and put into perspective the enormity of the tragedy occurring in the story.Judy Allen builds on this idea through the specific language and metaphors used to set the scene and further build on the context. â€Å"It rose up like a mountain, either hiding or engulfing the distant boats†. Through using real locations in the text the reader can see and believe the story. The reader’s context is also used to build dramatic tension. As the water is drawn out before the Tsunami approaches the reader is mostly likely aware of what is occurring due to their context compared to Sherif, his brother and the villagers who were obliviouxs to the disaster about to occur. His brother started to laugh- it was all so extraordinary, a trick played by the ocean†. This situation creates dramatic irony and positions the reader to want to warn the characters in the story to get out of the water. Judy Allen builds and plays on the readers context which is most likely that of a busy Western life. Many people in society are always busy and never take time to think about other people. â€Å"Even so, most people are aware only of their own small world, and many believe their own small world, and many believe their own small world is all there is†.Through the structure and the omniscient point of view the author positions the reader to imagine all the things happening in the world right now and h ow every action has a consequence. Allen then takes the reader down to one specific event which could be happening right now. This structure is especially effect because of Western Society’s desensitised view of disaster. The reader relates to a personal story much more than figures on the news. Allen’s use of emotive language and smilies also creates an environment for the reader to personally react to the story. â€Å"He stared as the vast sweep of water was pulled back like a huge bed cover†.This imagery allows the reader to put themselves in the story and use their own personal context to make meaning to â€Å"At Any One Moment†. Through my own personal context I am able to react to the story and feel sympathy for the characters in it. Although I was not personally affected by the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 I can still appreciate the pain that Sherif goes through. This prose fiction work put the world into perspective for me and caused me to feel grat eful for the things I have in my life. It made me realise how fragile life can be, how people can be alive one minute and dead the next.Through all the tragedy in our wold I had become partially immune to the horrors in our world until I read this personal story. I have a strong sense of family and this caused me to react strongly to Sherif losing his brother and probably his mother. I cannot imagine losing one of my family members and it pained me to see that a whole life can be lost in a matter of seconds you just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether it is man-made tragedy or natural disaster we never know what life is going to throw at us and often we cannot stop it. At any one moment on this small planet†¦ †. Through the use of structure, point of view and context Allen encourages the reader feel small and insignificant. By allowing us to imagine all the events and people in the world the reader is positioned to feel as though they are helpless to the world around them and can do nothing to stop it. Through this realisation Allen then inspires us to come together as a global community that can make a difference, we are insignificant on our own but together we are much more powerful.

Ethical Dilemma in Counseling Free Essay Example, 750 words

The counseling profession entails challenging experiences that one has to master or undergo to become a competent and effective practitioner. The challenges related to counseling attribute to the great diversity and the fact that counselors are limitless and supposed to handle people from different backgrounds with no discrimination. The challenges complicate more when a counselor has different cultural beliefs and orientations from the clients. Manipulating situations and responsibilities to adhere to acceptable codes of ethics constitute the greatest challenges. However, long experience in counseling provides significant skills with which competent counselors overcome otherwise challenging situations. New counselors tend to face uphill tasks in handling certain situations, especially when faced with circumstances that require deep reasoning to remain within the contexts of ethical codes of conduct (Ungar, 2011). The following is a presentation of a case of counseling that resulted in a serious dilemma to a new counselor, who eventually managed to overcome the challenge. The dilemmaAs a new counselor in the field of counseling, I come from a community that recommends and gives great respect to human sexuality. Males should not listen to narrations about females sexuality; neither should females listen about issues of males sexuality. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Dilemma in Counseling or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The challenging situation occurred when presented with 18 years old girl who was a victim of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, the girl belongs to a community that encourages discussions about sexuality with no limit.