Monday 13 August 2012

Europa? Me how???






Europa Statistics
Discovered bySimon Marius & Galileo Galilei
Date of discovery1610
Mass (kg)4.8e+22
Mass (Earth = 1)8.0321e-03
Equatorial radius (km)1,569
Equatorial radius (Earth = 1)2.4600e-01
Mean density (gm/cm^3)3.01
Mean distance from Jupiter (km)670,900
Rotational period (days)3.551181
Orbital period (days)3.551181
Mean orbital velocity (km/sec)13.74
Orbital eccentricity0.009
Orbital inclination (degrees)0.470
Escape velocity (km/sec)2.02
Visual geometric albedo0.64
Magnitude (Vo)5.29



It's time to take my drunk ass home...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT78hveC_Ow



A foot in stirups flower thirst, rackety eee oorhhh mule lenguas, a thread on a cowboy hat, a lace garter on beds grinning female leg, a desert newspaper??? Bring me the liquer bottle boy, um o get me some drunk...





Water Supply & Distribution History I - Clean Water Challenge









Indoor plumbing was rare, especially in the countryside, and in cities it was inadequate at best. Tenements housing as many as 2,000 people typically had not one bathtub. Raw sewage was often dumped directly into streets and open gutters; untreated industrial waste went straight into rivers and lakes, many of which were sources of drinking water; attempts to purify water consistently fell short, and very few municipalities treated wastewater at all.
As a result, waterborne diseases were rampant. Each year typhoid fever alone killed 25 of every 100,000 people (Wilbur Wright among them in 1912). Dysentery and diarrhea, the most common of the waterborne diseases, were the nation's third leading cause of death. Cholera outbreaks were a constant threat. These challenges of both quantity and quality—to make sure there was enough water conveniently supplied wherever it was wanted and to make sure that it was safe both before and after use—fell to the nation's civil engineers. The results of their efforts speak for themselves: a deadly handful of waterborne diseases virtually eliminated not only in the United States but throughout the developed world; water distribution systems pumping a clean supply into homes, apartments, businesses, and factories and meeting the needs of tens of millions of people in burgeoning new cities and communities; and the rich potential of western lands realized in acre upon acre of irrigated crops. All told, what 20th-century engineers did to improve the water supply wrought a host of stunning transformations—in public health, in living standards, and in both urban and agricultural development.
As the century began, the most pressing task was to find better ways to make water clean. The impetus came from the discovery only a few years before the turn of the century that diseases such as typhoid and cholera were actually traced to microorganisms living in contaminated water. Treatment systems in place before then had focused on removing particulate matter suspended in water, typically by using various techniques that caused smaller particles to coagulate into heavier clumps that would settle out and by filtering the water through sand and other fine materials. Some harmful microorganisms were indeed removed in this way, but it wasn't good enough. One more step was necessary, and it involved the use of a chemical called chlorine. Known at the time for its bleaching power, chlorine also turned out to be a highly effective disinfectant, and it was just perfect for sterilizing water supplies: It killed a wide range of germs, persisted in residual amounts to provide ongoing protection, and left water free of disease and safe to drink.


    Water Supply and Distribution
    Timeline
    Clean Water Challenge
    Early Years
    Thirsty Cities
    Ongoing Challenge
    Future Technology
    Essay - Samuel C. Florman




Copyright © 2012 by National Academy of Engineering. All rights reserved


Ain't no use spilling acreage in a farms belly...



Blake Shelton - The More I Drink (Official Video)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3MGfJ3eMGA


Sunday 12 August 2012

Europa? Me how...

China's Enormous Three Gorges Dam Could End Up Being A Huge Mistake

    China Three Gorges
    AP
    When the construction of China's Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, most Chinese citizens must have hoped it was worth the huge cost: 1.4 million people had to be relocated from towns, cities, and villages to make way for the enormous structure, which would supplement a hungry China's growing energy needs.
    But their prayers have not been answered.
    Six years later, the government says a further 100,000 people may be displaced over the next few years, including 20,000 this year alone, because of increasing landslide risks in the area around the dam, Reuters reports. 

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.
    Flickr/Pedro Vásquez Colmenares
    (Source: ctg.com.cn)

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.
    Wikimedia Commons/Le Grand Portage/Rehman
    The 600-foot high, 1.4 mile-long dam with 386 gates holds a reservoir that's about 400 miles long, and the power generating complex contains 26 turbines.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.
    AP
    (Source: The New York Times)

    The project took more than a decade to complete.

    The project took more than a decade to complete.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    It was originally suggested in 1918 by Sun Yat-Sen, but the scheme officially started in 1994 and finished in 2008. 
    (Source: the BBC)

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    That's more than eight times the capacity of the U.S.'s Hoover Dam and about three percent of China's energy needs.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.
    Getty Images/ChinaFotoPress
    (Source: PBS)

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    (Source: China Daily)

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    About 1.4 million people were displaced when construction began, and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages were submerged when the reservoir reached its full capacity of 40 billion cubic meters (1,412.6 billion cubic feet). 
    (Source: The New York Times)

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.
    AP
    (Source: the BBC)

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    The enormous weight of the water in the reservoir, coupled with the rise and fall in its levels depending on the season, has made the banks unstable, according to the BBC.
    (Source: AP)

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.
    AP
    (Source: AP)

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Among those threatened are the irreplaceable remnants of the homeland of the Ba, an ancient people who settled in the region about 4,000 years ago, according to CNN.
    (Source: PBS)

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.
    Flickr/Euclid vanderKroew
    While there is no concrete evidence, critics say the dam altered regional water tables, which led to residents downstream of Three Gorges losing access to drinking water in the drought from January-April 2011, according to The New York Times. China's Xinhua news agency put the number of those affected at 10 million. It was widely considered the worst drought in 50 years.
    (Source: Nature)

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.
    Getty Images/Andrew Wong
    (Source: Nature)

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually, which now collects in the reservoir instead of being flushed downstream and out into the ocean. However, the government insists the new sewage treatment plants have this under control, according to NPR
    (Source: PBS)

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.
    Wikimedia Commons
    The Chinese State Council said it knew about some of the problems even before construction began 17 years ago, while some other issues have arisen since because of "new demands as the social and economical situation developed". 
    But despite this late admission, the plan was always contentious. A third of Chinese MPs voted against the plan or abstained.
    (Source: the BBC)

    But China still wants to build more dams.

    But China still wants to build more dams.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    There are plans to build a series of dams on a section of the upper Yangtze which, combined, will have a capacity more than twice that of the Three Gorges Dam. But not only is this region seismically active, the project could deprive Three Gorges of water, according to the AP.
    Other plans include possibly building dams along the Nu River and the upper Mekong, which would be fatal to the area's fragile ecosystems and endangered species, Foreign Policy reports.
    (Source: Nature)

    China isn't the only one with water problems.



    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-enormous-three-gorges-dam-is-turning-out-to-be-a-huge-mistake-2012-4?op=1#ixzz23LGMIszP

    China's Enormous Three Gorges Dam Could End Up Being A Huge Mistake

    China Three Gorges
    AP
    When the construction of China's Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, most Chinese citizens must have hoped it was worth the huge cost: 1.4 million people had to be relocated from towns, cities, and villages to make way for the enormous structure, which would supplement a hungry China's growing energy needs.
    But their prayers have not been answered.
    Six years later, the government says a further 100,000 people may be displaced over the next few years, including 20,000 this year alone, because of increasing landslide risks in the area around the dam, Reuters reports. 

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.
    Flickr/Pedro Vásquez Colmenares
    (Source: ctg.com.cn)

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.
    Wikimedia Commons/Le Grand Portage/Rehman
    The 600-foot high, 1.4 mile-long dam with 386 gates holds a reservoir that's about 400 miles long, and the power generating complex contains 26 turbines.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.
    AP
    (Source: The New York Times)

    The project took more than a decade to complete.

    The project took more than a decade to complete.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    It was originally suggested in 1918 by Sun Yat-Sen, but the scheme officially started in 1994 and finished in 2008. 
    (Source: the BBC)

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    That's more than eight times the capacity of the U.S.'s Hoover Dam and about three percent of China's energy needs.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.
    Getty Images/ChinaFotoPress
    (Source: PBS)

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    (Source: China Daily)

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    About 1.4 million people were displaced when construction began, and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages were submerged when the reservoir reached its full capacity of 40 billion cubic meters (1,412.6 billion cubic feet). 
    (Source: The New York Times)

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.
    AP
    (Source: the BBC)

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    The enormous weight of the water in the reservoir, coupled with the rise and fall in its levels depending on the season, has made the banks unstable, according to the BBC.
    (Source: AP)

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.
    AP
    (Source: AP)

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Among those threatened are the irreplaceable remnants of the homeland of the Ba, an ancient people who settled in the region about 4,000 years ago, according to CNN.
    (Source: PBS)

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.
    Flickr/Euclid vanderKroew
    While there is no concrete evidence, critics say the dam altered regional water tables, which led to residents downstream of Three Gorges losing access to drinking water in the drought from January-April 2011, according to The New York Times. China's Xinhua news agency put the number of those affected at 10 million. It was widely considered the worst drought in 50 years.
    (Source: Nature)

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.
    Getty Images/Andrew Wong
    (Source: Nature)

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually, which now collects in the reservoir instead of being flushed downstream and out into the ocean. However, the government insists the new sewage treatment plants have this under control, according to NPR
    (Source: PBS)

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.
    Wikimedia Commons
    The Chinese State Council said it knew about some of the problems even before construction began 17 years ago, while some other issues have arisen since because of "new demands as the social and economical situation developed". 
    But despite this late admission, the plan was always contentious. A third of Chinese MPs voted against the plan or abstained.
    (Source: the BBC)

    But China still wants to build more dams.

    But China still wants to build more dams.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    There are plans to build a series of dams on a section of the upper Yangtze which, combined, will have a capacity more than twice that of the Three Gorges Dam. But not only is this region seismically active, the project could deprive Three Gorges of water, according to the AP.
    Other plans include possibly building dams along the Nu River and the upper Mekong, which would be fatal to the area's fragile ecosystems and endangered species, Foreign Policy reports.
    (Source: Nature)

    China isn't the only one with water problems.



    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-enormous-three-gorges-dam-is-turning-out-to-be-a-huge-mistake-2012-4?op=1#ixzz23LGMIszP