Answer to Question 1
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first federal foray into water pollution, providing technical assistance to state and local governments but otherwise leaving things up to the states and local municipalities. In the 1950s, as industrial production expanded and synthetic organics came into widespread use in the developed countries, many streams and rivers essentially became open chemical sewers as well as sewers for human waste. These waters not only were devoid of life, but also were themselves hazardous. Finally, in 1969, the Cuyahoga River, which flows through Cleveland, Ohio, was carrying so much flammable material
that it actually caught on fire and destroyed seven bridges before the fire burned itself out. Worsening pollution (from both chemicals and sewage) and increasing recognition of the adverse health effects finally created a degree of public outrage that pushed Congress to pass the Clean Water Act of 1972.
Answer to Question 2
Development aid is money from the donor countries. The total amount in 2004 was 78.6 billion, the highest level ever and part of an encouraging trend following a decade of declining aid in the 1990s. Not all the current 78.6 billion ODA (Office of Development Assistance) goes to basic human needs; much goes to debt cancellation and emergency assistance (e.g., the Asian tsunami disaster). The best estimates of the Millennium Project suggest that the costs of meeting the MDGs (donor's share) in all countries in 2006 would be 121 billion Add to this the other estimated ODA outlays, and the total rises to 135 billion for ODA. This represents a 37.5 billion shortfall, in light of the projected 97.5 billion ODA for 2006 based on public commitments of the donor countries.
Hydrogen Bonding and the Properties of Water
water molecules
Water Gradient
A typical clean-in-place system
Cold, dense water accumulates around the Arctic and Antarctic
Hydrozoan. Hydra, a freshwater species capturing and digesting a water flea.