vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Temperate deciduous forest
Forests maintain water flow in streams . A mature elm tree Young deciduous forest Nothofagus antarctica in summer
Materials management
And finally , an effective materials management plan can improve aesthetics . Removing unsafe and unsightly conditions , placing core services out of sight , and creating a more pedestrian - friendly environment will improve the visual and physical sense of place for those who live and work there .
Zebra mussel
Zebra mussels are filter feeders . When in the water , they open their shells to admit detritus . As their shells are very sharp , they are known for cutting people 's feet , resulting in the need to wear water shoes wherever they are prevalent .
Fresh water
In coastal areas fresh water may contain significant concentrations of salts derived from the sea if windy conditions have lifted drops of seawater into the rain - bearing clouds . This can give rise to elevated concentrations of sodium , chloride , magnesium and sulfate as well as many other compounds in smaller concentrations .
Atlantic Ocean
Various international treaties attempt to reduce pollution caused by environmental threats such as oil spills , marine debris , and the incineration of toxic wastes at sea .
Materials management
Truck delivery and service vehicle routes , to reduce vehicle / pedestrian conflict Loading docks and delivery points , to increase accommodation and reduce queuing and vehicle idling Recycling , trash , and hazardous waste collection and removal , to increase waste diversion and reduce costs Service equipment and utility infrastructure relocation or concealment , to improve aesthetics and realize landscaping goals Regulatory and operation planning
Spider web
Massive flooding in Pakistan during the 2010 monsoon drove spiders above the waterline , into trees . The result was trees covered with spider webs . The
Wetland
Plankton are algae which are microscopic , free - floating algae . This algae is so tiny that on average , if 50 of these microscopic algae were lined up end - to - end , it would only measure one millimetre . Plankton are the basis of the food web and are responsible for primary production in the ocean using photosynthesis to make food . Filamentous algae are long strands of algae cells that form floating mats . Chara and Nitella algae are upright algae that look like a submerged plant with roots .
Post box
Post boxes are emptied ( `` cleared '' ) at times usually listed on a plate fixed to the box . In urban areas , this might be once or twice a day . Busy boxes might be cleared more frequently to avoid overflowing , and also to spread the work for the sorters . Extra clearances are made in the period leading up to Christmas , to prevent boxes becoming clogged with mail .
Post box
Some boxes have been used as a dumping ground for used hypodermic needles . In such cases staff are issued with protective equipment .
Wetland
The value of a wetland system to the earth and to humankind is one of the most important valuations that can be computed for sustainable development . A guideline involving assessing a wetland , keeping inventories of known wetlands , and monitoring the same wetlands over time is the current process that is used to educate environmental decision - makers such as governments on the importance of wetland protection and conservation .
Wetland
A wetland system needs to be monitored over time to in order to assess whether it is functioning at an ecologically sustainable level or whether it is becoming degraded . Degraded wetlands will suffer a loss in water quality , a high number of threatened and endangered species , and poor soil conditions .
Port of San Diego
Dive Rescue Team - the premier Police Dive Unit serving the San Diego Region for ; Underwater Investigations , Rescue , Underwater Hazardous Device Detection , Body Recovery and bring a compliment of advanced underwater technology not typically found on a Public Safety Dive Team such as specialized sonar and robotic technology .
Wetland
Submerged wetland vegetation can grow in saline and fresh - water conditions . Some species have underwater flowers , while others have long stems to allow the flowers to reach the surface . Submerged species provide a food source for native fauna , habitat for invertebrates , and also possess filtration capabilities . Examples include seagrasses and eelgrass .
Wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is inundated by water , either permanently or seasonally , where oxygen - free processes prevail . The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants , adapted to the unique hydric soil . Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment , principally water purification , flood control , carbon sink and shoreline stability . Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems , serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life .
Fresh water
Activity Minimum , litres / day Range / day Drinking Water 5 2 -- 5 Sanitation Services 20 20 -- 75 Bathing 15 5 -- 70 Cooking and Kitchen 10 10 -- 50
Water in California
In Sacramento , in 2012 before the severe drought started , residents were using 217 US gallons ( 0.00067 acre ⋅ ft ) a day per - capita . Many homes in Sacramento did n't have water meters until recently . They now are gradually being installed after former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a 2004 law mandating meters statewide by 2025 .
Recycling
In 2017 , Napa , California was reimbursed about 20 % of its costs in recycling . Drop
Fresh water
Pollution from human activity , including oil spills and also presents a problem for freshwater resources . The largest petroleum spill that has ever occurred in fresh water was caused by a Royal Dutch Shell tank ship in Magdalena , Argentina , on 15 January 1999 , polluting the environment , drinkable water , plants and animals . Chemical contamination of fresh water can also seriously damage eco-systems .
Wetland
Unsustainable abstraction of groundwater has become a major concern . In the Commonwealth of Australia , water licensing is being implemented to control use of the water in major agricultural regions . On a global scale , groundwater deficits and water scarcity is one of the most pressing concerns facing the 21st century .
Water in California
Under the riparian doctrine , `` the owner of land has the right to divert the water flowing by his land for use upon his land , without regard to the extent of such use or priority in time '' . `` Riparians on a stream system are vested with a common ownership such that in times of water shortage all riparians must reduce their usage proportionately . ''
Starbucks
In October 2008 , The Sun newspaper reported that Starbucks was wasting 23.4 million liters ( 6.2 million US gal ) of water a day by leaving a tap constantly running for rinsing utensils in a ' dipper well ' in each of its stores , but this is often required by governmental public health code .
Water in California
In response to water shortages in the state , some water districts are looking to desalination as a way to provide water for residents . Supporters view seawater desalination as a safer water source , since it draws its water from the ocean and thus , is not affected by periods of drought like other sources of water are . Another incentive for desalination is the ability for localities to be more self - sufficient with their water supply , thus improving their drought resilience . However , desalination has been the subject of scrutiny by opponents , who believe that the costs and possible environmental effects of desalination are indicators that California should continue to pursue other alternatives .
Drinking water supply and sanitation in the United States
There are a number of Professional associations , trade associations and other non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) that are actively engaged in water supply and sanitation .
Recycling
Collection systems and input contamination Sorting facilities -- material sampling and transparency Material quality benchmarking and standards
Fresh water
Water is a critical issue for the survival of all living organisms . Some can use salt water but many organisms including the great majority of higher plants and most mammals must have access to fresh water to live . Some terrestrial mammals , especially desert rodents appear to survive without drinking but they do generate water through the metabolism of cereal seeds and they also have mechanisms to conserve water to the maximum degree .
Sea of Galilee
However , low water levels in drought years have stressed the lake 's ecology . This may have been aggravated by over-extraction of water for either the National Water Carrier to supply other parts of Israel or , since 1994 , for the supply of water to Jordan ( see `` Water use '' section above ) . Droughts of the early and mid-1990s dried out the marshy northern margin of the lake . A fish species that is unique to the lake , Tristramella sacra , used to spawn in the marsh and has not been seen since the 1990s droughts . Conservationists fear this species may have become extinct . It is hoped that drastic reductions in the amount of water pumped through the National Water Carrier will help restore the lake 's ecology over the span of several years . As such , the amount planned to be drawn in 2016 for Israeli domestic water use is expected to be less than 10 % of the amount commonly drawn on an annual basis in the decades before the mid-2010s .
Drinking water supply and sanitation in the United States
Drinking water quality . There are several aspects of drinking water quality that are of some concern in the United States , including Cryptosporidium , disinfection by - products , lead , perchlorates and pharmaceutical substances . However , in almost all cases drinking water quality is in conformity with the norms of the Safe Drinking Water Act , which requires EPA to set Maximum Contaminant Levels for pollutants . In addition , the EPA 's Consumer Confidence Rule of 1998 requires most public water suppliers to provide consumer confidence reports , also known as annual water quality reports , to their customers . Each year by July 1 anyone connected to a public water system should receive in the mail an annual water quality report that tells where water in a specific locality comes from and what 's in it . Consumers can find out about these local reports on a map provided by EPA . 29 % of Americans are reading their water quality reports . A 2003 survey found that customers were generally satisfied with the information they are receiving from their water companies and their local or state environmental offices .
Drinking water supply and sanitation in the United States
In addition to lobbying , some of these trade associations also provide public education , as well as training and technical assistance to their members .
Air pollution in the United States
Though the health consequences of vehicle pollution are widely recognized and some legislation has been enacted to reduce its impact , very little tangible action has actually been taken . In 2003 , California passed Senate Bill No. 352 , which banned the construction of new schools within 500 feet of freeways with certain exceptions . However , the bill remained largely ignored as 1 in 5 schools opened between 2014 and 2015 were still in direct violation of the ban . In 2015 , the Environmental Protection Agency released a report titled `` Best Practices for Reducing Near - Road Pollution Exposure at Schools '' , available both online and in - print . However , without any requirements regarding school siting from the U.S. Department of Education , state - funded schools are under no obligation to follow its guidelines . The reluctance of public schools to comply with safety regulations often stems from monetary limitations that encourage the use of cheap land , a dilemma that disproportionately impacts children of poorer areas ; the report noted that minority and low - income students have a higher prevalence of attendance in public schools of urban areas , such as the big cities in which busy roads and schools share territory . Fracking
Water in California
The Colorado is considered over-allocated , because apportionments were made on inaccurate measurements of annual runoff . Marc Reisner in Cadillac Desert noted that the Colorado is `` unable to satisfy all the demands on it , so it is referred to as a ' deficit ' river , as if the river were somehow at fault for its overuse '' . For years California took more than its share of the apportionment , because other states were not prepared to use their entire allotments . MWD became used to 800,000 acre feet ( 0.99 km ) excess of water . Pressure from other Colorado river states caused the Secretary of the Interior to order California to show progress towards decreasing its dependency on the excess 800,000 acre feet ( 0.99 km ) , or face cuts . The Colorado River Water Use Plan called for Imperial and Coachella Valley agriculture to give up water in order to reallocate 800,000 acre feet ( 0.99 km ) within the state . The plan 's proposals generated much controversy , and the deadline arrived with no agreement reached . The Department of the Interior reduced MWD 's access by 415,000 acre feet ( 0.512 km ) .
National Flood Insurance Program
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Desert
A modern example of desert farming is the Imperial Valley in California , which has high temperatures and average rainfall of just 3 in ( 76 mm ) per year . The economy is heavily based on agriculture and the land is irrigated through a network of canals and pipelines sourced entirely from the Colorado River via the All - American Canal . The soil is deep and fertile , being part of the river 's flood plains , and what would otherwise have been desert has been transformed into one of the most productive farming regions in California . Other water from the river is piped to urban communities but all this has been at the expense of the river , which below the extraction sites no longer has any above - ground flow during most of the year . Another problem of growing crops in this way is the build - up of salinity in the soil caused by evaporation of river water . The greening of the desert remains an aspiration and was at one time viewed as a future means for increasing food production for the world 's growing population . This prospect has proved false as it disregarded the environmental damage caused elsewhere by the diversion of water for desert project irrigation .
Environmental policy of the United States
Senate and House committee jurisdictions Senate Committee on Agriculture , Nutrition and Forestry Pesticides Committee on Appropriations Appropriations Committee on the Budget Budget Committee on Commerce , Science , and Transportation Oceans , Research and Development , Radiation , Toxics Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Synthetic fuels , Conservation oversight , Energy budget , Mines , Oil shale , Outer continental shelf , Strip mining Committee on Environment and Public Works Air , Drinking water , Noise , Nuclear energy , Ocean dumping , Outer continental shelf , Research and development , Solid waste , Toxics , Water Committee on Foreign Relations International environment Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Interagency subject area Committee on Labor and Human Resources Public health Committee on Small Business Impact of environmental regulations on small business House Committee on Agriculture Pesticides Committee on Appropriations Appropriations Committee on the Budget Budget Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Interagency subject area Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs Synthetic fuels , Conservation oversight , Energy budget , Mines , Oil shale , Outer continental shelf , Radiation ( Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight ) , Strip mining Committee on Energy and Commerce Air , Drinking water , Noise , Radiation , Solid waste , Toxics Committee on Natural Resources Ocean dumping Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Noise , Water pollution , Water resources Committee on Science and Technology Research and Development Committee on Small Business Impact of environmental regulations on small business
Metrication in the United States
Earth sciences , such as hydrology and geology , continue to use customary units for field surveying , due both to the legacy of many decades of data collection and to the need to work with the construction industry , which has not adopted the metric system . American irrigation engineers , for example , talk in acre - feet and cubic feet per second , whereas their Australian counterparts would refer to gigaliters and cubic meters per second .
Addicks Reservoir
It is estimated the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs , along with other federal construction projects on Buffalo Bayou and its tributaries , prevent average annual flood damages of $16,372,000 to the city of Houston .
Artificial turf
Since the early 1990s , the use of synthetic grass in the more arid western states of the United States has moved beyond athletic fields to residential and commercial landscaping .
Water in California
The creation of so many dams in California in order to enact a pragmatic water supply program has been met with criticism from some environmentalists , who have decried the negative effects of dams on ecosystems , particularly on migratory fish populations .
Environmental policy of the United States
Within few months from entering the White House , Reagan removed the solar panels that his predecessor Carter had installed on the roof of the White House 's West Wing . `` Reagan 's political philosophy viewed the free market as the best arbiter of what was good for the country . Corporate self - interest , he felt , would steer the country in the right direction , '' the author Natalie Goldstein wrote in `` Global Warming . '' . In October 2010 , president Obama planned to reintroduce the solar panels on the White House roofs , after 31 years .
Water in California
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Agenda 21
The United States is a signatory country to Agenda 21 , but because Agenda 21 is a legally non-binding statement of intent and not a treaty , the United States Senate did not hold a formal debate or vote on it . It is therefore not considered to be law under Article Six of the United States Constitution . President George H.W. Bush was one of the 178 heads of government who signed the final text of the agreement at the Earth Summit in 1992 , and in the same year Representatives Nancy Pelosi , Eliot Engel and William Broomfield spoke in support of United States House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 353 , supporting implementation of Agenda 21 in the United States . Created by a 1993 Executive Order , the President 's Council on Sustainable Development ( PCSD ) is explicitly charged with recommending a national action plan for sustainable development to the President . The PCSD is composed of leaders from government and industry , as well as from environmental , labor and civil rights organizations . The PCSD submitted its report , `` Sustainable America : A New Consensus '' , to the President in early 1996 . In the absence of a multi-sectoral consensus on how to achieve sustainable development in the United States , the PCSD was conceived to formulate recommendations for the implementation of Agenda 21 .
Sustainability
1 . Reduce dependence upon fossil fuels , underground metals , and minerals 2 . Reduce dependence upon synthetic chemicals and other unnatural substances 3 . Reduce encroachment upon nature 4
California Smog Check Program
The Obama administration has proposed setting a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles , which could potentially increase fuel efficiency by an average of 5 % per year from 2012 to 2016 .
Energy usage of the United States military
The US Army has recently prioritized renewable energy strategies in Iraq . Strategies include the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery Program , which converts 1 short ton ( 0.91 t ) of waste to 11 US gal ( 42 L ) of JP - 8 fuel , a photovoltaic flexible , portable mat , insulating foam technology , hybrid - electric Manned Ground Vehicles ( MGV ) , and highly efficient portable cells . The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act gave more than $150 million to develop these technologies . Stateside , the Army created the Net Zero program with a goal to have 30 installations achieve net - zero energy by 2030 , including some that will also be net - zero in waste and water . In 2011 , they opened the Base Camp Systems Integration Laboratory , which compares an energy efficient base camp with a traditional one and trains soldiers to use energy efficient technologies . The Army Energy Security Implementation Strategy , published in 2009 , gives details about the Army 's energy goals .
National Flood Insurance Program
According to critics of the program , the government 's subsidized insurance plan `` encouraged building , and rebuilding , in vulnerable coastal areas and floodplains . '' Stephen Ellis , of the group Taxpayers for Common Sense , points to `` properties that flooded 17 or 18 times that were still covered under the federal insurance program '' without premiums going up .
Climate of the United Kingdom
It is internationally recognised that the United Kingdom has a higher incidence of tornadoes , measured by unit area of land , than any other country in the world . Dr T. Theodore Fujita ( inventor of the Fujita scale ) , an American meteorologist , was the first to recognise the UK as the top site for tornadoes in 1973 . The United Kingdom has at least 33 tornadoes per year , more than any other country in the world relative to its land area . Although most tornadoes are weak , there are occasional destructive events , for example , the Birmingham tornado of 2005 and the London tornado of 2006 . Both registered F2 on the Fujita scale and both caused significant damage and injury . The largest ever recorded was thought to have been an F4 , again in London in 1091 . The most deadly occurred on 28 December 1879 . All 74 lives were lost when a passenger train plunged from the Tay Bridge ( Tayside ) into the Tay Estuary , when the middle section of the bridge collapsed . Although the bridge was poorly constructed and had already been weakened in earlier gales ( including the pre-existing winds at the time of the tragedy ) , the ultimate failure is believed to have been caused by two or three waterspouts which were sighted close to the bridge immediately before the accident . A tornado also developed in London on 3 July 2007 .
Southern Ocean
The icebergs that form each year around in the Southern Ocean hold enough fresh water to meet the needs of every person on Earth for several months . For several decades there have been proposals , none yet to be feasible or successful , to tow Southern Ocean icebergs to more arid northern regions ( such as Australia ) where they can be harvested .