Tap Water in 42 States Contaminated by Chemicals

Public water supplies in 42 U.S. states are contaminated with 141 unregulated chemicals for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has never established safety standards, according to an investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Tainted Tap Water Used by Millions of Americans Another 119 regulated chemicals—a total of 260 contaminants altogether—were found by the environmental group in a two-and-a-half-year analysis of more than 22 million tap water quality tests. The tests, which are required under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, were conducted at nearly 40,000 utilities that supply water to 231 million people. Pollution Threatens Tap Water Quality According to a report by the EWG, the top 10 states with the most contaminants in their drinking water were California, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Illinois—in that order. EWG said the biggest sources of contaminants were agriculture, industry, and pollution from sprawl and urban runoff. Utilities Need More Enforceable Standards for Tap Water EWGs analysis also found that almost all U.S. water utilities comply fully with enforceable health standards once they are developed. The problem, according to the environmental group, is the EPAs failure to establish enforceable health standards and monitoring requirements for many tap water contaminants. Our analysis clearly demonstrates the need for greater protection of the nations tap water supplies, and for increased health protections from a number of pollutants that are commonly found but currently unregulated. said Jane Houlihan, vice president for science at EWG, in a prepared statement. Utilities routinely go beyond what is required to protect consumers from these contaminants, but they need more money for testing, and for protection of vital source waters. Additional Information: Why Is Chlorine Added to Tap Water?Does Fluoride in Tap Water Improve or Harm Your Health?

Essay about Symbolism of “The Storm - 1512 Words

Kate Chopin wrote the short story â€Å"The Storm† one of her most bold stories and did not even intention to publish it (Cutter 191). The two main characters in the story are Calixta and Alcee. They both used to be attracted to one another in previous years, but now they are both married to someone else. After Alcee arrives to Calixta’s house looking for shelter they are driven into a passionate moment. In the story â€Å"The Storm† the storm has a significant meaning; without it the affair of Calixta and Alcee performed would not have been as powerful as it was between them. â€Å"The Storm† has a great deal of symbolism throughout the story: the clouds, the use of color white, the storm relative to the affair, the after effects of the affair, Calixta,†¦show more content†¦Then before and during their powerful sexual encounter Chopin uses white to symbolize purity: â€Å"her white neck,† â€Å"white throat and her whiter breasts,† and â€Å"white as the couch she lay upon† (533). Chopin defines Calixta’s affection â€Å"was like a white flame† (533). This describes the white flame being the most powerful part of the flame. Her passion for him was so superior that nothing could be done to halt her emotions. Adding to the symbolism of the color white could also be related to her Spanish blood. â€Å"Perhaps only possible because of her â€Å"mixed blood† which allows an expression of sexuality deemed outside the bounds of white norms† (Brown as std. in Holtman 76). Adding to symbolism in â€Å"The Storm† Chopin states â€Å"Do you remember in Assumption, Calixta?† (533). This describes the purity and innocence referring to the Virgin Mary. As stated in a criticism Anna Shannon Elfenbein, â€Å"who asserts that Chopin’s reference to the town of Assumption elevates ‘sexual experience to the status of a religious sacrament’† (Stein 55). T his means assumption is the elevating of the body of Mary into heaven. After Calixta meets with Alcee she no longer show signs of frustration or exhaustion; she is now worried about Bobinot and Bibi out in the storm. As Alcee is walking to the porch he â€Å"snatched Bibi’s braided jacket that was about to be carried away by a sudden gust of wind† (Chopin 532). This evidence demonstrates Alcee will to obtain anything heShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in The Storm Essay624 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"The Storm† â€Å"The Storm†, written by Kate Chopin in 1898, examines the uncontrollable desires of a young wife, lured into the arms of her past lover as her husband and son are caught in a storm. Bobinà ´t and four-year-old Bibi are running errands when the storm suddenly hit. Bobinà ´t’s wife, Calixta was at home sewing when she noticed the severe storm happening outside. When Calixta went outside to gather some clothing, her old lover Alcà ©e asked for shelter during the storm. ThroughRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin869 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Storm.† Calixta went outside of her marriage for a sexual affair with Alcà ©e when he unexpectedly showed up and a storm came through. The three most prominent literary elements that were addressed in â€Å"The Storm† were foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting. First, there is foreshadowing in the story. Bae and Young agree that foreshadowing is when a story implies that something will happen in the future without saying it (1). In â€Å"The Storm,† an example of this is on theRead MoreEssay on A Storm of Emotion in Kate Chopins The Storm817 Words   |  4 PagesThe Storm of Emotion Usually a storm creeps upon us, hits a luminous climax, and then fades away into nothingness.   In The Storm, Kate Chopin develops a parallel between a rainstorm and an emotional storm in a woman’s life.   Chopin uses symbolism to depict the feelings of relationships that are as unpredictable as that of a raging storm.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the time frame that this story is set, many major life decisions things are made taking into account one’s duty to family - including theRead More The Storm Essay1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe Storm The purpose of this paper is to analyze The Storm by Kate Chopin. In this paper we will look at the setting, atmosphere, plot, character, foreshadowing, symbolism and theme of this story. Setting and Atmosphere This story is set on a sultry afternoon in south Louisiana near Biloxi. The body of the story takes place in Calixtas home during a fierce summer storm. The atmosphere is charged with electricity and sexual tension caused by the storm and the unexpected arrival of Alcà ©eRead MoreIrony And Symbolism In The Interlopers By Saki760 Words   |  4 PagesUlrich and Georg were neighbors that fought so hard that they determined that the death of the other would be better than talking it out. â€Å"The Interlopers† by Saki tells the story through Irony and symbolism to express the idea that petty feuds will get you nowhere because we all die eventually. Symbolism was shown throughout the whole story using the wolves, flask and the friendship they gained. â€Å"I would never fire a shot on your land,... I will be your friend. They put aside their ugly and meanRead More`` Blown Away `` By Josh Kear And Chris Tompkins Use Symbolism And Imagery1046 Words   |  5 Pagesgood. He failed the young girl by tearing her down and making her life miserable. In â€Å"Blown Away†, the authors Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins use symbolism and imagery to show the difficulties the girl face as a child and how she finds hope for a better future. One device the authors use to portray hope is symbolism. The first way the song exhibits symbolism is through the tornado and the destruction is causes. Carrie Underwood sings, â€Å"The weather man called for a twister / she pray it blow down† (linesRead More Analysis of The Sick Rose Written by William Blake Essay661 Words   |  3 Pagesthou art sick! The invisible worm That flies in the night, In the howling storm, Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy, And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. In this essay, I chose to write a bout â€Å"The Sick Rose†, which is a short poem written by William Blake, focusing on the metaphorical language and the symbolism used in it. Though this poem is difficult, I like its deeper meaning and the symbolism. I think that Blake succeeds in giving us a very brilliant work in a few linesRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin886 Words   |  4 PagesIn Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the reader is presented with the theme of prohibited independence. In Kate Chopin â€Å"The Storm†, the scenery in this story builds the perfect atmosphere for an adulterous affair. The importance of these stories is to understand the era they occurred. Kate Chopin wrote stories with exceptional openness about sexual desires. In â€Å"The Storm†, a short story written by Kate Chopin in a time when women were expected to act a certain way and sexual cravings was consideredRead MoreThe Storm by Kate Chopin1332 Words   |  6 Pagesnoticed about Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Storm,† is that it is utterly dripping with sexual imagery and symbolism. Our heroine, if you will, seems to be a woman with normally restrained passions and a well-defined sense of propriety, who finds herself in a situation that tears down her restraint and reveals the vixen within. I wonder if it was intentional that the name Calixta makes me think of Calypso – the nymph from Greek mythology. If half of the sexual symbolism I found in this story was intentionalRead More Images, Imagery, Symbols, and Symbolism in Macbeth Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesImagery and Symbolism in Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses extensive imagery and symbolism throughout the course of his play.   Shakespeare uses this imagery and symbolism so that the reader may gain a deeper understanding and feeling for the happenings of this tragedy.   This is further demonstrated by Shakespeares use of darkness in Macbeth.   As one of the more noticeable and important symbols, darkness represents many different elements in the play.   First and foremost

MAGELLAN Persuasive Essay Example For Students

MAGELLAN Persuasive Essay By Ryan LiebeFerdinand Magellan, pronounced Me-jel-an and in Portuguese, Fernando deMegalnaes, was born in Oporto of noble parentage. Magellan was a page for the Queen,when he entered the Portuguese service in the East in 1505. Magellan went to East Africa and was in the battle of Dju. The Portuguesedestroyed the Egyptian Naval Fleet in the Arabian Sea at the battle of Dju.. He wenttwice to Malucca, the Malayan spice port. There he participated in its conquest by thePortuguese. He may also have gone on an exploratory mission to the Molucca Island(Spice Islands) which was the original source of some of the most valuable spices. In 1513, Magellan was wounded in one of the many frustrating battles against theMoors in North Africa. His services brought him little favor from the crown. In 1517,accompanied by his friend, a Cosmographer, Ruy Faleiro, Magellan went to Seville wherehe offered his services to the Spanish Court. King Charles V of Spain (the Emperor Charles V) endorsed the plans of Magellanand Falerio. On September 20, 1519, after preparing for a year, Magellan led a fleet offive ships out into the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, the five ships were full of men whowere barely sea worthy. But with the loyalty of the men to their leader, Magellan, they successfully sailed down the South American coast to the Patagonian Bay of San Julian. At the Bay of San Julian they wintered from March to August, 1320. There was anattempted mutiny, but the mutiny was squelched. Only the top leaders were punished. Thereafter, however, the ship, Santiago, was wrecked and its crew had to be taken aboardthe other vessels. Leaving San Julian, the fleet sailed southward. On October 21, 1520, the fleetentered what is now called the Strait of Magellan. There they proceeded cautiously,taking over a month to pass through the Strait. During this time, the master of the ship,San Antonio, deserted and sailed back to Spain. Only three of the original five shipsentered the Pacific and it was March 6, 1521 that the fleet finally anchored at Guam. Magellan then passed eastward to Cebu in the Philippines. There, in an effort togain the favor of a local ruler, he became embroiled in a local war. He was slain in battleon April 27, 1321. Two men that sailed with Magellan, Barbosa and Serrao, were killedshortly thereafter. With the crew wasted from sickness, the survivors were forced todestroy the ship, Concepcion. The great voyage circling the world was completed by a courageous formermaritimer, a Basque named Juan Sebastian del Cano. Commanding the ship, Victoria,Juan Sebastian del Cano picked up a small cargo of spices in the Moluccas, crossed theIndian Ocean, and traveled around the Cape of Good Hope from the East. With a greatlyreduced crew, he finally reached Seville on September 8, 1522. In the meantime, the ship, Trinidad, was considered unfit to make the long voyagehome. The Trinidad had tried to beat its way against cross winds back across the Pacificto Panama. The voyage revealed the vast extent of the Northern Pacific, but their attemptto reach Panama failed. The Trinidad was forced back to the Moluccas. There its crewwas jailed by the Portuguese. Only four men returned to Spain after 3 years. Magellans project brought little in the way of material benefit to Spain. ThePortuguese were well entrenched in the East. Their trans-African route, at the time,proved to be the only feasible maritime connection to the Indian rights held by Portugal. These rights were later, in part, resumed with the Spanish on their colonization of thePhilippines.Yet, though nearly destroying itself in the process, the Magellan fleet, forthe first time, revealed a navigable way to circle the world. His route brought the Spanishexplorers to South America, northward to Mexico and the western United States.In this,its scientific aspect, it proved to be the greatest of all of the conquests undertaken by theoverseas adventurers of early modern Europe which were seeking gold, slaves and spices.