Nutrition cycle

This paper gives the summary of the Nutrition cycle in the atmosphere. The Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle, Phosphorous cycle, Sulfur cycle and Hydrologic cycle are all discussed. The paper also mentions how the human activity has affected these cycles.Carbon cycleThe Carbon Cycle is the circulation of carbon, fats, proteins, DNA and many other organic compounds that is required for life in the biosphere. It makes up for 0.038% of the volume of troposphere and is also present in water. The carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is balanced by the generating, removing (terrestrial and aquatic producers) and cooling in the cycle. Any small changes in this cycle will affect the climate and life forms on the earth (Chapter3 55).Photosynthesis converts Carbon Dioxide into glucose. Aerobic respiration then breaks glucose and organic compounds and reconverts it to Carbon Dioxide and is released into the atmosphere. Recycling of Carbon takes place in the form of decomposition of dead plant ma tter to give fossil fuels such as coal and oil. These fossil fuels are non renewable energy (Chapter3 55).There are two main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, humans clear trees and plants that help in photosynthesis and absorbs Carbon Dioxide. Secondly, Carbon Dioxide is added back to the atmosphere by burning wood and fossil fuels. The addition of Carbon Dioxide and other gases enhances the Earth’s natural green house effect. All this leads to global warming which affects the food produced and wildlife, temperature, precipitation and increases sea levels (Chapter3 55).Nitrogen cycleNitrogen is available in large quantities in the atmosphere but cannot be directly used or absorbed by mutlicellular plants and animals. Nitrogen gas makes up for 78% of the volume of the troposphere   Ã‚  Atmospheric discharges like lighting, bacteria in aquatic systems in soil and the roots of plants convert the Nitrogen available into Nutrients that can be absorbed by plants or animals. This process is known as the Nitrogen Cycle (Chapter3 55).The process consists of Nitrification which converts nitrite ions to nitrate ions. Then Ammonification occurs wherein bacteria convert the detritus into simple nitrogen containing compounds such as Ammonia and water soluble salts (Ammonium ions). Denitrification then converts the Ammonia and Ammonium ions back into nitrite and nitrate ions and then further into Nitrogen gas and Nitrous gas, which is released into the atmosphere (Chapter3 55, 56).There are many ways by which humans are affected; some of them are as follows – First, Acid rain consisting of Nitrogen Dioxide and Nitric Acid causes damages in the form of acid depositions. Second, livestock and inorganic fertilizers release Nitrous Oxide into the atmosphere. This affects the ozone layer. Third, Nitrates contaminate groundwater making it harmful to drink. Fourth, Destruction of forests, wetlands and grasslands release Nitrog en compounds into the troposphere. Fifth, aquatic ecosystems is disturbed when too much nitrates is released. Sixth, Harvesting of Nitrogen rich crops, irrigation and then burning or clearing of topsoil before replanting crops removes Nitrogen in the topsoil (Chapter3 56).Phosphorous cyclePhosphorus circulation occurs through the water, earth’s crust and then the living organisms. The Phosphorus cycle is slower and flows from land to the oceans. It is found as Phosphate salts such as Phosphate ions present in terrestrial rock formations and sediments at the bottom of the ocean. Water flows erodes these inorganic compounds and transfers it to the oceans where deposition occurs. This sedimentation limits the growth of plants as it is only slightly soluble but very harmful (Chapter3 57, 58).There are three main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, Phosphate rock mining is done to make inorganic fertilizers and detergents. Secondly, deforestati on of tropical forests causes reduction of phosphate in tropical soils. Thirdly, aquatic life is disturbed due to Phosphates in animal wastes, fertilizers and sewage (Chapter3 58, 59).Sulfur cycleSulfur circulation occurs through the biosphere. Sulfur is stored underground in rocks and minerals; these also include sulfate salts that are buried in ocean sediments. Sulfur enters the atmosphere as Hydrogen Sulfides, Sulfur dioxides, Sufides and Sulfate salts. Acid deposition occurs due to the conversion of Sulfur Dioxide to Sulfur trioxide and then to Sulfuric acid, which along with air pollution harms tress and aquatic life (Chapter3 59).There are three main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, burning of coal and oil to produce electric power adds Sulfur into the atmosphere. Secondly, Refining of Sulfur containing petroleum is done to give gasoline, heating oil and many other products. Thirdly, metallic mineral ores containing Sulfur are converted into free metals like copper, lead and zinc, this process releases huge amount of Sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere (Chapter3 59).Hydrologic cycleThe solar energy causes evaporation of water vapour on the earth’s surface into the atmosphere. Fresh water then returns to the earth’s surface as precipitation which gets locked in glaciers, some water gets stored in the ground as aquifers and the rest becomes surface runoff, which means water flows into lakes and streams, eventually flowing into the oceans. This process of evaporation, precipitation and percolation is a continuous cycle and is called the Water or Hydrologic cycle. This is therefore a global cycle that that collects, purifies, distributes and recycles the earth’s water supply (Chapter3 53, 54).There are three main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, fresh water is obtained from streams, lakes and underground water. Secondly, land vegetation is cleared to build roa ds and construction buildings, for mining and for agricultural purposes. This process destroys wetlands and causes soil erosion, landslides and flooding. Thirdly, various nutrients in the form of fertilizers (phosphates and nitrates) and other pollutants are added to water causing imbalance in the ecological process that involves the purification of water (Chapter3 54, 55).Works CitedChapter 3. Ecosystems: What are they and how do they work? Environmental ScienceNow. http://biology.brookscole.com/miller11 Nutrition cycle This paper gives the summary of the Nutrition cycle in the atmosphere. The Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle, Phosphorous cycle, Sulfur cycle and Hydrologic cycle are all discussed. The paper also mentions how the human activity has affected these cycles.Carbon cycleThe Carbon Cycle is the circulation of carbon, fats, proteins, DNA and many other organic compounds that is required for life in the biosphere. It makes up for 0.038% of the volume of troposphere and is also present in water. The carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is balanced by the generating, removing (terrestrial and aquatic producers) and cooling in the cycle. Any small changes in this cycle will affect the climate and life forms on the earth (Chapter3 55).Photosynthesis converts Carbon Dioxide into glucose. Aerobic respiration then breaks glucose and organic compounds and reconverts it to Carbon Dioxide and is released into the atmosphere. Recycling of Carbon takes place in the form of decomposition of dead plant ma tter to give fossil fuels such as coal and oil. These fossil fuels are non renewable energy (Chapter3 55).There are two main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, humans clear trees and plants that help in photosynthesis and absorbs Carbon Dioxide. Secondly, Carbon Dioxide is added back to the atmosphere by burning wood and fossil fuels. The addition of Carbon Dioxide and other gases enhances the Earth’s natural green house effect. All this leads to global warming which affects the food produced and wildlife, temperature, precipitation and increases sea levels (Chapter3 55).Nitrogen cycleNitrogen is available in large quantities in the atmosphere but cannot be directly used or absorbed by mutlicellular plants and animals. Nitrogen gas makes up for 78% of the volume of the troposphere   Ã‚  Atmospheric discharges like lighting, bacteria in aquatic systems in soil and the roots of plants convert the Nitrogen available into Nutrients that can be absorbed by plants or animals. This process is known as the Nitrogen Cycle (Chapter3 55).The process consists of Nitrification which converts nitrite ions to nitrate ions. Then Ammonification occurs wherein bacteria convert the detritus into simple nitrogen containing compounds such as Ammonia and water soluble salts (Ammonium ions). Denitrification then converts the Ammonia and Ammonium ions back into nitrite and nitrate ions and then further into Nitrogen gas and Nitrous gas, which is released into the atmosphere (Chapter3 55, 56).There are many ways by which humans are affected; some of them are as follows – First, Acid rain consisting of Nitrogen Dioxide and Nitric Acid causes damages in the form of acid depositions. Second, livestock and inorganic fertilizers release Nitrous Oxide into the atmosphere. This affects the ozone layer. Third, Nitrates contaminate groundwater making it harmful to drink. Fourth, Destruction of forests, wetlands and grasslands release Nitrog en compounds into the troposphere. Fifth, aquatic ecosystems is disturbed when too much nitrates is released. Sixth, Harvesting of Nitrogen rich crops, irrigation and then burning or clearing of topsoil before replanting crops removes Nitrogen in the topsoil (Chapter3 56).Phosphorous cyclePhosphorus circulation occurs through the water, earth’s crust and then the living organisms. The Phosphorus cycle is slower and flows from land to the oceans. It is found as Phosphate salts such as Phosphate ions present in terrestrial rock formations and sediments at the bottom of the ocean. Water flows erodes these inorganic compounds and transfers it to the oceans where deposition occurs. This sedimentation limits the growth of plants as it is only slightly soluble but very harmful (Chapter3 57, 58).There are three main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, Phosphate rock mining is done to make inorganic fertilizers and detergents. Secondly, deforestati on of tropical forests causes reduction of phosphate in tropical soils. Thirdly, aquatic life is disturbed due to Phosphates in animal wastes, fertilizers and sewage (Chapter3 58, 59).Sulfur cycleSulfur circulation occurs through the biosphere. Sulfur is stored underground in rocks and minerals; these also include sulfate salts that are buried in ocean sediments. Sulfur enters the atmosphere as Hydrogen Sulfides, Sulfur dioxides, Sufides and Sulfate salts. Acid deposition occurs due to the conversion of Sulfur Dioxide to Sulfur trioxide and then to Sulfuric acid, which along with air pollution harms tress and aquatic life (Chapter3 59).There are three main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, burning of coal and oil to produce electric power adds Sulfur into the atmosphere. Secondly, Refining of Sulfur containing petroleum is done to give gasoline, heating oil and many other products. Thirdly, metallic mineral ores containing Sulfur are converted into free metals like copper, lead and zinc, this process releases huge amount of Sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere (Chapter3 59).Hydrologic cycleThe solar energy causes evaporation of water vapour on the earth’s surface into the atmosphere. Fresh water then returns to the earth’s surface as precipitation which gets locked in glaciers, some water gets stored in the ground as aquifers and the rest becomes surface runoff, which means water flows into lakes and streams, eventually flowing into the oceans. This process of evaporation, precipitation and percolation is a continuous cycle and is called the Water or Hydrologic cycle. This is therefore a global cycle that that collects, purifies, distributes and recycles the earth’s water supply (Chapter3 53, 54).There are three main ways by which humans are affected, they are as follows – Firstly, fresh water is obtained from streams, lakes and underground water. Secondly, land vegetation is cleared to build roa ds and construction buildings, for mining and for agricultural purposes. This process destroys wetlands and causes soil erosion, landslides and flooding. Thirdly, various nutrients in the form of fertilizers (phosphates and nitrates) and other pollutants are added to water causing imbalance in the ecological process that involves the purification of water (Chapter3 54, 55).Works CitedChapter 3. Ecosystems: What are they and how do they work? Environmental ScienceNow. http://biology.brookscole.com/miller11

Green buildings, global warming and clean energy Essay

Man’s failure to act today could result in an unsustainable planet characterized by warmer temperatures that may snowball out of control, it would lead to extinction of certain animal species, an increase in sea levels thus causing more natural disasters such as hurricanes or numerous diseases, less water availability in third world countries thus leading to conflicts amongst them and the spread of tropical diseases such as malaria. (Mc Carthy, 2001) Consequently, it is incumbent upon man to establish ways in which he can reduce global warming. This can be achieved by using the right kind of energy i. e. clean energy since this is responsible for emission of greenhouse gases which cause global warming. The paper shall dwell on how man can achieve the latter through green buildings. II. Claim of fact A) The major problem being tackled is that of global warming. Studies have shown that the amount of green house gases found in the atmosphere tend to stay there for a very long time. This means that global w is a harsh reality that may not disappear without human intervention. (Schneider, 2002) 1) Increased diseases and disasters Firstly, the phenomenon of global warming is going to cause warmer climates in the Northern parts of the world such as the United States. Consequently, vectors such as mosquitoes will increase tremendously. This implies that diseases such as malaria may start appearing in such countries. The future generation of Americans has a right to be protected from such a predicament because current occupants did not have to deal with such a problem. One only has to look at how some third world countries are having a difficult time handling this matter in order to understand the seriousness of the issue. Meteorological forecasts have shown that if the earth gets warmer, oceans and other water bodies will keep on rising. This means that the occurrence of hurricanes will be much more than it had been previously imagined. In 2004 and 2005, the country was plagued with very deadly hurricanes that caused tremendous damage to concerned parties. Since there is a possibility of preventing such occurrences, then individuals must carry out their responsibility of ensuring that it is enacted. (Godrej, 2001) One of the worst outcomes of this problem of global warming is extended periods of droughts and prolonged heat waves. A number of countries in the world still depend on natural rain alone to grow their crops and as sources of water. These third world countries currently face the problem of water shortage and the situation could get worse if droughts keep occurring. Such situations could cause a strain among affected communities thus leading to conflicts or war. These developing nations have provided Americans with numerous investment opportunities and any problem that arises in those regions could tremendously affect individuals within the US. (Nordhaus, 1998) 2) Economic consequences If there will be more disasters occurring in the world, then one cannot undermine the economic consequences that the US itself will be grappling with. The hurricanes in New Orleans caused losses amounting to billions of dollars. The country cannot afford more disasters such as these because its economy will begin staggering in ways that had not been anticipated. The loss of lives and property among future generations could ruin their economy and it is therefore negligent for current citizens to merely sit by without doing something about it. In close relation to the latter mentioned scenario is the emergence of tropical diseases. Developing nations spend so much money treating such diseases. Additionally, the lives lost as a result cause huge dents in their economy. The same thing could happen to the United States and other western nations if nothing is done today. (Van Arsdol, 2004) 3) Melting ice caps Lastly, the problem of global warming can and has caused melting of ice caps that could lead to other consequences as shown below; a) Rising sea levels b) Global outbalance c) Endanger plant and animal life d) Snowballing temperatures If global warming continues unabated, then chances are that ice caps will keep melting and the excess water will head to the oceans and seas. Currently, glaciers and permanent snow account for five point seven million cubic miles worth of water. If even some portions of this ice were to melt into water, then seas and oceans could rise by dozens of feet. Since this may occur gradually, then chances are that those low attitude regions will be ruined by this. (Clout, 2008) If ice caps continue melting, then chances are that the ecosystem as we know it today would be thoroughly messed up. This is largely because ice caps emanate from fresh water. If they are redirected into the sea, then the sea would loose its saltiness thus leading to a distortion of gulf currents. What this means is that ocean currents will change temperature conditions within Western Europe and North America. This means that organisms that had become accustomed to those temperatures will no longer survive in such adverse conditions. Melting ice caps will affect animal and plant life owing to the fact that these creatures will have new climatic conditions. Since not all life can change at such a fast pace or in accordance to present circumstances, then chances are that only the most adaptable will remain. This means that so many species may become extinct. Future generations will never get a chance to see such life or benefit from them. Ice cap melting can cause snowballing temperatures because ice caps are important sunlight reflectors in the world today. If they are reduced, then chances are that only the oceans will be able to reflect off sunlight. However, compared to ice caps, oceans are much darker in color yet dark colors tend to do more absorption that reflection. This implies that the earth will keep getting warmer, more ice caps will keep melting and the cycle continues. (Maslin, 2004) B) Demographics of the study The latter study will focus on the United States as the primary geographical region. However, some generalizations applicable to the rest of the world will also be done. In terms of corrective actions, the study will target some of the things that The United States citizenry can enact in order to curb this problem. Consequently, the research will focus on some of the changes that persons from all ages can enact in order to deal with such the problem of global warming. Since the highest numbers of buildings are found in cities, then this research will target Metropolitan areas within the country. III. Claim of value If man does not take action now, then chances are that global arming will exert a heavier impact on him. The situation can spiral out of control and this harms people who may not have caused it in the first place. For instance, persons in the third world produce minor fractions of carbon emission to the atmosphere but will be the first to feel the effects of droughts and other natural disasters. Global warming needs to be taken as a personal responsibility by all members of humanity. It is a known fact that the one of the greatest pollutants within this age is man. He has the ability to make conscious decisions that do not just benefit him alone but his surroundings as well. (Holton et al, 2003) A. Description of my angle 1) It is man’s personal responsibility It would be selfish to live for only today without thinking about how future generations would survive. If this earth’s forefathers had taken up the same attitude, then current generations would not have been alive today. Part of man’s responsibility is to ensure that he makes the earth sustainable for himself and his descendants too. (Lange et al, 2008) The latter view is one held by environmentalists and other individuals interested in preserving the environment. Part of what constitutes morality in man is his concern for his surroundings. If every single individual lived for himself or herself, then the world would be a chaotic place. Additionally, it has been argued that failure to take action today could lead to a great amount of risk. While some parties hold that global warming is not a real concept, the effects that could arise if the phenomenon was not real are still quite positive. The country and indeed the world would have much more to loose if it turns out that global arming is real and nothing was done about it rather than if it turns out that it was not real and something was done about it. 2) It would be costly to the economy In a report released by the UNEP during the year 2001, it had been asserted that not doing anything about global warming could cost the country up to two hundred billion dollars worth of revenue. The consultants who attended the latter conference asserted that this could rise to five hundred or one thousand billion dollars in subsequent years. If man may not be moved by the environmental issues that are affecting him, then perhaps these staggering economic figures could be shakier. 3) Whether it is a natural or man made processes is irrelevant The truth of the matter is that man has the ability to alter a natural process since this natural process is negative. Regardless of the fact that global warming may be a natural or artificial process, a rise in temperature will destabilize the environment. This means that biodiversity will decrease and so will food production. The current rising populations will not be sustained by their food production efforts and this could be very disastrous as it could cause millions of death. The latter scenario can even be compared to a practical occurrence. If one was to find out today that he or she was going to die, then it would not make sense to find out whether that death is due to natural or man made causes. All that really matters is that the person gets some help to prevent the death from occurring. Opponents of global warming may claim that this is nothing but a natural process. However, whether or not it is a natural process does not change the negative effects that it could cause to man. It is therefore essential to understand that such a global system can be altered for the betterment of society. B. Description of counter claims to this value 1) Right wing politicians and industrialists stand point Other groups claim that global warming effects are not as adverse as some people may claim. In fact such attitudes have infiltrated into political decisions within the Country. During the past presidential regime, the United States has been one of the least enthusiastic western countries in terms of its environmental sustainability policies. Some politicians believe that the country ought to dwell on â€Å"more pressing† issues such as the need for energy security. Consequently, such individuals have assented projects that increase carbon emissions in the atmosphere with little regard for the effect that this may have on the earth’s climatic conditions. In the US, industry lobbyists tend to oppose the views held by environmentalists and their actions are usually supported by right wing politicians. Traditionally, left wing politicians tend to be concerned about the overall good of society while right wing leaders tend to concentrate on building a capitalist economy. These perspectives have often led to a locking of horns when it comes to environmental issues such as global warming. (O’Hare, 2005) 2) Lack of â€Å"hard facts† Some skeptics claims that global warming as a phenomenon still leaves so many questions unanswered. They assert that there is a lack of compelling evidence to show that these effects will actually occur. In fact, some maintain that most effects are mere forecasts. In close relation to the latter angle is the fact that some scientists believe that global warming is a way in which the earth can balance off certain excesses. For instance, while temperatures may be going up in other parts of the world as a result of the phenomenon, others in the North East American region will be going down thus showing that the system will balance itself out. Adherents to this theory claim maintain that when an anomaly occurs such as a hurricane, then this will be labeled as a piece of evidence by environmentalists. These opponents further add that global warming enthusiasts tend to disregard contrary occurrences even when this is representative of common weather patterns. For instance, a study conducted along US coast lines some time in 2006 found that greater death rates have been recorded there because of increased population and wealth in these coastal towns and not as a result of greater intensities of the hurricane or as a result of global warming for that matter. Also, some scientists believe that the earth’s rising temperatures could be as result of coming out of the ice age. (Hardy, 2003)In other words, they claim that it is very normal for earth temperatures to increase since this is just a phase. 3) Business men’s stance on the matter A certain crop of individuals are not as enthusiastic as environmentalists when it comes to global warming. These individuals are businessmen whose work entails emission of carbon particles. The latter are required to invest heavily in â€Å"green† strategies that may cost their businesses a lot of revenue. Most of these business men tend to look for ways in which they can circumvent such obligations and one way in which they do this is by claiming that global warming effects are not that prevalent or they do not exists. They therefore posses ulterior motives in holding such a point of view. (Allaby, 2004) IV. Claim of policy A) Methodological plan to solve the problem The problem of global warming can be solved by embracing clean energy through the use of green buildings. Focus is on the United States because the latter country is at the centre of the world economy and its initiatives can serve as an example to other countries of the world that also need to embrace this fact. The latter country needs to pass legislations for designated residential and commercial houses to be green buildings. Statistics on the need for green buildings indicate the following;

Overuse of antibiotics and the developement of resistant bacterial Research Paper

Overuse of antibiotics and the developement of resistant bacterial strains - Research Paper Example It seems that boundaries and distances have been shattered through these advancements in communications technology. Wars can even be fought in the same way that video games are played with the advent of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology. Likewise, non-invasive and minimal invasive surgeries have also been made available wherein tumors are blasted with lasers or proton beams in order for them to be removed. Aside from doing away with open surgery, it also provides a more accurate targeting of the mass or tumor that needs to be removed (Massachusetts General Hospital 2010). Thus, there is less danger on the patient and recovery is of course faster as there is no major wound that needs to be healed. Patients can do away with stitches and the scars that accompany such a procedure. Indeed, Charles Darwin would have lauded the capability of the human species to survive and adapt. However, it is not only humans that can exhibit supremacy in survival and adaptation. Overuse of Antibio tics and the Development of Bacterial Strains Through these various improvements by the human race which have included leaps and bounds in medicine, it seems like the most minute organisms have been able to stay a step ahead or move clear of possible elimination from the food chain. Beyond the increased medical capabilities and modern healthcare management systems, viral and bacterial infections continue to be among the top downers of the human race. In fact, there has been no cure for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV which eventually morphs into the killer Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. Despite the technological advances from the last decade, a cure for this dreaded disease that comes from the late century has yet to be found, cultured or developed (Mamo et al 269). AIDS walked out of the closet in the early 80’s and by 1983, it was identified that the cause of the disease was HIV. It did not take long for the killer to become known globally and this has effectively grown into pandemic proportions infecting over 60 million people worldwide. Despite the time and money devoted to researches, a cure for this infection continues to elude medical scientists hence, posing a hanging threat to the populace. Currently though, the possibility of a cure through nanotechnology is being explored though a prospect for an effective cure seem to remain beyond the horizon. Well, for now, that may be too much to ask but the common cold also has no cure. This has been around for very long though, even before these technological advantages have ever been imagined by man. Likewise, bacterial strains have also been busy on the evolution department making many antibiotics obsolete and useless. This poses a serious threat since these microbes multiply swiftly and some have a respectable kill rate. New strains are evolving into super bugs that may eventually render even the most potent antibiotics useless. Taking a big chunk of the attention of medical scie ntists is the Acinetobacter baumannii. This bacterial strain has been found to have been capable of effectively guarding itself against even the most potent antibiotic (Peleg et al 538). This may pose another threat as the bacterial strain seems to fancy weak patients in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). Thus, medical practitioners are trying to combat these bacteria which caused pneumonia can easily kill the weak ICU patients. A group of pharmacists tried treating

Effective Application of Financial Concepts Essay

Effective Application of Financial Concepts - Essay Example Firstly, Project Alpha has the shortest payback period. This implies that it will take the project a shorter period of time to repay its initial investment out of the net cash inflow (Kinney & Raiborn, 2009: 555). The rest of the amount will be profit. Secondly, it has a higher ARR of 29.4% compared to merely 1.6% of the Beta project, making the investment more attractive. The Alpha project is, therefore, more profitable than the Beta project. Finally, Project Alpha has a higher NPV than project Beta. Project Alpha has more cash inflows than project Beta. Payback period is the time that a project takes to recover its expenditure or the amount of time required for a project to repay its initial investment amount out of its cash inflows (Atrill & McLaney, 2011, p.364). PP provides a measure of liquidity founded on the projects expected cash flows (Weingartner 1969: 594). When using payback period, companies normally base their decisions on a maximum time limit that is predefined for projects. A project with the shortest projected time is chosen (Atrill & McLaney, 2011). This method is more realistic because it uses cash flows and not accounting profit. It is simple to calculate and is more useful in situations where there is the rapid change in technology as well as improving investment conditions. Finally, the method favours quick returns by maximising liquidity, minimising risks and helping company growth. The greatest flaw of PP is that it fails to take into consideration the returns after the payback period. It ignores cash flow timings as well as overall project profitability. The method is subjective because it fails to give definite investment signal. Even though payback period gives high emphasis on liquidity, it ignores profitability. It also ignores cash flow after the payback period making it less effective in gauging a project. When using ARR, companies normally base their decisions on a predefined minimum target ARR for projects.  Ã‚  

Review 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review 4 - Essay Example The warehouses can be an essential when it comes to improving the customer service if done properly. The challenges that, however, have an association with warehouse design, its techniques in building and technology, are challenging (Grakin, 2010). There are fixed costs in everything involved in the construction of conveyors to racks, directed picking systems to forklifts and other systems in a warehouse. Employee training is also a challenge and challenges concerning productivity make warehouse management a very difficult and expensive business. A warehouse has its advantages and disadvantages. It can either speed up your business or slow it down altogether. It is, therefore, necessary to search for more flexible designs for warehouse or look for other solutions to goods storage. The primary drivers of the logistics network design are usually an effort for the company to reduce costs and also to improve the services the manufacturers offer to the customers or distributor. The right design for the networks optimizes distribution operations, transportation, and inventory investment to have a balance between service cost and the service they offer. The design of a perfect warehouse is a very complicated affair that most people always get wrong. The major issue is managing the myriad details, which usually has the complication of the fact that the designs are never the same for any warehouses regardless of them being of the same organization. The process is exhausting, but can have a two simple part division of location and design. The selection process should be done by realizing that a warehouse location has the primary function of getting a company/organization close to its customers. The companies should also decide whether a stand-alone warehouse or complem enting an existing network with a new warehouse or replacing another warehouse was necessary (Harrington, 2007). Companies should, therefore, base the location decisions

With reference to a particular country case study, critically outline Essay

With reference to a particular country case study, critically outline and assess the key features of neoliberal development policy in that country - Essay Example exican debt of nineteen eighty-two even after adopting adjustments in structures and policies of promotional exports that were inspired by the â€Å"Washington consensus†. The early nineties marked a period of optimistic expectations that the recovery would take place. Despite this, the regional increase of the quantum of export and integration of into a global economy in large-scale made growth in the economy to remain evasive. The growth rate of the regional per capita in the year became 0.43 percent from the year 1980 and 2005. Moreover, this was aggravated by the recent financial crisis in Ecuador. Basing on the prices of raw materials, the recovery is still insufficient to create changes on the pattern. According to â€Å"Washington consensus†, the economic growth must be generated from the exports and its effect on trickling down must lead to the social development. The economic performance of several Latin America countries has been disappointing for the last twenty-five years or so. The years have been marked by stagnation in economy and increase in crisis vulnerability have been made worse with the increase in poverty, increased social inequality and deterioration in the environment (Molyneux 2008, pp.775–797). Ecuador is among the Latin American countries that are  among the less developed with 1.461USD per capita income by the year 2001. This was relative below the average income per capita in the region. Viewing it closer, it reveals Ecuador’s poor performance in the economy even with the regional context that is weak. During the last decades, several countries in Latin America hade export expansion, but relatively small income growth only few country had high economic growth. Ecuador’s primary products composed of bananas, oils, Coffee, shrimps and flowers represent the country’s major exports. The factors that have historically influenced the country such as social, ethnic and regional disparities remain pervasive. The economy of Ecuador is

Physical Therapy Wounds Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physical Therapy Wounds Case Study - Essay Example Using the wound-tracing technique to measure the surface area of the wound, the wound measured four by one centimeter (length by width). Its regular shape allows wound-tracing using simple equipment and minimum special skills. Use pen and transparent paper in wound tracing; they should be clean and sterile. For the depth of the wound, a cotton tip applicator is appropriate. A ruler takes the dimensions from the paper and applicator for recording. Wound tracing reliability depends on the accuracy of the performer. Care should be taken to avoid a measurement method that could otherwise aggravate the wound. The fresh wound’s peri wound had macerated. Having  removed  the cutting object, the wound looked dirty, and some particles were visible with trails showing that some were inside. The tissue also had swelled, and minimal fluid still exuded from the wound. Remove the devascularised tissue and the foreign materials using autolytic debridement. Debride only the non-viable tissue. During this process, one should be cautious not to infect the wound and cause inflammation. Sussman says debridement is important since the non-viable tissue would inhibit healing of the wound by; encouraging bacterial growth, slowing granulation while at the same time hindering wound contraction (2). Autolytic debridement is appropriate because it facilitates the natural ability of the body to break down non-viable tissue. The procedure is also gentle, painless, and simple to perform at home. To facilitate wound healing and protect the wound from infections, use povidone-iodine lavage solution. As compared to normal saline water, povidone-iodine is ideal in cleaning contaminated wounds as saline water allows increase of bacteria on the wound. Having cleaned the wound satisfactorily, perform a simple island dressing after primarily closing the wound. Simple Island dressing has cellulose pad material at the middle that

Equity and trust law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Equity and trust law - Essay Example However, as Pettit3 argues, equity operates on the conscience of the owner of legal interest and so in the case of a trust; the conscience of the legal owner of the estate is required to carry out that purpose for which it was intended, or which the law obliges him or her to do. This is because English law is based on formalities which must be fulfilled in order for a transfer of trust to be considered as complete. These formalities are achieved in different processes, but all include some form of official government document which the donor of an estate must sign as an indication of the transfer of the estate. In English trust law, these formalities are considered as the absolute way to determine the absolute owner of an estate, without having to consider so many factors. The main issue with regard to the requirements of these formalities is that many property owners die before they have made a formal will and this leaves room for conflicts among the people who were related to them in different ways. While at times the court can find that there was intent by the diseased to place his or her trust to another person even if the said person is not an obvious heir to the diseased and in the interest of an express will or effectuation of transfer of interest, the law still depends a much as is possible on formalities and only considers other avenues where formalities have not been met. Even in such as the Paul v Constance [1977] 1 WLR 527 case in which the judge depended on other sources of evident to decide the case in favour of the plaintiff who was claiming property rights against the legal wife of the diseased person, the court had to gravitate towards any available formalities or the evidence of intended will to meet these formalities. The case indicates that being the natural heir to property is not enough for the court to decide in your favour. For instance, in the above case, Mrs Constance who was the defendant was the natural heir to the estate of Mr Const ance’s estate because they were still legally married by the time Mr Constance died. Conversely, Mrs Paul was only a live-in partner to Mr Constance and her rights in Mr Constance’s estate were very limited or even non existence. Yet, regardless of that, the court jugged in favour Mrs Paul. This only goes to show how complicated trust law can be. How such a case goes also depends on whether the judge(s) will choose to use technicalities or not. Regardless of the nature of this case and the unexpected outcome, it is clear that the court made the decision while keeping in mind the need for formalities in completion of transfer of trust as well as equity in such cases. To look at both sides, the court had to look at the faintest of evidence for intent by Mr Constance to transfer the will, and at the same time wanted to deliver a judgement that offered equity. The intention of the case is to deliver justice with the available evidence available. In the present case, it is clear that there is some evidence that the two aunts had received from Lady Meera the intention of transfer of trust. In the first case with regard to aunt Jemima, Lady Meera had left her the papers to the shares. In the second case, she had showed Aunt Beatrix the estate. These facts are important in the case and can determine the way the judge will decide to end the case. As a result, in trying to get custody of these property which the two aunts are

Gegheis Khan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gegheis Khan - Term Paper Example He was successful in uniting many of the dispersed tribal groups and made the Mongol empire the largest during his life period. Major portions of central Asia and China were under the control of Mongolia during his tenure as the greatest Mongolian leader of all time. No other king or emperor in the history was successful in conquering major portions of Asia as did by Gegheis Khan. In fact Mongol Empire was the second largest Empire in the history of the world. Even though his life and contributions are well known to the world at present, details about his death and his burial place are still unknown to the world. This paper analyses his life, conquest and the ways or strategies through which he expanded the Mongol empire. One of the major problems associated with getting more details about Genghis Khan and his war tactics and contributions, is the fact that his history was not written by anybody during his life period. In fact the only book wrote about him was published around hundre d years after his death. Thus, exact date of birth of Genghis Khan is still unknown even though different historians marked it in different years like 1155, 1162, and 1167. In Mongolia, his birth year is accepted as 1162 even though the controversies regarding his birth date still persists elsewhere. He was born in a noble clan and his father was the clan leader, respected by all the members of his clan. Shortly before he was born, his father, Yesugei, killed a man from an enemy tribe. Yesugei and his wife named their first son Temujin after that vanquished rival. At the time of Temujin's birth, most Mongols were nomadic hunter gatherers who herded sheep and horses. They travelled in clusters of tribal clans and subclans (Wilmore, p.18) Mongolians including the females were excellent horse riders and hunters. In majority of their wars, they used their horse riding expertise and hunting skills judiciously and earned many famous victories. Since ancient Mongolia was a place of differe nt clans and ethnic groups, bloody clashes between different ethnic groups were common in there. Genghis Khan’s clan was one of the most powerful clans in Mongolia and it succeeded in uniting other clans under their wings. The inborn or inherited talents for conducting wars helped them immensely in expanding their territories. When Temujin reached his 10 years of age, his father was killed in a fight by another enemy clan. As per the existing traditions in his clan, he should have become the leader of his clan after the death of clan leader; his father. However, the he was too young to assume the clan leadership and the members of his clan had chosen another person as their leader by expelling him and his family. It was difficult for a young person like Temujin to lead a peaceful life after the expulsion from his own clan. Threats from enemy clans were always in place and Temujin struggled to save his life. Temujin was a brave boy and he was not ready to give up. He fought ha rd for his own survival and his family’s survival. Each battle of survival made him tougher and tougher and educated him many survival principles. He was decided to regain his lost place as his clan leader and the first fight conducted by Temujin was for his clan leadership. Slowly Temujin’s bravery and leadership skills were accepted by his clan and they made him the unquestionable leader of their clan. Immediately after assuming the leadership

History of forensic medicine Essay Example for Free

History of forensic medicine Essay The necessity of understanding the reasons why a loved one suddenly becomes missing, his/her whereabouts difficult to trace and the difficulty of establishing the probability of that person’s survival is one of the many realities of families today. Should threats actually pose on a person’s life or the missing member left traces of his/her whereabouts are stuffs that not only fill the minds of those who are after detective stories; these are matters that provide meaning and hope for those families and individuals with real, missing loved ones. The popularity of shows on television such as CSI and police crime stories in a weekly slot has virtually lined almost all of networks around the globe. Films and theaters make sure they profit and usually they do whenever they strike the old formula of suspense and crime. Embedded in these formats is the dependable work of forensic medicine and the people behind it. It is no wonder that many children and adolescents today list the job of a forensic specialist as one of their ambitions. Purpose of the Paper Forensic medicine is a distinct discipline dedicated to accomplish the ultimate which is to solve crimes and prevent, limit or reduce its occurrence with the application of a wide-ranging field of sciences in response to inquiries in relation to the legal set-up. It utilizes scientific methods and the application of pharmacology and other related schemes in the pursuit of justice. Basically derived from the time of the Romans when both the accused and the accuser are given their day in â€Å"court† to present their speeches to persuade the court of the issues of their cases; today, an intricate system of a combination of knowledge from different sectors is used to achieve the purposes of the legal system. It uses modern technology and the expertise of behavioral sciences in law enforcement. Myths have been built around notorious serial killers and rightly so, because many of those who perpetrate such heinous activities manage to cause people to tremble just by hearing stories about their â€Å"exploits. Many were astounded by such names or tags as â€Å"BTK† and others like him who tried to carve their names in history though rather infamously. More modern types in the likes of Ted Bundy for instance and the â€Å"happy face† killer still evoke fear as well amazement that such people do exist. What was more amazing though is that they had been caught and that the breakthrough of forensic medicine in the early years to its modern developments had made the capture more successful and a credit to the science. In the case of jack the Ripper, he was popularized in London many years ago, around 1880, when this man started to murder prostitutes in the East End portion of this metropolis. He was never caught and his identity remained clouded in mystery. But the details as to the methods of his killing (or ripping) and whether he reaped them or not (his victims) became known only when the developments that had brought forensic medicine to the forefront started to become available (Barbee, 2006). The paper is written to explain, enlighten where forensic medicine is today and where it started. With the view that many of high profiled cases were solved due to the advances in the field which includes computer and digital forensics, use of forensic analysis tools of all kinds i. e. , sampling techniques, and a host of other manners of gathering evidence, the author seeks to establish the history of forensic medicine in precis. Problem Statement The literature today is rich to provide an enthusiast and serious student of the field with sufficient information concerning the issue on how this particular discipline emerged. It therefore seeks to answer the following question: What is forensic medicine and what are the major developments that helped established its place in the legal system? Basing on that primary inquiry, the following are the paper’s sub-problem statements: o How is forensic medicine defined? o What are the developmental milestones significant in the understanding of the discipline? o What are the current medical and scientific breakthroughs that are being employed in the application of forensic medicine? o What are its successes in terms of accomplishments as solving such high profiled crimes as BTK and insights into the legendary Jack the Ripper? What are its failures and the deficiencies in the system that needs to be improved and addressed? Definition of Terms Forensic medicine is a distinct science that â€Å"involves the principles and techniques that identify evidence at a crime scene† (UKTV people, 2007). Crime scene investigation refers to the protocol that peopl e in the uniform employs whenever a crime occurs such as the incidence of murder that brings the trained to examine the scene of the crime. The intention is to find traces or clues that might lead to the solution of the crime (UKTV people, 2007). DNA which represents the chemical Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the â€Å"chemical found in virtually every cell in the body and which carries genetic information from one generation to the next. When translated, this information determines our physical characteristics and directs all the chemical processes in the body† (UKTV people, 2007). Fingerprint evidence. â€Å"Fingerprint evidence rests on two basic principles: A persons friction ridge patterns the swirled skin on their fingertips never change and no two people have the same pattern of friction ridges. † (UKTV people, 2007). Ballistics.  The science of ballistics is often a highly important element in finding out who did the â€Å"killing. † It deals with the motion, behavior and effects of bullets. Theoretical Framework ~On criminality: Factors contributing to the incidence This refers to the body of knowledge that provides a basis to the current understanding of the different facets of the field. There are various scientific viewpoints where criminality is concerned and its reduction and prevention as goals. The author attempts to discuss various theoretical perspectives as knowledge base for the strength of its proposition. Sociologists, in an attempt to explain and point out the reasons behind delinquency, have concluded that there are connections between specific youth behaviors with the home environment, family background, the neighborhood, associations, and many other aspects that together, or separately affect the formative years of young people’s social environment. Delinquent children usually come from a background of difficult circumstances. Parental alcoholism, poverty, breakdown of family, abusive conditions in the home, death of parents during armed conflicts or drug overdose, and the HIV/AIDS scourge, and etc. re some of the various reasons that can leave children virtually orphaned. One or both parents may be physically present, but because of irresponsibility on their part (if even one of them is addicted to drugs or alcoholic), a child may grow developing certain ways and attitudes that are directly/indirectly caused by the parent/s addiction or drug-related behavior. In this case, true delinquency lies on the parents; and the children are, in a way, orphaned or unaccompanied, and without any means of subsistence which, in the first place, the parents’ fundamental responsibility to provide. Generally, and increasingly, these children are born and/or raised without a father. They are first in the line of those who are at greatest risk of falling into juvenile delinquency. Without noticing it as it is typical of any youth to be lacking in prudence, with newly embraced group, the gang, a corresponding subculture starts to assimilate them, and before long, they start to engage in activities of adult criminal groups. It is usually after being engaged in criminal activities for an extended period of time with its accompanying consequences (such as ending up in prison or rehabilitation institutions for drug addicts) that delinquents realize they are into a very dangerous zone. A large portion of all juvenile violations (between two-thirds and three-quarters) are perpetrated by youths who are members of certain gangs (Venkatesh, 1997). Unlike in school and their family, these have no strict rules to be followed except loyalty to the group. It gives young people esteem when they somehow feel they are the â€Å"rule† in themselves. This is the lure of gangs. It gives the promise of fulfillment to would be delinquents. Popularity, access to the powerful figures on the streets, freedom to express one’s self, as well as easy flow of money (if the gang is also involved in some illegal activities such as drug dealings, which is common in most gangs) are seemingly within grasp of anybody who just have the guts to dare (OJJDP, Mar. 2003).

Cultural Phenomenon of the Celebrity: Hermeneutic Analysis

Cultural Phenomenon of the Celebrity: Hermeneutic Analysis New ways of thinking can often illuminate new ideas that would not come to light using our conventional and most natural modes of reasoning. We can be stretched in dynamic ways by altering our methods or approaches to our thinking. Several methods of thinking include exploration of the unconscious, symbolic systems, radical Synthesis, hermeneutic analysis, among others. For me, the hermeneutic form of thinking has the most unsettling effect upon my mind. A hermeneutic approach has experience a revival in recent times in the wake of influential thinkers such as Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and others. These hold a significant place in the present intellectual climate in the Western world. For this essay, I decided to use a hermeneutic approach to analyze a particular cultural phenomenon. Cultural phenomena are of vital importance for study since they represent aspects of human nature (en masse) that are impossible to extrapolate independently. Not only are they interesting to stu dy, but they maintain continual interest for elites and common people alike. It is not a stretch to state that these phenomena successfully capture the population’s imagination. In this particular essay, I will look at the cultural phenomena of the celebrity using hermeneutic analysis. The hermeneutical way of thinking, in this case, won’t apply to a given text but rather to the social phenomenon of â€Å"celebritydom†. By thinking about social phenomena in a hermeneutical way, one can look at a subject that rarely gets such scrutiny and hopefully begin to find understanding as to why our societies are so enthralled by the celebrity narrative. The development of a new form of â€Å"celebritydom† can be understood in a new way by understanding the context, audience, media sources, and other hermeneutical factors. First of all, we will begin to think about the context of celebrities in the past. There has most obviously been a shift in Western Society in the development of the celebrity. It has not been an overnight shift by any means, but it has been significant. The most outstanding example of recent changes in the nature of celebrity is the professional celebrity—a celebrity with little reason to be revered or famous. The prime example would be the infamous Paris Hilton. Although a notable heiress to her parent’s fortune, she has become a celebrity in her own right through self-promotion. There are countless heirs to various fortunes that will never be known. This kind of character, however, is unprecedented, even in the 20th century. Most celebrities came into being through some sort of accomplishment, i.e. film, music, politics, sports, etc. Or, they became celebrities by association, such as royalty. The amount of coverage allotted to celebrity-esque storylines has grown exponentially. Entire television channels are devoted to the ceaseless coverage of ce lebrity’s lives. A whole subclass of photography has developed in the â€Å"paparazzi,† known for being the epitome of the dog-eat-dog line of work. Not to mention the countless â€Å"tabloids† that line the newsstands. These are some of the basic contextual factors that surround the modern celebrity phenomenon. Another factor for thinking about this social phenomenon is the audience. The audience for the development of new celebrities that must be analyzed if one is to use a hermeneutical strategy. The audience for much of celebrity press and concern has largely not changed in type, but likely has changes in how broad the appeal is. It would have been impossible to imagine that Clark Gable’s personal life would have been known or a concern for Middle East youth fifty years ago. Today, however, in all corners of the world they not only know the names of key celebrities but also their storylines of gossip. I remember being asked in a remote village in Albania about the future of â€Å"J-Lo† and Ben Affleck’s relationship if they got married. Obviously this change has a lot to do with the digital revolution—opening up a large part of the world to a previously unknown celebrity world. It also betrays the fact that the same phenomenon is at work in these non-Western c ountries as is here in the West. Knowledge and a pursuit of information about Western celebrities could also reveal an admiration of the culture of celebrities by the non-West, but often times these elements remain even in countries predisposed to hate the west. Although many citizens of these said countries likely separate the politics and the culture of the West, a large majority still do not. There is an effect of â€Å"can’t help but look† type psychology in regards to coverage of celebrities. Just like in the West, many in these societies likely think the coverage is superfluous and or wrong. Although a judgment has been made concerning the validity and morality of celebrity coverage many remain to have a working knowledge of the ins and outs of Hollywood love life. These ‘stories’ seem to do something for us en masse. Using further hermeneutical strategies, we will now turn to the sources for the coverage of celebrity gossip and the like. If one is to exit the supermarket on a given day he or she is given the opportunity to be swiftly educated in celebritydom. The print media is a key source of information on celebrities. This seems to be chiefly centered on magazines; the newspaper medium seems to inadequately address the goals of celebrity coverage. The magazine provides the opportunity for vivid pictures, small pithy commentary, and quick entertainment. It is glitzy, stylish, and most of all fast. Whereas one may need to have some backround in Middle Eastern politics in order to find parts of the newspaper engaging, the celebrity magazine can bring the glamour and scandal of the celebrity phenomenon with little or no education. The celebrity magazine is an odd mix of â€Å"posed† shots of red carpet entries into various galas, possibly a celebrity interview/photo shoot, and scandalizing pictures kindly provided by the paparazzi. This seems to be a winning combination of glamour, personal interest, and scandal. The second main conduit for the celebrity phenomenon is the television medium. As mentioned before, â€Å"E!† is an entire channel devoted to the coverage of celebrity life. This is not to mention the countless celebrity news shows, and their subsequent spoofs. Celebrity news shows use a similar format compared to that of their magazine cousins. The show usually features some sort of personal interaction with a celebrity, praising the glamour or character of a particular celebrity, and (of course) the mandatory scandal. These shows have produced celebrities in their own right out of the mere reporting on celebrities. The prime example is Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest is the epitome of the ultimate host, having hosted the top twenty for years on a radio station in Los Angeles, been an E! â€Å"anchor,† and most famously the host of American Idol. Seacrest has become a celebrity by merely reporting on celebrities. Both media types—that of magazine and t.v.—have wo rked in conjunction. One reports on the other and vice versa. One makes the other. Using a hermeneutical strategy to look at the social phenomenon of the celebrity has brought to light several profound new ideas for me. The first is what celebrity coverage does for us. I have come to the conclusion at various times that humans have at all times needed a common narrative in their social relationships. In days gone by, this narrative could be sustained by regional parochial concerns. A village would find a bond in the fact that their story was shared, they lived close to one another, married into each other’s families, etc. The gossip and glory of a small town would sustain its people. Yet, as society has diversified, fragmented, pluralized, etc. it has lost that local connection that is vital for human connection. At the most basic social level, we need something to talk about—a common ground. Human connection is essential for the flourishing of human life. Celebrity coverage, professional sports, and other modern social phenomena seek to fill that voi d. In a time when we increasingly find our human contact in less connected or natural ways, such coverage give us a cultural common ground. We can gripe about the fortunes of Liverpool or quip about the Beckham family to absolute strangers and they will likely be able to track with our line of thought. Celebrity narratives give us a common ground for humor, social reflection, and allusions. In order to have fulfilling communication we must have some sort of shared story, even if these stories are plastic in nature. Our society has inevitably become more diverse, global, and connected. This has inevitably lead to an erosion of parochial concerns, and pushed us to socially evolve in order to maintain human connection. We have found common social narrative in the celebrity. Their story has become a common story for us. Their divorces, their cheating, their success, their money, etc., have all become a commentary about our own lives. This line of thought leads me to an additional hermen eutic conclusion concerning celebrity coverage and its reflective nature. We are not interested in celebrities just because they happen to be successful but because they are reflective. Celebrities embody our hopes and dreams, fears and pitfalls, and desire for detachedness. The populace not only celebrates celebrity success, but also celebrates celebrity failure. There is a lust for failure as much as there is for success in the interest in these lives. It is interesting to note that the most famous celebrities are those where there are equal portions success and failure. This is important. Without adjoining failure these celebrities fail to capture people’s imagination. Too much success and too much failure both trigger a lose of interest in the given celebrity. Celebrities find themselves in a proverbial catch-22, trying to allow promotion while not being raked through the coals. The most successful in this respect have allowed both. The reality about celebrity coverage is that we are not interested because these people are necessarily glamorous (there are a lot of unknown glamorous people to be found). We are interested because celebrities create for us a narrative for self reflection and self understanding. Having used hermeneutical techniques such as analyzing the context, audience, media sources, etc., I have come to some interesting new ideas and understanding about a key phenomenon in our society—the celebrity. In previous times, I have been rather perplexed as to why we care so much about these lives. Yet after thinking about the topic using hermeneutical analysis, I have come to several profound reasons as to why this is so.

Aspects of Human Gene Therapy :: Science Biology Genetic Essays

Aspects of Human Gene Therapy Introduction The prospect of human gene therapy was first realized in 1971 when the first recombinant DNA experiments were planned. Gene therapy can be simply viewed as inserting bits of foreign DNA into a patient’s tissue in hopes of evoking a biologic response that will effectively eliminate the targeted disease. Major advances in recombinant DNA technology have occurred over the last 20 years so that now gene therapy is becoming a reality. Gene therapeutic techniques have recently been attempted to treat patients with the genetic diseases severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), cystic fibrosis, and Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (Donegan, 1995). The optimist foresees a time when a patient will simply receive a snippet of DNA and go home cured. There are many ethical and scientific hurdles that must first be crossed for such a dream to become reality. The technology has advanced so rapidly that many ethical questions weren’t originally addressed and accordingly are now bec oming the center of attention regarding human genetic research. Furthermore, scientists must find a way to outwit the body’s immune system which is primed to fight any foreign material such as inserted genes. There are also difficulties in getting the targeted cells to open up their molecular locks to allow the foreign genes inside. Gene therapy, like other medical advances before it, will have numerous failures before reaching its full potential. It will be important for the public, press, and medical industry to be patient in waiting for the dream of gene therapy to become a reality. Technological Aspects of Gene Therapy The underlying principle of gene therapy is the transfer of genetic material to specific cells of a patient in an effort to initiate a biological response to fight or eliminate a disease. There are two possible types of target cells, somatic cells that are non-reproducing, or reproducing germ-line cells. If germ-line cells are permanently altered, all future generations would be effected. Most of the current human genetic research involves somatic cells since the ethical ramifications of germ-line cell modification is still being debated. Some scientists have expressed concerns that even altered somatic cell genes could find their way to reproducing, germ-line cells (Donegan, 1995). Accordingly, regulations are strict in regards to somatic cell gene modification techniques so that this gene migration will not occur. Transfer of genes to target cells is usually accomplished by some sort of vector such as retroviruses, adenoviruses, or liposomes (Mulligan, 1993; Crystal, 1995).

Essays --

What is word stress? To understand what word stress is, you need to understand that words are made up of syllables, some of which are stressed when they are pronounced. When we pronounce the syllables of a word, we employ the use of a variety of features. The stressed syllable in a word consists of five features. These features are: ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable is longer ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable is louder ïÆ'Ëœ The pitch of the stressed syllable usually deviates from the pitch of the other syllables. This makes the pitch of the stressed syllable higher than the others. ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable is said clearer, than the other syllables. This makes the sound of the stressed syllable purer. ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable requires the use of larger facial movement. Rules related to word stress As it relates to ‘rules’ that govern word stress in the English language, it is hardly believed that there are actual ‘rules’, due to the fact that deviations are commonly found. There are, however, certain ‘patterns’, in word stress, in English. With reference to the story of The Hare and the Tortoise, we can find certain word stress patterns. The narrative of The Hare and the Tortoise is one that is very simple, as it relates to the words used, so, there can hardly be found any words with more than two syllables. Despite this fact, there are word stress patterns that can be found in the story. Let us look at some examples. 1. Word stress rule: A word is normally stressed on the first syllable, unless there is a reason to put the stress somewhere else. (Reasons include suffixes like –ity or –ion and prefixes like -con or –dis.) Some examples of this rule that can be found in the story are: making, tortoise, being, ever, anywhere, mocking. Here, the first syllab... ...and when at last he did wake up the tortoise was near the goal. The hare now ran his swiftest but he could not overtake the tortoise in time. The voice moves to a higher pitch at the highlighted sections of the text, for emphasis. This draws attention to the idea surrounding the specific word, which may make the thought group clearer. The change of the pitch can also convey shades of meaning. It can place even more emphasis on the superlative of a word, for example the word â€Å"swiftest†, in the text. This word is already in a superlative form, however, the heightening of the pitch, while pronouncing this word in the sentence can make the speed at which the hare was running, seem to be even more extreme. Reading the passage with the emphasis on the selected words, can make the story seem more interesting and exciting. It can also make the text easier to understand. Essays -- What is word stress? To understand what word stress is, you need to understand that words are made up of syllables, some of which are stressed when they are pronounced. When we pronounce the syllables of a word, we employ the use of a variety of features. The stressed syllable in a word consists of five features. These features are: ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable is longer ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable is louder ïÆ'Ëœ The pitch of the stressed syllable usually deviates from the pitch of the other syllables. This makes the pitch of the stressed syllable higher than the others. ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable is said clearer, than the other syllables. This makes the sound of the stressed syllable purer. ïÆ'Ëœ The stressed syllable requires the use of larger facial movement. Rules related to word stress As it relates to ‘rules’ that govern word stress in the English language, it is hardly believed that there are actual ‘rules’, due to the fact that deviations are commonly found. There are, however, certain ‘patterns’, in word stress, in English. With reference to the story of The Hare and the Tortoise, we can find certain word stress patterns. The narrative of The Hare and the Tortoise is one that is very simple, as it relates to the words used, so, there can hardly be found any words with more than two syllables. Despite this fact, there are word stress patterns that can be found in the story. Let us look at some examples. 1. Word stress rule: A word is normally stressed on the first syllable, unless there is a reason to put the stress somewhere else. (Reasons include suffixes like –ity or –ion and prefixes like -con or –dis.) Some examples of this rule that can be found in the story are: making, tortoise, being, ever, anywhere, mocking. Here, the first syllab... ...and when at last he did wake up the tortoise was near the goal. The hare now ran his swiftest but he could not overtake the tortoise in time. The voice moves to a higher pitch at the highlighted sections of the text, for emphasis. This draws attention to the idea surrounding the specific word, which may make the thought group clearer. The change of the pitch can also convey shades of meaning. It can place even more emphasis on the superlative of a word, for example the word â€Å"swiftest†, in the text. This word is already in a superlative form, however, the heightening of the pitch, while pronouncing this word in the sentence can make the speed at which the hare was running, seem to be even more extreme. Reading the passage with the emphasis on the selected words, can make the story seem more interesting and exciting. It can also make the text easier to understand.

Part Seven Chapter 1

Relief of Poverty †¦ 13.5 Gifts to benefit the poor †¦ are charitable, and a gift for the poor is charitable even if it happens incidentally to benefit the rich †¦ Charles Arnold-Baker Local Council Administration, Seventh Edition Nearly three weeks after the sirens had wailed through sleepy Pagford, on a sunny morning in April, Shirley Mollison stood alone in her bedroom, squinting at her reflection in the mirrored wardrobe. She was making final adjustments to her dress before her now-daily drive to South West General. The belt buckle slid up a hole tighter than it had done a fortnight ago, her silver hair was in need of a trim and her grimace against the sunshine blazing into the room could have been a simple expression of her mood. When Miles accompanied her to the hospital, she could let him do all the talking to Howard, which he did, keeping up a steady monologue of Pagford news. She felt so much better – both more visible and more protected – with tall Miles walking beside her down the chilly corridors. He chatted genially to the nurses, and handed her in and out of the car, and restored to her the sense of being a rare creature, worthy of care and protection. But Miles could not come every day, and to Shirley's profound irritation he kept deputizing Samantha to accompany her. This was not the same thing at all, even though Samantha was one of the few who managed to bring a smile to Howard's purple vacant face. Nobody seemed to realize how dreadful the silence was at home either. When the doctors had told the family that recuperation would take months, Shirley had hoped that Miles would ask her to move into the spare room of the big house in Church Row, or that he might stay over, from time to time, in the bungalow. But no: she had been left alone, quite alone, except for a painful three-day period when she had played hostess to Pat and Melly. I'd never have done it, she reassured herself, automatically, in the silent night, when she could not sleep. I never really meant to. I was just upset. I'd never have done it. She had buried Andrew's EpiPen in the soft earth beneath the bird table in the garden, like a tiny corpse. She did not like knowing it was there. Some dark evening soon, the night before refuse-collection day, she would dig it up again and slip it into a neighbour's bin. Howard had not mentioned the needle to her or to anyone. He had not asked her why she had run away when she saw him. Shirley found relief in long rattling streams of invective, directed at the people who had, in her stated opinion, caused the catastrophe that had fallen on her family. Parminder Jawanda was the first of these, naturally, for her callous refusal to attend Howard. Then there were the two teenagers who, through their vile irresponsibility, had diverted the ambulance that might have reached Howard sooner. The latter argument was perhaps a little weak, but it was the enjoyable fashion to denigrate Stuart Wall and Krystal Weedon, and Shirley found plenty of willing listeners in her immediate circle. What was more, it had transpired that the Wall boy had been the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother all along. He had confessed to his parents, and they had personally telephoned the victims of the boy's spite to apologize. The Ghost's identity had leaked swiftly into the wider community, and this, coupled with the knowledge that he had been jointly responsible for the drowning of a three-year-old child, made abuse of Stuart both a duty and a pleasure. Shirley was more vehement in her comments than anybody. There was a savagery in her denunciations, each of them a little exorcism of the kinship and admiration she had felt for the Ghost, and a repudiation of that awful last post which nobody else, as yet, had admitted to seeing. The Walls had not telephoned Shirley to apologize, but she was constantly primed, in case the boy should mention it to his parents, or in case anybody should bring it up, to deliver a final crushing blow to Stuart's reputation. ‘Oh yes, Howard and I know all about it,' she planned to say, with icy dignity, ‘and it's my belief that the shock caused his heart attack.' She had actually practised saying this aloud in the kitchen. The question of whether Stuart Wall had really known something about her husband and Maureen was less urgent now, because Howard was patently incapable of shaming her in that way again, and perhaps never would be, and nobody seemed to be gossiping. And if the silence she offered Howard, when she was unavoidably alone with him, was tinged with a sense of grievance on both sides, she was able to face the prospect of his protracted incapacitation and absence from the house with more equanimity than she might have thought possible three weeks previously. The doorbell rang and Shirley hurried to open it. Maureen was there, hobbling on ill-advised high heels, garish in bright aquamarine. ‘Hello, dear, come in,' said Shirley. ‘I'll get my bag.' ‘They're saying people got up a collection,' said Maureen, brimful of gossip that Shirley had somehow missed, in her endless back and forward trips to the hospital. ‘Don't ask me who. Anyway, I wouldn't have thought the family would want it right by the river, would you?' (The dirty and foul-mouthed little boy, of whose existence few had been aware, and of whom nobody but his mother and sister had been especially fond, had undergone such a transformation in Pagford's collective mind by his drowning, that he was spoken of everywhere as a water baby, a cherub, a pure and gentle angel whom all would have embraced with love and compassion, if only they could have saved him. But the needle and the flame had had no transformative effect upon Krystal's reputation; on the contrary, they had fixed her permanently in the mind of Old Pagford as a soulless creature whose pursuit of what the elderly liked to call kicks had led to the death of an innocent child.) Shirley was pulling on her coat. ‘You realize, I actually saw them that day?' she said, her cheeks turning pink. ‘The boy bawling by one clump of bushes, and Krystal Weedon and Stuart Wall in another – ‘ ‘Did you? And were they really †¦?' asked Maureen avidly. ‘Oh yes,' said Shirley. ‘Broad daylight. Open air. And the boy was right by the river when I saw him. A couple of steps and he'd have been in.' Something in Maureen's expression stung her. ‘I was hurrying,' said Shirley with asperity, ‘because Howard had said he was feeling poorly and I was worried sick. I didn't want to go out at all, but Miles and Samantha had sent Lexie over – I think, if you want my honest opinion, they'd had a row – and then Lexie wanted to visit the cafe – I was absolutely distracted, and all I could think was, I must get back to Howard †¦ I didn't actually realize what I'd seen until much later †¦ and the dreadful thing,' said Shirley, her colour higher than ever, and returning again to her favourite refrain, ‘is that if Krystal Weedon hadn't let that child wander off while she was having her fun in the bushes, the ambulance would have reached Howard so much more quickly. Because, you know, with two of them coming †¦ things got confu – ‘ ‘That's right,' said Maureen, interrupting as they moved out towards the car, because she had heard all this before. ‘You know, I can't think why they're having the service here in Pagford †¦' She longed to suggest that they drive past the church on the way to the hospital – she had a craving to see what the Weedon family looked like en masse, and to glimpse, perhaps, that degenerate junkie mother – but could think of no way to frame the request. ‘You know, there's one comfort, Shirley,' she said, as they set off for the bypass. ‘The Fields are as good as gone. That must be a comfort to Howard. Even if he can't attend council for a while, he got that done.' Andrew Price was speeding down the steep hill from Hilltop House, with the sun hot on his back and the wind in his hair. His week-old shiner had turned yellow and green, and looked, if possible, even worse than it had when he had turned up at school with his eye almost closed. Andrew had told the teachers who enquired that he had fallen off his bike. It was now the Easter holidays, and Gaia had texted Andrew the previous evening to ask whether he would be going to Krystal's funeral the next day. He had sent an immediate ‘yes', and was now dressed, after much deliberation, in his cleanest jeans and a dark grey shirt, because he did not own a suit. He was not very clear why Gaia was going to the funeral, unless it was to be with Sukhvinder Jawanda, to whom she seemed to cling more fondly than ever, now that she was moving back to London with her mother. ‘Mum says she should never have come to Pagford,' Gaia had told Andrew and Sukhvinder happily, as the three of them sat on the low wall beside the newsagent's at lunchtime. ‘She knows Gavin's a total twat.' She had given Andrew her mobile number and told him that they would go out together when she came to Reading to see her father, and even mentioned, casually, taking him to see some of her favourite places in London, if he visited. She was showering benefits around her in the manner of a demob-happy soldier, and these promises, made so lightly, gilded the prospect of Andrew's own move. He had greeted the news that his parents had had an offer on Hilltop House with at least as much excitement as pain. The sweeping turn into Church Row, usually made with an uplift of spirits, dampened them. He could see people moving around in the graveyard, and he wondered what this funeral was going to be like, and for the first time that morning thought of Krystal Weedon in more than the abstract. A memory, long buried in the deepest recesses of his mind, came back to him, of that time in the playground at St Thomas's, when Fats, in a spirit of disinterested investigation, had handed him a peanut hidden inside a marshmallow †¦ he could still feel his burning throat closing inexorably. He remembered trying to yell, and his knees giving way, and the children all around him, watching with a strange, bloodless interest, and then Krystal Weedon's raucous scream. ‘Andiprice iz ‘avin' a ‘lurgycacshun!' She had run, on her stocky little legs, all the way to the staff room, and the headmaster had snatched Andrew up and sprinted with him to the nearby surgery, where Dr Crawford had administered adrenalin. She was the only one who had remembered the talk that their teacher had given the class, explaining Andrew's life-threatening condition; the only one to recognize his symptoms. Krystal ought to have been given a gold merit star, and perhaps a certificate at assembly as Pupil of the Week, but the very next day (Andrew remembered it as clearly as his own collapse) she had hit Lexie Mollison so hard in the mouth that she had knocked out two of Lexie's teeth. He wheeled Simon's bike carefully into the Walls' garage, then rang the doorbell with a reluctance that had never been there before. Tessa Wall answered, dressed in her best grey coat. Andrew was annoyed with her; it was down to her that he had a black eye. ‘Come in, Andy,' said Tessa, and her expression was tense. ‘We'll just be a minute.' He waited in the hallway, where the coloured glass over the door cast its paintboxy glow on the floorboards. Tessa marched into the kitchen, and Andrew glimpsed Fats in his black suit, crumpled up in a kitchen chair like a crushed spider, with one arm over his head, as if he were fending off blows. Andrew turned his back. The two boys had had no communication since Andrew had led Tessa to the Cubby Hole. Fats had not been to school for a fortnight. Andrew had sent a couple of texts, but Fats had not replied. His Facebook page remained frozen as it had been on the day of Howard Mollison's party. A week ago, without warning, Tessa had telephoned the Prices, told them that Fats had admitted to having posted the messages under the name The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother, and offered her deepest apologies for the consequences they had suffered. ‘So how did he know I had that computer?' Simon had roared, advancing on Andrew. ‘How did fucking Fats Wall know I did jobs after-hours at the printworks?' Andrew's only consolation was that if his father had known the truth, he might have ignored Ruth's protests and continued to pummel Andrew until he was unconscious. Why Fats had decided to pretend he had authored all the posts, Andrew did not know. Perhaps it was Fats' ego at work, his determination to be the mastermind, the most destructive, the baddest of them all. Perhaps he had thought he was doing something noble, taking the fall for both of them. Either way, Fats had caused much more trouble than he knew; he had never realized, thought Andrew, waiting in the hall, what it was like to live with a father like Simon Price, safe in his attic room, with his reasonable, civilized parents. Andrew could hear the adult Walls talking in quiet voices; they had not closed the kitchen door. ‘We need to leave now,' Tessa was saying. ‘He's got a moral obligation and he's going.' ‘He's had enough punishment,' said Cubby's voice. ‘I'm not asking him to go as a – ‘ ‘Aren't you?' said Cubby sharply. ‘For God's sake, Tessa. D'you think they'll want him there? You go. Stu can stay here with me.' A minute later Tessa emerged from the kitchen, closing the door firmly behind her. ‘Stu isn't coming, Andy,' she said, and he could tell that she was furious about it. ‘I'm sorry about that.'

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong

Who Am I? Close your eyes and imagine a backdrop of densely packed trees in shades of olive and emerald green, a military supply helicopter on the helipad, blades swooshing around stirring up dust, and out steps a beautiful, young, blonde girl. Right in the middle of war-torn Vietnam, at the Tra Bong outpost, Mary Anne Bell arrives at the request of her boyfriend. When first reading â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,† by Tim O’Brien, one might believe it is a love story turned sour, but on closer inspection, it is apparent that this story is about much more than that.This story is about the loss of innocence, personal evolution, and the attempt to define one’s self. A bit tired and out-of-place, a young Mary Anne steps off a helicopter and into Nam. A war is raging beyond the concertina wire, and she is oblivious to the enormous magnitude of the situation. Mary Anne is a naive, barely 17 year old girl. She is cheerful, wide-eyed, and inquisitive all rolled up into one bundle. She is fresh out of high school with no life experience and no idea of how the world works; how it can tilt and sour one’s perspective.In the beginning, Mary Anne is very fascinated by the country, the culture, and the people. She sees Nam through untainted curious eyes, wanting to experience the customs and feel the culture. She probes the soldiers at the outpost with many questions and listens intently to their answers, consuming all the information given. She learns about claymore mines, trip wires, how to assemble and disassemble an M-16 machine gun, as well as how to cook over a can of Sterno. Like a sponge, she soaks up all the knowledge.She even learns the language; her thought is to take advantage of her situation and learn as much as possible while in Nam. Believing that the locals are safe, ordinary people, Mary Ann wants to venture to a close-by village to interact with them. This shows just how wet behind the ears she is; Mary Anne does not see t he threat or danger in heractions, â€Å"It did not impress her that the VC owned the place† (O'Brien 214). Some of the other soldiers were impressed with her courage, but not so much with her intelligence. The NCO of the outpost, Eddie Diamond described her best as â€Å"D-cup guts, trainer bra brains† (O'Brien 215).However, Eddie knew that eventually she would learn the cold, hard truth like everyone else, and it would change her forever. Rat Riley, one of the medics at the outpost and new friend of Mary Anne’s, makes a direct comparison between her, him, and others, â€Å"†¦like you and me. A girl that’s the only difference† he declared, â€Å"†¦when we first got here – all of us – we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick† (O'Brien 215). Mary Anne would learn as well, she would lose the innocence that came with ignorance of the truth.The change was slow and murky to the untrained eye, but there it was, the progression from a pure untainted soul to one that had fallen into a dark abyss. It started with small things, the lack of emotion when dealing with injured soldiers, all the blood and guts. Not being the least bit frightened or put off by what she was seeing, Mary Anne would jump right into the middle of all the gore. â€Å"In times of action her face took on a sudden new composure, almost serene†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (O'Brien 217). A new and different person was immerging; the young, innocent, bubbly, wideeyed girl was disappearing.There were other subtle changes showing how Mary Anne was becoming one of the guys. Just like the men, she cut her beautiful blonde hair short and wrapped her head in an army issue green bandanna to blend in. Gone were the small things that made her Mary Anne-her make-up, taking care of her fingernails, jewelry, and â€Å"hygiene became a matter of small consequence† (O'Brien 216). It was, by pure design of n ature, she had to adapt to the environment to survive. The softness as well as her exuberance were gone and replaced by rigidity and indifference.She no longer engages in activates with the others, instead; she stares intently into the dark jungle with a look of contentment on her face. Nam was claiming her, sucking her into the abyss. Mary Anne starts going out on patrol in the jungle with the â€Å"Greenies†, the Green Beret soldiers. Eventually, she becomes so comfortable with her surroundings that she ventures out on her own. Mary Anne makes the final transition; the innocent girl disappears within the new person she has become. She is now a war-born soldier. Now, there is no trace of the young girl who stepped out of the helicopter and into Nam for the first time. The girl joined the zoo† Mary Anne became just another animal in the vast Nam jungle (O'Brien 221). The naive, innocent girl was gone; she vanished into the shadows. Mary Anne found her true self and was perfectly at peace. The wilderness succeeded in drawing her in, changing her, and making her part of the earth. Mary Anne wants â€Å"†¦to eat this place. Vietnam. I want to swallow the whole country-the dirt, the death-I just want to eat it and have it there inside me† she adds â€Å"I get scared sometimes-lots of times-but it’s not bad. You know? I feel close to myself† (O'Brien 223).Perhaps for Mary Anne, she found something that was lurking deep inside her prior to arriving in Nam. Maybe Nam just expedited digging that part of her out. Mary Anne was alive, full of electricity, â€Å"perfectly at peace with herself† she explains â€Å"because I know exactly who I am† (O'Brien 223). â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,† shows us all that no one can survive a war and walk away unscathed by it. One can never return the same person that went over to another country on a mission that involved killing. Rat Riley describes it best,  "you come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward it’s never the same† (O'Brien 225).This story is not about Mary Anne Bell, but about what she embodies. She personifies all the young, inexperienced boys that went to Vietnam and their stories. Mary Anne represents the loss of purity in the many young men that went by choice or by force to a foreign land. Nam devoured their souls transforming them forever, as if the very country cried out for a piece of them as payment for damages rendered. Nam claimed its price of those that trampled on her soil. Some young men may have found their inner killer and like Mary Anne did in the end, they became content.But on the other hand, many others were forced to become something alien just to endure the war. These are the souls that returned tortured. Oh my soul that I should weep for I no longer close my eyes and find innocent sleep. These haunted souls look in a mirror and ask, â€Å"Who am I? † Perhaps on some days, they see a glimmer of the person they once were when they were young and innocent. Works Cited O'Brien, Tim. â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong. † World Views Classic and Contemporary Readings. Ed. Macy, et al Felty. 6th. Boston: Pearson, 2010. 210-226.

Significance of Plastics

Significance * Plastic bags are not renewable, which means they cannot be easily recycled like paper bags. They are made of petrochemicals, which is what makes them non-renewable and a risk to the health of the planet. They last for hundreds of years, all the while doing damage to natural habitats and killing animals that mistake them for food. The more plastic bags people use, the greater the chances of environmental damage. Effects * If not carefully disposed of, plastic bags can be devastating to animal life. DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) reported that 1,678,900 tons of plastic packaging was in the UK waste stream in 2001. Because plastic bags do not decay quickly, they stay in environments longer, causing more build-up on the natural landscape than a more degradable material like paper would. The Marrickville Council reports that over 100,000 whales, turtles and birds die every year as a result of plastic in their environment. Suffocation * Infants and young children have died as a result of playing with plastic bags. Every year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission receives about 25 reports of plastic bag-related infant death. Because of the thin, airtight material, infants can easily block their mouths and nostrils with the plastic bag and suffocate. Prevention/Solution * Abstaining from plastic bag use as much as possible will reduce the chances of accidental infant death, and it will reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment. A plastic bag is also reusable, though. It does not necessarily have to be thrown away after a single use. Try to use each plastic bag for as long as possible. This will help reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation. Expert Insight * Some experts want to ban the use of plastic bags entirely. Los Angeles has passed recommendations that will make them illegal in supermarkets by 2012. The British government sees plastic bags as a symbol for a throwaway society. They claim, â€Å"[Plastic bags] are a significant cause of litter†¦. Most of the rest of the 13 billion bags used each year end up in landfills. † Alternatives to Plastic Bags * Canvas bags are a smart alternative to plastic. Canvas can be washed and reused, and lasts up to 10 years on average. Bringing a few canvas bags with you to the store will greatly reduce the number of plastic bags in the environment. Paper bags are not as beneficial for the environment as canvas bags, but they are recyclable. Infants cannot suffocate on paper bags either. If you're creative, you can make an old plastic bag into an arts-and-crafts project (see Resources). Read more: Disadvantages of Plastic Bags | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/about_5072695_disadvantages-plastic-bags. html#ixzz1iCJusfTm

The Worst Hard Time

In this work of non-fiction Timothy Egan expresses his wish for sounder government policy to avoid natural disasters. Egan’s The Worst Hard Time is a harrowing tale about farmers who decided to stay on the plains stretching across Texas’ panhandle, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado during the major drought in the 1930’s. The disaster, known as the Dust Bowl, is largely regarded as a human caused problem. Egan, who is a national correspondent on environmental issues for the New York Times, expertly incorporates historical facts from the time with real accounts from those who stayed.Although Egan sees farming as the direct cause of the drought, winds, and dust, he portrays his characters as hardy entrepreneurs who were duped onto unsustainable farm-land. These individuals, who were known as â€Å"Sod-busters†, started moving into the area during the 1800s when federal government was selling land for next to nothing. They quickly tore up huge regions of rece ntly settled grass-land to plant wheat. This quick change in topography caused high winds to blow off top soil that had been accumulating over millennia.High temperatures and dust storms ravaged the area killing animals and humans in its wake for most of the ‘30s. On April 14, 1935 the region saw its worst dust storm which rained more than 300,000 tons of dirt and dust. This day became known as Black Sunday because those who witnessed it said it blotted out the sun. The dry grass became fuel for praire fires that were sparked by lightning. Swarms of grasshoppers and rabbits plagued the region. In one story Egan describes a story in which the bunnies are brutally beaten while they’re assailants are still dressed in the Sunday best.The worst effect was the endless wind and dust. One young mother, Hazel Shaw, lost her baby daughter and grandmother within hours of each other to dust pneumonia. Using personal stories such as this, Egan tries to point out that this disaster c ould have been prevented with more cautious government policy. Egan portrays his characters as innocent victims of railroad companies and the government. However, as the situation got worse no one told them that their promises where founded on speculation.Egan describes how Germans, who had been lured to Russia by Catherine the Great to serve as a human buffer from the Turks, headed for the American plains when her promise of free land and no taxes was found to be false. One such man was George Ehrilich. He didn’t â€Å"flee the czar's army, survive a hurricane at sea and live through homegrown hatred caused by the Great War just to abandon 160 acres of Oklahoma that belonged to him and his 10 American-born children†. In stories like this Egan portrays his characters as resilient and even stubborn. To survive they did what they had to do but did not give up on their dreams.Egan follows the stories of families that move into new lands in the region that rarely turned ou t worthwhile. In one story a family moves to an inhospitable area after grueling journey. Upon arrival their horses fell over dead and their owners were forced to drink the blood from a sows ear to stay alive. Egan expertly incorporates facts and vivid stories to gain sympathy for hard working Americans and reveal the root cause of the Dust Bowl. Hopefully Egan can reach enough people that control government policy to prevent another catastrophe like the Dust Bowl. The worst hard time What lessons, If any, have we learned from the dust bowl catastrophe-?about how human actions, well-intentioned or not, can lead to environmental damage? Is there anything comparable on the horizon today? 225). What lessons, If any, have we learned from the dust bowl catastrophe-?about how human actions, well-intentioned or not, can lead to environmental damage? Is there anything comparable on the horizon today? Drawing on more contemporary examples of environmental disasters or concerns, write a paper that explores how this debate continues to be timely or hat takes a stand on this debate. . According to the Houston Chronicle, â€Å"The Worst Hard Time documents how government and business with the best of Intentions can facilitate the destruction of an entire region. † Explain how this Is true with regard to the Dust Bowl, and then extend your analysis to include the relevance of this statement to more recent events. What parallels to current events do you see? What are the implications for our society today? 3. Watch the 2012 documentary film by Ken Burns called â€Å"The Dust Bowl† (PBS. Erg/sunburns/dustbins), and then write a imperative analysis of the documentary film and Jean's book. Note any conflicting accounts of the dust bowl or the presentation of events or any additions of details In one account that aren't present in the other, and then reflect on the significance of these differences. Do the accounts share the same purpose and audience? How do the messages vary? Analyze how the different medium and genre-?a historical book vs.. A documentary film-?employ similar or differing strategies to appeal to the audience and carry out their message. 4.As noted at the end of the book, in the section on â€Å"Notes and Sources,† Egan conducted the research for the book using multiple methods and by compiling various types of data. Besides consulting public documents (like U. S. Census reports), local public library collections, local ne wspapers, and other historical societies and historical sources, Egan also did primary research by visiting the High Plains and interviewing people who lived through the Dust Bowl. What is the effect of weaving personal stories and stories of individuals and families Into his historical account?What is the effect on you, as a deader, and your understanding of this historical event? Carry out your own project In which you 1) consult a secondary source on a local historical event (environmental, political, or cultural) and then 2) interview an older relative or acquaintance or community member who has a recollection of the event. Write a report on the event, followed by a reflection on how your understanding of the event and presentation of the report were affected by these deferent types of evidence. 5.Conduct further research on the political and social events coinciding with Jean's Dust Bowl portrayal Ђ?such as the Stock Market Crash of 1 929, the Homestead Act, the Hoover admi nistration policies, the election of FED, the New Deal programs implemented by FED, etc. Then write an analysis of how an understanding of the larger cultural, historical, and economic context can deepen our understanding of the Dust Bowl. As an alternative, you might research and write a project that examines the local context in Kansas, drawing on Kansas History resources (see the links at assassinations. Us/ dustbins. HTML).Or, explore, In particular, the political effects of the Dust Bowl. How multimedia project-?a website or video-?that integrates print, audio, video, and images to capture the multi-layered experiences of various families and regions portrayed in Jean's book, along with the multi-sensory experiences of the Dust Bowl. You might create a timeline or use maps, oral histories, photos, etc. To help convey the experience via a multimedia format. Or you might focus on a key event or issue, such as Black Sunday, dust pneumonia, static electricity, soil 8 | Face u I t y G u I d e erosion and conservation, etc. ND organize your multimedia presentation around en of these topics in order to deepen and enrich understanding of these issues. 7. Write a response to the question: â€Å"How is this book relevant to 21st century readers? † You might consider the most serious ecological or environmental issues that we currently face, and the responses and actions of individuals, communities, activists, and governments. Or, as a group collaborative project, define an ecological or environmental problem, and outline a proposal or solution that might address the problem. Present this as a multi-part paper or website. . During the Dust bowl, a umber of people left their homes-?a migration about which Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath is written. But most residents chose to stay. Write a response in which you evaluate why the residents stayed. Would it have been better to have left? Which choice would you have made? Use illustrations and examples from the book to support your analysis. 9. Create a class environmental blob in which you include discussion threads of historical accounts of environmental disasters-?such as the Dust Bowl-?along with accounts of current environmental events or concerns.With he purpose of creating collective action, include concrete steps that individuals and communities might take to address environmental concerns, and include links to relevant national and local organizations and community groups. 10. Imagine that the sequences of diary entries from Don Harebell in Nebraska (pages 244-48; 274-78; 294-302) were presented in the current day as a wobble or blob. Harebell, like many floggers, has chosen to leave the entries open to comments from readers. Write a comment in response to one of the sequences of diary entries. Harebell's last entry name in the form of a poem (page 302).Analyze the significance of that poem, or write a response to that in the form off blob entry. 11. Jean's historical account incorporates multiple disciplinary perspectives ranging across the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. While the environmental perspective is crucial to Jean's account of the Dust Bowl, he is also interested in effects on human psychology, family behavior, marriage, labor conditions, agriculture, the food industry, the liquor laws and trade, political systems, religious systems, economic systems, music, the arts, etc.Drawing on your own academic (or personal) interests or the subject area or field in which you are planning to major, look for appearances of this interest/area of interest in the book. What role does your disciplinary interest (or related interest) play in Jean's historical account? Or, if you don't see your area of interest or study represented in Cantor's account, explain what role it might have played had it been factored in. Links to further questions for discussion or short writing prompts.