The Public Value of Urban Parks

Introduction Public administration refers to the execution of government policy and strategies. The concept stipulates how appointed officials ought to conduct themselves in order to enable the control and running of the state.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Public Value of Urban Parks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More State employees manage public programs and transform politics into tangibles so that citizens can benefit from them. Public administration entails the manner in which the executive administers its decisions and conducts analysis of policies. It denotes formulation of legislation and subsequently, the implementation of the law. It also examines alternative ways of drafting policies and enacting regulations (Henrik Merete, 2012). Public servants manage, implement, and administer state policies. They ensure that the operations of the state run appropriately. This paper examines one of the policie s enacted by the state. The subject involves the recycling of electronic waste as a way of protecting the environment. The study focuses on the political, social and ethical implications of electronic waste to the public. Recycling of electronic waste as a way of protecting the environment Electronic waste also referred to as e-waste; e-scrap, electronic disposal or waste, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) may refer to discarded electrical and electronic machines or equipments. Governments and environmental experts continuously disagree on whether to resell, reuse and refurbish electronic waste as a way of conserving the environment.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Poor handling of electronic waste can result in serious health and pollution challenges. Electronic devices can be reused and repaired. Electronic waste contains harmful disease causing agents. Recyclin g of electronic waste can be dangerous to employees and communities. The state must enact safety measures to safeguard employees that work in recycling companies from exposure to harmful electronic waste materials. Political implications of recycling electronic waste The international community regulates the recycling of electronic waste. According to Coley (2007, p. 39), â€Å"a global body enacted electronic recycling policies during the Basel Convention in 1989 after the Koko row. An Italian investor who operated in Nigeria created international outrage after he disposed of 8,000 leaky barrels in the Nigerian region of Koko†. The Basel Convention’s main goal is to stop wealthy states from dumping e -waste in poor nations’ territories (Department of Parks and Recreation, 2011). Electronic waste may have a number of merits. It may contain precious materials like gold and silver. Many rich nations’ toxic electronic waste always ends up in third world stat es. The leadership of first world countries ought to uphold the Basel Convention in order to protect poor states from the effects and dangers of electronic debris. The government must formulate investigative bodies and monitoring systems to prevent corrupt public servants from allowing the exportation of electronic waste to third world countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Public Value of Urban Parks specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social implications of recycling electronic waste Electronic waste affects people’s health and causes cancer. It also affects the environment, economy and social life of people. Negative environmental impacts of e- waste include air pollution especially the burning of trash. E-waste may include non biodegradable, toxic and radioactive materials that may be harmful to the soil and animals and which may cause blockage of water channels like rivers, pipes and the drainag e system. Electronic waste leads to increased public spending on medical care because of poor health. It also leads to investment on complex and expensive environmental conservation technologies. It affects the ozone layer leading to unpredictable weather patterns like prolonged drought. Lack of water may lead to a shortage of food in any country. This aspect may prompt the government to use additional resources to acquire food for its citizens. The additional resources may be helpful to other sectors of growth and development of any given country. Ethical implications of recycling electronic waste The government ought to guide the public on electronic waste management. It can educate and sensitize its citizens through media programs or curriculum content in schools. All government departments need to focus on the implementation of environmental management policies. This perspective may help in addressing challenges posed by e-waste exports to third world countries (Coley, 2007). In dustries need to use environmental friendly equipments that can be reutilized at the end of their intended purpose or easily broken down after use.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government must set up a special department that ensures that waste management authorities address ethical concerns (Chris, 2011). Waste management companies must adhere to recommended modes of transportation of electronic waste. Waste management companies must package electronic waste in carbon neutral wrappers according to state regulations and policies. Electronic waste management companies must uphold moral standards embedded in international laws on the reuse and repair of e-waste. They should protect private data and information in the equipments. The exporters need to be cautioned against using children to offload electronic waste from cargo chambers. Governments in third world countries need to be informed that the Child Act prohibits against use of child labor. Electronic waste may also harm children by causing diseases like lung cancer. The International Labor Organization does not allow the use of child labor. States must be encouraged to develop curricula, and progra ms that encourage â€Å"green chemistry† in order to promote the invention and use of molecules, equipments and compounds that may not be harmful to life and environment. Electronics industries can be advised to recall their manufactured commodities at the end of their life cycle and process them in respect to the law. The government must enforce audit programs and evaluation structures that verify that electronics are manufactured, reused, repaired, recycled and processed in respect to policies and stipulated regulations. Governments ought to make and implement policies and regulations that conform to moral and international standards. Manufacturers, handlers, transporters and recyclers of electronic waste must adhere to environmental laws. Challenges and effects of electronic waste need to be shared among families, colleagues, friends, employers, public servants and leaders in order to create environmental awareness (Campbell, 2008). Conclusion Public administration entitie s must be managed efficiently in accordance to the law in order to ensure implementation of environmental policies and regulations. The government must integrate waste management as a learning unit in the curriculum, in elementary schools. International environmental conventions must enhance the incorporation of environmental conservation in the curriculum, in all tertiary institutions. All organizations must comply with environmental conservation measures. A special department should be set up to certify companies that conform to electronic waste management strategies. First world governments must create laws that forbid companies, individuals and businesses from exporting, importing and dumping of electronic waste. Governments may also create a special police department that comprises of professional environmentalists. The motive may help in arresting individuals and companies who do not comply with electronic waste management policies. The department may also start legal proceedi ngs against defaulters of environmental regulations. References Campbell, C. (2008). Globalization, Extended Producer Responsibility and the Problem of Discarded Computers in China. An Exploratory Proposal for Environmental Protection, 14(6), 525- 531. Chris, W. (2011). The Public Value of Urban Parks and Understanding Park and Usership. New York City, NY: The Wallace Foundation. Coley, S. (2007). Where does Community Grow? The Social Context created by Nature in Urban Public Housing. Environment and Behaviour, 29 (4), 468 –494. Department of Parks and Recreation. (2011). Park Design Guidelines. California, CA: Institute of Public Affairs. Henrik, J., Merete, K. (2012). Case studies on Waste Minimisation Practices in Europe. Web. This essay on The Public Value of Urban Parks was written and submitted by user Janelle Olson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

History of the Olympics - Creating the Modern Games

History of the Olympics - Creating the Modern Games According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history. The ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences. Pierre de Coubertin Proposes New Olympic Games Approximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival. Coubertin is now known as le Rà ©novateur. Coubertin was a French aristocrat born on January 1, 1863. He was only seven years old when France was overrun by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Some believe that Coubertin attributed the defeat of France not to its military skills but rather to the French soldiers lack of vigor.* After examining the education of the German, British, and American children, Coubertin decided that it was exercise, more specifically sports, that made a well-rounded and vigorous person. Coubertins attempt to get France interested in sports was not met with enthusiasm. Still, Coubertin persisted. In 1890, he organized and founded a sports organization, Union des Socià ©tà ©s Francaises de Sports Athlà ©tiques (USFSA). Two years later, Coubertin first pitched his idea to revive the Olympic Games. At a meeting of the Union des Sports Athlà ©tiques in Paris on November 25, 1892, Coubertin stated, Let us export our oarsmen, our runners, our fencers into other lands. That is the true Free Trade of the future; and the day it is introduced into Europe the cause of Peace will have received a new and strong ally. It inspires me to touch upon another step I now propose and in it I shall ask that the help you have given me hitherto you will extend again, so that together we may attempt to realise [sic], upon a basis suitable to the conditions of our modern life, the splendid and beneficent task of reviving the Olympic Games.** His speech did not inspire action. The Modern Olympic Games Are Founded Though Coubertin was not the first to propose the revival of the Olympic Games, he was certainly the most well-connected and persistent of those to do so. Two years later, Coubertin organized a meeting with 79 delegates who represented nine countries. He gathered these delegates in an auditorium that was decorated by neoclassical murals and similar additional points of ambiance. At this meeting, Coubertin eloquently spoke of the revival of the Olympic Games. This time, Coubertin aroused interest. The delegates at the conference voted unanimously for the Olympic Games. The delegates also decided to have Coubertin construct an international committee to organize the Games. This committee became the International Olympic Committee (IOC; Comità © Internationale Olympique) and Demetrious Vikelas from Greece was selected to be its first president. Athens was chosen as the location for the revival of the Olympic Games and the planning was begun. Bibliography * Allen Guttmann, The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992) 8.** Pierre de Coubertin as quoted in Olympic Games, Britannica.com (Retrieved August 10, 2000, from britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/2/0,5716,1150221108519,00.htmlDurant, John. Highlights of the Olympics: From Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1973.Guttmann, Allen. The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992.Henry, Bill. An Approved History of the Olympic Games. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, 1948.Messinesi, Xenophon L. A Branch of Wild Olive. New York: Exposition Press, 1973.Olympic Games. Britannica.com. Retrieved August 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web. britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/2/0,5716,1150221108519,00.htmlPitt, Leonard and Dale Pitt. Los Angeles A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the City and Country. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1997.

History of Christmas Traditions in the 19th Century

History of Christmas Traditions in the 19th Century The history of Christmas traditions kept evolving throughout  the 19th century, when most of the familiar components of the modern Christmas including St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, and Christmas trees, became popular. The changes in how Christmas was celebrated were so profound that its safe to say someone alive in 1800 would not even recognize the Christmas celebrations held in 1900. Christmas Traditions: Key Takeaways Our most common Christmas traditions developed during the 1800s:The character of Santa Claus was largely a creation of author Washington Irving and cartoonist Thomas Nast.Christmas trees were popularized by Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert.Author Charles Dickens helped establish a tradition of generosity at Christmas. Washington Irving and St. Nicholas Early Dutch settlers of New York considered St. Nicholas to be their patron saint and practiced a yearly ritual of hanging stockings to receive presents on St. Nicholas Eve, in early December. Washington Irving, in his fanciful History of New York, mentioned that St. Nicholas had a wagon he could ride â€Å"over the tops of trees† when he brought â€Å"his yearly presents to children.† The Dutch word â€Å"Sinterklaas† for St. Nicholas evolved into the English â€Å"Santa Claus,† thanks in part to a New York City printer, William Gilley, who published an anonymous poem referring to â€Å"Santeclaus† in a children’s book in 1821. The poem was also the first mention of a character based on St. Nicholas having a sleigh, in this case, pulled by a single reindeer. Clement Clarke Moore and The Night Before Christmas Perhaps the best-known poem in the English language is â€Å"A Visit from St. Nicholas,† or as it’s often called, â€Å"The Night Before Christmas.† Its author, Clement Clarke Moore, a professor who owned an estate on the west side of Manhattan, would have been quite familiar with the St. Nicholas traditions followed in early 19th century New York. The poem was first published, anonymously, in a newspaper in Troy, New York, on December 23, 1823. Reading the poem today, one might assume that Moore simply portrayed the common traditions. Yet he actually did something quite radical by changing some of the traditions while also describing features that were entirely new. For instance, the St. Nicholas gift giving would have taken place on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day. Moore moved the events he describes to Christmas Eve. He also came up with the concept of â€Å"St. Nick† having eight reindeer, each of them with a distinctive name. Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol The other great work of Christmas literature from the 19th century is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. In writing the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Dickens wanted to comment on greed in Victorian Britain. He also made Christmas a more prominent holiday and permanently associated himself with Christmas celebrations. Dickens was inspired to write his classic story after speaking to working people in the industrial city of Manchester, England, in early October 1843. He wrote A Christmas Carol quickly, and when it appeared in bookstores the week before Christmas 1843 it began to sell very well. The book crossed the Atlantic and began to sell in America in time for Christmas 1844, and became extremely popular. When Dickens made his second trip to America in 1867 crowds clamored to hear him read from A Christmas Carol.  His tale of Scrooge and the true meaning of Christmas had become an American favorite. The story has never been out of print, and Scrooge is one of the best-known characters in literature. Santa Claus Drawn by Thomas Nast The famed American cartoonist Thomas Nast is generally credited as having invented the modern depiction of Santa Claus. Nast, who had worked as a magazine illustrator and created campaign posters for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, was hired by Harper’s Weekly in 1862. For the Christmas season, he was assigned to draw the magazine’s cover, and legend has it that Lincoln himself requested a depiction of Santa Claus visiting Union troops. The resulting cover, from Harper’s Weekly dated January 3, 1863, was a hit. It shows Santa Claus on his sleigh, which has arrived at a U.S. Army camp festooned with a â€Å"Welcome Santa Claus† sign. Santa’s suit features the stars and stripes of the American flag, and he’s distributing Christmas packages to the soldiers. One soldier is holding up a new pair of socks, which might be a boring present today, but would have been a highly prized item in the Army of the Potomac. Beneath Nasts illustration was the caption, â€Å"Santa Claus In Camp.† Appearing not long after the carnage at Antietam and Fredericksburg, the magazine cover is an apparent attempt to boost morale in a dark time. The Santa Claus illustrations proved so popular that Thomas Nast kept drawing them every year for decades. He is also credited with creating the notion that Santa lived at the North Pole and kept a workshop manned by elves. The figure of Santa Claus endured, with the version drawn by Nast becoming the accepted standard version of the character. By the early 20th century the Nast-inspired version of Santa became a very common figure in advertising. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria Made Christmas Trees Fashionable The tradition of the Christmas tree came from Germany, and there are accounts of early 19th century Christmas trees in America, but the custom wasn’t widespread outside German communities. The Christmas tree first gained popularity in British and American society thanks to the husband of Queen Victoria, the German-born Prince Albert. He installed a decorated Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841, and woodcut illustrations  of the Royal Family’s tree appeared in London magazines in 1848. Those illustrations, published in America a year later, created the fashionable impression of the Christmas tree in upper-class homes. By the late 1850s reports of Christmas trees were appearing in American newspapers. And in the years following the Civil War ordinary American households celebrated the season by decorating a Christmas tree. The first electric Christmas tree lights appeared in the 1880s, thanks to an associate of Thomas Edison, but were too costly for most households. Most people in the 1800s lit their Christmas trees with small candles. The First White House Christmas Tree The first Christmas tree in the White House was displayed in 1889, during the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. The Harrison family, including his young grandchildren, decorated the tree with toy soldiers and glass ornaments for their small family gathering. There are some reports of president Franklin Pierce displaying a Christmas tree in the early 1850s. But the stories of a Pierce tree are vague and there doesnt seem to be contemporaneous mentions in newspapers of the time. Christmas Tree and Family, 1848. Benjamin Harrisons Christmas cheer was closely documented in newspaper accounts. An article on the front page of the New York Times on Christmas Day 1889 detailed the lavish presents he was going to give his grandchildren. And though Harrison was generally regarded as a fairly serious person, he vigorously embraced the Christmas spirit.   Not all subsequent presidents continued the tradition of having a Christmas tree in the White House. By the middle of the 20th century, White House Christmas trees became established. And over the years  it has evolved into an elaborate and very public production. The first National Christmas Tree was placed on The Ellipse, an area just south of the White House, in 1923, and the lighting of it was presided over by President Calvin Coolidge. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree has become quite a large annual event, typically presided over by the current president and members of the First Family. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus In 1897 an eight-year-old girl in New York City wrote to a newspaper, the New York Sun, asking if her friends, who doubted the existence of Santa Claus, were right. An editor at the newspaper, Francis Pharcellus Church, responded by publishing, on September 21, 1897, an unsigned editorial. The response to the little girl has become the most famous newspaper editorial ever printed. The second paragraph is often quoted: Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. Church’s eloquent editorial asserting the existence of Santa Claus seemed a fitting conclusion to a century that began with modest observances of St. Nicholas and ended with the foundations of the modern Christmas season firmly intact. By the end of the 19th century, the essential components of a modern Christmas, from Santa to the story of Scrooge to strings of electric lights were firmly established in America.

Measles and the two vaccination shots given to ensure the child will Essay

Measles and the two vaccination shots given to ensure the child will never catch Measles - Essay Example Another unique feature of AAI is that it improves upon repeated exposure (Levinson and Jawetz 353). Vaccines are preventive agents that contain viral molecules to activate the AAI, so that when the virus is encountered in the environment, large amounts of specific antibodies are already present to act against it. Both humoral and cell-mediated immunity play a role in developing AAI (Levinson and Jawetz 353). This writing tries to explain the reasons behind the timing and the number of dosages of vaccines, particularly measles and diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccines. In particular, basics on immune response and immunization are provided, before a detailed discussion on vaccines is given. Although their mechanisms are different, innate immunity and AAI interact with each other for optimal response against a potential infection. The non-specific innate immunity is responsible for the engulfment of foreign molecules by macrophages or other antigen-presenting cells (APC) like dendritic cells and B cells (Levinson and Jawetz 357-359). Upon phagocytosis of foreign bodies, AAI then ensues when these APCs expose the engulfed antigens to their surfaces through class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) membrane proteins. The antigen-MHC complex then binds with an antigen-specific receptor on the surface of a helper T lymphocyte, initiating the release of interleukins (IL) that stimulates the maturation of many immune cells (Levinson and Jawetz 359). In turn, the activated helper T cells initiate the release of interleukins (IL), particularly IL-2, which initiates antigen-specific T-cell growth and activates cytotoxic T cells, IL-4, which promotes growth of B cells, and IL-5, which allows activation of B-cells. IL-4 and IL-5 also induce the transformation of IgM to IgG, IgA and IgE. In effect, it stimulates clonal expansion of both T and B cells after exposure with specific antigens. Cytotoxic T cells, in particular,

Myth as a Precursor to History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Myth as a Precursor to History - Essay Example History is something different altogether, history is not used to explain natural phenomenon's or uncover aspects of daily life. History is fact that typically cannot be augured. It has evidence, it is fact. Ken Dowden states "History is what myth isn't.What history tells is true or else it would not be history, only failed history. What myth tells us is in some way false or it would be history"2 Myths can be said to have graduations of credibility, Dowden uses the example of the myth of Athena being born from Zeus head and compares it to Agamemnon's expedition to Troy to show that there are different levels of credibility in myth. As obviously there was never a women born from a man's head. Yet it is suggested that there was a Trojan War and Agamemnon's expedition to Troy has a place in history. In the example of Dowdens, we can see that myth can be a herald to history, as many believed that Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, was based not on a historical reality, but on mythical heroes. Heinrich Schliemann held a different view, believing in Homers war, he combined studies of Homeric text and fieldwork and published observations about Mycenae and the location of Troy in 1869.Although Schlie mann's arcelogical techniques were brought under criticism by many, ("Schliemann's excavations at Troy were not a good model of archaeological technique. Only solid structures were noticed and recorded, and they were rapidly demolished to reveal earlier features."3) Schliemann's aim was to identify the geographic setting of Homers Iliad only from literature and he brought the Greek Bronze Age and its antecedents to light for the first time. Not content with his identification of Troy, he also dug at Mycenae and revealed an unknown prehistoric civilization. The Japanese creation myth started out with the earth being a formless void of nothing but muddy water. From that water a green shoot sprung and inside it was the first god, who made all the other gods. Out of all he created though, Izagami and Izanami were the most perfect. The islands of Japan were formed when Izagami poked his staff through the clouds to see what was on the surface of the earth. As he lifted the staff from the muddy water, clumps of mud fell on top of the water and formed into the islands of Japan. The pair went down to the earth, and everywhere they went, flowers and plants sprouted. They had four children. One was the sun, one was the moon, one lived in the water and created storms and such, and from the fourth, the line of the emperors of Japan was established. In the Egyptian creation myth, most of the details are very similar to the Japanese myth. The world starts out covered in water, from one god all the others are created, and two of the gods, Osiris and Isis, sort of led all the rest. From them came all the rulers of Egypt, just like how in the Japanese myth Izanami and Izagami had a child who eventually had a child who was the first emperor of Japan. In the African origin myth of how leopards became spotted, the leopard invites fire over for dinner.  

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef Essay Example for Free

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef Essay Marine life has always been one of the greatest wonders in the world. For the longest time, both marine plants and animals have peacefully inhabited the bottom of the sea, and contributing much to the beauty of the environment. Two of the most interesting reefs in the world are the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the Lakshadweep Reef in India. Although these two ecosystems are similar in numerous ways, their way of living and the inhabitants found in each still differ, making them unique and extraordinary from each other. Considered as the largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is composed of an estimated 2,900 corals that also serves as home to numerous plants and animals. The smallest to the largest animals are said to inhabit the said reef, with their existence serving as the distinctive mark of the Great Barrier Reef. One of the famous inhabitants is the Dugong (CRC Reef Research Center, n. d. ). Also known as the Sea Cow, the Dugong is a vegetarian mammal found mostly in the waters of the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, the Red Sea, and Australian sea beds. These endangered mammals are large in size, and are said to swim through the different flora found in the seabed. Before heading for the surface, Dugongs can last a total of six minutes underwater. They are mostly seen in pairs, and are often seen gathering in groups, also known as herds. Similar to humans, Dugongs only carry one calf during pregnancy, which lasts for a year. After birth, young Sea Cows stay with the mother for a year and a half, before embarking on their own. Because of their immense appearance, the Dugong becomes a primary target of illegal fishermen and hunters. The meat, oil, skin, and other parts of the Dugongs body may be sold individually for a huge amount of money. Unfortunately, these factors have contributed much to the increasing number of demand for the said endangered animals (National Geographic, Society, 2009). Aside from animals, a wide variety of plant life also exists in the sea beds of the Great Barrier Reef. Like the plants on land, marine plants play an important role in the existence of marine animals. These plants are normally employed as food for the marine animals, and are also used the main habitat of numerous animals. One of the most abundant types of marine plants in the sea beds of the Great Barrier Reef is the Algae (Facts Monk, n. d. ). Different types of marine algae exist in the bottom of the Great Barrier Reef. These include the red, blue, brown, and green algae. Although these floras are simple in consistency, they play an important role in maintaining the balance of nature and the ecosystem. The existence of algae in the Great Barrier Reef has a great impact on how living creatures were able to co-exist with each other. Because of the human disturbance witnessed by the Great Barrier Reef for the last couple of years, some of the marine animals have become endangered, if not extinct. However, the growth of algae in the bruised corals in the seabed has become beneficial in the growth of corals, which also contribute in helping balance the ecosystem (CRC Reef Research Center, n. d. ). Moreover, the Lakshadweep in India was another site to marvel at. The whole area is said to contain numerous species, all extraordinary in their own kind. Each species also contributes to the beauty of the said ecosystem, making sure that balance between all living creatures is maintained. In addition to this, the appearance of the said ecosystem has attracted numerous tourists because of the impressive sight. The Lakshadweep in India is comprised of 36 coral islands spanning an estimated 200-400 kilometer radius. Known to many as a â€Å"tropical paradise†, Lakshadweep never fails to impress the interest of many (South India Tour Travel, n. d. ). In addition to this, the Lakshadweep was also considered to be protected by the government. In this manner, the said ecosystem would be improved in all levels possible, without the difficulty of having to hurt anyone else. Similar to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Lakshadweep ecosystem in India comprises of different kinds of marine plants and animals. These include different kinds of algae, clams, corals, sea cucumbers, and starfishes of every kind. These floras also serve as the primary food and habitat of the marine life occupying the said ecosystem. Accompanying the flora is a wide variety of marine animals unknown to mankind. One of the most famous animals found in this ecosystem is the dolphin (WWF India, n. d. ) The dolphin is one of the most famous mammals in the world. Often seen in the ocean, dolphins have a way of attracting the people in numerous ways. Unknown to many, dolphins are unique and have impressive intellectual skills. In this manner, they are able to make the existence of each species in the ecosystem worthwhile. From everything that has been said, it is evident that ecosystems have different strategies. Although both the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Lakshadweep in India are home to thousands of species, they too have their own goals to practice. The Great Barrier Reef is a clear example of how we, as people, should care for the environment. In so doing, the Lakshadweep in India also serves as a haven of hope for people all over the world. The said ecosystem was damaged, and almost erased from the map, but with much hard work and dedication, everything was being restored to how they used to be. Now all living creatures, both humans and animals alike, would have hope that a better future is still attainable. References CRC Reef Research Center. (n. d. ) Coral reefs. Retrieved August 6, 2009 from http://www. reef. crc. org. au/discover/coralreefs/index. html National Geographic Society. (2009). Dugong. Retrieved August 6, 2009 from http://animals. nationalgeographic. com/animals/mammals/dugong. html Facts Monk. (n. d. ) Great barrier reef plants. Retrieved August 6, 2009 from http://www. factsmonk. com/Great_Barrier_Reef_Plants South India Tour Travel. (n. d. ) Marine life in Lakshadweep. Retrieved August 6, 2009 from http://www. southindiatourtravel. com/lakshadweep/travel-to-lakshadweep/marine-life. html World Wildlife Foundation India. (n. d. ) Biodiversity and status of coral reefs/ecosystems. Retrieved August 6, 2009 from http://www. wwfindia. org/about_wwf/what_we_do/marine/projects/coral_reef_monitoring/results. cfm

Speaking From Within: A Discussion on Our Innate Ability to Learn Languages :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Speaking From Within: A Discussion on Our Innate Ability to Learn Languages For years since I moved to the United States after the age of nine, I've always been frustrated at the lack of improvement in my ability to speak English without a trace of foreign accent and my ability to write without any grammatical errors. It always seemed to me that learning languages is unlike learning anything else, I can logically understand the pronunciation of the a word or the rules of grammar, but for reasons unknown, I always found it hard to incorporate logical knowledge of language into the actual speaking and writing of English. I started to surf the web in attempt to find the reasons to why, even after spending more than half of my life in the U.S, I still cannot speak and write as well as people who were born or came here at a much younger age. At first I though the answer would be something to the extend of finding a region of the brain that is specialized for the learning of languages and that region is more developed in people other than I, who are good at linguistics. However, it turned out that the answer entails more than specialized regions in the brain, while there are regions in the brain that are specific for processing languages, what I found more interesting is that there is much evidence that supports the selectivist theory, found by Noam Chomsky that the ability to learn language is innate. Here innate means that  ¡Ã‚ °the language template is pre-organized in the neuronal structure of the brain, so that the fact of being an integral part of a given environment selects the borders of each individual neuronal structure without affecting its fine organization, which pre-exists. ¡Ã‚ ± (1) In this paper, I wish to point out evidence that supports this theory of the innateness of language, and to exam how the l anguage template develops. In conclusion, I wish to gain a better understand of my own language learning process in light of these new findings. One evidence that points to the innateness of language is the accuracy and speed at which humans process language and the accelerating rate at which children acquire language.  ¡Ã‚ °Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ­ the average speaker produces approximately 150 words per minute, each word chosen from somewhere between 20000 and 40000 alternatives, at error rates below .1%. The average child is already well on her way toward that remarkable level of performance by 5 years of age, with a vocabulary of more than 6000 words and productive control over almost every aspect of sound and grammar in her language. Speaking From Within: A Discussion on Our Innate Ability to Learn Languages :: Biology Essays Research Papers Speaking From Within: A Discussion on Our Innate Ability to Learn Languages For years since I moved to the United States after the age of nine, I've always been frustrated at the lack of improvement in my ability to speak English without a trace of foreign accent and my ability to write without any grammatical errors. It always seemed to me that learning languages is unlike learning anything else, I can logically understand the pronunciation of the a word or the rules of grammar, but for reasons unknown, I always found it hard to incorporate logical knowledge of language into the actual speaking and writing of English. I started to surf the web in attempt to find the reasons to why, even after spending more than half of my life in the U.S, I still cannot speak and write as well as people who were born or came here at a much younger age. At first I though the answer would be something to the extend of finding a region of the brain that is specialized for the learning of languages and that region is more developed in people other than I, who are good at linguistics. However, it turned out that the answer entails more than specialized regions in the brain, while there are regions in the brain that are specific for processing languages, what I found more interesting is that there is much evidence that supports the selectivist theory, found by Noam Chomsky that the ability to learn language is innate. Here innate means that  ¡Ã‚ °the language template is pre-organized in the neuronal structure of the brain, so that the fact of being an integral part of a given environment selects the borders of each individual neuronal structure without affecting its fine organization, which pre-exists. ¡Ã‚ ± (1) In this paper, I wish to point out evidence that supports this theory of the innateness of language, and to exam how the l anguage template develops. In conclusion, I wish to gain a better understand of my own language learning process in light of these new findings. One evidence that points to the innateness of language is the accuracy and speed at which humans process language and the accelerating rate at which children acquire language.  ¡Ã‚ °Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ­ the average speaker produces approximately 150 words per minute, each word chosen from somewhere between 20000 and 40000 alternatives, at error rates below .1%. The average child is already well on her way toward that remarkable level of performance by 5 years of age, with a vocabulary of more than 6000 words and productive control over almost every aspect of sound and grammar in her language.

Quantitative Analysis for Management

Raptor Fuels produces three grades of gasoline Regular, Premium, and Super. All of these are produced by blending two types of crude oil Crude A and Crude B. The two types of crude contain specific ingredients which help in determining the octane rating of gasoline. The important ingredients and the costs are contained in the following table: [pic] .:. In order to achieve the desired octane ratings, at least 41% of Regular gasoline should be Ingredient 1; at least 44% of Premium gasoline must be Ingredient 1, and at least 48% of Super gasoline must be Ingredient 1.Due to current contract commitments, Raptor Fuels must produce as least 20,000 gallons of Regular, at least 15,000 gallons of Premium, and at least 10,000 gallons of Super. Formulate a linear program that could be used to determine how much of Crude A and Crude B should be used in each of the gasolines to meet the demands at the minimum cost. What is the minimum cost? How much of Crude A and Crude B are used in each gallon of the different types of gasoline?SOLUTION: Let A1 = gallons of crude A used in Regular A2 = gallons of crude A used in Premium A3 = gallons of crude A used in Super B1 = gallons of crude B used in Regular B2 = gallons of crude B used in Premium B3 = gallons of crude B used in Super Minimize cost = 0. 42A1 + 0. 42A2 + 0. 42A3 + 0. 47B1 + 0. 47B2 + 0. 47B3 Subject to 0. 40A1 + 0. 52B1 ( 0. 41(A1 + B1) 0. 40A2 + 0. 52B2 ( 0. 44(A2 + B2) 0. 40A3 + 0. 52B3 ( 0. 8(A3 + B3) A1 + B1 ( 20,000 A2 + B2 ( 15,000 A3 + B3 ( 10,000 A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3 ( 0 The solution is A1 = 18,333. 33 gallons of crude A used in Regular; A2 = 10,000 gallons of crude A used in Premium; A3 = 3,333. 33 gallons of crude A used in Super; B1 = 1. 666. 67 gallons of crude B used in Regular, B2 = 5,000 gallons of crude B used in Premium; B3 = 6,666. 67 gallons of crude B used in Super; total cost = $19,566. 67.

Good education Essay

The plot tells you what happens in a story, but the theme tells you what the story is about: What is the underlying message? What is driving the action? It is also helpful to ask â€Å"why†: Why did the author choose this setting or this conflict? Why did the author choose this tone? Why are these characters behavinI agree the â€Å"The Road Not Taken† (Frost, 1916) has a journey or pilgrimage theme, for the person in the poem is struggling with his personal journey in life. Specifically, he is trying to decide which road in life to take. You did an excellent job identifying the major symbol in Frost’s poem, the road itself, and your angle is fresh and unique. Until now, I never considered the fact that one of the roads represents a path or pattern he has been on already for a period of time. Whereas, the other road is change. Many of us wonder how life would be, if we choose to change courses. Honestly, in the past, I thought of the roads in terms of difficulty. I was thinking one road is more challenging than the other and will require more out of the person to get to the destination. For example, I wonder how different my life would be if I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Creative Writing at the New School for Social Research in New York like I originally intended to do instead of enrolling in a Master’s program that was not geared towards producing society’s next writers. Instead of living the life of a writer and earning my sole living from it, I went down  another, less traveled road–the one that ends with me earning a post-doctorate degree, lecturing/presenting research at scholarly conferences, and writing non-fiction. I am still traveling as you can see, for the road is long, a marathon to say the least, and requires dedication, and perseverance. For those reasons, many may choose not to take that road, because it is a longer, more challenging journey. Here, I see how the color yellow would symbolize age, too. Over time, we must eventually choose one of the two roads. g this way? Why should we care?

Chemtrails Versus Contrails

Chemtrails Versus Contrails Do you know the difference between a chemtrail and a contrail? A contrail is an abbreviation for condensation trail, which is a visible white vapor trail produced as water vapor condenses from aircraft engine exhaust. Contrails consist of water vapor or tiny ice crystals. The length of time they persist varies from several seconds to a few hours, depending largely on the temperature and humidity. Chemtrails, on the other hand, are chemical trails purportedly resulting from an intentional high-altitude release of chemical or biological agents. While you might think chemtrails would include crop dusting, cloud seeding and chemical drops for firefighting, the term is only applied to illicit activities as part of a conspiracy theory. Proponents of the chemtrail theory believe chemtrails may be distinguished from contrails by color, displaying a criss-cross trail pattern and persistent appearance. The purpose of chemtrails might be weather control, solar radiation control, or testing of various agents on people, flora or fauna. Atmospheric experts and government agencies say there is no basis for the chemtrail conspiracy theory. Key Takeaways: Contrails vs Chemtrails Contrails are condensation trails left in the sky when the water in aircraft engine exhaust condenses to form artificial clouds.Contrails may last a matter or seconds or persist several hours. Contrails dissipate more slowly when a lot of water vapor is present in the atmosphere. Lower temperatures also aid contrail persistence.Chemtrails refer to a conspiracy theory. The theory stems from a belief in intentional high-altitude releases of chemicals or biological agents.Supposedly, chemtrails are indicated by contrails that persist, occur in a criss-cross pattern, or display colors besides white.Scientists and government agencies have found no evidence supporting the existence of chemtrails. It is true agents are released into the atmosphere from time to time for cloud seeding and experiments on controlling solar radiation. Are Contrails Harmful? Even if its assumed contrails serve no nefarious purpose, its worth asking whether they impact the environment and whether they are potentially harmful. To answer this question, its useful to understand how contrails form. An aircraft with a jet engine burns fuel and releases an exhaust plume into the atmosphere. The composition of the fuel is tightly regulated to minimize impurities, but may contain a small fraction of nitrogen or sulfur. Combustion releases carbon dioxide and water, two important greenhouse gases. Sulfur particles provide nuclei on which water vapor may condense into droplets. The collection of droplets appears as a contrail. Basically, a contrail is an artificial cloud. Criss-crossing contails occur in high traffic areas. Researchers know the clouds produced by aircraft have an impact on air temperature and may impact rainfall and weather patterns. Basically, contrails have the potential to affect global climate change. However, the nature and extent of the change is uncertain. Contrail cover is expected to change over time as aircraft technology, the number of aircraft, and humidity conditions evolve. Persistent contrail cloud cover is expected to increase, at least until 2050 (the end date of the forecast). Aircraft emissions are regulated because they have the potential to contribute to ozone formation and smog. Jet engines emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides, carbon black, and hydrocarbons (as well aforementioned carbon dioxide, water, and sulfur). However, contrails are not believed to have any immediate effect on public health. Small aircraft do use leaded fuel and release lead into the atmosphere (but dont produce visible trails). Modern Chemtrails If the concept of chemtrails is expanded to include the intentional release of chemicals into the atmosphere (not for some evil purpose), then such projects do exist. Weather modification in the form of cloud seeding is used in parts of the world, including China and Southeast Asia. Some of the chemicals used in the process (typically silver iodide, potassium iodide, table salt, liquid propane, or dry ice) can affect human health and damage the environment. Solar radiation management is an area of ongoing study intended to reflect sunlight and reduce global warming. Some proposed methods include the release of sulfate aerosols and other chemicals into the air. While toxicity is not a primary concern, altering the weather patterns will definitely have environmental effects. Sources Cama, Timothy (March 13, 2015). EPA confronts chemtrails conspiracy talk. The Hill.Johnson, M. Kim (December 1999). Chemtrails Analysis. NMSR Reports, 5(12).Radford, Benjamin (2009). Curious Contrails: Death From the Sky? Skeptical Inquirer.Smith, Oliver (July 4, 2017). Incredible contrail made by Boeing 787 - what causes them, and are they part of a global conspiracy? The Telegraph.US Environmental Protection Agency (September 2000). Aircraft Contrails Factsheet.

Adaptive memory

Adaptive memory Memory is one of the intriguing topics to study in cognitive psychology; it is something we rely on for our daily activities i.e. we use memory remember/recollect information relevant to our day to day activities. Whereas there are traditional approaches to study memory by conducting researches on the framework of levels of processing model and so on. This study has tried to investigate factors of memory from an evolutionary point of view. According to the adaptive memory concept, memory systems are tuned to retain information having survival fitness value. A crucial feature of adaptive memory is that the notion memory has evolved (over the period of time) to increase survival by better retaining information having fitness value. In the recent years, James S Nairne-et-al. research on adaptive memory has interested a lot of other researchers of evolutionary psychology to study this topic. Nairne and colleagues conducted a series of experiment to test the phenomenon of adaptive memory. Central to the school of thought in human memory research is the assumption that human memory systems are functionally designed and like other biological systems, memory is likely evolved to enhance fitness (survival and reproduction). Thinking about the relevance of information to a survival situation produces excellent long-term retention. A few seconds of survival processing produces better free recall than virtually all other known memory-enhancement techniques. Memory is essential to adaptive behavior because it allows past experience to guide choices. In the experiment conducted by Narine-et-al., participants are asked to imagine that they’re a part of a small tribe living in grassland of a foreign land. They’re asked to gather or hunt food items in order to help their and their tribes’ survival. Next a list of words are presented, and participants are asked to rate the relevance of each word to the imagined scenario. In a later surprise memory test, participants typically remember the words rated for relevance to this fitness-relevant scenario better than they remember words that are not fitness relevant (to the scenario). This can be explained through the theory of natural selection. Human memory is evolved because it enhanced survival and fitness in environments that were present during the extended period of human evolution. Anderson Schooler (1991, 2000) suggested that certain mnemonic characteristics, such as the general form of the retention function, mimic the way events tend to occur and recur in the environment. It has been suggested that sex differences in spatial abilities, including a memory for object locations, may have an evolutionary basis. Silverman Eals (1992) suggested that the division of labor typically found in hunter-gatherer societies-men hunt and women gather-may have led to unique foraging-related cognitive specializations of the sexes. Men generally outperform women on tasks thought to be related to hunting skills (e.g. navigation and orientation), whereas women often show an advantage on tasks requiring memory for objects stored in fixed locales. The experiment conducted is based on the study done by Narine-et-al. (2009), here the participants are randomly divided into three groups; hunter, gatherer, and scavenger. Participants in the experiments were asked to rate the relevance of words to scenarios that were specifically designed to mimic prototypical hunting and gathering activities. Following the rating task, participants received a surprise recall test on the rated words. Participants always rated the relevance of the target words to hunting or to gathering food, but under conditions that were either fitness relevant or not. The purpose of this study was to learn whether or not memory systems have evolved to better retain information related to fitness-survival value. Rationale: According to past studies (Narine, Klein, Cosmides, Tooby Chance,2002) suggest that human memory systems are â€Å"tuned† to remember information that is processed in terms of fitness value. Hence it is predicted that when a person is asked to rate the relevance of words to a survival scenario the performance is better on recall scores.

Legal Status of Marihuana in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legal Status of Marihuana in the USA - Essay Example Several decades of prohibition of marijuana proves that its illegal status does not work, so the state should legalize drugs and instead teach people to use them responsibly and properly. Â  Legal status of marihuana will benefit the society and the state as it will solve the problem of criminal responsibility and black market operations. Medical marijuana is a point to consider. Some states have legalized medical use of marijuana and do not penalize patients who have a doctor's recommendation. These states are.Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, California, Hawaii, Maine, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, and Maryland. In the case of marijuana, especially of smoked marijuana, the scientific difficulties are compounded by the fact that the substance has a recognizable psychoactive effect (Belio 2007). A herbal mixture similar in taste and aroma to marijuana might not produce the psychoactive effect and make many of those who are test subjects reasonably sure they are not receiving actual marijuana, which could skew perceptions and the results of any test. On the other hand, the main problem is that politicians and moralists speak about two opposite issues: medical use of marijuana and its legal status. ... Â  Marijuana smoke does contain many of the same harmful substances as tobacco smoke does, including known carcinogens, and there a laboratory and cellular research indicating that marijuana can cause cellular damage and disorders (Nadelmann, 2004. Medical Marijuana 2007). Â  Legal status of medical marijuana will benefit the government and allows to collect taxes, control black market, and illegal operations. Crop production uncertainties are just one perturbing factor in gauging the number of illegal drugs being produced. Medical marijuana will create the certain problem for society and the state. The main problem is that marijuana policy does not only affect marijuana users, but also the rest of society. Criminalizing marijuana use, on the one hand, can lead to higher costs of law enforcement and a black market while decriminalizing could lead to public disturbance caused by unwanted marijuana use in public. Similar to alcohol and other illicit drugs, prohibition does not work and does young from its usage (Nadelmann, 2004). It is possible to oppose these arguments stating that legal status of marijuana will worsen the problem of drug addiction and give free access to the wide target audience to marijuana. Fines, cautions, probation, exemption from punishment and counseling are favored by most justice systems. It is important to keep in mind that cannabis policies at all levels of government could affect the prevalence of cannabis use and the related social consequences. While this is the case for the cocaine and heroin market, the cannabis market is not associated with violence (Belio 2007). Â