Ecological Threats Essay

A cycle is a series of change which comes back to the starting point and which can be repeated.[1][2] The term â€Å"biogeochemical† tells us that biological, geological and chemical factors are all involved. The circulation of chemical nutrients like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and water etc. through the biological and physical world are known as biogeochemical cycles. In effect, the element is recycled, although in some cycles there may be places (called reservoirs) where the element is accumulated or held for a long period of time (such as an ocean or lake for water).[1][2] Water, for example, is always recycled through the water cycle, as shown in the diagram. The water undergoes evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, falling back to Earth clean and fresh. Elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another through the biogeochemical cycles. Systems Chloroplasts conduct photosynthesis and are found in plant cells and other eukaryotic organisms. These are Chloroplasts visible in the cells of Plagiomnium affine — Many-fruited Thyme-moss. Ecological systems also known as ecosystems have many biogeochemical cycles operating as a part of the system, for example the water cycle, the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, etc. All chemical elements occurring in organisms are part of biogeochemical cycles. In addition to being a part of living organisms, these chemical elements also cycle through abiotic factors of ecosystems such as water (hydrosphere), land (lithosphere), and/or the air (atmosphere).[3] The living factors of the planet can be referred to collectively as the biosphere. All the nutrients—such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur—used in ecosystems by living organisms are a part of a closed system; therefore, these chemicals are recycled instead of being lost and replenished constantly such as in an open system.[3] The flow of energy in an ecosystem is an open system; the sun constantly gives the planet energy in the form of light while it is eventually used and lost in the form of heat throughout the trophic levels of a food web. Carbon is used to make carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, the major sources of food energy. These compounds are oxidized to release carbon dioxide, which can be captured by plants to make organic compounds. The chemical reaction is powered by the light energy of the sun. It is possible for an ecosystem to obtain energy without sunlight. Carbon must be combined with hydrogen and oxygen in order to be utilized as an energy source, and this process depends on sunlight. Ecosystems in the deep sea, where no sunlight can penetrate, use sulfur. Hydrogen sulfide near hydrothermal vents can be utilized by organisms such as the giant tube worm. In the sulfur cycle, sulfur can be forever recycled as a source of energy. Energy can be released through the oxidation and reduction of sulfur compounds (e.g., oxidizing elemental sulfur to sulfite and then to sulfate). Although the Earth constantly receives energy from the sun, its chemical composition is essentially fixed, as additional matter is only occasionally added by meteorites. Because this chemical composition is not replenished like energy, all processes that depend on these chemicals must be recycled.

History †French Revolution Essay

I truly believe it was the collective effect of all the causes of the French Revolution that finally caused the people to rise up. In 1789 the people of France were suffering under the rule of Louis XVI, who used the countries money to provide him and his family the most luxurious life imaginable, while the people starved. The political regime of the time was a absolute monarchy (regime in which the country is ruled by a King or Queen, who inherit this position and has absolute power), but in theory there was a form of parliament, Estates General that consisted of elected representatives. This group of people could only meet if the King allowed or requested the meeting and in the 175 years of the parliament’s existence there had not been a single meeting. This fact frustrated the people because the King did not take their opinion and needs in consideration. Louis XVI would do as he pleased, a clear example of that was placing people in jail for no absolute reason except maybe his dislike for them. During the 18th century France was in a number of wars leaving the country with a lot of debts. In 1780’s the country had to borrow more money simply to pay interest (the amount of money paid on the money borrowed) on their debts. The royal family had a lifestyle the country could not support because only the lower classes were taxed, the peasants (people who worked on the land), while the higher classes, clergy (the religious leaders, individuals that worked for the roman catholic church, ex: priests) and the nobles (entities with a high social rank, ex: Ladies and Lords) did not pay tax at all. In other words the tax system needed a urgent reform (improvement). The social structure was horribly unfair. It was divided in three groups that were called â€Å"Estates†. The first estate was the Clergy, the people who belong to this estate worked for the Roman Catholic Church, which was at the time the main religion in France. At this specific stage in time the church owned a lot of land and most of their high officials were extremely wealthy. The Nobles formed the second estate. They were given many special rights and privileges. The third estate was made up of 98% of the people. This estate was where all the peasants, middle class traders and all kinds of professionals (ex. Lawyers). They paid heavy tax and had absolutely no privileges at all. Above all the estates was the King and his family with the absolute power. â€Å"It was the collective effect of all the causes of the French Revolution that finally caused the people to rise up. † History Essay Lara Ismael Nogueira Martha  For many centuries people in the whole of Europe accepted the authority of both their Kings and the Roman Catholic Church, a clear example of that was the â€Å"Divine Right of Kings† (this concept simply means that people believed their Kings and Queens were a representation of God and had to be respected and adored as such). Finally during the 18th century many philosophers started questioning these ideas. These period was called the Age of Enlightenment because the people began to question the old ways, led by the church, and created their own. Science had great advances during these times because everything was new, there was something to be discovered everyday†¦ it was at this point that Theocentrism (God in the center of the universe) was put aside and gave room for a complete new way of thinking and living, Anthropocentrism (man in the center of the universe). Diderot was a clear example of a philosopher that question the church and made his opinion well known. He was the leader of a group made up of philosophers that called themselves the â€Å"Encyclopaedists†, they’re goal was to write a series of books called â€Å"Encyclopaedia† (books that contained all existing knowledge). As they began to write the books they became more and more aware of the situation in France. They made their books public, therefore everyone could read them, this act helped spread the revolutionary ideas more than they already were. As the popularity of the Encyclopaedia grew so did the need for individual opinions. Another great example was Rousseau he was the true star, known as the father of democracy, he believed in equality among the people, and wrote about rules that weren’t based or chosen by God but by the people. This was the basic principles of democracy. In May of 1789 the representatives formed the National Assembly and met outside Paris against the Kings will and started a process of reform. They vowed to continue working until they had drawn up a new constitution for the country. However the process was very slow and the people of Paris grew impatient, the bread prices were constantly rising and the unemployment rate grew. On the 14th of July of 1789 angry people invaded the Bastille, killed the governor also some of the soldiers who tried to stop them and freed prisoners. When the news of the takeover reached other parts of France the ordinary people revolted and just like that the revolution started. â€Å"It was the collective effect of all the causes of the French Revolution that finally caused the people to rise up. † History Essay Lara Ismael Nogueira Martha In conclusion all this events such as the rise of bread prices and the unemployment rate in the country, the lack of interest the King showed for his people’s needs and the unfairness between classes made the people of France stand up for all they believed they deserved and needed.

Institutional Affiliation

Terrorism within our borders was not something that people thought of daily if ever. Radio advertisements that instructed us on how to talk to our children about terrorist attacks, as though it were similar to a tornado warning, is not something that I anticipated in my lifetime. The atrocity that occurred on 9/11 is not something that is supposed to happen here, but it did. We are challenged by the infiltration of immigrants to our country, whether legal or illegal. Our citizens are fearful of the future attacks that are threatened and at times the very presence of the Arab population within our communities.International terrorism threatens the United States, its allies, and the world community. Defeating the terrorist enemy requires sound policies, united government effort, and international cooperation. In light of that, it is difficult to remember as you board an airplane with six Arab passengers, that we live in the â€Å"melting pot. † America was founded on freedoms, fr eedom of speech and freedom of religion, to name a few. How do we, as a country, monitor and measure our safety, while ensuring the freedoms that are afforded our citizens? How do we deal with the threat of terrorism within our own borders?Can we provide safety by simply following the laws of our country? As a senior counter-terrorism official, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of our communities. Local law enforcement plays a critical role in enhancing the safety in communities. Communication links between local law enforcement and state and federal government will further the effectiveness of this program. It will be my responsibility to encourage local law enforcement in their fight against terrorism. We do not have the right to intrude on the religious activities of Arabs or anyone else within our communities without just cause.Defining terrorism in a country based on freedoms is a difficult task. Our country’s downfall is we have still not attempted to deal wi th or identify the causes of terrorism. We must identify the cause and the potential activities which threaten our society. The problem of terrorism–the problem of a relatively small number of violent lawbreakers who have set out to undermine our democratic way of life and seek either to blackmail the government through violence or the threat of violence to comply with their demands, or to overthrow the government entirely. We should all think about what kind of country we want to live in.To be truly patriotic means recognizing our responsibilities to uphold the democratic principles which make this the freest nation on Earth. It is important to remember that the opening words of the Constitution are `We the People' not `I the People. ‘ Being a citizen in a democracy means that you can't organize your own private army because you disagree with the actions of the democratically elected government. We need to focus on restorative justice. Restorative justice is grounded i n the focus on the harm created, not simply on the breach of law. This means that the first priority isunderstanding and responding to the needs of victims and the healing of victims. The direct victims are the primary focus, but everyone else who has been touched by the crime is also involved, including the community as a whole. To address the harm to victims, restorative justice believes that we must affirm moral responsibility and the need for accountability on the part of those who have done the harm. Restorative justice sees the past in the context of the present and the future, looking at: * what accountability is needed to address the harm to the victims; * what accountability would provide the offender the opportunity to dorestitution or reparation or whatever needs to be done to address the harm created; and * what accountability is needed for the restoration of community, including the restoration of the victim and the offender into community. Such accountability assumes t he need for safety. This involves the whole community taking responsibility for the victims as well as the offender, including seeing everyone in a human context that is broader than just the moment of the crime. Finally, restorative justice is about the engagement of all parties, including the larger community, in working towards healingthe harm and the creation of community, a community that includes both the victims and the offenders. Within our communities, it is critical that we appropriately monitor the business of individuals who have been associated or are believed to be associated with known terrorists. There are already procedures in place to monitor the actions of these individuals. It would not be appropriate to infiltrate communities on the basis of race, unless there are specific ties to known terrorists. Ethically, homeland security is responsible for the safety of all individuals within ourborders and cannot pick and choose based on race. Known terrorists, whether Am erican born or a foreign national, once captured should all receive the same treatment and rights. Recent actions of military in Iraq and elsewhere, if interpreted by the Iraqi people, may give rise to the belief that Americans are in fact the terrorists. The torture of Iraqi captives and the outright murder of innocent Iraqi civilians could lead one to believe that we are no better than Al Queda. We do not have the right to torture terrorists in order to gain information. Effective counterterrorism should take the form of prevention.We need to neutralize the terrorist organization by weakening it or making potential targets more difficult to attack. After the attacks of 9/11, an important distinction was drawn between the U. S. argument that an attack on Afghan soil was legitimate because of the Taliban's close and supportive relationship with al Qaeda and the more extended claim, that one nation could launch an attack within another nation's sovereign territory, even if there was no state support for terrorists acting within the borders.If evidence is present that a particular state has intentionally supported global terrorism and continues to do so, the case can be made for armed force to avoid future terrorist attacks within the framework of the just war tradition. A state linked to support of terrorism against another nation is engaged in a war of aggression. Any country that is the object of terrorist attacks has a right to defend itself. In effect, the case against the Taliban was not intervention for regime change but a war of self-defense against a government that was directly complicit in terrorist attacks. (Himes, 2004) The attack on Iraq does not meet the criteria of Just War.President Bush and his advisors presented a case for armed intervention in order to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Concern that enemies might use such weapons has fueled the new debate. The United States declared its willingness to initiate attacks upon adversaries it considers to be threatening. Anti-Americanism is alive and well in all parts of the world. Within our own borders, Anti-Americanism is not as widespread as is the disillusionment with our own government. It is not the foundations of America that are at issue, but the interpretation and thus application of our ability to affect the rest of the world.

Ethnic Notions Essay

Ethnic Notions is a documentary directed by Marlon Riggs. The title itself explains what the movie is about-impressions of race. Throughout the documentary, Riggs presents the history of stereotypes and shows how they still exist. In today’s society we have become so accustomed with stereotypes that they are considered normal. The movie Ethnic Notations introduces the problem of stereotypes by explaining their origin and history, giving examples, and showing how they still exist today, so that we are no longer fooled and unaware of stereotyping and racism. During the early and mid 1900’s black people were depicted on television and media as ignorant, ugly, violent and inferior to white people. These negative, degrading and horrible images of black people over time shaped people’s views and thoughts about black people and this was how stereotypes were created. Media used caricatures which are exaggerated representations of people to get racist views across to whit e and black American people. One example of a caricature is The Sambo. The Sambo was a caricature created to depict the black male as being lazy, child like ignorant and care-free making the black male seem more like a child than a male. Another example of a racist caricature is pickaninnies which are black children. Pickaninnies were depicted as ugly kids with rough wooly hair, big eyes, dark black skin, big mouths and bright red lips. Pickaninnies often resembled animals in children cartoons and were viewed as savage by white people. One of the most popular caricatures of the 1900’s is the mammie caricature. The Mammie was an older black woman who took care of the white man’s family. Mammies were shoed as loving mother figures who were fat black and unattractive. Mammies were created to show that some blacks were happy as slaves and loved black people. These stereotypes were disturbing, degrading and in most cases poor representations of black people. It saddens me how whites could think so low of black people or any other human being at all. Sadly stereotypes still exist today in television, media and society. One stereotype I feel definitely still exist today ids the Sambo stereotype although there are great black actors that play dramatic roles most black men in the media are still shown as being careless and immature. However not all stereotypes today are exactly the same as the caricatures from the 20th century but a new modern version. For example instead of black women being depicted as unattractive mammies on television, they are now ghetto loud and un-lady like. Sometimes I even find myself acting out a stereotype, like being loud or cursing in public. After watching Ethnic Notions I feel like stereotypes are too deeply rooted in Americas culture to ever be completely gone. Although this conclusion is unfortunate I do believe that we could make people believe in stereotypes less and less through media, by depicting blacks in a more positive light.

How to Prepare for a Part in a Play? Essay

Essay 3: All of the actors, whether they are professional or just amateur ones, always reckon that preparation in a play is half a battle in making sure of doing the part well. This step helps the actor know in depth about the script and his character as well as brings him opportunity to practise carefully on his own. If you want to make it successfully, you must always go through three main stages below. First of all, read the script as much as possible, at least 3 times. It does not mean that you must learn by heart the whole script, but understand it, discover what is hidden or not yet revealed. The more you comprehend the script, the more easily you do your part. That is due to the character is a part of story and his thinking, his behavior are totally based on the story. Therefore, let’s try to pay your attention to all scene discriptions, ask yourself why, when and where for every event. Even you can take notes on a separate sheet of paper about all the characters. If you do so, you will have an overview of the whole screenplay. The next stage is analysing your character in all aspects. You must study his behaviors, his words as well as his style of dressing or working. More specifically, you have to hear and see the characters in their immediacy, and to always remain open and sensitive not only to what they do and say but what is implied by what they do and say. When one reads from â€Å"inside the story world†, rather than as an unwilling or gawking spectator, one intersects and interacts with the characters at approximately the same emotional depth at which they are operating. Let’s take yourself in the place of your character, try to ask yourself why, when, where for every his action. Once you have a thorough grasp of your part, you can make the last stage. An English saying:†Practice makes perfect† and in case of preparing for a part, this statement is totally right. You have analysed both script and character, but that is not enough. You must have a process of practice what you had acquired through the last two stages. You should speak out loud the dialogues combining with using the body language and the expression of your face. Expressing the part as if you are the character, or rather you must forget all about who you are temporarily. You may ask others for considering your way of playing. By this external way, you will realise what your weak points are to improve more effectively. Finally, I am sure that you are totally ready for doing your part well. Taking all the above into account, we can see that prepare for a part in a play includes three stages which require you so much arduous effort. But it is not difficult at all if you have a real passion for acting the play and follow three steps in the right way. The more carefully you prepare, the better you do your part. Your preparation is a firm basis for your success in making a strong impression with spectators.

Topic summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Topic summary - Essay Example The guidance on entrepreneurship is not too easy to find. While there would be loads of material on the subject, it is important to remember that companies do not share the same developmental path as small entrepreneurs do. Most entrepreneurs thus learn by doing work. Sometimes this learning may come the hard way (Bhide). The entrepreneur’s mindset differs from the administrative culture of big organizations on account of strategic orientation, commitment of resources, control of resources and management structure (Bhide). One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs is raising funds. It takes some doing to convince the venture capitalists to fund the startup. Venture capitalists are experienced and have the prudence to separate the wheat from the chaff. Claims like ‘key employees will join us as soon as we get funded’ or ‘we are about to sign a deal with Amazon shortly’ do not cut ice with the venture capitalists. Entrepreneurs are happy with the ‘Chinese soda syndrome’ which suggests that even if one percent of the people of China, the most populous nation in the world, drink soda, the market would be huge. The investors however want to put money in a venture that has the potency to attain a top dog position (Kawasaki). For many entrepreneurs, person al savings become the most significant source of funding their startup (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation). A simple framework to successfully tackle big issues is to define goals, adopt the right strategy and then execute it to perfection. Entrepreneurs should set realistic goals keeping in mind the resources they have and the risk they are willing to take (Bhide). Big companies prefer to stay with what is familiar. They tend to avoid unchartered territories (Stevenson and Gumpert). This is where the opportunity lies for entrepreneurs. The mantra of success in entrepreneurship is tapping a niche market. Entrepreneurs should adopt the by-pass strategy in case they intend to compete with

Antitrust Practices and Market Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Antitrust Practices and Market Power - Essay Example Standard oil firm counts among one of the firms that was investigated on the antitrust act. The firm has an oligopoly structure dominated by small number of sellers. The main reason that seeked to investigate the firm was to establish whether it posed a barrier for other companies’ entry into the market. With the expansion of oil across the globe, the oil factories were involved in poor disposal of waste products into the water system and adoption of poor methods of oil distribution. For instance, it was observed that oil could be passed through leaked pipes which posed a great danger to the society. The establishment of the oil company firm was to see an improvement in the field of oil and refinery. As a natural monopoly company, it developed proper infrastructure within the American region which could see proper distribution and proper disposal of oil without causing any damage to the environment. This saw it rise above other companies in a quest to benefit the economy (Utto n, 2003). In the case of the oil company, the court adopted Sherman Antitrust act so as to regulate the monopoly. This act was coined by John Sherman viewed to be an appropriate for prevention of abusive monopolies from exploiting the consumers. The standard oil firm was estimated to be in control of about 90 percent of oil facilities in America. The oil firm faces imperfect competition as a result of existence in low number of people as prospective sellers. Through government monopoly, power was vested in the American Congress to regulate the economy through tax collection. The main provision of this act was that any person responsible for monopolizing will be held guilty and so be subjected to punishment. The year 1911, the Supreme Court in America established that standard oil company was structural monopoly that was responsible for taking part in unfair practices in the field of business (Utton, 2003). Monopolies are believed to have originated during the colonial period of admi nistration. This case saw huge companies and firms in the United States endowed with the responsibility of receiving huge contracts deals. Monopolies can be seen in form of capitalism characterized by lack of competition; this eventually leads to high fluctuation of products prices and poor quality products. For instance, monopoly is known to supply at a very low output and charging higher prices for its products which may eventually lead to a dead weight loss in the society. In this regard, it will seek to maximize its economic profits and take control of the market demand curve. Monopolies are also at a very better place of enjoying the economies of scale which comes as a result of production of goods in large quantities. In this essence, there are tendencies to be a decline in cost of production resulting to increase in monopolies profits. It has been cited that the loss in economic welfare that arises from exploitation of monopoly power has made the government to take upon some measures in order to regulate some monopolies (Wall et al 1988). In other cases some firms that practiced monopoly were able to rise to power since they had positive effect on the economy of the American government. It was estimated that some of the profits gained through monopolists were used to conduct a research viewed to be beneficial to the society. Through research, consumers were able to learn more about the products that were being sold in the monopoly market and the benefits