Accusations Without Proof

Accusations Without Proof In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, he tells the story of Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials. He does this to draw a comparison between the red scare of the 1950s and the false accusations of the girls and the community in Salem in 1692. In his play the little girls who are about twelve to eighteen, they were dancing naked in the forest with a black caldron with Tituba.Paris is the one who finds them and ow all the girls have to lie and say Tituba is in touch with the devil, act like they see evil spirits, and say that people were witches even thou they were not. In the end a lot of people die over silly things that could not even be proven. Some of the things they would do for punishment was, they would hold them underwater for ten minutes and if they came back up dead they were not witches, if they were alive they were. It was a lose lose method and not the best way to solve things.Most cases they came up dead. Another thing they would do is Ju st hang hem and not give them a chance to explain themselves. When they would take them into court and testify that they were not in touch with the devil the girls would act like they see things, and start to get scared. One girl went as far as faking a coma for several hours. The people that died did not deserve to over something silly like little girls trying to get out of trouble. This was much like the Red Scare because, everyone was paranoid thinking communism was taking over.People were questioned to see if they were communist, ust like in The Crucible. It Just goes to show how fast rumors can spread. Arthur Miller wrote about The Crucible because he wanted to show how close it was to the Red Scare, and that people would be questioned without proof. The point of this book is to demonstrate how hysteria and rumors can cause people a lot of problems, which in this case caused several people to die. In the Red Scare people thought Russians were spreading communism. In The Crucibl e people thought witchcraft was spreading through Salem.The girls went as far as letting eople close to them die Just to save themselves from getting in trouble. When Proctor and another member of Salem start an argument over whose land they are on, rumors start to spread that the girls are doing this to get their neighbors land. Elizabeth is the one who convinces John into admitting that he has seen the devil. John agrees to do it. The officers of the court rejoice in finding out something about the trials. But John refuses to give up anymore names in which he saw with the devil.The officers of the court want John to make his confession public but he grows ith anger and tears up the document he was suppose to sign. John and three others were hung at the very end of the book. All of the Salem witch trials could have been avoided if the group of girls would nave Just contessed to dancing naked in the torest. They could nave saved several lives from being ended and unnecessary punishm ents. People had to sit in Jail for years and would have killed themselves instead of going crazy in Jail.In the end they still got in trouble but if they would have confessed right away they would have robably Just got in minor trouble instead of ending up having a bunch of innocent people. The court didn't handle the situation in the right manor either. They put people in Jail that they had no proof against. They could have thought of better ways to decide if they were witches or not instead of having them killed. In conclusion all of the Salem Witch Trials could have been avoided and lives could have been saved if the self-centered girls would have Just confessed right away. â€Å"Mr. Hale, you surely do not doubt my Justice. † -Danforth

Agricultural Farmland Investments Essay

If you are worried about inflation, the best investments to protect yourself are so-called real assets that will rise in value along with inflation. If you are interested in a real asset that pays good current income and dividends, hedges against inflation and also has tremendous value, consider farmland investments. We took farmland as an investment and sees agriculture as the premiere asset class for the next decade. Why invest in farmland? Green World believes that farmland is among the best alternative investments for retail investors. In keeping with Green World’s theory that it is important for any investment to be on the right side of global macro trends, and as the graph from the UN demonstrates, the amount of arable land worldwide is dwindling. Simultaneously, the world’s population is forecast to jump to more than 9 billion by 2050 from 6.9 billion today. Simple economic principles of supply and demand dictate that when there is an increasing shortage of an asset combined with growing demand for it, the prices of that asset are likely to go up. This trend and the accompanying high prices for agricultural commodities has created a substantial concern amongst world governments around the issue of â€Å"food security† and has led many large institutional investors – including governments – to launch agriculture and farmland funds. Shrinking Arable Land and Global Food Security Just to summarize, the points below provide a good overview of reasons for including farmland in your portfolio: 1) Food inflation looks set to continue for the foreseeable future, as the amount of arable land globally is actually shrinking whilst the global population is continuing to grow. To meet growing global food demand the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates an extra six million hectares of additional farmland investment is needed every year for the next 30 years, creating a massive new opportunity for farmland investors. 2) Northen part continue to use Quantitative Easing to create new money on a massive scale. Farmland is an excellent hedge against inflation, which, is the inevitable effects of this printed money entering the real economy. 3) Farmland pays high current income and dividends from the sale of crops. As interest rates are near zero and likely to stay that way for some time, prudent savers are forced to look elsewhere for current in come. Farmland is an excellent option for obtaining that income. 4) Farmland stands out as an asset class that can be a safe haven from global financial and economic instability, as it provides diversification to a portfolio since farmland does not respond to the same factors as those which influence financial assets such as stocks and bonds. 5) Finally, investing in farmland is also a play on China’s continued rapid growth. One of the places where arable farmland is shrinking quite fast due to development is China, and indeed China has now become a net food importer, causing great worry in the government about the issue of â€Å"food security†. With US$3.1 trillion of reserves, when China wants or needs something, it goes out and buys it. Food and farmland are no exception, and indeed China has been buying farmland all around the world. One other point worth noting is that Dream World’s favorite investing on a huge proponent of investing in farmland. They believe that we are only in the â€Å"third inning† of the farmland story, and the asset class still has plenty of room to run. It is also worth noting that it also â€Å"eats his own cooking† so to speak, as he offers two farmland funds targeted at institutional investors, one of which invests in different allocations of farmland in India of Dream World’s farmland projects is located. The next question to consider is how to invest in farmland? You could, of course, invest in a Dream World farmland fund, but Dream World funds target high net worth for institutions with minimum requirements of thousands of Rupees. Dream World, by contrast, offers direct farmland investments for retail investors, with minimum requirements as low as Rs.5000.00. Furthermore, Dream World’s farmland investment projects provide for the direct ownership of the underlying agricultural land – i.e. the retail investor actually owns farmland directly, rather than having indirect exposure through an expensive farmland hedge fund. It is now possible for individual investors to make direct investing in farmland a part of their portfolio, as there are an increasing number of projects where large tracts of land are purchased, and then individual parcels are sold directly to retail investors. These investments are a full â€Å"soup-to-nuts solution,† as everything from the cultivation of the land to the planting and harvesting and the sale of the sale of the crops are performed by an existing farm manager who is part of the project. That means these are perfect passive investments for individuals looking to diversify their portfolios. The aims of the participatory process in the project were: * to perform reflections on the causes and the consequences of the change in the man-forest relationship and on the opportunity to acknowledge new expectations and needs arisen from society towards the forestry sector through participation; * to define, through study cases, a procedure capable of integrating participation into landscape forest planning and to develop a method suitable for all the different situations in Italy * to evaluate the perception of the forest and of forest management within the local communities; * to integrate the traditional knowledge with the technical content of the plan; * to make the population aware of the planning process; * to carry out the mapping of the stakeholders; * to involve, through a targeted reach-out, stakeholders who would otherwise not have been able to voice their concerns.

Sandra Drake

Andrea November 17 2010 Race and Caribbean Culture Sandra Drake addresses three issues in her excerpt â€Å"Race and Caribbean Culture as Thematic of Liberation in Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea†. First we have the effects of the abolishment of slavery on the ex-slave owners and the Afro-Caribbean ex-slaves. Second we see the loss of identity that Antoinette had as she struggle to fit in the Caribbean culture and the English culture as well. At last, Drake turns her attention into the social tension that increasingly grows on Wide Sargasso Sea.The unexpected abolishment of slavery left Antoinette’s family in a bad social and economic situation. Her mother’s marriage and her own seem to be the only viable solution for their problems. Somewhat helpful but Antoinette still had to â€Å"struggle against the survival of the Caribbean and European patriarchy and empire† (Drake 195). The European colonialism and patriarchy on Antoinette is a mirroring image of what European Colonialism did to the Afro-Caribbean people.In her struggle to find an identity she became a â€Å"zombie†, a â€Å"ghost†, according to the ex-slaves or an â€Å"Antoinette-marionette†, according to Rochester (Drake 200). Her dependence on others, specifically, Rochester lead to her â€Å"real death† eventually by his English like suppression of her; just as the colonizers did to the Afro-Caribbean people. His inevitable English controlling personality is parallel to the subjugation of Coco by her English stepfather when he clipped his wings; which became a foreshadowing of her fate.In her pursuit for an identity â€Å"she betrays herself†, as she fervently tries to fit into the English culture by means of the Caribbean obeahs. Paying Christophine reflects her â€Å"denial of belonging to the Caribbean culture but rather wants to use the spell to complete her assimilation to England and to whiteness† (198), and a cock crew as a signal of betrayal. Ironically later on we find her calling out for Christophine to come and help her and protect her (202), she has flashbacks of her red dress and sees her Caribbean identity in it when she is in Thornfield Hall (WSS 86-187). This continuous struggles lead to her loss of identity; having recurring dreams about the fire at Coulibri Estate and the persistent questions â€Å"Qui est la? † and You frightened? â€Å"leave Antoinette with fear† (195). The answers to both of these questions are â€Å"Bertha, Bertha† (204) from the man that hated her. Alan Gordon suggests â€Å"Antoinette feels anguish at Rochester for subjugating her as her stepfather, another Englishman, subjugated Coco by clipping his wings.Antoinette's inability to recognize her voice as the source of the scream also reflects her loss of identity. Her perception of Rochester's calls to â€Å"Bertha,† an identity he imposed upon Antoinette, suggest Rochester's role in this loss. A clear comparison of what â€Å"English colonizers did to black slaves by changing their African names or giving them surnames† (198). In the midst of this conflict there is a strong social tension among ex-slave owners and ex-slaves. These conflicts were stronger than the friendship that Antoinette thought she had with Tia.When she realizes that Tia is part of the revolt she â€Å"bolts towards the natives, intuits that that is the direction not just of her past but of her future†. She doesn’t even see the stone in Tia’s hand, but she feels the blood running down her face (203). Such a brutal and heart breaking scene shows what the tension was in the Caribbean at that time; not even two innocent girls could see pass it. Drake clearly states the effects of the Emancipation Act at a personal, cultural and individual level as we read on Wide Sargasso Sea.The similarities of what English colonizers did to women and to black slaves are vast for us to compare. The power and subjugation in which they applied their authority was almost â€Å"total†, making them â€Å"clever like the Devil, more clever than God. Aint’s so? † (206). Work Cited Gordon, Alan. Dreams in Wide Sargasso Sea. 2006. 17 Nov. 2010 http://www. victorianweb. org/neovictorian/rhys/gordon14. html. Drake, Sandra. Criticism. Wide Sargasso Sea. By Jean Rhys. New York: W. W. Norton ;amp; Company Inc. , 1982. 193-206.

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International trade - Essay Example In essence, China’s strategy of protecting the domestic agricultural sector can be seen as an attempt to restrict the importation of agricultural goods from other countries. Different economic models used to analyze the Chinese agricultural sector such as GTAP do not contain any reliable information on the effects of high tariff rates on the Chinese economy. However, several studies have shown that the WTO accession would have positive effects on the Chinese economy. Many economists have asserted that the removal of tariffs and subsidies will have an impact in the production and trade of agricultural goods in the country. Further, several studies on the Chinese agricultural sector show that the country’s agricultural policies have made agricultural producers spend more time in the production of more valuable crops such as wheat, corn and oil seeds as opposed to crops such as fruits and vegetables. It is evident that these policies are aimed at making China self sufficie nt in the production of wheat, corn and oil seeds. However, several economists have suggested that these policies are extremely expensive to the economy since the prices of most Chinese agricultural products are above the prices in the international market. The policies put in place by the government hinder resources from benefiting some of the most influential sectors of the economy such as agriculture. International Trade Background Information The common accord, instituted in 1978, that was aimed at opening up the Chinese economy was a significant factor in invigorating the country’s economic growth. Faster economic success is normally followed by a relative decrease in the agricultural sector. However, in China, this was initially affected by the implementation of the agricultural domestic accountability system. This system contributed to the substitution of collective agricultural holdings with individually administrated holdings. Later, there was the introduction of les s taxation in the agricultural sector, an initiative that was followed by most developed countries in their early years of development (Snape 1991, p. 67). Developments in the agricultural sector grew faster in a similar manner as the other sector of the economy such as industries from 1979 to 1984. However, the benefits of moving to the household responsibility system and the increment of relative prices for farm products were realized later, in the mid 1980s. After the 1980s, agriculture did not experience any significant growth like the service and industrial sectors. The industrial sector experienced faster growth on the eastern seaboard. In addition, trade in the rural townships boomed, which led to rising employment rates. In as much as there was the decline in agriculture’s contribution in the country’s GDP, and employment in the 1980s, there was a subsequent increase in the contribution to GDP in 1990s (World Bank 2005, p. 34). Introduction China is currently a signatory to WTO according to Pigott (2002). This enables the country to take an active part in new rounds of bilateral trade discussions. The country can, for example, demand improved market penetration for its agricultural exports and other products in the global market. If WTO membership improves China’s chances of increasing its access to agricultural products more than other markets in the global market in the future, that would be a significant benefit for China’

RELATIONSHIP VS. CULTURE Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

RELATIONSHIP VS. CULTURE - Movie Review Example Ancient culture, as such, is something that tends to be valued more by older generations, which typically have more reverence for the history of the family’s culture. Food offers the chance for that kind of cross-generational interaction. As Indira Ganesan describes in â€Å"Food and the Immigrant†, modern teenagers and the sons of first-generation immigrants lack that awareness of the value of food in the cultural relationship between generations. She says, â€Å"I too resolved to eat plastic, avoid the eccentricities of ethnic cuisine† (172). These â€Å"eccentricities† are often a reason, however, for younger generations to avoid this cultural process of transference. With respect to the cultural artifacts and rituals passed down, there are often unwritten recipes in food preparation that have an unknown history. These recipes connect younger generations with generations long past, and they are tied to the cultural history of the family. For instance, s ome foods that we would traditionally describe as â€Å"Italian† or â€Å"Thai† are tied to the ethnic and cultural heritage of the family and to the extent that they are passed down verbally, so too does the culture continue through the ages. In my family, for instance, recipes call for ingredients that come directly from my family’s homeland. ... meaningful because it challenges people to think about the reasons for their commitment to their ancient culture: is it because of the precepts that are represented by that culture, or the personal meaning one derives from one’s relationships to their elders and ancestors? I believe that in order for an ancient culture to be transmitted between generations, recipients of culture must both believe in the principles and values, and respect those who are transmitting the principles and values. Without both of those elements, there is no hope for younger generations to accept the meaningfulness of culture. 3. â€Å"Do you believe that black and white are two fundamentally different race categories, or that black and white is simply two ends of the same spectrum, with many things in common?† This question attempts to get at the heart of race perceptions and is particularly relevant when it comes to multiracial individuals. For instance, if the child of a white mother and a b lack father sees black and white as two different race categories, then he will likely see himself as a contradiction and perhaps his self-esteem will lessen. If that child were to see black and white as a spectrum of races, then perhaps that child will see himself as having access to both cultures. And, as such, this is a more productive perception of race. 4. I believe that it is beneficial to have broader access to traditional values and beliefs. In my experience, the child of an interracial couple will be prouder and more respectful of their minority cultural heritage just because, in the context of a white-majority culture like in the United States, a minority cultural heritage is more special. So, even though the child focuses on that special cultural heritage, there is still a level of access

Week 2-510 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Week 2-510 - Essay Example needed information, and when they receive the inputs, they should process it and take the correct decision for the proper functioning of the organization. One of the important inputs or aids that will surely help an organization in the decision making process is the research and statistics component. That is, components like descriptive statistics and probability concepts with good hypothesis and research will go a long way in aiding the management to come up with correct decisions. In the case to be analyzed, USA World Bank (UWB) is on the threshold of launching a new product, with the board already initiating the decision making process. And the component that is aiding this decision making process is the statistics work done by the respective department. So, this paper by using the research and statistical concepts will analyze the UWB’s issue or problem, opportunities, stakeholders’ view, end state vision, available solutions and the results. USA World Bank is facing some important issues, which needs quick and appropriate attention. The first issue is USA World Bank’s track record in introducing new products, which cannot be considered successful. Brian Allen, President of New Product Development for USA Word Bank, agrees with this fact, â€Å"Our new products have pretty much tanked in the past couple of years. We’re under a lot of pressure† (Scenario). So, the issue or challenge is to break this trend and introduce a truly workable product. The next issue that is plaguing USA World Bank is the need to select a product to launch using faulty statistical results. That is, a survey was done to find which product out of two, a consumer credit card or a credit card for small business owners will work optimally. Even though, the survey clearly favored the normal consumer credit card, the issue with that result is that a statistics specialist found faults with the statistical analysis particularly the me thod used to collect the data. As the product

Compare and contrast the Four Leader-centric Approaches Term Paper

Compare and contrast the Four Leader-centric Approaches - Term Paper Example As the paper declares  the person possessing these qualities is considered a leader. A leader has certain important leadership traits such integrity, self-confidence, intelligence and determination. Style in leadership signifies the behavior of the leader. The style of leadership focuses mainly on the activities and the ways of approaching them. However, the leader centric approaches assist in determining the styles of the leaders. These can also be regarded as the qualities or traits which are hidden in different leadership styles.This essay highlights that the common question that is often asked is that, is the leaders above the law or does the moral values that applies to all, also applies to the leaders? Immanuel Kant, suggested that according to the deontological ethics, morality binds every one which also includes the leaders. So it can be said that if Kant is right in his approach, the leaders cannot have a rule breaking attitude, and cannot appeal if he/she is regarded wron g. However, in spite of this if a leader engages in any unethical behavior is simply an unreasonable person. So reasons demand that every person has to act in one way including a leader. The golden rule is that, which Kant has suggested, that says that, we should treat everyone the way we want to be get treated by others.  This view is very much applicable for authoritative leaders, who must understand that he is not different but part of the same crowd.

NURSING CAPSTONE PRACTICUM Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NURSING CAPSTONE PRACTICUM - Research Paper Example Although it is thought that reviewing the material and learning how to answer computer-generated questions are the optimal preparation methods for the NCLEX-RN examination, strategies that build self-confidence, knowledge, and the professionalism of the nurse are equally important (Hermann & Johnson, 2009). There are several different types of testing styles, and each student will be comfortable with a different type of examination style, depending on which portion of the cerebrum they are most comfortable using; those who are most comfortable with the left frontal lobe prefer oral presentations, abstract questions, summarization, essay questions, investigative writing, and multiple choice questions. Students who are predominant in their right frontal lobe prefer computerized essay questions, project submissions, and composition questions. Those whose principal lobe is the left posterior lobe are best with matching questions, true or false questions, and precise memorization, while t hose whose principal lobe is the right posterior are uncomfortable with any form of exam, prefer practical questions, and feel a compulsion to engage in conversation around the examinations (Taylor, 2012); once the student is familiar with what category they fall into, they can work to adapt to that style, and overcome the difficulties that may be presented due to the type of testing style used on the NCLEX-RN examination. Most students will explore a number of NCLEX preparation resources in addition to taking an extensive NCLEX preparation or review course prior to taking the examination; they will also most likely access an NCLEX Self-Assessment module (University of Washington, 2013) , such as the one found at Test Prep Review (Test Prep Review, 2013). Key aspects in making sure that the student passes the NCLEX-RN examination include

Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Gay Marriage - Essay Example Others believe that this is a fight for religious freedom, making their voices heard that â€Å"Gay marriage legislation threatens the very religious liberties we have fought so hard to maintain for centuries† (Ross 101). Perhaps, there is no more divisive a social issue today than gay marriage. In determining how America will move forward in this regard, the definition of love and marriage, the legal ramifications, and the effects on societal values must all be closely examined. Perhaps the strongest argument in support of gay marriage is that the government should not be permitted to legislate whom a person is permitted to love. Now, legislators will contend that laws are not designed to keep members of society from loving members of the same sex. If they choose to love and cohabitate with the same gender, however, the benefits of marriage will not be afforded to them. James Kellard points out that, â€Å"Conservatives do not argue that the US Constitution bans gay marriage , probably because the opposite is true† (98). ... Kellard points out, for example, â€Å"there are people who marry for money, non-sexual companionship, even health insurance† (99). The argument, therefore, can be made that marriage should not be denied to two consenting adults simply based on their sex, when opposite sex couples are equally (perhaps even more so) prone to getting married for reasons contrary to the traditional definition of marriage. The legal ramifications of this issue are far reaching. Interestingly, a movement began in this country back in the 1980s to rid society of discrimination against homosexuals. While you cannot force a person to change their heart and mindset towards a people group, laws can be enacted to protect groups of people. This is exactly what has taken place of the last 30 years. Gays and lesbians are now more protected in the workplace and hate crimes laws have been enacted, just to name a few. The fight for gay marriage truly began in Hawaii in 1991. Since that time, several states acr oss the country have enacted laws granting gays and lesbians the right to marry, while a host of others have specifically passed laws defining marriage as only between one man and one woman, thereby effectively barring gays and lesbians from taking part in this institution. As an answer to this issue at the federal level, the Defense of Marriage Act was passed in 1996. â€Å"This bill specified that all federal legislation dealing with marriage would refer solely to heterosexual marriages† (United States Congress 68). This essentially means that the federal government, for example, still does not recognize a legal marriage in the state of New York. The two sides are

Critique of a Local Newscast Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique of a Local Newscast - Research Paper Example Staying with the theme of appearance, all of the anchors are physically appealing individuals. While they come from diverse ethnicities, it seems obvious that CBS2 is trying to present us with the most attractive individuals they can that hold to a very narrow standard of appearance. Everyone could be described as wearing moderately formal business attire with very similar hair styling regardless of ethnicity. Men had short hair, parted on the side and combed over. Women had hair of moderate length that was relaxed, framing their faces. Everything about the anchor’s physical appearance appears to downplay ethnicity and enhance uniformity and moderation. The news stories were primarily of local events. The lead story was about three individuals that were arrested in connection with a string of robberies. There was speculation that these robberies could be linked to a fourth robbery in which an individual working in the entertainment industry was murdered. The anchor delivered a lead and then a reporter in the field was featured. In the background behind the reporter, obvious police activity was occurring. A shot of a police car with lights flashing and officers milling around, talking with one another and some individuals that appeared to be detectives or crime specialists, provided the backdrop for the reporter.

Drama and Theater Essay Example for Free

Drama and Theater Essay What is drama? What are the similarities and differences between Greek Drama, Renaissance Drama, Kabuki Drama, and Contemporary Drama? Drama is tension. In the context of a play in a theatre, tension often means that the audience is expecting something to happen between the characters on stage. Will they shoot each other? Will they finally confess their undying love for one another? Drama derived from the Greek verb dran, meaning â€Å" to act† or â€Å"to do†, refers to actions or deeds as they are performed in a theatrical setting for the benefit of a body of spectators. Drama is often combined with music and dance: the drama in opera is sung throughout; musicals include spoken dialogue and songs; and some forms of drama have regular musical accompaniment (Banham, 1998). Drama was the crowning glory of the Athenian Age. This period has been called by different terms. It has been called the Age of Pericles because Pericles was the ruling power in Athens at the time. It has been also called the Athenian Age because Athens became the white-hot literary center of Greece, and it has been called the Golden Age because the drama flourished during this period. There were three great tragic writers: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, the greatest writer of comedy the world has ever produced ( Serrano Lapid, 1987, p. 26) Drama and Theater The theatre of ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c. 550 and c. 220 BCE. It is true that there is much in human nature that loves dramatic presentation, for man loves to imitate other persons. Gestures by a narrator or an orator may be considered dramatic, but these are only disjointed actions; there is a wide step between this and dramatic actions. The Greeks gave the drama as a literary form to the world. The drama of antiquity is very different from the drama as we now know it. It had dignity, nobility, and power. It had little of the spontaneity and easy naturalness of modern plays. The Greek drama was cut up into situations or episodes, and between these episodes were choral recitations of great length. These choral recitations, though they had beauty and power, slowed the action and interrupted the forward movement of the story. The choruses however, were visually attractive. The participants, competed with each other in the splendor of their dresses and the excellence of their singing and dancing (Serrano and Lapid, 1987, p. 26-27). Some example of the Greek drama were the Story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra , by Aeschylus and The story of Oedipus The King by Sophocles (p. 28). Primary in a true appreciation of Renaissance drama is the poetry. The theatre of their day was a poetical one. Rather than being confused by the poetry we find in these plays, we need to understand why the poetical theatre was, and is, superior in expression and more powerful in emotion than a realistic one. Their stage was conventionalor poetical while todays stage is realistic. As an example, in Shakespeares Timon of Athens Timon is disgusted with mankind, hating all of the supposedly decent people he knows. When confronted by thieves he tells them to go about their work merrily; everyone steals, and he offers examples of thievery: Ill example you with thievery: The suns a thief, and with his great attraction Robs the vast sea; the moons an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun; The seas a thief, whose liquid surge resolves The moon into salt tears; the earths a thief, That feeds and breeds by a composture stoln From genral excrement; each thingss a thief. (Timon of Athens 4. 3. 438-45). Kabuki, like other traditional forms of drama in Japan as well as in other cultures around the world, was (and sometimes still is) performed in full-day programs. Rather than attending a single play for 2–5 hours, as one might do in a modern Western-style theater, one would escape from the day-to-day world, devoting a full day to entertainment in the theater district. Though some plays, particularly the historical jidaimono, might go on for an entire day, most plays were shorter and would be arranged, in full or in part, alongside other plays in order to produce a full-day program. This was because it was required in kabuki play to get the audience showing different preference that is in either the history plays or domestic plays like a drama, to enjoy during the full-day program. Contemporary Drama was never very popular after World War I, drama in a realist style continued to dominate the commercial theatre, especially in the United States. Even there, however, psychological realism seemed to be the goal, and nonrealistic scenic and dramatic devices were employed to achieve this end. The plays of Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams, for instance, use memory scenes, dream sequences, purely symbolic characters, projections, and the like. Even ONeills later works-ostensibly realistic plays such as Long Days Journey into Night (produced 1956)-incorporate poetic dialogue and a carefully orchestrated background of sounds to soften the hard-edged realism. Scenery was almost always suggestive rather than realistic. European drama was not much influenced by psychological realism but was more concerned with plays of ideas, as evidenced in the works of the Italian dramatist Luigi Pirandello, the French playwrights Jean Anouilh and Jean Giraudoux, and the Belgian playwright Michel de Ghelderode. In England in the 1950s John Osbornes Look Back in Anger (1956) became a rallying point for the postwar angry young men; a Vietnam trilogy of the early 1970s, by the American playwright David Rabe, expressed the anger and frustration of many towards the war in Vietnam. Under he influence of Brecht, many postwar German playwrights wrote documentary dramas that, based on historical incidents, explored the moral obligations of individuals to themselves and to society. An example is The Deputy (1963), by Rolf Hochhuth, which deals with Pope Pius XIIs silence during World War II. The contemporary drama does not purport to be easy; it insists on a greater understanding of all things pertinent to modern humanity and its relationships to religion, societal order, psychology in order to appreciate its message; however, it critically acknowledges that most of us remain ignorant to all the former. Thus, the drama instructs, irritates, challenges, and begs for intelligence in order to gain from its message. It remains didactic, combined with pleasure, but always wishing to challenge the current notions of authority. References http://www. clt. astate. edu/wnarey/modern_contemporary_drama. htm Banham, Martin, (1998 ed. ). The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521434378. Serrano, Josephine and Lapid, Milagros, (1987). English Communication Arts and Skills Through World Literature. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

Modern Technology Essay Example for Free

Modern Technology Essay Since we are living in Informational century, there a lot of technological innovations were invented in order to make easier global connections. One of the most vital innovations is internet which was invented in twentieth century and developed in current century. It is very bizarre and incredible innovation because of its several beneficial and advantageous sides. First and foremost, internet is an important tool to make connections with all sides of the Earth. There are a lot of facilities to help us to make links to each other. One of them is email which makes opportunity for us to send and receive letters from our friends or colleagues in a few times. see more:technology making us lazy For instance, some one works in a big and prestigious company and he/she needs to send important information, such as meeting time, to his/her colleague. In this case email opportunity is very useful for everybody. In addition, everybody can utilize internet to earn money in order to create a new web site. By increasing the visitor to his/her web site creator can take percentage from the internet. On the other hand, there are a lot of trading web sites available to earn money. All bank systems are working with internet to send and receive money from other banks. Internet makes their works easier and decrease the delivery times of sending and receiving money. Finally, we can get hot news from internet about everything, such as daily news, political, sport news, when we want and where we want. Since it was invented wireless connection opportunities we are able to use internet everywhere. And moreover it makes us available to get information about everything every time. In conclusion, I would like to sum up and summarize again that internet is one of the most important innovations which makes our lives easy because of its several facilities. Email, earning money and getting news are very vital opportunities for everybody to make their life easier. nowadays our society has enjoyed the benefits of having modern technology.We are blessed with modern tools, which could perform to what seemed to be an impossible task in the past like retrieving information in a matter of seconds. However, this often comes with unforseen and undesirable consequences defeating the very objective in the first place. To my mind, modern technology is a bane than a boon. It cannot be denied that the technological improvement brings forth to us some advantages. Firstly, it helps man communicate local or oversea by writing email, telephone or mobile. A student , for instance, who is studying abroad can talk to his family by chatting and web cam rather than waiting for a hand writing letters. Secondly, the modern tools also support man in business and studying. It makes better condition to fulfill tasks faster and more convenient. For example, a student spend less time searching information and documents by clicking mouse on google rather than is stuck with many books in library. A business man can deal with his job by using laptop and internet whereas he can still enjoy holiday with his family. Nevertheless, for every solution technology provides twice as many problems are likely to cause. The modern technology is to some extent underlying causes of negative things in our society. Its Internet that provides an accessible medium for bad elements such as pornography, crimes and so on. the teenagers who are not conscious enough tend to imitate the sexual and violence clips and images on internet. A typical example of this is the massacre in an American school. A pupil killed his classmates by his father s gun simply because he only acted as a clip he saw. Moreover, the average rate of girls who are pregnant is very soon because of sexual images s influence. Modern technology is the key element for the change of lifestyle loosing the moral value. Man abuses on computer in all fields. They are lack of face- face communication and therefore the distance between the generations becomes farther. the old people feel lonely at home and far from their off springs who are too busy with computers. Thus, the stability of family are being broken day after day. In addition, energetic and meaningful lifestyle is being replaces by wasteful hours in front of computers. Man becomes lazy and isolated from their surroundings. In conclusion. similar to everything. modern technology has both advantages and drawbacks. I personally think that it depends on how we use the modern tools. People should aware of technologys role to solve its bad effects Today, Americans are faced with the increasing change of technology in our everyday life. Sometimes the change happens and we do not realize how it affects our lives. I think it is always a good idea to talk to someone that is older than yourself, like your grandparents to remind you of the times in their younger years. Hopefully, that will open your eyes to the changes we face in this generation and the generation to come. In this chapter, the author explores the relationship of changing technology to changes in both the environment and social institutions.

The Shabbat To The Jewish People

The Shabbat To The Jewish People For thousands of years, millions of Jews/Hebrews around the world live according to the Jewish Law. Jewish and some non-Jews believe G-d created the world in six days and G-d took the seventh day to rest and reflect on his creation (Exodus 20:11). What is the importance of the Shabbat to the Jewish people, what are some of the symbolic items used during the Holy Day which starts at sundown the night before? The symbolic of the word Shabbat was given to this day because the root of the word Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to come to an end or to rest. Shabbat is the only day mentioned in the commandments therefore it is the most important of all the holy days (jewfaq.com). While the word shamor, means to observe however the word observe has a different cogitations to the Orthodox Jews, then to the Reformed Jews or Conservative Jews. Generally there are variations amongst the different Jewish communities but for the most part the traditional Jewish lethargy is the same. The Orthodox Jews are the more restrictive and will walk two to and from their place of worship while reformed Jews are likely to drive. It is also customary Orthodox men and women to sit separately to allow for the focus on prayer, while in the Conservative and Reformed synagogues the focus is on family, which prays together. My wife and I while traveling to Athens, Greece on our honeymoon attended Friday Evening Sabbath services at Beth Shalom Synagogue. The Temple was constructed in 1930 and is extremely Orthodox. We had no prior knowledge but the usher whom spoke no English, pointed upstairs to my wife and the main floor for me. Like the Hebrews in ancient times, many religions of the Verdic period and the Roman Catholic faiths only Men are Priests. Perhaps traditions and rituals of the past have symbolic meaning but have not changed all that much? The Conservative and Reformed Jewish movement has already crossed this bridge and my research paper will be written from a conservative to reform traditional Jewish approach. My Wife, Kids and I frequent Temple Beth Elle in Boca Raton where my relatives are members. Its not unheard of to see more than one Rabbi in a synagogue but is unheard of to see a template with three full time Rabbis two of which are women. In addition they have a female cantor soloist that makes for a beautiful service. The second candle is lit the welcoming of the Sabbath begins. The welcoming is also known as the Kabbalat Shabbat and is the first of two very short services. Several Psalms are recited such as the Lchah dodi, which is the greeting of the Sabbath Bride. The Psalm is beautiful both in lethargy and the Hebrew melody. My beloved, come to greet the bride; let us receive the Sabbath. The Pslams translation is as follows The only God caused us to hear keep and remember in one utterance; the Eternal is One and Gods name is One, for honor and glory and praise. Come, let us go to greet the Sabbath, which is the source of blessing. From its opening it is pouring as from the beginning; the end of Creation from the beginning of thought. Wake up! Wake up! For your light has come! Rise up my light! Awake! Awake! Sing! The Eternals glory is revealed to you! Enter in peace, O Crown of Your husband; enter in joy and exultation. Come, O Bride! Come, O Bride! To the faithful people of the treasured nat ion. The last prayer, the mourners Kaddish, which is referred to as saying Kaddish and is for those that, have recently lost a loved one(s). The mourners Kaddish does not refer to death at all. The Kaddish is a prayer to praise of G-d in Gods name. The prayers main idea goes back to ancient times and is reflected a similar lethargy of the Christians Lords Prayer (http://www.britannica.com/). The Barchu prayer, meaning to Praise God, the Exalted One starts the Evening Shabbat Services. Two short prayers are recited before the most important prayer the Shema, which means Hear, Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One. The Shema affirms G-ds unity and is often said several times throughout the day but most notability when you wake and before bed. The second paragraph of he Shema is also recited followed by three short prayers, then comes the Amidah, a series of 7 blessings which talks about the Avot The Ancestors, Gevurot The Devine Power, Kedushah G-ds holiness, again the blessing of the Shabbat, Avodah The Sacrificial worship, Hodaah The Thanksgiving and Shalom The prayer for peace. Several more prayers complete the evening service including the silent prayer, which is usually last for a few minutes to give everyone a time for a personal prayer. The Mourners Kaddish said a second time followed by one of two medieval poems Adon Olam, meaning, Before creation shaped the world, God, eternal, reigned alone or my personal favorite, Yigdal meaning, Revere the living G-d. The poem has always had a great tune and I have always felt something spiritual to the Yigdal prayer. While reading the comments written by R. Eliesers I have learned the Yigdal poem is a poetic variation of Maimonides thirteen principles of faith (myjewishlearning.com). Meaning summarizes the required beliefs of Judaism. It is also the name of a hospital in Brooklyn where my Grandmother had passed on. Now I understand why I felt so connected to the Yigdal and what a great way to end the service reaffirming my beliefs. The festive meal awaits, the Kiddish, which is an overflowing glass of wine or grape juice is said. The overflowing reminds us of the fullness of joy that we have in the Shabbat. We proceed to wash our hands with a short prayer and finally the blessing of the Challah, called the Ha-Motzi or just the Motzi for short. Symbolically, two Chalot are used for the reason during the time in Egypt on Fridays a double portion of Manna fell from the heavens. The prayer is as follows: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth. (Amen). Many years ago my wife and I befriended an Israeli couple and adopted the dipping of the Challah into sea salt. Not understanding why, we looked it looked it up and found sea salt never spoils or decays, therefore, it is symbolic of our eternal covenant with G-d (http://www.askmoses.com.) Finally, the festive meal begins filled with an evening of singing, laughing, rejoicing with family before repairing to bed. Around 9:00am Saturday morning Jews begin to congregate to synagogue also called Shul. The adult men are required to place a Yamaka and a Tallit which both sanctifies a personal space between you and g-d. The Shacharit service begins; the Torah is taken from the Ark and a series of selections are read which are based on the past weeks teaching. The Torah is written with no vowels and is difficult to read even by most skilled Torah readers. It is so important two proof readers called biguys follow along carefully to ensure its accuracy. The Hoftorah is recited, which many Jews like I ask why the Hoftorah is read when its reading are linked to the same torah portion. My understanding is during a period of time Jews were forbidden from reading the Torah and the Hoftorah was a substitute. The Hoftorah reading had continued although the Torah was once again allowed to be read. The Ashrei prayer is repeated and the Torah scroll is returned to the Ark again in a care but accurate procession. Usually, the Rabbi will offer a weekly spiritual sermon, something that is related to the weekly Torah portion. The liturgy in the Musaf service has been changed, identifying the State of Israel as the Jewish homeland, but recognizing the Temple only as historical and not as a structure that will one day be restored (Wikipedia find other source). The Musaf service also includes the Amidah and it follows the same service read Friday evening. The Mincha begins; the second Torah is removed from the Ark using the same procession as the first. The first portion of the upcoming weeks Torah is read and the Torah is returned to the Ark. By the time birkat ha-mazon is done, it is about 2PM. The family studies Torah for a while, talks, takes an afternoon walk, plays some checkers, or engages in other leisure activities. A short afternoon nap is not uncommon. It is traditional to have a third meal before Shabbat is over. This is usually a light meal in the late afternoon. Shabbat ends at nightfall, when three stars are visible, approximately 40 minutes after sunset. At the conclusion of Shabbat, the family performs a concluding ritual called Havdalah separation, division). Blessings are recited over wine, spices and candles. Then a blessing is recited regarding the division between the sacred and the secular, between Shabbat and the working days. As you can see, Shabbat is a very full day when it is properly observed, and very relaxing. You really dont miss being unable to turn on the TV, drive a car or go shopping. Cersus the Christian point of view as a day of prayer much different then that of the Jewish faith. While the following day for morning services. For everyone Simcha, I assure you the oldest grandparent will also do the Mostzi regardless of how shaky their hand is. What does Shabbat mean to me and why is it after all these years I dont consider the things I do on Saturday as working My Grandmother Ida, may she be rested and Im sure she would be very proud to know that we continue to use her candle stick holders each Friday night as she did for some seventy plus years Do not get me wrong here there are variations amongst the different Jewish communities but for the most part the traditional Jewish liturgy are the same and are sung or chanted with traditional melodies.

The Age of Exploration Essay -- essays research papers

The desire to explore the unknown has been a driving force in human history since the dawn of time. From the earliest documented accounts, ancient civilizations have explored the world around them. Early adventures were motivated by religious beliefs, a desire for conquest, the need for trade, and an unsatisfying hunger for gold. The great Age of Exploration, beginning in the late 1400s, was an important era in the discovery and development of lands yet unknown to the Europeans. During this period, Europe sought new sea routes to Asia in pursuit of economic gain, increased glory, and opportunities to spread Christianity. Although these were motivations for explorers, the impact from the discoveries resulted in significant changes and achievements that created possibilities and opened a window to a new world for all of Europe. If were not for the superpowers of Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands, the world as we know it would not exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leading the way in the exploration of the world was the nation of Spain with a man named Christopher Columbus. Originally intending to find an eastwardly trade route to Asia, Columbus accidently discovered the Americas instead. When word of this â€Å"New World† reached Europe, it virtually started race between the Nations there to claim there own piece of it. Spain continued their exploration there and rapidly claimed many resources and lands, but one thing was hindering them. The native Populations of the New World were getting in their way. They soon initiated a campaign of systematic anhilation of the Natives. Conquistadors soon flocked from Spain to rid the world of these savages. Soon, Hernan Cortez had conquered Mexico and the Aztecs, while Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru and the Incans. The Spanish armory was far greater then that of the Indians, but these explorers had another weapon far more superior. The weapon they had was known as disease, whi ch included the Small Pox and measles. Their prize for accomplishing their goal was the vast wealth of the societies and the large quantities of gold and silver that their lands held. They also aquired slaves to work in the plantations and settlements they were starting. In the end, Spain had control over lands in Northern, Central, and Southern America, as well as the Philippines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parallel to Spain, ... ...ged. The vague differences between the two were almost unnoticeable and were often overlooked. Their Caribbean strongholds did stay independent though, and the Dutch joined in the slave trade to promote the sugar cane trade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Age of Exploration was not only an era of exploration, but also an era of vast change. The fierce competition present at this time brought about a new form of economy called the Mercantile System. The Mercantile System was an economic system based on strict governmental regulations of a nation’s economy. The goals of such a system were to increase unity, power, wealth, and self-sufficiency through the accumulation of bullion, the favorable balance of trade, the establishment of trade monopolies, the development of agriculture and manufacturing methods, and finally, the colonizing of other lands. Making all of these accomplishments possible, though, was the advancement of technology, religious philosophy, and individuality do to the enlightenment in the 15th and 16th centuries. The possibilities were endless, and with these aspirations in mind, the nations of Europe set sail to conquer the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Essay -- sex experience, prostitution

A Godless World With Orgies Think about a world where you first experience sex when you’re a little kid. A world where books and flowers might not be respected but you're conditioned to be happy. Conditioned to have sex with anyone you want, whenever you feel like it. It's true that you don't have to worry about violence and when you start feeling stressed, all you have to take is soma (a drug that creates pleasure and happiness.) then feel better. In the story, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, that’s how their world worked and I do not believe that our world will ever come to a point like it. I agree that there is a sufficient amount of people that want to be happy but I feel like somethings aren’t realistic in the book that’s going to happen in our future. Also, I believe that many people want to have world peace but that requires no violence and something that I wish would happen but can’t see happen. Everyone isn’t the same and we all want different things leading to violence because everyone has their own way to deal with rage or even boredom. In the new world, since there’s no live birth and everyone belongs to each other, there is no God. There is Ford which is God in a sense but they don’t know who He is. I don’t think that God will be forgotten in the future. The idea of having specific places for people to go to have orgies isn’t something that I see happening. Our world takes prostitution seriously let alone orgies. For example, the incident that happened in Kennebunk, Maine. A woman named Alexis Wright run a prostitution business. When she was ratted-out and investigated, more than 100 names were wrote down on the list. She was sent to jail although now is released. The same thing would've most likely happened... ...we aren’t all the same person and aren’t conditioned like the charaters are the book, violence can and does happen in our world. Whether we like it or not, everyone is different in our world meaning that eveyone has theyre own way with doing the things that they do. Our world is just most not to become like the one in this book. Works Cited "Woman Who Ran Kennebunk 'Zumba Brothel' Released from Prison." The Guardian. theguardian.com, 23 Nov. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. "Violence." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Pearson, Michael. "Random Killings Spark Laments, but Reality Shows Long Slide in Crime Rate." CNN. Cable News Network, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Castillo, Mariano, Alina Machado, Randi Kaye, Hilary Whiteman, and Josh Levs. "Oklahoma Killing May Be Gang-related." CNN. Cable News Network, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

A Singular Self-Identity Essay -- Multiple Personalities Essays

Self-identity is singular. The belief in this existence of one’s self, presupposes all our experiences of consciousness. We all hold that this identity is ours alone. I speak of my experiences as experienced by me. I would seem to be talking nonsense , if I referred to myself in the plural or spoke of how the multiplicity of ‘me’s’ experienced an event. Although most will submit to the existence of levels of consciousness, we categorize those people who exhibit distinct personalities as non-ordinary. All popular theories of self-identity set about the task of proving a singular self. I will attempt to analyze the currently held theories of self-identity, and consider cases where the singular self-identity of normal individuals is called into questi on. Psychologists seeking to clarify this discussion have researched phenomena concerning the nature of self-identity, and it’s relation with consciousness. Philosophers can attempt to investigate the fund amental assumptions underlying these studies, an d examine their ramifications upon our dogmas of self-identity. To formulate a concept of our idea of self we must consider the uniqueness of our experience, and account for memories of prior experiences. Self-identity is my ownership of a personal, distinct unity of consciousness that is consistent through time. Unity of consciousness is the personal, private, owned, and discrete continuing experience of the self. For example, I believe that I am. I believe that I am, neither in part nor in whole, someone other than whom I perceive that I am, and that this â€Å"I† was the same unity yesterday as today. I also infer that I will be (if I wake from sleep) tomorrow the continuation of the same self. This self that we assume, does not ex... .... Los Altos, CA.: Kaufman, 1983.. Laurence, Jean-Roch, Perry, Campbell & Kihlstron, John. â€Å"‘Hidden Observer’ Phenomena in Hypnosis: An Experimental Creation?† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 44.1 (1993): 163-169.. Sacks, Oliver. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: and Other Clinical Tales. New York: Harper Perenial, 1985.. Spanos, Nicholas P. â€Å"The Hidden Observer as an Experimental Creation† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 44.1 (1983): 170-176.. Watkins, John G. & Watkins, Helen H. â€Å"†Hypnosis, Multiple Personality, and Ego States† Handbook of States of Consciousness. Eds. Benjamin B Wolman & Montague Ullman. New York: Van Nostrand, 1986.. Wilkes, Kathleen V. â€Å"Fugues, Hypnosis, and Multiple Personalities† Self & Identity: Contemporary Philosophical Issues. Eds. Kolak, Daniel & Martin, Raymond. New York: MacMillan, 1991..

Cultural and Disease

The disease that I am writing about today is Asthma. This disease is a severe allergic reaction in which the bronchial tubes in the lungs swell and become blocked with mucous. The membranes lining the inner walls of the air passages become inflamed, causing the airways to narrow and making it difficult to breathe. Asthma affects roughly 17 million Americans. Five million of those affected by this disease are under the age of 18, making asthma the most common chronic childhood disease. That means that roughly 1 in 20 people out of the general American population including children currently suffer from this incurable disease. This disease causes more than 14 people to die daily from asthma. In my research I found that over the past decades these figures have been steadily increasing in the United State. As our air, water, and food become more polluted with chemicals more people are affected by Asthma. We will continual to see an increase in this disease as long as infants are introduced to solid foods at an early age, and food additives increase, and plants are genetically manipulated to form foods that have a higher allergic potential. Symptoms of asthma may include recurrent attacks of breathlessness, wheezing when breathing out, a dry cough, and excessive mucous. Tightness in the chest during a severe attack, also include sweating and rapid heartbeat, distress and anxiety, an inability to sleep or speak. This disease potentially increased vulnerability to the effects of exposure to air pollutants. There are those who are innately more susceptible to the effects of exposure to air pollutants than others. Those who become more susceptible for example as a result of environmental or social factors or personal behavior and those who are simply exposed to unusually large amounts of air pollutants. Very young children and unborn babies are also particularly sensitive to some pollutants. People with cardio-respiratory disease or diabetes are susceptible to having Asthma. Also people who are exposed to other toxic materials that add to or interact with air pollutants and those who are socioeconomically deprived. When compared with healthy people, those with respiratory disorders such as chronic bronchitis. Asthma has become one of the top chronic conditions in the United States. It disproportionately affects minorities of school age children and youth. Approximately one in 15 Americans suffers from asthma1 and an estimated 4 million children under 18 have an asthma attack each year. Many African-Americans are exposed to unhealthy living and working conditions that trigger more asthma diagnoses than in any other race or ethnic group. Inner- city living conditions typically are crowded and less sanitary, which creates greater exposure to allergens and an increased risk of developing asthma. In a 2002 study, the American Lung Association reported that 71 percent of African- Americans lived in communities where federal air pollution standards were not met, compared to 58 percent of the white population. There are an estimated 1 million to 2 million new cases of asthma diagnosed in the United States each year. Approximately 3 million African Americans have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives. The Prevalence of asthma in African-Americans is 30 percent higher than whites. Although children of all races and ethnicities are affected, asthma appears to be more prevalent among children who are poor, African-American or Puerto Rican. Asthma is the most common childhood chronic disease and is a national public health concern that challenges both health care and school systems. A quarter of the United State population is made up of children, who comprise 40 percent of reported asthma cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in 13 school- age children has been diagnosed with asthma. Many parents are not informed about how to properly manage their hild asthma attacks. This increase pediatric emergency room visits. Medicaid had more severe asthma and used fewer preventive medications than all children in the same managed Medicaid population. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, with increasing morbidity and mortality. A genetic predisposition and exposure to allergens have been implicated as major risk factors for the development of asthma. However, increasing evidence indicates that the mother plays a crucial role in mediating the development of fetal-infant immune responses to inhaled allergens. The exact nature and mechanism of this maternal influence and how it might be associated with the development of allergic sensitization and asthma are not clear. Under normal conditions the maternal environment during pregnancy promotes an initial skewed immune response in the offspring which transitions to a non- allergic type response after birth. However the allergic mother's influence may delay the normal transition to a non-allergic immune response to inhaled allergens in her children increasing the risk for the development of allergic sensitization and or asthma. Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which the maternal mmune environment can influence the development of the fetal-infant immune response to inhaled allergens may lead to identifying new targets for the prevention of allergic sensitization and asthma. Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled with proper asthma management. The first step in asthma management is environmental control. Asthmatics cannot escape the environment but through some changes they can control its impact on their health. Some asthmatics use a peak flow meter to gauge their lung function. Lung function decreases before symptoms of an asthma attack occurs. If the meter indicates the peak flow is down by 20 percent or more from your usual best effort an asthma attack is on its way. Other was to managing asthma involves is to use medications. There are two major groups of medications used in controlling asthma attack. Anti -inflammatories corticosteroids and bronchodilators Anti-inflammatories this medication reduces the number of inflammatory cells in the airways and prevent blood vessels from leaking fluid into the airway tissues. By reducing inflammation you can reduce the spontaneous spasm of the airway muscle and reduce having a asthma attach.

Nestle Essay

Nestle – The Infant Formula Incident Summary of Case and Results In response to a pamphlet entitled â€Å"Nestle Kills Babies,† published in 1974 by the Swiss consumer/activist group, Arbeitsgruppe Dritte Welt, Nestle Alimentana filed a four-count libel suit against members of the organization. The pamphlet was a reprint of an earlier one entitled â€Å"Bottled Babies,† published by a similar British group. Both alleged that false advertising had prompted mothers in LDCs to use infant formula instead of breast feeding, and consequently caused the deaths of thousands of children. However, the original pamphlet had not mentioned Nestle or any of the other companies by name, and thus did not raise the issue of libel. Three of the charges, which Nestle subsequently withdrew, related to allegations made in the pamphlet about Nestle’s promotional methods in LDCs. The fourth charge, which led to a judgment against thirteen members of the group in June 1976, focused on the defamatory title â€Å"Nestle Kills Babies. † In his decision, the judge stated that the cause behind the injuries and deaths was not Nestle’s products; rather, it was the unhygienic way they were prepared by end-users. Although Nestle won its case, the firm’s victory was diluted by (1) having to pay one third of the court costs and (2) being told by the judge to change its marketing methods to prevent further misuse of its products. The defendants were ordered to pay $120 each in damages to Nestle and two thirds of court costs. Suggestions Companies selling consumable products (foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals) to LDCs have long recognized the need to adapt their promotional techniques to their consumers who are, by and large, poor and illiterate. In recent years, one particular group of food producers—those firms making infant formula and other milk products—has come under severe attack by various religious, consumer and governmental organizations. Criticism focuses on two issues: (1) that companies allegedly use false advertising to induce mothers to substitute formula for their own milk, and (2) that firms are directly responsible when misuse of their products results in illness or death. The assault was dramatized in the recent Swiss case involving Nestle Alimentana. The responses of milk product manufacturers have ranged from writing corporate policies on LDC marketing to organizing industry councils and holding meetings with pressure groups. But most significantly, companies have altered marketing practices in ways that other firms making consumable items should find instructive. These changes include Tightening up direct selling methods. A common practice is to have â€Å"mother-craft nurses,†Ã¢â‚¬â€local women who may be nurses, dietitians or midwives—visit clinics and homes to encourage doctors and consumers to use infant formula. Critics charge that these women are often unqualified to speak on nutrition and that they distort facts to make formula feeding more attractive than breast feeding. As a result, many firms now forbid representatives from discouraging breast feeding and demand that they go to clinics and homes only if invited or sent by a family doctor. Stressing nutritional training. Firms are improving the nutritional instruction given to representatives. In addition, promoters are providing consumers with educational presentations, including seminars, films and brochures. Such training not only combats misuse of products, but also benefits the manufacturer. For example, one corporation whose sales representatives in Indonesia conducted local demonstration on uses of a condensed-milk product found that the presentations accomplished several aims: (1) alerted the representative to problems people had in preparing and using the product, (2) served as a rough test market for the product and (3) helped to bolster the firm’s image. Controlling distributors’ promotional activities. Manufacturers selling milk products through distributors have often given them free rein over local advertising. Some corporate executives worry about becoming too closely associated with distributors’ advertising, fearing possible liability for erroneous claims made by distributors. However, such liability would be difficult to avoid in any situation involving a company’s trademarks and products. A few firms, recognizing this, are currently monitoring all new promotional campaigns of distributors. Curtailing mass media advertising. Several corporations that formerly advertised infant formula on TV, radio, billboards and newspapers are now relying solely on sales representatives. Improving labeling and directions for use. Developing promotional/instructional materials to help low-literacy users. The International Council of Infant Food Industries, formed in 1975, is studying ways to improve communication methods for use in areas of high illiteracy. Possibilities include cartoons, pictures, radio programs and even sound trucks. (Use of new informational materials would be subject to approval of local authorities. ) Price of Social Responsibility For some firms, the cost of maintaining ethical standards is high. One large food company actually closed down its milk-processing plant in Pakistan because pasteurization laws were not being enforced, and local firms selling unpasteurized milk were gaining a competitive edge. Additionally, the quality of the firm’s product was tarnished by local consumers who frequently diluted the milk with polluted stream water to â€Å"stretch† it for their own use or for resale. In light of these problems, and others—such as the high cost of marketing and training, and the relatively low sales volume—some companies have contemplated withdrawing these products from LDC markets. However, the market potential for milk products in these countries is strong because of increasing populations and rising standards of living. In addition, the growing role of women in the labor force is creating a greater need for infant formulas. Thus, it appears that firms will remain in these markets. Every 30 seconds a baby dies from unsafe bottle feeding, that’s is approximately 1. 5 million babies a year, this is because formula milk companies provide free powder milk to mothers while in hospital in third world countries ensuring that babies are routinely bottle-fed and not breastfed. As a result babies become dependent on artificial milk. Despite the number of deaths formula milk companies continue to promote artificial feeding in ways that undermine breastfeeding. Nestle made a profit of ? 2. 7 billion year 2007 from selling baby formula milk. In third world countries bottle feeding is dangerous due to unsafe water supplies and difficulties with keeping bottles sterile. Cost is also a problem, once out of hospital the milk is no longer free. Costing families up to 50% of their weekly income, due to high costs, milk mixtures are over diluted and mothers buy cheaper, bad quality formula milk instead. This means the baby is inadequately fed leading to malnutrition, diarrhea and often death. Formula milk companies make profit by exploiting vulnerable mothers.

Environmental Pollution, Problems and Control Measures Essay

A. Introduction and definition of environmental pollution – We know that, a living organism cannot live by itself. Organisms interact among themselves. Hence, all organisms, such as plants, animals and human beings, as well as the physical surroundings with whom we interact, form a part of our environment. All these constituents of the environment are dependent upon each other. Thus, they maintain a balance in nature. As we are the only organisms try to modify the environment to fulfill our needs; it is our responsibility to take necessary steps to control the environmental imbalances. The environmental imbalance gives rise to various environmental problems. Some of the environmental problems are pollution, soil erosion leading to floods, salt deserts and sea recedes, desertification, landslides, change of river directions, extinction of species, and vulnerable ecosystem in place of more complex and stable ecosystems, depletion of natural resources, waste accumulation, defores tation, thinning of ozone layer and global warming. The environmental problems are visualized in terms of pollution, growth in population, development, industrialization, unplanned urbanization etc. Rapid migration and increase in population in the urban areas has also lead to traffic congestion, water shortages, solid waste, and air, water and noise pollution are common noticeable problems in almost all the urban areas since last few years. Environmental pollution is defined as the undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of our air, land and water. As a result of over-population, rapid industrializations, and other human activities like agriculture and deforestation etc., earth became loaded with diverse pollutants that were released as by-products. Pollutants are generally grouped under two classes: (a) Biodegradable pollutants – Biodegradable pollutants are broken down by the activity of micro-organisms and enter into the biogeochemical cycles. Examples of such pollutants are domestic waste pr oducts, urine and faucal matter, sewage, agricultural residue, paper, wood and cloth etc. (b) Non- Biodegradable pollutants – Non-biodegradable pollutants are stronger chemical bondage, do not break down into simpler and harmless products. These include various insecticides and other pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, plastics, radioactive waste etc. B. Classification of Environmental Pollution – Pollution can be broadly classified according to  the components of environment that are polluted. Major of these are: Air pollution, Water pollution, Soil pollution (land degradation) and Noise pollution. Details of these types of pollutions are discussed below with their prevention measures. (1) Air Pollution: Air is mainly a mixture of various gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen. These are present in a particular ratio. Whenever there is any imbalance in the ratio of these gases, air pollution is caused. The sources of air pollution can be grouped as under (i) Natural; such as, forest fires, ash from smoking volcanoes, dust storm and decay of organic matters. (ii) Man-made due to population explosion, deforestation, urbanization and industrializations. Certain activities of human beings release several pollutants in air, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), lead, arsenic, asbestos, radioactive matter, and dust. The major threat comes from burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum products. Thermal power plants, automobiles and industries are major sources of air pollution as well. Due to progress in atomic energy sector, there has been an increase in radioactivity in the atmosphere. Mining activity adds to air pollution in the form of particulate matter. Progress in agriculture due to use of fertilizers and pesticides has also contributed towards air pollution. Indiscriminate cutting of trees and clearing of forests has led to increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. Global warming is a consequence of green house effect caused by increased level of carbon dioxide (CO2). Ozone (O3) depletion has resulted in UV radiation striking our earth. Harmful Effects of air pollution – (a) It affects respiratory system of living organisms and causes bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, pneumonia etc. Carbon monoxide (CO) emitted from motor vehicles and cigarette smoke affects the central nervous system. (b) Due to depletion of ozone layer, UV radiation reaches the earth. UV radiation causes skin cancer, damage to eyes and immune system. (c) Acid rain is also a result of air pollution. This is caused by presence of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur in the air. These oxides dissolve in rain water to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid respectively. Various monuments, buildings, and statues are damaged due to corrosion by acid present in the rain. The soil also becomes acidic. The cumulative effect is the gradual degradation of soil and a decline in forest and agricultural productivity. (d) The green house gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) trap the heat radiated from earth. This leads to an increase in earth’s temperature. (e) Some toxic metals and pesticides also cause air pollution. [For more refer Industrial Dust, Air Pollution and Related Occupational Diseases ] (2) Water Pollution: Water is one of the prime necessities of life. With increasing number of people depend on this resource; water has become a scarce commodity. Pollution makes even the limited available water unfit for use. Water is said to be polluted when there is any physical, biological or chemical change in water quality that adversely affects living organisms or makes water unsuitable for use. Sources of water pollution are mainly factories, power plants, coal mines and oil wells situated either close to water source or away from sources. They discharge pollutants directly or indirectly into the water sources like river, lakes, water streams etc. The harmful effects of water pollution are: (a) Human beings become victims of various water borne diseases, such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, jaundice, etc. (b) The presence of acids/alkalies in water destroys the microorganisms, thereby hindering the self-purification process in the rivers or water bodies. Agriculture is affected badly due to polluted  water. Marine eco-systems are affected adversely. (c) The sewage waste promotes growth of phytoplankton in water bodies; causing reduction of dissolved oxygen. (d) Poisonous industrial wastes present in water bodies affect the fish population and deprives us of one of our sources of food. It also kills other animals living in fresh water. (e) The quality of underground water is also affected due to toxicity and pollutant content of surface water. (2.1) Water pollution by industries and its effects – A change in the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological quality of water that is injurious to its uses. The term â€Å"water pollution† generally refers to human-induced changes to water quality. Thus, the discharge of toxic chemicals from industries or the release of human or livestock waste into a nearby water body is considered pollution. The contamination of ground water of water bodies like rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans can threaten the health of humans and aquatic life. Sources of water pollution may be divided into two categories. (i) Point-source pollution, in which contaminants are discharged from a discrete location. Sewage outfalls and oil spills are examples of point-source pollution. (ii) Non-point-source or diffuse pollution, referring to all of the other discharges that deliver contaminants to water bodies. Acid rain and unconfined runoff from agricultural or urban areas falls under this category. The principal contaminants of water include toxic chemicals, nutrients, biodegradable organics, and bacterial & viral pathogens. Water pollution can affect human health when pollutants enter the body either via skin exposure or through the direct consumption of contaminated drinking water and contaminated food. Prime pollutants, including DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persist in the natural environment and bioaccumulation occurs in the tissues of aquatic organisms. These prolonged and persistent organic pollutants are transferred up the food chain and they can reach levels of concern in fish species that are eaten by humans. Moreover, bacteria and viral pathogens can pose a public health risk for those who drink contaminated water or eat raw shellfish from polluted water bodies. Contaminants have a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems. Enrichment of water bodies with nutrients (principally nitrogen and phosphorus) can result in the growth of algae and other aquatic plants that shade or clog streams. If wastewater containing biodegradable organic matter is discharged into a stream with inadequate  dissolved oxygen, the water downstream of the point of discharge will become anaerobic and will be turbid and dark. Settleable solids will be deposited on the streambed, and anaerobic decomposition will occur. Over the reach of stream where the dissolved-oxygen concentration is zero, a zone of putrefaction will occur with the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and other odorous gases. Because many fish species require a minimum of 4–5 mg of dissolved oxygen per liter of water, they will be unable to survive in this portion of the stream. Direct exposures to toxic chemicals are also a health concern for individual aquatic plants and animals. Chemicals such as pesticides are frequently transported to lakes and rivers via runoff, and they can have harmful effects on aquatic life. Toxic chemicals have been shown to reduce the growth, survival, reproductive output, and disease resistance of exposed organisms. These effects can have important consequences for the viability of aquatic populations and communities. Wastewater discharges are most commonly controlled through effluent standards and discharge permits. Under this system, discharge permits are issued with limits on the quantity and quality of effluents. Water-quality standards are sets of qualitative and quantitative criteria designed to maintain or enhance the quality of receiving waters. Criteria can be developed and implemented to protect aquatic life against acute and chronic effects and to safeguard humans against deleterious health effects, including cancer. [ For more refer ‘Water Conservation – Need-of-the-day for our very survival’ ] (3) Soil pollution (Land degradation): Land pollution is due to (i) Deforestation and (ii) Dumping of solid wastes. Deforestation increases soil erosion; thus valuable agricultural land is lost. Solid wastes from household and industries also pollute land and enhance land degradation. Solid wastes include things from household waste and of industrial wastes. They include ash, glass, peelings of fruit and vegetables, paper, clothes, plastics, rubber, leather, brick, sand, metal, waste from cattle shed, night soil and cow dung. Chemicals discharged into air, such as compounds of sulfur and lead, eventually come to soil and pollute it. The heaps of solid waste destroy the natural beauty and surroundings become dirty. Pigs, dogs, rats, flies, mosquitoes visit the  dumped waste and foul smell comes from the waste. The waste may block the flow of water in the drain, which then becomes the breeding place for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are carriers of parasites of malaria and dengue. Consumption of polluted water causes many diseases, such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. [ For more refer Solid Waste Disposal -A Burning Problem To Be Resolved To Save Environment ] (4) Noise pollution : High level noise is a disturbance to the human environment. Because of urbanization, noise in all areas in a city has increased considerably. One of the most pervasive sources of noise in our environment today is those associated with transportation. People reside adjacent to highways, are subjected to high level of noise produced by trucks and vehicles pass on the highways. Prolonged exposure to high level of noise is very much harmful to the health of mankind. In industry and in mines the main sources of noise pollution are blasting, movement of heavy earth moving machines, drilling, crusher and coal handling plants etc. The critical value for the development of hearing problems is at 80 decibels. Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects. Moreover, noise can be a causal factor in workplace accidents. C. Fundamentals of prevention and control of air pollution: As mentioned above, air pollutants can be gaseous or particulate matters. Different techniques for controlling these pollutants are discussed below: a. Methods of controlling gaseous pollutants – 1. Combustion – This technique is used when the pollutants are in the form of organic gases or vapors. During flame combustion or catalytic process, these organic pollutants are converted into water vapor and relatively less harmful products, such as CO2. 2. Absorption – In this technique, the gaseous effluents are passed through scrubbers or absorbers. These contain a suitable liquid absorbent, which removes or modifies one or more of the pollutants present in the gaseous effluents. 3. Adsorption – The gaseous effluents are passed through porous solid adsorbents kept in suitable containers. The organic and inorganic constituents of the effluent gases are trapped at the interface of the solid adsorbent by physical adsorbent. b. Methods to control particulate emissions – 1. Mechanical devices generally work on the basis of the following: (i) Gravity: In this process, the particles settle down by gravitational force. (ii) Sudden change in direction of the gas flow. This causes the particles to separate out due to greater momentum. 2. Fabric Filters: The gases containing dust are passed through a porous medium. These porous media may be woven or filled fabrics. The particles present in the gas are trapped and collected in the filters. The gases freed from the particles are discharged. 3. Wet Scrubbers: Wet scrubbers are used in chemical, mining and metallurgical industries to trap SO2, NH3, metal fumes, etc. 4. Electrostatic Precipitators: When a gas or an air stream containing aerosols in the form of dust, fumes or mist, is passed between two electrodes, then, the aerosol particles get precipitated on the electrode. c. Other practices in controlling air pollution -Apart from the above, following practices also help in controlling air pollution. (i) Use of better designed equipment and smokeless fuels, hearths in industries and at home. (ii) Automobiles should be properly maintained and adhere to recent emission-control standards. (iii) More trees should be planted along road side and houses. (iv) Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar energy, ocean currents, should fulfill energy needs. (v) Tall chimneys should be installed for vertical dispersion of pollutants. d. General air pollution control devices / equipments for industries – The commonly used equipments / process for control of dust in various industries are (a) Mechanical dust collectors in the form of dust cyclones; (b) Electrostatic precipitators – both dry and wet system; (c) particulate scrubbers; (d) Water sprayer at dust generation points; (e) proper ventilation system and (f) various monitoring devices to know the concentration of dust in general body of air. The common equipments / process used for control of toxic / flue gases are the (a) process of desulphurisation; (b) process of denitrification; (c) Gas conditioning etc. and (d) various monitoring devices to know the efficacy of the systems used. e. Steps, in general, to be taken for reduction of air pollution – To change our behavior in order to reduce AIR POLLUTION at home as well as on the road, few following small steps taken by us would lead to clean our Environment. At Home: 1. Avoid using chemical pesticides or fertilizers in your yard and garden. Many fertilizers are a source of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Try organic products instead. 2. Compost your yard waste instead of burning it. Outdoor burning is not advisable, as it pollutes air. Breathing this smoke is bad for you, your family and your neighbors. Plus, you can use the compost in your garden. 3. If you use a wood stove or fireplace to heat your home, it would be better to consider switching to another form of heat which does not generate smoke. It is always better to use sweater or warm clothing than using fireplace. 4. Be energy efficient. Most traditional sources of energy burn fossil fuels, causing air pollution. Keep your home well-maintained with weather-stripping, storm windows, and insulation. Lowering your thermostat can also help – and for every two degrees Fahrenheit you lower it, you save about two percent on your heating bill. 5. Plant trees and encourage other to plant trees as well. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and filter out air pollution. During warmer days, trees provide cool air, unnecessary use of energy on air conditioning is avoided, hence the air pollution. 6. Try to stop smoking; at home, at office or at outside. Tobacco smoking not only deteriorates self’s health, it affects others health too. On the Road: 7. Keep your vehicle well maintained. A poorly maintained engine both creates more air pollution and uses more fuel. Replace oil and air filters regularly, and keep your tires properly inflated. 8. Drive less. Walking, bicycling, riding the bus, or working from home can save you money as well as reducing air pollution. 9. Don’t idle your vehicle. If you stop for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic, turn off your engine. 10. Don’t buy more car than you need. Four-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, engine size, vehicle weight, and tire size all affect the amount of fuel your vehicle uses. The more fuel it uses the more air pollution it causes. D. Water pollution prevention and control: Water is a key resource for our quality of life. It also provides natural habitats and eco-systems for plant and animal species. Access to clean water for drinking and sanitary purposes is a precondition for human health and well-being. Clean unpolluted water is essential for our ecosystems. Plants  and animals in lakes, rivers and seas react to changes in their environment caused by changes in chemical water quality and physical disturbance of their habitat. Water pollution is a human-induced change in the chemical, physical, biological, and radiological quality of water that is injurious to its existing, intended, or potential uses such as boating, waterskiing, swimming, the consumption of fish, and the health of aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Thus, the discharge of toxic chemicals from a pipe or the release of livestock waste into a nearby water body is considered pollution. The contamination of ground water, rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans can threaten the hea lth of humans and aquatic life. Contaminants have a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems. for example, enrichment of water bodies with nutrients (principally nitrogen and phosphorus) can result in the growth of algae and other aquatic plants that shade or clog streams. Direct exposures to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, is also a health concern for individual aquatic plants and animals. Without healthy water for drinking, cooking, fishing, and farming, the human race would perish. Clean water is also necessary for recreational interests such as swimming, boating, and water skiing. a. Sources of Water Pollution – Sources of water pollution are generally divided into two categories. The first is point-source pollution, in which contaminants are discharged from a discrete location. Sewage outfalls and oil spills are examples of point-source pollution. The second category is non-point-source or diffuses pollution, referring to all of the other discharges that deliver contaminants to water bodies. Numerous manufacturing plants pour off undiluted corrosives, poisons, and other noxious byproducts to water streams. The construction industry discharges slurries of gypsum, cement, abrasives, metals, and poisonous solvents. The mining industry also presents persistent water pollution problems. In yet another instance of pollution, hot water discharged by factories and power plants causes so-called ‘thermal pollution’ by increasing water temperatures. Such increases change the level of oxygen dissolved in a body of water, thereby disrupting the water’s ecological balance, killing off some plant and animal species while encouraging the overgrowth of oth ers. Towns and municipalities are also major sources of water pollution. In many public water systems, pollution exceeds safe levels. One reason for this is that much groundwater has been  contaminated by wastes pumped underground for disposal or by seepage from surface water. When contamination reaches underground water tables, it is difficult to correct and spreads over wide areas. Discharge of untreated or only partially treated sewage into the waterways threatens the health of their own and neighboring populations as well. Along with domestic wastes, sewage carries industrial contaminants and a growing tonnage of paper and plastic refuse. Although thorough sewage treatment would destroy most disease-causing bacteria, the problem of the spread of viruses and viral illness remains. Additionally, most sewage treatment does not remove phosphorus compounds, contributed principally by detergents. b. Dangers of Water Pollution – Virtually all water pollutants are hazardous to humans as well as lesser species; sodium is implicated in cardiovascular disease, nitrates in blood disorders. Mercury and lead can cause nervous disorders. Some contaminants are carcinogens. DDT is toxic to humans and can alter chromosomes. Along many shores, shellfish can no longer be taken because of contamination by DDT, sewage, or industrial wastes. c. Prevention and Control of Water Pollution – Sewage should be treated before it is discharged into the river or ocean. This is possible through modern techniques. Sewage is first passed through a grinding mechanism. This is then passed through several settling chambers and neutralized with lime. Up to this stage, the process is called primary treatment. The sewage still contains a large number of pathogenic and non-pathogenic or ganisms, and also sufficient quantity of organic matter. The neutralized effluents are sent to UASB (up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket). It is a reactor. In this, the anaerobic bacteria degrade the biodegradable material present in the waste water. This removes foul odor and releases methane, which can be used elsewhere. In this system, the pollution load is reduced upto 85 percent. After this, water is sent to aeration tanks where it is mixed with air and bacteria. Bacteria digest the organic waste material. This is called biological or secondary treatment. Even after the treatment, water is not yet fit for drinking. The harmful microorganisms need to be killed. The final step (tertiary treatment) is, therefore, a disinfection process, to remove final traces of organics, bacteria, dissolved inorganic solids, etc. For tertiary treatment, methods, such as chlorination, evaporation, and exchange absorption may be employed. These depend upon the required quality  of the final treatment. Apart from the above, you should also adopt the following practices: (i) Waste food material, paper, decaying vegetables and plastics should not be thrown into open drains. (ii) Effluents from distilleries, and solid wastes containing organic matter should be sent to biogas plants for generation of energy. (iii) Oil slicks should be skimmed off from the surface with suction device. Sawdust may be spread over oil slicks to absorb the oil components. E. Soil erosion and its prevention: Soil erosion by water, wind and tillage affects both agriculture and the natural environment. Soil loss, and its associated impacts, is one of the most important (yet probably the least well-known) of today’s environmental problems. It is mostly due to poor land use practices, which include deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road or trail building. Soil is a complex mixture of living and non-living mater ials. It provides anchorage and sustenance to plants. Natural agents like water and wind, constantly tend to remove the top soil and cause erosion. Rain falling upon the unprotected top soil, washes it down into the streams. Due to the absence of plant covering, eroded soil cannot hold water. Water rushes into the rivers and overflows as flood. Dust storm also causes soil erosion. The particles of top soil are picked up in such quantities that they form clouds of dust. Human beings also cause soil erosion. The growing human habitation and expansion of urban areas lead to removal of vegetation. Once vegetation is removed, the naked soil gets exposed to wind and water. Improper tillage is another cause of soil erosion. Farmers often loosen the top soil for removing weeds and preparing seed beds. They also leave agricultural fields lying fallow for long time. These practices expose the top soil to the wind and cause erosion. Soil erosion is always a result of mankind’s unwise actions, such as overgrazing or unsuitable cultivation practices. These leave the land unprotected and vulnerable. Accelerated soil erosion by water or wind may affect both agricultural areas and the natural environment, and is one of the most widespread of today’s environmental problems. Soil erosion is just one form of soil degradation. Other kinds of soil degradation include salinisation, nutrient loss, and compaction. Prevention of soil erosion – Plants provide protective cover on the land and prevent soil erosion for the reasons: (a) plants slow down water as it flows over the land (runoff) and this allows  much of the rain to soak into the ground; (b) plant roots hold the soil in position and prevent it from being washed away; (c) plants break the impact of a raindrop before it hits the soil, thus reducing its ability to erode; (d) plants in wetlands and on the banks of rivers are of particular importance as they slow down the flow of the water and their roots bind the soil, thus preventing erosion. Preventing soil erosion requires technical changes to adopt. Aspects of technical changes include: (i) use of contour ploughing and wind breaks; (ii) leaving unploughed grass strips between ploughed land;  (iii) making sure that there are always plants growing on the soil, and that the soil is rich in humus (decaying plant and animal remains). This organic matter is the â€Å"glue† that binds the soil particles together and plays an important part in preventing erosion; (iv) avoiding overgrazing and the over-use of crop lands; (v) allowing indigenous plants to grow along the river banks instead of ploughing and planting crops right up to the water’s edge; (vi) encouraging biological diversity by planting several different types of plants together; (vii) conservation of wetlands. We can check soil erosion by adopting the following additional practices: 1. Intensive cropping and use of proper drainage canals. 2. Terracing on the sloping fields. This retards the speed of the flowing water. 3. Planting trees and sowing grasses. 4. Extensive aforestation practices to be carried out. [ For more refer Soil Erosion Combating is Essential ] F. Mitigation of Noise pollution: Reducing noise pollution by muffling the sounds at the source is one of the best methods in industry and for urban living. Protective equipment is generally mandatory when noise levels exceed 85 dB(A) in industry. Creation of green cover adjacent to municipal roads and in mines is the way to mitigate noise pollution. It has been observed that noise level reduces by 10 decibels per every 10m wide green belt development. Apart, redesigning industrial equipment, shock mounting assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace are also for reduction and  exposure of unwanted industrial noise. High way noise pollution can be mitigated by constructing noise barriers. Artificial noise barriers are solid obstructions built between the highway and the residential areas along a highway. They block major portion of noise produced by passing vehicles on a highway. Effective noise barriers typically reduce noise levels by as much as half or more. The construction of noise barrier may be built in the form of earth mounds, vertical wall along the highways for creation of blockage of sound generated by heavy vehicles. Creation of greenbelt in the space between the residences and highways also reduces the noise nuisance. G. Conservation and protection of environment: By now, all of us have realized how important it is to protect the environment for our own survival. The term ‘conservation’ of environment relates to activities which can provide individual or commercial benefits, but at the same time, prevent excessive use leading to environmental damage. Conservation may be distinguished from preservation, which is considered to be â€Å"maintaining of nature as it is, or might have been before the intervention of either human beings or natural forces.† We know that natural resources are getting depleted and environmental problems are increasing. It is, therefore, necessary to conserve and protect our environment. Following practices help in protecting our environment. 1. Rotation of crops. 2. Judicious use of fertilisers, intensive cropping, proper drainage and irrigation. 3. Treatment of sewage, so that it does not pollute the rivers and other water bodies. 4. Composting organic solid waste for use as manure. 5. Planting trees in place of those removed for various purposes. 6. National parks and conservation forests should be established by the government. 7. Harvesting of rain water. Some action points to protect or improve the environment – (i) Dispose the waste after separating them into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste material. (ii) Start a compost heap or use a compost bin. This can be used to recycle waste food and other biodegradable materials. (iii) Avoid unnecessary or wasteful packaging of products. (iv) Reuse carry bags. (v) Plant trees. They will help to absorb excess carbon dioxide. (vi) Observe World Environment Day on 5th June. (vii) Never put any left over chemicals, used oils down the drain, toilet or dump them on the ground or in water or burn them in the garden. If you do so, it will cause pollution. (viii) Don’t burn any waste, especially plastics, for the smoke may contain polluting gases. (ix) Use unleaded petrol and alternate sources of energy, and keep the engine properly tuned and serviced and the tyres inflated to the right pressure, so that vehicle runs efficiently. (x) Avoid fast starts and sudden braking of automobiles. (xi) Walk or cycle where it is safe to do so – walking is free; cycling can help to keep you fit. (xii) Use public transport wherever you can, or form a car pool for everyday travel. (xiii) Send your waste oil, old batteries and used tyres to a garage for recycling or safe disposal; all these can cause serious pollution. 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