Saturday, August 31, 2019

Transhuman Megalomania

Transmute Megalomania Transmutation Deflation: The belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond Its current physical and mental Limitations, especially by means of science and technology. Megalomania Definition: A psychopathology condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence; an obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions. Causes the afflicted to believe that they have great or unlimited power or importance. Definition: Not a new mental illness. Refers to victims of megalomania whose edified abilities Justify the subject's sense of Importance.Due to the ubiquitous nature of moods, cybernetic, nanotechnology, bioengineering, picnic, or transubstantiation, It Is Inevitable that certain megalomaniacs are also high-powered madders. Ascertaining whether the Illness Induced the subject's extensive modification or if nodding cements the illness has generally been dismissed as a chicken-or-the-egg conundrum. There is little to be don e for treatment of hyper- megalomaniacs, other than necessary acts of subdued and detainment. Treatment an begin after the subject is forcibly deprived of moods and demoted to a baseline megalomania status.Definition: The belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology. Wealth, power, or omnipotence: an obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or modified abilities Justify the subject's sense of importance. Due to the ubiquitous nature of moods, cybernetic, nanotechnology, bioengineering, picnic, or modification or If nodding cements the Illness has generally been dismissed as a reinvestigation, it is inevitable that certain megalomaniacs are also high-powered madders.Ascertaining whether the illness induced the subject's extensive Natural Computing Natural Computing is an interdisciplinary field of research that investigates human- designed computing inspired by nature as well as computation taking place in nature, I. E. , it investigates models, computational techniques, and computational technologies inspired by nature as well as it investigates phenomena/processes taking place in nature in terms of information processing. One of the research areas room the second strand of research is the computational nature of biochemical reactions.It is hoped that this line of research may contribute to a computational understanding of the functioning of the living cell, which is based on interactions between (a huge number of) individual reactions. These reactions are regulated, and the main regulation mechanisms are facilitation/acceleration and inhibition/ retardation. The interactions between individual reactions take place through their influence on each other, and this influence happens through these two mechanisms.

Friday, August 30, 2019

World Transformation and Lifestyle Change

Jen and I sat down in the far corner of the dinner and began talking. Everything was going fine until our order arrived. To my disgust the New Jersey native, Jen, started to eat her slice of pizza with her hands. Now, you may be asking what†s wrong with that? It is a common site to walk into a pizza parlor and see everyone handling their food, but to an Argentine native like myself anything else than a fork and knife would seem barbaric. Instances like this occur every day throughout the world because of cultural differences. Another good example by Dean Barnlund, in Communication in Global Village is when former President Nixon and former president Sato met to discuss a growing problem between the two nations. Because of poor â€Å"global communication† their words where miss under stood and as a result a new wave of Words from author Dean Barnlund, who expects that â€Å"as our world is transformed our neighbors increasingly will be people whose life styles contrast sharply with our own. Barnlund points out that this transformation-a kind of â€Å"world† blender-through our newly acquired technologies, such as the internet, jet travel, low cost phones, and the ncrease of study abroad programs will expose us to a variety of cultures and ultimately make the world â€Å"shrink†. Mr. Barnlund seems to hold a mostly positive view about a global community. I am led to believe this because his book, Communication in a Global Village, supplies us with the problems we will and have encountered, and offers us advice on how to deal with it. It seems to me that Barnlund is not so much worried about the end result of globalism, but rather with the tensions involved in its creation. Signs of globalism are sprouting all around us. A couple of months ago World Cup 98 took place in France: A world soccer tournament in which almost all countries participated (about 100 or more). The World Cup is the most watched event in human history (La Blanc and Henshaw 2), and has served as a tool to unite cultures together. Where else could one watch 11 Iranian men defeat 11 Americans with out a single act of bloodthirsty violence? The World Cup ignites a flame brighter in patriotism than the Olympics, and exposes us to people from all around. When a country (Holland) beats your maternal one (Argentina) Fairly (the blame always goes to the referee, a trait all ountries agree in ? ), the emotion proceeding the initial heartbreaking pain is that of respect. What makes this tournament so beneficial to the global village is that after you have finished cheering for your team, you look into others to carry your imagination. Other events that will serve as a great spark for globalism are those such as the new Eurodollar. A standard form of currency not only shows us that countries can agree on something, and are indeed dependant on each other, but will also help people spread more easily from country to country, ultimately breaking down cultural boundaries. One doesn†t have to look farther than the ground we stand in to see the effects that globalism would have on cultures. The United States is a prime example of globalism. 1) By having so many different types of people we are influenced in varying ways such as in, sports, religion, education, family, and in the business world. 2) Helps create a better overall society, that has â€Å"global† social skills. ) Makes a community that represents all the ideals and ways of life. 4) Helps the speed and spread of technology. 2) Often times in a desperate attempt to preserve a cultural identity, countries become inclusive. Ex. The many years it took the U. S to accept any other sports apart from Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, and American Football. 3) The lack of seclusion will create generic art, music, and ideas. Back in time cultures such as the Incas and the Egyptians-because of isolation-were vastly different. I recently flipped my television to a Japanese station and saw a â€Å"Rock† band. Not that there is anything wrong with that but the distinction between cultures is fading. Another example in the music industry is how British music influences America. (Beatles, Radiohead, Prodigy, etc. ) I personally hold a bitter-sweet look into globalism. Since I am a product of culture shock I feel I have experienced it first hand. I believe that globalism would be beneficial to humanity but it would ultimately make it a very bland world where everyone thinks the same way and does everything the same way, and being an artist that†s the last thing I would want. Gone will be the days of contrasts such as African art from Egyptian. Another thing that keeps me from being totally pro-globalist is that the education system in the U. S (one of the most crucial nations for globalism) does a very poor job educating its youth about anything but itself. Students are bombarded with U. S histories all throughout grade school and high school with very little â€Å"world† education. This self- centered mentality is also seen in our newspapers, where foreign affairs are only covered if they are directly affecting us. It seems we only hear about other nations when there is a war or we have sent them money. Opening the sport section clearly shows the lack of international coverage. Newspapers in Europe and South America not only post their sporting news, but those of other nations (including the American sports). I think it is a lot more important to know a little bit about other cultures than to have all the We already know the positive and negative results that globalism would have, however, the question remains: is it really possible to achieve globalism? In order to determine we must first clarify what is needed in order to achieve a â€Å"global friendly† community. In my previous paper, Loneliness: a national feeling? I wrote that â€Å"For the most part, good communities offer a stable and trusting environment, where freedom of choice and expression is encouraged. Little discrimination, support, protection, and success leading involvement, also constitute good characteristics. † The ey term is: expression. Every person must learn to accept, and if not possible, respect others forms of expression. Obviously, we have not done a good job which is proven by our constant racial and sexual discriminations. In order for a Global Village to succeed, there are three points that must be focused on: technology, education, and understanding. Technology has already reached a point where it is allowing people from across the world to unite with no delay time. The world overall has had an increase in literacy, but even scholars are often ignorant of the â€Å"world† language. Schools and more importantly adults have to take the responsibility and eliminate prejudice from our youths mind. And of course, education would prove useless unless we are understanding and have an open mind. Greed for power, the unwillingness to accept new ways of life (clinging to your roots), and the mentality that we are all â€Å"too different†, are the three main killers of globalism. It is because of stubbornness and an immense greed that globalism has not already taken full effect. I believe that it is possible to achieve something close to globalism. My theory is hat in the future nations will unite because of political needs, shared wealth, and military allies. Countries in Europe and South America have already began to open up their borders. The result would be a couple of different communities. I am sure that a total global community is possible, but unless our planet is being jeopardized by alien beings I highly doubt that we will ever find enough motivation. Globalism is definitely coming on headstrong with its good and bad points. But, then again, nothing good in life comes free of burdens and in the end it will be up to the people to decide whether the sacrifices Barlund, Dean.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A Case Study Of The Coca Cola Company Business Essay

A Case Study Of The Coca Cola Company Business Essay Abstract Thi paper contains a comprehensive analysis of The Coca-Cola Company and addresses several Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources issues. Recommendations are proposed based on the problems that were discovered during the study. The goals of the recommendations are to address uncertainty with The Coca cola Companies suppliers and distributors, and also align company decision-making with the structure of the organization. Contents DECLARATION i COPYRIGHT ii Abstract iii Contents iv List of Abbreviations v Definition of terms: vi List of Tables and Figures: vii Appendices: viii CHAPTER ONE 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION. 1 1.0. Organizational Background 1 Mission, Vision HYPERLINK â€Å"#__RefHeading__107929_754499052†³&HYPERLINK â€Å"#__RefHeading__107929_754499052† Values 1 Why is our role Important 4 Organization structure 4 Organisation culture 5 Appendices a b BIBLIOGRAPHY c List of Abbreviations Definition of terms: List of Tables and Figur es: Appendices: CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION. Organizational Background This was called Atlanta Begining (1886-1892). It was 1886, and in New York Harbor, workers were constructing the Statue of Liberty. Eight hundred miles away, another great American symbol was about to be unveiled. Like many people who change history, John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, was inspired by simple curiosity. One afternoon, he stirred up a fragrant, caramel-colored liquid and, when it was done, he carried it a few doors down to Jacobs’ Pharmacy. Here, the mixture was combined with carbonated water and sampled by customers who all agreed — this new drink was something special. So Jacobs’ Pharmacy put it on sale for five cents a glass.    Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, named the mixture Coca-Cola ®, and wrote it out in his distinct script. To this day, Coca-Cola is written the same way. In the first year, Pemberton sold just 9 glasses of Coca-Cola a day.    A century later, The Coca-Cola Company has produced more than 10 billion gallons of syrup. Unfortunately for Pemberton, he died in 1888 without realizing the success of the beverage he had created.    Over the course of three years, 1888-1891, Atlanta businessman Asa Griggs Candler secured rights to the business for a total of about $2,300. Candler would become the Company’s first president, and the first to bring real vision to the business and the brand. (The Coca cola company website) Its popularity would not stay within the United States for long, though, because in the year of 1906, Coca Cola was bottled in Cuba and in Panama. Bottling operations were soon started in Hawaii the next year, then in the Phillipines, France, Belgium, Bermuda, Colombia, the Honduras, Italy, Mexico, Haiti, and Burma in later years. By the year of 1940, the famous soft drink was bottled in forty countries. Advertising for the cola has included many product slogans includ ing, â€Å"The Pause That Refreshes†, which was used in 1929, â€Å"Have A Coke And A Smile,† which was used in 1979, and â€Å"Always Coca Cola† which was used in 1993 when sales from this soft drink exceeded ten billion cases worldwide. (http://www.essortment.com/all/cocacolacompan_rlee.htm) Mission, Vision & Values The world is changing all around us. To continue to thrive as a business over the next ten years and beyond, we must look ahead, understand the trends and forces that will shape our business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for what’s to come. We must get ready for tomorrow today. That’s what our 2020 Vision is all about. It creates a long-term destination for our business and provides us with a â€Å"Roadmap† for winning together with our bottling partners.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ghana - Essay Example The Mali realm rose back in the mid 1300. Moreover, it emerged from the greater Ghana Empire. However, due to external disputes and internal conflicts within the Ghana Empire and the eventual crumple of the Ghanaian Kingdom, the Mali Kingdom emerged with Sundiata being their leader (Conrad 13). This clearly depicts how Ghanaian began its superiority over the Malian realm. In fact, some historians deem Ghana to be the greatest kingdom in the early part of the 1300. Besides, civilization started in Ghana earlier than in Mali. In fact, civilization in Ghana began even before the arrival of the Europeans into Africa. Moreover, Ghana had started trading early, where they operated with other communities. Their trade items included gold, cloth and copper among others. Moreover, the regime imposed tax to the goldmines in the region (Conrad 14). Mali was still under Ghana Empire, and did little in terms of trade. As a result, the economic capacity of Ghana was far much better as compared to that of Mali, their counterparts. In the political aspect, Ghana had a well-organized system, with the Soninke people reigning over the Berbers. Moreover, the empire had captured a vast area and made it its kingdom. Mali was still under the Ghanaian Empire. The Ghanaian trade in gold had made the empire extremely powerful. Besides, the use of iron aided Ghana in creating weaponry for its territorial army. Furthermore, it was not until the Senegalese Almoravids intervention that capacitated the Malians to take over Ghana Kingdom (Conrad 14). In addition, the Ghana Empire was extensively rich. This mainly resulted from the expansive gold trade within the region. This distinct trade in gold made Ghana change it earlier name (Wagadugu) to its present Ghana (meaning gold land). This gave Ghana an advantage over its former territory, Mali (Conrad 16). However, the ancient Ghana is different from the contemporary Ghana. Besides, the Ghana kings controlled the gold trade

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Recommendation report in comparing two water provision methods for an Essay

Recommendation report in comparing two water provision methods for an arid region - Essay Example As such, the burgeoning human population, loss of natural environments, and desertification that is taking place around the globe all have a profound impact upon the availability and quality of the water resources that can be leveraged. 1 Aim This particular analysis will be concentric upon comparing to water provision methods in an otherwise arid continent; Australia. It is the hope of this author that be detailing the strengths and weaknesses of two approaches to water provision, the most appropriate, efficient, reasonable, and cost efficient means can be integrated as a means of providing the population with access to the most basic and fundamental resources required for life; liquid water. 2 Information specific to region ( water situation )- evidence. With regards to the lack of water that the continent of Australia currently must integrate with, the reader should understand the following points: Australia exhibits the lowest overall level of rainfall of any of the 7 continents Australians exhibit some of the highest per capita water usage rates in the entire world Global climate change threatens to cut future rainfall even furtherin Australia More specifically, with regards to the total per capita water usage that the average Austrlian exhibits, studies indicate that this is in excess of 120 liters per day. As compared with over 66% of the rest of the world that uses 60 liters or less in any given day, this is a two fold increase per capita; thereby representing something of an insatiable demand for a scarce resource that is only growing scarcer. Moreover, when one looks at the current water storage facilities that exist within the major metropolitan cities of Australia, these storage facilities are only operating at around 30-40% capacity; denoting the fact that the ability to store and retain water is negated by the incessant demands of the populace. This of course denotes the need for conservation as well as finding, utilizing, and exploiting further h ydro resources within the continent. 2 Background 1 Water problem around the word although it may seem convenient to approach the water resource shortage in Australia from purely a regional perspective, the fact of the matter is that water shortages, as well as overall purity of these water resources, is an issue that globally effects 780 million people. As has briefly been discussed within the introduction and regional information overview, two factors that continue to have a profound and noticeable effect on the existence of water shortage issues is the growth of the world’s population in tandem with the changes to precipitation that global climate change have affected. Due to the fact that many previously populated regions of the world have experienced a great degree of desertification, the extent to which the natural environment can continue to provide the ever increasing demands of the native population comes into question. Environmentalists and researchers are in agreem ent that unless fundamental changes are made with regards to the way the world’s water resources are utilized, within the next few decades the access to water will become a far greater issue than it is currently. 3 Presentation of options As a means of ameliorating the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Social work research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social work research - Essay Example Early diagnosis and interference in toddlers with learning disorders makes a considerable development in self-confidence and communal capability, which facilitates them in opening doors of chances in school and in the field of work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perin (1990) has shown in his work that the students with learning disabilities have above average or high intellectual capability. If they are provided with suitable support and instructions, then they can succeed in college academic programs. The community care has been provided to the students with learning disabilities in New York. The faculties of City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY) have emphasized on the need of the students with learning disabilities (Perin, 1990, p. 2). Adams, Dominelli and Payne (1998) have debated that the communal worker’s main concern is ensuring that the public can handle or deal sufficiently with their lives. Under this approach, the community workers do not approve a theraupetic-helping role. Their involvements are much more practical –generally passing on information about sources and potentials (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 1998, p. 4). The stress on effects in the present competency –based strategies to social work is reliable to an ethical point of view that ignores procedures. The practitioners essentially want to avoid this position that follows the anti-oppressive strategies (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 1998, p. 8). Humphries (2000) portrayed that in a social model, disabilities arise from society’s breakdown to meet the obligations of the disabled individuals. It has been debated that conventional positivist and empirical research examples are repressive and alienating to loads of research subjects. It often deprives people and not leads to any development to their material situations (Humphries, 2000, p. 110). Lowes and Hulatt

The International Coordination by Israel During the Raid Case Study

The International Coordination by Israel During the Raid - Case Study Example While the counterterrorism approach used by Israel does not meet standard practice since it was a breach of the UN Charter, it is evident that Israel operated using different standards in comparison to other nations. In this case, it would be impermissible for other nations to take a similar approach to the one that Israel took, and such an approach could have attracted punitive measures although Israel appears immune. Indeed, African nations noted that the approach by Israel towards counterterrorism was against the expected practice although the country appeared to have embraced it as a policy, which put the security of nations at risk. In this regard, McDowell (1976) noted, â€Å"No country, and certainly no African country, can henceforth be secure against such acts, on which the Israeli government seems to wish to confer the status of State practice† (1228). In effect, this emphasizes that Israel’s counterterrorism approach was not standard practice although the US and the UN appeared to have sanctioned the raid. In conclusion, nations face challenges regarding the counterterrorism approaches they will use to rescue their citizens in instances that involved other nations. Case in point, Israel’s approach to raid Entebbe and rescue the hostages was an act in breach of the UN Charter although it gained support from other nations. Nonetheless, the raid involved international coordination with nations such as Kenya, which was subsequently bombed as a repercussion on the role it played. However, it is important to point out that Israel did not use standard practice during the Entebbe raid although the country appears to have perfected unconventional approaches in counterterrorism.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Economics - Transportation Module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics - Transportation Module - Essay Example Therefore, the competitive solution or the market equilibrium, is the point at which the supplier satisfies the market’s demand, at the price where the suppliers are amenable to sell and the market is comfortable to buy. Given the example of transportation, there might be instances when the competitive solution does not exactly offer the best scenario for either the market or the suppliers. If the demand for a particular mode of transportation (i.e. railway transit) is relatively low as compared to the supply, then the suppliers’ is low, and they are not able to make enough revenues to generate reasonable profit. An example of this would be the scenario when the people’s income is low, and thus they cannot afford to use the railway transit. Another example is when the prices of substitute good or alternative means of transport, such as buses, are significantly lower compared to railway transits. There may also be cases when the supply is too low as compared to the market’s demand; in these cases, supply is scarce, causing the selling price to be significantly higher while the output level is low. An example of this would be high prices of inputs that are necessary for railway transit operations, causing a decrease in the supply of railway transits. To replicate a more competitive solution for the given example (the railway transit), the state can stimulate more demand for by increasing the prices of substitute goods, such as buses. More realistically, it can help the railway transit industry by stimulating supply, by initiating the reduction of the prices of input materials necessary for railway transit operations. Also, the state can contribute by investing on technology that will benefit railway transit operations. State initiatives such as these will lead the market closer to a more competitive solution. B. I would take into consideration all the costs that will have to be spent in building the project. The

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Business Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Business Information Systems - Essay Example One such factor that is very essential for success of any business, especially in present era of huge competition, is processing and dissemination of information in and out of the organisation. Nowadays, accurate and rapid management of information has become an essential and imperative task for business organisations since besides product quality, it has been an observation that service delivery now plays an important role in deciding future orders, and for this reason, a company can make or lose business just by focusing on its information management and systems. Although management of information was essential in the past as well; however, volume of such information was not so huge that it needed systems and thus, humans were performing the task efficiently (Martin, 1973, pp. 255-257). However, nowadays, due to huge number of customers, suppliers, vendors, etc, the need of business information systems has become inevitable, especially for companies that are dealing with suppliers and customers on national and international levels. One such company under consideration in this paper is Bognor Marine Watercraft (BMW) Company. In the last few years, BMW Company has witnessed an amazing progress in its business of watercraft and ancillaries that was limited to the UK market. Now, the decision-makers are now thinking about expanding the business due to increase in demand from the customers, especially for specialised high-end luxury watercrafts that has been the reason of their presence in the media lately. As the result, the notion of a ‘global village’ (Avgerou, 2003, pp. 97-99) is becoming a reality for the owners of BMW Company who now wants to become a market leader in their particular industry, not only in the UK market but internationally as well. Although the company was aware of the importance of information technology and therefore, it did invested in different information management systems and databases, however, it is an observation that the company did not give consideration to various aspects that are very essential before setting up of any IT structures and systems (Lan, 2005, pp. 130-134). In this regard, this paper will include understanding of different aspects related to IT systems that will potentially assist BMW Company in making the best use of its IT systems. Business Information Systems It will not be wrong to declare 21st century as the era of science and technology since even in the business market, the flow of information from one source to another has now become a decisive factor of success or failure of a company (Laudon & Laudon, 2007, pp. 101-103). As the result, nowadays, business information systems have taken place of humans and performing their tasks of processing and storing information while holding records and data related to different processes of an organisation. Companies have now installed information systems that are capable of comparing and relating past and present data to provide st atistics that enable owners to take crucial decisions in an efficient manner. Moreover, in bigger organisations such as BMW Company where there are different and various departments, information syste

Friday, August 23, 2019

Relationship between Money Supply and Inflation in Saudi Arabia Math Problem

Relationship between Money Supply and Inflation in Saudi Arabia - Math Problem Example Lucas (1995) has always put emphasis that there is a long run connection connecting money supply to prices of goods. Inflation and money supply cannot be separated and where there is inflation, there is monetary phenomenon. The increase in money supply is the root cause of increase in prices of commodities and this is what constitutes the central dogma of inflation.   Inflation has been categorized as either domestic or imported. This is because inflation may come as a result of increased cost of imports (high prices on imported goods) and services from within the country or due to the monetary exchange rates (Jackson & Miles 2006). Inflation is hence the product of the interrelations between money supply and production. Bearing this convention in mind, economist theories are divided into three schools; 1.  The ones that believe the process itself is the determining factor (Keynesian)2.  those who believe that the monetary effects are determinants (monetarists)3.  those who b elieve that production (supply) is the determining factor showing lack of products (goods and services) as dominant factor that causes inflation Internal inflation is as a result of increased supply and credit. Inflation can also be described as undue increase of a country’s currency or expansion of the cash amount particularly issuance of paper money not redeemable in specie. According to monetarists, monetary effect on inflation is as a result of money supply and that the increase rate is faster than that of national income growth.... Inflation is hence the product of the interrelations between money supply and production. Bearing this convention in mind, economist theories are divided into three schools; 1. The ones that believe the process itself is the determining factor (Keynesian) 2. those who believe that the monetary effects are determinants (monetarists) 3. those who believe that production (supply) is the determining factor showing lack of products (goods and services) as dominant factor that causes inflation Internal inflation is as a result of increased supply and credit. Inflation can also be described as undue increase of a country's currency or expansion of the cash amount particularly issuance of paper money not redeemable in specie. According to monetarists, monetary effect on inflation is as a result of money supply and that the increase rate is faster than that of national income growth. The quantity theory of money derives the following expression: M V = P Y Where (M) is money supply, (V) is velocity of money, (P) is the price index, plus (Y) as real income. Monetarists assert the velocity V to be fixed while the national income (Gross Domestic Product) Y is determined by supply factors and is hence independent variable affecting money supply. Accordingly, there is a direct correlation in existence. If a considerable rise in the money supply, the extent at which price height will go up by the same margin. By this perception, a rise in the money supply would lead to a similar boost in cumulative demand in the short-run the rise would cause another rise in the actual degree of output. On the other hand, there would be an increase in earnings which will cause and increase in inflation and thus the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Urbanization increases Essay Example for Free

Urbanization increases Essay Golf courses also use fertilizers and chemicals in watering and maintaining the area which also contribute to the contamination of water. According to 1FAOs estimate of changes of forest area cover in developing countries, the world’s forest area had significantly decreased during the period of 1980 to 1995 largely brought about by development and the demands of urbanization. The developing countries have contributed to the natural forests as much as 25%, an average of 12% in Latin America, 5% in Asia and 8% in Africa (FAO, 1997). It has to be stressed that the figures correspond to only 15 years span. Gornitz and colleagues also found that vegetation clearing accounts for a one percent reduction of annual stream flow and an average of 10% decrease in the annual volume of freshwater used by humans (Gornitz et. al, 1997 page 148). The most direct physical impact of urbanization to the interruption of the water cycle is the general increase in the impervious cover (IC). The increase in IC due to urbanization affects the water cycle in these ways: 1. Urbanization increases impermeable land covers such as sidewalks, roads, roofs and parking lots. These urban structures decrease the amount of water to be absorbed by the soil as infiltration process is hardly possible to occur in these areas. In highly urbanized areas, more half of the volume of rainwater flows as run-off (Center for Watershed Protection, 2003). Studies also reveal that in cases where impervious cover is less than 10%, streams to where run-off flows remain protected. On the other hand, if IC is above 10% run-off that goes to the streams will cause the ecosystem to be degraded (American Society of Civil Engineers, 1996). Center for Watershed Protection said some of the evidences of this damage are bank erosions, sedimentation and the loss of stream bank tree covers. 2. Urbanization significantly increases annual floods. As infiltration and transpiration is reduced much of the surface precipitation is diverted to the drainage system. In a pre-urban setting, precipitation is intercepted by the natural vegetation through the process of absorption. Ground cover and forest canopy naturally absorbs rainfall through their roots. The wider the ground cover and the denser the forest canopy, infiltration and transpiration of precipitation are held in its natural state as more water is stored in the water table. This way water storage deep down into the ground as reservoir. With the clearing of vegetation and deforestation, urbanization becomes directly liable for the increase in annual floods. Because of the increase in the volume of run-off water in highly urbanized areas, the construction of drainage systems have been the nearest possible solution made by the government. Such drainage systems were designed to regulate the flow of run-off directly to the watercourse. However localized flash flooding seemed aggravated the problem with the construction of such sewage systems. The problem with this development projects is that the volume that watercourse and the drainage systems can contain is limited. The speed or velocity of runoff brought about by high peak storm water. Another vital factor is time which is relatively not enough for water to be absorbed and contained by the drainage systems and so flash floods are always possible. With flash floods, water contamination is highly possible because the excess water that runs in the streets catches much of the contaminants in the land surface which will then be carried to the bodies of water as flood find its way to leave the area. Because highly urbanized areas do have little ground cover like trees to absorb storm water, run off will likely stay longer in the surface as infiltration is hardly possible. Because imperviousness is directly related to water dynamics, highly urbanized areas have the high risk of containing high peak storm discharges. In urban areas, collection in combined sewerage systems may impose increased hydraulic and pollutant loads on conventional wastewater treatment facilities (Perry and McIntyre 1986).

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Abortion Debate Essay Example for Free

The Abortion Debate Essay The history of the abortion debate has continued for decades. In today’s society the topic is very demanding and controversial. Prolifer’s as the name proceeds, frame the debate as the right to life for the baby. Individuals who are for Pro-choice may or may not address whether the fetus is in fact a life, and frame the debate in terms of woman having the right to choose what’s best for their bodies without worrying about the government getting involved. In the following paper I will illustrate and discuss the following questions. 1.My personal opinion on the debate 2.The impact of the infamous Roe vs. Wade case 3.A firsthand view of the after effects for those who choose abortion. Abortion is defined as the Termination of pregnancy, and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival. Abortion challenges a variety of external and moral issues. Much of the debate over abortion tends to place emphasis on the issue of rights – specifically whether a woman’s rights to an abortion outweigh a fetus’s rights to life. Whether she is pro-life or pro-choice both sides rely heavily on legal, scientific, and human right arguments to support their arguments. Growing up I was against abortion. I completely condemned it, when you live in a two –parent church going home the Ten Commandments seem to become apart of your everyday life. I would soon find out that judging individuals for the choices they make would come back to hunt me. It is necessary for you to look at the pros and con’s of both a pro-lifer’s stand point and a pro- choicer’s stand point. It has been a proven fact that while, most individuals that oppose abortion, they would do very differently if put in an uncompromising situation. For example let’s take the individuals who stand in front of abortion clinics and rant about the individuals going into the clinics. While taking a journalism class in my last year of high school, my assignment was to get the viewpoint of someone who opposed abortion and why. I traveled to Gainesville, Fla and was blessed to get the chance to speak to Amanda Givens. Amanda was an activist for an organization that’s mission was to deter individuals from having abortions. Amanda was very strong minded on the opinion and during the interview she would take the time to chant out things such as â€Å" Murder† â€Å" Low Life† and the infamous â€Å" Your going to burn in hell â€Å" quote. As I took in a deep breath Amanda advised me that life began at conception and these individuals were cold hearted murders, she even asked me to take pictures of them in which I refused due to the privacy. Although I was against abortion I didn’t know the reason that these ladies where seeking one so out of respect for them I didn’t ask because it was appropriate. Scientific studies show that conception starts at day fourteen of conception. With that being said is it valid to say that abortion is pre-meditated murder? Or is it considered immoral only if it doesn’t endanger the mother’s life. As I asked Amanda these questions she stayed calm but I knew she was furious at the thought that second guessed her considering the circumstances behind it. Amanda finally replied â€Å" Listen these are innocent lives and I don’t care what reason you have a abortion It’s wrong and it’s damn murder† This interview took place December 2000, when I left I gave Amanda my cell and email address so that she could keep in touch and keep me posted on how successful her mission was coming along. Surprisingly two years later to my amazement Amanda had emailed me citing a urgent meeting and needing to speak with me about the mission, she even offered to make the three hour drive to meet up with me and assured me that what she had to say would be life changing. Of course I agreed but I was dumbfounded, I was thinking maybe she acquired my help on the mission, so we agreed to meet the following day at a local Star Bucks cafà ©. I sat patiently drinking my freshly brewed coffee when Amanda pulled up in her freshly was Honda Accord looking nothing less than fabulous. I greeted her with a hug and a smile, but something wasn’t right, her demeanor for some odd reason was different and I was anxious to hear the news she had for me. I ordered her a cup of coffee and we began to catch up where we left off in Florida. Before I could ask about the mission Amanda told me that she was no longer against abortion. I stood up in astonishment as she told me to have a seat I was amazed at what she said next. She began to tell me it was a Thursday night and it was her turn to gather the signs and brochures for the next day‘s rally, she was excited that she had deterred two teens from abortion and was ready to go home and celebrate. As she walked back to her car, (by this time Amanda had started crying and I became real suspicious of what was to come). She had left the most vital part of her story out so she insisted that she start over, earlier that week she had made the acquaintance of a African American man that informed her that God had sent him to her to help out with the mission surprised as she was she advised him to be there at 7:00am to help set-up because the clinic opened up at 8:00 am. The man whom said his name was Charles was there bright and early talking teens out of abortions and doing a marvelous job of even helping adults making decisions. Amanda said she felt like this was what her mission was missing. To Amanda’s shock Charles never came back again until, a week later on the night in question. Amanda said while she was walking back to her car with a handful of signs a familiar face dragged her by her hair into the bushes and proceeded to rape her It Was Charles! Amanda said she cried to God and whoever could hear her for help but as dark as it was no one could hear her. After Charles was done raping Amanda he ran off into the night. Amanda noticed that Charles didn’t have protection on and that she had, semen leaking from her vagina. After contacting police Amanda laid there praying that she wouldn’t get pregnant and that her new husband of four months wouldn’t find out. Unfortunately Amanda said her prayer went unanswered and weeks later she found out that she was pregnant, she insisted that her only option to saving her marriage was to take a trip to Columbus, GA and have an abortion. Amanda insisted that the decision was based mainly to save her marriage and to keep her family from disowning her for having an interracial baby. Amanda says that while having an abortion was the hardest thing that she has ever done, it literally saved her life. She admits that without the abortion that she would have committed suicide than to live the existence of what was growing inside of her. In conclusion Amanda states that although she still feels abortions are wrong, women should have the option of making the decision themselves privately rather deal with rallies like that of Amanda took part in publically. On the way out the door Amanda said something to me that I will never forget â€Å" The best prayers are unanswered ones† Amanda hoped that her story would change my mind on how I felt about abortions and realize that you cant make a generalization about another individuals decisions until you have experienced it firsthand yourself. The Roe vs. Wade case is known to date as the most legendary abortion case in the world cases like this made it possible for individuals in situations like Amanda’s and those with other circumstances to make decisions for themselves without the governments say so . According to Alters (2010) â€Å"Thirty Year’s later congress has passed the Partial birth abortion ban act of 2003, president bush signed it into law, becoming the first president to ever place a federal ban on abortion (p.133 para 2). Although the Roe vs. Wade case wasn’t established until two years after Jane Doe had her baby, it was the landmark case known to day in all high school and college text books and around the country. The more that Americans understand this case the more they regard it as illegitimate. While people have realized the act of abortion on certain grounds should be legal. In some cases you will find individuals that feel like Amanda felt and feel as though abortion is wrong on all grounds. According to Morgentaler (2001) â€Å"Abortion is an act that corrupts national morality and harms women by encouraging irresponsible and predatory male behavior. More importantly a woman’s right to an abortion ignores the rights of the unborn child- and individual should be legally protected (p 321). While both the prolife and pro choice side has equal substantial debates from listening to Amanda’s situation I am now for abortion although I feel that granted the circumstances unless rape, or endangerment to the mother there are enough contraceptives and knowledge circulating that you should know how to refrain from getting pregnant.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

How gender is vital factor when explaining criminal behaviours

How gender is vital factor when explaining criminal behaviours In this essay the topic of how gender is a vital factor when explaining criminal behaviours will be, examined and analysed, to see the actual extent of genders impact on such behaviours. Gender refers to the opportunities and social attributes associated with being female or male. Different societies have different attributes and responsibilities assigned to males and females; they are socially constructed and are learnt through the socialization process. Gender also determines what is expected of a man or woman Soothill (et al, 2002) explained that criminal behaviours are types of acts that a society perceives as wrong doing, it is formally proceeded against by the law, and leads into convictions. Soothill (et al, 2002) said To understand criminology one needs to recognize that in the related social issues, the possible interpretations of apparent evidence represent viewpoints and philosophies which need to be examined along with the evidence gathered,. Many lives can be controlled by the personal fear of crime. The impact of crime on victims can be immense, and crime can be the harmful exercise of power by one person over another (Soothill et al, 2002). Soothill (et al, 2002) believes, Criminology shows us the diverse and sometimes divided nature of society, rather than always reinforcing the image of a homogenous, uniform society, There are various types of information and knowledge that influences peoples perception of crime. (Soothill et al, 2002). There are direct experiences of crime, mediated experiences, official information and research knowledge; these are the different types of knowledge that inform our understanding of crime. In 1997 the home office figures showed that only 17% of offenders in the British Criminal Justice System were female, Heidensohn (2000 cited in Soothill et al, 2002). In general women are likely to be convicted for offences such as theft or assault and handling stolen goods. Their careers in crime are shorter compared to men (Soothill et al, 2002). The number of women offenders are far less than male offenders, except in offences such as prostitution (Soothill et al, 2002). In terms of womens representation, serious crimes tend to be performed by men, rather than women. (Soothill et al, 2002). This shows that gender and criminal behaviour is stratified into specific types of offences, and the psychology of men can cause them to commit more serious crimes compared to women. The traditional sexual scripts that are within societies are heterosexual and gendered, so perceiving a woman as sexually aggressive, or worse, as a sexual offender, is contrary to the traditional sexual scripts'(Jackson, 1978; Koss Harvey, 1991; Byers, 1996 cited in Myriam S. Denov, 2004 p.3). According to Denov (2004) the criminal behaviour of female offending sexually challenges appropriate female behaviour, when compared to the traditional sexual scripts. Byres agreed that the image of women being described as sexually aggressive is excluded from the traditional sexual scripts, Byres OSullivan (1998 cited in Denov, 2004 p.4). This view of women not being suitable to commit sexual offences can cause females to become reluctant when contemplating whether to commit these types of crimes. These scripts also exclude the image of men as sexually reluctant or as victims of sexual coercion or assault (Lew, 1990, hunter 1990, Mendel, 1995 cited in Denov, 2004 p4). It is portrayed as an abnormality, if a male is sexually assaulted this is due to the perception of masculinity. Denov (2004) reports that up until the 1980s, female sex offenders and their victims were practically ignored, compared to males and their victims which were the main focus in reflecting traditional sexual scripts. Specific sex roles are assigned to each gender (Denov, 2004). The sexually aggressive role is assigned to men (Denov, 2004). Miller (Studying Young Women in Street Crimes). According to this collective story, the gang is an arena in which they receive status and esteem from being strong and being willing to stand up for themselves, exhibiting traits that cultural stories commonly associated with males rather than women, (cited in Bernasco, 2010). Comack Brickey (2007 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.64) suggests that masculinity is the founder of the stereotypical bad girl she is tough spoken, of low socioeconomic status, aggressive and male looking. From the literature on female crimin al behaviour, we can construct a profile of the average female offender. She is likely to be plagued with poverty and to lack an education and job skills. She is generally young, unmarried, involved in unhealthy sexual relationships, and the lone caregiver of small children, (Chesney-Lind Pasko, 2004; Franklin Lutze, 2007 cited in van Wormer p.66). Wright and Jacobs (2004 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.74) reported that in their study of young urban male offenders, they found that the conflict between men were influenced by the needs of maintaining gendered reputations. Miller (2008 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.78) also found that compared to women, men were more apt to view robbery as one means of expressing their masculinity. Men stole items that expressed their manliness, to impress their peers. Girls and women, however, were drawn to take luxury items they felt they need but couldnt justify spending household income on, items such as cosmetics and jewellery (van Wormer, 2010). The blocked opportunities within societies that persist on material success tended to lead individuals into antisocial forms of behaviour, like theft, fraud or drug dealing. This is the opportunity theory. Van Wormer (2010) claims that females are prone to this due to the marginalization they face economically. Those without education or skills felt that they will never make it, pressuring them into committing crimes in order to make it, Van Wormer explained that sociological theories of gang delinquency argue that peer group affiliation and living in crime-ridden neighbourhoods promote crime, (van Wormer, 2010). Relationship and trauma are the main attributes of women who are involved in the criminal justice system; it has the greatest effect, (van Wormer, 2010). Van Wormer (2010) claims, We can sum up this truth in this way: Trauma breeds trauma and hardship more of the same, When crime is related to criminal thought patterns a history of victimization and trauma amongst offending females is greatly evident, (van Wormer, 2010). A vast majority of female offenders endured a tough upbringing which was physically and sexually abusive; this type of victimization is usually continued in their adulthood in the form of rape and battering, this provoked emotional problems and severe stress reactions, linking to the development of their criminal behaviour, (Belknap, 2007; Failinger, 2006; Franklin Lutze, 2007 cited in van Wormer p.66). Roberts (2007 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p81) reported Examined data drawn from a sample of 105 women in prison convicted of killing their husbands/partners and 105 b attered women in a sample from the community in New Jersey. The imprisoned women had a history of being battered. These women were far more likely to have received death threats from their partners than the battered women who did not kill their partners; these threats were specific as to time, place and method. In addition to a history of partner violence, the majority of the women prisoners had a history of sexual abuse, a substance use problem, had attempted suicide, and had access to the batteres guns,. Interviews with 130 San Francisco prostitutes revealed that over half reported sexual abuse in childhood and about half reported having been physically assaulted, (Farley Barkman, 1998 cited in van Wormer, 2010). Van Wormer (2010) reported Among men and women on probation, the BJS (2000) found that 6 in 10 women in state institutions experienced physical or prior abuse. McKee (2006 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.82) focused on the characteristics of females who have murdered their children or infants, he evaluated this by using 30 females in his research, and they varied between girls and women. His research depicted that amongst the 30 females it included those who were: abusive/neglectful, psychotic/suicidal, psychopathic, detached or retaliatory. McKee (2006 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.82) analysed Susan Smith, who drowned her children in a car, kill their children, then plan to kill themselves. Smith had many of the risk factors for suicidal murder: There was a high rate of suicide in her family, including her father, who died when she was a child. Susan was sexually abused by her step father and diagnosed as having bipolar personality disorder, her marriage was shaky and her children were very young, Psychiatric women who murdered their children often showed a high tendency of psychosis, social isolation, depression, lower socioeconomic status, suicidality, substance use, and difficulties in their own childhood, (Friedman et al, 2005 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.81). La Tanya Skiffer (2009 cited in Van Wormer, 2010 p.76) Crime causation. Chris, a 22-year-old woman, was arrested for permitting her husband to sexually abuse her five and nine-year-old nieces. Chriss father was an alcoholic and was abusive to his wife and children. When she was 21, she married a 35-year-old trucker. In accounting for her failure to stop her husbands abuse of the children, Chris suggested that she acted to please her husband, so he would love her. Van Wormer (2010) had interviews with female psychopathic offenders which revealed how they reacted violently to personal insults. One 43-year-old female, for example, reacted to her neighbours racial slur in this way: She pulled out her knife and slashed the offending womans face several times, which required the woman to have other a100 stitches, Women frequently victimized other women whom they viewed as easy targets, (Miller, 2008 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.79). Van Wormer (2010) said that Several of the women, moreover, reported feelings of power and excitement in beating the defenceless, such as dogs and children, According to Strand Belfrage (2005 cited in van Wormer, 2010 p.71) The women were found to display antisocial characteristics through relational aggression, lying, deceitfulness, and lack of impulse control, Testosterone levels are a vital link to criminal behaviour in both males and females, (van Wormer, 2010). An important hormone called cortisol is also vital whe n analysing criminal behaviour especially with females. It is classed as the stress hormone because it is secreted in response to stress. Women who are more likely to commit antisocial behaviour, like violence they are often low in this hormone, (Anderson, 2007 cited in van Wormer, 2010 pg72). Depression is a mental disorder that regularly occured in female offenders and especially adolescent girls, (Bloom, Owen, and Covington, 2003 cited in van Wormer 2010 p.72). Obeidallah and Earls (1999 cited in van Wormer 2010 p.72) examined the link between depression and delinquency was established through a project that was carried out by the Institute of Justice. Males and females had similar low rates of depression but the depression rates of females clearly increased, especially during adolescence. Van Wormer (2010) reported that Interviewers gathered a self-report data on 754 girls in urban Chicago. Comparing the antisocial behaviour of girls who were depressed with those who were not, O beidallah and Earls found that 40% of non depressed engaged in property crimes compared to 68% of girls with depression fifty-seven percent of depressed girls engaged in seriously aggressive behaviour compared to only 13% of those who were not depressed. Overall, these findings suggest that depression in girls may put them at high risk for antisocial behaviour, In 2008, 700 males and 1,640 females were killed by their intimate partners, according to the BJS (Califano et al., 2009) report. Research shows, individuals who are prone to depression and are treacherously violent are more at risk of murdering their partners and killing themselves to, when the breaking up of a relationship occurs, (van Wormer Bartollas, 2010). In conclusion the gender factor is fairly crucial when examining criminal behaviour because it asses involvement and reason. There is a higher involvement of males in the criminal system compared to females. Women mainly indulge in less serious crimes like theft, whiles men usually indulge in more serious crimes. Van Wormer (2010) explained that neutral offences like assault or theft have different meanings to males and females. Miller (cited in Bernasco, 2010) brought to notice how the relations with social genders have changed and is now situational. Situations like relationship and trauma are major elements when focusing on criminal behaviour through gender, relationship and trauma regularly occurred and seemed to have the most efficient effect on the cause of criminal behaviour. Pollock Davis (cited in van Wormer 2010) claim that Policy and decision makers apparently have come to believe the myth that women are more dangerous than was previously believed. It is evident because, the arrest for women increasingly arose for aggravated assaults and simple assaults. This is clear through the dramatic contemporary changes of criminal behaviour compared to the traditional sexual scripts. Van Wormer (2010) believed that the basic biological factors that impinge on gender differences in criminality are informed by research on psychology and neurology, A biological approach accepts that there are fundamental differences between males and females and that these differences interact with cultural norms to influence differences in male/female criminality. Referencing: Van Wormer, K. (2010) Working with Female Offenders: A Gender-Sensitive Approach: Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Soothil, K. (2002) Making Sense of Criminology: Cambridge: Polity Press in association with Blackwell Publishing. Denov, M.S (2004) Perspectives on Female Sex Offending: A Culture of Denial: England: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Bernasco, W. (2010) Offenders on Offending: Learning about crime from criminals: USA: Willan Publishing.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Role of Technology in Management Leadership Essay -- Business Mana

The Role of Technology in Management Leadership Over the last sixty years of business activity, there has been new ways and means of conducting business through something we call technology. Technology is the advancement and use of electronic devices and other high-tech equipment to produce and progress knowledge into the future. Advancements in technology have affected management leadership in many ways over the last sixty years. New technology has altered leaders’ consciousness, language, and the way they view their organization. Technological advancements have made things easier for those in management leadership roles. But as with anything, there are positive and negative aspects of technology on leadership. Some of the positive aspects of technology are: the availability and use of wireless networking, collaboration tools, digital video, handheld devices, and videoconferencing. On the other hand, the negative aspects of technology are: it offers less privacy, it allows for less interaction with others, and it runs a h igh risk of contact with viruses. On the more positive side, wireless networking allows leaders to share resources with their team operating by means of wireless media, such as microwaves, cellular technology, and radio frequencies. Wireless networking is paving the way for technology integration around the world. The use of collaboration tools allows ongoing conversations among leaders, their subordinates, board members, and community members. Professional development is one area where collaboration can have an enormous impact on management leadership. When leaders can casually share new approaches and practices with each other through a technology connection to their workplace, both leaders and their team will benefit. One way of doing this is to create an Internet mailing list where they can share questions, problems, solutions, successful techniques, and less successful techniques. The Internet is enabling digital video to achieve professional-quality and two-way interaction. This will be one of the rare cases wh ere management leadership will be leading a technological shift in society as a whole. Hand-held devices are high-tech gadgets, now more powerful than early Windows or Macintosh machines. Handheld devices offer more versatility than full-size computers and are much more portable than the alternative personal device, the ... ... to remember that the Internet is a public place, and you should never assume that something is secure. Leaders should be the moral compass for groups, but... Technology has blurred some distinctions between what's right and wrong. Many institutions have been caught in the discourse about websites such as Napster. Some people seem to want to have two sets of rules, one for the cold reality of the analog world and another for the magical digital world. It may take many years to establish equilibrium. In the meantime, be clear and consistent about expectations, after you've given full consideration to the implications. Choose your battles, but be prepared to say "let's wait and see". Leaders appreciate differences, but technology threatens to marginalize others. As for any program goal, a leader should always ask "who gets excluded by this approach?" There is a misperception among many leaders that technology is naturally bias-free: The research suggests otherwise. Furthermore, ind ividuals from some backgrounds do not "buy into" or choose to participate in the emerging technology culture, as should be their choice. Be careful when a technological solution becomes the only solution.

Radio waves :: essays research papers

Science Competition Space Timeline This below is my timeline of space it should explain the many theories of how the universe came to be. It should explain about how galaxy was formed and what stage our star; the sun is in at this point in this present moment. The Time Line will take you from the moment it was created to the moment it will die. It will show each step in as much detail as I can find. The Big Bang Theory I am going to start the timeline with the big bang theory as people/scientists believe that it was at this point at which our universe was created The diagram below shows the early stages of the universe after the big bang. I am going to show you step by step how each stage happened and what it meant. The short section of the timeline below shows the short period of time, 300 million years after the big bang. Stage 1 The Big Bang-The universe began with an explosion that generated space and time, as well as all the matter and energy the universe has and will ever hold. For a small fraction of a second, the universe was an infinitely dense, hot fireball. The present theory described a peculiar form of energy that could suddenly push out the fabric of space. On a rare occasion, a process called "Inflation" can cause a vast expansion of space filled with this energy. The inflationary expansion could only be stopped when this energy had transformed into matter and energy as we know it. - Stage 2 Universe Shaped- After inflation, one millionth of a second after the Big Bang, the universe continued to expand but not nearly as quickly as it had done. As it expanded, it became less dense and cooled down. The most basic forces in nature were discovered: first gravity, then the strong forces then the weak followed by the electromagnetic forces. By the first second, the universe was made up of elementary (basic) particles and energy basic elements such as: quarks, electrons, photons, neutrinos and less familiar types. These particles smashed together to form protons and neutrons. Stage 3 Basic Elements Formed- 3 seconds after the universe had shaped Protons and neutrons came together to form the nuclei of simple elements such as: hydrogen, helium and lithium. It took another 300,000 years for electrons to be captured into orbits around those nuclei to form stable atoms.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Illusion versus Reality in Miss Brill Essay -- Katherine Mansfield Mis

Illusion versus Reality in Miss Brill  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Is it really "okay" to talk to yourself as long as you don't talk back? Well, what if your fur piece talks back? In Katherine Mansfield's short story, "Miss Brill," it is a quickly established fact that Miss Brill has an odd relationship with her fur necklet (440). But it is the author's descriptive use of symbolism that provides a deeper understanding of Miss Brill's personality. Katherine Mansfield creates the woman in the ermine toque (441) in similarity to Miss Brill to reveal Miss Brill's identity in connection with her own fur piece and invite comparison, which further illustrates Miss Brill's perception of reality.    Introduced in the story as simply "an ermine toque" (441), Ms. Mansfield establishes the woman wearing this fur hat as a symbol that assists in defining the relationship of one-ness Miss Brill has with her own fur. Through Miss Brill's description of the woman in the ermine toque, it is clear that Miss Brill perceives the woman in connection with the fur she wears (441-442). Miss Brill compares the woman's coloring to the color of her fur by pointing out that everything, her hair, her face, even her eyes, [is] the same colour as the shabby ermine"(441). Miss Brill goes on to describe the woman's hand as being "a tiny yellowish paw" (441). And when the woman exits Miss Brill's attention, she does not walk away as a human would, but she "patters away" as a small animal might (442). Miss Brill's inability to differentiate clearly between the woman and the ermine toque she wears reinforces Miss Brill's identity in connection with her own fur. Mansfield employs this description as a techn ique to suggest the need to interpret Miss Brill from the descri... ...nly a secondary symbol, it assists in enriching our understanding of Miss Brill's peculiarities while pointing out primary symbols, like her own fur necklet. How Mansfield employs the "ermine toque" to foretell the plot of the larger story demonstrates a difference between those who interact and constructively deal with conflict and those who run away, refusing to accept the realities of life. Miss Brill, who does not interact with life, chooses to interact with her fur which, though genuine, is not alive. Instead, she chooses an imitation for her own life by "sitting in other people's lives" (440) which, though reality, cannot remain her reality.    Works Cited Mansfield, Katherine.   "Miss Brill."   Introduction to Literature: Reading,   Analyzing, and Writing. 2nd ed.   Ed. Dorothy U. Seyler and Richard   A. Wilan. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1990.   440-43.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Political Effects of the Vietnam War on 1960’s Pop Culture

Tie Die, JFK, The Beatles, Drugs, Peace, Love, Dr. Martin Luther King, Woodstock, Go-Go Boots, Civil Rights, and Vietnam. When we say any of these words we think of the 1960's. The 1960's were a landmark in history remembered for effecting pop culture. What lead to such a dramatic change? In the 1950's the style was scarves, poodle skirts, and letter sweaters. The popular music was about teenage boyfriends and girlfriends. Then there was the 1960's. Could we have foreseen that people would wear mini skirts? Could we have foreseen that women would burn their bras in protest? Could we have foreseen that music would take a huge turn toward lyrics of peace, drugs, and mainly rock and roll? Probably not. What could have happened that would change American pop culture so much? There were many events that took place in the 1960's that had an affect on American citizens. The death of John F. Kennedy surprised and upset many Americans. However, the Vietnam War had the most profound effect on American pop culture. The Vietnam War changed music, fashion, and overall attitudes. Because of the Vietnam War and the undertones of the civil rights movement, 1960's pop culture significantly impacted our nation in a way that will be remembered for many years to come. 2Szymanski The Vietnam War still effects many people. Today, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is commonly associated with veterans of the Vietnam War. (Berk 346) During the 1960's there was an Anti-War movement that evolved from the Freedom of Speech Movement. This movement began on college campuses and spread cross-country. (Radical Times) The Antiwar Movement took place because people didn't understand why American soldiers were in Vietnam. People wanted the soldiers brought home. The Freedom of Speech Movement easily converted to the Antiwar Movement because of the similarity. People felt that this was not right and the issue was of such great importance that it needed to be addressed. I feel that the Antiwar Movement was successful and important because it did bring a lot of change to the nation. This change was both political and pop cultural. The Freedom of Speech Movement had limited success. In fact, the Antiwar Movement as well as the protests had a large effect on the ending of the Viet nam war. (Radical Times) In conjunction with the Antiwar Movement was the Civil Rights Movement. This event is commonly associated with Dr. Martin Luther King. However, the movement initially began with Rosa Parks and her ability to stand up for what she wanted, a seat toward the front of the bus. (Radical Times) At the time of the Black Civil Rights Movement a group called the Black Panthers evolved. This group arose as a militant group of young black men led by H. Rap Brown who risked his life to register blacks to vote in 1966. (USA Today) The difference between these civil rights groups is that Martin Luther advocated power through non-violence, whereas the Black Panthers promoted violence as a means to gain political footholds. (USA Today) For the African 3Szymanski American race there was a lot of momentum gained in the 1960's and there was a lot of ground made politically. The impact of these movements was phenomenal. The Antiwar Movement changed the dress, the music, and the style of nearly all college campuses in the United States. When a person would walk past a college dormitory there would be peace signs hung in windows. (Radical Times) The statement made was seen across America. A wonderful example of the effects of the Antiwar Movement on society is shown in Forrest Gump. There is a scene in which the audience sees an anti protest. The people there epitomize the effect that this had on pop culture. The clothes they wore and the music they listened to exemplifies the profound influence this had on the nation. The Civil Rights Movement is one that also made a lot of headway during the 1960's. The assassination of Martin Luther King had a profound effect on the American Society. This event impacted all races. Martin Luther King stood for the feeling of that time. His emphasis on peace was one that effected the entire nation. (Carroll 173) Martin Luther King Jr. is a symbol of harmony, human understanding, tolerance, unity, justice and brotherhood-for every generation. (Albright) Now that we have explored some of the political events that took place in the 1960's, we will explore some major changes in pop culture and how those relate to the political events in depth.The Antiwar Movement had a significant influence on the pop culture of the 1960's. This effect was shown through both music and fashion. The term â€Å"flower children† emerged from the anti war protesters. (Radical Times) They stood for peace love and harmony. They were the first to make tie die and hip huggers extremely 4Szymanski popular. They also had a large influence on the â€Å"natural look†. Women without bras or makeup and men with long hair and grown out facial hair. Prior to the antiwar movement, appearance was valued when one was neat and cleanly. (Walley) The pop culture of the 1960's was changed through the antiwar movement and one of the facets of pop culture changed was music. The following lyrics are from a popular song about the antiwar movement. â€Å"Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now.† (Forrest Gump) Popular artists such as the Beatles, Cat Stevens, and even the Righteous Brothers wrote music that inspired antiwar protesters and became associated with them. Further in this paper there will be information on Woodstock, a musical and historical event associated with the Anti War movement. The Antiwar Movement was not the only political event to have an effect on pop culture. Although the impact from the Antiwar Movement is seen the most the civil rights movement did have an important role in the evolution of the 1960's pop culture. The Black Civil Rights Movement did have an effect on American Society. The effect of this was not seen as much on pop culture, but it was there. The true effect is shown in the dramatic increase of popularity in rhythm and blues. Prior to rhythm and blues, jazz music was associated as â€Å"black music.† It wasn't played very much on the radio. However, in the 1960's more black artists emerged. The Black Civil Rights Movement heavily effected music. Toward the end of the 1960's African American 5Szymanski styles emerged as popular. â€Å"Afros† were a common and popular hairstyle. (NetFirst) The music styles of Jimmy Hendrix as well as many other African American artists became known as legendary. (SixtiesMusic.com) Albeit, the civil rights movement and the political ground it gained, put African American styles of fashion and of music in the American pop culture arena. As touched on before, the effect of politics (namely the Vietnam War ) had a significant influence on the fashion of that time. A feeling of the need for freedom†¦of expression and speech swept over the nation. Because of this feeling, people expressed themselves not only through words of protest and actions of protest, but through their clothing. This was the countries way of expressing themselves without saying a word, but through what they wore. As shown in an analytic pop culture web site, â€Å"Fashion is never just about clothes, but attitude and expression as well. Up until about 1967, fashion had reflected a period of discover for youth; fun-loving, outrageous and colorful.†(Sixtiespopdiary. -fashion) So, what were these fashions that were about â€Å"attitude and expression?† Miniskirts (and even later micro skirts), caused moral outrage and were one of the first dramatic styles to come out in the 1960's. Later, a sloppy look became popular with T-shirts and sandals. Skintight pants also became popular, even so as a unisex article. (Sixtiespopdiary-fashion) The world was changing as fast as the fashions. In a personal opinion, looking back on this time of a political whirlwind, fashion was just as confusing as the world was. In this subject having to with politics and society, Woodstock is able to show the political influence on pop culture in one single event. In a mere 3 days, 6Szymanski thousands of people and influential artists were able to almost spontaneously put on one of the most historically significant pop culture events ever. The hippie look was dominant. Rock and roll and music of expression were the dominant sounds. A feeling of freedom was dominant. In one event, the world expressed the feeling of an era. (Interview) Today, the world of pop culture hails this event by trying to repeat it. Much to the dismay of many, the event cannot be repeated. The later generation looks at the event and realizes that this event was one of expression without even knowing the political events of that time. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August of 1969 remain a legend even today. The spontaneous event captured a generation's good feelings. Ironically, there were nearly as many Americans at Woodstock as there were in Vietnam. (Interview) Woodstock took place for 3 short days and there was a lot of rain. People didn't care about the rain, food, or bathrooms. â€Å"No one wanted to let the essence or the aura go. Halfway through an era of bad news, in the middle of a horrible war, barely a year after the wrenching, terrifying assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy, an entire, desperately wished -for era of good feeling was compressed into a single place and time. That compression produced a corresponding intensity of wonder and delight.† (Interview) The reason for Woodstock is well understood. However, it amazes me that such a spontaneous event could have such an unbelievable turnout. 7Szymanski Jimi Hendrix was one of the most influential musicians associated with Woodstock. It was there that he played his rendition of the â€Å"Star Spangled Banner.† Jimi's rendition was considered a brutal insult in its time. It was said that it sounded like a â€Å"blasted seizure of the national anthem.† (Interview) However, today Hendrix's national anthem is popular. When Hendrix performed this there were approximately 30,000 people left at Woodstock. His performance was spontaneous. It was described as â€Å"†¦his great No to the war, to racism, to whatever you or he might think of and want gone. But then that discord shattered, and for more than four and half long, complex minutes Hendrix pursued each invisible crack in a vessel that had one been whole, feeling out and exploring and testing himself and the music against anguish, rage, fear, hate, love offered, and love refused. When he finished he had created an anthem that could never be summed up and that would never come to rest.† (Interview) In summary, because of the Vietnam War and the undertones of the civil rights movement, 1960's pop culture significantly impacted our nation in a way that will be remembered for many years to come. Throughout the nineties, the hippie look became a popular style as a way of expressing ourselves. Popular artists have redone music from the sixties. For example, Natalie Merchant has recently redone the popular sixties hit â€Å"Peace Train.† The movie Forrest Gump, which is a summary of both the political and pop culture America in the sixties, won best picture in 1994. Even today, the sixties are a political and pop cultural landmark for the nation. Does this say that the sixties were a period of more turmoil and more change than other decades? Does this say that the fashion change more dramatically and rapidly than 8Szymanski other decades? Personally, I feel this decade did. From an outlook of a person who did not live during that time or during the time of many other decades, that decade stands out far above many others. Many political and pop culture figures are remembered and recognized by all ages today. In this era, the politics and pop culture overlap. To think that politics affected Americans so much that politics changed people's perspectives is remarkable, even profound. The death of Kennedy and Martin Luther King had a devastating influence over an entire nation. Yet, everyone soon focused on that feeling of freedom and love. This roller coaster of emotions had a roller coaster of an affect. Has any other decade changed a nation so much and so fast?

Friday, August 16, 2019

Critical Minerals And Uses Of Precious Metals Environmental Sciences Essay

Today I will supply some background information on which metals are the most built-in to our state ; these metals are widely used in mundane life, in some manner or another, by most Americans. I will besides discourse the beginning and formation of our cherished metals, every bit good as where in the state – and the universe – they are normally found and mined. As with all natural resources, the opportunity of someday running out of these metals is non merely possible, but really likely. I plan to besides discourse solutions to this hereafter job, including the usage of both man-made and naturally-occurring replacements for each type of metal. Cherished metals are considered critical for good ground. They have a broad assortment of applications in industry, engineering, jewellery, and even medical specialty. It is agreed among mineralogists that the most critical minerals which fall under the class of cherished metals are gilded, Ag, and minerals in the Pt metals group: Pt, Pd and Ir. Although the U.S. went off the gilded criterion in 1972 thanks to President Nixon, gold is still normally used in the countries of medical specialty, jewellery, electronics, and industry. The component is lissome and ductile, so it can be transformed into assorted forms and made utile in different facets of industry ; it can even be made so thin that it is about crystalline. Silver, much like gold, besides has an array of utilizations in today ‘s universe. Besides the obvious usage in the jewellery concern, Ag is besides used in dental medicine, medical specialty, electronics – Ag even has a topographic point in the industry of c ertain types of vesture. Platinum group metals, which are known as PGMs, have a broad scope of applications. Platinum is normally used in electronics, catalytic convertors, jewellery, and dental medicine tools. Palladium, which is a comparatively rare metal, is besides used chiefly in catalytic convertors. It is besides used in jewellery, and surgical and dentistry equipment. Iridium besides has many influential applications in scientific discipline and industry ; it lends its belongingss to particle natural philosophies, acetic acid production, and the industry of engines that require corrosion opposition. Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Gold Beginning and Beginnings of Gold In naturally-occurring sedimentations, gold ( atomic symbol Au ) is found in the signifier of single nuggets ; it is besides found as grains and flakes in certain stones, or as venas. A vena is a mass of crystallised mineral found within a stone, normally formed as a consequence of deposition from after the necessary mineral elements are carried to the topographic point via an aqueous solution and precipitated out of the solution. Alternately, gold can be found in alluvial sedimentations – by and large as nuggets – which are unconsolidated sedimentations of deposit that have been eroded or otherwise shaped by H2O outside of a marine environment. By and large the gold found in ores is really little, but in some exceeding instances, really big nuggets have been found. Gold that occurs together with either vitreous silica or sulphide minerals – such as fool's gold, besides known as â€Å" Fool ‘s Gold † – is called a load sedimentation. Because g old has such a low thaw temperature compared to other metals, it is readily carried by hydrothermal solutions as a consequence of chilling magma, and so solidifies alongside the vitreous silica. One of the best topographic points to happen gold sedimentations is near the invasion of environing stone by a cooled magma organic structure. These lode sedimentations normally form inside clefts ( known as crevices ) within a slab of stone. Gold can besides be recycled from scrap stuff, and 190 dozenss of gold were recovered this manner in 2009 in the U.S. The most common geographic locations for gold excavation worldwide are southeasterly Australia, East Asia, parts of South America and Africa, and parts of the United States. Gold militias are highest in South Africa ( 6,000 dozenss ) , Australia ( 5,800 dozenss ) , and Russia ( 6,000 dozenss ) . Militias are different from mined measures because the gold in militias is held by a cardinal bank of a peculiar state, and used purely for payment to other states or organisations. The U.S. shops about 3,000 dozenss of gold in its pecuniary militias. Along with the Treasury ‘s Stockpile, the Department of Defense runs a Cherished Metallic elements Recovery Program ( PMRP ) , which works to achieve cherished metals for economic intents. Specifically, the DOD recovers cherished metals from metal bearing stuffs such as photographic and X-ray stuff ( from infirmaries, printing installations, exposure labs ) ; metal dust collected from vacuity sweepers ; and scrap/waste metals from industrial workss. The PMRP focuses on the metals discussed in this testimony, every bit good as Os, Rh, and Ru. Harmonizing to the British Geological Survey, as of 2005 the top location for gold excavation was South Africa, with a sum of about 294 dozenss produced. In 2008, the gold excavation industry in South Africa produced 2260 dozenss. But even though much of the universe ‘s gold comes from South Africa and China, there is some to be found in the U.S. The most abundant beginnings of coal in the U.S. are found in mines in South Dakota and Nevada. Uses of Gold The most common usage of gold today is for the industry of jewellery. Gold is besides an ideal industrial metal due to its opposition to corrosion, every bit good as its electrical conduction for usage in machine equipment and electronics parts. Harmonizing to the U.S. Geological Survey ( USGS ) , approximately 90 % of gold brought into the market yearly ends up in manufactured merchandises, while the staying part of it goes to both private investors and pecuniary militias. In 2009, 72 % of mined gold was used for jewellery, 7 % was used for electronics, and 21 % went into dental equipment and other assorted utilizations. Domestic Supply of Gold In January of this twelvemonth, the USGS published a trade good study on gold for the old twelvemonth ( 2009 ) . Harmonizing to this study, gold was retrieved at 50 load mines, every bit good as a few placer mines, all of which are in Alaska. As a side note, the difference between the two types of mines is that a load mine occurs within solid stones ( for illustration, in a vena ) , while a topographic point mine is an alluvial sedimentation – normally of sand or crushed rock – which besides contains of import minerals and metals such as gold. Smaller placer mines in Alaska and a few of the western United States besides yielded gold. A smaller sum of the 2009 gold supply besides came as by-products from Cu excavation operations. In the last few old ages, the purchase of gilded jewellery has decreased well, doing monetary values to increase. Last twelvemonth, gold mines in Nevada showed significant lessening in production, while a mine in Montana and another in Nevada closed, to farther cut down production. In 2009, the mean monetary value of gilded jewellery rose over 20 % higher than the mean monetary value in 2008. Due to recent labour jobs in gilded mines of South Africa, the rubric of top gold manufacturer shifted to China, with Australia and the U.S. following near behind. Although comparatively important sums of gold are mined here in the U.S. , a good part of it comes from these international beginnings. Last twelvemonth, 210 dozenss of gold were mined in the U.S. , and gold militias in the U.S. totaled 3,000 dozenss. Import Beginnings of Gold Although China is presently the universe ‘s top manufacturer of gold, none of our imported gold comes from at that place. Alternatively, the gold import statistics are broken down as follows ( for the old ages 2005-2008, the most recent records from the USGS ) : Canada – 30 % Peru – 29 % Mexico – 16 % Chile – 9 % Other – 16 % Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Silver Beginning and Beginnings of Silver Silver ( atomic symbol Ag ) , a soft passage metal, of course occurs as an metal with gold ; it is besides found in its native signifier, and in ores along with S and arsenous anhydride. However, the chief beginnings of Ag are really copper, lead, and nickel ores, which are mined in parts of South America, Mexico, China, Australia, and eastern European states such as Serbia and Poland. Mines which produce the highest planetary sums of Ag are located in Mexico, Australia, Russia, Peru, and, here in the U.S. , in Alaska. Silver, like most metals, organize compounds with sulphides inside the Earth ‘s crust. Metal sulfides which have dissolved in hot, piquant H2O within the crust finally precipitate as different minerals when they come into contact with ice chest H2O or air. Silver precipitates as a mixture with these other sulphides, which is how it is finally found at or closer to the Earth ‘s surface. It is usually found as a constituent of hydrothermal venas. Silver occurs natively, and is comparatively pure in this signifier. It besides occurs as ores, such as argenite ( Ag2S ) and chlorargyrite ( AgCl ) , and is recovered as a consequence of the Cu refinement procedure. Uses of Silver Silver is largely used for the intents of jewellery, utensils, industrial equipment, coins and decorations, and picture taking. The USGS notes that Ag has the highest thermal and electric conduction of all the metals. Pure Ag besides exhibits the whitest colour of any metal, every bit good as the highest optical coefficient of reflection. Because it has such powerful optical belongingss, it is used often to do mirrors. The USGS besides notes that the most common single-end usage of Ag is picture taking ; in this country, Ag can be found on photo paper, movie, and in darkroom and exposure lab chemicals used for publishing exposure. However, the demand for Ag in picture taking has declined significantly, from 2,290 dozenss in 1999 to around 900 dozenss in 2009 ; this is likely due to the rapid passage from traditional 35mm picture taking to digital picture taking worldwide. Harmonizing to the USGS, Ag is even used in vesture to decrease olfactory property. Domestic Supply of Silver In a mineral trade good sum-up of 2009 published in January 2010, the USGS provinces that the U.S. mined about 1,230 dozenss of silver- this supply of Ag was deserving about $ 520 million. As with gold, most of the state ‘s Ag comes from Alaska, with Nevada coming in at a close second. Last twelvemonth, 1,500 dozenss of Ag were recovered through refinement, including bit metal. The USGS notes that unlike gold, there is no authorities reserve of Ag. In the 1950s when the authorities reserve of Ag was at its highest, the U.S. Treasury was in ownership of the cheapest Ag, while any silver outside the Treasury significantly rose in monetary value. Since the authorities ‘s Ag was so inexpensive, demand increased steadily until the reserve disappeared wholly. Since Ag is no longer used to do American coins, there merely is no demand for authorities reserve. Aside from the measures of Ag we mine in the U.S. , we besides to a great extent on Ag imports from other states. Import Beginnings of Silver Over half of the Ag used in our today really comes from Mexico, with important sums coming from Canada and South America every bit good. Between 2005 and 2008, the import of Ag into the U.S. can be broken down as follows: Mexico – 54 % Canada – 26 % Peru – 15 % Chile – 3 % Other – 2 % Two-thirdss of the universe ‘s Ag trade goods came from treating Cu, gold and lead-zinc ores in 2009. From 2005-2008, the U.S. exported a sum of 3,850 metric dozenss of Ag to other states. More late, in 2009, we merely exported 360 dozenss to other states. Beginnings, Uses, and Supply of Platinum Beginning and Beginnings of Platinum The three most common and of import members of the Platinum Group Metals are Pt, Pd, and Ir. Platinum ( atomic symbol Pt ) is another malleable passage metal. Platinum is an improbably rare metal, and occurs at a concentration of merely 0.005 parts per million ( ppm ) in the Earth ‘s crust. The celebrated Bushveld Complex in South Africa is the top modesty of Pt in the universe. Harmonizing to the USGS, in 2009 South Africa produced the highest sum of Pt – 80 % of the universe ‘s Pt trade good, to be exact. Russia produced the 2nd highest sum of Pt that twelvemonth, at merely 11 % . Platinum can be found natively or as an metal with Ir. An metal is a solid solution of two or metals, in which the atom of one metal occupies unfastened infinites between the atoms of the other metal. Both Pt and Ir occur in perceptibly greater copiousness at the site of big meteorite impacts. This can be explained by the fact that the Moon and other extraterrestrial organic structures – particularly meteorites – incorporate a much higher copiousness of Pt and Ir than any topographic point on this planet. On Earth, Pt combined with other PGMs are frequently found in alluvial sedimentations. Some little Pt militias located in North America include the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, and the Absaroka Mountain scope in Montana. Uses of Platinum Platinum is a various metal that is really immune to staining, doing it another metal that is ideally suited for jewellery. It besides has first-class catalytic and electrical belongingss. Platinum has many utilizations in the chemical industry as a accelerator, and is used often in the production of fertilisers and explosives. Platinum even plays a function in the crude oil industry, in the refinement of petroleum oil and the production of gasolene. Harmonizing to the USGS, since 1979, the automotive industry has been the primary user of all PGMs, particularly Pt. PGMs are used often in catalytic convertors to keep acceptable exhaust emanation criterions. Platinum is a common metal used in jewellery industry and watch-making. Domestic Supply of Platinum and Other PGMs The lone two runing PGM mines in the U.S. as of 2009 were the Stillwater and East-Boulder mines in Montana. Combined, these mines produced 3,800 dozenss of Pt, 12,500 dozenss of Pd, and 1,300 dozenss of Ir in 2009. Small sums of PGMs may frequently be recovered from Cu excavation processes ; and, as with most metals, PGMs are recovered and recycled from other bit metal. Approximately 18 dozenss of PGMs were recovered in this mode last twelvemonth. About 900,000 dozenss of PGMs are presently in militias ; this means that they could be extracted for economic intents at a clip of much greater demand. Estimates of militias merely see the stuff that can realistically be recovered. The worsening economic system over the last few old ages has caused a reduced demand in car gross revenues, which in bend has caused less of a demand in PGMs since they are widely used in autos ‘ catalytic convertors. However, as research continues for the usage of fuel cells in autos, the demand for PGMs may increase once more – Pd is an cheap option to platinum in the accelerators of such autos. Import Beginnings of Platinum and Other PGMs The USGS provides a dislocation of imported PGMs from other economically of import states: Platinum: South Africa – 27 % Germany – 17 % U.K. – 12 % Canada – 5 % Other – 39 % Palladium: Russia – 46 % South Africa – 21 % U.K. – 17 % Belgium – 4 % Other – 12 % Beginnings and Uses of Palladium Beginning and Beginnings of Palladium Palladium ( atomic symbol Pd ) is another PGM considered to be a rare component. It is pale Ag in colour, bearing a close resemblance to platinum but with a much lower denseness and runing point. In fact, out of all the PGMs, Pd exhibits both the lowest denseness and runing point. Ore sedimentations of Pd are non common, but like the Pt, Pd has been found in its highest copiousness in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. In North America, it can be found in the Sudbury Basin in Ontario and the Stillwater Complex in Montana. These â€Å" composites † are known superimposed pyrogenic invasions ( LIIs ) or layered mafic intrustions ( LMIs ) . These abbreviations can be used interchangeably, since â€Å" mafic † is a descriptive term for an pyrogenic stone that is dark in colour and rich in Fe and Mg. LIIs are big, superimposed organic structures of pyrogenic stone found in ancient cratons. A craton is a really old, stable subdivision of the Continental crust. The formation of LMIs requires a big volume of magma over a short period of clip, happening within the Continental crust so that they finally become exposed at the surface due to eroding. Layering of these invasions occurs from alterations in mineralogy and texture. Most LMIs, including the Bushveld Complex and Sudbury Basin, are Precambrian in age. ( The Precambrian encompasses the creative activity of earth 4.6 billion old ages ago to about 542 million old ages ago. Precambrian minerals and stones are the oldest on Earth. ) Uses of Palladium Palladium ‘s chief usage today is in catalytic convertors, due to its really stable electrical belongingss and optimum catalytic belongingss. This metal is used to fabricate medical and dental medicine equipment aircraft flicker stopper, and, like Pt, jewellery and tickers. It makes a good jewellery replacement for white gold and Pt, particularly since its picket Ag colour is natural and it is reasonably hard to state the three metals apart merely by looking at them. Up until comparatively late, Pd ‘s chief usage in the jewellery trade was as an metal to assistance in doing white gold. In the electronic industry, Pd and palladium-silver metals are used to do platings in common electronics. Palladium, every bit good as the other cherished metals, is particularly of import in electronics because of how frequently computing machines are used in merely about every facet of life today – in occupations, research, schools, and places. Metallic elements with superior elect rical belongingss are used to do computing machine french friess implemented in CPUs, cell phones, and iPods, merely to call a few devices most people use day-to-day. Palladium can be one of the by-products of atomic fission, and can be recovered – though non needfully in important sums – from spent atomic fuel. Beginnings and Uses of Iridium Beginning and Beginnings of Iridium Iridium ( atomic symbol Ir ) is the 3rd most familiar and widely-used PGM. Although it is highly rare in the Earth ‘s crust, hint sums can still be found. Iridium is a well-known PGM due to its abnormally high concentration in a bed of clay at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary ( normally abbreviated as the K-T boundary ) . As celebrated earlier in my testimony, Ir ( along with Pt ) is found at much higher concentrations in meteorites than anyplace on Earth ; this cognition is one of the cardinal pieces of back uping grounds for a meteorite impact at the terminal of the Cretaceous Period ( about 65 million old ages ago ) , which finally would hold caused the dinosaurs to travel extinct. One of the rarest elements on Earth, Ir occurs at 0.001 ppm in the Earth ‘s crust – whereas in meteorites, the concentration is significantly greater at 0.5 ppm. As with Pt and Pd, the highest concentrations of Ir are found in the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. Very little sums of this metal are found in the U.S. and the remainder of the universe, most notably in impact crater and pyrogenic invasions. Along with its other PGM relations, Ir is often found in Cu and nickel metal. Since all three of these cherished metals portion similar physical and chemical features, it comes as no surprise that they are normally found together and portion similar utilizations in industry and fabrication patterns. Uses of Iridium Iridium is acquired through the excavation processes of Ni and Cu, and is a by-product of the two. As with Pt, Ir is really immune to corrosion and wear, so it finds many utilizations in assorted industries. Iridium by itself is used in direct-ignition engines, where its first-class catalytic belongingss come in utile and let the engines to run decently. Natural Substitutes for Cherished Metallic elements With the possibility of our cherished metals resources going depleted, we are now turning even more towards the usage of naturally-occurring replacements for these peculiar metals. Silver and PGMs make suited replacements for gold, particularly in the industry of jewellery. Harmonizing to the USGS, base metals reinforced by gold metals have excellent usage in electronics. This method is besides used in jewellery, and allows a jewelry maker to sell the merchandise as gold while utilizing less of the metal itself. Stainless steel is a common replacement for Ag. In fact, most mean kitchen utensils are no longer made of Ag ; a speedy hunt for â€Å" silverware † on any common shopping web site will demo that most kitchen utensils are made of unstained steel instead than Ag. In picture taking, many factors now contribute to the cutback of Ag usage, including movie with diminished Ag content and digital picture taking. Aluminum and Rh are normally used to replace Ag in mirrors and other brooding surfaces. Many of the common PGMs frequently substitute for each other. For illustration, some car shapers have begun utilizing Pd in topographic point of Pt – which is more expensive – in catalytic convertors. Additionally, shapers of electronic constituents are cut downing the sum of Pd used by replacing base metals or silver-palladium metals that contain somewhat less Pd. We can surely populate without jewellery, but in such a technology-dominated society, we about can non populate without electronics, particularly computing machines ; and, although it works for some people, it would be unrealistic to believe we can populate without cars. Therefore, it is particularly of import to be cognizant of the supply of, and replacements for, cherished metals, since they are used on a regular basis in these facets of life. Recommendations for Policy Related to Cherished Metallic elements An appraisal of critical minerals conducted by the National Research Council in 2008 offered basic suggestions that can be applied to cherished metals every bit good: Identify critical metals and merchandises made from them that are important to industry and engineering. Address the beginnings of cherished metals and the planetary production/use of their terminal merchandises. Address any geologic, technologic, economic or political restrictions on the handiness of cherished metals. Acknowledge the effects of any breaks in the supply of cherished metals in the economic system and work force. These recommendations serve as a foundation and a starting point for farther research on cherished metal use: how they are acquired, when and why they might run out, the effects of acquisition ( excavation ) and what the U.S. authorities can make to turn to these issues. Our state ‘s metal resources are limited and will finally run out. Unlike fresh H2O, which is easy recycled thanks to H2O renewal workss, the per centum of metals we get from recycling is smaller than the per centum we attain from excavation. Mineral formation is a slow geologic procedure, so the refilling of these resources any clip in the close hereafter is non even an thought to see. Logically, if we mine at a faster gait than that at which the minerals are of course replaced, finally these resources will be depleted. For the clip being, we are able to trust on other states to export cherished metals to the U.S. , but their resources are limited as good. We need to take action to guarantee that we preserve these resources. As I have discussed in this testimony, these cherished metals serve a broad array of intents, and it would be a shame for them to run out in our life-time, which is a possibility. We need to measure how long we have before our resources run out. Government bureaus that deal with mineral issues, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, are responsible for carry oning mineral resource appraisals and mineral-environmental appraisals. These appraisals can help the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to better manage land usage for excavation intents. The Mineral Resource Program ( MRP ) of the USGS is in charge of supplying information and research about the usage and supply of our minerals, including cherished metals. In 2003, the National Research Council ( NRC ) addressed four undertakings of the federal authorities in mineral scientific disciplines: Supply an indifferent beginning of information, accessible to the populace. Conduct general research on mineral resources. Support of minerals-related international activities that benefit the U.S. Advise, when necessary, on minerals use and direction. The MRP besides takes into history the sum of undiscovered metals that are likely located in an country. When an initial study was completed as portion of the MRP, the USGS admitted that it was during a clip of significant passage within the bureau ; this included decrease in staff members, important restructuring of the Geologic Division, decrease in installations, and alterations both in ends and leading – all marks that more updated appraisals of our metal resources need to take topographic point. A new MRP survey should turn to our state ‘s present and long-run metal demands. The precedence for an updated survey should be to supply scientific evidences that would let for informed decision-making as to how much of the state ‘s land should go on to be used for excavation, and how we can run into future metal demands despite low resources in the U.S. Mining minerals and metals has negative impacts on the environment. When metals are mined, important sums of toxins are released into the environment, particularly into the dirt and groundwater. Pollution of dirt and H2O is considered secondary taint, and is damaging to agriculture and works life, every bit good as our imbibing H2O supply. The processing and refinement on metal ores can besides foul the air. In recent old ages, with subjects like planetary clime alteration taking centre phase, environmental impacts of merely about anything should ever be taken into history. Consideration of environmental effects is of import in guaranting that land is non overused for mining even more than it is overused for other patterns such as agribusiness. Furthermore, it would be good to analyze how metal sedimentations behave geochemically when exposed to enduring procedures, every bit good as the environmental effects of these reactions. If this affair contributes at all to the lessening in o ur mineral supply, research on the topic may let us to forestall this lessening. A new MRP survey should sketch possible results of environmental impacts of metal excavation, which should be taken into consideration by the BLM when doing land-use determinations. Additionally, research demands to research the possibility of utilizing man-made ( semisynthetic ) substitutes for these cherished metals. When makers want to be use replacements for a certain metal, they by and large use a different naturally-occurring metal. Since we are at hazard of utilizing up our metal resources, it would be good to develop man-made versions of gold, Ag, and PGMs. These replacements should possess the same desirable qualities, including catalytic and electrical conduction. Another manner to cut back on metals usage is to recycle. Many states, including the U.S. , already used recycled stuff from bit metal, but merely little per centums of metals used today come from recycled beginnings. In 2009, 190 dozenss of gold came from recycled bit metal in the U.S. , compared to 210 dozenss mined. Merely 17,000 kgs ( merely 17 metric dozenss ) of PGMs were recovered from bit metal in the U.S. last twelvemonth, compared to 16,300 dozenss that came from mines. The exclusion is silver: in 2009, 1,500 dozenss of Ag in the U.S. came from recycled stuff, exceling the 1,230 dozenss that were mined. Even though metals are recycled, bureaus like the USGS can rede makers on new ways to retrieve even more material from bit metal. Metal processing workss should besides work to implement new ways of treating natural mined metals so that less of the metals are lost before being refined into the concluding merchandise. Not merely would that scheme be economical, but it would b e much less uneconomical excessively. Development and execution of synthetics, increased recycling, and more efficient metals treating might someday even let the U.S. to halt excavation all together, which in bend would cut down any harmful effects on the environment. The USGS, and any other federal organisations chosen to roll up and form critical minerals informations, should hold more authorization when it comes to policies affecting the recovery and usage of cherished metals. Surveies to better our usage of metals, as outlined above, should have the proper support, and multiple federal bureaus need to work together to spread out basic scientific research, and to advance the usage of new thoughts and engineering to better understand the effects, effects, and benefits of cherished metal use. Decision Cherished metals – specifically gold, Ag, and the platinum-group metals – serve many valuable intents in our economic system and our day-to-day lives. But merely as our oil resources will finally run out, so our cherished metals will someday go depleted every bit good. Until farther surveies are conducted, we will go on to be limited in our apprehension of how rapidly these cherished metal resources will run out. We must besides research any possible major environmental injury that may come from mining these metals, and what, if anything, we can make to extenuate such injury.