Education Is the Key to Changing Life Styles Essay

Narration essay by Marie Price 3 February 2009 for Engliish 1AMarie Price06 February 2009 I was once a young mother in an abusive marriage, uneducated, sacred, and wondering Is this life has in store me? I learned the hard way that no matter what mistakes I make in my life, with support of family and friends, I was able to choose a better life style through higher education and dedication. At the age of sixteen I got married and had a child. I heard the saying over, and again Just babies having babies. You could not convince me of that back then. As I look back now it was not one of my better choices. I had married a man who was a lot older than me, so therefore I just knew I was all grown up. My mother was not happy to say the least and a shouting match lasted for a few days. I told her if she did not sign the papers I would run away, do it anyway and she would never see me again. So against her better judgment she signed the papers. The first couple of years were good, but then it got abusive verbally as well as physical. Physical abuse is obvious black eyes, and bruises hidden behind sun glasses, and makeup. When there is verbal abuse you are told nobody will ever want you, and that you are to dumb to ever do any thing on your own, or you will never amount to anything. The funny thing about that is after a while for some reason you begin to believe it. After ten years of this, I finally divorced. I was scared and thought I was not going to be able to make it on my own. With a young daughter to support, I took my first step in many to come in my lifes journey, working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads, and it was not easy to make ends meet. I never went to high school; so I believed it was my destiny to struggle for the rest of my life. As a single young parent trying to be the best mother I could be, always at work I missed a lot of time with my daughter, time I wish now I had to do over again. It is 1998 I decided to take my GED test telling myself You will not be to pass this test you never went to school. Well I gathered all my will and took the test anyway; I remember waiting for t he results it was sheer touchier. Then came one of the best days of my life I passed the test. That was the first step in many to happiness that I am still working on to this day. In 1999 while at work at the warehouse I was employed at I met a man named Carlos, who to this day is a big part of my life. He is an educated man who is very well spoken, with lots of great advice. He and I became friends, and talked a lot about peoples choices in life. Carlos is a very wise man with a heart of gold. Trough our many talks I learned a person could do what ever they first, set there minds to and second, have the drive to want to better themselves. He seen something in me that I did not see in myself, the ability to go further in life, I ended up leaving that job for employment in Orange County as a credit processor. Thinking that was the job I would retire from. It did not work out that way; you hear the story over and over on the news, the company goes out of business and the employees are left out in the cold looking for work that is not there. This was at the end of 2007 like so many others could not find work. Bills going unpaid I lost my car first then my house shortly after, and became homeless, so for the first time since I moved out of my moms house so many years ago I felt that I had no where to turn and my ex was correct about not being able to make it on my own, with the feeling of complete despair I phoned my mom telling her my dilemma just wanting some one to talk to, I felt so hopeless, and alone not knowing what to do. Well my mom and brother talked, and then asked me if I wanted I could stay with them until I got back on my feet. I started some classes via mail and very well, one more step toward higher education. So I announced to my family I am going to go to college full time. It is now fall semester 2008 at Chaffey College; I have to my first semester was a challenge and the first couple of weeks I found myself calling my thirty two year old daughter Amy, a couple of times saying I do not think this was such a great idea, I dont know what made me think I could do this. Amy said to meMom dont give up I am so proud of you, and I know you can do this. With a lot of time spent at the writing center as well as the success centers I was able to shock myself once again. I received two (As) and one (B) last semester. Not bad for someone who never went to high school? I still have my struggles, this semester it is math but I am putting in the extra effort coming to campus on Fridays so I can spend all the time I need in the PS 12 math labs, because failing is not an option I have come too far, and I refuse to give up. I believe that without my familys support this wouldnt be possible to achieve my dream of making something of myself. I will be starting a new tradition in my family. I am proud to say I will be the first college graduate in my family. I have two granddaughters Anisa who is sixteen, and Angel who is thirteen. I constantly tell them how important their education is. I am adamant about the fact they will go to college as well, expressing to them how they need to be independent young women and seek higher education. I let them know what a struggle it was for me as a young mother, and how they deserve more in life. Could there be a better life for someone who quits school too young and becomes pregnant? With confidence in ones self and the ability to take it one step at a time all things are possible. When all seems lost friends and family will see in you the things we seem to over look in ourselves. It is not easy to return to school after being out for over twenty years, but I am here to say that no matter what mistakes we make in our lives, through hard work and dedication to higher education, all things are possible.

Indian Motorcycles: America’s First Motorcycle Essay

The specific purpose of this presentation is to inform the audience and give a brief insight into the history of the Indian Motorcycle Company. The desired outcome of this presentation is to give a sense of understanding to the audience with regards to Indian Motorcycles. 1. Introduction Indian Motorcycles – An exquisitely designed machine, a thrilling history and a wellknown rivalry with its competition Harley Davidson, makes the Indian Motorcycle a legend in its own time. The history of the Indian Motorcycle dates back to the turn of the 20th century. They have taken our troops into two World Wars and have set land speed records, one of which still stands today. a. America’s love for the motorcycle began in 1900 with bicycle racer George M. Hendee and engineering wizard Carl Oscar Hedstrom. In 1901, the partners, who were both former bicycle racers, unveiled their first creation, the 1901 Single. This was a 1.75 bhp, single cylinder engine in Hendee’s home town of Springfield. b. The Indian Motorcycle was produced from 1901 to 1944 under the Indian name. In 1945, the company was sold and consolidated into the Torque Engineering Company. Later, the company was divided, with manufacturing going to the Atlas Corporation and distribution to The Indian Sales Corporation. Following the war, Indian struggled with re-entry into the public market. In 1953, with sales continuing to plummet, Indian was forced to halt production. c. After numerous attempts to revive the Indian name since its close in 1953, several formerly competing companies merge to become the Indian Motorcycle Company in 1998. Manufacturing begins in 1999, but the venture proves unsuccessful, and 2003 is the company’s final model year. d. In 2004, Stephen Julius and Steve Heese, business partners who resurrected the dying Chris-Craft Boat Company, turned their attention to Indian. They acquired the trademark rights and in 2008 production began. In 2009, Indians start rolling of the assembly line in Kings Mountain, NC. and production continues through today. 2. Competition and the Indian a. One of the American firm’s best early results came in the Isle of Man TT race in 1911, when Indian riders Godfrey, Franklin and Moorehouse finished first, second and third. b. Indian star Jake De Rosier set several speed records both in America and at Brooklands in England, and won an estimated 900 races on dirt-tracks. He left Indian for Excelsior and died in 1913, aged 33, of injuries sustained in a race crash. c. In 1967, New Zealander Herbert â€Å"Burt† Munro, a 68 year old grandfather, used a self-modified 1920s Indian Scout to an under-1000cc land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats which clocked him at a top speed of 206 3 miles per hour. Forty four years later, Munro and his Indian’s record still stands. This was dramatized in the 2005 film â€Å"The World’s Fastest Indian†. 3. Modern Marvels a. In 1904, Indian wins the Gold Medal for Mechanical Excellence at the St. Louis Exposition. b. In 1906, Indian released the first American production V-Twin. More than 100 years later, the V-Twin engine remains most popular cruiser-motorcycle engine design. c. In 1940, Indian engineers incorporate the use of â€Å"plunger†. This is a spring, coupled to an oil-dampened shaft, and together becomes rear suspension. d. In 1943, Indian wins the coveted Army-Navy Production Award for its highly advanced shaft-drive, four-speed motorcycle built for the military. 4. Indian Models a. Indian introduced the Twin in 1907. b. In 1920, Indian expanded the model lineup to five. c. The revolutionary Scout, the 95 mph Chief, the even more powerful Big Chief, the lightweight Prince and the awesome 4-cylinder Four. d. In 1932, The Pony Scout and the Sport Scout were both introduced. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, Indian Motorcycles have withstood the test of time, although hard times did fall upon them and bankruptcy was filed. Production was halted for a number of years, but in the end America’s First Motorcycle has solidified its name in America’s history books. Indian Motorcycles proved to be engineering marvels from the first moment of conception through today. From the battlefields of World War 1 and 2 to the racetracks of days gone by, Indian Motorcycles are an American Icon. References Johnstone, G. â€Å"Classic Motorcycles† p. 44, 46-47 Tiger Books International PLC, 1993 Franklin’s Indians: â€Å"Irish motorcycle racer Charles B Franklin, designer of the Indian Scout & Chief†, by Harry V Sucher, Tim Pickering, Liam Diamond and Harry Havelin, pp. 46-50, Panther Publishing Ltd, 2011 Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 11 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 108-109 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 â€Å"Online Museum for Indian Bicycles†. Retrieved 2011-10-03 Wilson, H. The Ultimate Motorcycle Book p. 31 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1993 Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 271 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 Wilson, H. The Ultimate Motorcycle Book p. 37 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1993 http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/ Description of Visuals Title Slide 1– This slide introduces my presentation, states my name, date, class/number and Professor. Introduction Slide 2 – With this slide, I formally introduce my presentation. I used colors that are appealing to the eyes and relevant to the colors of my topic. The picture is a vintage Indian sign displaying one of Indians first logos. Main Point Slide 3 – This slide displays pictures of each of the two men that started Indian Motorcycles and gives a brief history of the men. Slide 4 – This slide describes more history and the picture represents a 1940’s logo. Slide 5 – This slide continues with history and the picture is of the traditional Indian Head Fender Light. Slide 6 – This slides finishes out the history portion of my presentation and the picture is of Indians biggest motorcycle â€Å"The Big Chief†. Slide 7 – With this slide, I introduce the competition part of my presentation and the picture is of an Indian hill climb race. Slide 8 – The slide talks about the racing efforts and the pictures are of two of Team Indian’s top racers. Slide 9 – This slide talks about the record setting Herbert â€Å"Burt† Munro and his top speed of 205 mph. The picture is of Mr. Munro and his machine. Slide 10 – With this slide, I introduce the engineering achievements and awards that Indian won. The pictures are of a V-Twin engine, a military Indian and the Indian corporate factory. Slide 11 – This slide list the various models that Indian produced and the pictures are of the Sport Scout, the V-Twin and the Pony Scout. Conclusion Slide 12 – This slide re-visits the main points of the presentation and finishes off with a Famous Indian Motorcycle quote. No pictures as of yet.

Western Colonialism and Capitalism

A lot of negative effects caused by Western colonialism and capitalism in the third world countries that have contributed to their current political and economic crises have been discussed; however, the main objective of this presentation is to discuss the progressive role played by Western colonialism and capitalism in the third world countries when contrasted with pre-colonial period and where they were left by their colonial masters to present date. Colonialism Colonialism refers to as a system whereby a state holds sovereignty over territory and people who are outside its own boundaries. It assumes the right of one people to impose their will to others. Between nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most rich and powerful states in the European countries such as Britain did own third world colonies. Up-to-date, the legitimacy of colonialism by European countries to these third world countries has elicited a heated debate in political arena and among the moral philosophers all over the world. Colonialism is not a new phenomenon. In the past society used to expand to immediate territories and settling it own natives on the newly conquered land. Such example includes the ancient Greeks, Romans and Ottomans to mention but a few. But it is evident that colonialism was not static but evolving due to technological advancements particularly in navigation that enabled connecting to the remotest parts of the world. Invention of the fast sailing ships facilitated reaching the distant ports in other side of the world while managing to maintain closer ties between the mother land of the master colonialism and their colonial territories. Therefore, the modern European colonialism materialized when it was possible to move large number of people across the ocean and maintain political sovereignty regardless of geographical scatteredness. Many political theorists have troubled themselves in attempt to reconcile ideas about the justice and law with the practice with which European ruled over the third world countries. In nineteenth century, conflict emerged that made tension to build up between the proponents of liberal thought and colonial practice. Many of political philosophers stood to defend the principles of attainments of universalism and equity while on the other hand they were antagonistic in bid to legitimize colonialism and imperialism. They reconciled this controversy with idea that, there was a need for ‘civilization mission’ which was to be for temporal period of what they called political dependence that was vital so that to make ‘uncivilized’ societies to advance in a state of achieving sustainable liberal institutions and self government. Capitalism Capitalism refers to European practices that not only include social practices that are easily practiced over geographical and historical distances but also encompass the ‘way of thinking’. The term capitalist has been widely used in the Marxist theory which refers to means of production that are on the hands of a few and operated for making profit and that the benefits realized from the production belong to the owners of the means of production. Mercantilism was the earliest form of capitalist in the olden days that originated in the Middle East, Rome and also existed during early Middle Age. It involved distribution of goods in the transactions in such way that there is profit making. In this situation, goods were bought from one place and move to another site to be sold at relatively higher prices. Beside Romans, Arabic cultures were also known of mercantilism. They had a long history on their trade routes in their major empires. Medieval Europeans learnt learned about this type of economy from their Islamic neighbors as it has been noticed in large number of economic terms found in European languages some which are derivatives from Arabic. Gradually, mercantilism in Europe evolved into economic practices that were eventually referred to as capitalism. Capitalism employs the same principle as mercantilism that involves large scale profit realization by acquisition of goods at lower price than selling them at a profit. Capitalism is characterized by several features. First, there is accumulation of means of the production such as materials, land and tools by minority of people. This property accumulation is referred to as capital and the owners of these means of production are known as capitalists. The second characteristic of capitalism is productive labor. Human work is of great importance because it facilitates the production of goods and their distribution. This happens in form of the wage labor. The striking aspects of wage labor here is that it is not invested in the product and it is considered to be efficient in terms of productivity. Capitalism boosts individual productivity by means of division of labor whereby productive labor is divided into smallest components possible. In capitalism, the means of production and labor is manipulated by the capitalist by use of rational circulation to gain profit. On the other hand, capitalism as a way of thinking is basically individualistic. This is true because it focuses on capitalist endeavor. This bring out the Enlightenment concepts of individuality in that all the individuals are not the same; the society is composed of individual in pursuit of their own interest and that they should be free to peruse their own interests, that is ,economic freedom. Also, this concept advocates for democratic sense in that individuals perusing their own interests can guarantee the interests of the whole society. Therefore, Enlightenment idea of progress is grounded on the fact that the large-scale social goal of unregulated capitalism can produce wealth and make the national economy wealthier and more affluent than it would otherwise have not been. So, essentially, capitalism as a way of thinking is built on the concept of economic growth (Friedman & Friedman, pp5). While this may be true, capitalism has been having a close link with adverse effects of human inequality and valorization that has characterized exploitation of one or more groups by others. It has been argued that capitalist relations evoke alienation of workers from the products they make. This makes both commodities and the workers circulating commodities that circulate in the expanding market. When the laborers are considered to be interchangeable, it becomes the interest of the capitalist to give workers low wage or no wage at all. By doing this, capitalists are able to create surplus of money from their capital invested meanwhile their commodities circulate in the market. Because human beings were one of the vital commodities for success in early capitalism, enslaved workers could be shipped between the colonial territories to the help in monocropping on the large plantations. Presently, capitalist is usually understood to be a mean of system whereby the allocation of resources is by dictates of mechanism of the markets that are driven by profit motive. The advantages of the capitalism are that the government does not interfere with the business because there is limited control over it and that people have choice on what they want to do and where. Also, people are at liberty to do what they want with their money. However, this mode of economy has negative outcomes. Because the government is required to liberalize the market it has limited control over it and this can make few businesses to take monopoly which may lead to inefficiencies. In addition to this, capitalism only reward those who are fortunate to have natural scare abilities and not necessarily as result of hard work and this lead to huge inequities in income and wealth. The Progressive role of Western colonialism and capitalism in Third world Even though colonialism and capitalism had its own shortcomings, nevertheless, there is also a positive effect on balance we can talk about. Before colonialism, Africa only knew of socialism which was widely practiced among different communities. Socialism is a system that advocates for collective ownership and management of the means of production and distribution of goods. It is the opposite of capitalism which is a system hereby economy is based on private ownership of the means of production and personal profit can be realized through capital investment and employment of labor. Colonialism brought a new idea to Africa that the material progress and prosperity were possible for the masses of people. Africans in pre-colonial period did not imagine that could ever happen. They assumed that the material possessions they had were fixed. They believed in such things like plenty of the harvest could result to increase of food in the basket but the idea that living conditions could be changed was strange to them. They did not have a clue of the prospect that instead of trekking for miles in search of water it was possible to have piped water homes. Colonialism brought idea of progress in humanity. They enabled them to realize that people have capability to improve their condition of existence and that tomorrow could be much better that today (Ondeng, pp 26). Development of Infrastructure When colonialism stepped into sub-Saharan Africa three main objectives were the driving force. First objective was to meet the increasing demand of the raw materials for their industries. Second objective was to be able to secure areas and their territories that could form the market for their industrial goods produced by the capitalisms as it was are of industrial evolution. The last objective was that, they wanted to identify and dominate certain strategic areas that would be their future potential region for their investments. Therefore, as it can be seen, the main aim of capitalism expansion through colonialism was purely economic. But it was first necessary through political process of colonialism to create colonial territories to be able to achieve economic goals. Establishment of colonial territories was immediately followed by setting out diversified changes that included both social and economic among subdued societies in order to fulfill economic targets. This called for breaking down the already existed social and political system which resulted in replacement of traditional chiefdoms and kingdoms by Western European political system and consolidation of colonial state. Greater portions of fertile lands were given to settler farmers who produced non-agricultural raw materials for western industries. In order to make this kind of economy efficient, there was a dire need to establish communication infrastructure such roads, railway lines and ports so that there can be a linkage between hinterland and coastal to facilitate securing resources and human labor. In such regions only footpaths did exist that were used by human porters and animal. Most of the roads and railway network seen today in many parts of African countries speaks of a positive legacy from Western colonialism and capitalist in Africa and other third world countries. A good example of such country is Nigeria. In pre-colonial period, transport systems were limited to porterage over the land that was only utilized by animal and humans and small boats in waterways that are in southern and central Nigeria. In states of Nigeria, there were extensive trade routes in its territories which also facilitated movement of goods across the deserts to trade with North Africa and extended to the coast that involved trade with European. The roads were maintained by local leaders using hired labor or conscripted locals on the basis of the age. During this period the basic means of transport were pack animals and human porters. When British claimed Nigeria to be its colony, is started building transport network that would make efficient its ruling over this territory and make easier utilization of the resources in the region. It started with construction of the roads which was later followed by railway lines construction. This facilitated movement of good and people from one place to another as the need demanded which was critical as it helped to maintain strong economic and political ties within its territory. Since Nigeria gained independence there has been little in building new infrastructure network apart from what was established by their colonial master. This has been so because the Civilian governments had experiencing budgetary deficit and their priorities were to maintain regional divisions rather than improving transportation network and building better one in accordance modern world technology. However, while some few military governments were interested in development of better transport system, this turned to be a day dream. Therefore, post-colonial transport systems currently existing are just minimal maintenance of the infrastructure which their colonial master had set. This is a clear indication of the progressive role the Western colonialism and capitalism did play in Nigeria before they had left (Husher, para. 4-9). Suppression of barbaric practices Colonialism brought enlightenment in Africa. During pre-colonial period some African countries cannibalism and pagan worship was common practices. Practices such as cannibalism were usually restricted to specific regions particularly in West Africa. Such practices were not necessarily driven by craves for human flesh but were basically for rituals and sacrifices. The belief behind these practices of man eating were to receive imbibe magic strength that was considered to be transferred by through soul material. This soul material was particularly identified by certain body part of the victim particularly the head. In the community that practiced such behavior they had a belief that if a young man ate the elder, such individual could get wisdom or if it was an elder who ate a young victim this could have added vigor. African had a strong attachment with the dead. In fact, cannibalism in Africa was part of religious act that consisted of complex rules that actually prescribed who should partake of the human flesh and who is supposed to be eaten and also clearly spelt out which part were to be eaten. It also described what parts of the victim’s body were to be kept as part of relics. There were other instances where medicines were made out of the human flesh. For instance, in Leopard societies in Sierra Leone, they used human entails to make certain kind of medicines. When the Sierra Leone became a British colony, the first thing they did was to bring to an end this practice. First, the British investigated what was happening in the jungle. When it had a breakthrough in its investigations to address this extraordinary killing of human beings, it passed a bill which was called ‘The Leopard Ordonance’. This outlawed any possession of a leopard skin that were usually worn by these people who practiced these rituals, a three- pronged knife and a special native medicine called Borfina that constituted a concoction of human flesh such as fat and blood. It was potent in the hand of its owner as it was believed to help one to be powerful and rich . Through use of law and assimilation of European culture Africans experienced a transformation that played a great role in liberating them from such practices. This helped to uphold human dignity and universal human rights particularly right to life (Karoline, para. 7-14). Modern medicine As many of colonial powers embarked on a political project to control much of the world, diseases were the major obstacles for their expansion particularly in African continent. Tropical diseases such as malaria among others posed great challenge because there was no efficient form of medical treatment that existed in African land before except traditional medicine. Many African had a belief that disease was as result of witchcraft or evil spirits as opposed to empirical approach in treatment and management of the disease by European countries . This necessitated them to have attachment of medical personnel to commercial marines and putting up of rudimentary hospital facilities at their colonial territories. A good example is development of medical care in Tanzania. Christian missionaries were the first to introduce allopathic medicine in the territory. Eventually the colonial master in Tanzania assumed the responsibility of providing the health care to serve the army garrison that was stationed in the region partly to counter indigenous resistance and also to provide health care to European settlers. In British colonies they promoted establishment of the London and Liverpool schools of medicine where the study of tropical disease such as those found in the region was given the first priority. After World War 1, Tanzania became a British colony and it assumed the control of colonial medical care where it provided medical care at provincial and district administration levels, voluntary services that involved missions and employer-based that catered for the medical needs at plantations, mines and factories. They also implemented preventative measures that were in form of public health programs. This greatly helped to address the health needs of African that never existed before. It is on the basis of these colonial efforts to address tropical diseases which were a threat to their lives helped to see African countries with improved health care and reduced mortality rate from fatal tropical diseases (Baer, Singer and Susser, pp 18-22). Conclusion Colonialism by the Europe countries was considered to be a mission of civilization to the ‘uncivilized societies’ to be able to advance in state of achieving sustainable liberalized institutions and self government. However the legitimacy of colonialism by these European nations has always staged unsettled debate both in political sphere and with moral philosophers all over the world. Colonialism proved to be the only way through which West Europe could peruse their capitalism motives in the third world countries. Even though there have been shortcomings associated with colonial rule there has been an overall positive effect for Africa. Colonial rule brought enlightenment where ignorance did thrive. It helped to suppress barbaric practices such as pagan worship and cannibalism among others. It laid the seeds of the intellectual and material development as seen through infrastructure development, formal education and modern medicine that saved many Africans lives from deadly tropical diseases that were considered to be caused by witchcraft. Also it helped to reduce the economic gap whereby integration of colonies into international capitalist economy ushered in initial stages of globalization.

Dietrich Mateschitz - Red Bull Events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dietrich Mateschitz - Red Bull Events - Essay Example The Austrian graduate in Business Management and billionaire developed his marketing skills, amongst other things, with the German Blendax company. Since 1987, Dietrich Mateschitz is trading with his â€Å"Red Bull GmbH† to reach world leadership in the Energy-Drink sector. He tried out a different concept which helped him in creating a product differentiation amongst other beverages available in the market. In order to create a market for the product he targeted the health conscious and sports loving youth, and rest is the history. The brand label of â€Å"Red Bull† is ever since associated with strength and endurance in sporting events. In association with a Thai partner, he conceptualized the idea of coming out with catchy slogans and contemporary advertisements, which appealed to the youth segment (Dolan, 2005). In addition this entrepreneur came forward in sponsoring extreme sports sponsorships. Terry and Franklin (1994) say that competence for a leadership job is the product of both inherited and acquired qualities. Therefore the leader has to be a good learner, so that he can acquire ideas and concepts while keenly observing the world around him and capitalize on the stronger points of the business entity while trying to minimize the effects of weaker points. During one of his many business trips to Asia with Blendax, he got to know about the booming market for energy- and adrenaline drinks, which were totally unknown in Europe and the Western part of the World. In 1983 he bought the license for such a drink and founded the business â€Å"Red Bull† together with his Thai partners Chaleo and Chalerm Yoovidhya in 1984. After some changes of the mixture and the development of the marketing concept, the product was launched in Austria in 1987. The Name â€Å"Red Bull† was directly translated from the former Thai name of the product â€Å"Krating Daeng†. ‘Often copied never equaled’ is

Ethical issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Ethical issues - Essay Example This principle is considerate of the existing laws in a society with the aim of ensuring harmonious coexistence among members of a society. An ethical decision under ethical formalism would therefore be focused on the motive behind an act. Utilitarianism, another ethical principal in judgment, focuses, on the contrary, to the consequences of an act as opposed to the intention of the defendant. This principle goes beyond an individual defendant to consider the effects of the defendant’s actions on the society. Based on the principle, decisions should be made with considerations of future impacts of the case on the society with preference being to ensure maximum happiness among every member of the society (Pollock, 2011). The case involves two defendants suspected of burglary. Utilitarianism will be the most suitable ethical principle in this scenario. This is because the defendants are a possible threat to the society and the impact of their suspected crime together with their future existence in the society is more significant as compared to their intentions for committing the alleged crime and during

Compare the LandAllotment Strategy used with the Choctaws with the Essay

Compare the LandAllotment Strategy used with the Choctaws with the Treaty Strategy that was applied to the Cherokee. What are the key differences between both - Essay Example While none of tribes were happy about this removal policy, simple demographics placed different tribes on different footing. Georgia, for instance, was the only one of the original American states in which Indians controlled the majority of the land on American independence (Anderson, 1991). Land allotments, therefore, would have defeated the purpose of removal. The status quo, in terms of land ownership, would have been preserved in large part. This, in addition to the discovery of gold in 1829 and the United States Supreme Court's refusal to treat the Cherokee as an independent nation, compelled a tougher stance. This tougher stance resulted in the Treaty of New Echota of 1835. This treaty strategy was based on a simple land swap philosophy. The Cherokee would cede their lands in Georgia and receive new lands in Oklahoma. There was no provision made for land allotments and the treaty became a heated topic among the Cherokee. More particularly, the majority opposed the treaty and rejected removal while a minority supported the treaty. The treaty party left voluntarily in 1836 and resettled in Oklahoma; the majority, however, refused to leave Georgia (Wallace, 1993). As a result, military troops were called in and these Cherokee were forced at gunpoint to leave Georgia and to walk to their new lands in Oklahoma. The consequences were extraordinarily severe. This forced march, known as the Trail of Tears, took place in the winter and the Cherokee had inadequate food supplies and inadequate clothing and shelter. Many Cherokee died of hunger and disease. There was nothing flexible about the Treaty of New Echota, it was signed by an unrepresentative minority, an d the consequences were devastating to many Cherokee. Choctaw and the Land Allotment Strategy The Choctaw also signed a treaty; significantly, however, this treaty provided a type of opt-out clause. This opt-out clause has come to be known as the land allotment strategy and it provided that under certain conditions the Choctaw, individually, could opt to receive certain land allotments in lieu of removal. Thus, some Choctaw could remain in the state of Mississippi as provided in Article Fourteen of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek: Each Choctaw head of a family being desirous to remain and become a citizen of the States, shall be permitted to do so, by signifying his intention to the Agent within six months from the ratification of this Treaty, and he or she shall thereupon be entitled to a reservation of one section of six hundred and forty acres of land, to be bounded by sectional lines of survey; in like manner shall be entitled to one half that quantity for each unmarried child which is living with him over ten years of age; and a quarter section to such child as may be under 10 years of age, to adjoin the location of the parent. If they reside upon said lands intending to become citizens of the States for five years after the ratification of this Treaty, in that case a grant in fee simple shall issue; said reservation shall include the present improvement of the head of the family, or a portion of it. Persons who

A rhetorical analysis of an argumentative article of your choosing Essay

A rhetorical analysis of an argumentative article of your choosing - Essay Example The article on gun laws was viewed almost by everyone in the world and especially the United States citizens. This was as a result of the Colorado cinema shooting fiasco. The authors’ argument is generally based on the perfect implementation of gun laws in the United States and the rest of the word. This finally will enhance the respect of the sanctity of human life. This paper tries to bring out an argumentative nature of the gun law article. This was because of various opinions from different individuals after the Colorado cinema shooting. According to these composed writers, in 2007, a total number of twelve thousand six hundred and thirty two people in the United States succumbed to firearms related injuries. Another 48676 were admitted to hospitals for gunshot wounds (Bellesiles 28). These two writers are of the opinion that; the restriction gun laws or even relaxing them will reduce the death toll thru shooting which has been a contentious issue in America. These intelle cts on law furthermore argue that proponents of tighter gun laws will definitely do away with these vital and risky weapons falling on wrong hands. These wrong hands in their argumentative article may include criminals, addicted drug users or even the mentally ill individuals (Carter 180). The two with no doubt believe that drug users are majorly the result of the senseless shooting in the public social settings. The gun laws article also criticises the age individuals should be allowed to acquire guns. In the United States, the bare minimum age to hold a gun legally is eighteen years old. This to some extent is not appropriate for these young individuals are not mature for an efficient and effective decision-making (Ramage 98). This according to these two researchers cum writers, in most cases, has also resulted into premature exchange of words and shooting senselessly by the young individuals in the United States. These two writers also believe it is not only in the United States where gun laws are very weak, but this extends to several parts of the world. In a country like South Korea, these prolific writers believe and thus argue that homicide cases related to guns are far less compared to the United States due to strict gun laws which they as well understand is the father of democracy. These examples of fundamentally different states in thefield of gun laws prove that restricting gun laws will actually benefit the populace. These writers, on the other hand, argue that restricting gun laws is more beneficial. Through the restriction of gun laws, the articles firmly believe and argues that day-to-day senseless shooting is curbed totally. Private gun dealers who sell guns ignore critical regulation to those who purchase the guns hence about 85percent of all guns used in crimes unrecovered by law enforcers are linked to them. All these private party sales allow almost everybody to put a stockpile of weapons (Spitzer 238). This as well greatly undermines the g overnment efforts to control the illegal firearms in the country. A private party gun sale is completely unwarranted. This makes the private party gun sales comparable to over the counter purchase of home effects. There are those who argue and believe that relaxing gun laws would create a safer state. Gun advocates and gun manufacturers strongly argue that more guns equals’ tighter security as every gun holder can act as a police. An example is where a criminal or terrorist who pulls out an assault automatic rifle to start

Respond to post Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Respond to post - Article Example We cannot see any disadvantage of these efforts and can declare it as a good investment. But if we look closely, we can find out some new facts. We have determined the ways to prevent the devastating harms of wars but we must ask the question about the more and more dangerous weapons which are clearly used beyond safety purposes. These weapons and machineries are killing our own people. What is causing these harmful outcomes? What is making the wars more and more destructive? What is making people more and more motivated to use their knowledge in a negative way? Probably the mistake is made by our own people, educators or their lack of watchfulness. We cannot deny the usefulness of the new developments, yet, we are far behind in saving ourselves from those advancements. These new technologies must be ‘used’ not ‘misused’. 2: It is undoubtedly clear that America is one of the wealthiest, prosperous and strong countries. It has gained this power and success after great struggles and efforts. However, there are some natural benefits that America had. Regardless of these natural benefits we can still conclude that American nation has utilized its intellect, insight and creativity to make the most out of these benefits. It is evident that education helped them enhance their abilities, creativity and inventiveness. There more and more emphasis on education created the great personalities who developed and invented new technologies which were beneficial to utilize those natural resources in a more fruitful way. Many other countries are also full of natural resources but their inattention to education they are left behind. 3: Knowing the importance of education, researchers and educators are always in a search to find out the best possible way to maintain all the children on the same level. However, due to some disabilities, weaknesses or mental miseries some children do not

Analyse of the book Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analyse of the book - Assignment Example The second section evaluates the arguments of the article, the third and last section assesses the significance of the article. The theme of the article under review is interactive television, abbreviated as ITV or iTV. ITV is a type of media convergence that adds data services to conventional television(Oliver & Grant, 1995). These value-added services include the delivery of content on-demand as well as newer services such as online banking and shopping. ITV illustrates that new information technologies can be integrated into older, established technologies and enterprise settings. This contrasts with those technological advancements that create economic opportunities outside established commercial arrangements. An example of the second category of technologies is the Internet. The first patent for interactive TV was registered in the USA in 1994 and commercialized the following year. iTV presents a scale of the level of interactivity that ranges from low to high through medium(Oliver & Grant, 1995). Low interactivity allows the television viewer to perform basic tasks such as increasing and reducing volume and switching between channels. Medium interactivity may enable the viewer to watch a movie on demand, but without the ability to adjust sound effects, for example. High interactivity offers the viewer the greatest degree of flexibility. An example of a high interactivity environment is a show in which the viewer of the show is invited to cast their vote to determine who the shows progresses. The provider of a program need not provide a return path in low and moderate interactivity settings. For instance, a person who downloads a movie from an online movie store can watch the movie on their personal computer once the movie is downloaded. The movie store may have provided the viewer with software they need to watch a movie, but is not involved in the actual wat ching of it. For interactivity to be said to exist, the viewer has to be in

Philosophy of life Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of life Essay What is the meaning of life? The answer to this question has sought over since mankind became capable of exercising their brain capacity past a level of primal instinct. In general life is rather meaningless, we all simply exist together on this planet. But before one dwells on the pointlessness of human existence, they should think about the purpose of each individual person in our society. We create goals for ourselves; we all have a role to play in our society. In a sense, we choose our future and in doing so, give ourselves a purpose to live. The purpose of human existence in general may be absent, but in our society and through our goals and achievements, I believe each individual creates their own purpose. Through one question I realized this great truth: what do you want to be when you grow up? For the longest time, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. What did it matter to me anyway? I was a kid (well, I suppose I still am) and didn’t like any of the generic jobs they told us about in elementary school. Police force, teachers, fireman, none of them interested me. Then, in middle school, my life changed, a lot. I got completely new friends, after the old ones left me behind. I slowly started to become more and more enclosed, I spent most of my time out of school alone. As I developed into this over-dramatic teenage state, life suddenly became meaningless. I would often find myself sitting bored in my room, mindlessly surfing the internet or playing videogames. I slowly started to hate it; it was like I could feel my brain melting inside my head. I needed to find a more constructive hobby, and so I found myself musical instruments and started creating more and more music every day. Music became my life and from then on, I knew that my goal, the meaning of my life, was to become a musician. I believe that life was meant to be enjoyed; nobody wants to spend their life in a dead end job. After all, just how much meaning is in an unhappy life? Just ask Monty Python’s John Cleese, who states, â€Å"If I had not gone into Monty Python, I probably would have stuck to my original plan to graduate and become a chartered accountant, or perhaps a barrister lawyer, and gotten a nice house in the suburbs with a nice wife and kids, and gotten a country club membership, and then I would have killed myself. † I find this quote strongly inspiring because instead of choosing a highly respectable, well paying job and living a comfortable life, he choose to work with some of most popular men to ever wear woman’s clothing. Comedy is what he finds gives meaning to his life, and although his second choices would have been nice, Cleese didn’t find as much value in them as he did in Monty Python. Perhaps life itself is meaningless, but I believe it doesn’t have to be. I believe that a happy life is a meaningful one. I believe that mankind may not collectively have a reason for existence or a common goal, but each individual certainly does. I believe that each and every person has to create their own reason to live, instead of waiting for that reason to come to them, or they must just find themselves waiting forever.

The Second Vatican Council Theology Religion Essay

The Second Vatican Council Theology Religion Essay Just a few years (1950s) after upheaval of World War II (1939-1945), The Western world had experienced a stupefying technical, scientific, and economic expansion that had given countless people occasion to put their trust in material goods even while other millions of people lived in devastating poverty and suffering. Militant atheism abounded, and the world was undergoing a grave spiritual crisis. The Churchs response to the crisis of humanity as it manifested itself in the middle of the twentieth century parallels what Johns Gospel says about the John the Baptist: He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. The Second Vatican Council announced by Pope John XXIII on January 25, 1959-1962 became the mechanism of Church renewal, the method by which the Church would increase its participation in the life of Christ and became the symbol of the churchs openness to the modern world. His intention in convoking the Vatican Council was to renew the life of the Church, to reform structures and institutions that needed updating, and to discover ways and means of promoting unity among all Christians, and by directing Christian presence in the world to the works of peace, justice, and well-being. He used the Italian word AGGIORNAMENTO (ppt), its general meaning is to bring up to date, to renew,to revitalize. He called the council the new springtime (ppt) of life in the Church while remaining loyal to the sacred patrimony of truth, as received from the fathers. Vatican II modernized the Catholic Church. Participation of the laity in the liturgy of the Church was made possible, and the reforms of the liturgy brought the Mass and the sacraments closer to the people so that they can participate more intelligently. ( ppt picture of before and after of the old and new liturgy) The results were immediately experienced most dramatically in the transformation of parish worship into the vernacular languages throughout the world. Vatican II opened scripture more fully for the faithful in their participation in the Church year through the liturgy. It encouraged the laity (through councils) to assist their pastors in the work of the Church and priests (through synods or senates) to assist their bishops, without in any way confusing roles or usurping authority. Out of Vatican II came (ppt of the 16 documents highlight Lumen Gentium and Gauduim et spes) . Most notable were the constitution On the Church, in eight chapters (also called Lumen gentium), It introduced the biblical teaching that the church as a whole was the people of God, including both clergy and laity. This reversed centuries of virtually explicit assertion that the clergy alone were the church. Both laity and clergy, the document affirmed, shared in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly functions of Christ. The decree On the Laity and the constitution On the Church in the Modern World (also called Gaudium et spes) charged lay people to undertake their work in the world in all walks of life as Christian vocations, as a lay apostolate which shared directly in the continuation of the work of the apostles of Christ (ppt). This too undid centuries of emphasis on the clergy, monks, and nuns as virtually the sole possessors of Christian calling. Pope Paul VI put it this way: Our intense desire is to see the Church become what Christ intended it to be: one, holy, and entirely dedicated to the pursuit of that perfection to which Christ called it and for which He qualified it (Ecclesiam Suam, 41). Vatican Council II also honored with special love the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, who is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son. In Mary the Church holds up and admires the most excellent fruit of the redemption. In Mary the Church joyfully contemplates, as in a spotless model, that which the Church herself wholly desires and aspires to be. Following Vatican II, On February 2, 1974, Pope Paul VI issued a magnificent apostolic exhortation ppt (Marialis Cultus) for the right ordering and development of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. JP II AND VATICAN II One of the most active Vatican II Council Fathers was a young archbishop from Cracow (Bishop Wojtila). He made a significant contribution to what was to become the Pastoral Constitution of the Council Gaudium et Spes on the Church in the Modern World, and to the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium. All this was to be of use in preparing for his future responsibilities of the Successor of Peter. In describing the main orientation of his pontificate Pope John Paul II declared in Mexico City on May 6, 1990, The Lord and Master of history and of our destinies has wished my pontificate to be that of a pilgrim pope of evangelization walking down the roads of the world bringing to all peoples the message of salvation. (Video of JPII and his visits all over the world) Utube Venerable John Paul II: The record breaking pope (2:31 min) Since the beginning of his pontificate the Pope undertook over eighty missionary trips. He led the people of God into the third millennium with the conviction that the nineties were an extended season of advent leading us to the Great Jubilee of the Incarnation. He believed that the new evangelization is very much tied up with entering a new missionary age, which will become a radiant day bearing an abundant harvest, if all Christians, and missionaries and young Churches in particular, respond with generosity and holiness to the calls and challenges of our time. After the voyage in Poland in 1991, the Pope noticed that, during the Mass in Warsaw, in the farthest parts, the young people came and went away, drank beer or coca-cola, and came back. He was always conscious not only of the VIPs, but the margins and placed importance on what he observed. He started the World Youth Day (ppt of images of the World Youth Day), and the Pope gave his support to various forms of activity of the lay people in the life and mission of the Church. This paved the way to the very meaningful initiatives, some years later, during the pontificate of Benedict XVI such as the holding in September 2010 in Korea, of an important Congress for the lay Catholics of Asia; the meetings of African bishops who are ever more encouraging the lay people to hold positions of responsibility in the sectors of evangelization, social activity and in the Churchs educational sphere; and the significant presence of lay Catholics in the continental Mission of Latin America. The Witness of the Saints (ppt of Saints from various continents canonized during the term of JP II ) Pope John Paul II canonized numerous saints, and beatified blessed. He believed that the Holy Spirit raises up saints who show us precisely what doctrine lived looks like, setting the good of a fully human life before all those who seek precisely such a meaningful existence. The very testimony of their Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have the power to draw men to belief and to God; for the Lord says, Even so let your light shine before men in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. New Evangelization The expression New Evangelization was popularized in the encylical of Pope Paul VI (ppt) Evangelization in the Modern World (Evangelii Nuntiandi) , as a response to the new challenges-that the contemporary world creates for the mission of the Church. Pope Paul VI in his apostolic exhortation stated, We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church. It is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present day society make all the more urgent. (Ppt) Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize. Pope John Paul II saw the need for a great relaunching of evangelization in the present life of the Church in a variety of ways. In (ppt) Mission of The Redeemer (Redemptoris Missio ), the Pope presented a new synthesis of the Churchs teaching about evangelization in modern times. When Pope John Paul II used the term a new evangelization he did not mean a new message. Evangelization cannot be new in its content since its very theme is always the one gospel given in Jesus Christ. He noted that there are a diversity of activities in the Churchs one mission. He stated that evangelization should not be limited to individual unbelievers but also addressed to non-practicing Christians and to entire cultures (those that need re-evangelizing and those who do not yet believe in Christ). When the popes talks about evangelization that is new, it is about (ppt) evangelization with a new ardor, methods and expression. It must be adapted to the people of our day. Pope John Paul II would carry this theme forward by saying that in order for the Church (ppt) to be an evangelizing community she must first be an evangelized community. Before the Church can play a role in leading others to conversion the faithful must be converted. Missionary activity, declares the pope, renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. (ppt) Faith is strengthened when it is given to others! In Redemptoris Missio John Paul II sketches out some of the characteristics of the new evangelization. (ppt with relevant images) New Evangelization is Christocentric- founded on the person of Jesus Christ and His gospel The New Evangelization is the responsibility of the entire People of God. The New Evangelization is not just for the foreign missions both situations needing primary evangelization (ad gentes), and re-evangelization, or pastoral care The New Evangelization is directed to individuals and to whole cultures. The intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through the integration in Christianity and the insertion of Christianity in the various human cultures leading to, a civilization of love. The New Evangelization is not limited to the presentation of the basic Gospel message (kerygma) but is a comprehensive process of Christianization. involves catechetical instruction, moral doctrine and the social teaching of the Church. They are joined to God through the sacraments and the Church community. The New Evangelization calls for a missionary spirituality The fundamental activity of those called to be missionaries is receptivity to God, of complete docility to the Holy Spirit. Receiving is the condition for doing the work of an evangelist. According to JP II, In order to pass on the Gospel to others it must have first permeated our lives. The popes call to a new evangelization is a prophetic and revolutionary calling to the Roman Catholic Church. From the time of JPII to Pope Benedict XVI, the Church continues to re-directed, re-focus its priorities, and commit all of the Churchs energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to (ppt) proclaim Christ to all peoples. The Clergy and Laity: Partners in New Evangelization Role of media in evangelization Fr Robert Barron (Catholicism Series) Great adventure Bible series ( ppt pictures or clips) Movies: (clips from The passion Christ, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Les Miserables and video of Fr Robert Barrons review of Les Miserables) Social Media internet, FB, Twitter, Utube, pod casts, radio, TV (ppt pictures) Theology of the Body Christopher West (clips from the CFC conference) Youth (clips from Fam Min international faces) Missio ad gentes (clips/pictures from foreign mission) Conclusion: Pope Benedict has made Christian joy a central theme of his pontificate and of the Year of Faith in particular. In this he shows the continuity of his pontificate with that of his predecessor, John Paul II, and through him with Paul VI and Vatican II. Joy is the language of human happiness. A fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Gal 5:22), it accompanies the faith that receives the Good News of Gods love fully revealed in Jesus Christ. Most recently (2012), the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization was convened by Pope Benedict. His message to the People of God is to proclaim that the Church continues Christs mission by accompanying mankind in its search for meaning. It draws light from a Gospel passage: Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman (cf. John 4:5-42). There is no man or woman who, in ones life, would not find oneself like the woman of Samaria beside a well with an empty bucket, with the hope of finding the fulfillment of the hearts most profound desire, that which alone could give full meaning to existence. Today, many wells offer themselves to quench humanitys thirst, but we must discern in order to avoid polluted waters. We must orient the search well, so as not to fall prey to disappointment, which can be disastrous. In the document summarizing the Synod, it says that like Jesus at the well of Sychar, the Church also feels obliged to sit beside todays men and women. She wants to render the Lord present in their lives so that they could encounter him because he alone is the water that gives true and eternal life. Only Jesus can read the depths of our heart and reveal the truth about ourselves: He told me everything I have done, the woman confesses to her fellow citizens. The sinner who was converted becomes a messenger of salvation and leads the whole city to Jesus. The people pass from welcoming her testimony to personally experiencing the encounter: We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world. Pope Benedict XVI makes an appeal that a new generation of Catholics inwardly renewed may rise. ( Creatives: representatives of groups of people coming on stage as a response to the call of the Pope) He called on Catholics to commit themselves in politics without any inferiority complex. He goes on to call for a new generation of good intellectuals and scientists, attentive to the fact that a scientific perspective that ignores the ethical and religious dimension of life becomes dangerously narrow (London, St. Marys College, 17th September 2010); the Pope calls for a new generation of committed Christian laypeople capable of seeking, with competency and moral rigor, solutions of sustainable development (7th September 2008). He called on the Catholic youth to become so strong in the faith not beset by confusion or misunderstandings, but looking beyond the human failings of individual members of the Church and striving for personal perfection in Christ Jesus that the reality and the sanctity of the Church, its true face, will truly be known and loved by all the world. As we look to the future we can know that, as in the past, Satan and the forces of evil will always be there, attempting to destroy the Church The history of the Catholic Church will always be full of pages of great and lesser saints who testify to that mark of the Church we call holiness. The Church of tomorrow will be the same as the Church of yesterday, of the last century, and of the first century. But like a newly conceived human life in its mothers womb, is a continuum, still the same life when it is born as it is one hour, one day, or fifty or eighty years later. So the Catholic Church, Christs Mystical Body of today and the future, will always b the same Church Jesus Christ founded twenty centuries ago. Individual members of the laity, religious, priests, bishops, and our Holy Father the pope change with the passage of years. Still, it is the same Church, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.( ppt) We are a Church Alive, throbbing with vibrant life! It is of Christ, the God-Man himself. It is human, and also divine. With the eyes of faith, each member must see beyond its human quality and witness the inner divine reality which is Christs Mystical Body. It will always retain its oneness, its catholicity (universality), and always remain apostolic; the only Church built upon the apostles and promised that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. Ending Song ( Jubilee Song) (refer to previous Icon during the Jubilee year and make it a relaunch of new evangelization with new choreography perhaps a new arrangement) review the utube version of Donna Cruz and come up with our own version with relevant new evangelization images. Can we add verses The Jubilee Song lyrics Its a time of joy, a time of peace A time when hearts are then set free A time to heal the wounds of division Its a time of grace, a time of hope A time of sharing the gifts we have A time to build the world that is one Its the time to give thanks to the Father, Son and Spirit And with Mary, our Mother, we sing this song Open your hearts to the Lord and begin to see the mystery That we are all together as one family No more walls, no more chains, no more selfishness and closed doors For we are in the fullness of Gods time Its the time of the Great Jubilee Its a time of prayer, a time of praise A time to lift our hands to God A time to recall all our graces Its a time to touch, time to reach Those hearts that often wonder A time to bring them back to Gods embrace Its the time to give thanks to the Father, Son and Spirit And with Mary, our Mother, we sing this song Open your hearts to the Lord and begin to see the mystery That we are all together as one family No more walls, no more chains, no more selfishness and closed doors For we are in the fullness of Gods time Its the time of the Great Jubilee Open your hearts to the Lord and begin to see the mystery That we are all together as one family No more walls, no more chains, no more selfishness and closed doors For we are in the fullness of Gods time Its the time of the Great Jubilee Its the time of the Great Jubilee

History and Patterns of Left and Right Politics

History and Patterns of Left and Right Politics ROLE OF LEFT/RIGHT IDEOLOGIES TODAY INTRODUCTION ‘Left’ and ‘Right are widely used terms today which are differently by scholars. The essay seeks to explore the history of the Lefts and Rights. It defines their views, analyses its importance in the context of the past as well as the present. The relevant terms have a different meaning in varied political systems. An attempt has been made to give it an objective, perspective and to view its varied dimensions critically. We understand how the ideological beliefs have changed over time and the importance of role played by the Left/Right has altered. The Left-Right political spectrum classifies political Positions, ideologies and parties. The Left includes the socialists, communists, secularists, anti-imperialists, anarchists and anti-capitalists. The Rights are the conservatives, capitalists, monarchists, traditionalists, Nazis and Fascists. The main factor dividing them is class. The Left’s target is ensuring social Justice via economic policies but the Rights defend private property and consumerism. The Left upholds the power of human reason to attain progress, believes in secularity and sovereignty exercised through legislature. To the Rights, this is anti-clerical, unrealistic and reveals class hatred. They believe that the Church is instrumental in binding people socially and a strong political leadership can reduce social and political divides. The Left oppose this as authoritative, repressive and dislike any religious doctrine being imposed on the population. HISTORY OF LEFT/RIGHT IDEOLOGY The term Left and Right evolved during the French Revolution of 1789, when the members of the National Assembly were demarcated. The supporters of the king were positioned to the President’s right and the revolutionists to his left. With different historical phases, the seating arrangements changed. The terms had no link to political ideology but only to seating in the legislature. The 19th century saw a cleavage between Monarchists and Republicans after the Third Republic was established there was a demarcation between supporters of a strong executive on the Right and the people who supported the primacy of the legislature on the Left. But in the twentieth century, Left and Right described the citizen’s specific political ideologies. The Rights were the party who upheld the interests of the upper or dominant classes while the left was associated with the lower economic and social classes. While the Rights favored aristocracy and wealth, the Lefts fought for equal oppor tunities for the less advantaged. (Left-Right Politics) CURRENT PATTERNS OF LEFT AND RIGHT IN DIFFERENT POLITICAL SYSTEMS Different geographical regions have different patterns of Left and Right. Political thinking has expanded from its Western European origin all over the globe except the Middle East. Most citizens including the voters and political elites in developed democratic countries use the Left/Right scale for their political programs, government, parties, candidates, issues and social movements. It plays a significant role in the making voting decisions and giving support to the political parties. Though Japan and US still have a liberal versus conservative outlook, the Left/Right considerations affected 90% of the highly educated to define where politics is shaped by religion, ideological Left/Right divisions are not considered. In Communist countries which are now being exposed to western influences, the Leftists or ex-communists parties which adhere to earlier social systems are â€Å"conservative†, whereas the Rightists are regarded as â€Å"liberal and revolutionary†. In les s developed countries like Uganda, the Left/Right dimension is seen by elites as an economic issue while the masses view it from the political angle. But in all regions the Left/Right identification is prevalent among the educated and those who are politically active. (The Limits of Ideological Globalization) RELEVANCE OF THE RIGHT/LEFT IDEOLOGIES History reveals that ‘Left’ or ‘Right’ are terms that are antithetical as well as exclusive because no doctrine can simultaneously be both ‘Left and ‘Right’. The gulf between the two cannot be bridged because they are poles apart. They are in reality descriptive because they analyze two sides of a conflict. They are evaluative as they argue on both the positive and negative aspects. Left/Right is not just related to politics but influences sociology, economics and philosophy too. The political universe has adopted two opposing ideologies – ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ which gives shape to their political thought and government. Sartre says that ‘Left and ‘Right’ are just ‘empty vessels’ without any analytical value. Political debaters have used these terms but they have no evaluative application. It can be argued that ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ are not just ideologies but are opposing programs related to solving political problems and social interests. Therefore, it is suggested that new groupings based on problems should be formed. The present democratic society is multifaceted, where many forces operate. These forces agree on some matters and disagree on others. So two contradictory forces exist but there is also an intermediate central position which leans either towards the ‘Left’ or ‘Right’. Hence there is a moderate left which leans towards the centre and an extreme left opposed to it and vice versa for the right. In politics the antithesis between Left and Right is dependent on the period and the circumstances. After the Italian unification, the Rights were predominant but this was followed by a period of Left predominance. Fascism – a Right wing movement – failed, and the Lefts rose to prominence. It is a universal fact that two opposing parts are interdependent and if one is nullified the other too becomes invalidated. Left and Right are two parts of a whole, which stand and fall together. With the decline of Communism, a radical expression of the Left, the Rights were on their way up. The collapse of the Soviet government put an end to a Left wing government of a specific historical period. In modern mass politics, this political cleavage classifies ideologies, differentiates parties and their candidate’s proposals and acts as a communication tool between politicians, the mass media and citizens. It is also instrumental in guiding the electors to comprehend complexities of politics and reach conclusions. Most people subscribe to the view that a demise of ideology has been reached and traditional differences between the ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ have been overcome. But research on electoral behavior in legislative elections has revealed that an individual’s Left/Right self placement is a major predictor of voting choices and its importance is increasing. The Left/Right is important today as an explanation of voters’ choices especially in European Parliament elections. Though the terms Left and Right are challenged by many they are still a part of political terminology. Since socialism is declining, one wonders at the future of the Left. The old Left is analyzed and assessed in order to form a new Left. In democracies, one can hear of â€Å"Left in Parliament† and â€Å"Right in Parliament†. Even politicians are termed As Left winged or Right winged. Left and Right are terms used to differentiate political thought and activity. It is now claimed that the two labels are fictitious. Both the Left and right wing movements today face complex and novel problems. In the end their programs for electorates are more or less the same and they propose the immediate ends. On the basis of this argument, the Lefts and the Rights do not have a reason to exist because alleged differences and disputes between them do not exist. Personal animosity is unreasonable because the opposing sides are arguing for the same targets. (Left and Right Significance of a Political Distinction) ALTERNATIVE DIMENSIONS TO THE LEFT/RIGHT AXIS Left and Right, today, are non-adequate terms. The present confusion may give birth to new dominant ideologies. New ideas make old alignments inappropriate. To make necessary changes, work should be done at a quicker pace, according to the current political scenario. The industrialized nations of the world, including the US are confronted with a situation where the obsolete political groups cannot be called a Left/Right axis as they have become multi-dimensional. In US, the Republicans and Democrats are confused as to how to form alliances on the basis of these dimensions. This lack of coherency is creating difficulties in taking political action. The first dimension is that of secularism versus religion. The religious group who has hitherto played a traditional role is challenged by the advent of science, which is playing a pivotal role by the influence it has. This threatens the security of the religious leaders who are retaliating by seizing political power. Another dimension is the ethnic domination versus multi-culturalism. The large ethnic groups like His panics that have arisen have wrested political control. The point now is more than inclusion versus separation and the ‘melting pot’ model US had as a part of its national creed is questionable. Thirdly, the neo-colonial dimension that prevailed is now confronted with internationalism. With the evolution of the World Bank and IM, trade is controlled by the industrialized world which in turn leads to control of political philosophy. Ethnic and religious domination is now insecure because of internationalism and secularism. The fourth dimension is that of Laissez Faire capitalism versus government oversight. Capitalist economy has resulted in social and wealth inequality. US has ignored basic infrastructure investments, health, and welfare and introduced policies which favor financial manipulation. A new wealthy class has arisen and resulting in marginalization of organized labor. Economic disparities and the growth of a wealthy class highlight the dimension of conservation versus growth. While growth is favored, its implications on earth are overseen. Overpopulation excessive consumerism and waste in industrialized countries depletes natural resources. This excess results in disaster. It has already affected the availability of fresh water and fossil fuels. Shortage of these materials would result in persuading those that have them, to give them up. The conservationists would be willing to introduce changes in consumption patterns but not make real sacrifices. (The End of Left/Right Politics) CONCLUSION After analyzing the various aspects of Left/Right politics various conclusions can be drawn. It has existed since the time of the French Revolution, yet, its significance and role in politics has changed. After analyzing the current patterns in various political systems we see that ideological differences based on the Left/Right polarization still play a vital role in politics world over. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Left/Right polarization is not redundant rather it has changed its form and ideological beliefs. REFERENCES Left-Right Politics  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left%E2%80%93right_politics The Limits of Ideological Globalization-Hans Geser  http://socio.ch/internat/t_hgeser5.htm Left and Right Significance of a Political Distinction – Norberto Bobbio The End of Left/Right Politics – Robert Feinman  http://robertdfeinman.com/society/left_right.html

Gambling in the United States Essay examples -- Gaming Casinos

Gambling in the United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gambling has increased in the last couple of years. Is it because people are addicted? There are two types of gambling: Compulsive Gambling and pathological gambling. Compulsive Gambling is when people have a hard time resisting to gamble. Pathological Gambling is when there is a need to gamble for money or for large amounts of money. Also people don’t know when to quit when they are pathological gamblers. Both types of gambling have major side effects, and can both lead to serious gambling problems.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Studies show that 82% of people gamble. In 1975 only 61% gambled (Richard E. Vatz).† Gambling has increased rapidly in the United States. Many Americans who gamble often lose more than they win. It is a bad habit that many people develop. As people are young the gamble for fun, as It carries on some may become addicted, and can become a â€Å"Pathological or Compulsive† Gambler.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One third of Problem gamblers who receive treatment for compulsive gambling also received treatment for either chemical dependency or mental health problems (Lee S. Weinberg).† This is why people don’t know when to quit because some may have mental problems. If someone has a gambling problem, it is a serious behavior disorder that can cause psychological, financial, emotional, marital, and legal difficulties. Gambling effects peoples lives and families, not just the person who is gambling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many signs when people have gambling p...

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

People have different perceptions of courage all the time; some think it is a man with a gun in hand; some see courage as mental strength to persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty; others think courage is an ordinary person, doing extraordinary things; or even standing up for what is right, even if you are standing alone. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is illustrated through the characters of Atticus Finch, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, and Bob Ewell. Atticus and Mrs.Dubose share some of the same characteristics of courage. They both begin an impossible task but give it their all until the end, even if they don't succeed. On the other hand, Bob Ewell shows an immense lack of courage throughout the book by not having the courage to accept the consequences of his own wrong doing. Atticus, Bob Ewell, and Mrs.Dubose each reveal courage in different ways, even if that way is not showing any courage at all. Atticus Finch feels true courage is when " you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through to the end no matter what." (p.112) With this definition of courage, Atticus would be considered an extremely courageous man. Tom Robinson was being accused of raping a white girl during the 1930s in Alabama. Because of the way blacks were treated then, obviously the chances of Tom Robinson walking out of the courthouse innocent were slim to none. When Atticus takes the case of Tom Robinson he says it is the "one case in his lifetime that affects him personally." (p. 76) If he didn't take this case, he felt he couldn't "represent this country in legislature" additionally he said, "I couldn't hold up my head in town I couldn't even tell you and Jem not to do something again."(75) Taking this case took a great deal of courage and made Atticus a target of ridicule for Maycomb County. He was standing up for what he felt was right, and he was almost standing solo. The majority of Maycomb's citizens do not agree with Atticus's actions whatsoever. He was "running a still" in Maycomb, he was referred to as a "nigger lover" which was not accepted in society of Alabama in the 1930s(75). In Atticus's own home he was put down for defending a black man. Although Mrs. Merriweather never stated it, she did make her point clear that she felt there were "some good but

History and Philosophy of Science

General Studies Unit Kaduna State University, Kaduna Kaduna State, Nigeria GST 203 HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE LECTURE NOTES COURSE INTRODUCTION:This course is designed with the objectives of not only educating students on the historical developments that have taken place in the fields of science and technology and the philosophical basis on which achievements were made but to stimulate discuss and interests in the minds of students irrespective of the course they offer in the University, it is understood that cross disciplinary exposures of students in this manner will enable them appreciate the need to think alike and work together especially that they are our future leaders.The end result is lifting our country to joining the elite nations of scientific and technologically developed societies. Man, His Origin and Nature Introduction The origin of man is based on the modern theory concerning the evolution of man which proposes that humans and apes derive from an apelike ances tor that lived on earth a few million years ago. The theory states that man, through a combination of environmental and genetic factors, emerged as a species to produce the variety of ethnicities seen today, while modern apes evolved on a separate evolutionary pathway.Perhaps the most famous proponent of evolutionary theory is Charles Darwin (1809-82) who authored The Origin of Species (1859) to describe his theory of evolution. It was based largely on observations which he made during his 5-year voyage around the world aboard the HMS Beagle (1831-36). Since then, mankind's origin has generally been explained from an evolutionary perspective. Moreover, the theory of man's evolution has been and continues to be modified as new findings are discovered, revisions to the theory are adopted, and earlier concepts proven incorrect are discarded.Evolution of Man – Concepts in Evolutionary Theory` The currently-accepted theory of the evolution of man rests on three major principles. T hese principles hinge on the innate ability which all creatures have to pass on their genetic information to their offspring through the reproductive process. An alternative explanation for homology is a common designer. According to this reasoning, the similarities in anatomical features between species point to a blueprint used by a Creator/Designer. The first tenet is microevolution, the occurrence and build-up of mutations in the genetic sequence of an organism.Mutations are predominantly random and can occur naturally through errors in the reproductive process or through environmental impacts such as chemicals or radiation. The second tenet of evolution is natural selection. Natural selection is a natural mechanism by which the fittest members of a species survive to pass on their genetic information, while the weakest are eliminated (die off) because they are unable to compete in the wild. Natural selection is often termed â€Å"survival of the fittest† or â€Å"elimin ation of the weakest. The third tenet is speciation, which occurs when members of a species mutate to the point where they are no longer able to breed with other members of the same species. The new population becomes a reproductively isolated community that is unable to breed with its former community. Through speciation, the genes of the new population become isolated from the previous group. Evolution of Man – Scientific Evidence The theory of evolution of man is supported by a set of independent observations within the fields of anthropology, paleontology, and molecular biology.Collectively, they depict life branching out from a common ancestor through gradual genetic changes over millions of years, commonly known as the â€Å"tree of life. † Although accepted in mainstream science as altogether factual and experimentally proven, a closer examination of the evidences reveal some inaccuracies and reasonable alternative explanations. This causes a growing number of s cientists to dissent from the Darwinian theory of evolution for its inability to satisfactorily explain the origin of man.One of the major evidences for the evolution of man is homology, that is, the similarity of either anatomical or genetic features between species. For instance, the resemblance in the skeleton structure of apes and humans has been correlated to the homologous genetic sequences within each species as strong evidence for common ancestry. This argument contains the major assumption that similarity equals relatedness. In other words, the more alike two species appear the more closely they are related to one another. This is known to be a poor assumption.Two species can have homologous anatomy even though they are not related in any way. This is called â€Å"convergence† in evolutionary terms. It is now known that homologous features can be generated from entirely different gene segments within different unrelated species. The reality of convergence implies tha t anatomical features arise because of the need for specific functionality, which is a serious blow to the concept of homology and ancestry. Additionally, the evolution of man from ape-like ancestors is often argued on the grounds of comparative anatomy within the fossil record.Yet, the fossil record indicates more stability in the forms of species than slow or even drastic changes, which would indicate intermediate stages between modern species. The â€Å"missing links† are missing. And unfortunately, the field of paleoanthropology has been riddled with fraudulent claims of finding the missing link between humans and primates, to the extent that fragments of human skeletons have been combined with other species such as pigs and apes and passed off as legitimate. Although genetic variability is seen across all peoples, the process of natural selection leading to speciation is disputed.Research challenging the accepted paradigm continues to surface raising significant question s about the certainty of evolution as the origin of man. Evolution of Man – The Scrutiny The theory concerning the evolution of man is under increased scrutiny due to the persistence of gaps in the fossil record, the inability to demonstrate â€Å"life-or-death† determining advantageous genetic mutations, and the lack of experiments or observations to truly confirm the evidence for speciation. Overall, the evolution of man pervades as the accepted paradigm on the origin of man within the scientific community.This is not because it has been proven scientifically, but because alternative viewpoints bring with them metaphysical implications which go against the modern naturalistic paradigm. Nevertheless, a closer examination of the evidence reveals evolution to be increasingly less scientific and more reliant upon beliefs, not proof. Darwin's Theory of Evolution – The Premise Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has de scended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers — all related.Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) â€Å"descent with modification†. That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival — a process known as â€Å"natural selection. † These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation.Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature). Darwin's Theory of Evolution – Natural Selection While Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philo sophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy — a plausible mechanism called â€Å"natural selection. Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding.Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders el iminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time. Darwin's Theory of Evolution – Slowly But Surely†¦ Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a slow gradual process. Darwin wrote, â€Å"†¦Natural selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive variations; she can never take a great and sudden leap, but must advance by short and sure, though slow steps. Thus, Darwin conceded that, â€Å"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. † Such a complex organ would be known as an â€Å"irreducibly complex system†. An irreducibly complex system is one composed of multiple parts, all of which are necessary for the system to function. If even one part is missing, the entire system will fail to function. Every individual part is integral. Thus , such a system could not have evolved slowly, piece by piece.The common mousetrap is an everyday non-biological example of irreducible complexity. It is composed of five basic parts: a catch (to hold the bait), a powerful spring, a thin rod called â€Å"the hammer,† a holding bar to secure the hammer in place, and a platform to mount the trap. If any one of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not work. Each individual part is integral. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex. Darwin's Theory of Evolution – A Theory in Crisis Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we've made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years.We now know that there are in fact tens of thousands of irreducibly complex systems on the cellular level. Specified complexity pervades the microscopic biological world. Molecular biologist Michael Denton wrote, â€Å"Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly sma ll, weighing less than 10-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world. And we don't need a microscope to observe irreducible complexity. The eye, the ear and the heart are all examples of irreducible complexity, though they were not recognized as such in Darwin's day. Nevertheless, Darwin confessed, â€Å"To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection seems, absurd in the highest degree. However, despite all of its weaknesses and often unscientific character, human evolution will doubtless continue to be the most popular story in the evolutionary legend, and the cast of apes considered to be ancestral to man will continue to change, as it has in the past, but that is not important to evolutionism as long as the central â€Å"dogma† and its profound implications remains – man is a beast. Human Nature Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting that humans tend to have naturally.The questions of what these characteristics are, what causes them and how this causation works, and how fixed human nature is, are amongst the oldest and most important questions in western philosophy. These questions have particularly important implications in ethics, politics and theology. This is partly because human nature can be regarded as both a source of norms of conduct or ways of life, as well as presenting obstacles or constraints on living a good life.The complex implications of such questions are also dealt with in art and literature, while the multiple branches of the Humanities together form an important domain of inquiry into human nature, and the question of what it means to be human. The branches of contemporary science associated with the study of human nature include anthropology, sociology, sociobiology and psychology, particularly evolutionary psychology and developmental psychology. The so-called â€Å"nature versus nurture† debate is a broadly inclusive and well-known instance of a discussion about human nature in the natural sciences.Man and His Cosmic Environment: We are connected to the cosmic nature through the proximity and the presence of our local star which we know as the sun (sol). Completely dominating the generation of life within the terrestrial environment in which we all have co-evolved; the sun has nine planets in orbit about itself, collectively known as the solar system. Our home, the Earth, is the third planet after Mercury and Venus. Beyond the Earth is Mars, then the asteroid belt, then the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and lastly Pluto.The sun is a huge cosmic fire which spends its fuel of hydrogen by way of nuclear processes, to generate huge amounts of energy which is continually radiated out and away from the sun’s surface, and across the expanse of the solar system, out into the inter-stellar spaces. It is the systematic of three celestial bodies, the Sun, Earth and the Moon, which have defined and continue to define the specifications of the chariot which bears our life through the greater way of the cosmos.It is our relativity to these three bodies that has given rise to the human conception of both time and space in the cosmic environment. The terrestrial environment in which we dwell on a day to day basis is a subset of the greater cosmic environment. Earth Solar system Milky Way Galaxy Universe| Stars are found clustered together in galaxies, and galaxies in galactic clusters. There seems to be no observ able end to the cosmos. For example, it is estimated that our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains about 200 billion stars.It is further estimated that there are over 100 billion galaxies in the universe. The cosmos is thus observed to be an ocean of light, fed by the tributary streams of stars and galaxies. A vast and deep cosmic ocean of light, in which our planet, Earth is just an isolated and remote terrestrial island. Light travels at a speed of about 300,000km per second, capable of circulating about the Earth 712 times in one second. It takes about 8 minutes for light to reach us from the Sun, over four years from the nearest star and 400,000 years from the nearest galaxy.Because of this huge vastness of the cosmos, one common unit of measurement of cosmic distance is the light-year, which represents the distance which light travels in one Earth year. The nearest galaxies to the Milky Way are the large and small Magellanic Clouds which are located at some 150,000 light-years dista nce. The brightest of the closest galaxies is the Andromeda Nebula, which are 2,000,000 light-years away. The stars which we see in the night sky may be stars within the Milky Way, but they may also be remote galaxies, or even remoter galactic clusters.The Earth is estimated to be 412 billion years old while the sun is estimated to be about 5 billion years old. The supply of Sun’s fuel of Hydrogen is estimated to last another 5 billion years. Scientific Methodology: Science: (From the Latin Scientia, means â€Å"knowledge†) is a reliable body of knowledge that can be logically and rationally explained. Scientific method: refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.Philosophies fall into two primary categories namely: 1. Idealism and 2. Materialism. The basic proposition of these two categories pertains to the nature of reality, while to the idealist, spirit or mind is primary, and created matter is secondary. The materialistic philosophers believe that matter is primary and mind or spirit is secondary. The theory holds that the only thing that exists is matter and that all things are composed of material and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interaction.Scientific method agrees with the materialistic philosophy where all scientific discoveries arise from human interaction with nature. This method of discovery is characterized by a sequence of steps, although these steps or procedures may vary from one field of inquiry to another, the general identifiable features that form the major steps in scientific method include: Observation, Problem definition, Hypothesis formulation, Experimentation, Conclusion and Theory formulation. 1. Observation: This is the first step in scientific method.It is either an activity of living being (such as human), consisting of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the reco rding of data using scientific instruments. Observations that are made using the senses are said to be direct observation, while indirect observation is a situation where data are recorded using scientific instruments. In science, anything that cannot be observed cannot be investigated scientifically. For instance, it is easy to observe that when a stone is thrown up, it must always come down.Also, someone can observe plant growing in the dark produced pale yellow color instead of the normal green. Observations can be classified into two: (a)Spontaneous or passive observation: These are unexpected observations which arise from impulse or inclination, rather than from planning or response to situations. This type of observation begins with one noticing an object or event. Observation can only be meaningful if observer either consciously or unconsciously relates observations with relevant knowledge. (b)Induced or active observation: These are deliberate or intentional observations.In this case, the researcher carefully plans on how to study an object, a process, an event or response to a situation. Scientific observation can be enhanced by developing the habit of watching things with an active enquiring mind. A good observation comes after so many errors and corrections; more so, it should be observed independently by other scientist and report the same thing. 2. Problem definition: After an observation has been made, the hypothetical student becomes curious, for instance, he will decide to find out why a stone always comes down when thrown up.To be able to define a problem, questions must be asked. Just like good observation, to be of value to science a good question must be relevant and it must be testable. 3. Hypothesis: Once questions have been raised over a certain phenomenon, a good scientist then guesses what the answer to the question might be. This assumed answer is called a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon or alternat ively a reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between or among a set of phenomena. Normally hypotheses have the form of a mathematical model.Sometimes, but not always, they can also be formulated as existential statements, stating that some particular instance of the phenomenon being studied has some characteristics and causal explanations, which have the general form of universal statements, stating that every instance of the phenomenon has a particular characteristics. Not all hypotheses relating to a particular problem are valid. The only way to decide which hypothesis is correct or valid is to test each of the hypotheses. This is where scientific experiments are important.The outcome of the experiment could lead to; i. Acceptance of the hypothesis ii. Modification of the hypothesis or iii. Rejection of the hypothesis. Once a hypothesis is modified or new once formulated, they must be tested afresh for validity by performing new experiments. Clearly, the guessing an d guess testing might go on for years and a right answer might never be found. Much faster progress would be made if the number of hypotheses were few. The amount of previous knowledge a scientist has, enables him to achieve this. 4. Experimentation:This is a technique for dealing with observational errors whereby a deliberate controlled of some properties (factors or variables) under different conditions is applied to see what varies or what remain the same. Once guesses are made, they can be tested by experiments. If test results contradict predictions, then hypotheses are called to question and explanations may be sought. Sometimes experiments are conducted incorrectly and are at fault. If the results confirm predictions, then the hypotheses are considered likely to be correct but might still be wrong are subject to further testing. . Conclusion: They are reached after analyses of experimental results are made . Conclusions may sometimes include in clear terms the acceptance or r ejection of a hypothesis. The hypothesis can also be redefined, modified and clarified when the situation arises. Some other conclusions may even be overthrown and discarded. For example, if after a controlled experiment involving only one variable, one may conclude that the other factors beside the one varied may be responsible for the observed problem/phenomenon. 6. Theory Formulation:A scientific theory comprises a collection of concepts, including abstractions of observable phenomena expressed as quantifiable properties, together with rules (called scientific laws) that express relationships between observations of such concepts. A scientific theory is constructed to conform to available empirical data about such observations, and is put forth as a principle or body of principles for explaining a class of phenomena. A theory is usually proposed when a hypothesis has been supported by really convincing evidence. This evidence must be obtainable in many different laboratories and by many researchers.Theories are open to tests, revisions, and tentative acceptance or rejection. As soon as new information is observed in the course of applying the theory, such existing or established theory is revised. Application of scientific method: Whether the scientific method can legitimately and fruitfully be used in the social sciences, Art, and in the socio-natural or hybrid sciences such as psychology and linguistics, has been a subject of controversy. The history of these sciences shows conclusively that the scientific method has been fruitful whenever it has actually been employed.For the pure sciences, the use of the scientific method stands out as a major characteristic aspect of their researches; its absence, therefore, is a sure indicator of non-science. In other words, a discipline where the scientific method plays no role is not a science. Thus, such field as theology, literacy criticism, psychoanalysis, homeopathy, graphology, and palmistry can hardly be regar ded as scientific. Application: Scientific method can be applied in real life situation as well as in scientific discoveries. Creative and Critical Thinking:Decision making is part of our daily activities and the quality of our decision could affect our lives and sometimes the lives of other people. For instance, imagine a cook in a restaurant who in trying to add salt to soup, pick a bottle containing cyanide instead; or when quality control officers in a flour company or a water board for instance, fail to take good decision. Many lives could be affected. The quality of our day to day decision depends to a great extent on the quality/procedure of our thinking. Effective thinking procedure consists basically of: . Creative thinking: is the type of thinking that is patterned towards formation of possible solution of problem or possible explanations of a phenomenon. 2. Critical thinking: is a purposeful reflective judgment concerning what to believe or what to do. Critical thinking c alls for the ability to: †¢Recognize problems, to find workable means for meeting those problems †¢Understand the importance of prioritization and order of precedence in problem solving †¢Gather and marshal pertinent (relevant) information †¢Recognize unstated assumptions and values Comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity, and discernment †¢Interpret data, to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments †¢Recognize the existence (or non-existence) of logical relationships between propositions †¢Draw warranted conclusions and generalizations †¢Put to test the conclusions and generalizations at which one arrives †¢Reconstruct one's patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider experience †¢Render accurate judgments about specific things and qualities in everyday life Note: That an effective thinking must be creative as well as critical.Thus, an effective thinker (good scientist) must be able to create solution and criticize existing ones. The six steps of scientific methods actually cover these types of thinking; if one is to have real assurance that his/her final decision is sound, then all phases/steps must be completed. Effective thinking requires practice if it must be mastered. The amount of success one gets in effective thinking depends on how objective one is in viewing things (he/ she and the world) without bias.Willingness to concentrate on the pursuit of truth, taking up all problems and openness to one’s feelings is essential tools for objectivity. For the later, one must be able to discern when one’s feelings are relevant or not. Science and Technology in the Society and Service of Man: Science: This is an institution, a method or process of acquiring knowledge. It is the study of the physical and natural world and phenomenon, especially by using systematic observation and experiment. It is a systematically organized body of knowledge about a particular subject e. g. Chemistry, Physic s etc. It is omething studied or performed methodically; an activity that is the object of careful study or that is carried out according to a developed method. Science is both the process and product of investigation and research. Technology: Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge and research, with the aim of developing products or processes for the use of man. It consists of the practical knowledge of what can be done and how. It is not a body of theoretically related laws and principles. It is characterized by the techniques, devices, procedures, processes and materials.It is more of a collection of practical information that can be used to do something. Example: From agriculture, say a large crop of vegetables is in danger of destruction by insects, and agricultural scientists have already developed insecticides to be used to fight the insects. If a decision is taken to spray the insecticides from an airplane, that decision is made by an agricultural e ngineer. He will put economic and environmental factors into consideration in making the decision. All the techniques, procedures and materials used make up the technology of insecticides spraying from an airplane.It is important to note that in spite of the seeming difference between science and technology, they are intimately linked, or symbiotic. This is because technology will be crippled and blinded, if not for the new knowledge which science provides it. Science on the other hand will not progress much, if technology does not supply it with new instruments, new techniques and new power. For example the practice of photography (technology) originated before the theory of photographic process was formulated (science). Photographic materials were made by trial and error.Up till about 1950’s, the methods used in manufacturing photographic materials were a little advanced than the basic science of the photographic process. A point was reached however, when progress in photog raphy became slow. Progress was only accelerated when the physical chemistry underlying photography process was understood. X-rays were discovered through scientific research. The knowledge of theses x-rays machines. These x-ray machines, in turn now help scientific researchers to examine, for example the arrangement of atoms in crystals. So both science and technology go hand in hand. What Motivates Scientist and Technologists?What drives the scientist when he is acting as a scientist is the longing to know and understand. The key word here is curiosity. The scientist is curious to know and understand nature. He is not bothered about application of his knowledge. Other spirits of inquiry includes: 1. A questioning of all things 2. A search for data and relations that give meaning 3. A demand for verification 4. A respect for logic (sensible rational thought and argument rather than ideas that are influenced by emotion) What drives the technologist on the other hand is the desire to translate ideas and plans into concrete products or processes.The key word is know-how. His/ Her aim is to produce things and not to formulate theories about the devices and the techniques used in the process. It is important to note that the ideas implemented by the technologist are derived both from science and non-science areas. The corresponding plans are often developed by engineers. The Beginning and Importance of Technology in Human Affairs: In his desire to provide for his basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, he made and used tools (origin of technology). With time, man not only sought to satisfy his needs but also his wants.Technology also helped man to get what he wanted. These include play, leisure, houses, travelling, exotic foods, faster communication with others etc. Technology is as old as man himself. Man’s earliest tools were his hands and teeth. He graduated to stones, and then to sticks shaped to be used as tools. As time goes on, he developed tools of special types to be used for hunting, fishing and the making of clothes and shelters. Man’s technical progress is believed to be governed by two elements, which are: 1. Discovery 2. Invention A discovery is a new way of looking at an old phenomenon.Invention however, is defined as a mental process in which various discoveries and observations are combined and guided by experience into some new tool or operation. It is important to note that much experience is needed to lead to truly important inventions. The next stage in the evolution of technology is the discovery of fire. It is the most important discovery of Stone Age man. He used the fire to warm himself and to prepare tastier food. Fire then led to the birth of cooking and subsequently to the invention of suitable kitchen utensils and cooking methods such as baking, frying, steaming etc. Can you imagine what it’s like to eat uncooked food? ) The discovery of fire was therefore a very important event. Man later began to cultivate his own crops and rear animals for a more regular supply of food. This led to the establishment of communities. He domesticated animals and developed agricultural tools. He made textiles, produced pottery, invented the wheel and the sail to improve his transportation. Man also learned to mine and utilize metals such as copper and iron. The Importance of Science, Technology and Inventions:The factors that distinguish our age (20th century upwards) from the past are: 1. The recognition of the importance of science and technology in human affairs 2. The increased pace of scientific and technological development (which makes it part and parcel of our daily living) and 3. The realization that science and technology are not simply a limited or local factor. It encompasses all men everywhere, and is interrelated with nearly all human endeavors. The 20th century has been characterized by rapid advances in science, technology and inventions.We all feel the impact of them in our daily lives as well as in our social and political institutions. For instance, modern man has replaced the implements and tools of primitive man with tractors and ploughs for tilling the soil. This represents a higher level of technology. The hydrogen bomb, nuclear weapons/ missiles have replaced the bow and arrow technologies of the old eras. Even on the home front, housekeeping has been happily made easier for the housewives with the introduction of labor saving machines such as microwave and electric ovens, vacuum cleaners etc.Without doubt, the standard of living of a nation depends on science, technology and inventions. Developing nations such as Nigeria are beginning to realize one essential difference between them and the so-called developed nations. This is because of the fact that these developed nations have been able to create, master and use modern science and technology. This means that science, technology and invention form the foundation of modern existence. A highly developed education and research programs in the basic sciences are needed by any country that would want a secure and stable society.Knowledge of the basic sciences such as Physics, Biology and Chemistry are of indispensable value because it is through their research efforts that technological growth can take place. The stable society should be one where industrialization, public health care, advanced agriculture etc. can flourish. Long-term progress is only possible if a percentage of government funds are used for teaching and research. Renewable and Non-renewable Resources, Man and His Energy Environment: Energy: Energy can be defined as follows: 1. Energy is the strength and vitality needed to do vigorous activity 2.Energy is the ability of matter or radiation to do work Energy can be derived from physical resources to provide light, heat, current, voltage etc. Energy Sources: There are five ultimate sources of energy namely: 1. Sun 2. Motion and the gravitation potential of the sun, the moon and the earth. 3. Geothermal energy from cooling, chemical reactions and radioactive decay in the earth. 4. Nuclear reaction 5. Chemical reactions Among all these, energy sources can be grouped into two, namely: 1. Renewable and 2. Non-renewable energy resourcesRenewable energies are derived from sources 1, 2, 3 and 4, while non-renewable energies are derived from 1, 3, 4 and 5. Renewable Energy (Infinite Energy): This is energy obtained from continuous and repetitive current of energy occurring in the natural environment as a current or flow irrespective of there been a man-made device to intercept or harness the power. These energy resources are infinite and inexhaustible and their development requires investment in sophisticated technologies. Example of renewable energy resources are: 1. Wood and biomass: – Energy from trees and plants (e. . corn, can be converted to alcohol and ethanol, cassava to ethanol etc. ) 2. Hydroelectric power: – Energ y from water (Though to an extent not regarded as renewable resources. ) 3. Solar energy: – Energy from the Sun. 4. Wave energy: – Energy due to movement of ocean waters. 5. Tidal energy: – Energy from rise and fall of sea waters. 6. Fission nuclear energy: – Energy due to splitting of atoms. 7. Fusion nuclear energy: – Energy due to combining atoms. 8. Wind energy: – Energy due to air movement. 9. Geothermal energy: – Thermal energy from earth’s core etc.Non-Renewable Energy (Finite Energy): This is obtained from static/ stationary store of energy that remains bound unless released by human interaction e. g. nuclear fuel (Uranium), fossil fuel of coal, oil and natural gases. Note that the energy is initially an isolated potential and external action is required to initiate the supply of energy for practical purposes. These energy resources have limited life span, and also called exhaustible energy resources. Examples of non-re newable energy resources are: 1. Coal: – is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from the remains of plant life. 2.Petroleum energy: – Energy formed by decomposition of living matter mainly from marine organisms. 3. Natural gas: – Crude oil in reservoirs is always accomplished by a mixture of gas called natural gas. The principal component is methane CH4 about 85-95%. The remainder is mainly composed of ethane, propane and butane (hydrocarbons). 4. Shale oil: – Energy from solid or semi-solid of petroleum and natural gas. Shale oil cannot be recovered by conventional methods of petroleum production. They are sometimes referred to as oil or tar sand. 5. Peat: – A shaped block dug from a bog and dried for fuel.Uranium (U-235, U-236, U-238): – Is a common constituent of continental rock with an average crystal concentration of about 2 parts per million (2ppm). Concentration of Ore quality is generally in 2000-10,000ppm range i. e 0. 5-1. 0%. F ossil Fuels: – Encompasses coals, oil, natural gas, petroleum, shale oil etc. Energy Production and Environmental Damage: 1. Hydroelectric Power: – is widely utilized world-wide. It is a clean energy source but has certain disadvantages such as: * Destruction of natural vegetation * Destruction of farmlands * It is capital intensive Diverting waters by hydroelectric power displaces population and loss of agricultural farmlands. * Changes of river courses may affect the animal, plant and fish lives. 2. Environmental Impacts of Wind Power: – * Causes local noise pollution and electromagnetic interference. * Wind power is seen by others unsightly (not pleasant to look at), since the windiest sites are in areas of outstanding natural beauty, natural parks, and other scenic sites. 3. Tidal Energy Environmental Impacts: – Besides the high cost of capital, * It weakens fish reproduction. The ability of estuaries (wide tidal river mouth) to support wintering (col dness) and migrating bird’s population could be affected (though this area needs more research). * Tidal barrages can adversely affect migrating and spawning fish population (i. e. deposits of fish, frog’s eggs). 4. Environmental Impacts of Wave Power: – The environmental impacts are minimal; however the reliability of the technology is questionable. 5. Environmental Impacts of Solar Power: – * It is very expensive but environmentally friendly. 6. Environmental Impacts of Geothermal Energy: – Carbon dioxide CO2 and hydrogensulphide HS2 emission may be high (greenhouse gases). * Sinking land above geothermal wells can cause contamination of water by saline and possible toxic water (though these problems can be managed successfully). * Occupies plenty farmlands. 7. Environment Impacts of Biomass: – * Produces greenhouse gases and small amount of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). * Waste disposals problems (Available land for disposals and da ngers from the bi-products). 8. Environmental Impacts of Fossil Fuels: – * Open cast mining and piling of waste scar (damage) landscape. Leakages of oil and gas from pipelines and installation also cause environmental pollution problems. * Combustion of fossil fuel can cause acid rain. * Combustion of fossil fuels produce greenhouse gases Acid Rain: It occurs because of the atmospheric continual effort to cleanse itself off various pollutants that are introduced into air. The water droplets in clouds absorb (hold) particulate matter and gas molecules out of the air. Not all such substances are removed by rain or precipitation but instead remain suspended in clouds and moisture. POLLUTIONPollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i. e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, t he elements of pollution, can be foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring; when naturally occurring, they are considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels. Thus a pollutant can be defined as a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil.Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, the concentration and the persistence. Some pollutants are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the long term. However the degradation products of some pollutants are themselves polluting such as the products DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) and DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) produced from degradation of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). Pollution is often classed as point source or non-point source pollution. Point Source PollutionA point source of pollution is a single identifiable localized source of air, water, thermal, and noise or light pollution. A point source has negligible extent, distinguishi ng it from other pollution source geometries. The sources are called point sources because in mathematical modeling, they can be approximated as a mathematical point to simplify analysis. Pollution point sources are identical to other physics, engineering, optics and chemistry point sources and include: * Water pollution from an oil refinery wastewater discharge outlet * Noise pollution from a jet engine Disruptive seismic vibration from a localized seismic study * Light pollution from an intrusive street light * Thermal pollution from an industrial process outfall * Radio emissions from an interference-producing electrical device Types of air pollution sources which have finite extent are line sources, area sources and volume sources. Air pollution sources are also often categorized as either stationary or mobile. Non-Point Source PollutionNon-point source (NPS) pollution is water pollution affecting a water body from diffuse sources, such as polluted runoff from agricultural areas draining into a river, or wind-borne debris blowing out to sea. Nonpoint source pollution can be contrasted with point source pollution, where discharges occur to a body of water at a single location, such as discharges from a chemical factory, urban runoff from a roadway storm drain or from ships at sea. NPS may derive from many different sources with no specific solution to rectify the problem, making it difficult to regulate. Forms of pollutionThe major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular pollutants relevant to each of them: * Air pollution, the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common gaseous air pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight. Particulate matter or fine dust is characterized by their micrometer sizePM10to PM2. 5. * Light pollu tion, includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference. Littering * Noise pollution, which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar. * Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE, herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons. * Radioactive contamination, resulting from 20th century activities in atomic physics, such as nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research, manufacture and deployment. (See alpha emitters and actinides in the environment. * Thermal pollution is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence, such as use of water as coolant in a power plant. * Visual pollution, which can refer to the presence of overhead power lines, motorway billboards, scarred landforms (as from strip mining), open storage of trash or municipal solid waste. * Water pollution, by the release of waste products and contaminants into surface runoff into river drainage systems, leaching into groundwater, liquid spills, wastewater discharges, eutrophication and littering. Sources and CausesAir pollution comes from both natural and man-made sources. Though globally, man-made pollutants from combustion, construction, mining, agriculture and warfare are increasingly significant in the air pollution equation. Environmental effects of textile wastes and other material: Textiles are types of fabrics made by weaving, or knitting. The principal raw materials used in textile manufacture are the natural fibers and synthetic (man-made) fibers 1. Natural fibers: These include (a) Vegetable fibers e. g. cotton, flax and hemp; (b) Animal fibers e. g. heep’s wool; and (c) Mineral fiber e. g. asbestos 2. Synthetic fibers: (a) They are polymers based on petroleum and cellulose such as nylon Textiles are manufactured to perform a wide range of roles. They are made up of different types of fibers that are mixed in varying proportions. The manufacture of natural textiles involves a wide variety of physical and chemical processes. The processes depend on the fiber type and the specification of the fabric product for use in clothing, furnishings or for industrial applications. Textile wastes and environmental effects: a) Textile wastes originate from both the household (consumer) and the industrial (manufacturing) sectors. (b) Consumer waste comprises wastes dumped in dust bins or that separated for reuse or recycling e. g. unwanted clothing and carpets. (c) Manufacturing waste originates from the processing of raw materials and in the fabrication and production of finished textiles and garments which include cuttings and rejected materials. Textile wastes can be classified thus: 1. Dangerous packaging wastes: These wastes come from the exhaustion of the laboratory chemical reactive. E. g. paper packaging wastes, plastic packaging w astes and metallic packaging wastes. 2. Non-dangerous packaging wastes: These come from the packaging of raw textile material of different types (such as fibers, yarns, fabrics) pieces of paper packaging wastes (such as boxes, bags, cardboard). 3. Non-dangerous wastes: Include textile wastes that are retained on equipment filters, raw materials and fibers, yarn, woven, knitted, cut offs, threads and defective items. Others are sludge for water treatment and also printing toners. 4.Dangerous wastes: These also include grease and oil impregnated rags, used oils – solvent wastes, fluorescent tubes – batteries (equipment and transport vehicles), chemical wastes, dyes, print pastes. , contaminated textile wastes with chemicals, wastes of electric and electronic equipment (with metals)etc. Environmental Effects: The environmental risks that are associated with the manufacture of clothing are limited with few significant risks. (a) Packaging wastes litter the land and occupy spaces that may be used for other purposes such as agric. b) The cutting and working of material generates significant quantities of small particles of fabric. These are called â€Å"fly† in the industries. High levels of fly and dust within buildings cause occupational health hazards (primarily respiratory). If uncontrolled, emissions of fly and dust may cause and nuisance problems outside the building. Lastly, If not properly cleaned, buildup of fly on machines can ignite and cause fires. (c) Textile waste in incinerators: These emit organic substances through incinerator chimneys. Organic substances include dioxins, heavy metals, acidic gases and dust particles.All these are potentially harmful to both humans and the environment. (d) Textile waste in landfills: * This contributes to the formation of leach- ate as it decomposes. * This has the potential to contaminate both surface and groundwater sources. * Methane gas (a major greenhouse gas, and a significant contributor to global warming) is also formed as a result of decay of textile waste in landfill. However, the gas can be utilized of collected. * Decomposition of organic fibers and yarns such as wool produces large amounts of ammonia and methane.Ammonia is highly toxic in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. It can be toxic in gaseous form and has the potential to increase nitrogen in drinking water. These have adverse effect on humans. Cellulose-based synthetics decay at a faster rate than chemical-based synthetics. Synthetic chemical fibers can prolong the adverse effects of both leachate and gas production due the length of time it takes for them to decay. Disposal: * Textile waste can be incinerated with other materials to produce energy (bottom fly ash). Bottom ash, can be used for construction purposes. * Fly ash used as a cement replacement. * Use of chrome substitutes such as aluminum, titanium, cod oil * Improved waste water treatment. * Good management environmental practices. Range from staff education and training. * Improving the quality and quantity of chemicals used; * Optimizing use of energy, water consumption etc. CHEMICAL AND RADIOCHEMICAL HAZARDS 1. RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS The need to understand what radiochemical substances are want danger they pose to the end users cannot be over emphasized.This important view should be embraced by all whether you are in the humanities or in science and technology discipline. Our environment must be kept safe for the benefit of life on our beautiful planet Radiochemical material and associated hazards are not new especially considering when radioactivity was first discovered by Henri Becquerel in 1896. This discovery revolutionized the fields of physics and chemistry as new products and services relating to both the positive and negative uses to which it was put to use.Radiochemical hazards are generally associated with working with chemical and radioactive substances at any place but usually in the laboratories . The most important negative use to which radioactivity has been put to use was in the production and use of the nuclear bombs (atomic bombs) in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War by the Americans. This marked the end of the war. Some of the benefits derived from the application of radioactivity are found in the field of medicine where specialized radiations have been used to treat cancer and tumors.It is used in x-ray where internal organs are investigated. In science, it has been used to study reaction mechanisms and structural analysis of materials. It is also used in generating electricity from nuclear reactions. These radioactive materials or chemicals have some health hazards associated with their usage, for example, the inventor of the word â€Å"radioactivity† Marie Curie died from a disease of the bone marrow as a result of her long term exposure to radioactive materials in 1934 at age 66.You will recall the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident in whic h many people died and several others were exposed to very high doses of radiations. Recently also, Japan woke up with a Tsunami that defercited the country their by damaging four of their nuclear reactors at Fukushima resulting in the death of many people and releasing very dangerous radiations to the environment which further poses serious health risk to life. Radioactive chemicals can render people impotent or result in the birth of medically handicapped children.Let us take a pause and define some basic concepts in radiation chemistry/physics. 2. DEFINITIONS OF SOME TECHNICAL TERMS * Radioactive: – Describes a substance such as uranium or plutonium that emits energy in the form of streams of particles, owing to the decaying of its unstable atoms. This energy can be damaging or fatal to the health of people exposed to it. * Hazardous: – Potentially very dangerous to living beings or the environment. * Radiotoxic: – Of toxic effect of radiation-relating to the toxic effects of radiation of radio-active substances. Radioactivity: – The breakdown of heavy atom into simple ones. * Radioactive substances (chemicals): – These are substances which are regarded as sources of ionizing radiations which may be either sealed or unsealed. Sealed sources (small) consist of radioactive materials permanently enclosed in containers e. g. Radium needles (226Ra), Radio cobalt needles (60Co), Radio gold (198Au), Radon seeds (222R), Radio tantalum (182Ta), Radio trium (90Y), Caesium needles (137Ce), Radio strontium plaques (90St). Large sealed sources for radiotherapy are normally charged with Cobalt 60 or Caesium 137. Chemical hazard: – Chemical hazard is the danger caused by chemicals to the environment and people. A chemical hazard arises from contamination with harmful or potentially harmful chemicals. Please take note of the following; * Toxic chemicals * Hazardous wastes * Hazardous chemicals * Radiochemistry: – Branch of c hemistry that deals with radioactive elements and their applications. * Radiology: – The branch of medicine that deals with the use of X-rays and radioactive substances such as radium the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The science of radiation and radioactive substances and their application e. g. n structural analysis. * Hazardous wastes: – These are toxic byproducts of various processes, a byproduct of manufacturing processes or nuclear processing that is toxic and presents a potential treat to people and the environment. * Radioactive wastes: – Used radioactive materials waste. Material that is radioactive, particularly the waste from nuclear reactors and medical treatment and research. * Radioactive series: – Series of atom types; a series of related atom types nuclides of radioactive isotopes, each of which is transformed into the next by emission of an elementary particle until a stable nuclei is obtained.There are three (3) such substances, t he thorium, the uranium and the actinium and almost all naturally occurring radioactive isotopes belonging to one of them. 3. NATURAL SOURCES OF RADIATION The heavy radioactive elements found in nature are members of three different series of elements beginning with uranium, thorium and actinium. Since the 1970s, concern has grown over exposure of individuals to radon in homes and other buildings. Because radon is a gas, it can percolate from uranium bearing rocks, subsoil, or building materials into the air within a building.Radon itself is not a health threat because it is an un-reactive noble gas. It enters and exits the beings without remaining in the body. However, its decay product, polonium, from the oxygen family, is more reactive. Polonium can adhere to dust particles in the air that can become trapped in the lungs. Being an ? (alpha) emitter, polonium and its decay products are potentially cancer causing agents. As is always the case, evaluating the seriousness of the heal th threat from such a substance in the environment is difficult. 4. SOURCES OF RADIATIONS * Buildings/paint * Sun Nuclear plants * X-ray units in hospital (radiology dept) * Electronic gadgets * Contaminated air * Irradiated foods (as preservatives) * In research laboratories. (List more) 5. RADIATION AND MATTER During the decay of radioactive nuclide, mass is lost and energy is released. The nuclei and particles collide with the atoms and molecules of the surroundings. In this process valence electrons may be knocked of atoms and molecules to produce ions or pulled up to form or breakdown bonds. The end products are electromagnetic radiations (x-ray, ? -rays, ? -rays, ? -rays, neutrons etc. re formed. ) * Alpha rays (or ? -rays particles): -are of limited interest in diagnosis and therapy because they lack penetration, even when emitted at high energy. They have a high ionizing power. 24He=alpha ray, it is a+ve particle They are stopped by a sheet of paper or by the dead layer of t he skin. However, if ? emitting radionuclide’s enter the body (by ingestion or in halation or through open wounds) the alpha rays may cause serious injuries. * Beta rays (or ? -ray particles): -The rays are negatively charged particles of high penetrating power and high velocity.They are deflected toward the positive part of magnetic field. They are used medically for the treatment of superficial lesions. * Gamma rays (? -rays): – Like x-rays, are electromagnetic radiation. Unsealed gamma emitting sources are widely used in nuclear medicine for diagnosis and therapy; they have extremely high penetrating power, then ? and ? rays. The ray is very dangerous to living creatures because they can cause damage to the living tissues. 6. MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS RADIOCHEMICALS As has been discussed earlier, radiochemical have found a lot beneficial uses to man.But the major problem is how to handle them in such a way that they do not cause danger health problems to man. In the l ight of these, all necessary protective measures must be put in place to protect the users ’e . g; * All workers in nuclear sites or radiologists must wear protective materials, and such plants must be highly secured to minimize chances of accidents or over exposures. * The handling of nuclear wastes must be such that both short and long term dangers associated with the disposal are taken into consideration.For example, nuclear waste should not be dumped in the sea as exposure to life under the sea will definitely affect man (consumer). Also, burying them under the ground has its dangers, as the shifting of the earth crust could make these waste come in contact with major sources of water and thus will affect life. * Radioactive liquids should not be poured into sinks but into designated containers. Also radioactive waste cans’ for adequate disposal by burial * At the close of day; all parts of the body, including clothing should be thoroughly monitored.This is best do ne by wearing radioactive dictators like the pocket Dosimeter or any other pocket ionization chamber * Cosmetics should never be applied on the skin of any worker in that the radiochemical can easily perch on them. * Before leaving the laboratory, workers should check themselves from radiation with beta-gamma survey meters * Nobody should work with radioactive materials if he has a broken skin-unless he wears gloves. 7. CHEMICAL HAZARDS For the purposes of this work, all chemicals used in routine laboratory, hemical manufacturing process and general research work are considered as hazardous, hence it is very important we understand this and follow strictly those safety rules guiding their usage. 8. CLASSES OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS * Class 1 – Explosives * Class 2 – Compresses gases and poisonous gases * Class 3 – Flammable liquids * Class 4 – Flammable solids 9. MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS As with radioactive materials, hazardous chemicals must be pro perly handle so as to prevent any health risk associated with their usage either directly or indirectly.Because of this similar safety precautions must be observed as is the case with radiochemical materials In addition the following general safety rules must be observed when handling chemicals. 10. LABORATORY SAFETY General Safety Guidelines for Chemical Lab * Material Safety Data Sheets: Know the hazard potential of each chemical you are using. Familiarize yourself with the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the materials you are using. * Personal Protection and First Aid * Wear eye protection (safety glasses or goggles) whenever you are working with material that can injure your eyes, especially acids, bases, and oxidizers. If you wear contact lenses, familiarize yourself with the special precautions. * Know the location of the emergency eye-wash stations, showers and first aid kits. Familiarize yourself with the operation of the eye wash station and shower. First aid kit is located in the chemistry lab. * Wear hand protection when handling corrosive or hazardous materials. The use of nitrile rubber is recommended when handling concentrated corrosive materials or organic solvents. Disposable PVC examining gloves offer minimal protection and are permeable to many organic substances. Check rubber gloves for holes and cracks before using. Do not touch surfaces with contaminated gloves. (Door knobs, equipment bench tops, drawers, etc. ) Rinse gloves well after use. * Open-toed shoes or sandals are not permitted in the chemistry labs. * Use of lab coats is recommended to protect your clothing. Protective aprons should be worn when handling highly corrosive materials. 11. CHEMICAL EMERGENCIES In a chemical emergency do not hesitate to follow these procedures because a spill or contact seems too trivial. It is better to overreact. * For skin contact, flood the affected area with water immediately and continues flooding for at least 15 minutes.If a substantial portion of the body is involved, use a safety shower. If the chemical is toxic, or it its toxic properties are unknown. * For eye contact, flood eyes with water and continue flooding for at least 15 minutes. Remove contact lenses if possible, or move to corner of the eye. * For inhalation or ingestion, follow direction on the product label. In case of spillage of any chemical: * If the volume of spill is greater than 500 ml (1 pint), or any amount of extremely toxic substance is spilled, evacuate and seal the area. * If the volume of spill is less that 500 m. 1 pint) and the substance is not extremely toxic, check the container or MSDS for special instructions. If no instructions are immediately available, encircle and cover the spill with absorbent material until the liquid is adsorbed. Do not flush with water. Neutralize strong acids with sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, or calcium hydroxide after absorbing. (Note: DO NOT absorb hydrofluoric acid- neutralize immediately). * S olid spills are not usually emergencies. If the spilled material is toxic, use damped cloths or paper towels to transfer the material to plastic bags.